April 13
April 13 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 262 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aries.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On April 13 the Sun's declination is approximately +9.0°. At this latitude the Sun is north of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere longer days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a April 13.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
No widely-observed holidays catalogued for this day in our base set. See the external almanacs above for region-specific observances.
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1742 — Handel's Messiah received its world premiere in Dublin. ↗(284 years ago)more
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later.
1919 — Jallianwala Bagh massacre: British forces under General Dyer killed hundreds of unarmed Indian protesters in Amritsar. ↗(107 years ago)more
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place on 13 April 1919. A large crowd had gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab, British India, during the annual Baisakhi fair to protest against the Rowlatt Act and the arrest of pro-Indian independence activists Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal.
1970 — An oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 exploded; "Houston, we have a problem". ↗(56 years ago)more
Apollo 13 was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and would have been the third Moon landing. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the landing was aborted after an oxygen tank in the service module (SM) exploded two days into the mission, disabling its electrical and life-support system.
Notable births
1743 — Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President. ↗(283 years ago)more
Thomas Jefferson was a Founding Father, second vice president, and third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. Jefferson was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. He was a leading proponent of democracy, republicanism, and natural rights, and produced formative documents and decisions at the state, national, and international ...
1909 — Eudora Welty, American author. ↗(117 years ago)more
Eudora Alice Welty was an American short-story writer, novelist, and photographer who wrote about the American South. Her novel The Optimist's Daughter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Order of the South.
1939 — Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and Nobel laureate. ↗(87 years ago)more
Seamus Justin Heaney was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is Death of a Naturalist (1966), his first major published volume.
Notable deaths
1996 — Ben Johnson, American actor. ↗(30 years ago)more
Francis Benjamin Johnson Jr. was an American film and television actor, stuntman, and world-champion rodeo cowboy. Johnson brought authenticity to many roles in Westerns with his droll manner and expert horsemanship.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (104) | 2^3 × 13 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (262) | 2 × 131 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 13042026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +9.04° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 68 days |