History of the Day for:
December 13
- 1642: Dutch Explorer Abel Tasman arrives in what is now known as New Zealand.
- 1759: The first music store in America opened in Philadelphia.
- 1769: Dartmouth College, in New Hampshire, received its charter.
- 1843: 6,000 copies of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens were sold on its first day of publication.
- 1862: Union forces suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Confederates at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
- 1903: Italo Marcioni patented the ice cream cone in New Jersey.
- 1928: The clip-on tie was designed.
- 1949: Baseball's American League rejected the revival of the spitball, which had been outlawed since 1920.
- 1950: James Dean began his professional career with an appearance in a Pepsi commercial.
- 1961: Grandma Moses (Anna Mary Robertson Moses) passed away at the age of 101. The self-taught artist took up painting in her sixties and had her first showing in New York City at age of 80; The Beatles signed a formal agreement to be managed by Brian Epstein.
- 1964: President Johnson and Mexican President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz set off an explosion that diverted the Rio Grande, reshaping the U.S.-Mexican border and ending a century-old dispute.
- 1969: Arlo Guthrie released "Alice's Restaurant."
- 1978: The Philadelphia Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the first coin to honor a woman.
- 1983: Detroit and Denver played for 3 hours, 11 minutes in NBA basketball before 9,655. The Pistons finally won, 186-184, in triple overtime. NBA single game records were set for most points by two teams; by one team; assists; and field goals.
- 1996: Kofi Annan is elected as Secretary-General of the United Nations.
- 2000: The "Texas 7" escape from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas and go on a robbery spree, during which police officer Aubrey Hawkins is shot and killed.
- 2000: American Vice President Al Gore delivers his concession speech effectively ending his hopes of becoming the 43rd President of the United States.
- 2001: the Indian Parliament Sansad is attacked by terrorists. 15 people are killed, including all the terrorists.
- 2002: Enlargement of the European Union: 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.
- 2004: Former Chilean dictator, General Augusto Pinochet is put under house arrest, after being sued under accusations over 9 kidnapping actions and manslaughter. The house arrest is lifted the same day on appeal.
- 2006: The Baiji, or Chinese River Dolphin, announced as extinct.