What Happened on December 13?
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events
births
deaths
holidays
EVENTS ON DECEMBER 13
Explore the most important historical events that happened on December 13, featuring key moments that shaped the world.
Fenians
Year:
1867
A Fenian bomb explodes in Clerkenwell, London, killing 12 people and injuring 50.
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Sherman's March to the Sea
Year:
1864
American Civil War: Sherman's March to the Sea: The Second Battle of Fort McAllister ends with the fort being seized by Union forces under General William B. Hazen, threatening the city of Savannah with investment.
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American Civil War
Year:
1862
American Civil War: At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee repulses attacks by Union Major General Ambrose Burnside on Marye's Heights, inflicting heavy casualties.
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Second Sino-Japanese War
Year:
1937
Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanking: The city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. This is followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians.
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The Holocaust
Year:
1938
The Holocaust: The Neuengamme concentration camp opens in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany.
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Knesset
Year:
1949
The Knesset votes to move the capital of Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
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Kalavryta massacre
Year:
1943
World War II: The Massacre of Kalavryta by German occupying forces in Greece.
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Battle of the River Plate
Year:
1939
The Battle of the River Plate is fought off the coast of Uruguay; the first naval battle of World War II. The Kriegsmarine's Deutschland-class cruiser (pocket battleship) Admiral Graf Spee engages with three Royal Navy cruisers: HMS Ajax, HMNZS Achilles and HMS Exeter.
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BIRTHS ON DECEMBER 13
Discover famous people and historical figures born on December 13, including leaders, artists, scientists, and cultural icons.
Albert Aalbers
Year of birth:
1897
Albert Aalbers, Dutch architect, designed the Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel (died 1961)
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Drew Pearson (journalist)
Year of birth:
1897
Drew Pearson, American journalist and author (died 1969)
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Jonel Perlea
Year of birth:
1900
Jonel Perlea, Romanian-American conductor and educator (died 1970)
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Talcott Parsons
Year of birth:
1902
Talcott Parsons, American sociologist and academic (died 1979)
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Carlos Montoya
Year of birth:
1903
Carlos Montoya, Spanish guitarist and composer (died 1993)
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Panagiotis Kanellopoulos
Year of birth:
1902
Panagiotis Kanellopoulos, Greek philosopher and politician, 138th Prime Minister of Greece (died 1986)
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Lucía Sánchez Saornil
Year of birth:
1895
Lucía Sánchez Saornil, Spanish anarchist feminist (died 1970)
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George Pólya
Year of birth:
1887
George Pólya, Hungarian-American mathematician and academic (died 1985)
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DEATHS ON DECEMBER 13
Look back at notable individuals who passed away on December 13, and learn about their lasting influences on history.
August Šenoa
Year of death:
1881
August Šenoa, Croatian author and poet (born 1838)
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Victor de Laprade
Year of death:
1883
Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (born 1812)
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Georg August Rudolph
Year of death:
1893
Georg August Rudolph, German lawyer and politician, 3rd Mayor of Marburg (born 1816)
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Ányos Jedlik
Year of death:
1895
Ányos Jedlik, Hungarian physicist and engineer (born 1800)
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Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius
Year of death:
1868
Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist and explorer (born 1794)
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Friedrich Hebbel
Year of death:
1863
Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German poet and playwright (born 1813)
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Samuel Johnson
Year of death:
1784
Samuel Johnson, English poet and lexicographer (born 1709)
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Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne
Year of death:
1814
Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne, Belgian-Austrian field marshal (born 1735)
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HOLIDAYS ON DECEMBER 13
See which holidays, observances, and special celebrations take place on December 13 around the world.
Antiochus of Sulcis
Christian feast day: St Antiochus of Sulcis
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Armed Forces Day
Sailor's Day (Brazil)
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Nanjing Massacre Memorial Day
Nanking Massacre Memorial Day (China)
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Acadians
Acadian Remembrance Day (Acadians)
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Odile of Alsace
Christian feast day: St Odile of Alsace
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Saint Lucy's Day
Saint Lucia Day (mainly in Scandinavia)
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Saint Lucy
Christian feast day: St Lucy
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Republic Day (Malta)
Republic Day (Malta)
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