May 13 brings together beginnings, conflict, creativity, and crisis. In 1607, English colonists founded Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. In 1846, Congress declared war on Mexico, formally opening a conflict that would shape relations between the two countries. The dates are separated by centuries, but both events point to the lasting consequences of decisions made in moments of ambition and national purpose.
The day’s later entries shift from public history to individual lives and sudden upheaval. Stevie Wonder, born in 1950, became one of the most acclaimed musicians of his time, creating enduring songs despite being blind since infancy. In 1981, Pope John Paul II was shot and critically wounded in St. Peter’s Square. Taken together, these milestones show how a single calendar date can hold vastly different kinds of change: settlement and war, artistic achievement and political violence. Falling in mid-May, the list also arrives in a season associated with transition—a fitting backdrop for events that mark both new beginnings and turning points.