Famous people born on May 13 — and what else happened that day
If your birthday is May 13, you share it with Joe Louis, Stevie Wonder, Stephen Colbert — and you were born under Taurus, the sign of the steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
Birthday basics for May 13
Taurus ♉
Zodiac sign
Emerald
Birthstone
Lily of the Valley
Birth flower
133rd
Day of the year
May 13 is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years), with 232 days still to come.
Famous people born on May 13
Joe Louis — American heavyweight boxing champion known as the 'Brown Bomber' (born 1914).
Stevie Wonder — American singer-songwriter and 25-time Grammy winner (born 1950).
Stephen Colbert — American comedian and late-night television host (born 1964).
Also sharing the day:
Daphne du Maurier (b. 1907) — English novelist behind Rebecca and the story that inspired Hitchcock's The Birds.
Harvey Keitel (b. 1939) — American actor known for Taxi Driver and Pulp Fiction.
Robert Pattinson (b. 1986) — English actor who went from Twilight heartthrob to The Batman.
May 13 in history
1888 — Brazil passed the Golden Law, abolishing slavery in the country.
1940 — Winston Churchill delivered his famous 'blood, toil, tears, and sweat' speech as Britain's new prime minister.
1950 — The first Formula One World Championship race was held at Silverstone in England.
1830 — Ecuador became an independent nation, separating from Gran Colombia.
1861 — Astronomer John Tebbutt discovered the Great Comet of 1861 from Windsor, Australia.
1917 — Three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal reported the first of the visions that made the town a world-famous pilgrimage site.
May 13 birthday questions
What zodiac sign is May 13?
Anyone born on May 13 is a Taurus — steady, loyal, and a lover of life’s comforts.
What is the birthstone for May 13?
The birthstone for a May 13 birthday is Emerald, and the birth flower is the Lily of the Valley.
Who is the most famous person born on May 13?
Joe Louis is among the best known — American heavyweight boxing champion known as the 'Brown Bomber' (born 1914).
What happened on May 13?
In 1888, Brazil passed the Golden Law, abolishing slavery in the country.
What day of the year is May 13?
May 13 is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years), with 232 days still to come.
Make their day unforgettable
Know someone born on May 13? See the full story of their exact birthday — the headlines, the #1 song, what things cost — and turn it into a personalized front-page newspaper they can keep.