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Events on October 13 in history

Whirlpool Galaxy
1773Oct, 13

The Whirlpool Galaxy is discovered by Charles Messier.

The Whirlpool Galaxy, also known as Messier 51a, M51a, and NGC 5194, is an interacting grand-design spiral galaxy with a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus. It lies in the constellation Canes Venatici, and was the first galaxy to be classified as a spiral galaxy. Its distance is 31 million light-years away from Earth.The galaxy and its companion, NGC 5195, are easily observed by amateur astronomers, and the two galaxies may be seen with binoculars. The Whirlpool Galaxy has been extensively observed by professional astronomers, who study it to understand galaxy structure (particularly structure associated with the spiral arms) and galaxy interactions.

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Events on 1773

  • 10May

    Tea Act

    The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade.
  • 17Jun

    Juana Rangel de Cuéllar

    Cúcuta, Colombia, is discovered by Juana Rangel de Cuéllar.
  • 14Oct

    Commission of National Education

    The first recorded Ministry of Education, the Commission of National Education, is formed in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
  • 14Oct

    British East India Company

    Just before the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, several of the British East India Company's tea ships are set ablaze at the old seaport of Annapolis, Maryland.
  • 16Dec

    Boston Tea Party

    American Revolution: Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty disguised as Mohawk Indians dump hundreds of crates of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the Tea Act.