February 13 in History

For the first time in more than 100 years the Umatilla, an American Indian tribe

2011 — For the first time in more than 100 years the Umatilla, an American Indian tribe, are able to hunt and harvest a bison just outside Yellowstone National Park, restoring a centuries-old tradition guaranteed by a treaty signed in 1855

February 13 spans 51 recorded events across recorded history, from 962 to 2021. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By · — Wikipedia

Historical Events 51 events 962 – 2021

More major events on February 13

The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.

  1. 2004 The Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announces the discovery of the universe's largest known diamond, white dwarf star BPM 37093. Astronomers named this star "Lucy" after The Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds". Source
  2. 2012 The European Space Agency (ESA) conducted the first launch of the European Vega rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Source
  3. 2007 Taiwan opposition leader Ma Ying-jeou resigns as the chairman of the Kuomintang party after being indicted on charges of embezzlement during his tenure as the mayor of Taipei; Ma also announces his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election. Source

Did you know

In 2011, For the first time in more than 100 years the Umatilla, an American Indian tribe, are able to hunt and harvest a bison just outside Yellowstone National Park, restoring a centuries-old tradition guaranteed by a treaty signed in 1855. This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.

Did you know

Yellowstone National Park is a national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of the state of Wyoming, with small portions of it extending into Montana and Idaho. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Did you know

Congress through the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act and signed into law by President Ulysses S. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.

Did you know

Yellowstone was the first national park in the US, and is also widely understood to be the first national park in the world. This shows how the event shaped policy and public communication in the same period.

