All Events

Historical Events on December 13

  • Francis Drake

    1577

    Sir Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth, England, on his round-the-world voyage.

  • Dartmouth College

    1769

    Dartmouth College is founded by the Reverend Eleazar Wheelock, with a royal charter from King George III, on land donated by Royal governor John Wentworth.

  • Battle of Nanking

    1937

    Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanking: The city of Nanjing, defended by the National Revolutionary Army under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, falls to the Japanese. This is followed by the Nanking Massacre, in which Japanese troops rape and slaughter hundreds of thousands of civilians.

  • Neuengamme concentration camp

    1938

    The Holocaust: The Neuengamme concentration camp opens in the Bergedorf district of Hamburg, Germany.

  • Battle of the River Plate

    1939

    World War II: Battle of the River Plate: Captain Hans Langsdorff of the German Deutschland-class cruiser (pocket battleship) Admiral Graf Spee engages with Royal Navy cruisers HMS Exeter, HMS Ajax and HMNZS Achilles.

  • Constantine II of Greece

    1967

    Constantine II of Greece attempts an unsuccessful counter-coup against the Regime of the Colonels.

  • Malta

    1974

    Malta becomes a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations.

  • Attack on Derryard checkpoint

    1989

    The Troubles: Attack on Derryard checkpoint: The Provisional Irish Republican Army launches an attack on a British Army temporary vehicle checkpoint near Rosslea, Northern Ireland. Two British soldiers are killed and two others are wounded.

  • 2004 enlargement of the European Union

    2002

    European Union enlargement: The EU announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.

All Births

Famous Birthdays on December 13

All Deaths

Famous Deaths on December 13

12. December

14. December