13 February in History: From a Queen’s Execution to Sarojini Naidu’s Birth

The date 13 February holds significant events in both Indian and world history. On this day, New Delhi was declared the capital of India, and the legendary poet and politician Sarojini Naidu was born. The day is also remembered for a tragic royal event when a young queen was executed at just 18 years of age.

A Royal Tragedy: Catherine Howard

On 13 February 1542, Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII of England, was executed near the Tower of London. Catherine was only 18-19 years old at the time. She had married King Henry VIII in 1540 at the age of 16-17, while he was about 30 years her senior.

According to Historic Royal Palaces (hrp.org.uk), after becoming queen at Hampton Court Palace, Catherine rekindled a past romance with a former lover. When King Henry VIII learned of the affair, he ordered her execution. Catherine Howard’s story remains one of the most infamous events in English royal history.

Delhi Becomes India’s Capital

13 February is also significant in Indian history. On this day in 1931, Delhi was officially declared the capital of India by Viceroy Lord Irwin, replacing Calcutta (now Kolkata) as the seat of administration—long before India gained independence.

Key Global Events on 13 February

| Year | Event |
| – | – |
| 1542 | Execution of Catherine Howard, Queen of England |
| 1601 | John Lancaster led the first East India Company voyage to London |
| 1688 | Spain recognized Portugal as an independent nation |
| 1689 | William and Mary declared joint monarchs of England |
| 1795 | America’s first state university opened in North Carolina |
| 1966 | Soviet Union conducted a nuclear test in Eastern Kazakhstan |

Key Events in Indian History

| Year | Event |
| – | – |
| 1931 | Delhi became India’s capital |
| 1984 | Launch of Mumbai’s Mazagon Dock for Navy by PM Indira Gandhi |
| 2003 | Yash Chopra awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award |
| 2004 | Indian team won Gold at the 10th Asian Shooting Championship in Kuala Lumpur |
| 2010 | Bomb blast near a German bakery in Pune |

Notable Births on 13 February

• 1849 – Lord Randolph Churchill, British politician and father of Winston Churchill
• 1879 – Sarojini Naidu, India’s first female governor and renowned poet
• 1910 – William Shockley, American physicist, inventor, and Nobel laureate
• 1911 – Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Pakistani Urdu poet, editor, and journalist
• 1873 – Fyodor Chaliapin, celebrated Russian opera singer

Sarojini Naidu: “The Nightingale of India”

Born on 13 February 1879 in Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu was the daughter of Aghornath Chattopadhyay, principal of Nizam College. She received education in Madras, London, and Cambridge. While in England, she became drawn to the Indian independence movement, joining the Indian National Congress and becoming a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, actively participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement, facing multiple arrests.

In 1925, she was elected President of the Indian National Congress, and later became the Governor of United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). As a poet, she earned the titles “Nightingale of India” and “Bharat Kokila”, with works spanning children’s poems, patriotism, love, and tragedy. Her famous poem collection “In the Markets of Hyderabad” was published in 1912. Sarojini Naidu passed away on 2 March 1949 at the Raj Bhavan in Lucknow.

This version captures the historical significance of 13 February for both India and the world, highlighting key events and notable personalities.