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On This Day in History — December 13
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Highlights of December 13
- 2019 — Jo Swinson (pictured) steps down as Leader of the Liberal Democrats after losing her seat in the 2019 general election making her tenure the shortest in the party's history. Read more
- 2013 — Beyoncé (pictured) released her fifth studio album without any prior announcement or promotion; it sold 2.3 million copies before the end of the year. Read more
- 2011 — A man threw grenades and fired a rifle at crowds in Liège, Belgium, causing 6 deaths and injuring more than 120 others, before killing himself. Read more
- 1991 — Croatian War of Independence: The Croatian Army retreated after the failure of Operation Whirlwind, destroying their tanks to avoid their capture. Read more
- 1989 — The Troubles: The Provisional Irish Republican Army engaged in a fierce firefight with the King's Own Scottish Borderers at a vehicle checkpoint complex in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Read more
- 1981 — Polish prime minister Wojciech Jaruzelski (pictured) declared martial law. Read more
- 1960 — With Haile Selassie (pictured), Emperor of Ethiopia, out of the country, four conspirators staged a coup attempt to install Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen on the throne. Read more
- 1957 — A 6.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Iranian Hamadan province, killing at least 1,130 people. Read more
- 1937 — Second Sino-Japanese War: Japanese forces, capturing the Chinese city of Nanjing, began committing numerous atrocities over the next several weeks, including looting, rape and the execution of prisoners of war and civilians. Read more
- 1928 — An American in Paris, a jazz-influenced orchestral piece by George Gershwin, premiered at Carnegie Hall in New York. Read more
- 1862 — American Civil War: Union forces under Ambrose Burnside suffered severe casualties against entrenched Confederate defenders at the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia. Read more
- 1809 — Napoleonic Wars: While transporting supplies to Guadeloupe, French commodore François Read more
- 1769 — Dartmouth College (campus pictured) was established by royal charter in present-day Hanover, New Hampshire. Read more
- 1643 — First English Civil War: Roundhead forces under Sir William Waller led a successful surprise attack in Hampshire on a winter garrison of Cavalier infantry and cavalry. Read more
- 1577 — Francis Drake set sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage. Read more
- 1294 — Saint Celestine V resigned the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit. Read more
Events
- 2007 — The Treaty of Lisbon is signed by the EU member states to amend both the Treaty of Rome and the Maastricht Treaty which together form the constitutional basis of the EU. The Treaty of Lisbon is effective from 1 December 2009. Read more
- 2003 — Iraq War: Operation Red Dawn: Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit. Read more
- 2002 — European Union enlargement: The EU announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members on May 1, 2004. Read more
- 2001 — Indian Parliament attack: Sansad Bhavan, the building housing the Indian Parliament, is attacked by five Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists. Twelve people are killed, including the terrorists. Read more
- 1995 — Banat Air Flight 166 crashes in Sommacampagna near Verona Villafranca Airport in Verona, Italy, killing 49. Read more
- 1994 — Flagship Airlines Flight 3379 crashes in Morrisville, North Carolina, near Raleigh–Durham International Airport, killing 15. Read more
- 1989 — The Troubles: Attack on Derryard checkpoint: The Provisional Irish Republican Army launches an attack on a British Army temporary vehicle checkpoint near Rosslea, Northern Ireland. Two British soldiers are killed and two others are wounded. Read more
- 1988 — PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat gives a speech at a UN General Assembly meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, after United States authorities refused to grant him a visa to visit UN headquarters in New York. Read more
- 1982 — The 6.0 Ms North Yemen earthquake shakes southwestern Yemen with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing 2,800, and injuring 1,500. Read more
- 1981 — General Wojciech Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland, largely due to the actions by Solidarity. Read more
- 1977 — Air Indiana Flight 216 crashes near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff, and boosters of the team. Read more
- 1974 — Malta becomes a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. Read more
- 1974 — In the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese forces launch their 1975 Spring Offensive (to 30 April 1975), which results in the final capitulation of South Vietnam. Read more
