Event:
As part of a crackdown on dissent in China, 169 Chinese Christians attempting to hold an outdoor prayer session were detained, then released
More Notable Events on April 12:
1981 Maiden voyage of space shuttle Columbia
1961 Yuri Gagarin becomes 1st person to orbit Earth in Vostok 1
1946 Syria gains independence from France
1844 Texas became a U.S. territory
1654 England, Ireland and Scotland united