Did you know

The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially the Old Faithful geyser, one of its most popular. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Otto_the_Great
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor and Pope John XII co-sign the Diploma Ottonianum, recognising John as ruler of Rome.
Holy Roman Emperor from 962 to 973
Otto I, known as Otto the Great or Otto of Saxony, was East Frankish (German) king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the eldest son of Henry the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim.
Wikipedia source
962
Siege_of_Baghdad
Siege of Baghdad: Hulegu Khan, a prince of the Mongol Empire, orders his army to sack and plunder the city of Baghdad, which they had just captured.
Mongol conquest of the Abbasid Caliphate (1258)
The Siege of Baghdad, also known as the Sack of Baghdad, took place in early 1258. A large army commanded by Hulegu, a prince of the Mongol Empire, attacked the historic capital of the Abbasid Caliphate after a series of provocations from its ruler, caliph al-Musta'sim. Within a few weeks, Baghdad fell and was sacked by the Mongol army—al-Musta'sim was killed alongside hundreds of thousands of his subjects. The city's fall has traditionally been seen as marking the end of the Islamic Golden Age; in reality, its ramifications are uncertain.
Wikipedia source
1258
Ely_Cathedral
The central tower of Ely Cathedral falls on the night of 12th–13th.
Anglican cathedral in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Ely, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.
Wikipedia source
1322
War of the Straits: The Battle of the Bosporus is fought in a stormy sea into the night between the Genoese, Venetian, Aragonese, and Byzantine fleets.
1350–1355 war between Venice and Genoa
The War of the Straits or Third Genoese–Venetian War was a conflict fought between the Republic of Venice and the Republic of Genoa, and their allies, in 1350–1355. The third in a series of conflicts between the two major Italian maritime republics, the war resulted from the intense commercial and political rivalry over access to the Aegean Sea and the Black Sea. The main immediate events that precipitated the war were the conflicts over Caffa and Tanais in the northern Black Sea, control of passage through the Bosporus straits—whence the conflict received its name—and the seizure of Chios and Phocaea by the Genoese.
Wikipedia source
1352
Treaty_of_Westminster_(1462)
The Treaty of Westminster is finalised between Edward IV of England and the Scottish Lord of the Isles.
Treaty between England and the Lord of the Isles
The Treaty of Westminster was signed on 13 February 1462 between Edward IV of England of the House of York and the Scottish John of Islay, Earl of Ross, Lord of the Isles. The agreement proposed that if Scotland was conquered by England, the lands north of the Scottish sea would be divided between the Lord of the Isles and the Earl of Douglas to be held from the crown of England, while the Earl of Douglas would hold Scotland south of the Firth.
Wikipedia source
1462
Challenge_of_Barletta
Challenge of Barletta: Tournament between 13 Italian and 13 French knights near Barletta.
1503 battle of the Third Italian War
The Challenge of Barletta originated from an episode that took place inside the Cantina della Sfida, around February 1503. The event saw thirteen Italian knights confront thirteen French knights. The encounter ended with the victory of the Italians, who triumphantly returned to Barletta, bringing the defeated French knights with them.
Wikipedia source
1503
Catherine_Howard
Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII of England, is executed for adultery.
Queen of England from 1540 to 1541
Catherine Howard was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a first cousin to Anne Boleyn, and the niece of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. Her uncle secured her a place in the household of Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, where Catherine caught the King's interest. They were married on 28 July 1540 at Oatlands Palace in Surrey, just 19 days after the annulment of his marriage to Anne. Henry was 49, and Catherine, 17.
Wikipedia source
1542
Galileo_Galilei
Galileo Galilei arrives in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition.
Italian physicist and astronomer (1564–1642)
Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei, commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer and polymath. He was born in Pisa, then part of the Duchy of Florence. Galileo has been called the father of observational astronomy, classical physics, the scientific method, and modern science.
Wikipedia source
1633
Clergy_Act_1640
The Clergy Act becomes law, excluding bishops of the Church of England from serving in the House of Lords.
Act of the Parliament of England
The Clergy Act 1640, also known as the Bishops Exclusion Act, or the Clerical Disabilities Act, was an act of the Parliament of England, effective 13 February 1642 that prevented men in holy orders from exercising any temporal jurisdiction or authority.
Wikipedia source
1642
Charles_XI_of_Sweden
With the accession of young Charles XI of Sweden, his regents begin negotiations to end the Second Northern War.
King of Sweden from 1660 to 1697
Charles XI or Carl was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death in 1697.
Wikipedia source
1660
William_III_of_England
William III and Mary II are proclaimed co-rulers of England.
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 to 1702
William III and II, also known as William of Orange, was the sovereign Prince of Orange from birth, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1672, and King of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1689 until his death in 1702. He ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland with his wife, Queen Mary II, until her death in 1694; their joint reign is known as that of William and Mary.
Wikipedia source
1689
Massacre_of_Glencoe
