September 13
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1922
The start of the Straw Hat Riots
On this day in 1922, the Straw Hat Riots began, in which boys and men across New York City “indulged in a straw hat smashing orgy,” the likes of which the world had never seen. The Straw Hat Riots lasted eight days and resulted in arrests, injuries, hospitalizations, and the demise of many, many hats. What was the explanation for this riotous activity? Read on to discover the surprising but true story of sartorial mayhem.
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© The Protected Art Archive/Alamy; Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Event
Courtesy of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Philip III crowned king of Spain and Portugal
King Philip III of Spain (Philip II of Portugal), crowned on this day in 1598, was virtuous in his private affairs but indifferent as a ruler and extravagant in his spending, exacerbating Spain’s growing economic problems. [Take our quiz about kings and emperors.]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
Carl Van Vechten Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-116610)
English writer Roald Dahl, born this day in 1916, earned acclaim for his ingenious, irreverent children’s books, which included James and the Giant Peach (1961) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964).
Famous Birthdays
More on September 13
Charles Krup—AP/Shutterstock.com
2015
American basketball player Moses Malone—who was a dominating center and the NBA’s premier offensive rebounder during the 1980s, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a championship in 1983—died at age 60. [How much do you know about basketball?]
Universal/Wolf Film/Kobal/Shutterstock.com
1990
The law-enforcement series Law & Order debuted on the NBC television network; the show became one of the longest-running prime-time TV dramas in the United States. [Test your knowledge of pop culture.]
© O Popular—AFP/Getty Images
1987
While scavenging an abandoned medical clinic in the Brazilian city of Goiânia, two men discovered a canister they did not realize was highly radioactive. It was the beginning of what has been described as one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents, which killed four people, directly irradiated about 250, and affected as many as 100,000 others.
© Everett Collection Historical/Alamy
1971
A revolt at New York’s Attica Correctional Facility ended after a bloody state police assault on the prison, in which 29 inmates and 10 hostages were killed. [Take our U.S. history quiz.]
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
1911
American singer, songwriter, and mandolin player Bill Monroe, considered the father of bluegrass music, was born. [Sort fact from fiction in our music quiz.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1899
The highest peak of Mount Kenya is climbed, one of the first recorded technical climbs in the country.
Courtesy of Howard University, Washington, D.C.
1886
African American educator, writer, and philosopher Alain Locke, remembered as the leader and chief interpreter of the Harlem Renaissance, was born. [Take our Philosophy 101 quiz.]
Courtesy of the Hershey Foods Corporation
1857
Milton Snavely Hershey, founder of the Hershey Chocolate Company, was born in Pennsylvania. [How much do you know about chocolate?]
Science History Images/Alamy
1848
American railroad foreman Phineas Gage suffered a traumatic brain injury when an iron rod shot through his skull and obliterated the greater part of the left frontal lobe of his brain; he survived with apparently no lasting physical damage, though some claimed that his personality had changed.
The New York Public Library Digital Collection (b13504202)
1759
British forces defeated the French in the Battle of Quebec. [Take our history of war quiz.]
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1515
Swiss mercenaries attacked the French position near Marignano; the next day they were defeated by French and Italian troops, giving rise to Switzerland’s policy of neutrality. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about European history.]