On This Day
·

18-year-old US High schooler Robert Smith kills 5 people at Arizona's Rose-Mar Beauty College for fame

On November 12, 1966, 18-year-old Robert Benjamin Smith shot and killed five people—four women and a toddler—and injured two others at the Rose-Mar College of Beauty in Mesa, Arizona, United States.

On November 12, 1966, 18-year-old Robert Benjamin Smith shot and killed five people—four women and a toddler—and injured two others at the Rose-Mar College of Beauty in Mesa, Arizona, United States. All seven victims had been shot and one of the victims who initially survived her wounds was stabbed in the back.

It is the deadliest school shooting in Arizona history. The shooting is considered to be the first copycat mass shooting with Smith indicating that he had wanted to kill more than Charles Whitman, the perpetrator of the University of Texas tower shooting earlier the same year.

Historical Significance

On November 12, 1966, 18-year-old Robert Benjamin Smith shot and killed five people—four women and a toddler—and injured two others at the Rose-Mar College of Beauty in Mesa, Arizona, United States.

Events Before

  1. 49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews is the only player to be awarded a knighthood w

    49-year-old former England international soccer forward Stanley Matthews is the only player to be awarded a knighthood while still playing for Stoke City

  2. State funeral for Winston Churchill at St Paul's Cathedral in London; at the time, the world's largest-ever state funera

    State funeral for Winston Churchill at St Paul's Cathedral in London; at the time, the world's largest-ever state funeral

  3. Righteous Brothers' music single "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" hits #1

    "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is a song by Phil Spector, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil, first recorded in 1964 by the American vocal duo the Righteous Brothers.

  4. One of the most popular musical films of all time, "The Sound of Music," starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer,

    One of the most popular musical films of all time, "The Sound of Music," starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, premieres (Academy Award for Best Picture - 1966)

  5. Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov leaves his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes and becomes the first person to conduct a

    Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov leaves his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes and becomes the first person to conduct a spacewalk

Events After

  1. François Pienaar is born

    François Pienaar is born

  2. AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2

    AFL Championship, War Memorial Stadium, Buffalo: Kansas City Chiefs beat Buffalo Bills, 31-7; QB Len Dawson passes for 2 TDs, RB Mike Garrett runs for 2 TDs

  3. Actor Lee Marvin (42) divorces Elizabeth Ebeling after 14 years of marriage

    Actor Lee Marvin (42) divorces Elizabeth Ebeling after 14 years of marriage

  4. Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts takes his seat as the first African American popularly elected to the US Se

    Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts takes his seat as the first African American popularly elected to the US Senate

  5. Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (37) divorces second wife, British columnist Patricia Lewis after nearly 5 years of m

    Canadian actor Christopher Plummer (37) divorces second wife, British columnist Patricia Lewis after nearly 5 years of marriage

More from the 1960s

Apollo 11 Moon Landing

NASA's Apollo 11 mission successfully lands the first humans on the Moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin become the first people to walk on the lunar surface.

space exploration

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, calling for an end to racism in the United States.

civil rightspolitics government
birth

Tommy Morrison is born

Tommy Morrison, American professional boxer, known for american boxer, was born on 1969-01-02.

birth

Gabrielle Carteris is born

Gabrielle Carteris is born

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 12, 1966?
On November 12, 1966, 18-year-old Robert Benjamin Smith shot and killed five people—four women and a toddler—and injured two others at the Rose-Mar College of Beauty in Mesa, Arizona, United States. All seven victims had been shot and one of the victims who initially survived her wounds was stabbed in the back. It is the deadliest school shooting in Arizona history.
Why is 18-year-old US High schooler Robert Smith kills 5 people at Arizona's Rose-Ma... significant?
On November 12, 1966, 18-year-old Robert Benjamin Smith shot and killed five people—four women and a toddler—and injured two others at the Rose-Mar College of Beauty in Mesa, Arizona, United States.

Explore More

November 12 in HistoryYear 1966