Coffee and history to start an October day.

Before sunrise I'm enjoying a big mug of coffee and checking out what happened on October 13th in American history. If you're a fan of "this day in history," check out what other dates I've added to the blog in the category! So let's jump in. What happened on October 13th?

Let's take a dive into history on what I know will be another perfect fall day.

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October evening in Colonial Williamsburg

Historical summary of October 13th.

• 1775- Kickoff to what is the United States Navy! We currently celebrate the Navy's birthday on October 13th, but there's a whole process that followed this step by Congress of creating an advisory committee. The committee was led by John Langdon of New Hampshire. Get the details by clicking here.
• 1792- The White House construction begins. Yes, the first cornerstone was laid on October 13th and President John Adams would be the first to occupy the White House in 1800. Read more here.

Side note: British troops set it on fire in 1812 and I gave a little nod to Dolley Madison in her efforts to save a copy of the Declaration of Independence in my post about her husband and our 4th President, James Madison.

• 1914- Garrett Augustus Morgan of Cleveland receives a patent for his invention of a gas mask. You can learn about this incredible inventor and even see his drawings by clicking here.
• 1941- Legendary singer Paul Simon was born. Sharing his birthday: rock musician Sammy Hagar in 1947 and 70s pop icon Marie Osmond born in 1959.
• 1950- Winner of 6 Academy Awards, All About Eve, starring the legendary Bette Davis premiered. If you've never seen it, it's a must for getting a sample of one of the most classic examples of early American film. It's been years since I've seen it so I just added it to my personal watchlist on Prime Video.
• 1967- Debut of the American Basketball Association. Here's a little run-down of the short-lived association, whose roots live on today with teams like the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs.
• 1974- Lost to the entertainment industry was TV legacy Ed Sullivan made history with the acts he brought to the American public, including the Beatles in 1964 (arguably the start of Beatlemania in the United States). Also passing away on October 13th: in 1945, Milton Hershey, founder of the Hershey chocolate company that's truly iconic and in 2002, Stephen Ambrose- historian and author famous for his epic WWII story, Band of Brothers.
• 2021- William Shatner became the oldest person to go to space at age 90! Yes, for real, not on set. I mean seriously- how cool is that on so many levels? Read the details of his flight on Blue Origin here.

Washington DC building, 2014

Closing it out.

The beginnings of what is now known as Washington D.C.- click here to read George Washington's words on building a new Federal City.

From George Washington to the Commissioners for the Federal District, 3 April 1791

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There is a huge practical disclaimer to the content on this blog, which is my way of sharing my excitement and basically journaling online.

1) I am not a historian nor an expert. I will let you know I’m relaying the information as I understand and interpret it. The employees of Colonial Williamsburg base their presentations, work, and responses on historical documents and mainly primary sources.

2) I will update for accuracy as history is constant learning. If you have a question about accuracy, please ask me! I will get the answer from the best source I can find.

3) Photo credit to me, Daphne Reznik, for all photos in this post, unless otherwise credited! All photos are personal photos taken in public access locations or with specific permission.