March 13 is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. 293 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
874 – The bones of Saint Nicephorus are interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople.[1]
1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War.[2]
1591 – At the Battle of Tondibi in Mali, Moroccan forces of the Saadi dynasty, led by Judar Pasha, defeat the Songhai Empire, despite being outnumbered by at least five to one.[3]
1639 – Harvard College is named after clergyman John Harvard.[4]
1697 – Nojpetén, capital of the last independent Maya kingdom, fell to Spanish conquistadors, the final step in the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.[5]
1781 – William Herschel discovers Uranus.[6]
1809 – Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is deposed in the Coup of 1809.[7]
1845 – Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto receives its première performance in Leipzig with Ferdinand David as soloist.[8]
1848 – The German revolutions of 1848–1849 begin in Vienna.[9]
1862 – The Act Prohibiting the Return of Slaves was passed by the United States Congress, effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.[10]
1881 – Alexander II of Russia is assassinated.[11]
1884 – The Siege of Khartoum begins. It lasts until January 26, 1885.[12]
1900 – British forces occupy Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, during the Second Boer War.[13]
1920 – The Kapp Putsch briefly ousts the Weimar Republic government from Berlin.[14]
1930 – The news of the discovery of Pluto is announced by Lowell Observatory.[15]
1933 – Banks in the U.S. begin to re-open after the three-day national "bank holiday" mandated by the Franklin D. Roosevelt's Emergency Banking Act.[16]
1943 – German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Kraków.[17]
1954 – The Battle of Điện Biên Phủ begins with an artillery barrage by Viet Minh forces under Võ Nguyên Giáp; Viet Minh victory lead to the end of the First Indochina War and French withdrawal from Vietnam.[18]
1957 – Cuban student revolutionaries storm the presidential palace in Havana in a failed attempt on the life of President Fulgencio Batista.[19]
1969 – Apollo 9 returns safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module.[20]
1979 – The New Jewel Movement, headed by Maurice Bishop, ousts the Prime Minister of Grenada, Eric Gairy, in a coup d'état.[21]
1988 – The Seikan Tunnel, the longest undersea tunnel in the world, opens between Aomori and Hakodate, Japan.[22]
1992 – The Mw 6.6 Erzincan earthquake strikes eastern Turkey with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe).[23]
1996 – The Dunblane massacre leads to the death of sixteen primary school children and one teacher in Dunblane, Scotland.[24]
1997 – The Missionaries of Charity choose Sister Nirmala to succeed Mother Teresa as their leader.[25]
2003 – An article in Nature identifies the Ciampate del Diavolo as 350,000-year-old hominid footprints.[26]
2012 – The Sierre coach crash kills 28 people, including 22 children.[27]
2013 – The 2013 papal conclave elects Pope Francis as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.[28]
2016 – The Ankara bombing kills at least 37 people.[29]
2016 – Three gunmen attack two hotels in the Ivory Coast town of Grand-Bassam, killing at least 19 people.[30]
Births
1372 – Louis I, Duke of Orléans (d. 1407)[31]
1479 – Lazarus Spengler, German hymnwriter (d. 1534)[32]
1560 – William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Dutch count (d. 1620)[33]
1593 – Georges de La Tour, French painter (probable;[34] d. 1652)
1599 – John Berchmans, Belgian Jesuit scholastic and saint (d. 1621)[35]
1615 – Innocent XII, pope of the Catholic Church (d. 1700)[36]
1683 – Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, botanist (d. 1741)[37]
1700 – Michel Blavet, French flute player and composer (d. 1768)[38]
1719 – John Griffin, 4th Baron Howard de Walden, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Essex (d. 1797)[39]
1720 – Charles Bonnet, Swiss historian and author (d. 1793)[40]
1741 – Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1790)[41]
1763 – Guillaume Brune, French general and diplomat (d. 1815)[42]
1764 – Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1845)[43]
1770 – Daniel Lambert, English animal breeder (d. 1809)[44]
