Discover the fascinating events that happened on the 13th of May through history—from Mozart’s first opera and the formation of Ecuador to the first Formula 1 race and the origins of Frog Jumping Day. A fun and educational read for students!
Dear Students,
Did you know the 13th of May is celebrated as ‘Frog Jumping Day’? A fun day to jump like a frog! It originated from Mark Twain’s 1865 short story Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog.
Well, history is fun, isn’t it?
There are many more fascinating events that occurred on the 13th of May. Here are some of them…
1) Music has evolved over the ages. One of the greatest composers of all time was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His compositions have inspired music directors across the world, including Salil Chowdhury. On the 13th of May, 1767, Mozart composed his first opera at the age of just 11. It was titled Apollo et Hyacinthus.
2) Continuing with events from the 13th of May, we come to the year 1830, when the Republic of Ecuador was formed. Historically, this land was inhabited by various indigenous peoples. Later, it was colonised by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century and finally achieved independence in 1820. Just ten years later, on this very day, it was declared a republic.
3) Then again, on the 13th of May, 1861, Comet C/1861 J1—often called The War Comet—was discovered by John Tebbutt of Windsor, New South Wales, Australia.
4) Literature and poetry have fascinated us for generations. And now, many of you are contributing your own stories and poems! Here’s a little history that might inspire you young writers: on the 13th of May, 1888, DeWolf Hopper recited the comedic baseball poem Casey at the Bat for the first time.
5) Students, did you know it was on the 13th of May, 1909, that the Giro d’Italia—the multi-stage bicycle race—was organised for the first time in Milan? Italian cyclist Luigi Ganna emerged as the winner.
6) Now, here’s another exciting moment in history. On the 13th of May, 1913, the world witnessed the flight of the first four-engined aircraft, Sikorsky Russky Vityaz (Russian Knight) or S-21, flown by Igor Sikorsky in Russia.
7) It seems the sky has no limits when it comes to history. Our next event is from 1942, when on the 13th of May, a helicopter named Sikorsky XR-4 made its first cross-country flight—from Stratford, Connecticut, to Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. The journey served both as a delivery and as a demonstration of the helicopter’s potential for military operations.
8) Let’s come back down to earth, shall we? In 1950, the very first Formula 1 race in the World Drivers’ Championship was held at Silverstone, England. It was won by Giuseppe Farina of Italy, driving an Alfa Romeo.
9) Now, let’s go underwater. On this day in 2014, a strange discovery was made. A shipwreck was found off the northern coast of Haiti by marine archaeologist Barry Clifford. Now, finding shipwrecks isn’t unusual for sailors—but what made this one particularly significant was Clifford’s claim that it was one of the three ships used by Columbus during his first Atlantic crossing.
10) And finally, did you know it was on this day in 1952 that the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, held its first sitting?
Thanks all dear students. au revoir and keep smiling.
