May 13
![]()
May 13 is the 133rd day of the year. 134. in leap years. There are 232 days left in the year.
Name day
Linda, Line, Linn
History
1619 - Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after being accused of treason.
1787 - Captain Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth Quay with 11 ships full of prisoners on their way to Australia to establish a penal colony.
1830 - Ecuador becomes independent.
1846 - Mexican-American War: US declares war on Mexico.
1848 - The Finnish national anthem is performed for the first time.
1888 - Brazil bans slavery.
1909 - The first Giro d'Italia is held in Milan, Italy. Italian cyclist Luigi Ganna wins the race.
1912 - Royal Flying Corps (now the Royal Air Force) is established in Britain.
1913 - Igor Sikorsky becomes the first to fly a four-engine aircraft.
1940 - World War II: Germany's attack on France begins when German forces cross the Meuse River.
1940 - Winston Churchill gives his first speech as Prime Minister of the House of Commons, offering nothing but hard work, blood, sweat and tears.
1943 - World War II: The German Africa Corps and Italian troops in North Africa surrender to Allied forces.
1950 - The first Formula One race is held at the Silverstone Circuit in England.
1958 - Pierre Pflimlin becomes French Prime Minister.
1958 - A coup in Algiers is carried out by officers of European descent. The coup plotters demand that Algeria remain French territory.
1958 - A civil war breaks out in Lebanon.
1960 - Dhaulagiri, the world's 7th highest mountain, is climbed.
1981 - Mehmet Alì Agça attempts to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square, the pope being wounded only in the assassination attempt.
1996 - Strong storms and tornadoes kill 600 people in Bangladesh.
2000 - The Danish band Olsen Brothers wins the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm with the song «Fly on the Wings of Love».
2001 - Italian parliamentary elections end in victory for Silvio Berlusconi and the right-wing alliance Casa delle Libertà.
2008 - More than five bombings in Jaipur kill at least 80 people and injure nearly 200.
Norsk historie
1933 - Vidkun Quisling founds the Nazi party National Assembly.
1940 - Battle of Narvik: British warships set Bjerkvik on fire. 18 civilians died and 140 houses were destroyed.
1945 - Crown Prince Olav and five ministers return to Norway from exile during World War II.
1995 - Secret Garden wins the 40th Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin with the song "Nocturne".
1996 - Tromsø Provincial Lodge was founded, subject to the Norwegian Grand National Lodge in the Norwegian Masonic Order.
2008 - Norwegian soldiers in Afghanistan exchange gunfire with Afghan insurgents. No Norwegian soldiers are injured, but it is believed that a small number of rebels were killed in the fighting.
Births
See more who were born May 13 in Category: Births May 13.
1712 - J.H.E. Bernstorff, Danish Prime Minister and Count (d. 1772)
1828 - Hannes Finsen, Icelandic jurist and civil servant (d. 1892)
1842 - Arthur Sullivan, British composer (d. 1900)
1847 - Johannes Haarklou, Norwegian composer, organist and conductor (d. 1925)
1868 - Sumner Paine, American marksman (d. 1904)
1878 - Muriel Robb, British tennis player (d. 1907)
1894 - Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, Icelandic president (d. 1972)
1914 - Joe Louis, American boxer (d. 1981)
1921 - Else Marie Christiansen, Norwegian figure skater (d. 2017)
1924 - Trond Johansen, Labor politician and intelligence officer
1928 - Enrique Bolaños, Nicaraguan president (d. 2021)
1938 - Giuliano Amato, Italian prime minister and foreign minister
1939 - Harvey Keitel, American actor
1946 - Tor Fretheim, Norwegian author (d. 2018)
1949 - Anitra Steen, Swedish official
1949 - Zoë Wanamaker, British actor
1950 - Stevie Wonder, American musician
1951 - Wenche Lyngholm, Norwegian politician
19
