On This Day

Birthdays in History on January 13

Henry II of CastileHenry II of Castile (1334-1379)

King of Castile and León (1369-79), born in Seville, Spain

Henry II of Castile
  • 1381 Saint Colette of Corbie, French abbess and reformer (Poor Clares), born in Corbie, County of Amiens, Duchy of Burgundy (d. 1447)
  • 1406 Matteo Palmieri, Florentine humanist and historian (Della vita civile / On Civic Life), born in Florence (d. 1475)
  • 1505 Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg (1535-71), born in Cölln (d. 1571)
  • 1562 Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish poet (Sonnet of Venus and Cupid), born in Ayrshire, Scotland (d. 1601)
  • 1596 Jan van Goyen, Dutch landscape painter, born in Leiden (d. 1656)
  • 1610 Maria Anna of Austria, Electress of Bavaria (d. 1665)
  • 1616 Antoinette Bourignon, Flemish-French mystic, born in Lille (d. 1680)
  • 1635 Philipp Jakob Spener, German theologian (d. 1705)
  • 1651 Henry Booth, 1st Earl of Warrington, English politician (d. 1694)
  • 1674 Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon, French tragic poet and playwright (Rhadamiste et Zénobie), born in Dijon, France (d. 1762)
  • 1720 Richard Hurd, English bishop and writer (d. 1808)
  • 1749 Friedrich Müller, painter and dramatist (d. 1825)
  • 1787 John Davis, 14th and 17th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1854)
  • 1802 Eduard von Bauernfeld, Austrian comedic playwright, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1890)
  • 1804 John Pringle Nichol, Scottish astronomer and educator (University of Glasgow), born in Huntly Hill, Scotland (d. 1859)
  • 1804 Paul Gavarni, French caricaturist (d. 1866)
  • 1805 Thomas Dyer, Mayor of Chicago (d. 1862)
  • 1807 Napoleon Bonaparte Buford, American Major General (Union Army), born in Woodford County, Kentucky (d. 1883)
  • 1808 Salmon P. Chase, American politician and jurist (Senator and Governor of Ohio, US Chief Justice 1864-73), born in Cornish, New Hampshire (d. 1873)
  • 1812 Humphrey Marshall, American politician and Brigadier General in the Confederate Army, born in Frankfort, Kentucky (d. 1872)
  • 1812 Victor de Laprade, French poet and critic (d. 1883)

Agostino DepretisAgostino Depretis (1813-1887)

Italian statesman, Prime Minister of Italy (1876-78, 1778-79, 1881-87), born in Bressana Bottarone, Kingdom of Italy

Agostino Depretis
  • 1815 William Henry French, American Major General (Union Army), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1881)
  • 1832 Horatio Alger, American clergyman and author (Disagreeable Woman, Ragged Dick), born in Chelsea, Massachusetts (d. 1899)
  • 1835 Gustaaf Rolin-Jaequemyns, Belgian jurist and Minister of the Interior (d. 1902)
  • 1845 Félix Tisserand, French Astronomer (d. 1896)
  • 1858 Oskar Minkowski, Biologist (d. 1931)
  • 1859 Karl Bleibtreu, German author (Revolution of Literature), born in Berlin (d. 1928)
  • 1859 Kostis Palamas, Greek poet (d. 1943)
  • 1861 Max Nonne, German neurologist (d. 1959)
  • 1864 Wilhelm Wien, German physicist (1911 Nobel Prize for Physics - displacement law), born in Gaffken, Prussia (d. 1928)
  • 1865 Princess Marie of Orléans (d. 1908)
  • 1869 Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta, Italian WWI general and fascist, born in Genoa (d. 1931)
  • 1870 Ross Granville Harrison, American biologist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1959)
  • 1874 Jozef-Ernest van Roey, Belgian cardinal (opposed Nazism as archbishop of Mechlin), born in Vorselaar (d. 1961)
  • 1878 Lionel Groulx, Canadian nationalist, born in Vaudreuil, Quebec, Canada (d. 1967)
  • 1881 Essington Lewis, Australian industrialist (d. 1961)
  • 1885 Alfred Fuller, Canadian-American businessman ('Fuller Brush Man'), born in Welsford, Canada (d. 1973)
  • 1887 George Gurdjieff, Armenian-Greek mystic (d. 1949)
  • 1890 Jüri Uluots, Estonian Prime Minister (d. 1945)
  • 1893 Clarke Ashton Smith, American sci-fi author (Lost Worlds, Genius Loci), born in Long Valley, California (d. 1961)
  • 1893 Roy Cazaly, Australian rules footballer (d. 1963)
  • 1895 Anton Betzner, German writer, born in Cologne (d. 1976)
  • 1898 Kai Munk, Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor, martyr (d. 1944)
  • 1901 A. B. Guthrie, American novelist, historian (d. 1991)
  • 1901 Mieczysław Żywczyński, Polish historian and priest (d. 1978)

