On This Day: What happened on 13 April?

Here’s a look at what happened on this day, 13 April, throughout history. We remember the news, events, and people that influenced the course of history forever.

1964 | Ian Douglas Smith becomes prime minister of Southern Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe). He was the first prime minister to have been born in the country.

1979 | Yusuf Lule becomes the 4th president of Uganda.

1992 | Two years after Nelson Mandela was released from prison he announced that he was separating from his wife of 34 years, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. 

1994 | More than 1000 Tutsi civilians seeking refugee at Musha church in Rwanda were killed when the church was set on fire by the army.

2015 | A vessel carrying 550 migrants sank just off the Libyan coast and close to 400 people drowned.

2019 | The World’s largest plane with a wingspan of 117m (385 ft) took its first flight from Mojave, California. It was built by Stratolaunch as a flying launchpad for satellites.

READ: On This Day: What happened on 12 April?

DEATHS

2017 | Kenyan former Minister of Finance, David Mwiraria (78) 

2019 | Nigerian former President of the courts of appeals, Mamman Nasir (89) 

2019 | Ghanaian philosopher, Kwame Gyekye (79)

BIRTHDAYS

1982 | South African track and field athlete, Johan Tobias Cronje

1983 | South African rugby player, Schalk Burger

1989 | South African rugby player, Gerhard van den Heever

1980 | South African footballer, Asanda Sishuba

SPORT

2008 | South African professional golfer Trevor Immelman wins his first major Masters Tournament title. He was ahead of Tiger Woods by three shots. 

2014 | Kenyan long-distance runner Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich wins the London Marathon in a record time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 29 seconds.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

2015 | ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron is released.

2018 | Shekhinah released a remixed Suited featuring Nigerian musician Mr Eazi.

AFRICA FACT

The Atlas Mountains range stretches approximately 2,500 kilometres across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.