On This Day — 13 July
2000s
2024
Former president of the United States Donald Trump is injured in an assassination attempt while speaking at an election campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania.
President of the United States
2020
After a five-day search, the body of American actress and singer Naya Rivera is recovered from Lake Piru in California, where she had drowned.
Death of Naya Rivera
2016
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron resigns, and is succeeded by Theresa May.
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
2014
Germany wins the FIFA World Cup, defeating Argentina in the final 1–0 after extra time.
Germany national football team
2013
Typhoon Soulik kills at least nine people and affects more than 160 million in East China and Taiwan.
Typhoon Soulik (2013)
2011
Mumbai is rocked by three bomb blasts during the evening rush hour, killing 26 and injuring 130.
Mumbai
2011
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1999 is adopted, which admits South Sudan to member status of United Nations.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1999
2011
Noar Linhas Aéreas Flight 4896 crashes in Boa Viagem, Recife, killing all 16 people on board.
Noar Linhas Aéreas Flight 4896
2008
Battle of Wanat begins when Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas attack US Army and Afghan National Army troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. deaths were, at that time, the most in a single battle since the beginning of operations in 2001.
Battle of Wanat
2003
French DGSE personnel abort an operation to rescue Íngrid Betancourt from FARC rebels in Colombia, causing a political scandal when details are leaked to the press.
Directorate General for External Security
1900s
1995
Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on STS-70 to deploy the TDRS-7 satellite.
Space Shuttle Discovery
1990
Lenin Peak disaster: a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan triggers an avalanche on Lenin Peak, killing 43 climbers in the deadliest mountaineering disaster in history.
Lenin Peak disaster
1985
The Live Aid benefit concert takes place in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Moscow and Sydney.
Live Aid
1985
Vice President George H. W. Bush becomes the Acting President for the day when President Ronald Reagan undergoes surgery to remove polyps from his colon.
Vice President of the United States
1977
Somalia declares war on Ethiopia, starting the Ogaden War.
Somalia
1977
Amidst a period of financial and social turmoil, New York City experiences an electrical blackout lasting nearly 24 hours that leads to widespread fires and looting.
History of New York City (1946–1977)
1973
Watergate scandal: Alexander Butterfield reveals the existence of a secret Oval Office taping system to investigators for the Senate Watergate Committee.
Watergate scandal
1962
In an unprecedented action, British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan dismisses seven members of his Cabinet, marking the effective end of the National Liberals as a distinct force within British politics.
Harold Macmillan
1956
The Dartmouth workshop is the first conference on artificial intelligence.
Dartmouth workshop
1951
Vuoristorata, one of the oldest still-operating wooden roller coasters in Europe, is opened at the Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki, Finland.
Vuoristorata
1941
World War II: Montenegrins begin the Trinaestojulski ustanak (Thirteenth of July Uprising), a popular revolt against the Axis powers.
World War II
1930
The inaugural FIFA World Cup begins in Uruguay.
1930 FIFA World Cup
1919
The British airship R34 lands in Norfolk, England, completing the first airship return journey across the Atlantic in 182 hours of flight.
Airship
1913
The 1913 Romanian Army cholera outbreak during the Second Balkan War starts.
1913 Romanian Army cholera outbreak
1800s
1878
Treaty of Berlin: The European powers redraw the map of the Balkans. Serbia, Montenegro and Romania become completely independent of the Ottoman Empire.
Treaty of Berlin (1878)
1863
American Civil War: The New York City draft riots begin three days of rioting which will later be regarded as the worst in United States history.
American Civil War
1854
In the Battle of Guaymas, Mexico, General José María Yáñez stops the French invasion led by Count Gaston de Raousset-Boulbon.
José María Yáñez
1849
The Charleston Workhouse Slave Rebellion began in Charleston, South Carolina, United States.
Charleston Workhouse Slave Rebellion
1831
Regulamentul Organic, a quasi-constitutional organic law is adopted in Wallachia, one of the two Danubian Principalities that were to become the basis of Romania.
Regulamentul Organic
1830
The General Assembly's Institution, now the Scottish Church College, one of the pioneering institutions that ushered the Bengali Renaissance, is founded by Alexander Duff and Raja Ram Mohan Roy, in Calcutta, India.
Scottish Church College
1814
The Carabinieri, the national gendarmerie of Italy, is established.
Carabinieri
Before 1800
1794
The Battle of Trippstadt between French forces and those of Prussia and Austria begins.
Battle of Trippstadt
1787
The Congress of the Confederation enacts the Northwest Ordinance establishing governing rules for the Northwest Territory. It also establishes procedures for the admission of new states and limits the expansion of slavery.
Congress of the Confederation
1690
Nine Years' War: French naval forces led by Anne Hilarion de Tourville fresh from their victory at Beachy Head sail West and launch a raid on the small English town of Teignmouth leaving it devastated.
Nine Years' War
1643
English Civil War: Battle of Roundway Down: In England, Henry Wilmot, 1st Earl of Rochester, commanding the Royalist forces, heavily defeats the Parliamentarian forces led by Sir William Waller.
English Civil War
1586
Anglo–Spanish War: A convoy of English ships from the Levant Company manage to repel a fleet of eleven Spanish and Maltese galleys off the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria.
Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
1573
Eighty Years' War: The Siege of Haarlem ends after seven months.
Eighty Years' War
1558
Battle of Gravelines: In France, Spanish forces led by Count Lamoral of Egmont defeat the French forces of Marshal Paul de Thermes at Gravelines.
Battle of Gravelines (1558)
1402
Nanjing surrenders to Zhu Di without a fight, ending the Jingnan campaign. The Jianwen Emperor disappears and his family is incarcerated.
Nanjing
1260
The Livonian Order suffers its greatest defeat in the 13th century in the Battle of Durbe against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Livonian Order
1249
Coronation of Alexander III as King of Scots.
Coronation
1174
William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173–74, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Henry II of England.
William the Lion