December 13
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Featured Event
Marie-Lan Nguyen
After five months as pope, Celestine V resigned on this day in 1294. Because he was struggling to fulfill his duties, after many years living as a hermit in a cave, he decided it would be dangerous for the church and for his soul if he continued. [Read today’s edition of Today in History >>]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
© Neftali/Shutterstock.com
Philosopher, jurist, and physician Moses Maimonides, the foremost intellectual figure of medieval Judaism, whose works, written in Hebrew and Arabic, influenced both Jewish and non-Jewish scholars, died this day in 1204.
Famous Birthdays
More on December 13
© Bodil Johansson/Thinkstock
Today
The Scandinavian holiday St. Lucia’s Day is celebrated; people in Norway, Sweden, and Swedish-speaking areas of Finland gather for this festival of lights to honor one of the earliest Christian martyrs.
© DFree/Shutterstock.com
2013
Beyoncé shocked fans with the surprise release of her self-titled fifth studio album.
U.S. Department of Defense
2003
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces during the Iraq War; three years later he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and was executed.
© Sheryl Nields—Big Machine Records/The Valory Music Co.
1989
Taylor Swift, one of the most influential and successful artists in contemporary music, was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania.[How did Taylor Swift become famous?]
© Larry Zhou/stock.adobe.com
1937
The Japanese Imperial Army seized Nanjing, China, during the Sino-Japanese War, and carried out the Nanjing Massacre, which resulted in the deaths of as many as 300,000 Chinese citizens and soldiers.
Courtesy of Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
1956
The film drama Anastasia was released in American theaters. It marked the Hollywood comeback of Ingrid Bergman, whose extramarital affair had caused a scandal, and she won an Academy Award for her performance. [Take our quiz about women in classic cinema.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1934
British astronomer J.P.M. Prentice discovered Nova Herculis, one of the brightest novas of the 20th century. [Take our astronomy quiz.]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
1921
The Four-Power Pact was signed during the Washington Conference by the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and France, stipulating that all the signatories would be consulted in the event of a controversy between two of them over “any Pacific question.”
Prints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. LC-USZC4-1757)
1862
The Battle of Fredericksburg, a bloody engagement of the American Civil War in which Confederate troops were led to victory by General Robert E. Lee over the Union forces of General Ambrose Everett Burnside, was waged. [Test your knowledge of the American Civil War.]
Photos.com/Thinkstock
1784
Samuel Johnson, regarded as one of the greatest figures of 18th-century English literature, died in London. [Take our quiz about famous authors.]
Dallas and John Heaton from Stone—CLICK/Chicago
1642
Dutch navigator Abel Tasman became the first European to sight South Island, New Zealand. [Where is Old Zealand?]
© Alfredo Dagli Orti/Shutterstock.com
1545
The Council of Trent, the 19th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, which helped revitalize the church in many parts of Europe after the Protestant Reformation, opened in Trent, Italy. [Test your knowledge of the history of Roman Catholicism.]