What Happened On
Silkwood
November 13, 1974
Karen Silkwood dies in a suspicious car crash. She had been investigating irregularities at her employer's Kerr-McGee nuclear fuels plant. She was on her way to meet with a journalist and union official when she died in a suspicious car crash. Many suspect foul play and that a folder containing her evidence was removed from the crash. Her family sued Kerr-McGee on behalf of her estate, who eventually settled for USD $1.38 million, while not admitting liability.
The film Silkwood (1983) is based on her experiences.
Amityville Horror
November 13, 1974
23-year-old Ronald DeFeo, Jr. murders his parents, two brothers, and two sisters in their home at 112 Ocean Avenue. George and Kathleen Lutz purchased the house the following year. The Lutz's claims of paranormal happenings in the house were the basis for The Amityville Horror (1977) book and subsequent movies.
Rosa Parks being fingerprinted
Rosa Parks being fingerprinted
Interstate Bus Segregation Ruled Unconstitutional
November 13, 1956
Segregation on interstate buses is ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. This was a result of the Montgomery bus boycott which started when Rosa Parks, an African American woman, was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a white person.
U.S. Navy Attempts to Assassinate President Roosevelt?
November 13, 1943
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was aboard the USS Iowa when they thought they were under attack by German U-boats because the USS William D. Porter accidentally dropped a depth charge near them. The following day, with Roosevelt still on board, the Porter accidentally launched a torpedo at the Iowa. The Iowa was able to narrowly avoid the torpedo. When he heard about the incoming torpedo, wheelchair-bound Roosevelt asked that he be moved to the edge of the ship so that he could watch. Believing that the Porter might be involved in an assassination attempt, the captain and entire crew were arrested and investigated.
World War II - Fighting Sullivan Brothers Killed
November 13, 1942
The USS Juneau is sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal, killing the "Fighting Sullivan Brothers." The death of the five Sullivan brothers was the greatest military loss by any one American family during World War II.
The five brothers from Iowa had enlisted in the U.S. Navy with the stipulation that they all serve together.
The ship USS The Sullivans was named after the Sullivan brothers and on the 58th anniversary of their enlisting, Al Qaeda attempted to bomb it with a boat filled with explosives as part of the year 2000 millennium attacks. But the attacker's boat was overloaded and sank before detonating.
Holland Tunnel under construction in 1923
Holland Tunnel under construction in 1923
First U.S. Underground Automobile Tunnel
November 13, 1927
The Holland Tunnel opens, connecting New York and New Jersey. It was at the time the longest continuous underwater vehicular tunnel in the world. Construction had begun in 1920. It was named after the chief engineer of the tunnel Clifford Milburn Holland, who died during its construction. Holland died of a heart attack at the age of 41 after having been sent to a health clinic following a nervous breakdown caused by the long hours and stress caused by working in the compressed air of the tunnel.
Paul Cornu and the world's first manned helicopter
Paul Cornu and the world's first manned helicopter
First Helicopter Flight
November 13, 1907
French bicycle maker Paul Cornu achieves the first manned helicopter free flight. He flew at a height of about 1 foot (30 cm) for 20 seconds in a craft of his own design and construction, but had limited control and maneuverability.
Previous helicopter flights required the craft to be either tethered or held in place by workers on the ground.
Iran-Contra Affair
November 13, 1986
U.S. President Ronald Reagan confirms that arms had been shipped to Iran. He defended his administration's actions by claiming that less than a planeload had been shipped. These events became known as the Iran-Contra Affair.
First Man-Made Object to Orbit Another Planet
November 13, 1971
Mariner 9 orbits Mars.
First Successful Seeding of Clouds to Make Snow
November 13, 1946
Dry-ice pellets are dropped from a plane at 14,000 feet over Massachusetts. The snow fell about 3,000 feet before evaporating.
First American Saint
November 13, 1938
Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) is beatified by the Roman Catholic Church, becoming the first American Saint in 1946 and named the Patron Saint of Emigrants. She was the first citizen of the U.S. to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Born in the Austrian empire, she was a naturalized American citizen. She also founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
First Successful All-Metal Dirigible Flight
November 13, 1897
Its Hungarian inventor David Schwarz takes off from Berlin. Using a 16-hp engine, he managed to travel several miles before a gas leak caused it to crash.
First Football Game with Uniforms
November 13, 1875
Yale, wearing dark pants, blue shirts, and yellows hats beats Harvard (4-0) who wore crimson shirts, pants, and stockings.
First American University
November 13, 1749
William Penn Academy in Philadelphia is established. It also housed the first American medical school (1765) and became the University of Pennsylvania (1779).
Birthdays
Real-Life Olive Oyl
Dora Paskel
Born November 13, 1872 d. 1953
American general store owner. She is said to be the real-life inspiration for the Popeye character Olive Oyl, created by E. C. Segar in 1919. She owned a general store in Segar's hometown of Chester, Illinois and was tall, thin, wore her hair in a bun on the nape of her neck, and dressed similar to Olive Oyl.
Chester drew inspiration for a number of his Popeye characters from real people he knew in his home town, such as Frank "Rocky" Fiegel from whom he based the Popeye character.
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson
Born November 13, 1850 d. 1894
British author. Writings: New Arabian Nights (1882), Treasure Island (1883), and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886).
