December 13
December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 18 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
- 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months; Celestine hoped to return to his previous life as an ascetic hermit.
- 1545 - Council of Trent begins.
- 1577 - Sir Francis Drake sets out from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.
- 1636 - The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This organization is recognized today as the founding of the United States National Guard.
- 1642 - Abel Janszoon Tasman reaches New Zealand.
- 1643 - English Civil War: The Battle of Alton takes place in Hampshire.
- 1769 - Dartmouth College is founded by the Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, with a Royal Charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal Governor John Wentworth.
- 1862 - American Civil War: At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee defeats the Union Major General Ambrose E. Burnside.
- 1937 - Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanjing - Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese.
- 1937 - Nanjing Massacre. Japanese troops begin carrying out several weeks of raping and killing of civilians and suspected Chinese resistance after the fall of Nanjing.
- 1938 - The Holocaust: 100 deportees from Sachsenhausen build the Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg.
- 1939 - World War II: Battle of the River Plate - Captain Hans Langsdorff of the German Deutschland class cruiser (pocket battleship) Admiral Graf Spee engages with Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles.
- 1941 - World War II: Hungary and Romania declare war on the United States.
- 1943 - World War II: 710 Bombers of U.S. 8th Air Force attack Kiel, Germany.
- 1949 - The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel to Jerusalem.
- 1959 - Archbishop Makarios becomes the first President of Cyprus.
- 1951 - Margaret Thatcher (Roberts) marries Denis Thatcher at City Methodist in London.
- 1962 - NASA "Relay 1" launch, first active repeater communications satellite in orbit.
- 1967 - Constantine II of Greece attempts an unsuccessful counter-coup against the Regime of the Colonels
- 1967 - San Diego, CA records snow at a zero elevation after temperatures plunge 19 degrees (F) in eight hours.
- 1968 - Brazilian president Artur da Costa e Silva decrees the AI-5 (or the fifth Institutional Act), which lasts until 1978 and marks the beginning of the hard times of Brazilian military dictatorship.
- 1972 - Apollo program: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt begin the third and final Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or "Moonwalk" of Apollo 17. This was the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century.
- 1974 - Malta becomes a republic.
- 1977 - A DC-3 aircraft chartered from the Indianapolis-based National Jet crashes near Evansville Regional Airport, killing 29, including the University of Evansville basketball team, support staff and boosters of the team.
- 1979 - The Canadian Government of Prime Minister Joe Clark is defeated in the House of Commons, prompting the 1980 Canadian election.
- 1981 - General Wojciech Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland to prevent dismantling of the communist system by Solidarity.
- 1989 - The last issue of Gnistan (The Spark), the organ of the Solidaritetspartiet, is published in Sweden.
- 1996 - Kofi Annan is elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations.
- 2000 - The "Texas 7" escape from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas and go on a robbery spree, during which police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot and killed.
- 2000 - American Vice President Al Gore delivers his concession speech effectively ending his hopes of becoming the 43rd President of the United States.
- 2001 - the Indian Parliament Sansad is attacked by terrorists. 15 people are killed, including all the terrorists.
- 2002 - Enlargement of the European Union: The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.
- 2003 - Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit (see Operation Red Dawn).
- 2004 - Former Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet is put under house arrest, after being sued under accusations over 9 kidnapping actions and manslaughter. The house arrest is lifted the same day on appeal.
- 2006 - The Baiji, or Chinese River Dolphin, announced as extinct.
- 2007 - The Mitchell Report is publicly released listing the names of 89 Major League Baseball players that have presumably used anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. Notable players to be named include Roger Clemens and Miguel Tejada.