1781 – Karl Friedrich Schinkel, German painter and architect, designed the Konzerthaus Berlin (d. 1841)[45]
1798 – Abigail Fillmore, American wife of Millard Fillmore, 14th First Lady of the United States (d. 1853)[46]
1800 – Mustafa Reşid Pasha, Ottoman politician, 212th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (d. 1858)[47]
1815 – James Curtis Hepburn, American physician, linguist, and missionary (d. 1911)[48]
1825 – Hans Gude, Norwegian-German painter and academic (d. 1903)[49]
1855 – Percival Lowell, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1916)[50]
1857 – B. H. Roberts, English-American historian and politician (d. 1933)[51]
1860 – Hugo Wolf, Slovene-Austrian composer (d. 1903)[52]
1862 – Paul Prosper Henrys, French general (d. 1943)[53]
1864 – Alexej von Jawlensky, Russian-German painter (d. 1941)[54]
1870 – William Glackens, American painter and illustrator (d. 1938)[55]
1874 – Ellery Harding Clark, American jumper, coach, and lawyer (d. 1949)[56]
1880 – Josef Gočár, Czech architect (d. 1945)[57]
1883 – Enrico Toselli, Italian pianist and composer (d. 1926)[58]
1884 – Hugh Walpole, New Zealand-English author and educator (d. 1941)[59]
1886 – Home Run Baker, American baseball player and manager (d. 1963)[60]
1886 – Albert William Stevens, American captain and photographer (d. 1949)[61]
1888 – Paul Morand, French author and diplomat (d. 1976)[62]
1890 – Fritz Busch, German conductor and director (d. 1951)[63]
1892 – Janet Flanner, American journalist and author (d. 1978)[64]
1897 – Yeghishe Charents, Armenian poet and activist (d. 1937)[65]
1898 – Henry Hathaway, American director and producer (d. 1985)[66]
1899 – John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1980)[67]
1899 – Pancho Vladigerov, Bulgarian pianist and composer (d. 1978)[68]
1900 – Andrée Bosquet, Belgian painter (d. 1980)[69]
1900 – Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)[70]
1902 – Hans Bellmer, German-French painter and sculptor (d. 1975)[71]
1904 – Clifford Roach, Trinidadian cricketer and footballer (d. 1988)[72]
1907 – Dorothy Tangney, Australian politician (d. 1985)[73]
1908 – Walter Annenberg, American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (d. 2002)[74]
1908 – Myrtle Bachelder, American chemist and Women's Army Corps officer (d. 1997)[75]
1910 – Sammy Kaye, American saxophonist, songwriter, and bandleader (d. 1987)[76]
1910 – Kemal Tahir, Turkish journalist and author (d. 1973)[77]
1911 – José Ardévol, Cuban composer and conductor (d. 1981)[78]
1913 – William J. Casey, American politician, 13th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1987)[79]
1913 – Sergey Mikhalkov, Russian author and playwright (d. 2009)[80]
1914 – W. O. Mitchell, Canadian author and playwright (d. 1998)[81]
1914 – Edward O'Hare, American lieutenant and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1943)[82]
1916 – Lindy Boggs, American educator and politician, 5th United States Ambassador to the Holy See (d. 2013)[83]
1916 – Jacque Fresco, American engineer and academic (d. 2017)[84]
1920 – Ralph J. Roberts, American businessman, co-founded Comcast (d. 2015)[85]
1921 – Al Jaffee, American cartoonist[86]
1923 – Dimitrios Ioannidis, Greek general (d. 2010)[87]
1925 – Roy Haynes, American drummer and composer[88]
1926 – Carlos Roberto Reina, Honduran lawyer and politician, President of Honduras (d. 2003)[89]
1929 – Zbigniew Messner, Polish economist and politician, 9th Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland (d. 2014)[90]
1933 – Mahdi Elmandjra, Moroccan economist and sociologist (d. 2014)[91]
1933 – Gero von Wilpert, German author and academic (d. 2009)[92]
1935 – David Nobbs, English author and screenwriter (d. 2015)[93]
1938 – Robert Gammage, American captain and politician (d. 2012)[94]
1939 – Neil Sedaka, American singer-songwriter and pianist[50]
1941 – Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (d. 2001)[95]
1942 – Dave Cutler, American computer scientist and engineer[96]
1942 – Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian poet and author (d. 2008)[97]
1944 – Terence Burns, Baron Burns, English economist and academic[98]
1945 – Anatoly Fomenko, Russian mathematician and academic[99]
1946 – Yonatan Netanyahu, American-Israeli colonel (d. 1976)[100]
1947 – Lesley Collier, English ballerina and educator[101]
