2013 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Millennium:	3rd millennium
Centuries:	20th century – 21st century – 22nd century
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s – 2010s – 2020s 2030s 2040s
Years:	2010 2011 2012 – 2013 – 2014 2015 2016

2013 was a year that started on a Tuesday. It was special because all four numbers in the year (2, 0, 1, 3) were different, which hadn't happened since 1987!

Big Events of 2013

January: New Beginnings and Challenges

One of the bush fires in New South Wales, Australia, viewed from Wagga Wagga.

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at the parade after Barack Obama's second public inauguration on January 21.

On January 1, the cities of Marseille, France, and Košice, Slovakia, became the European Capital of Culture.
Also on January 1, the Republic of Ireland began its six-month role as the leader of the Council of the European Union.
Early in January, large bushfires spread across parts of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania in Australia. These were some of the biggest fires since 2009.
On January 11, France's President Francois Hollande sent troops to Mali to help with a conflict there.
On January 16, a group of international workers were taken hostage at a gas facility in Algeria. An attempt to rescue them led to many deaths.
On January 19, the European Union introduced a new driving license that is valid across all EU countries.
On January 20, Barack Obama officially started his second term as President of the United States. The public ceremony was held on January 21.
On January 27, a terrible fire at a nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil, killed many people.
On January 28, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced she would step down from her throne on April 30. Her son, Willem-Alexander, would become King.

February: Space Rocks and Pope Resigns

John Kerry becomes United States Secretary of State

The meteor over Chelyabinsk

On February 1, John Kerry became the new United States Secretary of State, taking over from Hillary Clinton.
On February 4, scientists announced that human remains found under a car park in Leicester, England, were indeed those of King Richard III of England.
On February 11, Pope Benedict XVI surprised the world by announcing he would resign as Pope on February 28 due to his health and age. He was the first Pope to resign in nearly 600 years.
On February 12, North Korea announced it had carried out an underground nuclear test, despite warnings from many countries.
On February 15, a meteor exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia. The blast shattered glass and injured over 1,200 people.
Also on February 15, a large asteroid named 2012 DA14 flew very close to Earth, about 27,700 kilometers away.
On February 25, Park Geunhye became the first female President of South Korea.

March: New Pope and Power Shifts

On March 4, Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of the Presidential election in Kenya.
On March 10, people in the Falkland Islands voted almost entirely to remain a UK territory.
On March 13, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina was elected as the new Pope. He chose the name Pope Francis. He was the first non-European Pope since 741 and the first from Latin America.
On March 15, Xi Jinping officially became the President of the People's Republic of China, with Li Keqiang as Premier.
On March 23, Pope Francis met with former Pope Benedict XVI in Italy. It was the first time two living popes had met in almost 600 years.
On March 25, the European Union agreed to a large financial rescue plan for Cyprus, which caused a banking crisis on the island.

April: Disasters and Royal Changes

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands

On April 2, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Arms Trade Treaty to control the international trade of weapons.
On April 13, the famous art museum Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam reopened after 10 years of restoration work.
On April 15, two explosions happened near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three people were killed and many were injured.
On April 17, New Zealand made same-sex marriage legal.
Also on April 17, a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, exploded, causing several deaths and many injuries.
On April 24, a clothing factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing over 1,100 people. This was one of the worst industrial accidents ever.
On April 29, NBA player Jason Collins announced he was openly gay, becoming the first active male athlete in the US to do so.
On April 30, Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands became the first King of the Netherlands since 1890, after Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands stepped down.

May: Tornadoes and New Discoveries

View of the devastation caused by the 2013 Moore tornado on May 20.

On May 6, three women, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight, were freed in Cleveland, Ohio, after being held captive for many years.
On May 8, Alex Ferguson announced he would retire as manager of Manchester United football club after 26 years.
On May 15, scientists announced they had successfully created human embryonic stem cells using cloning.
On May 20, a powerful tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people and injuring many more.
On May 29, the first same-sex marriage took place in France.
On May 31, a tornado in central Oklahoma was measured as the widest ever recorded.

June: Floods and Leaks

Flooding in Passau, Bavaria, southern Germany, during the floods in Central Europe.

Satellite image showing devastating monsoon flooding in northern India.

In early June, heavy rain caused widespread flooding in Central Europe, affecting countries like Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
On June 9, Edward Snowden told The Guardian newspaper that he had leaked information about surveillance programs run by the National Security Agency.
On June 9, Rafael Nadal won the French Open tennis title for the 8th time, setting a record for any Grand Slam tournament.
On June 14, Hassan Rouhani was elected President of Iran.
Starting June 14, major flooding occurred in northern India, killing at least 1,000 people.
From June 15 to June 30, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was held in Brazil, alongside large protests against corruption.
On June 19, a thick haze spread across Southeast Asia, affecting Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. This was caused by illegal forest fires on Sumatra.
On June 27, Kevin Rudd became Prime Minister of Australia for the second time.

