A Day in the Past

On this day: 13 June

132 things happened on 13 June, from AD 40 to 2025. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.

Printable worksheet Take the quiz

In the UK 5

UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Around the world 32

1878 148 years ago

Start of the Congress of Berlin in which the major powers of Europe revise the Treaty of San Stefano, signed on March 3 the same year, that Russia had imposed on a defeated Ottoman Empire.

Find out more: Congress of Berlin (Wikipedia)
1895 131 years ago

Émile Levassor wins the world's first real automobile race. Levassor completed the 732-mile course, from Paris to Bordeaux and back, in just under 49 hours, at a then-impressive speed of about fifteen miles per hour (24 km/h).

Find out more: Émile Levassor (Wikipedia)
1935 91 years ago

In one of the biggest upsets in championship boxing, the underdog James J. Braddock defeated Max Baer to become the heavyweight champion of the world.

Sport Find out more: Boxing (Wikipedia)
1956 70 years ago

Spanish football club Real Madrid CF wins the inaugural European Cup, UEFA's premier club competition, by winning 4–3 against French club Stade de Reims in the final.

Sport Find out more: Real Madrid CF (Wikipedia)
1971 55 years ago

The New York Times published the first excerpts from the Pentagon Papers, a 7,000-page classified Department of Defense history of the United States' political and military involvement in the Vietnam War.

War & peace Find out more: The New York Times (Wikipedia)
1973 53 years ago

In a game versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Ron Cey and Bill Russell play together as an infield for the first time, going on to set the Major League Baseball record of staying together for 8+1⁄2 years.

SportPlaces & buildings Find out more: Philadelphia Phillies (Wikipedia)
2000 26 years ago

President Kim Dae-jung of South Korea meets Kim Jong-il, leader of North Korea, for the beginning of the first ever inter-Korea summit, in the northern capital of Pyongyang.

Explorers Find out more: Kim Dae-jung (Wikipedia)
2010 16 years ago

A capsule of the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa, containing particles of the asteroid 25143 Itokawa, returns to Earth by landing in the Australian Outback.

Space Find out more: Hayabusa (Wikipedia)

Quick quiz

Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!

  1. In which year did this happen: “Rhode Island becomes the first of Britain's North American colonies to ban the”?

    1. 1774
    2. 1381
    3. 1831
    Show the answer

    A: 1774. 1774 — that’s 252 years ago. Find it on the page

  2. In which year did this happen: “Henry Grace à Dieu, the largest warship ever built at the time, was launched”?

    1. 1892
    2. 1865
    3. 1514
    Show the answer

    C: 1514. 1514 — that’s 512 years ago. Find it on the page

  3. Which of these happened first?

    1. Rhode Island becomes the first of Britain's North American colonies to ban the
    2. Henry Grace à Dieu, the largest warship ever built at the time, was launched
    3. King Charles I of England marries Catholic princess Henrietta Maria of France
    Show the answer

    B: Henry Grace à Dieu, the largest warship ever built at the time, was launched. 1774: Rhode Island becomes the first of Britain's North American colonies to ban the · 1514: Henry Grace à Dieu, the largest warship ever built at the time, was launched · 1625: King Charles I of England marries Catholic princess Henrietta Maria of France Find it on the page

  4. “King Charles I of England marries Catholic princess Henrietta Maria of France” happened in 1625. How many years ago was that?

    1. 401 years
    2. 391 years
    3. 411 years
    Show the answer

    A: 401 years. 2026 − 1625 = 401. Find it on the page

Born on this day 40

Famous people whose birthday is 13 June.

Remembering 16

Well-known people who died on 13 June.

Special days 11

Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 13 June somewhere in the world.

For older readers 28 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history

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.

Where these facts come from

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 “June 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.