September 13

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1501 – Michelangelo began work on his statue of David.

1788 – It was decided that the first federal election would be held on Wednesday the following February (1789) by the Constitutional Convention. On that day, George Washington was elected as the first President of the United States. Also, New York, NY, was named the temporary National Capital.

1789 – The United States Government took out its first loan.

1870 – The railroad line from Fort Wayne, IN to Grand Rapids, MI was opened for business.

1814 – In a turning point in the War of 1812, the British failed to capture Baltimore. It was during this battle that Francis Scott Key would compose his poem “Defence of Fort McHenry”. The poem would later be set to music and become the National Anthem of the United States.

1890 – The last railroad tie was laid for the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad.

1892 – Central Michigan University opened its doors as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute,

1898 – Celluloid photographic film, which is used to make movies, was patented by Hannibal Williston Goodwin.

1899 – Henry Bliss was the first person in the U.S. to be killed in an automobile accident.

1935 – Aviator Howard Hughes, Jr., of Houston, TX, set a new airspeed record of 352 mph with his H-1 airplane.

1948 – Margaret Chase Smith was elected to the U.S. Senate. She became the first woman to serve in both houses of the U.S. Congress.

1949 – The Ladies Professional Golf Association of America (LPGA) was formed in New York, NY.

1956 – The IBM 305 RAMAC was introduced. It was the first commercial computer to use disk storage.

1959 – The Soviet Union’s Luna 2 became the first space probe to reach the Moon. It was launched the day before.

1960 – Payola was banned by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

1969 – The Hanna-Barbera cartoon “Scooby Doo, Where Are You?”, debuted on CBS TV’s Saturday morning lineup.

1970 – The first New York City Marathon took place.

1971 – The World Hockey Association was formed.

1977 – General Motors introduced the first diesel automobiles.

1985 – Super Mario Bros. was released in Japan for NES, which started the Super Mario series of games.

1988 – Hurricane Gilbert was the strongest recorded hurricane in the Western Hemisphere based on parametric pressure. It was replaced by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

1989 – Fay Vincent was named commissioner of Major League Baseball, succeeding the late A. Bartlett Giamatti.

1990 – The criminal justice TV show “Law & Order” debuted.

1993 – “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” premiered on NBC.

1994 – President Bill Clinton signed a $30 billion crime bill into law.

1998 – The New York Times closed its Web site after hackers added offensive material.

2001 – Secretary of State Colin Powell named Osama bin Laden as the prime suspect in the terror attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Civilian aircraft traffic resumed in the U.S. for the first time in two days.

2004 – Each of the 276 studio audience members at Oprah Winfrey’s season premiere received the keys to a new Pontiac G-6 sedan!

2004 – The law banning private possession of 19 types of semi-automatic weapons expired. The Bush administration was criticized for bowing to the National Rifle Association, which opposed extending the ban, and for not urging Congress to extend it.

2007 – The National Football League dished out $750,000 in fines against the New England Patriots and the team’s head coach, Bill Belichick, for using video cameras to steal the signals of opposing teams. The team was caught in the act while trouncing the New York Jets days earlier. The team would also lose a first-round draft pick.

2008 – Hurricane Ike made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast, causing heavy damage to Galveston Island, Houston, and the surrounding areas.

2017 – The International Olympic Committee announced Paris (2024) and Los Angeles (2028) will host the Olympic games.

BIRTHDAYS:

Barbara Bain – 94 years old (1931) – Actress

Don Bluth – 88 years old (1937) – Animator, director, and producer, co-founded Sullivan Bluth Studios and Fox Animation Studios

Joel-Peter Witkin – 86 years old (1939) – Photographer

Mildred D. Taylor – 82 years old (1943) – Author

Peter Cetera – 81 years old (1944) – Singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer

Frank Marshall – 79 years old (1946) – Director and producer

Jim Cleamons – 76 years old (1949) – Basketball player and coach

John W. Henry – 76 years old (1949) – Businessman

Christine Estabrook – 75 years old (1950) – Actress

Jean Smart – 74 years old (1951) – Actress

Randy Jones – 73 years old (1952) – Pop and disco singer

Don Was – 73 years old (1952) – Bass player and producer

Isiah Whitlock Jr. – 71 years old (1954) – Actor

Joe Morris – 70 years old (1955) – Guitarist and composer

Vinny Appice – 68 years old (1957) – Rock drummer

Judy Blumberg – 68 years old (1957) – Ice dancer and sportscaster

Brad Hooker – 68 years old (1957) – English-American philosopher and academic

John G. Trueschler – 68 years old (1957) – Lawyer and politician

Mark Wiebe – 68 years old (1957) – Golfer

Keith Black – 68 years old (1957) – Neurosurgeon and academic

Bob Eggleton – 65 years old (1960) – Artist

Dave Mustaine – 64 years old (1961) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer

