Summary of the Day ✨ 13 January (13/01)
On this day, history witnessed political upheaval as Donald Trump became the first U.S. president impeached twice for inciting insurrection after the Capitol attack, while the world grappled with early COVID-19 cases as Thailand reported the first infection outside China. Tragedy struck in multiple forms as a false missile alert terrified Hawaiians, a luxury cruise ship capsized in Italy killing 32, and an Uzbekistan plane crash claimed 37 lives in Tashkent.
Historical Events 📜
- 2021: Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump is impeached for a second time on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the January 6 United States Capitol attack one week prior.
- 2020: The Thai Ministry of Public Health confirms the first case of COVID-19 outside China.
- 2018: A false emergency alert warning of an impending missile strike in Hawaii causes widespread panic in the state.
- 2012: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia sinks off the coast of Italy due to the captain Francesco Schettino’s negligence and irresponsibility. There are 32 confirmed deaths.
- 2004: Uzbekistan Airways Flight 1154 crashes while landing at Tashkent International Airport, killing 37.
- 2003: 208996 Achlys was discovered by Chad Trujillo and Michael E. Brown at Palomar Observatory.
- 2001: An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800.
- 2000: A Short 360 aircraft chartered by the Sirte Oil Company crashes off the coast of Brega, Libya, killing 21.
- 1998: Alfredo Ormando sets himself on fire in St. Peter’s Square, protesting against homophobia.
- 1993: Space Shuttle program: Endeavour heads for space for the third time as STS-54 launches from the Kennedy Space Center.
- 1993: The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is signed.
- 1993: Operation Southern Watch: U.S.A.F., U.S.N., R.A.F. and French Air Force jets attack AAA and SAM sites in Southern Iraq.
- 1991: Soviet Union troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius, killing 14 people and wounding around 1,000 others.
- 1990: Douglas Wilder becomes the first elected African American governor as he takes office as Governor of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.
- 1988: Lee Teng-hui becomes the first native Taiwanese President of the Republic of China.
Famous Births 👶
- 2005: Iker Bravo, Spanish footballer
- 2003: Oksana Selekhmeteva, Russian tennis player
- 2000: Harley Smith-Shields, Australian rugby league player
- 1997: Douglas Augusto, Brazilian footballer
- 1997: Egan Bernal, Colombian cyclist
- 1997: Luis Díaz, Colombian footballer
- 1997: Henry Ellenson, American basketball player
- 1997: Connor McDavid, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1997: Ivan Provorov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1995: Natalia Dyer, American actress
- 1995: Maxim Mamin, Russian ice hockey player
- 1995: Eros Vlahos, English actor and comedian
- 1994: Vasilije Micić, Serbian basketball player
- 1993: Max Whitlock, English artistic gymnast
- 1992: Adam Matthews, Welsh footballer
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2026: Scott Adams, American author and illustrator (born 1957)
- 2026: David Webb, British activist shareholder (born 1965)
- 2025: Oliviero Toscani, Italian photographer (born 1942)
- 2024: Joyce Randolph, American actress (born 1924)
- 2020: Bryan Monroe, American journalist and educator, (born 1965)
- 2020: Philip Tartaglia, Scottish prelate, Catholic archbishop of Glasgow (born 1951)
- 2019: Phil Masinga, South African footballer (born 1969)
- 2017: Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, English photographer and a former member of the British royal family (born 1930)
- 2017: Dick Gautier, American actor (born 1931)
- 2017: Magic Alex, Greek electronics engineer (born 1942)
- 2016: Brian Bedford, English-American actor and director (born 1935)
- 2016: Giorgio Gomelsky, Georgian-American director, producer, songwriter, and manager (born 1934)
- 2016: Lawrence Phillips, American football player (born 1975)
- 2015: Mark Juddery, Australian journalist and author (born 1971)
- 2015: Robert White, American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Paraguay (born 1926)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Blessed Veronica of Milan - Christian feast day:
Elian - Christian feast day:
Hilary of Poitiers - Christian feast day:
Mungo - Christian feast day:
St. Knut’s Day or Tjugondag Knut, the last day of Christmas. (Sweden and Finland) - Christian feast day:
January 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Constitution Day (Mongolia)
- Democracy Day (Cape Verde)
- Gluten-free diet day
- Liberation Day (Togo)
- Old New Year’s Eve (Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, North Macedonia), and its related observances:
Malanka (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus) - Sidereal winter solstice’s eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; the last day of the six-month Dakshinayana period (see January 14):
Bhogi (Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu) - Sidereal winter solstice’s eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; the last day of the six-month Dakshinayana period (see January 14):
Lohri (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh) - Sidereal winter solstice’s eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; the last day of the six-month Dakshinayana period (see January 14):
Uruka (Assam) - Stephen Foster Memorial Day (United States)