Afonso V becomes king of Portugal at the age of six, after the death of his father, Edward, King of Portugal. Because of his young age, Afonso V was placed under the regency of his mother, Eleanor of Aragon, as specified in his father's will. The regency was disputed by his uncle Pedro, Duke of Coimbra. Afonso formally took power as king in 1448.
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What Happened Today in History on September 13
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on September 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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Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral arrives at Calicut, India, on September 13, 1500. It followed the landing In May 1498, of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama and marked the beginning of Portugal's presence in India leading to the establishment of trade, conflicting with local Muslim traders who up to then had controlled it.
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Michelangelo begins work on the statue of David which went on to become a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture.
Philip III of Spain is crowned king of Spain and Portugal. He was much less diligent than his father and showed only moderate gifts for governance. He ruled the Spanish Empire at the height of its power. He was extravagant in his spending, exacerbating Spain's growing economic problems. More
The pivotal Battle of Quebec (Battle of Plains of Abraham) takes place during the Seven Years' War, leading to the British capture of Quebec City from the French and ultimately changing the course of Canadian history.
British General James Wolfe and French General Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm, were both, mortally wounded during the battle. More
The Grand Siege of Gibraltar by the allied French and Spanish fleets is defeated by the British garrison, with all floating batteries destroyed and allied casualties of 1,473 compared to only 83 for the British. More
English chemist, Michael Faraday discovers the influence of a magnetic field on polarized light; named the "Faraday effect". Among his many interests, Faraday was also active in what would now be called environmental science, or engineering.
He investigated industrial pollution at Swansea and was consulted on air pollution at the Royal Mint. In July 1855, Faraday wrote a letter to The Times on the subject of the foul condition of the River Thames, which resulted in an often-reprinted cartoon in Punch. More
American railroad foreman Phineas Gage suffers a traumatic brain injury when an iron rod shot through his skull through his left cheek and out his cranial vault, obliterating the greater part of the left frontal lobe of his brain; he survived with limited physical damage, although personality changes were observed and reported. More
Italy invades Egypt from their colony in Libya. Having limited success, Hitler realized that Germany would have to support the Italians and on 11 February 1941 Major-General Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps landed at Tripoli. More
The Attica State Prison riot in Attica, New York ends. The riot ended with the highest number of fatalities in the history of United States prison uprisings, after New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller ordered the State Police to regain control of the prison by force.
The riot started four days earlier on September 9, with a violent takeover of the prison control center in which one prison officer, William Quinn, was killed. Of the 43 men who died (33 inmates and 10 correctional officers and employees), all but one guard and three inmates were killed by law enforcement gunfire, when the state retook control of the prison on the final day of the uprising. the facility housed 2,250 inmates at the time but had a maximum capacity of 1,600. More
The Oslo Accords are signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), aiming to establish peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas signed a Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements at the White House. Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians, and the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist in peace. More
The principle of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was unanimously adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at the 2005 World Summit.
This doctrine posits that states are responsible for protecting their populations from mass atrocity crimes like genocide and crimes against humanity, and that this responsibility shifts to the international community if a state is unwilling or unable to do so. More
The United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; setting a global standard for the treatment of Indigenous Peoples. While the Declaration is not legally binding, it is a vital step in securing Indigenous rights worldwide. It has since been ratified by 143 countries. More