Massacre of Glencoe: Almost 80 Macdonalds at Glen Coe, Scotland are killed early in the morning for not promptly pledging allegiance to the new king, William of Orange.
1692 killing of clan Macdonald members
The Massacre of Glencoe took place in Glen Coe in the Argyll region of the Scottish Highlands on 13 February 1692. An estimated 30 members and associates of the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by Scottish government forces, allegedly for failing to pledge allegiance to the new monarchs, William II/III and his wife Mary II.
Wikipedia source
1692
Parliament of Negrete between Mapuche and Spanish authorities in Chile brings an end to the Mapuche uprising of 1723–26.
Peace discussion between Spanish authorities and the Mapuche in colonial Chile
The 1726 Parliament of Negrete was a diplomatic meeting between Mapuches and Spanish authorities held in Negrete. During the parliament a peace treaty was signed, bringing an end to a period of warfare that begun in with the Mapuche uprising of 1723.
Wikipedia source
1726
Treaty_of_Giyanti
Treaty of Giyanti signed by VOC, Pakubuwono III and Prince Mangkubumi.
The treaty divides the Javanese kingdom of Mataram into two: Sunanate of Surakarta and Sultanate of Yogyakarta.
The Treaty of Giyanti was signed and ratified on February 13, 1755, between Prince Mangkubumi, the Dutch East India Company, and Sunan Pakubuwono III along with his allies. The accord officially divided the Sultanate of Mataram between Mangkubumi and Pakubuwono. The name "Giyanti" was taken from the location of the signing of the agreement, namely in Giyanti Village which is now located in Hamlet Kerten, Jantiharjo Village, southeast of Karanganyar, Central Java.
Wikipedia source
1755
Andrei_Șaguna
The delegation headed by Metropolitan bishop Andrei Șaguna hands out to the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria the General Petition of Romanian leaders in Transylvania, Banat and Bukovina, which demands that the Romanian nation be recognized.
Romanian saint and metropolitan of Transylvania (1808–1873)
Andrei Șaguna was a Metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania, and one of the Romanian community political leaders in the Habsburg monarchy, especially active during the 1848 Revolution. He was an honorary member of the Romanian Academy.
Wikipedia source
1849
Unification_of_Italy
Italian unification: The Siege of Gaeta ends with the capitulation of the defending fortress, effectively bringing an end of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
1848–1870 consolidation of Italian states
The unification of Italy, also known as the Risorgimento, was the 19th century political and social movement that in 1861 ended in the annexation of various states of the Italian peninsula and its outlying isles to the Kingdom of Sardinia, resulting in the creation of the Kingdom of Italy. Inspired by the rebellions in the 1820s and 1830s against the outcome of the Congress of Vienna, the unification process was precipitated by the Revolutions of 1848, and reached completion in 1871 with the official designation of Rome as capital of Italy, following the capture of Rome in 1870.
Wikipedia source
1861
Covering_of_the_Senne
Work begins on the covering of the Senne, burying Brussels's primary river and creating the modern central boulevards.
Covering of the main river of Brussels, Belgium
The covering of the Senne was the covering and later diverting of the main river of Brussels, Belgium, and the construction of public buildings and major boulevards in its place. Carried out between 1867 and 1871, it is one of the defining events in the history of Brussels.
Wikipedia source
1867
Thomas_Edison
Thomas Edison observes thermionic emission.
American inventor and businessman (1847–1931)
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman known for his work on the incandescent light bulb, the phonograph, electric power distribution and early motion pictures. The merger of the Edison General Electric Company and the competitor Thomson-Houston Electric Company resulted in the formation of General Electric. Edison registered 1,093 patents in the United States.
Wikipedia source
1880
13th_Dalai_Lama
The 13th Dalai Lama proclaims Tibetan independence following a period of domination by Manchu Qing dynasty and initiates a period of almost four decades of independence.
Spiritual leader of Tibet from 1879 to 1933
The 13th Dalai Lama was the 13th Dalai Lama of Tibet enthroned during a turbulent modern era. He presided during the collapse of the Qing dynasty, and is referred to as "the Great Thirteenth", responsible for redeclaring Tibet's national independence, and for his national reform and modernization initiatives.
Wikipedia source
1913
The Negro National League is formed.
American professional baseball league
The first Negro National League was a major professional baseball organization that laid the foundation for Black baseball in the early twentieth century. From 1920 to 1931, during the period of time when organized baseball in the United States was segregated, the league served as the highest level of competition for African American athletes. Under Rube Foster's leadership, the NNL became one of the first Black baseball leagues to establish lasting stability and organization. The league created conditions that allowed Black teams to compete more consistently than they could in previous decades.
Wikipedia source
1920
British_Raj
The British Raj completes its transfer from Calcutta to New Delhi.
1858–1947 Crown rule in India
The British Raj was the period of rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, lasting from 1858 to 1947. It is also called Crown rule in India, or direct rule in India. The region under British control was commonly called India in contemporaneous usage and included areas directly administered by the United Kingdom, which were collectively called British India, and areas ruled by indigenous rulers, but under British paramountcy, called the princely states. The region was sometimes called the Indian Empire, though not officially. As India, it was a founding member of the League of Nations and a founding member of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1945. India was a participating state in the Summer Olympics in 1900, 1920, 1928, 1932, and 1936.