Births
- 1521 - Pope Sixtus V (d. 1590)
- 1533 - King Eric XIV of Sweden (d. 1577)
- 1553 - King Henry IV of France (d. 1610)
- 1585 - William Drummond of Hawthornden, Scottish poet (d. 1649)
- 1640 - Robert Plot, English naturalist (d. 1696)
- 1662 - Francesco Bianchini, Italian philosopher and scientist (d. 1729)
- 1678 - Yongzheng Emperor of China (d. 1735)
- 1720 - Carlo Gozzi, Italian dramatist (d. 1804)
- 1724 - Franz Aepinus, German scientist (d. 1802)
- 1784 - Archduke Louis of Austria (d. 1864)
- 1797 - Heinrich Heine, German poet (d. 1856)
- 1804 - Joseph Howe, Canadian politician (d. 1873)
- 1816 - Ernst Werner von Siemens, German engineer, inventor, and industrialist (d. 1892)
- 1818 - Mary Todd Lincoln, First Lady of the United States (d. 1882)
- 1836 - Franz von Lenbach, German painter (d. 1904)
- 1856 - Svetozar Boroević, Austro-Hungarian field marshal (d. 1920)
- 1860 - Lucien Guitry, French actor (d. 1925)
- 1864 - Emil Seidel, Mayor of Milwaukee (d. 1947)
- 1867 - Kristian Birkeland, Norwegian explorer and scientist (d. 1917)
- 1870 - Edward LeSaint, American actor and director (d. 1940)
- 1871 - Emily Carr, Canadian artist (d. 1945)
- 1874 - Josef Lhévinne, Russian-born pianist (d. 1944)
- 1883 - Belle da Costa Greene, American librarian, bibliographer and archivist (d. 1950)
- 1887 - George Polya, Hungarian-born mathematician (d. 1985)
- 1887 - Alvin York, American soldier & Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1964)
- 1897 - Drew Pearson, American journalist (d. 1969)
- 1902 - Talcott Parsons, American sociologist, (d.1979)
- 1903 - Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist (d. 1993)
- 1906 - Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (d. 1968)
- 1906 - Sir Laurens van der Post, South African author (d. 1996)
- 1910 - Van Heflin, American actor (d. 1971)
- 1911 - Trygve Haavelmo, Norwegian economist and Bank of Sweden Prize winner (d. 1999)
- 1911 - Kenneth Patchen, American poet and painter (d. 1972)
- 1913 - Arnold Brown, the 11th General of The Salvation Army (d. 2002)
- 1913 - Archie Moore, American boxer (d. 1998)
- 1915 - Curd Jürgens, German-born Austrian actor (d. 1982)
- 1915 - Ross Macdonald, American-born author (d. 1983)
- 1915 - B. J. Vorster, Prime Minister of South Africa 1966-1978 (d. 1983)
- 1917 - John Hart, American actor
- 1919 - Hans-Joachim Marseille, German flying ace of World War II (d. 1942)
- 1920 - George Shultz, United States Secretary of State 1982-1989
- 1923 - Philip Warren Anderson, American physicist, Nobel laureate
- 1923 - Larry Doby, American baseball player (d. 2003)
- 1925 - Dick Van Dyke, American actor and comedian
- 1926 - George Rhoden, Jamaican athlete
- 1929 - Christopher Plummer, Canadian actor
- 1930 - Robert Prosky, American actor
- 1934 - Richard D. Zanuck, American film producer
- 1935 - Joe Christopher, American baseball player
- 1935 - Ken Hall, American football player
- 1935 - Lindy McDaniel, American baseball player
- 1936 - His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan (Aga Khan IV), Imam (leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims
- 1936 - J. C. Martin, American baseball player
- 1937 - Ron Taylor, Canadian baseball player
- 1938 - Alvin Curran, American composer
- 1938 - Heino, German folk singer.
