On this day: December 13

U.S. Forces Capture Saddam Hussein in Iraq

On December 13, 2003, U.S. military forces captured former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein near his hometown of Tikrit, ending months of searching for the deposed leader after the 2003 invasion.

Germany Signs Armistice Documents, Ending World War I Hostilities

On December 13, 1918, German representatives signed armistice documents formalizing the cessation of large-scale hostilities from World War I after the November 11 ceasefire, marking a step toward negotiated peace and the postwar settlement.

European leaders sign Lisbon Treaty to reshape EU decision-making

On 13 December 2007, EU member-state leaders signed the Treaty of Lisbon in Lisbon, reforming institutional structures, voting rules and foreign policy arrangements to streamline decision-making across an enlarged Union.

Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling affirms nationwide right to abortion

On Dec. 13, 1972, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge that culminated in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which established a constitutional right to abortion nationwide; the Court’s decisive ruling was issued on Jan. 22, 1973.