Browse Historical Events by Day: What Happened on October 13th?

Nero succeeds Claudius as Roman Emperor

King Philip IV of France orders the arrest of the Knights Templar, leading to their persecution.

The Treaty of Oliva is signed, ending the Second Northern War and recognizing Swedish territorial losses.

The Corner Stone of the White House is laid. In a proclamation issued on January 24, 1791, President George Washington announced the permanent location of the new capital, an area of land at the confluence of the Potomac and Eastern Branch (Anacostia) rivers that would eventually become the District of Columbia. More

American forces under General William Henry Harrison defeat the British and Native American forces at the Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812.

The Kingdom of Italy, which was now based outside of Mussolini's control declares war on Germany, its one-time ally. and is granted the status of a co-belligerent by the United Nations. The war declaration, came 35 days after Italy signed the armistice that removed her from the ranks of nations giving military assistance to Germany. The Italian forces fought alongside the Allies against the Germans for the rest of the war. More

1972, October 13 - Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, a chartered flight of a Fairchild FH-227D from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Santiago, Chile, crashes in the Andes mountains at an elevation of 3,660 metres (12,020 ft). The flight was carrying 45 passengers and crew, Three crew members and nine passengers died immediately and several more died soon after due to the frigid temperatures and the severity of their injuries. In total, only 16 survived the ordeal. The incident garnered international attention, especially after it was revealed that the survivors had resorted to cannibalism. More

The Copiapó mining accident in Chile ends with the successful rescue of 33 trapped miners.