50 Fun Facts About 2013

A meteor exploded over which Russian city on February 15, 2013, injuring about 1,500 people?

It was the most powerful meteor to hit Earth's atmosphere since Tunguska in 1908, and most injuries came from shattered window glass.

Which pope resigned on February 28, 2013?

He was the first pope to step down since Gregory XII in 1415, and the first to do so voluntarily since Celestine V in 1294.

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina took which papal name in March 2013?

He became the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas and the first from the Southern Hemisphere.

Park Geun-hye became the first female president of which country in February 2013?

Her father, Park Chung-hee, had ruled the country from 1961 to 1979. She was impeached and removed in 2017.

Which former British prime minister died on April 8, 2013?

Her ceremonial funeral at St Paul's Cathedral was attended by the Queen, the first time she had attended a prime minister's funeral since Churchill's in 1965.

The April 2013 Savar garment-factory collapse, which killed 1,134 people, happened where?

The Rana Plaza disaster led to international safety accords covering hundreds of Bangladeshi factories supplying Western clothing brands.

Willem-Alexander became king of which country on April 30, 2013?

His mother Beatrix abdicated after 33 years, making him the first Dutch king since 1890.

Emmelie de Forest won the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest for which country?

The contest was held in Malmö, Sweden. The winning song was 'Only Teardrops'.

The widest tornado ever recorded, 2.6 miles across, struck near which Oklahoma town on May 31, 2013?

Mobile radar measured winds up to 296 mph inside it. Eleven days earlier an EF5 had devastated Moore.

Which country granted Edward Snowden temporary asylum after his June 2013 NSA disclosures?

He spent more than a month in the transit zone of Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport before the asylum was granted.

Which country became the 28th member of the European Union on July 1, 2013?

It remains the most recent country to join. The UK's exit in 2020 took the count back down to 27.

Which Egyptian president was removed in a military coup on July 3, 2013?

He had been in office barely a year as Egypt's first democratically elected president.

A runaway oil train derailed and exploded in Lac-Mégantic in which Canadian province in July 2013?

The disaster killed 47 people and destroyed much of the town centre, prompting new rail-safety rules across North America.

Philippe was sworn in as king of which country on July 21, 2013?

His father Albert II abdicated on Belgium's national day. Spain's Juan Carlos would follow suit a year later.

Tony Abbott's Coalition defeated which Labor prime minister in Australia's September 2013 election?

Rudd had only just returned as PM in June, three years after Gillard ousted him.

On September 7, 2013, the IOC awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics to which city?

Madrid and Istanbul were the other finalists. The Games were eventually held in 2021 because of the pandemic.

Which video game earned more than half a billion dollars on its first day, September 17, 2013?

It passed $1 billion within three days, faster than any entertainment product before it.

Which operating system update did Microsoft release on October 17, 2013?

It brought back the Start button that Windows 8 had removed a year earlier.

Which country launched its uncrewed Mars Orbiter Mission from Sriharikota in November 2013?

Mangalyaan reached Mars orbit in September 2014, making India the first nation to succeed on its first attempt.

Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, devastated which country in November 2013?

It was one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded and killed more than 6,000 people, most of them around Tacloban.

The Euromaidan protests began in November 2013 in which country?

They erupted after President Viktor Yanukovych shelved an EU association agreement in favor of closer ties with Russia.

Which country's Chang'e 3 spacecraft made the first soft Moon landing since 1976 in December 2013?

It carried the Yutu ('Jade Rabbit') rover, only the third robotic rover ever to drive on the Moon.

Which Canadian short-story writer won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature?

She was the first Canadian-based writer to win, and the Swedish Academy called her a 'master of the contemporary short story'.

François Englert and Peter Higgs shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in which field?

The award came a year after CERN confirmed the Higgs boson they had predicted in 1964.

Which organization won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize?

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was in the middle of dismantling Syria's chemical arsenal when the prize was announced.

The United Nations designated 2013 the International Year of which food?

