Hummus Day
Hummus Day is an annual celebration dedicated to the popular Middle Eastern dip known as hummus. It’s observed on May 13th each year, providing an opportunity for people around the world to enjoy and appreciate this delicious and versatile dish.
Apple Pie Day
Apple Pie Day is a delightful celebration dedicated to one of America’s most beloved desserts: apple pie. While there isn’t an officially designated Apple Pie Day on the calendar, many people celebrate this iconic dessert on various occasions throughout the year, typically in May or during the fall apple harvest season.
Cough Drop Day
Cough Drop Day isn’t an officially recognized holiday, but it could be celebrated as a light-hearted or awareness-based observance focusing on throat health, especially during cold and flu season. Cough drops have a long and soothing history dating back to ancient times. The earliest remedies for sore throats were natural—Egyptians used honey mixed with herbs, while ancient Chinese and Greek cultures crafted lozenges from ingredients like licorice and horehound. The modern cough drop began to take shape in the 1800s, when advancements in candy-making allowed medicinal ingredients to be combined with sugar to create palatable throat soothers. One of the first commercially successful brands was Smith Brothers, introduced in the United States in 1852. Later, iconic brands like Ricola (founded in Switzerland in 1930) popularized herbal formulas. Over time, cough drops evolved into a staple of cold and flu relief, combining tradition and innovation in each menthol-infused piece.
Here are some significant events that have occurred on May 13th throughout history:
1846: The United States officially declared war on Mexico, marking the beginning of the Mexican-American War, which lasted until 1848.
1917: Our Lady of Fátima is said to have first appeared to three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal. This event eventually led to the construction of the Fátima Sanctuary, one of the most important Marian shrines in the world.
1958: The trademark “Velcro” was registered. Velcro, a hook-and-loop fastener, was invented by Swiss engineer George de Mestral in the 1940s.
1981: Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman, attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. The Pope survived the assassination attempt and later forgave Ağca.
1989: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 190.58 points, marking one of the largest one-day percentage declines in its history. This event became known as “Friday the 13th mini-crash.”
2005: The Andijan Massacre occurred in Uzbekistan, where government forces opened fire on protesters, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The exact number of casualties remains disputed.
2017: A massive global cyberattack known as WannaCry ransomware attack affected over 200,000 computers in 150 countries. The attack exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows operating systems.
