May 13 in History

• 1787

  May 13, 1787:

  The First Fleet, carrying naval officers, convicts and food supplies takes off. The fleet, which is under the leadership of Arthur Phillip, makes its way to New South Wales, Australia.

• 1846

  May 13, 1846:

  The United States Congress approves President James K. Polk’s declaration for the Mexican-American War.

• 1871

  May 13, 1871: The Italian parliament passes the Law of Guarantees to assure the Pope of a status as a sovereign figure, in spite of depriving him of ruling over the Papal States.

• 1888

  May 13, 1888:

  Isabel of Braganca, Princess of Brazil, signs the Golden Law to abolish slave trade in Brazil.

• 1917

  May 13, 1917:

  Lucia dos Santos and her cousins, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, experience their first apparitions of the Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Fatima).

• 1960

  May 13, 1960:

  A Swiss/Nepali/Austrian expedition becomes the first to climb Dhaulagiri, the world’s seventh-tallest mountain, under the leadership of Max Eiselin.

• 1981

  May 13, 1981:

  Turkish assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca attempts to assassinate Pope John Paul by shooting him four times at St. Peter’s Square.

• 1989

  May 13, 1989:

  Chinese students begin hunger strike as part of the Tiananmen Square Protests against the government.

• 2019

  May 13, 2019:

  Hollywood star, Doris Day, dies.