Wikipedia source
1931
Flemington,_New_Jersey
A jury in Flemington, New Jersey finds Bruno Hauptmann guilty of the 1932 kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby, the son of Charles Lindbergh.
Borough in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, US
Flemington is a borough in and the county seat of Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Most of the borough is located in the Amwell Valley, a low-lying area of the Newark Basin, and the Raritan Valley, the South Branch of the Raritan River, which flows through the center of Flemington. Northwestern portions of the borough sit on the Hunterdon Plateau. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,876, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 295 (+6.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,581, which in turn reflected an increase of 381 (+9.1%) from the 4,200 counted in the 2000 census.
Wikipedia source
1935
World_War_II
World War II: The siege of Budapest concludes with the unconditional surrender of German and Hungarian forces to the Red Army.
Global conflict (1939–1945)
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many engaging in total war on an unprecedented scale. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the deaths of 60 to 75 million people, a majority of whom were civilians. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.
Wikipedia source
1945
Royal_Air_Force
World War II: Royal Air Force bombers are dispatched to Dresden, Germany to attack the city with a massive aerial bombardment.
Air and space warfare force of the United Kingdom
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918 through the merger of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). Following the Allied victory over the Central Powers in 1918, the RAF emerged as the largest air force in the world. Since its formation, the RAF has played a significant role in British military history. In particular, during the Second World War, the RAF defeated the German Luftwaffe's efforts to establish air superiority over Great Britain during the Battle of Britain, and played a key role in the Combined Bomber Offensive alongside the USAAF.
Wikipedia source
1945
Korean_War
Korean War: Battle of Chipyong-ni, which represented the "high-water mark" of the Chinese incursion into South Korea, commences.
1950–1953 conflict on the Korean Peninsula
The Korean War was an armed conflict fought on the Korean Peninsula between North Korea and South Korea and their allies. North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union, while South Korea was supported by the United Nations led by the United States under the auspices of the United Nations Command (UNC).
Wikipedia source
1951
Frank_Selvy
Frank Selvy becomes the only NCAA Division I basketball player ever to score 100 points in a single game.
American basketball player (1932–2024)
Franklin Delano Selvy was an American National Basketball Association (NBA) player who was best known for holding the record for the most points (100) in a Division I college basketball game. Born in Corbin, Kentucky, Selvy was an All-State basketball player at Corbin High School and was a teammate of College Football Hall of Fame inductee Roy Kidd. Selvy was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1954 NBA draft and was a two-time NBA All-Star, playing nine seasons.
Wikipedia source
1954
Israel
Israel obtains four of the seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
Country in West Asia
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. It is bordered by Lebanon to the north, Syria to the northeast, Jordan to the east, and Egypt to the southwest. Israel's western coast lies on the Mediterranean Sea, its southern tip reaches the Red Sea, and to the east is Earth's lowest point near the Dead Sea. Jerusalem is the government seat and proclaimed capital, while Tel Aviv is Israel's largest urban area and economic centre.
Wikipedia source
1955
Sabena_Flight_503
Twenty-nine people are killed when Sabena Flight 503 crashes into Monte Terminillo near Rieti, Italy.
1955 aviation accident
The crash of Sabena Flight 503 was an accident involving a Douglas DC-6 of the Belgian airline company Sabena which crashed into Monte Terminillo near Rieti, Italy, 100 km northeast of Rome on 13 February 1955, killing all 29 people on board.
Wikipedia source
1955
Nuclear_weapons_testing
With the success of a nuclear test codenamed "Gerboise Bleue", France becomes the fourth country to possess nuclear weapons.
Controlled detonation of nuclear weapons for scientific or political purposes
Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the performance of nuclear weapons and the effects of their explosion. Over 2,000 nuclear weapons tests have been carried out since 1945. Nuclear testing is a sensitive political issue. Governments have often performed tests to signal strength. Because of their destruction and fallout, testing has seen opposition by civilians as well as governments, with international bans having been agreed on. Thousands of tests have been performed, with most in the second half of the 20th century.
Wikipedia source
1960
Nashville_sit-ins
Black college students stage the first of the Nashville sit-ins at three lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nonviolent protests against racial segregation in Tennessee (1960)
The Nashville sit-ins, which lasted from February 13 to May 10, 1960, were part of a protest to end racial segregation at lunch counters in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The sit-in campaign, coordinated by the Nashville Student Movement and the Nashville Christian Leadership Council, was notable for its early success and its emphasis on disciplined nonviolence. It was part of a broader sit-in movement that spread across the southern United States in the wake of the Greensboro sit-ins in North Carolina.
Wikipedia source
1960
Coso_artifact