Zhou YouguangZhou Youguang (1906-2017)

Chinese economist and linguist known as the "father of pinyin", born in Changchow, Kiangsu, Qing Empire

Zhou Youguang
  • 1907 Sabine Zlatin, Polish-born French nurse who tried save Izieu children from Nazis), born in Warsaw (d. 1996)

Marinus van der LubbeMarinus van der Lubbe (1909-1934)

Dutch communist (executed by the Nazis after setting fire to the German Reichstag), born in Leiden, Netherlands

Marinus van der Lubbe
  • 1911 Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, Australian politician, Premier of Queensland (1968-87), born in Dannevirke, New Zealand (d. 2005)
  • 1916 Bella Lewitsky, American modern dance choreographer, born in Los Angeles , California (d. 2004)
  • 1921 Dachine Rainer, British writer (d. 2000)
  • 1924 Paul Feyerabend, Austrian-born philosopher, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1994)
  • 1924 Philip Rawson, artist/teacher
  • 1926 Carolyn Heilbrun [Amanda Cross], author (Lady Ottoline's Album)
  • 1926 Michael Bond, British writer
  • 1926 Pamela M Cunnington, English architect/author (Change of Use)
  • 1927 Brock Adams, American politician (d. 2004)
  • 1927 Sydney Brenner, South African biologist known for his contributions on the genetic code and molecular biology (Nobel Laureate 2002), born in Germiston, Transvaal, South Africa (d. 2019)
  • 1930 Roman Cieślewicz, Polish French artist, graphic designer, born in Lwów, Poland (d. 1996)
  • 1933 Nurdin Jivraj, Tanzanian-British hotel magnate (Buckingham Intl.)
  • 1933 Ron Goulart, American sci-fi author (Deadwalk, Plunder)
  • 1935 Bahaa Taher, Egyptian writer (1st winner International award for Arabic Fiction 2008), born in Cairo, Egypt (d. 2022)
  • 1935 Mauro Forghieri, Italian automotive & mechanical engineer (Scuderia Ferrari)
  • 1936 Edward Rell Madigan, American politician (US Secretary of Agriculture 91-93, Rep-R-IL, 1973-91), born in Lincoln, Illinois (d. 1994)
  • 1938 Jean Cabut [Cabu], French caricaturist (Charlie Hebdo), born in Châlons-en-Champagne, France (d. 2015)
  • 1940 Edmund White, American author
  • 1941 Pasqual Maragall, Spanish politician
  • 1945 [Eileen] Joy[ce] Chant [Rutter], UK, sci-fi author (High Kings)
  • 1947 Jacek Majchrowski, Mayor of Kraków
  • 1948 Gaj Singh, Maharaja of Jodhpur
  • 1949 Rakesh Sharma, Indian cosmonaut (Soyuz T-11), first Indian in space, born in Patiala, India
  • 1955 Jay McInerney, American novelist (Bright Lights, Big City), born in Hartford, Connecticut
  • 1955 Titus M Mafolo, South African journalist/ANC-leader
  • 1957 Lorrie Moore, American writer
  • 1963 Kevin McClatchy, American businessman
  • 1966 Tabitha Stevens, fictional character (Bewitched)
  • 1967 Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer, born in Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union
  • 1972 Atoosa Rubenstein, Iranian-born American magazine editor


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