Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII of England, was executed for adultery.
In History, Today on February 13
Today we explore events from the year 1542 to the year 2021. Events span the globe, from the countries of Israel, Australia, French Guiana, Malaysia, Italy, Algeria, Soviet Union, United States, England, Portugal, Germany.
1542
London, England
1633
Rome, Italy
Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for his trial before the Inquisition.
1668
Lisbon, Portugal
Spain recognized Portugal as an independent nation, ending the Portuguese Restoration War.
1689
London, England
William and Mary were proclaimed co-rulers of England, Scotland, and Ireland, marking the beginning of the Glorious Revolution.
1945
Dresden, Germany
The bombing of Dresden by Allied forces began during World War II, resulting in a devastating firestorm.
1960
Reggane, Algeria
France conducted its first nuclear test, code-named 'Gerboise Bleue', in the Algerian Sahara.
1974
Moscow, Soviet Union
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian novelist and critic of Soviet totalitarianism, was exiled from the Soviet Union.
2001
Jerusalem, Israel
Ariel Sharon was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Israel, succeeding Ehud Barak. Sharon's tenure was marked by significant events such as the Second Intifada and the unilateral disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip.
2004
Cambridge, United States
The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics announced the discovery of the largest known diamond, a crystallized white dwarf star named BPM 37093, also known as 'Lucy' after the Beatles song 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'.
2008
Canberra, Australia
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologized to the Indigenous Australians, particularly the Stolen Generations, for past government policies that caused profound grief, suffering, and loss.
2011
Los Angeles, United States
The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards took place, where notable winners included Lady Antebellum, Arcade Fire, and Lady Gaga.
2012
Kourou, French Guiana
The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched the Vega rocket on its maiden flight from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. The Vega is designed to launch small payloads to low Earth orbit.
2017
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. His death led to heightened tensions between North Korea and Malaysia.
2021
Texas, United States
A major winter storm begins to impact the United States, leading to widespread power outages and disruptions, particularly in Texas.