On this day in History - August 12

1851 – Isaac Singer is granted a patent for his sewing machine.

1960 – Echo 1A, NASA's first successful communications satellite, is launched.

1981 – The IBM Personal Computer is released.

1992 – Canada, Mexico and the United States announce completion of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

1994 – Major League Baseball players go on strike, eventually forcing the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.