1947 – Beat Richner, Swiss pediatrician and cellist (d. 2018)[102]
1947 – Lyn St. James, American race car driver[103]
1949 – Ze'ev Bielski, Israeli politician[104]
1949 – Sian Elias, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 12th Chief Justice of New Zealand[105]
1950 – Bernard Julien, Trinidadian cricketer[106]
1950 – Charles Krauthammer, American physician, journalist, and author (d. 2018)[107]
1950 – William H. Macy, American actor, director, and screenwriter[50]
1951 – Charo, Spanish-American singer, guitarist, and actress[107]
1952 – Wolfgang Rihm, German composer and educator[108]
1952 – Tim Sebastian, English journalist and author[109]
1953 – Andy Bean, American golfer[50]
1953 – Michael Curry, 27th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church[110]
1954 – Valerie Amos, Baroness Amos, Guyanese-English politician and diplomat[111]
1954 – Robin Duke, Canadian actress and screenwriter[112]
1955 – Bruno Conti, Italian footballer and manager[113]
1955 – Glenne Headly, American actress (d. 2017)[114]
1955 – Olga Rukavishnikova, Russian pentathlete[115]
1956 – Dana Delany, American actress and producer[50]
1957 – John Hoeven, American banker and politician, 31st Governor of North Dakota[50]
1957 – Moses Hogan, American composer and conductor (d. 2003)[116]
1958 – Mágico González, Salvadoran footballer[117]
1958 – Rick Lazio, American lawyer and politician[118]
1958 – Caryl Phillips, Caribbean-English author and playwright[119]
1959 – Dirk Wellham, Australian cricketer[120]
1960 – Adam Clayton, English-born Irish musician and songwriter[50]
1960 – Joe Ranft, American animator, screenwriter, and voice actor (d. 2005)[121]
1963 – Vance Johnson, American football player[122]
1964 – Will Clark, American baseball player[123]
1966 – Chico Science, Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 1997)[124]
1967 – Andrés Escobar, Colombian footballer (d. 1994)[125]
1967 – Pieter Vink, Dutch footballer and referee[126]
1970 – Tim Story, American director and producer[127]
1971 – Annabeth Gish, American actress[112]
1971 – Allan Nielsen, Danish international footballer, midfielder and manager[128]
1972 – Common, American rapper and actor[50]
1973 – Edgar Davids, Surinamese born Dutch international footballer midfielder and manager[129]
1973 – Bobby Jackson, American basketball player and coach[130]
1974 – Thomas Enqvist, Swedish tennis player and sportscaster[131]
1975 – Mark Clattenburg, English football referee[132]
1976 – Troy Hudson, American basketball player and rapper[133]
1976 – Danny Masterson, American actor and producer[107]
1978 – Tom Danielson, American cyclist[134]
1978 – Kenny Watson, American football player[135]
1979 – Johan Santana, Venezuelan-American baseball player[136]
1979 – Cédric Van Branteghem, Belgian sprinter[137]
1980 – Caron Butler, American basketball player[50]
1982 – Nicole Ohlde, American basketball player[138]
1983 – Kaitlin Sandeno, American swimmer[139]
1984 – Geeta Basra, Indian actress[140]
1985 – Alcides Araújo Alves, Brazilian footballer[141]
1985 – Emile Hirsch, American actor[50]
1986 – Neil Wagner, South African-New Zealand cricketer[142]
1987 – Marco Andretti, American race car driver[143]
1987 – Andreas Beck, German footballer[144]
1988 – Furdjel Narsingh, Dutch footballer[145]
1989 – Holger Badstuber, German footballer[146]
1989 – Marko Marin, German footballer[147]
1989 – Robert Wickens, Canadian racing driver[143]
1990 – Anicet Abel, Malagasy footballer[148]
1991 – Daniel Greig, Australian speed skater[149]
1994 – Gerard Deulofeu, Spanish footballer[150]
1995 – Mikaela Shiffrin, American skier[151]
1998 – Jay-Roy Grot, Dutch footballer[152]
Deaths
1202 – Mieszko III the Old, king of Poland (b. c. 1121)[153]
1271 – Henry of Almain, English knight (b. 1235)[154]
1415 – Minye Kyawswa, Crown Prince of Ava (b. 1391)[155]
1447 – Shah Rukh, Timurid ruler of Persia and Transoxania (b. 1377)[156]
1573 – Michel de l'Hôpital, French politician (b. 1507)[157]
1601 – Henry Cuffe, Politician (b. 1563)[158]
1619 – Richard Burbage, English actor (b. 1567)[159]
1711 – Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, French poet and critic (b. 1636)[160]
1719 – Johann Friedrich Böttger, German chemist and potter (b. 1682)[161]
1800 – Nana Fadnavis, Indian minister and politician (b. 1742)[162]
1808 – Christian VII of Denmark (b. 1749)[163]
