On this day

January 13, 1939

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

Portrait 1080 × 1920 PNG · created on your device

Filter by:

Headlines from January 13, 1939

Notable Births

Edgardo Cozarinsky

1939Edgardo Cozarinsky, Argentinian author, screenwriter, and director (died 2024)[†]

Edgardo Cozarinsky was an Argentine writer and filmmaker. He was best known for his Spanish-language novel Vudú urbano.

Jacek Gmoch

1939Jacek Gmoch, Polish footballer and coach[†]

Jacek Wojciech Gmoch is a Polish former professional footballer, manager, and commentator. As a player he spent the majority of his career playing for Legia Warsaw as a defender, and represented Poland 29 times internationally. After a career-ending injury he became a successful trainer, winning multiple titles in Poland, Greece, and Cyprus, while also managing the Poland National Team.

Cesare Maniago

1939Cesare Maniago, Canadian ice hockey player[†]

Cesare Maniago is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 410 of his 568 National Hockey League (NHL) games for the Minnesota North Stars, the second most in franchise history.

Historical Events

Black Friday bushfires

1939The Black Friday bushfires burn 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) of land in Australia, claiming the lives of 71 people.[†]

The Black Friday bushfires of 13 January 1939, in Victoria, Australia, were part of the devastating 1938–1939 bushfire season in Australia, which saw bushfires burning for the whole summer, and ash falling as far away as New Zealand. It was calculated that three-quarters of the State of Victoria was directly or indirectly affected by the disaster, while other Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory were also badly hit by fires and extreme heat. This was the third-deadliest bushfire event in Australian history, only behind the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires and the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.