An allegedly 500,000-year-old rock is discovered near Olancha, California, US, that appears to anachronistically encase a spark plug.
Spark plug supposedly encased in a 500,000-year-old geode
The Coso artifact is an object falsely claimed by its discoverers to be a spark plug encased in a geode. Discovered on February 13, 1961, by Wallace Lane, Virginia Maxey, and Mike Mikesell while they were prospecting for geodes near the town of Olancha, California, it has long been claimed as an example of an out-of-place artifact. The artifact has been identified as a 1920s-era Champion spark plug encased in a concretion.
Wikipedia source
1961
Codex_Madrid_(Leonardo)
American researchers discover the Madrid Codices by Leonardo da Vinci in the National Library of Spain.
Manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci discovered in Madrid, Spain in 1965
The Madrid Codices I–II, are two manuscripts by Leonardo da Vinci which were discovered in the Biblioteca Nacional de España in Madrid in 1965 by Dr. Jules Piccus, Language Professor at the University of Massachusetts. The Madrid Codices I was finished during 1490 and 1499, and II from 1503 to 1505.
Wikipedia source
1967
World_Trade_Center_(1973–2001)
Fire at One World Trade Center (North Tower) of the World Trade Center in New York.
Complex of buildings in New York City
The original World Trade Center (WTC) was a complex of seven buildings in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Built primarily between 1966 and 1975, it was dedicated on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed on September 11, 2001, after two hijacked planes were flown into the towers in a coordinated terrorist attack. The complex included the 110-story-tall Twin Towers, at the time of their completion the tallest buildings in the world, with the original 1 World Trade Center at 1,368 feet (417 m), and 2 World Trade Center at 1,362 feet (415.1 m); they were also the tallest twin skyscrapers in the world until 1996, when the Petronas Towers opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The other buildings in the complex were the Marriott World Trade Center (3 WTC), 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC, and 7 WTC. The complex contained 13,400,000 square feet (1,240,000 m2) of office space and, prior to its completion, was projected to accommodate an estimated 130,000 people.
Wikipedia source
1975
Sydney_Hilton_Hotel_bombing
Hilton bombing: A bomb explodes in a refuse truck outside the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, Australia, killing two refuse collectors and a policeman.
Terror attack in 1978 in Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing occurred on 13 February 1978, when a bomb exploded outside the Hilton Hotel in George Street, Sydney, Australia. The hotel was hosting the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting (CHOGRM), a regional offshoot of the biennial meetings of the heads of government from across the Commonwealth of Nations.
Wikipedia source
1978
February_13,_1979,_windstorm
An intense windstorm strikes western Washington and sinks a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) long section of the Hood Canal Bridge.
Windstorm in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada
The February 13, 1979, windstorm was a natural phenomenon which happened in the West Coast region of Canada and the Pacific Northwest. During the early morning, an intense wave cyclone moved across southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia. South of the low center, a strong atmospheric pressure gradient was carried across Washington, with associated high winds. With a cold airflow moving toward the northeast interacting with the high terrain of the Olympic Mountains, a lee low developed east of the Olympics. The mesoscale low caused a particularly intense pressure gradient across the Kitsap Peninsula region.
Wikipedia source
1979
A series of sewer explosions destroys more than two miles of streets in Louisville, Kentucky.
Series of explosions in Louisville, Kentucky (1981)
On February 13, 1981, a series of explosions destroyed more than 13 miles (21 km) of sewer lines and streets in the center of Louisville in Kentucky, United States. The explosions resulted in extensive damage to property and infrastructure; there were no fatalities, but four people were injured.
Wikipedia source
1981
A cinema fire in Turin, Italy, kills 64 people.
1983 movie theater fire in Turin, Italy
Cinema Statuto was a movie theater located in Turin, Italy, when on 13 February 1983, at 18:15, during the projection of La Chèvre, a fire caused the death of 64 people as a result of smoke inhalation. According to statements by Raimondo Capella, the owner of the cinema, the flames spread from an old curtain. This was the largest disaster to have occurred after World War II in Turin.
Wikipedia source
1983
Konstantin_Chernenko
Konstantin Chernenko succeeds the late Yuri Andropov as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
Leader of the Soviet Union from 1984 to 1985
Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko was a Soviet politician who served as the de jure leader of the Soviet Union from February 1984 until his death in March 1985.
Wikipedia source
1984
Gulf_War
Gulf War: Two laser-guided "smart bombs" destroy the Amiriyah shelter in Baghdad.
Allied forces said the bunker was being used as a military communications outpost, but over 400 Iraqi civilians inside were killed.
The Gulf War was an armed conflict between Iraq and a 42-country coalition led by the United States. The coalition's efforts were in two phases: Operation Desert Shield, which marked the military buildup from August 1990 to January 1991; and Operation Desert Storm, from the bombing campaign against Iraq on 17 January until the American-led liberation of Kuwait on 28 February.
Wikipedia source
1991
Nepalese_Civil_War
The Nepalese Civil War is initiated in the Kingdom of Nepal by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre).
Maoist insurgency in Nepal (1996–2006)