1823 – John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent, English admiral and politician (b. 1735)[164]
1833 – William Bradley, English lieutenant and cartographer (b. 1757)[165]
1842 – Henry Shrapnel, English general (b. 1761)[166]
1854 – Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, French politician, 6th Prime Minister of France (b. 1773)[167]
1873 – David Swinson Maynard, American physician, lawyer, and businessman (b. 1808)[168]
1879 – Adolf Anderssen, German mathematician and chess player (b. 1818)[169]
1881 – Alexander II of Russia (b. 1818)[11]
1884 – Leland Stanford Jr., American son of Leland Stanford (b. 1868)[170]
1885 – Giorgio Mitrovich, Maltese politician (b. 1795)[171]
1901 – Benjamin Harrison, American general and politician, 23rd President of the United States (b. 1833)[172]
1906 – Susan B. Anthony, American activist (b. 1820)[173]
1912 – Eugène-Étienne Taché, Canadian engineer and architect, designed the Parliament Building (b. 1836)[174]
1921 – Jenny Twitchell Kempton, American opera singer and educator (b. 1835)[175]
1936 – Francis Bell, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 20th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1851)[176]
1938 – Clarence Darrow, American lawyer and author (b. 1857)[177]
1943 – Stephen Vincent Benét, American poet, short story writer, and novelist (b. 1898)[178]
1962 – Anne Acheson, Irish sculptor (d. 1882)[179]
1965 – Vittorio Jano, Italian engineer (b. 1891)[180]
1965 – Fan Noli, Albanian-American bishop and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Albania (b. 1882)[181]
1971 – Rockwell Kent, American painter and illustrator (b. 1882)[182]
1972 – Tony Ray-Jones, English photographer (b. 1941)[183]
1975 – Ivo Andrić, Yugoslav novelist, poet, and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)[184]
1976 – Ole Haugsrud, American sports executive (b. 1900)[185]
1983 – Paul Citroen, German-Dutch illustrator and educator (b. 1896)[186]
1990 – Bruno Bettelheim, Austrian-American psychologist and author (b. 1903)[187]
1995 – Odette Hallowes, French nurse and spy (b. 1912)[188]
1996 – Krzysztof Kieślowski, Polish director and screenwriter (b. 1941)[189]
1998 – Judge Dread, English singer-songwriter (b. 1945)[190]
1998 – Hans von Ohain, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1911)[191]
1999 – Lee Falk, American cartoonist, director, and producer (b. 1911)[192]
1999 – Garson Kanin, American director and screenwriter (b. 1912)[193]
2001 – John A. Alonzo, American actor and cinematographer (b. 1934)[194]
2001 – Encarnacion Alzona, Filipino historian and educator (b. 1895)[195]
2002 – Hans-Georg Gadamer, German philosopher and scholar (b. 1900)[196]
2004 – Franz König, Austrian cardinal (b. 1905)[197]
2006 – Robert C. Baker, American businessman, invented the chicken nugget (b. 1921)[198]
2006 – Jimmy Johnstone, Scottish footballer (b. 1944)[199]
2006 – Maureen Stapleton, American actress (b. 1925)[200]
2007 – Arnold Skaaland, American wrestler and manager (b. 1925)[201]
2009 – Betsy Blair, American actress (b. 1923)[202]
2009 – Alan W. Livingston, American businessman (b. 1917)[203]
2010 – Jean Ferrat, French singer-songwriter (b. 1930)[204]
2011 – Rick Martin, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1951)[205]
2014 – Reubin Askew, American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 37th Governor of Florida (b. 1928)[206]
2014 – Edward Haughey, Baron Ballyedmond, Irish businessman and politician (b. 1944)[207]
2014 – Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Sierra Leonean economist, lawyer, and politician, 3rd President of Sierra Leone (b. 1932)[208]
2014 – Icchokas Meras, Lithuanian-Israeli author and screenwriter (b. 1934)[209]
2015 – Al Rosen, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)[210]
2016 – Hilary Putnam, American philosopher, mathematician, and computer scientist (b. 1926)[211]
2017 – Amy Krouse Rosenthal, American author (b. 1965)[212]
2018 – Emily Nasrallah, Lebanese writer and women's rights activist. (b. 1931)[213]
Holidays and observances
Christian feast days:
Ansovinus[214]
Gerald of Mayo[215]
James Theodore Holly (Episcopal Church (USA))[216]
Nicephorus[217]
Roderick[214]
March 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Kasuga Matsuri (Kasuga Grand Shrine, Nara, Japan)[218]
National Elephant Day (Thailand)[219]
Africa Scout Day[220]
