What Happened on September 13?

September 13 is Roald Dahl Day — celebrating the birthday of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory author — on the same date Super Mario Bros. launched in Japan in 1985, Union soldiers found Lee's Special Order 191 in 1862, and Mary Kay Ash started her company in 1963.

• 1759 — Battle of the Plains of Abraham decides Quebec's fate

  On September 13, 1759, British forces defeated the French on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec City — a turning point in the Seven Years' War in North America. Read the full story →

• 1862 — Union soldiers find Lee's Special Order 191 before Antietam

  On September 13, 1862, Union troops near Frederick, Maryland, discovered a lost copy of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Special Order 191. Read the full story →

• 1948 — Margaret Chase Smith is elected to the U.S. Senate

  On September 13, 1948, Maine voters elected Margaret Chase Smith to the U.S. Senate — making her the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress. Read the full story →

• 1963 — Mary Kay Ash launches Mary Kay Cosmetics

  On September 13, 1963, entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash started her cosmetics company in Dallas with her life savings and her son's help. Read the full story →

• 1985 — Super Mario Bros. is released in Japan

  On September 13, 1985, Nintendo released Super Mario Bros. in Japan — a game that redefined side-scrolling adventure and revived the home video-game market. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) · Tyler Perry (1969) · Fiona Apple (1977) · Stella McCartney (1971)

Days & observances

Roald Dahl Day · National Peanut Day · National Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day · International Chocolate Day