May 13
May 13 is the 134th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 232 days remain until the year's end. It falls in spring (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Taurus.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On May 13 the Sun's declination is approximately +18.5°. 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 May 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.
1607 — Captain Christopher Newport landed in Virginia with English colonists who would establish Jamestown. ↗(419 years ago)more
The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James River, about 2.5 mi (4 km) southwest of present-day Williamsburg.
1846 — The U.S. declared war on Mexico, beginning the Mexican–American War. ↗(180 years ago)more
The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, was an invasion of Mexico by the United States. It followed the 1845 American annexation of Texas, which Mexico still considered its territory because it refused to recognize the Treaties of Velasco, signed by President A...
1940 — Winston Churchill, in his first speech as Prime Minister, told Parliament: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." ↗(86 years ago)more
"Blood, toil, tears and sweat" was a phrase made famous in a speech given by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 13 May 1940; the speech itself is sometimes known by that name.
- 1981 — Pope John Paul II was shot and wounded in St Peter's Square by Mehmet Ali Ağca. ↗(45 years ago)
Notable births
1842 — Arthur Sullivan, English composer (Gilbert and Sullivan). ↗(184 years ago)more
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan was an English composer. He is best known for 14 comic opera collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado.
1950 — Stevie Wonder, American singer-songwriter. ↗(76 years ago)more
Stevland Hardaway Morris, known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include R&B, pop, soul, gospel, funk, and jazz.
Notable deaths
1916 — Sholem Aleichem, Yiddish author. ↗(110 years ago)more
Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich, better known under his pen name Sholem Aleichem, was a Jewish author and playwright who wrote in Yiddish and lived in the Russian Empire and in the United States. The 1964 musical Fiddler on the Roof, based on Aleichem's stories about Tevye the Dairyman, was the first commercially successful English-language stage production ...
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (134) | 2 × 67 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (232) | 2^3 × 29 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 13052026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | +18.54° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 38 days |