March 13

1708

French fleet abandons attempted Jacobite invasion of Scotland

Ireland

On March 13, 1708, the French fleet, which had intended to launch a Jacobite invasion of Scotland to restore James Francis Edward Stuart (the “Old Pretender”) to the …

1784

Reform Bill in Irish House of Commons

Ireland

The Reform Bill discussed in the Irish House of Commons in 1784 was part of a wider movement for parliamentary reform in both Ireland and Great Britain during the late 18th …

1791

Thomas Paines The Rights of Man, is published

Unitedstates

Thomas Paine’s “The Rights of Man” was first published in two parts, with Part I coming out in 1791 and Part II in 1792. This work was a response to Edmund …

1865

Patrick Nally, born in Balla, Co Mayo

Ireland

Patrick Nally was born on March 17, 1857, in Balla, County Mayo, Ireland, not 1865. He was a key figure in the Irish nationalist movement, particularly known for his involvement in …

1873

Scottish Football Association founded

Scotland

The Scottish Football Association (SFA) was founded on March 13, 1873. It is the second oldest national football association in the world, after England’s Football …

1922

George Bernard Shaws Back to Methusaleh V premieres in New York

Ireland

George Bernard Shaw’s “Back to Methuselah V” premiered in New York on February 27, 1922. “Back to Methuselah” is not a single play but rather a series …

1937

Blitz of Clydebank by German Luftwaffe

Ireland

The Blitz of Clydebank was a devastating Luftwaffe air raid on the town of Clydebank, near Glasgow, Scotland. It occurred over two nights, on March 13th and 14th, 1941, during …

1947

Broadway musical Brigadoon opened at the Ziegfeld in New York

Unitedstates

The Broadway musical “Brigadoon” opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on March 13, 1947. With music by Frederick Loewe and book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, …

1996

Sixteen primary school children and their teacher murdered in Dunblane

Scotland

The Dunblane school massacre occurred on March 13, 1996, in Dunblane, Scotland. Thomas Hamilton, a 43-year-old former Scout leader, entered the Dunblane Primary School armed with …