130 things happened on 13 May, from AD 189 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
The English mystic Julian of Norwich recovered from a severe illness during which she experienced a series of intense visions of Christ, which she later described in the first known English-language book written by a woman.
UK story
Mary, Queen of Scots, is defeated at the Battle of Langside, part of the civil war between Queen Mary and the supporters of her son, James VI.
UK story
The British under Charles Cornwallis defeat a Mysorean army under Tipu Sultan in the battle of Arakere.
UK story
American Civil War: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issues a "proclamation of neutrality" which recognizes the Confederacy as having belligerent rights.
UK story
Pakistan's (then a part of British India) first railway line opens, from Karachi to Kotri.
UK story
The Royal Flying Corps, the forerunner of the Royal Air Force, is established in the United Kingdom.
UK story
Alison Hargreaves became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest without the aid of Sherpas or bottled oxygen.
Baldwin I of Jerusalem captured Beirut from the Fatimid Caliphate with the help of a Genoese fleet.
A Latin Christian fleet defeats a Turkish fleet in the battle of Pallene during the Smyrniote crusades.
Amerigo Vespucci, this time under Portuguese flag, sets sail for western lands.
A Venetian fleet under Admiral Cort Adeler breaks through a line of galleys and defeats the Turkish navy.
Johann Sebastian Bach first performed the church cantata Sie werden euch in den Bann tun, BWV 183 in Leipzig, Germany.
Negotiated by Russian and French mediators, the Treaty of Teschen was signed by Austria and Prussia, leading to the end of the War of the Bavarian Succession.
The Cumberland Compact is signed by leaders of the settlers in the Cumberland River area of what would become the U.S. state of Tennessee, providing for democratic government and a formal system of justice.
Forces sent by Yusuf Karamanli of Tripoli to retake Derna from the Americans attack the city.
Ecuador gains its independence from Gran Colombia.
Mexican–American War: The United States declares war on the Federal Republic of Mexico following a dispute over the American annexation of the Republic of Texas and a Mexican military incursion.
Montenegrin forces under Grand Duke Mirko Petrović-Njegoš defeat an Ottoman army under Hussein Pasha in the battle of Grahovac. The battle is a significant step towards formal independence and quickly becomes a part of national folklore.
The Great Comet of 1861 is discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia.
Southern slave Robert Smalls steals the steamboat Planter, spirits it through Confederate lines and hands it to the United States Navy, who quickly commission it as the gunboat USS Planter and appoint Smalls as captain, thus making him the first black man to command a United States ship.
With the passage of the Lei Áurea ("Golden Law"), the Empire of Brazil abolishes slavery.
The inaugural edition of the Giro d'Italia, a long-distance multiple-stage bicycle race, began in Milan; the Italian cyclist Luigi Ganna was the eventual winner.
The Russian inventor Igor Sikorsky flew the self-designed Russky Vityaz, the world's first four-engine fixed-wing aircraft.
Three children report the first apparition of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal.
World War II: Operations Vulcan and Strike force the surrender of the last Axis troops in Tunisia.
World War II: Yevgeny Khaldei's photograph Raising a Flag over the Reichstag is published in Ogonyok magazine.
The inaugural Formula One World Championship race takes place at Silverstone Circuit. The race was won by Giuseppe Farina, who would go on to become the inaugural champion that year.
The 400th anniversary of the founding of the National University of San Marcos is commemorated by the opening of the first large-capacity stadium in Peru.
The Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, holds its first sitting.
US vice president Richard Nixon's motorcade was attacked by a mob in Caracas, Venezuela.
The Australian adventurer Ben Carlin (pictured) became the only person to circumnavigate the world in an amphibious vehicle, having travelled over 80,000 kilometres (50,000 miles) by land and sea.
May 1958 crisis: A group of French military officers lead a coup in Algiers demanding that a government of national unity be formed with Charles de Gaulle at its head in order to defend French control of Algeria.
Hundreds of University of California, Berkeley students congregate for the first day of protest against a visit by the House Committee on Un-American Activities.
Zakir Husain took office as the first elected Muslim President of India.
Large groups of students occupy Tiananmen Square and begin a hunger strike.
Li Hongzhi introduced the Falun Gong movement at a public lecture in Changchun, China.
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.
São Paulo violence: Rebellions occur in several prisons in Brazil.
Eurovision Song Contest: Portugal won the contest for the first time, with the song "Amar pelos dois," performed by Salvador Sobral (pictured).
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “The English mystic Julian of Norwich recovered from a severe illness during”?
A: 1373. 1373 — that’s 653 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “American Civil War: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issues a”?
A: 1861. 1861 — that’s 165 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
A: The English mystic Julian of Norwich recovered from a severe illness during. 1373: The English mystic Julian of Norwich recovered from a severe illness during · 1568: Mary, Queen of Scots, is defeated at the Battle of Langside, part of the civil · 1861: American Civil War: Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom issues a Find it on the page
“Mary, Queen of Scots, is defeated at the Battle of Langside, part of the civil” happened in 1568. How many years ago was that?
A: 458 years. 2026 − 1568 = 458. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 13 May.
Well-known people who died on 13 May.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 13 May somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “May 13” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.