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February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar . There are 321 days remaining until the end of the year (322 in leap years ).
Events
1258 - Baghdad falls to the Mongols , and the Abbasid Caliphate is destroyed.
1503 - Disfida di Barletta - Famous challenge between 13 Italian and 13 French knights near Barletta .
1542 - Catherine Howard , the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England , is executed for adultery .
1575 - Henry III of France is crowned at Rheims .
1575 - Henry III of France marries Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont .
1633 - Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition .
1635 - The first public school in the U.S. , Boston Latin School , is founded.
1668 - Spain recognizes Portugal as an independent nation.
1689 - William and Mary are proclaimed co-rulers of England .
1692 - Massacre of Glencoe : About 78 Macdonalds at Glen Coe , Scotland are killed early in the morning for not promptly pledging allegiance to the new king, William of Orange .
1815 - The Cambridge Union Society is founded.
1866 - Jesse James and his gang commit the first armed bank robbery in United States history during peacetime in Liberty, Missouri .
1880 - Work begins on the covering of the Senne , burying Brussels 's primary river and creating the modern central boulevards.
1880 - Thomas Edison observes the Edison effect .
1881 - The feminist newspaper La Citoyenne is first published in Paris by the activist Hubertine Auclert .
1894 - Auguste and Louis Lumière patent the Cinematographe , a combination movie camera and projector .
1899 - Tallahassee, Florida records its all time coldest temperature of -2 degrees Fahrenheit.
1914 - Copyright : In New York City the ASCAP (for American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is established to protect the copyrighted musical compositions of its members.
1920 - The Negro National League is formed.
1934 - The Soviet steamship Cheliuskin sinks in the Arctic Ocean .
1935 - A jury in Flemington, New Jersey finds Bruno Hauptmann guilty of the 1932 kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby , the son of Charles Lindbergh .
1945 - World War II : Red Army forces take Budapest , Hungary from Wehrmacht forces.
1945 - World War II : Royal Air Force bombers are dispatched to Dresden , Germany to attack the city with a massive aerial bombardment (see Bombing of Dresden in World War II ).
1955 - Israel obtains 4 of the 7 Dead Sea scrolls .
1960 - Nuclear testing : France tests its first atomic bomb .
1971 - Vietnam War : Backed by American air and artillery support, South Vietnamese troops invade Laos .
1974 - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn , winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1970 , is exiled from the Soviet Union .
1975 - A fire erupts in the World Trade Center in New York City , New York .
1978 - Hilton bombing : a bomb explodes in a refuse truck outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney , Australia , killing two refuse collectors and a policeman.
1979 - An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 1/2-mile-long section of the Hood Canal Bridge .
1981 - A series of sewer explosions destroys more than two miles of streets in Louisville, Kentucky .
1984 - Konstantin Chernenko succeeds the late Yuri Andropov as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union .
1990 - German reunification : An agreement is reached on a two-stage plan to reunite Germany .
1991 - Gulf War : Two laser-guided "smart bombs " destroy a bunker in Baghdad . The bunker was being used as a military communications outpost and unknown to allied forces, as a shelter for Iraqi civilians.
1997 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 7,000 for the first time closing at 7,022.44.
2000 - The last original "Peanuts " comic strip appears in newspapers one day after Charles M. Schulz dies.
2001 - An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter Scale hits El Salvador , killing at least 400.
2004 - The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics discovers the universe's largest known diamond , white dwarf star BPM 37093 .
2007 - Taiwan opposition leader Ma Ying-jeou resigns as the chairman of the Kuomintang party after being indicted by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office on charges of embezzlement during his tenure as the mayor of Taipei ; Ma also announces his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election .
2008 - Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd makes a historic apology to the Indigenous Australians and The Stolen Generations .
