Today’s Ephemeris: What Happened on February 12 | H …

In February 12 anniversary These events that happened on a day like today in Argentina and around the world stand out.

● 1809. Birth of Charles Darwin. The English naturalist took part in the HMS Beagle’s journey around the world, which led him to visit Patagonia. He found fossils at Monte Hermoso and visited Chile. In 1859 he shocked science with the publication of The origin of species, in which he mentioned the process of natural selection. This meant a step forward from the early evolutionary theory of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and, in particular, regarding the contributions of Alfred Russel Wallace. Darwin’s theories collided with the creationist conception of the world. With him, biology takes shape as a science. He died in 1882.

● 1817. First battle of San Martín in Chile after crossing the Andes. The royalist forces are defeated in Chacabuco, 55 kilometers north of Santiago. It is a decisive fight to liberate Chile.

● 1924. The Paul Whiteman Orchestra premieres in New York a work commissioned from a 25-year-old composer named George Gershwin: Rhapsody in blue. The success is instantaneous and it is recorded the same year with the performers of the first: the orchestra Whiteman and Gershwin at the piano.

● 1949. Joaquín Sabina was born in the Andalusian town of Úbeda. One of the most popular Spanish singer-songwriters, his fame has crossed borders and he is a regular in Argentina. He goes on tour with Joan Manuel Serrat with the show Two birds with a stone. Author of classics like “And they gave us ten hours” and “19 days and 500 nights”, he recovered from an accident by falling from the stage while singing, in Madrid.

● 1984. Julio Cortázar died in Paris at the age of 69. He suffered from leukemia and had been able to come to Argentina at the very beginning of the democracy which had started two months earlier. Born in Brussels in 1914, he lived in Buenos Aires until 1951, when he moved to Paris. Story books like Bestiary, Game over, Secret weapons, Chronopios and celebrity stories Yes Everything lights the fire they made him a famous writer. Editing Hopscotch, in 1963, catapulted him as one of the authors of The Boom of Latin American Literature.

● 1999. The Sexgate ends in the United States with the acquittal of President Bill Clinton in the impeachment trial initiated by the Republicans. It all started a year earlier, when Clinton’s relationship with a White House intern named Monica Lewinsky came to light, which the Democratic leader denied; later he would admit he had lied. Senate votes on perjury and obstruction of justice do not even get a simple majority.

● 2017. Jazz singer Al Jarreau dies. He was 77 years old and had become famous with the theme of the series Moonlight.