- 1939 - Eric Flynn, British actor and singer (d. 2002)
- 1941 - John Davidson, American actor and game show host
- 1942 - Anna Eshoo, American politician
- 1943 - Ferguson Jenkins, Canadian baseball player
- 1943 - Gösta Winbergh, Swedish tenor (d. 2002)
- 1944 - Hwang Jang Lee, Korean martial artist and film actor
- 1945 - Kathy Garver, American actress
- 1945 - Brian McGuire, Australian racing driver (d. 1977)
- 1947 - Darlene Cates, American actress
- 1947 - Dave Hamilton, American baseball player
- 1948 - Jeff Baxter, American guitarist (Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers)
- 1948 - Ted Nugent, American guitarist
- 1948 - Brian Wilson, Scottish politician
- 1949 - Tom Verlaine, American singer/guitarist of Television
- 1949 - Randy Owen, lead vocals, rhythm guitar for Alabama
- 1949 - Paula Wilcox, English actress
- 1950 - Wendie Malick, American actress
- 1950 - Tom Vilsack, Governor of Iowa
- 1952 - Sylvester Ritter (Junkyard Dog), American professional wrestler (d. 1998)
- 1953 - Ben Bernanke, American economist and current United States Chairman of the Federal Reserve
- 1953 - Bill Castro, Dominican baseball player
- 1953 - Bob Gainey, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1954 - John Anderson, American country music singer-songwriter
- 1954 - Tamora Pierce, American author
- 1956 - Dale Berra, American baseball player
- 1956 - Majida El Roumi, Lebanese singer
- 1957 - Steve Buscemi, American actor
- 1957 - Morris Day, American singer (The Time)
- 1957 - Jean-Marie Messier, French businessman
- 1958 - Lynn-Holly Johnson, American figure skater and actress
- 1959 - Jim Barrell, American professional wrestler
- 1959 - Johnny Whitaker, American actor
- 1960 - Daggubati Venkatesh, Indian actor
- 1961 - Harry Gregson-Williams, English composer
- 1961 - Irene Saez, Miss Universe 1981 and Venezuelan politician
- 1961 - Gary Zimmerman, former NFL offensive lineman
- 1962 - Roger Ilegems, Belgian track cyclist and road bicycle racer
- 1962 - Kendra Slewenski, English netballer
- 1964 - hide, Japanese musician (X Japan) (d. 1998)
- 1965 - Marko Mäetamm, Estonian artist
- 1966 - Ross Burden, New Zealand celebrity chef
- 1966 - Don Roff, American writer and filmmaker
- 1967 - Jamie Foxx, American actor
- 1967 - Bo Pelini, American football coach
- 1968 - Tony Curran, Scottish actor
- 1969 - Sergei Fedorov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1969 - Murat Nasyrov, Russian singer (d. 2007)
- 1973 - Christie Clark, American actress
- 1974 - Sara Cox, English TV and radio presenter
- 1974 - Nicholas McCarthy, English guitarist (Franz Ferdinand)
- 1975 - Bates Battaglia, National Hockey League player
- 1975 - Tom DeLonge, American guitarist,(blink-182, Angels & Airwaves)
- 1975 - Matthew LeCroy, American baseball player
- 1976 - Josh Fogg, American baseball player
- 1976 - Radosław Sobolewski, Polish footballer
- 1976 - Søren Friis, Danish footballer
- 1977 - Peter Stringer, Irish rugby union footballer
- 1978 - Ryo Kawakita, Japanese guitarist (Maximum the Hormone)
- 1978 - BJ Penn, American mixed martial artist
- 1981 - Amy Lee, American singer/songwriter (Evanescence)
- 1982 - Anthony Callea, Australian singer/songwriter
- 1982 - Ricky Nolasco, American baseball player
- 1982 - Tuka Rocha, Brazilian racing driver
- 1982 - Freddie Weinke, American football player
- 1982 - Dominik Werling, German footballer
- 1983 - Matt Deis, American bassist
- 1983 - Otylia Jędrzejczak, Polish swimmer
- 1988 - Darcy Blake, Welsh footballer
- 1989 - Taylor Swift, American singer/songwriter
- 1991 - Jay Greenberg, American composer
- 2005 - Prince Aymeric of Belgium
- 2005 - Prince Nicolas of Belgium
Deaths
- 1048 - Al-Biruni, Persian mathematician (b. 973)
- 1124 - Pope Callixtus II
- 1126 - Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria
- 1204 - Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (b. 1135)
- 1250 - Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1194)
- 1404 - Albert, Count of Holland (b. 1336)
- 1466 - Donatello, Florentine artist and sculptor (b. 1386)
- 1516 - Johannes Trithemius, German cryptographer (b. 1462)
- 1521 - Manuel I of Portugal (b. 1469)
- 1557 - Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia, Italian mathematician
- 1565 - Conrad Gessner, Swiss naturalist (b. 1516)
- 1603 - François Viète, French mathematician (b. 1540)
