February 13
February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 322 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Aquarius.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On February 13 the Sun's declination is approximately -13.9°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter 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 February 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.
1633 — Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome to face charges of heresy for advocating heliocentrism. ↗(393 years ago)more
The Galileo affair was an early 17th century political, religious, and scientific controversy regarding the astronomer Galileo Galilei's defence of heliocentrism, the idea that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
1689 — William III and Mary II were proclaimed co-rulers of England in the Glorious Revolution. ↗(337 years ago)more
The Glorious Revolution was the deposition of King James II in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II and her Dutch husband, James's nephew William III of Orange. The two ruled as joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland until Mary's death in 1694, when William became ruler in his own right.
1945 — World War II: the Allied bombing of Dresden began, killing some 25,000 people. ↗(81 years ago)more
In four raids between 13 and 15 February 1945, 772 heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and 527 of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped more than 3,900 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices on the German city of Dresden. The bombing and the resulting firestorm destroyed more than 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) of the city centre.
- 1960 — France conducted its first atomic-bomb test in the Algerian Sahara. ↗(66 years ago)
more
Gerboise Bleue was the codename of the first French nuclear test. It was conducted by the Nuclear Experiments Operational Group (GOEN), a unit of the Joint Special Weapons Command on 13 February 1960, at the Saharan Military Experiments Centre near Reggane, French Algeria in the Sahara desert region of the Tanezrouft, during the Algerian War.
Notable births
1849 — Lord Randolph Churchill, British politician. ↗(177 years ago)more
Lord Randolph Henry Spencer-Churchill was a British aristocrat and politician. He was a Tory radical who coined the term "Tory democracy" and participated in the creation of the "National Union of the Conservative Party".
1933 — Kim Novak, American actress. ↗(93 years ago)more
Marilyn Pauline "Kim" Malloy is a retired American actress. Her contributions to cinema have been honored with two Golden Globe Awards, an Honorary Golden Bear, a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Notable deaths
1883 — Richard Wagner, German composer. ↗(143 years ago)more
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor, best known for his operas, although his mature works are often referred to as music dramas. Unlike most composers, Wagner wrote both the libretti and the music for all of his stage works.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (44) | 2^2 × 11 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (322) | 2 × 7 × 23 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 13022026 · next palindrome year: 2031 |
| Sun declination | -13.94° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 55 days |