June 12 Holidays

National Loving Day marks June 12, 1967, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its unanimous ruling in Loving v. Virginia, striking down all state laws prohibiting interracial marriage — named for Richard and Mildred Loving, the couple whose arrest prompted the case. International Falafel Day celebrates the deep-fried chickpea or fava bean fritter that is claimed simultaneously and vociferously by Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, and Palestine — a culinary passport that transcends every border dispute it generates. Democracy Day is a Nigerian national holiday marking June 12, 1993, when the presidential election widely considered Nigeria’s freest and fairest was held — its annulment by the military triggered a political crisis that eventually led to Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999. National Great Dane Day was created to celebrate the largest dog breed by height, developed in Germany despite its name. A Supreme Court ruling, a disputed fritter, a cancelled election, and a very tall dog.