The Nepalese Civil War (1996–2006) was a protracted and countrywide armed conflict in the then Kingdom of Nepal between the Kingdom's rulers and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), with the latter making significant use of guerrilla warfare. It began on 13 February 1996, when the CPN(M) initiated an insurgency with the stated purpose of overthrowing the Nepali monarchy and establishing a people's republic. It ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord on 21 November 2006.
Wikipedia source
1996
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits El Salvador, killing at least 315.
Scales to describe earthquake strength
Seismic magnitude scales are used to describe the overall strength or "size" of an earthquake. These are distinguished from seismic intensity scales that categorize the intensity or severity of ground shaking (quaking) caused by an earthquake at a given location. Magnitudes are usually determined from measurements of an earthquake's seismic waves as recorded on a seismogram. Magnitude scales vary based on what aspect of the seismic waves are measured and how they are measured. Different magnitude scales are necessary because of differences in earthquakes, the information available, and the purposes for which the magnitudes are used.
Wikipedia source
2001
Harvard–Smithsonian_Center_for_Astrophysics
The Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announces the discovery of the universe's largest known diamond, white dwarf star BPM 37093.
Astronomers named this star "Lucy" after The Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA), previously known as the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, is an astrophysics research institute jointly operated by the Harvard College Observatory and Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, the CfA leads a broad program of research in astronomy, astrophysics, Earth and space sciences, as well as science education. The CfA either leads or participates in the development and operations of more than fifteen ground- and space-based astronomical research observatories across the electromagnetic spectrum, including the forthcoming Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, one of NASA's Great Observatories.
Wikipedia source
2004
Taiwan
Taiwan opposition leader Ma Ying-jeou resigns as the chairman of the Kuomintang party after being indicted on charges of embezzlement during his tenure as the mayor of Taipei; Ma also announces his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election.
Country in East Asia
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast, and the Philippines to the south. It has an area of 35,808 square kilometers, with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated. The combined territories under ROC control consist of 168 islands in total covering 36,193 square kilometers. The largest metropolitan area is formed by Taipei, New Taipei City, and Keelung. With around 23.9 million inhabitants, Taiwan is among the most densely populated countries.
Wikipedia source
2007
Kevin_Rudd
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd makes a historic apology to the Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generations.
Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010; 2013)
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian diplomat and former politician who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and from June to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the Labor Party. From 2023 to 2026, Rudd was the ambassador of Australia to the United States.
Wikipedia source
2008
A bomb explodes in the city of Pune, Maharashtra, India, killing 17 and injuring 60 more.
Terrorist attack in Maharashtra, India
On 13 February 2010 at approximately 19:15 Indian Standard Time, a bomb exploded at a German bakery in the Indian city of Pune, Maharashtra. The blast killed 18 people, including an Italian woman, two Sudanese students and two Iranian students, and injured at least 60 more.
Wikipedia source
2010
European_Space_Agency
The European Space Agency (ESA) conducted the first launch of the European Vega rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
European organisation dedicated to space exploration
The European Space Agency is a 23-member international organisation devoted to space exploration. It has its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 3,000 people globally as of 2025. ESA was founded in 1975 in the context of European integration. Its 2026 annual budget was around €8.3 billion.
Wikipedia source
2012
Kim_Jong-nam
Kim Jong-nam, brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, is assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Son of Kim Jong Il (1971–2017)
Kim Jong-nam was the eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. From roughly 1994 to 2001, he was considered the heir apparent to his father. He was thought to have fallen out of favor after embarrassing the regime in 2001 with a failed attempt to visit Tokyo Disneyland with a false passport, although Kim himself said his loss of favor had been due to advocating reform.
Wikipedia source
2017
Donald_Trump
Former U.S.
President Donald Trump is acquitted in his second impeachment trial.
Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
Wikipedia source
2021
February_13–17,_2021_North_American_winter_storm
A major winter storm causes blackouts and kills at least 82 people in Texas and northern Mexico.
Category 3 winter storm and ice storm in the United States
A crippling winter and ice storm, unofficially named Winter Storm Uri by the Weather Channel and various media outlets and government agencies, also referred to as the Great Texas Freeze or Snowmageddon, caused catastrophic and widespread impacts across the United States, Northern Mexico, and parts of Canada from February 13 to 17, 2021. It started out in the Pacific Northwest and quickly moved into the Southern United States, before moving on to the Midwestern and Northeastern United States a couple of days later.
Wikipedia source
2021

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