MONDAY, Oct. 12, 2026

539 BC marks the fall of Babylon as the army of Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers the city. In Japan, Nichiren, a Buddhist monk and the founder of Nichiren Buddhism, inscribes the Dai-Gohonzon. Christopher Columbus, on his expedition, lands on a Caribbean island he names San Salvador, likely Watling Island in the Bahamas, believing he has reached East Asia.

In South America, Brazilian troops under General João Propício Mena Barreto invade Uruguay, signaling the start of the War of the Triple Alliance. The United States sees the commissioning of the USS Holland, the first modern submarine, named after its designer John Philip Holland.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.