Discover what happened on May 13 in history, along with notable events that shaped communication, transportation, and entertainment.
What Happened on May 13 in History?
Important events on this day include the opening of Michigan State University, the registration of the Velcro trademark, and the final episode of Frasier airing on NBC.
MAY 13 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1607 – An expedition led by Captain Christopher Newport arrived at Jamestown, VA. The passengers went ashore the next day, and this site became the first permanent English colony in America.
1821 – The first practical printing press was patented in the U.S. by Samuel Rust.
1857 – Michigan Agricultural College opened in Lansing, MI, with 75 students. It is now known as Michigan State University.
1873 – Ludwig M. Wolf patented the sewing machine lamp holder.
1880 – Thomas Edison tested his experimental electric railway in Menlo Park, NJ.
1897 – Guglielmo Marconi sent the world’s first wireless communication over open sea.
1911 – The New York Giants set a major league baseball record. Ten runners crossed home plate before the first out of the game against St. Louis.
1918 – The first airmail postage stamps were issued with airplanes on them. The denominations were 6, 16, and 24 cents.
1939 – The first commercial FM radio station in the U.S. was launched in Bloomfield, CT. The station later became WDRC-FM.
1949 – The first gas turbine to pump natural gas was installed in Wilmar, AR.
1950 – Diner’s Club issued the first credit cards.
1954 – President Dwight Eisenhower signed into law the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Act.
1958 – The trademark “Velcro” was registered.
1958 – Ben Carlin became the first (and only) person to circumnavigate the world by amphibious vehicle. He traveled over 11,000 miles by sea and 39,000 miles by land during a ten-year journey.
1967 – Mickey Mantle hit his 500th homerun.
1970 – “Let It Be”, a British documentary film starring the Beatles, premiered.
1979 – Max Robinson joined ABC’s “World News Tonight” and became the first black anchorman on a national network.
1980 – A deadly F3 tornado ripped through the downtown Kalamazoo business district. President Jimmy Carter declared it a Federal disaster area.
1981 – Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter’s Square.
1982 – The Chicago Cubs became the first major league baseball team to win 8,000 games.
1985 – Tony Perez became the oldest major league baseball player to hit a grand slam home run at the age of 42 and 11 months.
1994 – Johnny Carson made his last television appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman”.
2002 – Dionne Warwick was arrested at Miami International Airport after baggage screeners found 11 marijuana cigarettes inside her lipstick container. She was later cleared of the charges.
2003 – The U.S. government unveiled a newly designed version of the $20 bill. It was the first to be colorized in an effort to stop counterfeiters.
2004 – NBC aired the final episode of TV’s “Frasier”. It was on the air for 11 seasons.
2008 – A 42 cent postage stamp honoring Frank Sinatra went on sale on the 10th anniversary of his death.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON MAY 13:
Zohra Lampert – 89 years old (1937) – Actress
Harvey Keitel – 87 years old (1939) – Actor
Jody Conradt – 85 years old (1941) – Basketball player and coach
Armistead Maupin – 82 years old (1944) – Author, screenwriter, and actor
Lou Marini – 81 years old (1945) – Saxophonist and composer
Marv Wolfman – 80 years old (1946) – Author
Zoë Wanamaker – 77 years old (1949) – American-British actress
Bobby Valentine – 76 years old (1950) – Baseball player and manager
Stevie Wonder – 76 years old (1950) – Singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
John Kasich – 74 years old (1952) – Politician, 69th Governor of Ohio
Londa Schiebinger – 74 years old (1952) – Academic and author
Siobhan Fallon Hogan – 65 years old (1961) – Actress
Dennis Rodman – 65 years old (1961) – Basketball player, wrestler, and actor
Stephen Colbert – 62 years old (1964) – Comedian and talk show host
Darius Rucker – 60 years old (1966) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist
Buckethead – 57 years old (1969) – Guitarist and songwriter
Trajan Langdon – 50 years old (1976) – Basketball player and executive
Tom Cotton – 49 years old (1977) – Politician
Pusha T – 49 years old (1977) – Rapper
Mike Bibby – 48 years old (1978) – Basketball player and coach
Barry Zito – 48 years old (1978) – Baseball player
Oguchi Onyewu – 44 years old (1982) – Footballer
Dawn Harper – 42 years old (1984) – Hurdler
Lena Dunham – 40 years old (1986) – Actress, director, and screenwriter
Candice King – 39 years old (1987) – Singer-songwriter and actress
Mychal Givens – 36 years old (1990) – Baseball player
Tyrann Mathieu – 34 years old (1992) – Football player
Abby Dahlkemper – 33 years old (1993) – Footballer
Debby Ryan – 33 years old (1993) – Actress and singer
Morgan Wallen – 33 years old (1993) – Singer-songwriter
Nico Hoerner – 29 years old (1997) – Baseball player
Jaxson Dart – 23 years old (2003) – Football player
Jabari Smith Jr. – 23 years old (2003) – Basketball player
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR MAY 13:
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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.
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