July: Train Crashes and Royal Birth

The scene after the train crash in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, on July 6.

Aftermath of the train crash in Santiago de Compostela on July 24.

On July 1, Croatia became the 28th member country of the European Union.
Also on July 1, Lithuania began its six-month role as the leader of the Council of the European Union.
On July 3, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was removed from power during large protests.
On July 6, an unmanned freight train carrying crude oil crashed and exploded in Lac-Megantic, Canada, killing many people.
On July 15, scientists announced the discovery of a new moon around the planet Neptune, named S/2004 N 1.
On July 16, 23 children died in Bihar state, northern India, after eating school meals that were poisoned.
On July 18, Detroit, Michigan, filed for bankruptcy.
On July 21, Albert II of Belgium stepped down as king, and his son became King Philippe of Belgium.
On July 22, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, gave birth to a baby boy, Prince George of Cambridge. He is third in line to the British throne.
On July 24, a train with 218 passengers crashed in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, killing many people and injuring many more.
On July 29, United States Secretary of State John Kerry hosted a peace conference between Palestine and Israel in Washington, D.C., the first in over three years.

August: New Animal and Protests

The discovery of the Olinguito is announced on August 15.

On August 1, Edward Snowden was granted temporary asylum in Russia.
On August 14, Egypt declared a national state of emergency as hundreds of pro-Mohamed Morsi protesters were killed by security forces.
On August 15, a new species of mammal called the Olinguito was discovered in northwestern South America.
On August 21, a suspected chemical gas attack happened in Syria.
On August 28, the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream" speech was celebrated across the United States.

September: Olympics and Earthquakes

Tony Abbott becomes the 28th Prime Minister of Australia after winning the election.

On September 1, former South African President Nelson Mandela was released from the hospital after a three-month stay.
On September 6, NASA launched its unmanned LADEE space probe towards the Moon.
On September 7, Tokyo was announced as the host city for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
On September 15, Mexico was hit by two hurricanes, Hurricane Ingrid and Hurricane Manuel, causing massive flooding and deaths.
On September 16, a shooting at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., killed twelve people.
On September 18, Tony Abbott became the 28th Prime Minister of Australia.
On September 21, at least 62 people were killed in a terrorist attack and siege at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
On September 24, a strong earthquake in southern Pakistan killed over 400 people.

October: Nobel Prizes and Storms

Emergency services doing recovery work in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany, during the St. Jude Storm.

On October 1, the United States Government temporarily shut down because politicians could not agree on a budget.
On October 3, a boat carrying migrants from East Africa caught fire off the coast of Italy, killing over 360 people.
On October 8, Francois Englert of Belgium and Peter Higgs of the United Kingdom won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on finding the Higgs boson particle.
On October 11, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons won the Nobel Peace Prize.
On October 16, the United States Government reopened after the shutdown.
On October 28, the St Jude Storm hit parts of the UK, France, Germany, and Denmark, causing deaths and disrupting transport.

November: Typhoon and Art Records

Typhoon Haiyan destroyed many towns and cities, and killing thousands of people.

On November 8, Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines with incredibly strong winds, destroying many towns and cities and killing thousands of people.
On November 12, One World Trade Center was announced as the tallest building in the United States.
Also on November 12, a series of paintings by Francis Bacon became the most expensive work of art ever sold at auction, selling for 142.4 million US Dollars.
On November 16, Sachin Tendulkar, one of the greatest cricketers of all time, retired from playing.
On November 21, a supermarket collapsed in Riga, Latvia, killing over 50 people.
On November 24, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear development program in exchange for some international sanctions being lifted.

December: Mandela's Passing and Space Landing

Nelson Mandela, who died at age 95 in Johannesburg

Throughout December, anti-government protests took place in Thailand and Ukraine.
On December 1, a train crash in New York City killed 4 people and injured over 60.
On December 10, a public memorial service was held for Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa, after his death.
On December 14, the Chinese spacecraft Chang'e 3, carrying the Yutu rover, successfully landed on the Moon. This was the first "soft" landing since 1976.
On December 15, the funeral of Nelson Mandela took place.
On December 29, a bomb attack on a train station in Volgograd, southern Russia, killed at least 16 people. Another attack on a bus in the same city killed more people the next day.
Also on December 29, Formula One racing champion Michael Schumacher was severely injured in a skiing accident.