October 13

What happened on October 13 in history

5 events fall on October 13, from 1307 to 1972. Read them below, then try to place a historical scene yourself — guess where in the world it happened and in what year.

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Events on October 13

  1. 1307

    The Templars are arrested

    Philip IV has the order seized across France in a single dawn operation.

    Play the Medieval & Renaissance round

  2. 1792

    The White House cornerstone is laid

    The cornerstone of the president's house is laid in Washington.

    Play the Exploration & revolution round

  3. 1884

    Greenwich becomes the prime meridian

    An international conference in Washington fixes longitude zero.

    Play the 19th century round

  4. 1917

    The Miracle of the Sun

    A crowd at Fatima reports the sun dancing in the sky.

    Play the 20th century round

  5. 1972

    The Andes plane crash

    A Uruguayan team's plane goes down in the mountains; sixteen survive seventy-two days.

    Play the 20th century round