Osun Defender History Corner: February 13 In Focus

Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.

February 13, 1633

Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei arrived in Rome for trial before the Inquisition.

February 13, 1689

William and Mary were proclaimed co-rulers of England.

February 13, 1861

Abraham Lincoln declared the abolition of slavery in the United States, by signing the resolution.

February 13, 1914

The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) was founded in New York City.

February 13, 1920

The League of Nations recognized the perpetual neutrality of Switzerland.

February 13, 1945

During World War II, the RAF bombed Dresden, Germany, causing significant destruction and loss of life.

February 13, 1955

Israel acquired four of the seven Dead Sea Scrolls.

February 13, 1960

France conducted its first nuclear test, becoming the fourth country to possess nuclear weapons.

February 13, 1974

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Soviet dissident and Nobel Prize-winning author, was expelled from the USSR.

February 13, 1984

Konstantin Chernenko succeeded Yuri Andropov as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

February 13, 1990

German reunification: The Soviet Union agreed to withdraw troops from Germany by 1994.

February 13, 2000

Charles M. Schulz, creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip, died in Santa Rosa, California, at age 77.

February 13, 2008

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology to Indigenous Australians for past mistreatment.

February 13, 2011

The Arab Spring: Protests erupted in Bahrain, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

February 13, 2012

The European Union agreed to a €130 billion bailout for Greece, the largest sovereign debt restructuring in history.

February 13, 2013

Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation, becoming the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.

February 13, 2017

Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was assassinated in Malaysia.

February 13, 2018

A gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others.

February 13, 2019

Pope Francis celebrated the first-ever papal Mass in the Arabian Peninsula, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

February 13, 2020

The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Africa, specifically in Egypt.

Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on February 13. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.