On This Day for December 13 - New Zealand sighted, Moses Maimonides is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. December 13 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Moses Maimonides READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1642 New Zealand sighted READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2003: Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured by U.S. forces during the Iraq War; three years later he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and was executed. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about the Middle East.] 1989: American country music singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, whose pop-infused tales of young heartache achieved widespread crossover success in the early 21st century, was born. [How much do you know about Taylor Swift?] 1937: The Japanese Imperial Army seized Nanjing, China, during the Sino-Japanese War, leading to the Nanjing Massacre, in which up to 300,000 Chinese may have been killed. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about China.] 1956: The film drama Anastasia was released in American theatres; it marked the Hollywood comeback of Ingrid Bergman , whose extramarital affair had caused a scandal, and she won an Academy Award for her performance. [Take our quiz about women in classic cinema.] 1934: British astronomer J.P.M. Prentice discovered Nova Herculis, one of the brightest novas of the 20th century. [ Take our astronomy quiz.] 1921: The Four-Power Pact was signed during the Washington Conference by the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and France , stipulating that all the signatories would be consulted in the event of a controversy between two of them over "any Pacific question." SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1989 Taylor Swift American singer-songwriter 1925 Dick Van Dyke American actor and comedian 1967 Jamie Foxx American comedian, musician, and actor 1929 Christopher Plummer Canadian actor 1553 Henry IV king of France 1953 Ben Bernanke American economist SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help