- 1972 — Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. To date they are the last humans to set foot on the Moon. Read more
- 1968 — Brazilian President Artur da Costa e Silva issues AI-5 (Institutional Act No. 5), enabling government by decree and suspending habeas corpus. Read more
- 1967 — Constantine II of Greece attempts an unsuccessful counter-coup against the Regime of the Colonels. Read more
- 1962 — NASA launches Relay 1, the first active repeater communications satellite in orbit. Read more
- 1960 — While Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Brazil, his Imperial Bodyguard seizes the capital and proclaims him deposed and his son, Crown Prince Asfa Wossen, Emperor. Read more
- 1959 — Archbishop Makarios III becomes the first President of Cyprus. Read more
- 1957 — The Mw 6.5 Farsinaj earthquake strikes Iran with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII, causing at least 1,119 deaths and damaging over 5,000 homes. Read more
- 1949 — The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Read more
- 1943 — World War II: The Massacre of Kalavryta by German occupying forces in Greece. Read more
- 1939 — The Battle of the River Plate is fought off the coast of Uruguay; the first naval battle of World War II. The Kriegsmarine's Deutschland-class cruiser (pocket battleship) Admiral Graf Spee engages with three Royal Navy cruisers: HMS Ajax, HMNZS Achilles and HMS Exeter. Read more
- 1938 — The Holocaust: The Neuengamme concentration camp opens in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany. Read more
- 1937 — Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanking: The city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. This is followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians. Read more
- 1864 — American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: The Second Battle of Fort McAllister ends with the fort being seized by Union forces under General William B. Hazen, threatening the city of Savannah with investment. Read more
- 1862 — American Civil War: At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee repulses attacks by Union Major General Ambrose Burnside on Marye's Heights, inflicting heavy casualties. Read more
- 1818 — Cyril VI of Constantinople resigns from his position as Ecumenical Patriarch under pressure from the Ottoman Empire. Read more
- 1769 — Dartmouth College is founded by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, with a royal charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal governor John Wentworth. Read more
- 1758 — The English transport ship Duke William sinks in the North Atlantic, killing over 360 people. Read more
- 1643 — English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire. Read more
- 1642 — Abel Tasman is the first recorded European to sight New Zealand. Read more
- 1636 — The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians, a date now considered the founding of the National Guard of the United States. Read more
- 1623 — The Plymouth Colony establishes the system of trial by 12-men jury in the American colonies. Read more
- 1577 — Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage. Read more
- 1545 — The Council of Trent begins as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation. Read more
- 1294 — Saint Celestine V resigns the papacy after only five months to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit. Read more
- 1076 — The city of Salerno surrenders to Robert Guiscard. Duke Gisulf continues his resistance in the citadel until May of the following year. Read more
Born on December 13
- 2009 — Maddox Batson, American singer and songwriter Read more
- 2002 — Brock Bowers, American football player Read more
- 2001 — Jayden Goodwin, Australian cricketer Read more
- 2000 — Simona Waltert, Swiss tennis player Read more
- 1999 — Marina Bassols Ribera, Spanish tennis player Read more
- 1998 — Ian Seymour, American baseball pitcher Read more
- 1996 — Gleyber Torres, Venezuelan baseball player Read more
- 1995 — Emma Corrin, English actor Read more
- 1993 — Danielle Collins, American tennis player Read more
- 1993 — Jamal Fogarty, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1991 — Dave Leduc, Canadian martial artist Read more
- 1991 — Vladimir Tarasenko, Russian ice hockey player Read more
- 1990 — Fletcher Cox, American football player Read more
- 1990 — Joseph Garrett, English YouTuber, actor, and author Read more
- 1990 — Arantxa Rus, Dutch tennis player Read more
- 1989 — Hellen Obiri, Kenyan runner Read more
- 1989 — Katherine Schwarzenegger, American author Read more
- 1989 — Taylor Swift, American singer-songwriter Read more
- 1988 — Rickie Fowler, American golfer Read more
- 1987 — James Holmes, American mass murderer Read more
- 1984 — Santi Cazorla, Spanish footballer Read more
- 1984 — Hanna-Maria Seppälä, Finnish freestyle swimmer Read more
- 1983 — Laura Hodges, Australian basketball player Read more
- 1982 — Dan Hamhuis, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
- 1982 — Ricky Nolasco, American baseball player Read more
