Daily Digest
On This Day: March 13
Significant events on March 13 span scientific discovery, wartime policy shifts, political upheaval, and papal transition across centuries and continents.
Cross-Year Timeline
March 13 Across The Years
Digest Entries
Selected Events
Herschel Discovers Seventh Planet Uranus
In the late 18th century, astronomy relied on visual observation with handmade telescopes amid growing interest in the solar system following earlier planetary identifications. German-born English astronomer William Herschel, working from his home in Bath, England, systematically surveyed the night sky for double stars using a reflecting telescope he constructed himself. On March 13, 1781, while observing in the constellation Gemini, he noted a faint object that appeared as a disk rather than a point of light and moved slowly against the background stars over subsequent nights. Initially mistaking it for a comet, Herschel and other astronomers soon confirmed through further observations and calculations that it was a new planet orbiting the Sun, the first discovered since antiquity. King George III granted Herschel a pension and appointed him Court Astronomer, enabling him to focus fully on astronomy.
Why it matters: The discovery expanded the known boundaries of the solar system and demonstrated the power of systematic telescopic observation, spurring advancements in planetary science and instrumentation. It directly led to Herschel's recognition by the Royal Society and influenced later astronomical surveys that identified additional bodies like Neptune.
Confederacy Authorizes Enlistment of Black Soldiers
By early 1865, the American Civil War had turned decisively against the Confederacy, with Union forces outnumbering and outsupplying Southern armies after years of attrition. Confederate President Jefferson Davis and General Robert E. Lee endorsed limited use of enslaved African Americans as soldiers to bolster dwindling ranks, despite long-standing opposition rooted in slavery ideology. On March 13, 1865, the Confederate Congress passed and Davis signed legislation allowing the enlistment of Black men, though the law did not grant freedom to those who served and left implementation to the president. A few companies formed in Richmond in the war's final weeks, but no large units saw combat before the Confederate surrender at Appomattox. The measure represented a desperate last-ditch effort amid the collapse of the rebellion.
Why it matters: The authorization highlighted the Confederacy's internal contradictions over slavery and manpower needs, coming too late to alter the war's outcome but underscoring the Union's earlier successful integration of Black troops. It foreshadowed postwar debates on emancipation and citizenship rights in the defeated South.
Tsar Alexander II Assassinated in St. Petersburg
Tsar Alexander II had pursued reforms including the emancipation of serfs in 1861, yet faced growing revolutionary opposition from groups seeking to end autocratic rule through violence. The People's Will (Narodnaya Volya) organization planned multiple attacks after earlier attempts failed. On March 13, 1881, while returning to the Winter Palace from a military review in St. Petersburg, Alexander II's carriage was struck by a bomb thrown by Nikolai Rysakov; the tsar survived the initial blast but was fatally wounded by a second bomb from Ignacy Hryniewiecki as he inspected the damage. The attack killed the tsar and the assassin, with others injured. Alexander II's death ended his reform era and led to a more repressive regime under his son Alexander III.
Why it matters: The assassination entrenched reactionary policies that delayed constitutional reforms and contributed to the radicalization of Russian opposition movements, setting the stage for later revolutionary upheavals including the 1905 and 1917 revolutions. It exemplified the cycle of terrorism and state repression in late imperial Russia.
Cardinal Bergoglio Elected Pope Francis
Pope Benedict XVI's resignation on February 28, 2013, marked the first papal resignation in nearly 600 years and triggered a conclave to select his successor amid calls for renewal in the Catholic Church. Cardinals from around the world gathered in the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City for voting that began on March 12. On March 13, after five ballots, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and a Jesuit, received the required two-thirds majority. He chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, becoming the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first non-European pope in over a millennium. Bergoglio appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica that evening to greet the crowd.
Why it matters: The election shifted the Church's leadership toward the Global South, emphasizing themes of humility, social justice, and environmental stewardship that influenced subsequent papal documents and global Catholic priorities. It signaled a break from European dominance in the papacy and opened new directions in Church governance and outreach.