On This Day in History - October 13th - Almanac

Today is Sunday, Oct. 13, the 287th day of 2024 with 79 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Mars, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Venus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include American Revolutionary War heroine Molly Pitcher in 1754; editorial cartoonist Herbert Block in 1909; British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1925; Jesse L. Brown, the first Black American naval aviator, in 1926; actor Melinda Dillon in 1939; musician Paul Simon in 1941 (age 83); Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in 1942 (age 82); musician Robert Lamm (Chicago) in 1944 (age 80); musician Sammy Hagar (Van Halen) in 1947 (age 77); horse racing Hall of Fame member Pat Day in 1953 (age 71); filmmaker Chris Carter in 1956 (age 68); musician Marie Osmond in 1959 (age 65); musician Joey Belladonna (Anthrax) in 1960 (age 64); NBA coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers in 1961 (age 63); actor Kelly Preston in 1962; Football Hall of Fame member Jerry Rice in 1962 (age 62); actor Matt Walsh in 1964 (age 60); Cuban Olympic gold medal high jump specialist Javier Sotomayor in 1967 (age 57); actor Kate Walsh in 1967 (age 57); actor Tisha Campbell-Martin in 1968 (age 56); figure skater Nancy Kerrigan in 1969 (age 55); actor Sacha Baron Cohen in 1971 (age 53); TV personality Billy Bush in 1971 (age 53); musician Jan Van Sichem Junior (K's Choice) in 1972 (age 52); musician Ashanti Douglas in 1980 (age 44); Australian Olympic gold medal swimmer Ian Thorpe in 1982 (age 42); former first daughter Tiffany Trump in 1993 (age 31); musician Jimin, born Park Ji-min, (BTS) in 1995 (age 29); actor Caleb McLaughlin in 2001 (age 23).

On this date in history:

In 1775, the Continental Congress ordered construction of America's first naval fleet.

In 1792, the cornerstone to the White House in Washington was laid. It would be November 1800 before the first presidential family -- that of John Adams -- moved in.

In 1903, the Boston Americans (later known as the Red Sox) beat the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the first modern World Series, five games to three.

In 1917, up to 100,000 people gathered in Fatima, Portugal, for the "Miracle of the Sun" and its strange solar activity and, for many, a reported glimpse of the Virgin Mary.

In 1943, conquered by the Allies, Italy declared war on Germany, its Axis former partner.

In 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 carrying 45 people, including a rugby team from Montevideo, crashed in the Andes mountains. It would take 72 days for rescuers to learn the fate of the survivors, and by that time, only 16 were left to tell their story. The survivor's harrowing story was brought to the big screen in the 1993 feature film, Alive.

In 1972, more than 170 people were killed in a Soviet airliner crash near Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport.

In 1987, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize -- the first winner from Central America. Arias was recognized for his work promoting democracy and peace in Central America.

In 1990, Syrian forces moved into Lebanon, removing Christian militia leader General Michel Aoun from power, effectively ending the Lebanese Civil War.

In 1994, two months after the Irish Republican Army announced a cease-fire, the Ulster Volunteer Force and Ulster Freedom Fighters, the two main paramilitary groups fighting to keep Northern Ireland with its Protestant majority in the United Kingdom, announced a cease-fire.

In 2010, after more than two months entombed half a mile under the Chilean desert, the first of 33 trapped miners was pulled to safety in a narrow passageway drilled through more than 2,000 feet of rock, to be followed in the next 24 hours by the rest of the crew in a dramatic finale to a remarkable rescue mission.

In 2013, a stampede by masses of worshipers crossing a bridge over the Sindh River at a Hindu festival in India's Madhya Pradesh state killed more than 100 people and injured scores of others. A police official said people panicked as rumors spread that the bridge was collapsing.

In 2019, American Simone Biles became the most decorated gymnast in history with her record 25th gold medal at the World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.

In 2021, Star Trek actor William Shatner, at 90, became the oldest person to go to space. He traveled with three others aboard a Blue Origin capsule and returned 11 minutes after reaching space.

In 2022, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol unanimously voted to subpoena former President Donald Trump, seeking to hear from him directly.

A thought for the day: "Poor is a state of mind you never grow out of, but being broke is just a temporary condition." -- American comedian/actor Dick Gregory