May 13
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Abbotsbury Garland Day(Dorset, England)
Abbotsbury Garland Day is a traditional community festival held in the village of Abbotsbury, Dorset, featuring floral processions and local customs.
Christianfeast day:
Our Lady of Fátima, Conchita Barrecheguren(Roman Catholic), Gerard of Villamagna, Glyceria, John the Silent(Roman Catholic), Julian of Norwich(Roman Catholic), Frances Perkins(Episcopal Church (USA)), Servatius, May 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Multiple Christian feast days are observed on May 13, honoring saints and holy figures across denominations.
Rotuma Day(Rotuma)
Rotuma Day is a national holiday in Rotuma that celebrates the island’s unique cultural heritage and autonomy within Fiji.
Our Lady of Fátima
Our Lady of Fátima Feast Day commemorates the first Marian apparition to shepherd children in Portugal, celebrated by Catholics worldwide.
Conchita Barrecheguren(Roman Catholic)
The feast day of Blessed Conchita Barrecheguren honors the Spanish nun celebrated for her charitable works and healthcare initiatives.
Gerard of Villamagna
St. Gerard of Villamagna Day honors the medieval Italian pilgrim and hermit known for his humility and service to the poor.
Glyceria
St. Glyceria Feast Day commemorates the early Christian martyr revered for her steadfast faith in the face of persecution.
John the Silent(Roman Catholic)
St. John the Silent Day honors the bishop and hermit celebrated for his contemplative life and vow of silence.
Julian of Norwich(Roman Catholic)
St. Julian of Norwich Feast Day commemorates the English mystic and author of the pioneering work Revelations of Divine Love.
Events
A Latin Christian fleet defeats a Turkish fleet in the battle of Pallene during the Smyrniote crusades.
A Latin Christian fleet triumphs over the Turkish navy at Pallene in 1344, marking a pivotal victory in the Smyrniote Crusades.
Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book Revelations of Divine Love.
During a severe illness in 1373, English mystic Julian of Norwich experiences profound visions of Jesus that shape her spiritual legacy.
Amerigo Vespucci, this time under Portuguese flag, set sail for western lands.
In 1501, explorer Amerigo Vespucci departs Lisbon under the Portuguese flag to chart unknown western lands.
Mary, Queen of Scots, is defeated at the Battle of Langside, part of the civil war between Queen Mary and the supporters of her son, James VI.
Mary, Queen of Scots, suffers defeat at the Battle of Langside in 1568, ending her campaign to regain control of Scotland.
Sword duel between Miyamoto Musashi and Sasaki Kojiro on the shores of Ganryū Island. Kojiro dies at the end.
Legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi defeats Sasaki Kojiro in a famed duel on Ganryū Island in 1612.
Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed in The Hague after being convicted of treason.
Dutch statesman Johan van Oldenbarnevelt is executed for treason in The Hague in 1619, a watershed moment in Dutch politics.
A Venetian fleet under Admiral Cort Adeler breaks through a line of galleys and defeats the Turkish navy.
Admiral Cort Adeler’s Venetian fleet breaks the Ottoman galley line and secures victory in 1654.
War of the Bavarian Succession: Russian and French mediators at the Congress of Teschen negotiate an end to the war. In the agreement Austria receives the part of its territory that was taken from it (the Innviertel).
Mediators from Russia and France conclude the Congress of Teschen in 1779, ending the War of the Bavarian Succession and restoring Austria’s Innviertel.
The Cumberland Compact is signed by leaders of the settlers in the Cumberland River area of what would become the U.S. state of Tennessee, providing for democratic government and a formal system of justice.
Pioneers of the Cumberland River valley sign the Cumberland Compact in 1780, laying the foundations for democratic governance and justice.
Births
Hugh of Cluny
French Benedictine abbot who led Cluny Abbey and was canonized as a saint.
Theobald III
Medieval French noble who served as Count of Champagne and navigated the complex politics of 12th-century France.
Alexander Nevsky
Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir renowned for his military victories and later canonized as a saint.
Marie of Brabant
Queen consort of France as the wife of King Philip III, noted for her piety and patronage.
Mary Stewart
Scottish princess and Countess of Arran from the House of Stewart, known for her role in 15th-century noble politics.
Ole Worm
Danish physician, antiquarian, and natural historian who founded one of Europe's earliest cabinets of curiosities.
Richard Simon
French priest and scholar whose pioneering biblical criticism challenged traditional interpretations of Scripture.
Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo
Portuguese statesman and reformer who served as the chief minister to King Joseph I and modernized the nation.
Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff
Danish statesman and diplomat who shaped 18th-century foreign policy under King Christian VII.
Deaths
Emperor Ling of Han
Eastern Han dynasty emperor (r. 168–189) whose ineffective rule and eunuch influence triggered major revolts.
Ulric II
Medieval Margrave of Carniola, ruling a strategic border territory in the Holy Roman Empire.
Matthias I
12th-century Duke of Lorraine who defended his duchy against regional rivals.
Robert de Ros
13th-century English baron who held extensive estates and played a role in the Barons' Wars.
Theobald II
Early 14th-century Duke of Lorraine known for his feudal alliances and border defense.
Takeda Shingen
One of the most powerful daimyō of Japan's Sengoku period, famed as the 'Tiger of Kai' for his battlefield acumen.
Sasaki Kojirō
Legendary Japanese swordsman of the early Edo period, celebrated for his duel with Miyamoto Musashi.
Johan van Oldenbarnevelt
Dutch statesman and advocate of Holland, central to the founding of the Dutch Republic.
Louis Bourdaloue
Renowned French Jesuit preacher whose sermons at Louis XIV's court set a high standard for Baroque oratory.