History of the Day for:
January 13
- 1559: Elizabeth I was crowned queen of England in Westminster Abbey.
- 1610: Galileo Galilei discovered Callisto, the fourth satellite of Jupiter.
- 1733: James Oglethorpe and 130 English colonists arrived at Charleston, S.C., to settle the area that is present-day Georgia.
- 1794: President Washington approved a measure adding two stars and two stripes to the American flag, following the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the union.
- 1863: Thomas Crapper pioneered the one-piece pedestal flushing toilet.
- 1893: The British Independent Labor Party was founded with Keir Hardie as its leader.
- 1898: French author Emile Zola published his "J'Accuse" letter, accusing the French government of a cover-up in the Alfred Dreyfus treason case.
- 1941: Irish author James Joyce, whose works included "Ulysses," died in Zurich, Switzerland.
- 1942: Henry Ford patented a method of constructing plastic auto bodies.
- 1957: The Wham-O Company developed the first Frisbee.
- 1966: Robert C. Weaver became the first black Cabinet member as he was appointed Secretary of Housing and Urban Development by President Lyndon B. Johnson; Tabitha Stevens was born on "Bewitched."
- 1967: The Rolling Stones appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," but were forced to change the lyrics of "Let's Spend The Night Together" to "Let's Spend Some Time Together."
- 1968: Minnesota North Stars center Bill Masterton was fatally injured when he was checked into the boards and fell heavily to the ice.
- 1976: Sarah Caldwell became the first woman to conduct at New York's Metropolitan Opera House as she led the orchestra in a performance of "La Traviata."
- 1982: An Air Florida 737 taking off in a snowstorm crashed into Washington, D.C.'s 14th Street Bridge and sunk into the Potomac River, killing 78 people.
- 1982: Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson were elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
- 1983: Citing Muhammad Ali's deteriorating physical condition, the AMA called for the banning of prizefighting because new evidence suggested that chronic brain damage is prevalent in boxers.
- 1989: "Ryan's Hope" ended its 13 1/2-year run on ABC.
- 1989: Computers across Britain were hit by the "Friday the 13th" virus.
- 1990: L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia became the nation's first elected black governor as he took the oath of office in Richmond.
- 1991: Soviet Union military troops attack Lithuanian independence supporters in Vilnius.
- 1992: Japan apologizes for forcing Korean women into sexual slavery (Comfort women) during World War II.
- 1992: U.S. serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer pleaded guilty but insane to the murders of 15 young men and boys.
- 1993: Space Shuttle program: Endeavour heads for space for the third time as STS-54 launches from the Kennedy Space Center.
- 1994: Tonya Harding's bodyguard, Shawn Eric Eckardt and Derrick Brian Smith were arrested and charged with conspiracy in the attack of skater Nancy Kerrigan.
- 1995: The America3 became the first all-female crew to win an America's Cup race by defeating four-time champion Dennis Connor and the Stars & Stripes on the first day of the defenders trials.
- 2001: An earthquake hits El Salvador, killing more than 800.