April 13

It is also the Ides (middle day) of April.

Events :

1055 - Victor II is consecrated pope.
1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
1180 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter.
1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople.
1250 - The Seventh Crusade is defeated in Egypt, Louis IX of France is captured.

1256 - The Grand Union of the Augustinian order formed when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae.

1598 - Henry IV of France issues the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots.

1742 - George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah makes its world-premiere in Dublin, Ireland.

1829 - The British Parliament grants freedom of religion to Roman Catholics.

1849 - Hungary becomes a republic.

1861 - American Civil War: Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederate forces.

1868 - Abyssinian War ends as British and Indian troops capture Magdala.

1873 - Colfax Massacre.

1883 - Alferd Packer is convicted of murder.

1902 - James C. Penney opens his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

1919 - The Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea.

1919 - Amritsar massacre: British troops massacre at least 379 unarmed demonstrators in Amritsar, India.

1921 - Foundation of the Spanish Communist Workers' Party.

1924 - AEK Athens FC is established in Constantinople.

1939 - In India, the Hindustani Lal Sena (Indian Red Army) is formed and vows to engage in armed struggle against the British.

1941 - Pact of neutrality between the USSR and Japan is signed.

1943 - World War II: The discovery of a mass grave of Polish prisoners-of-war executed by Soviet forces in the Katy Forest Massacre was announced in Germany, driving a wedge between the Western Allies, the Polish government-in-exile in London, and the Soviet Union.

1943 - James Boarman, Fred Hunter, Harold Brest and Floyd G. Hamilton take part in an Alcatraz Alcatraz_escape_attempts#7._April_14.2C_1943_-_James_Boarman.2C_Harold_Brest.2C_Floyd_Hamilton.2C_Fred_Hunter|escape attempt.

1943 - The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated in Washington, DC, on the 200th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birth.

1945 - German troops massacre more than 1000 political and military prisoners in Gardelegen Germany. The atrocity is discovered two days later by American forces.

1953 - CIA director Allen Dulles launches the mind controle program MKULTRA.

1953 - Ian Fleming publishes the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.

1969 - Closure of the Brisbane tramway network.

1970 - An oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 explodes, putting the crew into deadly peril.

1972 - The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People's Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan.

1974 - Western Union (in cooperation with NASA and Hughes Aircraft) launches the USA's first commercial geosynchronous communications satellite, Westar 1.

1975 - An attack by unidentified gunmen on a church in Ain El Remmeneh followed by an attack on a bus that killed 17 Palestinian civilians, Lebanon marks the beginning of a 15 year civil war.

1983 - Harold Washington is elected as the first African-American mayor in Chicago's history.

1984 - India moves into Siachen Glacier thus annexed more territory from the Line of Control.

1984 - Pete Rose becomes the first player in National League history to collect 4,000 hits.

1985 - Enver Hoxha is succeeded by Ramiz Alia as the leader of Albania.

1987 - Portugal and the People's Republic of China sign an agreement in which Macau would be returned to the latter in 1999.

1992 - Neil Kinnock resigns as British Labour leader following the party's defeat by the Conservatives in the general election four days earlier.

1997 - Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win golf's Masters Tournament.

2003 - 21 Students from Makrohori, Imathia Prefecture, Greece are killed when their bus collides with a truck carrying lumber, at the Vale of Tempe.

Births :

