What Happened On
Saddam Hussein Captured
December 13, 2003
Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured during the Iraq War while hiding in a spider hole near his home town of Tikrit. The operation was code named "Operation Red Dawn" after the film Red Dawn (1984).
Adamski's photo of Orthon's ship featured on a Grenada stamp (right)
Adamski's photo of Orthon's ship featured on a Grenada stamp (right)
UFOs
December 13, 1952
George Adamski, who is often referred to as the first abductee, has his second encounter with the Venusian named Orthon where he took his now famous photograph of Orthon's ship. Grenada would depict this photograph in a 1978 commemorative stamp.
Churchill giving "V sign" in 1943
Churchill giving "V sign" in 1943
Churchill Hit by Car
December 13, 1931
The English statesman and future Prime Minister Winston Churchill is hit by a cab while walking across Fifth Ave. in New York City. Churchill had apparently forgotten that American traffic keeps to the right and didn't look in the correct direction.
Churchill suffered a serious scalp wound as well as two cracked ribs and was admitted to the hospital, where he later told police that the accident was entirely his fault. Concerned that the driver of the cab would be blamed and then have trouble finding work, Churchill arranged to meet him at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where Churchill served the driver tea and gave him an autographed copy of his book, The Unknown War.
Churchill used his time in the hospital to write an article about the incident, titled "My New York Misadventure", which he then sold for $2,500.
The following month, Churchill got a prescription from his doctor for alcohol to help alleviate the pain from this accident. This was during prohibition when the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcoholic beverages was prohibited, except for special circumstances.
National Guard
December 13, 1636
The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. This is recognized as the founding of the U.S. National Guard.
Bill Gates Arrested
December 13, 1977
The future co-founder of Microsoft Bill Gates is arrested for reckless driving and driving without a license.
The Beatles
December 13, 1961
Brian Epstein becomes the Liverpool group's manager. He had heard them play a month earlier in a local club called "The Cavern Club." Epstein's initial attempts to get a recording contract for the Beatles were rejected by virtually every label in London, until he secured a contract with EMI, who had also previously turned them down.
First Measurement of a Star's Diameter
December 13, 1920
For this first time, the measurement of the diameter of star (other than the Sun) is made. Albert Michelson, of Mount Wilson Observatory, California, uses a stellar interferometer determine Betelgeuse (the bright red star in the right shoulder of Orion) is 260 million miles in diameter.
Civil War - Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia
December 13, 1862
The Union Army loses 12,000 men in its defeat to Robert E. Lee's forces.
First Savings Bank in the U.S.
December 13, 1816
Provident Institution for Savings in Boston is chartered.
First U.S. Music Store
December 13, 1759
A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania music store, which had opened earlier in the year, begins advertising the sale of musical instruments and supplies.
New Zealand
December 13, 1642
The southern island of New Zealand is discovered, by Dutch navigator Abel Janszoon Tasman.
Birthdays
Dick Van Dyke with Mary Tyler Moore from The Dick Van Dyke Show
Dick Van Dyke with Mary Tyler Moore from The Dick Van Dyke Show
Dick Van Dyke (Richard Wayne Van Dyke)
Born December 13, 1925
American Tony-Emmy-Grammy winning actor. Although he is popular in the U.K., his Cockney accent in Mary Poppins was so notorious that a "Dick Van Dyke accent" is now slang for an American's poor attempt at a British accent.
Film: Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), and Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang (1968). TV: The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66, Emmy, Rob Petrie), and Diagnosis: Murder (1993-2001, Dr. Mark Sloan).
Sgt. York (Alvin Cullum York)
Born December 13, 1887 d. 1964
American World War I hero. In 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, he killed 25 members of a German machine-gun battalion and captured 132 others.
He had originally applied for conscientious objector status, but was denied.
Mary Todd Lincoln
Born December 13, 1818 d. 1882
American First Lady, wife of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. She was declared insane and committed to an mental institution (1875), but was later released.
Photo Credit: UltimateWarrior13
Photo Credit: UltimateWarrior13
Taylor Swift
Born December 13, 1989
American Emmy-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter. She is one of the best-selling artists of all time. Music: Fearless (2009, 4 Grammys, best-selling album of year - making Swift the youngest Album of the Year winner).
Ted Nugent
Born December 13, 1948
American guitarist, the "Motor City Madman." Music: Cat Scratch Fever (1977) and Little Miss Dangerous (1986).
John Davidson (John Hamilton Davidson, Sr.)
Born December 13, 1941
American singer, TV personality. TV: host of That's Incredible! and Hollywood Squares.
Christopher Plummer (Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer)
Born December 13, 1929 d. 2021
Canadian Oscar-Tony-Emmy-winning actor. Film: The Sound of Music (1965, Baron Von Trapp) and The Man Who Would Be King (1975, Rudyard Kipling).
George Shultz (George Pratt Shultz)
Born December 13, 1920 d. 2021
U.S. Secretary of State (1982-89) under President Ronald Reagan. He signed a 1998 advertisement published in the New York Times entitled "We believe the global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself."
Mark Stevens (Richard Stevens)
Born December 13, 1916 d. 1994
American actor. TV: Martin Kane, Private Eye (title role) and Big Town (Steve Wilson).
Ross Macdonald (Kenneth Millar)
Born December 13, 1915 d. 1983
American mystery author. Creator of the private eye Lew Archer.
Larry Parks (Samuel Lawrence Klausman Parks)
Born December 13, 1914 d. 1975
American actor. Film: The Jolson Story (1946, title role) and Jolson Sings Again (1949, title role). He admitted to having been a member of a Communist party cell, which led to his blacklisting by all Hollywood studios.
Phillips Brooks
Born December 13, 1835 d. 1893
American clergyman. He wrote the carol O Little Town of Bethlehem (1868).
Heinrich Heine
Born December 13, 1797 d. 1856
German author, poet, lyricist. Among his writings are some of Germany's best-known lyrics.
Sixtus V (Felice Peretti di Montalto)
Born December 13, 1521 d. 1590
religious leader, 227th Pope (1585-90).
Deaths
Grandma Moses (Anna Robertson Moses)
Died December 13, 1961 b. 1860
American artist, known for her bright pictures of American rural life. She began her painting career at age 78.
Nancy Wilson
Died December 13, 2018 b. 1937
American Grammy-winning soul, jazz singer. Music: (You Don't Know) How Glad I Am (1964) and her version of the standard Guess Who I Saw Today (1960).
Alan Thicke (Alan Willis Jeffrey)
Died December 13, 2016 b. 1947
Canadian actor. TV: Growing Pains (1985-92, Jason Seaver) and Animal Crack-Ups (1987-90, host).
Ricky Ray
Died December 13, 1992 b. 1977
American AIDS victim. He was the oldest of three HIV infected hemophiliac brothers who won a federal court order allowing them in school after they were barred in 1986. Their family home was burned down a week after the court decision.
The three brothers contracted HIV from infusions of Factor 8 when they were less than 8 years old.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney
Died December 13, 1992 b. 1899
American businessman, co-founder of Pan American Airways (1927) and co-producer of Gone with the Wind (1939).
Alice Marble
Died December 13, 1990 b. 1913
American tennis player, winner of four U.S. amateur singles titles.
Heather Angel
Died December 13, 1986 b. 1909
British actress. TV: Family Affair (Miss Faversham).
Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham
Died December 13, 1981 b. 1904
American comedian. TV: Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (the judge).
Thomas A. Watson (Thomas Augustus Watson)
Died December 13, 1934 b. 1854
American telephone technician and shipbuilder. He was Alexander Graham Bell's assistant during his discovery of the telephone and was one of the founders of Bell Telephone.
Samuel Gompers
Died December 13, 1924 b. 1850
English-born American labor leader, first president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL).
William Augustus Barstow
Died December 13, 1865 b. 1813
American politician, governor of Wisconsin (1854-56). After the discovery of election irregularities, he became the first U.S. governor removed from office by a state supreme court (1856).
Samuel Johnson
Died December 13, 1784 b. 1709
English lexicographer, poet. He wrote the first major English language dictionary (1755).
Donatello (Donatodi Niccolo di Betto Bardi)
Died December 13, 1466 b. circa 1386
Italian Renaissance artist, father of modern sculpture. He created the masterpiece David.
Moses Maimonides
Died December 13, 1204 b. 1135
Jewish rabbi, Talmudic scholar, philosopher. His teachings greatly influenced the Christian religion.
Calixtus II
Died December 13, 1124 b. ????
religious leader, 162nd Pope (1119-24).