Happy Birthday September 12

Francis I was born in Cognac, France on September 12, 1494. He succeeded his cousin Louis XII as French king in 1515. By the time Francis ascended the throne, the Renaissance had arrived in France, and the new French king became an enthusiastic patron of the arts. He employed Leonardo Da Vinci as the "First Painter, Architect Mechanic of the King." Francis' reign is also remembered for his development of absolute monarchy.

Francis I  of France

English Prime Minister HH Asquith was born at Croft House in Morley, Yorkshire on September 12, 1852. Asquith was called Herbert within his family, but his second wife called him Henry. However, in public, he was invariably referred to only as H. H. Asquith. "There have been few major national figures whose Christian names were less well known to the public," wrote his biographer Roy Jenkins.

The athlete Jesse Owens was born James Cleveland Owens on September 12, 1913 to sharecropper Henry Cleveland Owens and Mary Emma Fitzgerald.  He was called "J. C. ", but due to his strong southern accent people thought his name was Jesse. When he won the 100 metre sprint at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the first of his four gold medals, Owens dashed Hitler's hopes of Aryan domination. The Fuhrer stormed out of the stadium rather than present the awards to the athlete.

For more September 12 anniversaries, including The Battle of Marathon, the first American musical, the first American-born female police officer in the US and the wedding of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, check out OnThatDay.