1506 - Peter Faber, French Jesuit theologian (d. 1546)
1519 - Catherine de' Medici, wife of Henry II of France (d. 1589)
1547 - Elisabeth of Valois, third wife of Philip II of Spain (d. 1568)
1570 - Guy Fawkes, English Catholic conspirator (d. 1606)
1573 - Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, queen consort of Sweden (d. 1625)
1584 - Albert VI of Bavaria (d. 1666)
1593 - Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, English statesman (d. 1641)
1618 - Roger de Rabutin, Comte de Bussy, French writer (d. 1693)
1648 - Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon, French mystic (d. 1717)
1715 - John Hanson, President of the United States in Congress Assembled (d. 1783)
1729 - Thomas Percy, Bishop of Dromore and magazine editor (d. 1811)
1732 - Frederick North, Lord North, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1792)
1735 - Isaac Low, New York delegate to the Continental Congress (d. 1791)
1743 - Thomas Jefferson, 3rd President of the United States (New style date) (d. 1826)
1747 - Louis Philip II, Duke of Orléans (d. 1793)
1764 - Laurent, Marquis de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, French marshal (d. 1830)
1769 - Thomas Lawrence, English painter (d. 1830)
1771 - Richard Trevithick, English engineer and inventor (d. 1833)
1780 - Alexander Mitchell, Irish engineer (d. 1868)
1784 - Friedrich Graf von Wrangel, Prussian field marshal (d. 1877)
1787 - John Robertson, U.S. congressman (d. 1873)
1802 - Leopold Fitzinger, Austrian zoologist (d. 1884)
1808 - Antonio Meucci, Italian inventor (d. 1896)
1825 - Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1868)
1828 - Joseph Barber Lightfoot, English theologian and Bishop of Durham (d. 1889)
1832 - Juan Montalvo, Ecuadoran author (d. 1889)
1841 - Louis-Ernest Barrias, French sculptor (d. 1905)
1850 - Arthur Matthew Weld Downing, British astronomer (d. 1917)
1851 - Robert Abbe, American surgeon (d. 1928)
1852 - F.W. Woolworth, American businessman (d. 1919)
1860 - James Ensor, Belgian painter (d. 1949)
1866 - Butch Cassidy, American outlaw (d. 1908)
1872 - Alexander Roda Roda, Austrian writer (d. 1945)
1873 - John W. Davis, American politician (d. 1955)
1875 - Ray Lyman Wilbur, President of Stanford University and U.S. Secretary of the Interior (d. 1949)
1879 - Edward Bruce, Director of the New Deal art projects during the Great Depression (d. 1943)
1880 - Charles Christie, Canadian film studio owner (d. 1955)
1885 - Georg Lukács, Hungarian-born philosopher and literary critic (d. 1971)
1885 - Vean Gregg, American baseball player (d. 1964)
1887 - Gordon S. Fahrni, Canadian physician and President of the Canadian Medical Association (d. 1995)
1889 - Herbert Osborne Yardley, American cryptographer (d. 1958)
1890 - Frank Murphy, American public servant (d. 1949)
1891 - Maurice Vincent Buckley, Australian winner of the Victoria Cross (d. 1921)
1891 - Nella Larsen, African-American novelist (d. 1964)
1892 - Arthur Travers 'Bomber' Harris, British Air Force commander in World War II (d. 1984)
1892 - Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, Scottish inventor (d. 1973)
1895 - Arthur Fadden, thirteenth Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1973)
1897 - Werner Voss, German World War I pilot (d. 1917)
1899 - Alfred Mosher Butts, American architect and inventor of the Scrabble (d. 1993)
1900 - Pierre Molinier, French painter and photographer (d. 1976)
1901 - Jacques Lacan, French psychoanalyst and semanticist (d. 1981)
1902 - Philippe de Rothschild, French race car driver and wine grower (d. 1988)
1904 - Sir David Robinson, British philanthropist and entrepreneur (d. 1987)
1906 - Samuel Beckett, Irish writer, Nobel laureate (d. 1989)
1906 - Bud Freeman, American jazz musician (d. 1991)
1907 - Harold Stassen, American Presidential candidate (d. 2001)
1909 - Stanislaw Marcin Ulam, Polish mathematician (d. 1984)
1909 - Eudora Welty, American writer (d. 2001)
1911 - Ico Hitrec, Croatian footballer (d. 1946)
1911 - Jean-Louis Lévesque, Canadian entrepreneur, racehorse owner and philanthropist (d. 1994)
1916 - Phyllis Fraser Cerf Wagner, American actress, journalist, and children's book publisher (d. 2006)
1917 - Robert O. Anderson, American businessman, founder of Atlantic Richfield Oil Co. (d. 2007)
1919 - Roland Gaucher, French journalist
1919 - Howard Keel, American actor, singer, and president of the Screen Actors Guild (d. 2004)
1919 - Madalyn Murray O'Hair, American atheist activist (d. 1995)
1919 - Phil Tonken, American radio and television announcer (d. 2000)
1920 - Roberto Calvi, Italian banker (d. 1982)
1920 - Claude Cheysson, French politician
1920 - Liam Cosgrave, fifth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland
1920 - John LaPorta, American musician (d. 2004)
1922 - John Braine, British novelist (d. 1986)