It was also the International Year of Water Cooperation. Bolivia, a major grower, proposed the quinoa designation.

Which Supreme Court ruling in June 2013 struck down a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act?

It granted federal recognition to same-sex marriages; Obergefell would legalize them nationwide two years later.

In February 2013, hijacked Emergency Alert Systems at several US TV stations warned of what?

Stations in Montana, Michigan, Wisconsin and New Mexico aired the hoax, one of the largest breaches in the system's history.

Nelson Mandela died on December 5, 2013, at what age?

Around 170 countries sent representatives to his memorial at FNB Stadium, where the sign-language interpreter turned out to be a fake.

Prince George was born on July 22, 2013, at which London hospital?

His father William and uncle Harry were born in the same Lindo Wing. He was third in line to the throne at birth.

Which team won Super Bowl XLVII in February 2013?

It was the 'Har-Bowl': John Harbaugh's Ravens beat brother Jim's 49ers 34–31, the 49ers' first ever Super Bowl loss.

For how many minutes did a power outage halt Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans?

The lights went out right after Jacoby Jones's record 108-yard kickoff return, earning the game the nickname Blackout Bowl.

Who headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show, reuniting with Destiny's Child?

Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams joined her on stage. The show came 11 days after her lip-synced inauguration anthem.

Which AMC drama ended its five-season run with the finale 'Felina' on September 29, 2013?

More than 10.3 million people watched, and the show won the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy in both 2013 and 2014.

Which Disney film, released in November 2013, became the year's highest-grossing movie?

It took more than $1.28 billion and won Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for 'Let It Go'.

Lorde, whose debut single 'Royals' spent nine weeks at number one in 2013, comes from which country?

She wrote the lyrics in half an hour at age 15. The song won Song of the Year at the 2014 Grammys.

How many straight weeks did 'Blurred Lines' top the Hot 100, the longest run of 2013?

Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were later found to have infringed Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up'.

House of Cards, released in full on February 1, 2013, was the first studio-made series for which service?

Netflix outbid HBO, Showtime and AMC for the Kevin Spacey drama and ordered 26 episodes up front.

Which games console launched in North America on November 15, 2013?

The Xbox One followed a week later at a $499 price point, $100 more than Sony's machine.

The Harlem Shake videos that flooded YouTube in February 2013 were set to a track by which producer?

At the peak, 4,000 videos a day were being uploaded, roughly one every 22 seconds.

Which Ben Affleck film won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in February 2013?

Affleck was famously left off the Best Director shortlist, prompting host Seth MacFarlane to joke that the director 'remains unknown to the Academy'.

Who directed the 2013 space thriller Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney?

He co-wrote it with his son Jonás and won the Best Director Oscar, the first Latin American filmmaker to do so.

Which Fast & Furious star died in a car crash on November 30, 2013?

He was a passenger in a Porsche Carrera GT. Furious 7 was completed using his brothers as stand-ins.

Which cable channel premiered the cult disaster movie Sharknado on July 11, 2013?

Its premiere drew just 1.37 million viewers, but Twitter buzz made the third airing a record for a Syfy original.

Which team won the 2013 World Series, with David Ortiz named MVP?

It was the franchise's eighth title and the first clinched at Fenway Park since 1918, six months after the marathon bombing.

Which team did the Miami Heat beat in seven games to win the 2013 NBA Finals?

Ray Allen's corner three with 5.2 seconds left in Game 6 saved Miami's season and set up the decider.

Andy Murray's 2013 Wimbledon win made him the first British men's champion since whom?

Perry's last title came in 1936. Murray beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets for his second Grand Slam.

Who won the 2013 Masters, his first major title?

He beat Ángel Cabrera in a playoff to become the first Australian to win the green jacket.

Bayern Munich beat which fellow German club in the 2013 Champions League final at Wembley?

Arjen Robben's 89th-minute winner gave Bayern a 2–1 victory and the first leg of a treble under Jupp Heynckes.

Which Velvet Underground co-founder died on October 27, 2013?

He was 71 and had undergone a liver transplant earlier that year.