JULY 13 | Birthdays and Events
Historical Events on July 13
Events that occurred on July 13 throughout history
The Congress of the Confederation establishes governing rules for the Northwest Territory in the U.S..
The Congress of the Confederation enacts the Northwest Ordinance, which established governing rules for the Northwest Territory. The Ordinance also established procedures for the admission of new states and limits the expansion of slavery.
The Charleston Workhouse Slave Rebellion beging.
The Charleston Workhouse Slave Rebellion begins in Charleston, South Carolina. Led by an enslaved man named Nicholas Kelly, rebellion liberated 37 enslaved people into the streets. The Charleston "Sugar House" was located on Magazine Street, adjacent to the Old Charleston Jail and housed slaves were confined and brutally punish.
The New York City draft riots begin three days of rioting.
The New York City draft riots begin three days of rioting. The riots were driven by working-class white men (Irish immigrants) who were angered by a provision allowing wealthy individuals to pay a $300 to avoid being drafted. The riot is regarded as the worst in U.S. history.
The first artificial intelligence workshop commences.
The first artificial intelligence workshop commences at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The two month summer event gathered mathematicians, computer scientists, and cognitive researchers to lay the groundwork for simulating human learning and intelligence with machines. It is considered to be the birthplace of AI as an academic discipline and the place where the term "artificial intelligence" was first coined.
A secret Oval Office taping system is revealed to the Senate Watergate Committee.
Alexander Butterfield reveals the evidence of President Richard Nixon's secret recordings to the Senate Watergate Committee regarding his involvement in Watergate. The damning evidence provided irrefutable evidence of the cover-up that ultimately led to Nixon's resignation.
Vice President George H. W. Bush becomes the Acting President for a day.
Vice President George H. W. Bush becomes the Acting President for the day when President Ronald Reagan undergoes surgery to remove polyps from his colon.
Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas attack US Army and Afghan National Army troops in Afghanistan.
The Taliban and al-Qaeda guerrillas attack the U.S. Army and Afghan National Army troops in Afghanistan. The Battle of Wanat resulted in the most U.S. deaths in a single battle since the beginning of operations in 2001.
Famous Birthdays
People born on July 13
John Jacob Astor IV
Died: April 15, 1912
Business magnate, real estate developer, and investor who was a member of the Astor family. He was among the most prominent American passengers aboard RMS Titanic and perished along with 1,495 others when the ship sank. He was thought to be among the richest people in the world at that time, with a net worth of roughly $87 million when he died.
Magda Foy
Died: February 22, 2026
Child actress who starred in over 24 films between 1910-1913.
Marcia Brown
Died: April 28, 2015
Author and illustrator of more than 30 children's books, including Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, Puss in Boots, and Stone Soup: An Old Tale.
Colonel James H. Harvey
U.S. Army Air Force (later US Air Force) fighter pilot and Tuskegee Airman during WWII.
Bob Crane
Died: June 29, 1978
American actor best known for his role as Colonel Robert Hogan in the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes.
Harrison Ford
Critically acclaimed and multi-award winning actor with starring roles in Star Wars, Indiana Jones series, and The Fugitive.
Didi Conn
Actress best known for her role as Frenchy in Grease.
Ken Jeong
Actor and comedian recognized for his hilarious role as Leslie Chow in The Hangover film series. Jeong is also a physician and licensed in the state of California.
Stewart Culin
Died: April 8, 1929
Author interested in games, art and dress. Culin was also an ethnographer who concentrated his early studies on Asian-Americans workers in Philadelphia. His first published works were The Practice of Medicine by the Chinese in America.