Inventor of the Sandwich
John Montagu
Born November 13, 1718 d. 1792
English diplomat. 4th Earl of Sandwich, for whom the Sandwich Islands are named, and inventor of the sandwich, which he devised as quick meal to allow him more time to gamble. The original sandwich was a piece of salt beef between two slices of toasted bread.
Photo Credit: Daniel Langer
Photo Credit: Daniel Langer
Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Elaine Johnson)
Born November 13, 1955
American Oscar-Emmy-Grammy-Tony-winning actress. She is one of only a few actors to have won Academy, Tony, Emmy, and Grammy awards, and she is the second black woman to win an Academy Award for acting. According to Whoopi, she garnered her name from her stage work, "When you're performing on stage, you never really have time to go into the bathroom and close the door. So if you get a little gassy, you've got to let it go. So people used to say to me, 'You're like a whoopee cushion.' And that's where the name came from."
Film: The Color Purple (1985), Ghost (1990, psychic Oda Mae Brown). and Sister Act (1992). TV: Star Trek: The Next Generation (Guinan), and The View (2007-, moderator).
Tracy Scoggins
Born November 13, 1953
American actress. TV: Dynasty and The Colbys (Monica Colby) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-97, gossip columnist "Cat" Grant). The Galveston Daily News did an article on her when she was three years old for being the youngest citizen ever to receive a library card.
Toy Caldwell Jr.
Born November 13, 1947 d. 1993
American guitarist, songwriter. Formed the Marshall Tucker Band. Music: Heard It in a Love Song (1977) and Take the Highway.
Joe Mantegna
Born November 13, 1947
American actor. Broadway: Glengarry Glen Ross (Tony). Film: House of Games (1987).
Greg Evans
Born November 13, 1947
American cartoonist. Creator of Luann (1985).
Dack Rambo (Norman Rambeau)
Born November 13, 1941 d. 1994
American actor. TV: All My Children (Steve Jacobi) and Dallas (Jack Ewing).
Gary Marshall
Born November 13, 1934 d. 2016
American director, producer, writer. TV: Dick Van Dyke Show, The Odd Couple, Happy Days, and Laverne & Shirley.
Richard Mulligan
Born November 13, 1932 d. 2000
American Emmy-winning actor. TV: Soap (Bert Campbell) and Empty Nest (Dr. Weston).
Madeleine Sherwood (Madeleine Thornton)
Born November 13, 1922 d. 2016
Canadian actress. TV: The Flying Nun (Mother Superior).
Baddeley (left) as Mrs. Naugatuck
Baddeley (left) as Mrs. Naugatuck
Hermione Baddeley
Born November 13, 1906 d. 1986
British actress. Film: Room at the Top (1959), Mary Poppins (1964, the housekeeper), and The Aristocats (1970, voiced Madame Adelaide Bonfamille). TV: Maude (1974-77, Mrs. Naugatuck).
First Jewish U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Louis Dembitz Brandeis
Born November 13, 1856 d. 1941
American jurist. He was the first Jewish U.S. Supreme Court Justice (1916-39). He graduated from Harvard Law School at the age of 20 with what is widely rumored to be the highest grade average in the law school's history. Known for taking cases for no pay, he became known as the "Robin Hood of the Law."
Albert I
Born November 13, 1848 d. 1922
Prince of Monaco, oceanographer.
Edwin Thomas Booth
Born November 13, 1833 d. 1893
American Shakespearean actor. Older brother of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth.
Edward III
Born November 13, 1312 d. 1377
King of England (1327-77). His reign was marked by numerous successful military ventures.
Saint Augustine
Born November 13, 354 d. 430
North African Christian philosopher, bishop of Hippo (396-430).
Deaths
Inventor of Long-Distance Television Transmission
Herbert Eugene Ives
Died November 13, 1953 b. 1882
American inventor. He invented long-distance television transmission (1927). He transmitted live images of then U.S. Commerce Secretary and future U.S. President Herbert Hoover from Washington D.C. to New York over long-distance wires.
He is also known for the 1938 Ives-Stilwell experiment, which provided direct confirmation of special relativity's time dilation, although he himself did not accept special relativity, and argued instead for an alternative interpretation of the experimental results.
In 1924, Ives sent and received the first color facsimile, a color photograph of silent film star Rudolph Valentino.
Donald Mills
Died November 13, 1999 b. 1915
American singer, with the Mills Brothers, the most popular vocal group of all time.
Ronnie Bond (Ronald James Bullis)
Died November 13, 1992 b. 1943
British drummer, founding member of the Troggs. Music: Wild Thing (1966, #1).
Karen Silkwood
Died November 13, 1974 b. 1946
American labor union activist. She died in a car crash while investigating irregularities at her employer's Kerr-McGee nuclear fuels plant. Many suspect foul play and that a folder containing her evidence was removed from the crash. Her estate was awarded $10.5 million in a negligence suit against Kerr-McGee Corp. for radiation contamination. They eventually settled for $1.38 million. The film Silkwood is based on her experiences.
Elsa Schiaparelli
Died November 13, 1973 b. 1890
Italian-born French fashion designer. She was the first major designer to include zippers in their creations (1931) and was the inventor of "shocking pink."
Invented the Silver Suture
James Marion Sims
Died November 13, 1883 b. 1813
American physician, gynecologist. He invented the silver suture.
Gioachino Rossini (Gioachino Antonio Rossini)
Died November 13, 1868 b. 1792
Italian operatic composer. Opera: The Barber of Seville (1816) and William Tell (1829).
Saint Nicholas I
Died November 13, 867 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 105th Pope (858-867).