In History, Today on March 13

The United States declared a national emergency concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, freeing up $50 billion in federal resources to combat the spread of the virus.

The United States grounded all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft following two fatal crashes involving the aircraft model, including the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash on March 10, 2019.

A terrorist attack occurred in Ankara, Turkey, when a car bomb exploded in the Kızılay district, killing 37 people and injuring over 120 others. The Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, taking the name Pope Francis. He became the first pope from the Americas, the first non-European pope in over a millennium, and the first Jesuit pope.

The Encyclopedia Britannica announced that it would stop publishing its print edition after 244 years.

A major earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 struck in the Atacama region of Chile.

NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery launched on mission STS-119, delivering the final set of solar arrays to the International Space Station (ISS), enhancing its power capability.

The journal Nature published the results of the first complete genome sequence of a primitive eukaryote, the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea, providing insights into agricultural pests.

The Phoenix Lights, a series of widely sighted unidentified flying objects, were observed in the skies over Arizona, sparking widespread speculation and debate.

The Seikan Tunnel in Japan, which connects the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, was officially opened, becoming the longest and deepest operational rail tunnel in the world at the time.

The Caribbean nation of Grenada experienced a coup d'état, led by Maurice Bishop's New Jewel Movement, which overthrew the government of Sir Eric Gairy.

Apollo 9 returned safely to Earth after testing the Lunar Module in Earth orbit, a crucial step in the preparations for the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Kitty Genovese was murdered in New York City, an event that led to research on the bystander effect and changes in emergency response protocols.

A failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler occurred when a bomb placed on his plane by Colonel Henning von Tresckow failed to detonate.

Clyde Tombaugh announced the discovery of Pluto, which was considered the ninth planet in the solar system until its reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006.

The Tennessee General Assembly passed the Butler Act, prohibiting public school teachers from denying the Biblical account of mankind's origin, setting the stage for the Scopes Trial.

Kapp Putsch begins in Germany in an attempt by right-wing elements to overthrow the Weimar Republic.

San Diego State University was founded as San Diego Normal School, a teacher's college.

Czar Alexander II of Russia was assassinated in Saint Petersburg by members of the revolutionary group Narodnaya Volya, leading to increased repression under his successor.

Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto premiered in Leipzig, Germany, marking a significant contribution to the violin concerto repertoire.

Pope Leo XII issued the papal bull 'Quo Graviora', which addressed the condemnation of secret societies, particularly the Freemasons, reaffirming the Catholic Church's strong stance against such organizations for their perceived threats to the church and state.

The Siege of Cuddalore begins as part of the American Revolutionary War and ongoing hostilities between the British East India Company and the French.

William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus, expanding the known boundaries of the solar system for the first time in modern history.

Joseph Priestley, an English theologian, chemist, and philosopher, known for discovering oxygen, is born.

Cambridge College is renamed Harvard College after clergyman John Harvard.

The Battle of Oosterweel took place, marking the beginning of the Eighty Years' War. The Protestant forces, led by Flemish rebels, clashed with Spanish troops, resulting in a Spanish victory.

Pedro the Cruel, King of Castile, is assassinated by his half-brother Henry of Trastámara.

Charles I of Anjou is coronated as King of Albania.

Pope Innocent II sends a letter to King Lothair III of Germany, urging him to convert the pagan Slavs of the Baltic region. This communication underscores the increasing efforts during this period to Christianize Northern and Eastern Europe.

The Battle of Badr, a key battle in early Islamic history, took place. It was the first major battle between the Muslims of Medina, led by the Prophet Muhammad, and the Quraysh of Mecca. The Muslim victory was significant in establishing Islam's presence in the Arabian Peninsula.