Births
1457 - Mary of Burgundy , daughter of Charles the Bold and wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1482 )
1480 - Girolamo Aleandro , Italian Catholic cardinal (d. 1542 )
1599 - Pope Alexander VII (d. 1667 )
1672 - Étienne François Geoffroy , French chemist (d. 1731 )
1683 - Giovanni Battista Piazzetta , Italian painter and Fortune teller (d. 1754 )
1721 - John Reid , British army general and composer (d. 1807 )
1728 - John Hunter , Scottish surgeon (d. 1793 )
1743 - Joseph Banks , English botanist and naturalist (d. 1820 )
1766 - Thomas Robert Malthus , English demographer and political economist (d. 1834 )
1768 - Édouard Adolphe Casimir Joseph Mortier , French marshal (d. 1835 )
1769 - Ivan Krylov , Russian fabulist (d. 1844 )
1805 - Peter Gustav Dirichlet , German mathematician (d. 1859 )
1835 - Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (d. 1908 )
1855 - Paul Deschanel , French President (d. 1922)
1873 - Feodor Chaliapin , Russian bass (d. 1938 )
1876 - Fritz Buelow , German-born American baseball player (d. 1933 )
1879 - Sarojini Naidu , Indian freedom fighter (d. 1949 )
1881 - Eleanor Farjeon , English author (d. 1965 )
1884 - Alfred Carlton Gilbert , American athlete, inventor, and businessman (d. 1961 )
1885 - Bess Truman , First Lady of the United States , wife of President Harry S. Truman (d. 1982 )
1891 - Kate Roberts , Welsh nationalist and writer (d. 1985 )
1891 - Grant Wood , American painter (d. 1942 )
1903 - Georges Simenon , Belgian writer (d. 1989 )
1906 - Agostinho da Silva , Portuguese philosopher (d. 1994 )
1907 - Katy de la Cruz , Filipino singer (d. 2004 )
1910 - William Shockley , American physicist and eugenicist, Nobel Laureate (d. 1989 )
1911 - Faiz Ahmed Faiz , Pakistani Urdu poet, Lenin Peace Prize winner (d. 1984 )
1915 - Aung San , Burmese general and politician (d. 1947 )
1915 - Lyle Bettger , American actor (d. 2003 )
1918 - Patty Berg , American golfer (d. 2006 )
1919 - Tennessee Ernie Ford , American musician (d. 1991 )
1919 - Eddie Robinson , American football coach (d. 2007 )
1920 - Boudleaux Bryant , American songwriter (d. 1987 )
1920 - Eileen Farrell , American opera soprano (d. 2002 )
1922 - Francis Pym , British Foreign Secretary 1982-83
1922 - Gordon Tullock , American economist
1923 - Michael Bilandic , Mayor of Chicago (d. 2002 )
1923 - Yfrah Neaman , Lebanese-born violinist (d. 2003 )
1923 - Chuck Yeager , American fighter & test pilot , and the first person to break the "sound barrier " in level flight (1947 )
1924 - Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber , French journalist (d. 2006 )
1928 - Dorothy McGuire , American singer (The McGuire Sisters )
1929 - Omar Torrijos , Panamanian ruler (d. 1981 )
1930 - Ernst Fuchs , Austrian artist
1932 - Susan Oliver , American actress (d. 1990 )
1933 - Paul Biya , Cameroon politician
1933 - Costa Gavras , Greek-French filmmaker
1933 - Kim Novak , American actress
1933 - Caroline Blakiston , British actress
1934 - George Segal , American actor
1935 - Dr. Don Panoz , American entrepreneur and motorsports impresario (ALMS )
1937 - Ali El-Maak , Sudanese writer (d. 1992 )
1938 - Oliver Reed , English actor (d. 1999 )
1939 - Beate Klarsfeld , German Nazi hunter
1941 - Andrea Conte , First Lady of Tennessee 2003 - present
1941 - Sigmar Polke , German painter
1942 - Carol Lynley , American actress
1942 - Peter Tork , American musician and actor (The Monkees )
1943 - Geoff Edwards , American game show host
1944 - Rebop Kwaku Baah , Nigerian percussionist (d. 1983 )
