What Happened on April 13?

April 13 is Thomas Jefferson's birthday — the author of the Declaration of Independence — on the same date an oxygen tank exploded aboard Apollo 13 in 1970 and a U.S.–Japan commerce treaty took effect in 1912.

• 1598 — King Henry IV of France signs the Edict of Nantes

  Henry IV granted French Protestants (Huguenots) freedom of worship — ending decades of religious civil wars that had torn France apart. Read the full story →

• 1743 — Thomas Jefferson is born at Shadwell, Virginia

  The future author of the Declaration of Independence, third U.S. president, and founder of the University of Virginia was born on April 13, 1743. Read the full story →

• 1870 — New York legislators grant a charter for the Metropolitan Museum of Art

  The New York State Legislature approved a charter creating the Met — today one of the world's largest and most visited art museums. Read the full story →

• 1912 — The U.S.–Japan Commerce and Navigation Treaty takes effect

  A trade agreement signed in 1911 went into force on April 13, 1912 — granting reciprocal trading rights and marking improved economic ties between the United States and Japan. Read the full story →

• 1943 — The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.

  On Thomas Jefferson's 200th birthday, President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated a white marble monument honoring the author of the Declaration of Independence and third U.S. president. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) · Samuel Beckett (1906–1989) · Al Green (1946) · Guy Fawkes (1570–1606)

Days & observances

Thomas Jefferson's Birthday · National Scrabble Day · National Peach Cobbler Day · International Day of Pink