What Happened on June 13?
June 13 is National Sewing Machine Day — honoring an invention that clothed the world — on the same date Pioneer 10 crossed Neptune's orbit, the Supreme Court established Miranda rights, and the Pentagon Papers were published.
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1777 — French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette arrives to fight for American independence
Nineteen-year-old Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, landed in South Carolina on June 13, 1777, eager to join the Revolutionary War. Read the full story →
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1893 — President Grover Cleveland undergoes secret cancer surgery on a yacht
On June 13, 1893, President Cleveland had a tumor removed from his mouth during a hidden operation aboard a friend's yacht to avoid alarming the public. Read the full story →
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1944 — Germany launches the first V-1 flying bombs against London
On June 13, 1944, Nazi Germany fired the first V-1 'buzz bomb' cruise missiles at London — a new kind of long-range robotic weapon. Read the full story →
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1966 — Supreme Court establishes Miranda rights for criminal suspects
On June 13, 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona that police must inform suspects of their rights before questioning. Read the full story →
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1971 — The New York Times begins publishing the Pentagon Papers
On June 13, 1971, The New York Times started printing the Pentagon Papers — a secret government study revealing how the U.S. entered and escalated the Vietnam War. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
William Butler Yeats (1865–1939) · Tim Allen (1953) · Mary-Kate Olsen (1986) · Basil Rathbone (1892–1967)
Days & observances
National Sewing Machine Day · Weed Your Garden Day · Kitchen Klutzes of America Day · International Albinism Awareness Day