1944 - Stockard Channing , American actress
1944 - Jerry Springer , American television host
1944 - Bo Svenson , Swedish-born actor
1944 - Oduvil Unnikrishnan , Indian actor (d. 2006 )
1945 - King Floyd , American musician (d. 2006 )
1945 - David Tremlett , English Artist
1946 - Louis Kondos , Greek actor
1946 - Colin Matthews , British composer
1947 - Mike Krzyzewski , American basketball player and coach
1950 - Peter Gabriel , English musician (Genesis ), composer and humanitarian
1951 - Greg Fulginiti , American mastering engineer
1951 - David Naughton , American actor and singer
1952 - Freddy Maertens , Belgian cyclist
1953 - Rico J. Puno , Filipino pop singer
1954 - Donnie Moore , American baseball player (d. 1989 )
1955 - Joe Birkett , American lawyer
1956 - Peter Hook , English bassist (Joy Division and New Order )
1956 - Yiannis Kouros , Greek-Australian runner
1956 - Princess Alia bint Al Hussein , Jordanian Royal Family member
1956 - Liam Brady , Irish footballer
1957 - Denise Austin , American fitness expert
1958 - Pernilla August , Swedish actress
1958 - Marc Emery , Canadian cannabis activist
1958 - Derek Riggs , British artist
1958 - Tip Tipping , British actor and stuntman (d. 1993 )
1959 - Gaston Gingras , National Hockey League defenceman
1959 - Gord Hampson , Canadian ice hockey player
1960 - Pierluigi Collina , Italian football referee
1960 - Gary Patterson , American football coach
1960 - Matt Salinger , American actor
1960 - Artur Yusupov , Russian-German chess player
1961 - Henry Rollins , American musician
1961 - Marc Crawford , Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1962 - Aníbal Acevedo Vilá , American politician
1964 - Mark Patton , American actor
1964 - Ylva Johansson , Swedish politician
1966 - Jeff Waters , Canadian musician (Annihilator )
1967 - Stanimir Stoilov , Bulgarian footballer and coach
1968 - Kelly Hu , American actress
1969 - Ahlam , Bahraini singer
1970 - Karoline Krüger , Norwegian singer
1971 - Sonia , British singer
1971 - Mats Sundin , Swedish ice hockey player
1971 - Todd Williams , American baseball player
1972 - Charlie Garner , American football player
1974 - Gus Hansen , Danish professional poker player
1974 - Robbie Williams , English singer
1974 - Jeff Duran , American radio personality
1975 - Iván González , Puerto Rican writer and musician
1976 - Martin Sastre , Uruguayan artist
1976 - Feist , Canadian singer and songwriter
1976 - Dave Padden , Canadian musician (Annihilator )
1977 - Randy Moss , American football player
1977 - Ben Collins , British racing driver
1978 - Mini Anden , Swedish model and actress
1978 - Hamish Glencross , Scottish heavy metal guitarist My Dying Bride
1979 - Rafael Márquez , Mexican footballer
1979 - Mena Suvari , American actress
1980 - Sebastian Kehl , German footballer
1981 - Luisão , Brazilian footballer
1981 - Liam Miller , Irish footballer
1981 - Luke Ridnour , American basketball player
1982 - Michael Turner , Running Back for the San Diego Chargers
1982 - Lanisha Cole , American model
1985 - Kwak Ji-min , South Korean actress
1985 - Alexandros Tziolis , Greek footballer
1986 - Luke Moore , English footballer
1989 - Carly McKillip , Canadian actress
1990 - Olivia Allison , British synchronized swimmer
Deaths
858 - Kenneth I of Scotland
1130 - Pope Honorius II
1141 - Béla II of Hungary (b. 1110 )
1219 - Minamoto no Sanetomo , Japanese shogun (b. 1192 )
1332 - Andronikos II Palaiologos , Byzantine Emperor (b. 1259 )
1539 - Isabella d'Este , Marquise of Mantua (b. 1474 )
1542 - Catherine Howard , fifth wife of Henry VIII of England (executed) (b. 1525 )