- 1621 - Katarina Stenbock, Queen of Gustav I of Sweden (b. 1535)
- 1716 - Charles de La Fosse, French painter (b. 1640)
- 1721 - Alexander Selkirk, Scottish sailor and castaway (b. 1676)
- 1729 - Anthony Collins, English philosopher (b. 1676)
- 1754 - Mahmud I, Ottoman Sultan (b. 1696)
- 1769 - Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, German poet (b. 1715)
- 1783 - Pehr Wilhelm Wargentin, Swedish astronomer (b. 1717)
- 1784 - Samuel Johnson, English writer and lexicographer (b. 1709)
- 1814 - Charles Joseph, Prince de Ligne, Belgian-born Austrian field marshal (b. 1735)
- 1835 - John Storm, American Revolutionary soldier (b. 1760)
- 1837 - Herman of Alaska, Russian Orthodox hermit (b. 1756)
- 1863 - Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German writer (b. 1813)
- 1868 - Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist (b. 1794)
- 1881 - August Senoa, Croatian writer (b. 1838)
- 1883 - Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (b. 1812)
- 1895 - Ányos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist (b. 1800)
- 1919 - Woldemar Voigt, German physicist (b. 1850)
- 1922 - Hannes Hafstein, Icelandic politician and poet (b. 1861)
- 1924 - Samuel Gompers, American labor and political leader, founder of AFL (b. 1850)
- 1930 - Fritz Pregl, Slovenian/Austrian chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1869)
- 1931 - Gustave le Bon, French psychologist (b. 1840)
- 1932 - Georgios Jakobides, Greek painter (b. 1853)
- 1934 - Thomas A. Watson, American assistant to Alexander Graham Bell (b. 1854)
- 1935 - Victor Grignard, French chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1871)
- 1940 - Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval, French physicist (b. 1851)
- 1940 - George Regas, Greek actor (b. 1890)
- 1942 - Wlodimir Ledochowski, Polish-Austrian director of the Society of Jesus (b. 1866)
- 1944 - Wassily Kandinsky, Russian-born French artist (b. 1866)
- 1944 - Lupe Vélez, Mexican actress (b. 1908)
- 1945 - Irma Grese, Nazi war criminal (b. 1923)
- 1945 - Josef Kramer, commandant of Bergen Belsen concentration camp (b. 1906)
- 1945 - Elisabeth Volkenrath, supervisor at concentration camps (b. 1919)
- 1947 - Nicholas Roerich, Russian-born painter (b. 1874)
- 1950 - Abraham Wald, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1902)
- 1954 - John Raymond Hubbell, American writer (b. 1879)
- 1955 - Egas Moniz, Portuguese psychiatrist and neurosurgeon, Nobel laureate (b. 1874)
- 1958 - Tim Moore, American actor (b. 1887)
- 1961 - Grandma Moses, American painter (b. 1860)
- 1962 - Harry Barris, American popular singer (b. 1905)
- 1969 - Raymond A. Spruance, American admiral (b. 1886)
- 1969 - Spencer Williams, Jr., American actor (b. 1893)
- 1973 - Henry Green, English author (b. 1905)
- 1979 - Jon Hall, American actor (b. 1915)
- 1981 - Pigmeat Markham, American entertainer (b. 1904)
- 1983 - Alexander Schmemann, Orthodox Christian priest and theologian (b. 1921)
- 1983 - Nichita Stanescu, Romanian poet (b. 1933
- 1992 - K.C. Irving, Canadian industrialist (b. 1899)
- 1992 - Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and heir (b. 1899)
- 1993 - Vanessa Duriès, French novelist (b. 1972)
- 1994 - Norman Beaton, Guyanese actor (b. 1934)
- 2001 - Chuck Schuldiner, American musician (Death) (b. 1967)
- 2002 - Zal Yanovsky, Canadian musician (The Lovin' Spoonful) (b. 1945)
- 2003 - William V. Roth, Jr., U.S. Senator (b. 1921)
- 2004 - Andre Rodgers, Bahamian baseball player (b. 1934)
- 2004 - David Wheeler, English computer scientist (b. 1927)
- 2005 - Timothy Jordan II, American musician (The All American Rejects, Jonezetta) (b. 1981)
- 2005 - Stanley Tookie Williams, co-founder of the Crips and children's author (b. 1953)
- 2006 - Lamar Hunt, American sports executive (b. 1932)
- 2007 - Floyd Red Crow Westerman, American actor (b. 1936)
- 2007 - Mark Partridge, Rhodesian politician
Holidays and observances
- Roman festivals - Tellus was worshipped in the district Carinae at the Esquiline Hill, and a lectisternium or table was spread for Ceres.
- R.C. Saints - memorial of Saint Lucy
- In the Julian calendar before the Gregorian reform, this was the shortest day and longest night, and widely celebrated as such.
- Malta - Republic Day (since 1974)
- Saint Lucy's Day in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and some regions of Italy, mainly Sicily, Veneto and Trentino.