JUNE 13 | Birthdays and Events
Famous Birthdays
People born on June 13
William Austin Burt
Died: August 18, 1858
William Austin Burt was an inventor, legislator, surveyor, and millwright. He invented the typographer, which would later become known as the typewriter. He also invented the solar compass, a device that indicated the direction of the Sun at a specified time could be calculated if the position of the observer on the surface of the Earth is known.
Wallace Clement Sabine
Died: January 10, 1919
Physicist who founded the field of architectural acoustics, believing the engineering of a building impacted the sound of music. He used this theory when Boston's Symphony Hall, which is considered one of the best concert halls in the world for its acoustics.
Luis Walter Alvarez
Died: September 1, 1988
Physicist who discovered of resonance states in particle physics using the hydrogen bubble chamber (peaks of energy in subatomic particles). His works led to the Alvarez hypothesis, which helped determine the purpose behind why something became extinct, including the event that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs extinction was the result of an asteroid impact.
Ralph Edwards
Died: November 6, 2005
Known as the creator and host of the radio show, and later television, This is Your Life and game show host of Truth or Consequences.
Don Budge
Died: January 26, 2000
The first tennis player (male or female) to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in one year, completing the Grand Slam. He is considered to have had one of the best backhands in the history of tennis.
Ed Shames
Died: December 3, 2021
WWII Army Paratrooper. He was the last officer of the 101st Airborne-Easy Company 506th Regiment, which was portrayed in the movie Band of Brothers.
Bob McGrath
Died: December 4, 2022
Actor best known for his role of Bob on Sesame Street.
Richard Thomas
Actor most recognized for his role as John-Boy on the television series The Waltons.
Tim Allen
Actor known as "Tim the Toolman" on the television series Home Improvement. He is also the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise and Santa Claus in the Santa Claus franchise.
Ally Sheedy
Actress highly recognized by her roles in The Breakfast Club (1985) and St. Elmo's Fire (1985). She stepped away from acting and became a published author and is currently a professor at the City College of New York.
Audrey Niffenegger
Award winning author of The Time Traveler's Wife (2003), which was made into a motion picture in 2009.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Child actresses known for their roles as Michelle in Full House. The twins retired from acting in 2012 at the age of 26 and became successful fashion designers.
Historical Events on June 13
Events that occurred on June 13 throughout history
Rhode Island becomes the first North American colony to pass an act prohibiting the importation of enslaved people.
Rhode Island made history by becoming the first North American colony to pass an act prohibiting the importation of enslaved people. The Act mandated that any enslaved person brought into the colony would be granted immediate personal freedom. However, Rhode Island was still dominant in the transatlantic slave trade.
Elizabeth "Betsy" Hamilton serves President George Washington ice cream at a dinner party.
Elizabeth "Betsy" Hamilton, wife of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, hosted a dinner party in her home in New York City. She served President Washington ice cream, which was considered a rare delicacy at the time. Ice cream became President Washington's favorite dessert afterwards.
The American League of Colored Laborers union forms.
The American League of Colored Laborers union forms, becoming the first Black union in the U.S. The League focused on addressing economic challenges facing free Black people in the country. Leaders of the League included Frederick Douglass, Samuel Ringgold Ward, Henry Bibb.
The Department of Labor is created.
The Department of Labor is created to compile information on capital, hours of labor, earnings, and means of promoting the "material, social, intellectual, and moral prosperity" of working men and women.
The U.S. Post Office prohibits children from being sent as a pieces of parcel.
After several instances of children being mailed to family members, the U.S. Post Office makes an official announcement prohibiting children from being sent as a pieces of parcel. Before the announcement, parents realized it was much cheaper to buy a few stamps and send their child as a parcel than to pay for a train ticket. Stamps were attached to the clothing of children and put on the railway to be safely sent to family members.
The Office of War Information opens in the U.S.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the Office of War Information. The new agency was tasked with building and maintaining morale on the Homefront, rallying citizens to support the war effort, and managing international propaganda.
The Mayflower II arrives at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
The Mayflower II from Plymouth, England, arrives at Plymouth, MA. The ship was a replica of the the original 1620 Pilgrim ship. The journey took 53-days and symbolized friendship between the U.S. and the U.K.
The Supreme Court requires informing suspects of the 5th Amendment Rights.
The Supreme Court rules police must inform suspects of their Fifth Amendment rights before questioning. Known as Miranda Rights, authorities were mandated to use the rights statement to ensure suspects are aware of their constitutional protections before speaking to the police.
President Lyndon B. Johnson nominates the first Black Justice to the Supreme Court.
Thurgood Marshall becomes the first Black Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court after receiving nomination from President Johnson. Justice Marshall held his bench seat for 24 years, retiring in 1991.
The New York Times begins publishes classified Pentagon Papers.
The New York Times begins publication of the classified Pentagon Papers. The Papers were considered top-secret by the Department of Defense and "shared" the history of the U.S. political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967.
NASA's Pioneer 10 becomes the first man-made object to leave the Solar System.
The Pioneer 10 (NASA) becomes the first man-made object to leave the Solar System after passing the orbit of Neptune. The mission proved it was safe to travel throughout space. The Pioneer carried a gold-plated aluminum plaque to serve as a visual message from humanity to any potential extraterrestrial intelligence.