Peter Roskam – 64 years old (1961) – Lawyer and politician

Neal Lancaster – 63 years old (1962) – Golfer

Tavis Smiley – 61 years old (1964) – Talk show host, journalist, and author

Annie Duke – 60 years old (1965) – Poker player and author

Jeff Ross – 60 years old (1965) – Comedian, director, and author

Michael Johnson – 58 years old (1967) – Former sprinter and journalist

Tim "Ripper" Owens – 58 years old (1967) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Stephen Perkins – 58 years old (1967) – Drummer and songwriter

Brad Johnson – 57 years old (1968) – Football player

Bernie Williams – 57 years old (1968) – Puerto Rican-American baseball player and guitarist

Dominic Fumusa – 56 years old (1969) – Actor

Tyler Perry – 56 years old (1969) – Actor, director, producer, and screenwriter

Travis Knight – 51 years old (1974) – Basketball player

Joe Don Rooney – 50 years old (1975) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Ro Khanna – 49 years old (1976) – Politician

Fiona Apple – 48 years old (1977) – Singer-songwriter, producer, and pianist

Swizz Beatz – 47 years old (1978) – Rapper and producer

Ben Savage – 45 years old (1980) – Actor

Angelina Love – 44 years old (1981) – Canadian-American wrestler

Rickie Weeks – 43 years old (1982) – Baseball player

Colin Marston – 43 years old (1982) – Guitarist, bassist, and producer/engineer

Molly Crabapple – 42 years old (1983) – Illustrator and journalist

Nabil Abou-Harb – 41 years old (1984) – Director, producer, and screenwriter

Baron Corbin – 41 years old (1984) – Wrestler

Derek Hardman – 39 years old (1986) – Football player

Sean Williams – 39 years old (1986) – Basketball player

Darren Waller – 33 years old (1992) – Football player

Sepp Kuss – 31 years old (1994) – Professional cyclist

Lili Reinhart – 29 years old (1996) – Actress

TODAY IS:

