12 History Lessons + 7 Births & 7 Deaths for December 13, 2025
Today’s History
- 1577 – English seaman Francis Drake sets sail from Plymouth with a small squadron on what will become his circumnavigation of the globe, signaling England’s bold challenge to Spanish and Portuguese sea power.
- 1636 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony formally organizes three militia regiments, a step commemorated as the birth of the United States National Guard and the tradition of state citizen-soldiers.
- 1642 – Dutch explorer Abel Tasman becomes the first recorded European to sight New Zealand, extending European knowledge of the Southern Hemisphere and Pacific.
- 1769 – Dartmouth College is founded under a royal charter secured by Eleazar Wheelock, later becoming one of the nine colonial colleges established before the American Revolution.
- 1862 – The Battle of Fredericksburg reaches its bloody climax in Virginia, where repeated Union assaults are repulsed by entrenched Confederate forces, handing Robert E. Lee one of his most one-sided victories.
- 1937 – Japanese forces capture Nanjing (Nanking), then capital of China; over the following weeks, mass killings and sexual violence against civilians and prisoners become known as the Nanjing Massacre or Rape of Nanjing.
- 1972 – Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt conduct moonwalks during the last human mission to the lunar surface, making this the most recent date on which humans have walked on the Moon.
- 1996 – The U.N. Security Council selects Kofi Annan of Ghana as Secretary-General, making him the first sub-Saharan African to lead the organization.
- 2001 – Armed militants attack the Parliament of India in New Delhi, killing several security personnel and staff and sharply escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
- 2003 – Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S. forces near his hometown of Tikrit after months in hiding, a pivotal moment in the Iraq War.
- 2014 – Large demonstrations take place across the United States protesting the deaths of unarmed Black men at the hands of police, underscoring the rise of a new era of racial-justice activism.
- 2022 – U.S. President Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act, providing federal protection for same-sex and interracial marriages and codifying key elements of marriage equality into law.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1925 – Dick Van Dyke – American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer whose work ranges from The Dick Van Dyke Show and Mary Poppins to a seven-decade screen and stage career; he celebrates his 100th birthday today. (100)
- 1948 – Ted Nugent – American rock guitarist and vocalist, famed for his flamboyant stage presence and hard-rock anthems such as “Cat Scratch Fever,” as well as outspoken political activism. (77)
- 1949 – Randy Owen – American country singer best known as the lead vocalist of Alabama, one of country music’s most successful bands, with dozens of No. 1 hits through the 1980s and 1990s. (76)
- 1957 – Steve Buscemi – American actor and director recognized for memorable roles in independent films and major projects like Fargo, Reservoir Dogs, and Boardwalk Empire. (68)
- 1967 – Jamie Foxx – American actor, comedian, and musician who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ray Charles in Ray and has balanced film, television, stand-up, and R&B recording careers. (58)
- 1971 – J.Y. Park (Park Jin-young) – South Korean singer-songwriter, producer, and founder of JYP Entertainment, a powerhouse K-pop label behind acts like TWICE and Stray Kids. (54)
- 1989 – Taylor Swift – American singer-songwriter whose evolution from country prodigy to global pop icon has made her one of the most influential artists of her generation, spanning the Eras Tour, re-recorded albums, and record-breaking streaming and sales. (36)
Today’s Deaths:
- 1784 – Samuel Johnson – English writer, critic, and lexicographer, famed for his Dictionary of the English Language and towering influence on 18th-century English letters. (75)
- 1944 – Wassily Kandinsky – Russian-born painter and theorist, a pioneer of abstract art whose bold colors and forms helped redefine modern painting in the 20th century. (77)
- 1961 – Grandma Moses – American folk artist Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses, who began painting seriously in her late 70s and became a beloved symbol of late-life creativity. (101)
- 1986 – Ella Baker – American civil rights organizer and strategist who worked with the NAACP, SCLC, and SNCC, championing grassroots leadership over charismatic, top-down models of activism. (83)
- 2016 – Alan Thicke – Canadian-American actor, songwriter, and television host best known for playing Dr. Jason Seaver on the sitcom Growing Pains and composing TV theme songs. (69)
- 2018 – Nancy Wilson – American jazz and pop vocalist whose sophisticated phrasing and crossover hits made her a three-time Grammy winner and a mainstay of vocal jazz for more than five decades. (81)
- 2022 – Stephen “tWitch” Boss – American dancer, choreographer, and television personality, beloved DJ and co-executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres Show and former So You Think You Can Dance standout. (40)
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