April 13

On April 13, 1699, during the Baisakhi festival in northern India, Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth, the community of baptized Sikhs. He initiated the Panj Pyare, the five beloved ones, symbolizing collective commitment and sacrifice. The Khalsa code introduced the Five Ks—articles of faith that provide a distinct identity to baptized Sikhs. This formalization strengthened Sikh unity and resistance against Mughal oppression. Khalsa Day, observed according to the Nanakshahi calendar, commemorates this transformative moment each year. The principles of courage, equality, and service enshrined by the Khalsa continue to inspire Sikhs worldwide.

Armed white supremacists attacked black Republican officeholders and freedmen who had gathered at the Grant Parish courthouse in Colfax, Louisiana. The massacre followed a disputed gubernatorial election in 1872, as tensions over Reconstruction policies reached a boiling point. Despite having surrendered under a white flag, an estimated 60 to 150 African American men were shot or burned alive by a mob of former Confederate soldiers and Ku Klux Klan members. The violence devastated the local black community and highlighted the failure of federal enforcement in the post-Civil War South. Legal battles over the atrocity culminated in the 1876 Supreme Court decision United States v. Cruikshank, which severely limited federal civil rights protections. The Colfax massacre remains a stark reminder of the violent backlash against Reconstruction and the ongoing struggle for racial justice in America.

A crowd had gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate Baisakhi and protest the repressive Rowlatt Act. Without issuing a warning to disperse, Dyer’s troops blocked the exits and opened fire into the packed garden. Official figures reported at least 379 dead and around 1,500 wounded, though many believe the toll was higher. The massacre shocked the Indian populace and drew international condemnation. Newspapers and political leaders across India united in outrage, accelerating demands for independence. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is widely regarded as a turning point in India’s struggle against British colonial rule.