Date·Lore

On This Day · The 256th day of the year

September 13

September 13 carries 10 recorded events spanning between -509 and 2008. The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September.

♍ZodiacVirgo ◈BirthstoneSapphire ❀Birth flowerAster

Compiled & reviewed by · Last reviewed July 13, 2026

What happened on September 13?

September 13 is the 256th day of the year. It marks 10 notable events in history, dated between -509 and 2008. Famous people born on September 13 include Roald Dahl, Daisuke Matsuzaka and John II Komnenos.

The shape of the day

September 13 carries an unusually long memory — its events reach back as far as 509 BC. Most of the weight falls in the 20th century, where conflict is a recurring thread.

Virgo is the sign for September 13 — read more on the Virgo page, or see September's birthstone & birth flower.

Released on September 13

Movies, games, albums & shows

2023

  • Game Gunbrella

2022

  • Game Freedom Planet 2
  • TV Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Release data from TMDB & IGDB.

Events

10 notable moments
  1. -509

    Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus

    The Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on Rome's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September.

  2. 1812

    War of 1812

    War of 1812: A supply wagon sent to relieve Fort Harrison is ambushed in the Attack at the Narrows.

  3. 1814

    Baltimore

    In a turning point in the War of 1812, the British fail to capture Baltimore. During the battle, Francis Scott Key composes his poem "Defence of Fort McHenry", which is later set to music and becomes the United States' national anthem.

  4. 1848

    Phineas Gage

    Vermont railroad worker Phineas Gage survives an iron rod 1+1⁄4 inches (3.2 cm) in diameter being driven through his brain; the reported effects on his behavior and personality stimulate discussion of the nature of the brain and its functions.

  5. 1942

    World War II

    World War II: Second day of the Battle of Edson's Ridge in the Guadalcanal Campaign. U.S. Marines successfully defeat attacks by the Japanese with heavy losses for the Japanese forces.

  6. 1962

    James Meredith

    An appeals court orders the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith, the first African-American student admitted to the segregated university.

  7. 1971

    Mao Zedong

    Chairman Mao Zedong's second in command and successor Marshal Lin Biao flees China after the failure of an alleged coup. His plane crashes in Mongolia, killing all aboard.

  8. 1985

    Super Mario Bros.

    Super Mario Bros. is released in Japan for the NES, which starts the Super Mario series of platforming games.

  9. 1988

    Hurricane Gilbert

    Hurricane Gilbert is the strongest recorded hurricane in the Western Hemisphere, later replaced by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 (based on barometric pressure).

  10. 2008

    Delhi

    Delhi, India, is hit by a series of bomb blasts, resulting in 30 deaths and 130 injuries.

Famous birthday twins

Born on September 13

Roald Dahl

b. 1916

British novelist, poet, and screenwriter

Daisuke Matsuzaka

b. 1980

Japanese baseball player

John II Komnenos

b. 1087

Byzantine emperor

Thomas Müller

b. 1989

German footballer

Óscar Arias

b. 1940

Costa Rican politician, President of Costa Rica, Nobel Prize laureate

Robert Robinson (chemist)

b. 1886

English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz

b. 1950

Polish lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Poland

Deaths

  • 1996Tupac Shakur
  • 1506Andrea Mantegna

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Feast of the Cross (Assyrian Church of the East)
  • —Christian feast day: Aimé (Amatus)
  • —Christian feast day: Amé (Amatus) of Remiremont
  • —Christian feast day: Eulogius of Alexandria
  • —Christian feast day: John Chrysostom
  • —Christian feast day: Marcellinus of Carthage
  • —Christian feast day: Maurilius (Maurille) of Angers
  • —Christian feast day: Nectarius of Autun

Historical facts, event summaries, and biographical lines above are adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) license. DateLore adds curation, structure, and original editorial commentary. DateLore is not affiliated with the Wikimedia Foundation.

About the author

Roman Tailor compiles and reviews every date on DateLore. He's the writer and editor behind the site's editorial essays and the day-by-day almanac. Corrections and questions are welcome — read more about DateLore or get in touch.

Born on this day?

Make your birthday card.

Drop in your birth year and we'll work out your exact age, the day of the week you were born, your Chinese zodiac, your generation, and the countdown to your next candle.