1571 - Benvenuto Cellini , Italian artist (b. 1500 )
1585 - Alfonso Salmeron , Spanish Jesuit biblical scholar (b. 1515 )
1592 - Jacopo Bassano , Italian painter
1600 - Gian Paolo Lomazzo , Italian painter (b. 1538 )
1602 - Alexander Nowell , English clergyman
1608 - Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski , Lithuanian prince (b. 1526 )
1624 - Stephen Gosson , English satirist (b. 1554 )
1657 - Miles Sindercombe , attempted assassin of Oliver Cromwell
1660 - King Charles X of Sweden (b. 1622 )
1662 - Elizabeth Stuart (b. 1596 )
1727 - William Wotton , English scholar (b. 1666 )
1728 - Cotton Mather , American Puritan minister (b. 1663 )
1732 - Charles-René d'Hozier , French historian (b. 1640 )
1787 - Ruđer Bošković , Croatian scientist and diplomat (b. 1711 )
1787 - Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes , French statesman and diplomat (b. 1717 )
1813 - Samuel Ashe , Governor of North Carolina (b. 1725 )
1818 - George Rogers Clark , American military leader (b. 1752 )
1826 - Petr Alekseevich Pahlen , Russian general (b. 1745 )
1837 - Mariano José de Larra , Spanish journalist and writer (b. 1809
1845 - Henrik Steffens , Norwegian-German philosopher (b. 1773 )
1883 - Richard Wagner , German composer (b. 1813 )
1888 - Jean Baptiste Lamy , 1st Archbishop of Santa Fe (b. 1814 )
1889 - João Maurício Wanderley , Brazilian magistrate and politician (b. 1885 )
1905 - Konstantin Savitsky , Russian painter (b. 1844 )
1942 - Epitácio Pessoa , Brazilian president (b. 1865 )
1950 - Rafael Sabatini , Italian author (b. 1875 )
1951 - Lloyd C. Douglas , American author (b. 1877 )
1952 - Josephine Tey , English author (b. 1896 )
1958 - Georges Rouault , French painter (b. 1871 )
1958 - Dame Christabel Pankhurst , a leading suffragette (English) "Queen of the mob" (b.1880 )
1964 - Werner Heyde , German psyhiatrist (b. 1902 )
1968 - Mae Marsh , American actress (b. 1895 )
1975 - André Beaufre , French General (b. 1902 )
1976 - Murtala Mohammed , Nigerian military leader (b. 1938 )
1976 - Lily Pons , French-born soprano (b. 1904 )
1980 - David Janssen , American actor (b. 1931 )
1984 - Andre Stander , South African police captain and bank robber (b. 1946 )
1989 - Wayne Hays , American politician (b. 1911 )
1991 - Arno Breker , German sculptor (b. 1900 )
1992 - Nikolay Bogolyubov , Russian mathematician (b. 1909 )
1996 - Martin Balsam , American actor (b. 1919 )
1997 - Mark Krasnosel'skii , Russian-Ukrainian mathematician (b. 1920 )
2000 - James Cooke Brown , American author and inventor (b. 1921 )
2002 - Waylon Jennings , American musician (b. 1937 )
2003 - Kid Gavilan , Cuban boxer (b. 1926 )
2003 - Axel Jensen , Norwegian author (b. 1932 )
2003 - Walt Rostow , U.S. government official (b. 1916 )
2004 - Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev , Chechen leader (b. 1952 )
2005 - Nelson Briles , baseball player (b. 1943 )
2005 - Lúcia Santos , Carmelite nun and Fatima visionary (b. 1907 )
2005 - Maurice Trintignant , French race car driver (b. 1917 )
2005 - Dick Weber , American professional bowler (b. 1929 )
2005 - Emilios T. Harlaftis , Greek astrophysicist (b. 1965 )
2006 - Andreas Katsulas , Greek-American actor (b. 1946 )
2007 - Elizabeth Jolley , Australian writer (b. 1923 )
2007 - Charlie Norwood , American politician (b. 1941 )
2007 - Johanna Sällström , Swedish actress (b. 1974 )
2007 - Richard Gordon Wakeford , Air Marshal, Royal Air Force (b. 1922 )
2008 - Roger Voisin , Trumpet player, Boston Symphony (b. 1918 )
Holidays and observances
External links