1814: The national military police of Italy was created.
The Carabinieri was established by the Royal Patents as a policing force with jurisdiction over the military and civilians.
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1923: The Hollywood Sign is officially dedicated in the hills above Hollywood, Los Angeles. It originally reads “Hollywoodland” but the four last letters are dropped after renovation in 1949.
1937: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is founded. The now-international doughnut company was founded by Kentuckian Vernon Rudolph.
1949: Pope Pius XII excommunicates all communist Catholics. On July 13, 1949, the Vatican releases its “Decree Against Communism” to the public. The Cold War-era edict, issued by Pope Pius XII on July 1, excommunicates all communist Catholics. As head of the Roman Catholic church through most of World War II and the first decade of the Cold War—and a fervent anti-Communist—Pius XII authorized the Holy Office to expel from the church any Catholic who joined or even collaborated with “godless” Communists.
1955: Last woman hanged for murder in Great Britain. On July 13, 1955, nightclub owner Ruth Ellis is executed by hanging for the crime of murdering her boyfriend David Blakely. Ellis was the last woman in Great Britain to be put to death.
1977: Ethiopian-Somali War begins
The Somali National Army invaded the disputed Ogaden region between Somalia and Ethiopia. The war lasted for 9 months and ended with a Somalian retreat.
1977: Kinney, Minnesota declares its secession from the U.S.
Frustrated by its failing water system, Kinney, Minnesota declared the creation of the Republic of Kinney and sent a letter of secession to the U.S. Secretary of State.
1980: The movie “The Gods Must Be Crazy” is released. The Botswana-South Africa co-production’s dialogue in Afrikaans is dubbed into English for international screenings. Smashing box office records in South Africa, the film starring N!xau is the first South African-produced movie to make money.
1982: Following the death of his half-brother Khalid, Fahd became king of Saudi Arabia, overseeing a period of modernization in the country.
1985: Live Aid benefit concert
Held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, the concert raised millions in benefit for those affected by famine in Ethiopia. Over a billion people tuned in around the world to watch the show.
2000: Historic meeting between North and South Korean leaders
On this day in 2000, South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung met North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in a summit that marked the first meeting between heads of the two countries, helping earn Kim Dae-Jung the Nobel Peace Prize.
2003: U.S. President George Bush concludes a two-day visit to Nigeria after a meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo. Because of its oil resources, Nigeria is an important ally of the West.
2005: After a 14-week trial that became a media circus, American pop singer Michael Jackson was acquitted of child-molestation charges.
2009: MEND leader, Henry Okah, released by the Umar Musa Yar’Adua government after spending more than a year in detention while being tried for treason and gun-running.
2013: The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter first appears, sparking a movement
Outraged and saddened after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who killed a Black teenager in 2012, Oakland, California resident Alicia Garza posts a message on Facebook on July 13, 2013. Her post contains the phrase “Black lives matter,” which soon becomes a rallying cry and a movement throughout the United States and around the world.
Garza said she felt “a deep sense of grief” after Zimmerman was acquitted. She was further saddened to note that many people appeared to blame the victim, Trayvon Martin, and not the “disease” of racism. Patrice Cullors, a Los Angeles community organizer and friend of Garza, read her post and replied with the first instance of #BlackLivesMatter.
2016: Theresa May, the former Home Secretary, became Prime Minister after David Cameron resigned (24th June) following a referendum that voted in favour of leaving the European Union.
2023: Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to be charged with federal crimes as he was arraigned in a Miami courtroom; he pleaded not guilty to 37 felony charges that related to his alleged mishandling of classified documents.
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY: July 13
Wole Soyinka, 90 years
Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka was born on 13 July 1934 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Soyinka is primarily a playwright, but has also written poetry, novels and essays. He was the first person from the African continent to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. A member of the Yoruba People of Nigeria, Soyinka often employs elements of Yoruba folklore into his work. His style is lyrical, satirical and humorous, much of his work criticizes figures in authority. Soyinka was imprisoned for 22 months 1966-67 during the Biafra war for speaking out against the war. His major works include the plays “Dance of the Forests” (1960),”The Strong Breed” (1964), and “Kongi’s Harvest” (1965).
Ban Ki-Moon, 81 years
Ban Ki-Moon was born on June 13, 1944. He is a South Korean statesman and served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations. At age 18 Ban won a competition that took him to the White House to meet U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy, a visit that Ban claimed inspired his public career.
