Skip to main content

View Historical Events by Day:

What Happened Today in History on July 13

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on July 13th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

Spain and Britain signed one of the treaties of Utrecht, this one giving Gibraltar and Minorca to Britain. The Treaty of Utrecht refers to a series of peace treaties signed in Utrecht, Netherlands, between 1713 and 1715, that concluded the War of the Spanish Succession. The treaties between France and other European powers and another series between Spain and other powers, concluding the War of the Spanish Succession, reshaped the European political landscape and had significant colonial consequences, particularly in North America.

The Congress of The Confederation, the one-house legislature operating under the Articles of Confederation, enacts the Northwest Ordinance, officially titled "An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North-West of the River Ohio," 
The Ordinance chartered a government for the Northwest Territory, provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory, and listed a bill of rights guaranteed in the territory. Three principal provisions were ordained in the document:

American geographer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft officially identifies Lake Itasca in south-eastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north-central Minnesota as the source of the Mississippi River. Schoolcraft's expedition, which included the Ojibwe guide Ozawindib, explored the Upper Mississippi River region and pinpointed the lake as the river's origin. Schoolcraft named the lake "Itasca," combining the Latin words "veritas" (truth) and "caput" (head), to signify its role as the true source. 

The "Draft Riots - New York City erupts in violence in the largest civil uprising in US history. For four days, violent groups of people wreaked havoc on the streets of New York, looting stores, setting fire to homes and businesses, attacking police, soldiers, and African American civilians. Union soldiers had to be called in from Gettysburg to put an end to the chaos. The riots were sparked by the first federal draft in U.S. history instituted by President Lincoln as the Union struggled to recruit enough soldiers. More

The Hollywood Sign is officially dedicated in the hills above Hollywood, Los Angeles. It originally read "Hollywoodland," the name of the Real Estate company which was developing the now Hollywood Hills. The last four letters of the sign were were dropped after its second renovation in 1949. More

Live Aid, a dual-venue benefit concert is held simultaneously at Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia to raise awareness and money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Over 70 performances were featured, including Queen, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, The event was broadcasted to a global audience estimated at 1.5 billion viewers. It is estimated that the concerts raised over $100 million for famine relief in Ethiopia. It also inspired similar benefit concerts and projects, such as USA for Africa's "We Are the World".

Theresa May, the Conservative Party leader, becomes the second woman prime minister of the United Kingdom. She replaced David Cameron, who resigned after the country voted to leave the European Union (EU).