Today in History - October 13th


  • 54 - On this day in history, Emperor Nero ascended to the Roman throne. He is infamously known as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned" and as an early persecutor of Christians. He was known for having captured Christians to burn them in his garden at night for a source of light.
  • 1775 - Today in history, the Continental Congress ordered construction of a naval fleet -the beginning of the US Navy as we know it today.
  • 1792 - On this day in history, Washington laid the cornerstone of The Executive Mansion, which would be later renamed The White House.

  • 1864 - Today in history, the Battle at Darbytown Road, Virginia, produced 337 casualties. The Confederates were attempting to gain ground lost to Federal forces during battles near Richmond, Virginia. Their efforts failed. On October 13, Union forces advanced to find and feel the new Confederate defensive line in front of Richmond.
  • 1864 - On this day in history, the Battle of Dalton, GA took place: Union General George Thomas attacked Confederates near Dalton, GA. Thomas found the position too strong and ceased the offensive the next day, but the Yankees learned a lesson they would apply during the Atlanta campaign that summer.
  • 1864 - Today in history, the Battle of Harpers Ferry, WV (Mosby's Raid) took place as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. When Gen. Robert E. Lee's Confederate army invaded Maryland, a portion of his army under Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson captured the Union garrison at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia).
  • 1864 - On this day in history, Maryland voters adopted new constitution, including the abolition of slavery.
  • 1884 - Today in history, Greenwich was established as the universal time meridian of longitude.
  • 1941 - On this day in history, the Nazis killed 11,000 Jewish children and old people.
  • 1943 - Today in history, Italy declared war on former Axis partner Germany.
  • 1960 - On this day in history, opponents of Fidel Castro and his Revolution were executed in Cuba.
  • 1966 - Today in history, 173 US airplanes bombed North Vietnam.
  • 1973 - On this day in history, Jordan entered the Yom Kippur war.

CULTURE, LIFESTYLE - Today in History, October 13th

  • 1792 - Today in history, the "Old Farmer's Almanac" was first published.
  • 1870 - On this day in history, Gustav Mahler, age 10, gave his first public piano concert.
  • 1931 - Today in history, Noel Coward's "Cavalcade" premiered in London.
  • 1962 - On this day in history, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" opened on Broadway with Uta Hagen in the lead.
  • 1963 - Today in history, the word "Beatlemania" was coined after Beatles appeared at The Palladium.
  • 1988 - On this day in history, The Shroud of Turin, revered by many Christians as Christ's burial cloth, was shown by carbon-dating tests to be a fake from the Middle Ages.

SCIENCE, PATENTS, INVENTIONS - Today in History, October 13th

  • 1860 - Today in history, the first aerial photo was taken from a balloon in Boston, MA, USA.
  • 1914 - On this day in history, Garrett Morgan invented and patented the gas mask.
  • 1953 - Today in history, burglar alarm-ultrasonic or radio waves patented by Samuel Bagno.
  • 1969 - On this day in history, seven people were together in space for the first time.
  • 1976 - Today in history, the first electron micrograph of an Ebola viral particle was obtained by Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, who was then working at the Centers for Disease Control.
  • 1983 - On this day in history. Ameritech Mobile Communications (now Cingular) launched the first US cellular network in Chicago, Illinois.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS - October 13th

  • 1921 - Today in history, Yves Montand was born in France to become a legendary actor/singer (Z, Napoleon, Grand Prix)
  • 1925 - On this day in history, Margaret Thatcher was born in Grantham, England, to become (Tory) British Prime Minister (1979-90).
  • 1934 - Today in history, singer Nana Mouskouri was born in Crete, Greece (Try to Remember).
  • 1941 - On this day in history, singer Paul Simon was born in Newark, NJ (Kodachrome, One Trick Pony)
  • 1959 - Today in history, Marie Osmond was born in Ogden, Utah to become a singer/actress (Paper Roses, Goin' Coconuts).