• International Chocolate Day: From rich truffles to creamy spreads, indulge in the decadent taste of chocolate — the ultimate mood-booster.
• Positive Thinking Day: Let go of the negativity in life and spend the day thinking positively, from morning affirmations to mindful reading, and see a boost in your mood and even productivity.
• Programmers Day: Give a big thanks to the programmers who make the technological world run, from your favorite apps to video games and websites and much more.
• Roald Dahl Day: Donate to Roald Dahl’s Marvelous Children’s Charity and revisit some of your favorite childhood books like “James and the Giant Peach” and “Matilda”.
• Supernatural Day: Get your nerdy friends together and start a Supernatural marathon, following the lives of demon and monster hunters Sam and Dean Winchester over 15 seasons.
• Cachaça Day: Cachaça Day is a celebration of Brazil's most iconic spirit. Cachaça, often called the soul of Brazil, is a distilled liquor made from fresh sugarcane juice. The types of this spirit range from the bold flavors of unaged varieties to the complex notes found in those matured in various types...
• National Peanut Day: These small, crunchy snacks come in many varieties, from boiled to roasted, are packed with protein, and have been enjoyed for centuries.
• National Celiac Disease Awareness Day: What would life be without bread and other glutens? For those with Celiac’s, that’s every day. Try going a day without gluten to see how difficult this diet is.
• German Language Day: Experience the language and beautiful culture of Germany. From "Guten Tag" to "Auf Wiedersehen", German is a language worth exploring.
• National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day: Involve your kids in cooking and meal prep to teach them valuable lessons about making food…and hopefully to give yourself a break from all the cooking.
• National Defy Superstition Day: Face your fears and put those superstitions to a test. Walk under ladders, open an umbrella indoors, step on a crack or gather a group of 13 together.
• Farmers’ Consumer Awareness Day: Farmers' Consumer Awareness Day is a special event that bridges the gap between those who grow our food and those who consume it. It offers a chance for the public to gain a deeper understanding of the hard work, dedication, and expertise that goes into producing the food we enjoy. Through...
• National Twilighters Day: National Twilighters Day celebrates the global community behind Stephanie Meyer’s vampire saga. It brings fans together around stories of young love, mystery, and belonging. Fans from varied backgrounds feel drawn to these characters and the setting in Forks, Washington. Every fan gathering pulses with excitement, shared laughter, discussions, and heartfelt...
• Uncle Sam Day: Americans, and those who appreciate the culture and history of the United States, can enjoy the celebration of this fun and unique holiday. It’s time for Uncle Sam Day! History of Uncle Sam Day The origins of referring to the United States as “Uncle Sam” go back to the early...
• International Drive Your Studebaker Day: If you’re one of the lucky people who own a classic luxury Studebaker, take it out on the road and show it off on International Drive Your Studebaker Day.
• National Scooby-Doo Day: Scooby-Doo fans get their moment each year when a special day rolls in to honor their favorite crime-solving pup. The spotlight swings to that lovable dog who tackles spooky mysteries with snacks and teamwork. This isn’t just for kids—grown-ups dive in too, drawn by memories and laughter. There's something irresistible about...
• National Hug Your Boss Day: Brightening the boss's day with an unexpected gesture that's warmer than a handshake can turn the office vibe up a notch.
• World First Aid Day: World First Aid Day marks a global moment to highlight first aid skills. It shows how simple acts—like applying pressure to a wound or spotting trouble—can save lives. The message reaches streets, parks, and schools with upbeat energy. Communities learn to act fast. Every step feels hopeful and practical. More...
• Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day: Pet Birth Defect Awareness Day is about understanding congenital health problems in our pets. It tells a simple truth: some puppies and kittens arrive with physical or internal issues. These can range from cleft palates and limb deformities to invisible heart or organ defects. Pets can still thrive with early...
• National Bald Is Beautiful Day: A smooth head can turn heads—and National Bald Is Beautiful Day makes sure it does. This day cheers on the bold look that stands out in a world full of trends. Whether someone shaves it all off or loses hair over time, going bald takes guts. And sometimes, that clean...
• Crayfish Party: Crayfish Party is a lively and festive occasion celebrated with friends and family. This event marks the end of summer, bringing people together for a joyful feast. Tables are often set with bright decorations, and the air is filled with laughter. The menu features cooked and seasoned crayfish. The atmosphere...
• National Neonatal Nurses Week : Providing compassionate care to newborns and support for families, these healthcare heroes play a crucial role in healthcare.
• Rtveli: Rtveli is a vibrant grape harvest festival celebrated across Georgia. It is a joyful blend of hard work and celebration. It's a time when people unite to collect the fruits of their labor and honor the cultural heritage of winemaking that has been cherished for generations. The festival extends beyond...
• National Child Protection Week: National Child Protection Week is a fantastic opportunity to come together and focus on keeping our kids safe. It's all about raising awareness, having fun, and learning important safety tips. This week serves as a powerful reminder that everyone plays a role in protecting children. The theme underscores the importance...
• National Waffle Week: National Waffle Week is a delightful celebration of one of the most beloved breakfast foods. It shines a spotlight on waffles and encourages people to enjoy this crispy, golden treat in all its forms. Throughout this week, waffle lovers are invited to explore different recipes and toppings, transforming their morning...
• Fiesta de San Pacho: Fiesta de San Pacho is a vibrant celebration that fills the streets of Quibdó with music, dance, and color. The festival honors Saint Francis of Assisi, blending Catholic traditions with Afro-Colombian culture uniquely and joyfully. As the day unfolds, the city becomes a stage where people showcase their rich heritage...
• European Heritage Days: European Heritage Days open doors across Europe, inviting people to explore places often hidden from view. From grand palaces to quiet chapels, these events reveal stories etched into stone and wood. Each year, around 70,000 events unfold across 48 countries, offering free access to cultural sites and experiences. It's a...
• National Assisted Living Week : When older folks who need a little help move into an assisted living facility, it can sometimes feel isolating. National Assisted Living Week is here to bring attention to the ways that communities can live in a more multi-generational manner, and honor those in all phases of life while promoting...

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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.