- 1981 — Amy Lee, American singer, songwriter and pianist Read more
- 1978 — Cameron Douglas, American actor Read more
- 1975 — Tom DeLonge, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, author, and filmmaker Read more
- 1975 — James Kyson, American actor Read more
- 1975 — Matthew LeCroy, American baseball player and manager Read more
- 1972 — Matti Kärki, Swedish heavy metal singer Read more
- 1971 — Scott Sattler, Australian rugby league player Read more
- 1969 — Sergei Fedorov, Russian ice hockey player and coach Read more
- 1967 — Jamie Foxx, American actor, singer, songwriter, producer, and comedian Read more
- 1965 — Petra Wimmer, Austrian politician Read more
- 1964 — Krišjānis Kariņš, American-Latvian politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Latvia Read more
- 1962 — Rex Ryan, American football coach and analyst Read more
- 1961 — Gary Zimmerman, American football player Read more
- 1960 — Richard Dent, American football player Read more
- 1959 — Johnny Whitaker, American actor Read more
Died on December 13
- 2025 — Juan José Zerboni, Mexican actor (born 1953) Read more
- 2024 — Lorraine O'Grady, American artist (born 1934) Read more
- 2022 — Stephen "tWitch" Boss, American dancer and media personality (born 1982) Read more
- 2018 — Noah Klieger, Holocaust survivor who became an award-winning Israeli journalist (born 1926) Read more
- 2016 — Alan Thicke, Canadian actor, songwriter, game and talk-show host (born 1947) Read more
- 2006 — Lamar Hunt, American businessman, co-founded the American Football League and World Championship Tennis (born 1932) Read more
- 2005 — Alan Shields, American painter and ferryboat captain (born 1944) Read more
- 2004 — David Wheeler, English computer scientist and academic (born 1927) Read more
- 2002 — Zal Yanovsky, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who founded The Lovin' Spoonful (born 1944) Read more
- 1998 — Lew Grade, Ukrainian-born British impresario and media proprietor (born 1906) Read more
- 1998 — Richard Thomas, Royal Naval Officer (born 1922) Read more
- 1998 — Wade Watts, civil rights activist (born 1919) Read more
- 1997 — Don E. Fehrenbacher, American historian, author, and academic (born 1920) Read more
- 1996 — Edward Blishen, English author and educator (born 1920) Read more
- 1995 — Ann Nolan Clark, American author and educator (born 1896) Read more
- 1993 — Vanessa Duriès, French author (born 1972) Read more
- 1992 — K. C. Irving, Canadian businessman (born 1899) Read more
- 1992 — Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1899) Read more
- 1986 — Heather Angel, British-American actress (born 1909) Read more
- 1986 — Ella Baker, American activist (born 1903) Read more
- 1986 — Smita Patil, Indian actress and journalist (born 1955) Read more
- 1983 — Alexander Schmemann, Estonian-American priest and theologian (born 1921) Read more
- 1983 — Nichita Stănescu, Romanian poet and critic (born 1933) Read more
- 1979 — Jon Hall, American actor and director (born 1915) Read more
- 1979 — Behçet Necatigil, Turkish author, poet and translator (born 1916) Read more
- 1977 — Oguz Atay, Turkish engineer and author (born 1934) Read more
- 1975 — Cyril Delevanti, English-American actor (born 1889) Read more
- 1975 — Addie Viola Smith, American lawyer and trade commissioner (born 1893) Read more
- 1974 — Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoglu, Egyptian-Turkish journalist, author, and politician (born 1889) Read more
- 1973 — Henry Green, English author (born 1905) Read more
- 1969 — Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Philippines (born 1886) Read more
- 1962 — Harry Barris, American singer-songwriter and pianist (born 1905) Read more
- 1961 — Grandma Moses, American painter (born 1860) Read more
- 1960 — Dora Marsden, English author and activist (born 1882) Read more
- 1955 — Egas Moniz, Portuguese psychiatrist and neurosurgeon, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1874) Read more
- 1954 — John Raymond Hubbell, American director and composer (born 1879) Read more
- 1950 — Abraham Wald, Hungarian mathematician and academic (born 1902) Read more
- 1947 — Henry James, American lawyer and author (born 1879) Read more
- 1947 — Nicholas Roerich, Russian archaeologist, painter, and philosopher (born 1874) Read more
- 1945 — Irma Grese, German concentration camp guard (born 1923) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast day:
St Antiochus of Sulcis; Christian feast day:
Blessed Francesco Marinoni; Christian feast day:
St Judoc aka St Joyce; Christian feast day:
St Lucy; Christian feast day:
St Odile of Alsace; Acadian Remembrance Day (Acadians); National Day (Saint Lucia); Martial Law Victims Remembrance Day (Poland); Nanjing Massacre Memorial Day (China); Nusantara Day (Indonesia); Republic Day (Malta); Sailor's Day (Brazil); Saint Lucia Day (mainly in Scandinavia)
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “December 13”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.