^{An illustration of the British bombing of Fort McHenry on the morning of September 13, 1814, during the War of 1812}

Today in History

• Michelangelo begins work on the sculpture David (1501)
• The British bombard Fort McHenry, Baltimore, inspiring observer Francis Scott Key to write the US national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner” (1814)
• The Niños Heroes, teenage military cadets, die defending Chapultepec Castle against American invaders (1847)
• Union soldiers find a copy of Robert E. Lee’s battle plans along with three cigars shortly before the Battle of Antietam (1862)
• Henry Bliss becomes the first person in the US to be killed in an automobile accident (1899)
• An appeals court orders the segregated University of Mississippi to admit African-American James Meredith (1962)
• Super Mario Brothers is released (1985)

Birthdays

• Walter Reed, physician and hospital namesake (1851)
• Milton Hershey, chocolatier (1857)
• John J. Pershing, US general (1860)
• J. B. Priestley, writer (1894)
• Claudette Colbert, actress (1903)
• Bill Monroe, bluegrass musician (1911)
• Roald Dahl, writer (1916)
• Ray Charles, musician (1918)
• Mel Tormé, singer (1925)
• Robert Indiana, artist known for the “Love” sculpture (1928)
• Barbara Bain, actress (1931)
• Don Bluth, animator (1937)
• David Clayton-Thomas, singer with Blood, Sweat, and Tears (1941)
• Nell Carter, actress and singer (1948)
• Jean Smart, actress (1951)
• Don Was, musician (1952)
• Zak Starkey, drummer, son of Ringo Starr (1965)
• Tyler Perry, actor and filmmaker (1969)
• Stella McCartney, fashion designer, daughter of Paul McCartney (1971)
• Fiona Apple, singer-songwriter (1977)

Deaths

• Titus, emperor of Rome (81)
• Ambrose Burnside, US general (1881)
• Heath Robinson, English cartoonist (1944)
• Mervyn LeRoy, filmmaker (1987)
• Tupac Shakur, rapper (1996)
• George Wallace, Alabama governor (1998)
• Ann Richards, Texas governor (2006)
• Rick Casares, football player (2013)
• Moses Malone, basketball player (2015)

Holidays and Celebrations

• Day of the Programmer (international)
• Día de los Niños Héroes (Mexico)
• Engineer’s Day (Mauritius)
• Epulum Jovis (ancient Rome)
• International Chocolate Day
• Scooby-Doo Day (US)
• Uncle Sam Day (US)
• National Peanut Day (US)

September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). There are 109 days remaining until the end of the year.