January 13
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Christianfeast day:
BlessedVeronica of Milan, Elian, Hilary of Poitiers, Mungo, St. Knut's DayorTjugondag Knut, the last day of Christmas. (SwedenandFinland), January 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
A Christian feast day honoring several saints, including Blessed Veronica of Milan, St. Elian, St. Hilary of Poitiers, and St. Mungo. In Sweden and Finland, it is observed as St. Knut's Day (Tjugondag Knut), marking the traditional end of the Christmas season.
Constitution Day(Mongolia)
A public holiday in Mongolia marking the adoption of the nation’s constitution in 1992, celebrated with official ceremonies and cultural events.
Democracy Day (Cape Verde)
An official observance in Cape Verde celebrating the establishment of democratic governance following the country’s first multiparty elections.
Liberation Day (Togo)
Old New Year's Eve (Russia,Belarus,Ukraine,Serbia,Montenegro,Republic of Srpska,North Macedonia), and its related observances:
Malanka(Ukraine,Russia,Belarus)
Celebration of the New Year according to the Julian calendar on January 13, observed in several Eastern Orthodox and Slavic countries as Malanka and Tjugondag Knut.
Siderealwinter solstice's eve celebrations in South and Southeast Asian cultures; the last day of the six-monthDakshinayanaperiod(seeJanuary 14):
Bhogi(Andhra Pradesh,Tamil Nadu), Lohri(Punjab,Haryana,Himachal Pradesh), Uruka(Assam)
Regional harvest and winter festivals in South and Southeast Asia marking the eve of the sidereal winter solstice, celebrated as Bhogi, Lohri, and Uruka.
Stephen Foster Memorial Day(United States)
A U.S. observance honoring the life and music of Stephen Foster, the 'father of American music', marking the anniversary of his death on January 13, 1864.
Yennayer(Berbers)
The Berber New Year, known as Yennayer, marking the first day of the agrarian Berber calendar with traditional meals and festivities.
BlessedVeronica of Milan
A Christian feast day honoring Blessed Veronica of Milan, a Franciscan tertiary remembered for her humility and charitable works.
Events
Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years.
In 27 BC, Octavian returned sovereign power to the Roman Senate and people, securing Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his provinces for ten years.
The Nika riots break out, during the racing season at the Hippodrome in Constantinople, as a result of discontent with the rule of the Emperor Justinian I.
In 532, the Nika riots erupted in Constantinople's Hippodrome amid widespread discontent with Emperor Justinian I's rule.
Sicut Dudum, forbidding the enslavement by the Spanish of the Guanche natives in Canary Islands who had converted, or were converting to, Christianity, is promulgated by Pope Eugene IV.
Pope Eugene IV issues Sicut Dudum in 1435, prohibiting the enslavement of converted Guanche natives in the Canary Islands.
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is sentenced to death for treason, on the grounds of having quartered his arms to make them similar to those of the King, Henry VIII of England.
In 1547, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, is condemned for treason over the use of royal-style heraldry and later executed.
Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville, representative of Revolutionary France, is lynched by a mob in Rome.
In 1793, Revolutionary French envoy Nicolas Jean Hugon de Bassville is lynched by a hostile mob in Rome.
French Revolutionary Wars: A naval battle between a French ship of the line and two British frigates off the coast of Brittany ends with the French vessel running aground, resulting in over 900 deaths.
In 1797, a French ship of the line is lost off Brittany in a naval battle during the French Revolutionary Wars, killing over 900.
War of 1812: British troops capture Fort Peter in St. Marys, Georgia, the only battle of the war to take place in the state.
In 1815, British forces seize Fort Peter in St. Marys, Georgia—the sole War of 1812 engagement in the state.
The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus.
In 1822, the First National Assembly at Epidaurus officially adopts the design of the blue-and-white Greek flag.
United States President Andrew Jackson writes to Vice President elect Martin Van Buren expressing his opposition to South Carolina's defiance of federal authority in the Nullification Crisis.
In 1833, President Andrew Jackson opposes South Carolina's nullification stance in a letter to Vice President Martin Van Buren.
Births
Guangwu of Han
Born as Liu Xiu, he became the founding emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty and reigned from AD 25 to 57, restoring stability after the collapse of the Xin dynasty.
Lucius Aelius
Lucius Aelius was the adopted son and heir of Roman Emperor Hadrian, groomed for succession before his untimely death.
Al-Hakam II
Al-Hakam II was the Umayyad Caliph of Córdoba known for his patronage of knowledge and expansion of the royal library during the golden age of Al-Andalus.
Henry II
Henry II was King of Castile and León who seized the throne in 1369, founding the Trastámara dynasty after overthrowing his half-brother Peter the Cruel.
Chŏng Mong-ju
Chŏng Mong-ju was a Goryeo-era Korean civil minister, diplomat, and scholar renowned for his unwavering loyalty and poetic talent.
Colette of Corbie
Saint Colette of Corbie was a French abbess who reformed the Poor Clares and founded the Colettine branch of the Franciscan order.
Infante John
Infante John of Portugal was the Constable of Portugal and a key royal figure during the early 15th century, serving as a military commander and statesman.
Henry Percy
Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, was an English nobleman who managed the northern border with Scotland and held significant influence at court.
Joachim II Hector
Joachim II Hector was the Elector of Brandenburg who embraced the Protestant Reformation and modernized his territories.
Deaths
Gaius Marius
Roman general and statesman known for his military reforms and unprecedented seven consulships.
Remigius
French bishop who played a key role in the Christianization of the Frankish kingdom and is venerated as a saint.
Mungo
Patron saint of Glasgow, Mungo was a 6th-century monk and bishop credited with founding monasteries and spreading Christianity in Scotland.
Jitō
Empress of Japan who strengthened imperial rule and oversaw significant legal and cultural reforms during her reign.
Æthelwulf
King of Wessex who secured his kingdom's western frontier and laid the foundations for his son Alfred the Great’s future reign.
Charles the Fat
Last Carolingian ruler to reunite the Frankish Empire, reigning briefly as Emperor of the Romans in the late 9th century.
Berno of Cluny
First abbot of Cluny Abbey who founded the Cluniac Reform and revitalized monastic life across medieval Europe.
Fujiwara no Teishi
Empress consort during the Heian period who influenced court culture and politics through her patronage of the arts.
Robert de Craon
Second Grand Master of the Knights Templar who oversaw the order's expansion during the early Crusades.