On This Day in History

December 13

Historical Events

1577 Francis Drake sets sail from England on an epic three year circumnavigation of the world aboard the 'Pelican' (later renamed the 'Golden Hind').

1636 The Massachusetts Bay Colony organizes three militia regiments to defend the colony against the Pequot Indians. Recognized today as the founding of the United States National Guard.

1642 Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sights the South Island of present day New Zealand; initially he calls it Staten Landt and changes it a year later to Nieuw Zeeland.

1920 The League of Nations establishes the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

2002 The European Union announces that Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia will become members from May 1, 2004.

2003 Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is captured near his home town of Tikrit, during Operation Red Dawn by US forces.

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Famous Birthdays

Henry IV of France  1553 - 1610   Werner von Siemens  1816 - 1892

George P. Shultz  1920 - 2021   Taylor Swift  34th Birthday

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Famous Deaths

Samuel Johnson  1709 - 1784   Grandma Moses  1860 - 1961

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Francis Drake Lands in California

Sir Francis Drake, one of the great maritime navigators in history, also helped kick-start the English colonization of the Americas when he landed in what is now northern California in 1579.

Francis Drake in the Americas