1922 - Julius Nyerere, Tanzanian politician (d. 1999)
1923 - Don Adams, American actor and comedian (d. 2005)
1924 - Jack Chick, American evangelist
1924 - Stanley Donen, American film director
1926 - John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough
1926 - Ellie Lambeti, Greek actress (d. 1983)
1927 - Maurice Ronet, French film actor (d. 1983)
1928 - Alan Clark, English politician (d. 1999)
1931 - Robert Enrico, French film director and screenwriter (d. 2001)
1931 - Dan Gurney, American race car driver and team owner
1931 - Jon Stone, co-creator of Sesame Street (d. 1997)
1932 - Orlando Letelier, Chilean politician (d. 1976)
1933 - Ben Nighthorse Campbell, U.S. Senator
1935 - Lyle Waggoner, American actor
1937 - Edward Fox, English actor
1937 - Lanford Wilson, American playwright
1939 - Seamus Heaney, Irish writer, Nobel laureate
1939 - Paul Sorvino, American actor
1940 - Mike Beuttler, British racing driver (d. 1988)
1940 - Jim McNab, Scottish footballer (d. 2006)
1941 - Michael Stuart Brown, American geneticist, Nobel laureate
1942 - Bill Conti, American composer
1943 - Billy Kidd, American alpine skier
1944 - Jack Casady, American musician (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
1944 - Susan Davis, American politician
1944 - Brian Pendleton, musician, The Pretty Things (d. 2001)
1945 - Tony Dow, American actor
1945 - Lowell George, American country/rock singer/guitarist (Little Feat) (d. 1979)
1945 - Bob Kalsu, American football player (d. 1970)
1945 - Judy Nunn, Australian actress
1945 - Charles Robinson, American actor
1946 - Al Green, American singer and pastor
1947 - Thanos Mikroutsikos, Greek composer & former minister
1948 - Sue Doughty, British politician
1948 - Nam Hae-il, Chief of Naval Operations of Republic of Korea Navy
1949 - Frank Doran, Scottish politician
1949 - Christopher Hitchens, English-born journalist, critic, and author
1949 - Ricardo Zuniño, Argentine racing driver
1950 - Terry Lester, American actor (d. 2003)
1950 - Ron Perlman, American actor
1950 - William Sadler, American actor
1951 - Peabo Bryson, American singer
1951 - Peter Davison, English actor
1951 - Joachim Streich, East German footballer
1951 - Max Weinberg, American drummer
1952 - Ron Dittemore, American space administrator
1952 - David Drew, British politician
1952 - Erick Avari, British-Indian actor
1953 - Stephen Byers, British politician
1954 - Niels Olsen, Danish singer and Eurovision Song Contest winner
1955 - Ole von Beust, Mayor of Hamburg
1955 - Lupe Pintor, Mexican boxer
1956 - Peter 'Possum' Bourne, New Zealand rally driver (d. 2003)
1956 - Alison Wheeler, British activist
1957 - Saundra Santiago, American actress
1957 - Dallas Moir, Scottish cricketer
1960 - Rudi Völler, German football coach
1960 - Olaf Ludwig, German cyclist
1961 - Hiro Yamamoto, American rock bassist (Soundgarden, Truly)
1962 - Dave Miley, former baseball player and manager
1962 - Hillel Slovak, Israeli-born guitarist (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (d. 1988)
1962 - Jennifer Rubin, American actress
1963 - Garry Kasparov, Russian chess player
1964 - Caroline Rhea, Canadian actress
1965 - Patricio Pouchulu, Argentinean architect
1966 - Ali Boumnijel, Tunisian football player
1966 - Marc Ford, American musician (The Black Crowes)
1967 - Olga Tañón, Puerto Rican singer
1970 - Monty Brown, American professional wrestler
1970 - Gerry Creaney, Scottish footballer
1970 - Rick Schroder, American actor
1970 - Szilveszter Csollány, Hungarian gymnast, olympic gold medalists
1971 - Dina Korzun, Russian actress
1971 - Bo Outlaw, American basketball player
1971 - Valensia, Dutch singer
1972 - Mariusz Czerkawski, Polish ice hockey player
1972 - Aaron Lewis, American singer (Staind)
1974 - Darren Turner , British Race Driver
1974 - Sergei Gonchar, Russian ice hockey player
1974 - David Zdrili, Australian soccer player
1975 - Lou Bega, German-born musician and artist
1975 - Bruce Dyer, English footballer
1976 - Jonathan Brandis, American actor (d. 2003)
1976 - Patrik Eliá, Czech ice hockey player
1976 - Yu Ji-tae, South Korean actor
1978 - Arron Asham, Canadian ice hockey player
1978 - Kyle Howard, American actor
1978 - Carles Puyol, Spanish footballer
1978 - Chris Sligh, American Idol finalist
1979 - Baron Davis, American basketball player
1979 - Meghann Shaughnessy, American tennis player
1980 - Jana Cova, Czech pornographic actress
1980 - Quentin Richardson, American basketball player
1980 - Colleen Clinkenbeard, American voice actress
1982 - Nellie McKay, American singer
1982 - Janice Vidal, Hong Kong singer
1982 - Jill Vidal, Hong Kong singer
1983 - Schalk Burger, South African rugby player
1987 - Brandon Hardesty, American internet entertainer
1988 - Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira, Brazilian footballer
1992 - Emma Degerstedt, American actress

