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.
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On This Day in History: January 13
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on January 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 Council of Troyes, meets on January 13, 1129 and grants official sanction from the papacy to the Templar Order (Knights Templar) officially recognizing the military order as an "army of God". The order had been founded in 1119 by some French noblemen.
The Council of Troyes was convened by Bernard of Clairvaux, acting as a Legate of Pope Honorius II, The order and the rules were subsequently approved by Pope Honorius II. The Templar Order gradually increase it size, power, gaining considerable influence. It was eventually abolished by Pope Clement V who disbanded the order in 1312. More
The Principality of Wales becomes united with England following Edward I issuance of the Statute of Rhuddlan following his conquest of Wales. The statue was the first major step on the path to full integration which came which came about with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542.
The Statue established a new constitutional framework that annexed the conquered territories to the English Crown, introducing English common law and the shire system, and effectively ending Welsh independence, although full legal integration into England didn't occur until the Laws in Wales Acts 1535-1542 when Wales was fully incorporated into the Kingdom of England, creating the unified realm existing today.
1338, c, January 13
King Edward III secures significant loans from foreign bankers, primarily from the Florentine banking houses of the Bardi and Peruzzi, to finance and cover the costs of the conflict with France, which would become the Hundred Years' War.
Later, the principle of "common consent" (agreement by Parliament) became essential, and the English Parliament began granting funds for King Edward III's war against France. Linking taxation to national interest gave the Commons leverage as the scale of Edward's ambitions had led to huge debts, with massive borrowing from foreign bankers s and a reliance on profits from war exploits.
King Henry IV, wary of anything that could weaken the crown, signed the Act Against Multipliers into law in an effort to protect the authority of the government by preventing the debasement of currency.
The Act forbade the transmutation of base metals into gold or silver, which one might then use to create counterfeit coins. Later, although the law was meant to outlaw the process, the government charged alchemists expensive licenses to practice. The act remained in effect until it was repealed in 1689. More
Completion of the Trondheim Cathedral in Norway after several decades of construction.
English astronomer Thomas Digges publishes a work promoting the Copernican system of astronomy.
The Massacre of Glencoe occurs in Scotland when government troops slaughter the MacDonald clan.
The United States Congress establishes the Smithsonian Institution.
The Spanish-American War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, ceding Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.
The first live public radio broadcast a live performance from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, takes place on January 13, 1910 in the United States. The performance were Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci with tenor Enrico Caruso. The transmission, to a limited audience, was managed by inventor Lee de Forest from New York.
A Magnitude 6.7 earthquake in Avezzano, Italy, kills over 29,000 people on January 13, 1915. The earthquake struck through the Marsica area in the Province of L’Aquila, Abruzzo, with the epicenter beneath the town of Avezzano, which was reduced to rubble.
An Air Florida Boeing 737-222 lifting off from Washington National Airport on January 13, 1982, crashes into the 14th Street Bridge and plunges into the Potomac river, only 30 seconds after taking off, unable to get more than a few hundred feet of altitude due to ice on the wings.
Seventy eight lives were lost in the accident; 74 from the plane and four from cars on the bridge. Five people from the plane survived. The accident prompted substantial changes in air travel safety procedures. More
The Costa Concordia cruise ship runs aground off Italy on January 13, 2012 while on the first leg of a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea resulting in 32 deaths.
It had deviated from her planned route at Isola del Giglio, Italy, in order to perform a sail-by salute and struck a rock formation on the sea floor. This caused the ship to list and then to partially sink, landing unevenly on an underwater ledge. Although a six-hour rescue effort brought more than 4200 of the passengers ashore, 32 people died: 27 passengers and five crew. A member of the salvage team also died from injuries received during the recovery operation.
Capitan Francesco Schettino, was charged with various crimes, convicted of manslaughter and abandoning ship. He received a 16-year prison sentence for his role in the chaotic evacuation and delayed response. and went to prison.
A false missile alert causes panic in Hawaii, warning of an incoming ballistic missile threat.
The U.S. House of Representatives impeaches President Donald Trump for the second time, charging him with "incitement of insurrection."