Discover what happened on November 13 in history as landmark decisions advanced civil rights, groundbreaking achievements opened new frontiers in space exploration, historic monuments honored America’s veterans, and Michigan connections added some unusual chapters to the day’s events.
What Happened on November 13 in History?
On this day, the Holland Tunnel opened beneath the Hudson River, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling against bus segregation, Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to orbit another planet, Michigan sold its first lottery ticket, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated, and Google completed its purchase of YouTube.
NOVEMBER 13 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1789 – Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to a friend in which he said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
1805 – Butcher Johann Georg Lahner is traditionally credited with introducing the Vienna sausage, combining techniques he learned in Frankfurt with Austrian sausage-making traditions.
1927 – The Holland Tunnel opened to traffic, connecting New York City and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River. It was a pioneering achievement in automobile tunnel ventilation and engineering.
1933 – Workers at the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota, staged a landmark sit-down strike, helping popularize a labor tactic that would become important during the 1930s.
1940 – Walt Disney’s groundbreaking animated film Fantasia premiered at the Broadway Theatre in New York City, combining classical music, animation, and an innovative sound system called Fantasound.
1942 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation lowering the minimum military draft age from 21 to 18, expanding the pool of Americans eligible for service during World War II.
1956 – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling declaring racial segregation on public buses unconstitutional, delivering a major victory for the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement.
1956 – Elvis Presley’s first movie, Love Me Tender, premiered at the Paramount Theatre in New York City. The film helped launch his Hollywood career, although it was originally planned under the title The Reno Brothers.
1971 – NASA’s Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to orbit another planet when it entered orbit around Mars, beginning a mission that would transform our understanding of the Red Planet.
1972 – Michigan Governor William Milliken purchased the state’s first lottery ticket, officially launching the Michigan Lottery.
1974 – Ronald DeFeo Jr. murdered six members of his family in their Amityville, New York, home. The house later became infamous through claims of paranormal activity and the book and film The Amityville Horror.
1977 – Al Capp’s comic strip Li’l Abner appeared in newspapers for the final time, ending a 43-year run that made it one of America’s most recognizable newspaper comics.
1982 – The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., following a march by thousands of Vietnam War veterans. The memorial’s black granite walls bear the names of Americans who died or remain missing from the war.
1986 – President Ronald Reagan acknowledged that the United States had secretly supplied weapons to Iran but denied that the shipments were intended to secure the release of American hostages, as the Iran-Contra affair continued to unfold.
1990 – A woman sued Rod Stewart after claiming that a soccer ball he kicked into the audience during a concert at Michigan’s Pine Knob Music Theatre injured her finger. The lawsuit alleged that the injury even interfered with her sex life.
1995 – The James Bond film GoldenEye premiered in Los Angeles, introducing Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007 and launching a new era for the long-running spy franchise.
1997 – Disney’s stage musical The Lion King opened on Broadway, bringing the animated film to life with elaborate puppetry, costumes, and music.
1998 – President Bill Clinton agreed to pay Paula Jones $850,000 to settle her sexual harassment lawsuit, without admitting wrongdoing or offering an apology.
1999 – Pixar’s animated sequel Toy Story 2 held its premiere ahead of its nationwide theatrical release later that month, bringing Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and their friends back to the big screen.
2000 – The Beatles released their greatest-hits compilation 1, featuring 27 chart-topping songs. It became one of the best-selling albums of the 2000s.
2006 – Google completed its $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube, purchasing the rapidly growing video-sharing website in a deal that would reshape online entertainment.
2009 – NASA announced that its LCROSS mission had confirmed the presence of water in a permanently shadowed crater near the Moon’s south pole, an important discovery for future lunar exploration.
2012 – Call of Duty: Black Ops II was released, generating an estimated $500 million in worldwide sales during its first 24 hours and becoming one of the biggest entertainment launches of the year.
2013 – Four World Trade Center officially opened in Lower Manhattan, becoming the first completed office skyscraper at the rebuilt World Trade Center complex.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON NOVEMBER 13:
Jack Rule Jr. – 88 years old (1938) – Golfer
Baby Washington – 86 years old (1940) – Soul singer
David Green – 85 years old (1941) – Businessman and philanthropist, founded Hobby Lobby
John P. Hammond – 84 years old (1942) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Bobby Manuel – 81 years old (1945) – Guitarist and producer
Ray Wylie Hubbard – 80 years old (1946) – Country singer-songwriter and guitarist
Amory Lovins – 79 years old (1947) – Physicist and environmentalist
Joe Mantegna – 79 years old (1947) – Actor and voice artist
Harry Hurt III – 75 years old (1951) – Author and journalist
Merrick Garland – 74 years old (1952) – Jurist, 86th United States Attorney General
Mark Lye – 74 years old (1952) – Golfer
Tracy Scoggins – 73 years old (1953) – Actress
Scott McNealy – 72 years old (1954) – Businessman, co-founded Sun Microsystems
Chris Noth – 72 years old (1954) – Actor and producer
Bill Britton – 71 years old (1955) – Golfer
Whoopi Goldberg – 71 years old (1955) – Actress, comedian, and talk show host
Rex Linn – 70 years old (1956) – Actor
Greg Abbott – 69 years old (1957) – Politician, 48th Governor of Texas
Neil Flynn – 66 years old (1960) – Actor
Kim Polese – 65 years old (1961) – Entrepreneur and technology executive
Vinny Testaverde – 63 years old (1963) – Football player
Dan Sullivan – 62 years old (1964) – Politician
Jimmy Kimmel – 59 years old (1967) – Comedian, actor, and talk show host
Steve Zahn – 59 years old (1967) – Actor and singer
Pat Hentgen – 58 years old (1968) – Baseball player and coach
Ayaan Hirsi Ali – 57 years old (1969) – Somali-American activist and author
Jordan Bridges – 53 years old (1973) – Actor
Ari Hoenig – 53 years old (1973) – Drummer and composer
Aisha Hinds – 51 years old (1975) – Actress
Nikolai Fraiture – 48 years old (1978) – Bass player
Monique Coleman – 46 years old (1980) – Actress, singer, and dancer
Sara Del Rey – 46 years old (1980) – Wrestler and trainer
Ryan Bertin – 45 years old (1981) – Wrestler and coach
Rivkah – 45 years old (1981) – Author and illustrator
Michael Copon – 44 years old (1982) – Actor, singer, and producer
Samkon Gado – 44 years old (1982) – Nigerian-American football player
Wade Miley – 40 years old (1986) – Baseball player
Dana Vollmer – 39 years old (1987) – Swimmer
Matt Bennett – 35 years old (1991) – Actor
Shabazz Muhammad – 34 years old (1992) – Basketball player
Julia Michaels – 33 years old (1993) – Singer and songwriter
Brett Baty – 27 years old (1999) – Baseball player
Sydney Agudong – 26 years old (2000) – Actress and singer
Giovanni Reyna – 24 years old (2002) – Soccer player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR NOVEMBER 13:
- World Kindness Day: Share random acts of compassion on World Kindness Day by helping strangers, giving back to the community or teaching your children the value of niceness.
- Symphonic Metal Day: The fusion of harmonious melodies and thunderous might — a musical realm where orchestras and electric guitars unite in majestic harmony.
- National DTC (Direct-To-Consumer) Friday: National DTC (Direct-To-Consumer) Friday is a special day that highlights the unique connection between consumers and brands. This celebration focuses on the growing direct-to-consumer movement, which allows people to buy products directly from the makers, bypassing traditional retail stores. This approach benefits both consumers and companies by offering better prices...
- Sadie Hawkins Day: Sadie Hawkins Day is the perfect day to flip the old, perhaps even sending it to the dustbin of history. This occasion is the day of empowering women. It’s when women will take a stand - and take the lead in romantic pursuits. Meanwhile, the men play the coy recipients...
- Rad Tech Week: Rad Tech Week is a lively celebration of radiologic technologists and their essential work in the medical field. This special week shines a spotlight on the professionals who use cutting-edge imaging technology to diagnose and treat countless conditions. From X-rays to MRIs, these skilled technologists help doctors understand what’s happening...
- National Hug a Musician Day: Feeling the rhythm of their soul through an embrace, sharing a silent connection that speaks volumes in the language of music.
- National Book Award Week: National Book Award Week, celebrated from November 7 to 13, shines a spotlight on the power of storytelling and the diversity of voices in American literature. This special week marks a time to honor and discover the incredible works of authors that shape our understanding and enjoyment of books. From...
- Transgender Awareness Week: Promoting understanding and compassion for diverse identities, bringing forth enlightenment and unity, echoing the spirit of humanity.
- Dear Santa Letter Week: Have you ever wondered what it feels like to send a wish directly to Santa Claus? Every year, during Dear Santa Letter Week, children and adults alike take pen to paper to craft personal messages to the jolly old elf. Celebrated during November, this week captures the essence of childhood...
- Nurse Practitioner Week: Nurse Practitioner Week is a lively celebration of the essential work nurse practitioners (NPs) do. This special week highlights their contributions to healthcare, emphasizing their role in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. The week draws attention to the unique combination of clinical expertise and compassionate care that NPs provide. It's a...
- National Recycling Week: National Recycling Week is an exciting time to highlight the significance of recycling. This week aims to educate and inspire individuals, communities, and organizations to improve their recycling habits. Celebrating National Recycling Week helps spread awareness about the importance of recycling. It emphasizes reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling properly. These...
- National Indian Pudding Day: There is a rich and thick indulgence that is perfect for a cold winter’s day, something that brings the warmth and deliciousness of tradition together with childhood memories. In the New England area, this indulgence is known as ‘Indian Pudding’, a variation on the Hasty Pudding that was a classic...
- National Split Pea Soup Week: Savoring a comforting blend of legumes, slow-cooked to perfection, offering warmth and nourishment during the cold season.
- Chhath Puja: Chhath Puja is a vibrant festival that celebrates and honors the Sun, which is seen as the source of all life. Families gather near rivers or other water bodies, creating a beautiful scene of offerings and rituals. Brightly colored fruits, vegetables, and sweets are arranged in baskets while the setting...
- Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week: From our furry companions to majestic wildlife, our connection with the animal kingdom is a bond that goes beyond words.
- Sugar Awareness Week: Have you ever checked the ingredients on your favorite snack? Sugar shows up in places you wouldn't expect—like pasta sauce, bread, and yogurt. Sugar Awareness Week brings attention to this sneaky habit in the food world. It challenges everyone to take a closer look at what they eat and drink each...
- National Young Readers Week: Fostering young minds' love for stories and expanding horizons through the magic of books; opening doors to imagination.
- Children’s Book Week : Spark the joy of exploration in young minds through tales that open doors to realms of endless fascination and growth.
Powered by Days Of The Year
For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.