Deaths :

799 - Paul the Deacon, Italian monk and chronicler
814 - Krum, Khan of Bulgaria
1093 - Prince Vsevolod I of Kiev (b. 1030)
1279 - Boleslaus the Pious, Polish duke
1605 - Boris Godunov, Tsar of Russia
1635 - Fahkr-al-Din II, Druze Prince of Lebanon (executed)
1638 - Henri, duc de Rohan, French Huguenot leader (b. 1579)
1641 - Richard Montagu, English clergyman (b. 1577)
1695 - Jean de la Fontaine, French author (b. 1621)
1722 - Charles Leslie, Irish Anglican theologian (b. 1650)
1793 - Pierre Gaspard Chaumette, French revolutionary (b. 1763)
1794 - Nicolas Chamfort, French writer (b. 1741)
1826 - Franz Danzi, German composer (b. 1763)
1853 - Leopold Gmelin, German chemist (b. 1788)
1853 - James Iredell, Jr., Governor of North Carolina (b. 1788)
1855 - Henry De la Beche, English geologist (b. 1796)
1868 - Tewodros II, Emperor of Ethiopia (b. 1818)
1880 - Robert Fortune, Scottish botanist (b. 1813)
1882 - Bruno Bauer, German theologian (b. 1809)
1890 - Samuel J. Randall, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1828)
1909 - Whitley Stokes, British lawyer (b. 1830)
1910 - William Quiller Orchardson, British painter (b. 1835)
1911 - George Washington Glick, Governor of Kansas (b. 1827)
1911 - John McLane, Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1852)
1912 - Ishikawa Takuboku, Japanese author (b. 1886)
1918 - Lavr Georgevich Kornilov, Russian general (b. 1870)
1936 - Milton Brown, American swing bandleader (b. 1903)
1938 - Grey Owl, proponent of nature conservation (b. 1888)
1941 - Annie Jump Cannon, American astronomer (b. 1863)
1944 - Cécile Chaminade, French composer and pianist (b. 1857)
1945 - Ernst Cassirer, German philosopher (b. 1874)
1954 - Angus Lewis Macdonald, Premier of Nova Scotia (b. 1890)
1959 - Eduard van Beinum, Dutch conductor (b. 1901)
1962 - Culbert Olson, Governor of California (b. 1876)
1966 - Abdul Salam Arif, President of Iraq (b. 1921)
1966 - Georges Duhamel, French writer (b. 1884)
1971 - Michel Brière, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1949)
1971 - Juhan Smuul, Estonian author (b. 1921)
1975 - Larry Parks, American actor (b. 1914)
1975 - François (Ngarta) Tombalbaye, first President of Chad (b. 1918)
1978 - Jack Chambers, Canadian artist and film maker (b. 1931)
1980 - Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (b. 1956)
1981 - Prince Asaka Yasuhiko of Japan (b. 1887)
1983 - Theodore Stephanides, Greek poet, author, doctor and naturalist (b. 1896)
1984 - Richard Hurndall. British actor (b. 1910)
1984 - Ralph Kirkpatrick, American musician (b. 1911)
1984 - Dionyssis Papayannopoulos, Greek actor (b. 1912)
1986 - Stephen Stucker. American actor (b. 1947)
1993 - Wallace Stegner, American writer (car accident) (b. 1909)
1997 - Dorothy Frooks, American author, publisher, military figure, and actress (b. 1896)
1997 - Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler, Olympic medalist (b. 1903)
1998 - Patrick de Gayardon, French skydiver and skysurfing pioneer (b. 1960)
1999 - Ortvin Sarapu, New Zealand chess player "Mr NZ Chess" (b. 1924)
1999 - Willi Stoph, German politician (b. 1914)
2000 - Giorgio Bassani, Italian writer (b. 1916)
2001 - Robert Moon, Postal Inspector and "Father" of the ZIP Code (b. 1917)
2002 - Desmond Titterington, Northern Irish racecar driver (b. 1928)
2004 - Lou Berberet, baseball player (b. 1929)
2004 - Caron Keating, British television presenter (b. 1962)
2005 - Don Blasingame, baseball player (b. 1932)
2005 - Johnnie Johnson, American blues musician (b. 1924)
2005 - Johnny Loughrey, Irish singer (b. 1945)
2006 - Bill Baker, baseball player (b. 1911)
2007 - Don Selwyn, Mori actor and film director (b. circa 1936)

Holidays and observances :

First day of Thai New Year.
First day of Cambodian New Year.
Vaisakhi
Aerosmith Day is celebrated in Massachusetts
Friday the 13th is observed on this day in the year 2007

Liturgical feasts :

The Feast Day of St. Martin the Confessor in the Greek Orthodox Church.

In the Catholic Church: