This Week in History (3/13)
Golda Meir’s profile on TIME Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential women. (Image courtesy of Burt Glinn—Magnum Photos)
March 13, 2023
March 13th, 1781
The planet Uranus was discovered by William Herschel, a British astronomer and composer. It was the first planet discovered by a telescope.
March 14th, 1794
American inventor Eli Whitney received his patent for the cotton gin. The invention helped cotton become the main cash crop of the American south and contributed to the worsening division within the United States on the issue of slavery.
March 15th, 1933
One of the most influential and widely recognized Supreme Court justices, Ruth Bader Guinsberg, was born in New York City. She served on the Court from 1993 to her death in 2020.
March 16th, 1968
American soldiers unjustly killed over 500 villagers of My Lai during the Vietnam War. It is viewed as one of the darkest and most horrific moments in American history.
March 17th, 1969
Golda Meir became the fourth Prime Minister of Israel, effectively becoming the first female head of the nation.
March 18th, 1766
The British government repealed the Stamp Act after immense protest broke out in the American colonies.
March 19th, 2003
The Iraq War officially began after President George W. Bush initiated airstrikes on Baghdad. The war would not end until December 15th, 2011.
