The Edict of Milan was issued by Constantine the Great and Licinius, on February 13, 313 granting religious tolerance in the Roman Empire and giving Christianity reprieve from persecution. Christianity became the state church of the Roman Empire, in 380 AD with the issuance of the Edict of Thessalonica.
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On This Day in History: February 13
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on February 13th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Crusaders besiege the city of Arqa, an important strategic point in Lebanon, during the First Crusade. The siege ended with the Crusaders failing to capture Arqa. They then continued their march along the coast towards Jerusalem.
Pope Innocent II is elected on February 13, 1130 after Pope Honorius II died. It was a contested election, where a faction of cardinals quickly elected Gregorio Papareschi as Innocent II, but a larger group of cardinals elected Anacletus II, creating a major schism.
Innocent II was consecrated on February 23, 1130, at the Church of S. Maria Nuova. However, Anacletus had more support in Rome, and Innocent II was forced to flee to France where he gained the crucial support of influential figures and widespread recognition from European kings and church leaders. The schism was finally resolved after the death of Anacletus II in 1138. Innocent II then presided over the Second Lateran Council in 1139, which officially ended the schism.
Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, is executed on February 13, 1542 at the Tower of London for adultery and treason.
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John Milton, English poet and polemicist, publishes his first political treatise, "The Tenure of Kings and Magistrates" on February 13, 1649, arguing that a king's power comes from the people, not divine right, and that he is accountable to them and stating the right of the people to depose and execute a tyrannical ruler.
His treatise was written in the aftermath of King Charles I's execution. arguing for popular sovereignty and the rule of law. His work justifies the English revolutionaries' actions by asserting that a ruler who violates the law and oppresses his people forfeits his right to rule. A second, expanded edition was published on February 15, 1650.
William of Orange and Mary II were proclaimed joint sovereigns of Britain on February 13, 1689, after King James II had fled to France as a result of the "Glorious Revolution" in England.
They were later crowned on April 11, 1689.On April 4, 1689 he also became King William II of Scotland. He ruled jointly with his wife, Mary II, until her death in 1694, after which he ruled as sole monarch.
France detonates its first atomic bomb, codenamed "Gerboise Bleue" (Blue Jerboa),on February 13, 1960, in the Algerian Sahara desert near Reggane, making France the world's fourth nuclear power. It was followed by 16 other tests (1960–1966), leaving a lasting toxic and radioactive legacy.
The blast was significantly more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, with a yield estimated around 70 kilotons. Radioactive fallout spread across the Sahara, with contaminants detected as far as Sicily. Long-term health issues were detected in the local population and exposed soldiers. The tests left behind a contaminated, radioactive area with long term effects.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, dies at the age of 79, on February 13, 2016. He had been appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. At the time of his death, Scalia was the longest-serving member of the Court and known as a champion of originalism and textualism.
The U.S. Senate acquits former President Donald Trump on February 13, 2021, of an impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection. The acquittal comes more than a month after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers were counting the electoral results that certified Trump's loss.
Five people died in the riot, including a police officer. Two other officers later killed themselves. The Senate vote was 57 to 43 in favor of conviction including seven Republicans, but it was short of the two-thirds majority, or 67 votes, required to convict. It was the second time Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial.