What Happened on March 13?

March 13 is a giant day for discoveries: a musician found a whole new planet through his homemade telescope in 1781, another new planet was announced exactly 149 years later, and in 2013 the world got its first pope from the Americas!

• 1781 — William Herschel discovers Uranus

  Slightly before midnight in his Bath garden, musician-turned-astronomer William Herschel spotted a strange disc through his homemade telescope — the first new planet discovered since ancient times. Read the full story →

• 1930 — Discovery of Pluto announced at Lowell Observatory

  Exactly 149 years after Uranus, astronomers announced a ninth planet — found by a Kansas farm boy hired fresh off the family farm, and named by an 11-year-old girl. Read the full story →

• 2013 — White smoke: Cardinal Bergoglio becomes Pope Francis

  After five rounds of voting, white smoke rose over St. Peter's Square — Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, the first pope ever from the Americas. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Joseph Priestley (1733–1804) · Abigail Fillmore (1798–1853) · William H. Macy (1950)

Days & observances

National K9 Veterans Day · National Good Samaritan Day