The First Crusade's siege of Arqa (in todays Lebanon) by forces led by Raymond of Toulouse, which began in February, failed to capture the fortress from the Fatimids and was abandoned on May 13, 1099. The First Crusade army continued south and captured Jerusalem on July 15, 1099.
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On This Day in History: May 13
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on May 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 First Fleet, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, sets sail on May 13, 1787 from Portsmouth, England, with 11 British ships to establish a penal colony in Australia, Botany Bay. The fleet consisted of two Royal Navy escort ships, six convict transports, and three store ships carrying supplies.
Approximately 1,500 people, including convicts, crew, soldiers, and their families, were on board. The First Fleet's journey, took eight months and one week, arriving on January 26, 1788 - marked the beginning of European settlement in Australia.
The United States Congress, declares war on Mexico, on May 13, 1846, formalizing a conflict that began over a border dispute following the 1845 annexation of Texas and beginning the Mexican-American War. More
The U.S. Congress passes the 17th Amendment, on May 13, 1912, modifying Article I, Section 3, of the Constitution by allowing voters to cast direct votes for U.S. senators. Prior to its passage, senators were chosen by state legislatures. The amendment was ratified on April 8, 1913. More
Three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, report seeing the Virgin Mary on May 13, 1917, near the village of Fátima, Portugal. In Roman Catholicism, "Our Lady of Fátima" is the title given to the Virgin Mary, referring to her six appearances before the three peasant children.
Her appearances were always on the 13th of the month, Mary reportedly entrusted the children with messages, including the "Three Secrets of Fatima". Since that revelation, millions of the faithful have made pilgrimages to the site. The Roman Catholic Church officially recognized the Fátima events as “worthy of belief” in 1930. More
The image is attributed to Joshua Benoliel - http://www.santuario-fatima.pt in Ilustração Portuguesa no. 610, 29 October 1917, Public Domain,
The Socialist Party nominates Eugene V. Debs, on May 13, 1920, as its candidate for president in the upcoming November, 1920, election. It was the fifth nomination for the 64-year-old, Indiana-born labor leader. At the time Debs was in jail, serving a 10-year sentence at a federal penitentiary in Atlanta.
He was convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918, controversial laws pushed through Congress by President Woodrow Wilson to silence critics of U.S. involvement World War I. He wasn't due to get out until 1928. Debs had promised to pardon himself if elected. Harding, the newly elected President, pardoned Debs. More
Winston Churchill, recently elected as Prime Minister, tells the members, in his first address to the House of Commons as prime minister on May, 13, 1940, that “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
Vice President Nixon’s motorcade was attacked, on May 13, 1958, by a violent mob in Caracas, Venezuela during his goodwill trip through Latin America. The trip was characterized by Latin American anger over the U.S. Cold War policies. Earlier on the trip Nixon had engaged in loud and bitter debates with student groups during his travels through Peru and Uruguay.
Pope John Paul II was shot four times and critically wounded on May 13, 1981, by Mehmet Ali Agca in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.
The Philadelphia Police Department drops a satchel bomb on May 13, 1985 on 6221 Osage Ave. in West Philadelphia, where members of the Black liberation advocacy group MOVE lived. Eleven people were killed, including five children. One adult and one child survived. More