December 13
1577: Explorer Francis Drake departs from Plymouth, England, with a fleet of five ships on a journey to the Pacific Ocean; he will go farther and ultimately circumnavigate the globe. On Sept. 26, 1580, Drake disembarks from The Golden Hind in Plymouth; it is the last remaining ship of the fleet. Drake brings back a hefty £600,000 worth of treasure to give to Queen Elizabeth I, who will knight him for his achievements.
1918: President Woodrow Wilson arrives in Brest, France to lead the American delegation at the Paris Peace Conference, officially ending World War I and promoting his vision for an international peacekeeping organization, the League of Nations. Wilson’s arrival in France marks the first official European visit by a U.S. president while in office.
1978: The likeness of women’s suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony appears on the silver dollar, first minted on this day at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia. The coin enters circulation in July 1979 but fails to catch on and is eventually replaced by the “golden” dollar coins -— with the likenesses of the presidents — which also have failed to catch on.
1642:New Zealand discovered by Dutch navigator Abel Tasman
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