On this day: April 13

/on/april-13

1935 • neutral • 7 views

Roller Derby Debuts with First Match in Chicago, April 1935

Skaters racing on a banked wooden track inside a 1930s-era Chicago Coliseum with crowds in period clothing watching from the stands.

On April 13, 1935, promoter Leo Seltzer staged what is widely regarded as the first roller derby match at Chicago's Chicago Coliseum, initiating a new spectator sport that combined speed, endurance and staged competition.

Read

1992 • neutral • 8 views

Early-Morning Flooding Submerges Chicago Loop Basements

View of a downtown Chicago street with water flowing at basement-level entrances and temporary pumps and hoses leading into flooded building subbasements; no identifiable faces.

On April 13, 1992, a breach in an old freight tunnel under the Chicago River sent millions of gallons of water into downtown basements and sublevels, disrupting power, transit and businesses across the Loop.

Read

1970 • neutral • 7 views

Apollo 13 Oxygen Tank Explodes, Forcing Abort of Lunar Landing

Apollo-era spacecraft in lunar mission configuration: the Command/Service Module docked with the Lunar Module against the blackness of space, with Earth visible in the distant background.

On April 13, 1970, an oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13 ruptured two days into the mission, crippling the Service Module and forcing NASA to abort the planned lunar landing and focus on returning the crew safely to Earth.

Read