Discover what happened on January 13 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

January 13

Discover what happened on January 13 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

What Happened on January 13 | HISTORY

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Robert C. Weaver, seen here with President Lyndon B. Johnson, is sworn in as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development at a White House ceremony.

1986 was a year of tragedy, with the explosion of the U.S. space shuttle Challenger, killing all seven crew members, and the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, killing two instantly and many thousands over time. But it also had brighter moments: Hands Across America united 5 million people from coast to coast, Oprah Winfrey debuted her iconic talk show, Halley’s Comet made a triumphant return after 76 years and the Voyager completed the first around-the-world flight without refueling.

1986

1995

1903

The turbulence of 1968 began on New Year’s Day with the Tet Offensive, shocking Americans with the unwinnable realities of the Vietnam War. The assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy darkened the national mood and deepened domestic unrest. Mass protests erupted around the globe, from Chicago to Prague to France, Mexico and beyond. In space, Apollo 8 orbited the moon, while back on earth, “Laugh-In” topped TV ratings, “Hair” premiered on Broadway and McDonald’s debuted the iconic Big Mac.

1968

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After the surprise December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the U.S. entered World War II. Earlier in the year, Germany invaded the Soviet Union and, in one of many Nazi atrocities, executed 30,000 Jews in the Babi Yar massacre. In the U.S., Mount Rushmore was completed, Wonder Woman made her debut, “Citizen Kane” launched at the box office and General Mills introduced a new breakfast cereal called Cheerioats.

1941

1999

1966

The final year of the Roaring Twenties, 1929 is etched in history as the year of the great stock market crash that launched a worldwide Great Depression, wiping out jobs, savings and housing security for millions. But 1929 was eventful in other respects, too: The Graf Zeppelin made the first nonstop flight around the world, Hollywood celebrated its own with the first-ever Academy Awards and the first car radio was introduced, bringing a whole new dimension to road tripping.

1929

1982

1987

As the Depression era ended, World War II began. Nazi troops goosestepped into Poland, and in response, France and Great Britain declared war on Germany. Hitler ally Francisco Franco seized power in Spain, having defeated the democratically elected government in the Spanish Civil War. In the still-neutral U.S., a terrorist bomb exploded at the New York World’s Fair, while in fictional Gotham City, Batman made his comic book debut. College students, meanwhile, battled to see who could gulp the most live goldfish.

1939

The first year of the 1950s marked the start of the Korean War. In America, Joseph McCarthy ignited Red Scare witch hunts, spreading fear and suspicion about almost anyone’s possible communist ties. In India, Mother Theresa founded her Missionaries of Charity order. President Harry Truman survived an assassination attempt and authorized the development of the hydrogen bomb. Diners Club introduced the first major charge card, Silly Putty bounced into toy stores and Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” cartoon strip made its debut.

1950

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1962

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian—the U.S. president—would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

Immigration, the movement of people living in one country into another country, is a fundamental aspect of human history, though it was as controversial hundreds of years ago as it is today.

Immigration

Religion and spiritual issues, including Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, the Bible, Wicca, Buddhism and more, are at the core of human values and history.

Religion

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played vital roles in shaping the nation—from building the Transcontinental Railroad to advocating for labor law changes to fighting in multiple wars. They made these contributions while also facing persistent discrimination and violence throughout U.S. history.

Asian American & Pacific Islander History

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.

Crime

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

Sports

Videos

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History.com Editors

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art, literature and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature and Film History

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded vast control over politics and business.

19th Century

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

Cold War

Explore the wars, battles, leaders, civilizations, regimes, prominent figures and major events from the continent that encompasses 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. From Stonehenge to the Great Awakening to the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Communism in Russia, see how Europe’s often tumultuous history unfolded.

European History

During the 1980s, conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled, new computer technologies emerged, AIDS ravaged the United States, especially the gay male community, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture.

This Day In History: January 13

Pope recognizes Knights Templar

Also on This Day in History January | 13

NCAA adopts controversial Proposition 48

All‑female team competes in America’s Cup sailing for first time

First group of Korean immigrants enter Hawaii

Johnny Cash performs at Folsom Prison

Douglas Wilder of Virginia becomes the nation’s first elected Black governor

This Day in History Video: What Happened on January 13

After massacre, sole surviving British soldier escapes Kabul

James Joyce dies

Michael Jordan retires for a second time

Lyndon Johnson appoints first African American cabinet member

Wyatt Earp dies in Los Angeles

Plane crashes into Potomac River

Connecticut man arrested for wood‑chipper murder

Doc Barker is killed by prison guards as he attempts to escape

Soviets boycott United Nations Security Council

Union General Napoleon Bonaparte Buford is born

Comedian Ernie Kovacs dies in car crash

Also on This Day in History January | 13

Wake Up to This Day in History