In History, Today on March 13

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.