Summary of the Day ✨ 13 May (13/05)
Turkey mourns 301 miners killed in a devastating underground coal mine explosion, while American abortion provider Kermit Gosnell is convicted for murdering infants and involuntary manslaughter. Across the globe, Mexican authorities discover 49 dismembered bodies on a highway, Pakistan suffers 98 deaths in Charsadda bombings, and Brazilian prisons erupt in violent rebellions.
Historical Events 📜
- 2014: An explosion at an underground coal mine in southwest Turkey kills 301 miners.
- 2013: American physician Kermit Gosnell is found guilty in Pennsylvania of murdering three infants born alive during attempted abortions, involuntary manslaughter of a woman during an abortion procedure, and other charges.
- 2012: Forty-nine dismembered bodies are discovered by Mexican authorities on Mexican Federal Highway 40.
- 2011: Two bombs explode in the Charsadda District of Pakistan killing 98 people and wounding 140 others.
- 2006: São Paulo violence: Rebellions occur in several prisons in Brazil.
- 2005: Andijan uprising, Uzbekistan; Troops open fire on crowds of protestors after a prison break; at least 187 people were killed according to official estimates.
- 2000: A fireworks storage depot explodes in a residential neighborhood in Enschede, Netherlands, killing 23 people and injuring 950 others.
- 1999: Kosovo War: NATO bombs the village of Koriša, killing at least 87 people.
- 1998: Race riots break out in Jakarta, Indonesia, where shops owned by Indonesians of Chinese descent are looted and women raped.
- 1998: India carries out two nuclear weapon tests at Pokhran, following the three conducted on May 11. The United States and Japan impose economic sanctions on India.
- 1996: Severe thunderstorms and a tornado in Bangladesh kill 600 people.
- 1995: Alison Hargreaves, a 33-year-old British mother, becomes the first woman to ascend Everest without oxygen or the help of sherpas.
- 1992: Li Hongzhi gives the first public lecture on Falun Gong in Changchun, People’s Republic of China.
- 1990: The Dinamo–Red Star riot took place at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb, Croatia between the Bad Blue Boys (fans of Dinamo Zagreb) and the Delije (fans of Red Star Belgrade).
- 1989: Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike.
Famous Births 👶
- 2005: Romain Esse, English footballer
- 2003: Jaxson Dart, American football player
- 2003: Javi Guerra, Spanish footballer
- 2003: Jabari Smith Jr., American basketball player
- 2002: Diego López, Spanish footballer
- 1999: Óscar Mingueza, Spanish footballer
- 1999: Aníbal Moreno, Argentine footballer
- 1998: Adrià Pedrosa, Spanish footballer
- 1998: Luca Zidane, Algerian footballer
- 1997: Nico Hoerner, American baseball player
- 1994: Percy Tau, South African footballer
- 1993: Abby Dahlkemper, American footballer
- 1993: Romelu Lukaku, Belgian footballer
- 1993: Debby Ryan, American actress and singer
- 1993: Morgan Wallen, American singer-songwriter
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: Kit Bond, American lawyer and politician, 47th Governor of Missouri (born 1939)
- 2025: Danny Lendich, New Zealand businessperson (born 1944)
- 2025: José Mujica, Uruguayan politician, 40th President of Uruguay (born 1935)
- 2024: Alice Munro, Canadian short story writer (born 1931)
- 2024: Cyril Wecht, American forensic pathologist (born 1931)
- 2024: Samm-Art Williams, American playwright and screenwriter (born 1946)
- 2022: Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, 2nd President of the United Arab Emirates (born 1948)
- 2019: Doris Day, American singer and actress (born 1922)
- 2019: Unita Blackwell, American civil rights activist and politician (born 1933)
- 2016: Murray A. Straus, American sociologist and academic (born 1926)
- 2015: Earl Averill, Jr., American baseball player (born 1931)
- 2015: Robert Drasnin, American clarinet player and composer (born 1927)
- 2015: Nina Otkalenko, Russian runner (born 1928)
- 2015: David Sackett, American-Canadian physician and academic (born 1934)
- 2015: Gainan Saidkhuzhin, Russian cyclist (born 1937)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Abbotsbury Garland Day (Dorset, England)
- Christian feast day:
Our Lady of Fátima - Christian feast day:
Conchita Barrecheguren (Roman Catholic) - Christian feast day:
Gerard of Villamagna - Christian feast day:
Glyceria - Christian feast day:
John the Silent (Roman Catholic) - Christian feast day:
Julian of Norwich (Roman Catholic) - Christian feast day:
Frances Perkins (Episcopal Church (USA)) - Christian feast day:
Servatius - Christian feast day:
May 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Rotuma Day (Rotuma)