July 12: Disco Explosions, a Wikipedia Hoax, and a Champion

July 12 has hosted world championships, a legendary Wikipedia prank, and the single most explosive night in the history of vinyl. Buckle up — this one's a ride.

The Brazilian Aardvark That Never Was

In 2008, someone edited the page for the coati — a perfectly nice raccoon relative — to claim it was also known as the "Brazilian aardvark." Multiple news outlets ran with it, because fact-checking is hard and typing is easy. The coati, blissfully unaware of its promotion, continued being a coati. Let this be a lesson: the internet has always been like this.

Speaking of things going gloriously off the rails, in 1979 rowdy fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago stormed the field during a promotional event where a crate of disco records was blown up. It was meant to be a marketing stunt. It became a riot. Somewhere, a Bee Gees album is still smoldering.

Champions, Cathedrals, and a Rolling Start

In 1998, France defeated defending champions Brazil 3–0 to win their first-ever FIFA World Cup title — an entire nation collectively losing its mind in the best possible way. Fittingly, one of the greatest Brazilian footballers alive, Vinícius Júnior, was born that very same day in 2000. The universe has a sense of humor.

Rewind further: in 1962, a scrappy English band called the Rolling Stones played their first-ever concert at the Marquee Club in London. Nobody that night could have guessed those lads would still be touring roughly a geological era later. And in 1561, Saint Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow, was consecrated — proving that if you build something weird and wonderful enough, people will admire it for centuries.

Birthdays Worth Celebrating

July 12 is a genuinely stacked birthday roster. Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani-English activist and Nobel Prize laureate, was born in 1997 — one of the most inspiring humans on the planet. Sharing the day: NBA star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (1998), gymnast Jordyn Wieber (1995), and Spanish football sensation Nico Williams (2002). Not a bad club to be in.

A Feast Worth Noting

Among today's observances is the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul in the Eastern Orthodox calendar — a genuinely long-celebrated day of reflection and, in many traditions, a good meal. Which honestly pairs nicely with the theme of the day: from World Cup glory to exploding disco records, July 12 has always known how to throw a party. Whether you're honoring the saints or just watching soccer, you're in excellent historical company.