December 13
1642
New Zealand was discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman.
1918
President Wilson arrived in France, becoming the first U.S. president to visit Europe while in office.
1978
The U.S. Mint began stamping the Susan B. Anthony dollar, the first U.S. coin honoring a woman.
1981
The Polish government imposed martial law in an attempt to crush the Solidarity movement.
1989
South African President F. W. de Klerk met with Nelson Mandela for the first time.
1996
Kofi Annan of Ghana chosen to become UN secretary-general.
2000
George W. Bush accepted presidency 36 days after the election; Al Gore, Jr., conceded.
2003
American forces captured Saddam Hussein who was hiding in a hole near his hometown of Tikrit.
Birthdays
Mary Todd Lincoln
1818–1882, wife of Abraham Lincoln.
Heinrich Heine
poet (1797)
Werner von Siemens
electrical engineer and inventor (1816)
Emily Carr
painter (1871)
Ella Baker
civil rights activist (1903)
Archie Moore
prizefighter (1913)
Ross Macdonald
novelist (1915)
Dick Van Dyke
actor (1925)
Ted Nugent
rock musician (1948)
Steve Buscemi
actor (1957)
Jamie Foxx
actor (1967)
Amy Lee
singer (1981)