On This Day: January 12th

Taal Volcano in the Philippines erupts and kills 39 people.

Ten people are killed and 15 wounded in a bombing near the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

Government raids kill 143 Boko Haram fighters in Kolofata, Cameroon.

Violent protests occur in Bucharest, Romania, as two-day-old demonstrations continue against President Traian Băsescu's economic austerity measures. Clashes are reported in numerous Romanian cities between protesters and law enforcement officers.

An earthquake in Haiti occurs, killing between 220,000 and 300,000 people and destroying much of the capital Port-au-Prince.

Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught), one of the brightest comets ever observed is at its zenith visible during the day.

A stampede during the Stoning of the Devil ritual on the last day at the Hajj in Mina, Saudi Arabia, kills at least 362 Muslim pilgrims.

Deep Impact launches from Cape Canaveral on a Delta II rocket.

The world's largest ocean liner, RMS Queen Mary 2, makes its maiden voyage.

Downtown Disney opens to the public as part of the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.