Friday 13th of February 1542

Fifth wife of Henry VIII Catherine Howard aka The Rose without a Thorn is executed by beheading at the age of 19 in Tower of London, London, Greater London, United Kingdom.

Howard was guilty of "failing to disclose her sexual history to the king within twenty days of their marriage, or to incite someone to commit adultery with her."

Saturday 13th of February 1599

237th Pope Alexander VII is born as Fabio Chigi in Siena, Toscana, Italy.

Tuesday 13th of February 1866

19-year-old Outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber and murderer Jesse Woodson James leads a gang of ten to twelve former Confederate guerrillas into the first daylight bank robbery in American history in Clay County Savings Association, 104 East Franklin Street, Liberty, Missouri, United States.

The robbers collected government bonds worth $42,000 to $45,000, $518 in tax stamps, gold, silver coins, and banknotes. 19-year-old student George 'Jolly' Wymore was killed by a bullet across the street as the robbers rode away.

Tuesday 13th of February 1883

Composer Richard Wilhelm Wagner dies of a heart attack at the age of 70 in Ca' Vendramin Calergi, Venezia, Veneto, Italy.

Sunday 13th of February 1887

Postal worker and would-be assassin Richard Paul Pavlick is born in Belmont, New Hampshire, United States.

Friday 13th of February 1891

Prostitute Frances Coles is killed by an unknown assailant at the age of 25 in Swallow Gardens, London, Whitechapel, Greater London, United Kingdom.

Minor wounds on the back of Coles' head suggest that she was thrown violently to the ground before her throat was cut at least twice, from left to right and then back again. It is believed by some that Coles was the last victim of Jack the Ripper.

Friday 13th of February 1903

Writer Georges Joseph Christian Simenon known for creating the fictional detective Jules Maigret is born in 26 rue Léopold, Liège, Liège, Belgium.

Tuesday 13th of February 1906

Victim of Fritz Haarmann aka Der Hannover Werwolf Richard Gräf is born in Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany.

Tuesday 13th of February 1906

Double murderer William Williams is executed by hanging at the age of 29 in Ramsey County Jail, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.

The rope that was used to hang Williams was too long, and when Williams hit the floor after dropping through the trap door on the gallows, three police officers were required to hold Williams up by the rope for over 14 minutes until he finally died of strangulation. The circumstances of Williams' execution helped lead to the abolition of capital punishment in Minnesota.

Friday 13th of February 1914

Law enforcement officer and biometrics researcher Alphonse Bertillon dies at the age of 61 in 5 Avenue du Président-Wilson, Paris, XVIe, Île-de-France, France.

Wednesday 13th of February 1929

53-year-old Rudolf Scheer is stabbed to death by serial killer Peter Kürten aka The Vampire of Düsseldorf in Hellweg, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Monday 13th of February 1933

Actress Kim Novak is born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Saturday 13th of February 1937

658 die in Theatre fire in Antung, Liaoning, China.

Sunday 13th of February 1938

Actor Oliver Robert Reed is born in London, Wimbledon, Greater London, United Kingdom.

Thursday 13th of February 1941

Painter Sigmar Polke is born in Oleśnica, Województwo Dolnośląskie, Poland.

Tuesday 13th of February 1945

25.000 die in air raid bombings in Dresden, Sachsen, Germany.

In four raids between 13 and 15 February 1945, 722 heavy bombers of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and 527 of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) dropped more than 3,900 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices on the city.

Saturday 13th of February 1960

23-year-old Horst Otto confesses to the murder of Manuela Knodt in Polizeiwache Borbeck, Schloßstraße 65, Essen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Knodt was actually killed by Joachim Kroll aka Jockel aka Der Ruhrkannibale.

Thursday 13th of February 1964

Nazi psychiatrist Werner Heyde aka Fritz Sawade known for organizing the T-4 Euthanasia Program commits suicide by hanging in his cell at the age of 62 in Butzbach, Hessen, Germany.

After World War II Heyde was interned and imprisoned but escaped in 1947. He went underground using the alias Fritz Sawade and continued practicing as a sports physician and psychiatrist in Flensburg. Many friends and associates knew about his real identity, but remained silent even as he was an expert witness in court cases. His true identity was revealed in the course of a private quarrel, and on 11 November 1959 Heyde surrendered to police in Frankfurt after 13 years as a fugitive. Five days before his trial was to start Heyde hanged himself in prison.

Sunday 13th of February 1972

71-year-old Fred Perez aka Freddie Bell is shot dead by serial killer Herbert Mullin aka The Hippie Killer in Santa Cruz, California, United States.

Mullin was driving alone when he drove past Perez who was weeding his lawn. For no apparent reason Mullin made a U-turn, stopped his station wagon and laid his rifle across the hood to aim, killing Perez instantly. Then he got back into his car and 'calmly' drove off. It was broad daylight and there were a number of witnesses, one of whom gave police the license plate number. A 'docile' Mullin was captured a few minutes later.

Friday 13th of February 1981

Member of the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) Jose Ignacio Arregui is tortured to death at the age of 30 in Prisión Provincial Carabanchel, Madrid, Área metropolitana de Madrid, Spain.

Arregui died after nine days of interrogation. The cause of death was diagnosed as bronchial pneumonia while Arregui's body was covered with bruises and there were first and second degree burns on the soles of both feet.

Wednesday 13th of February 1991

Sculptor Arno Breker known for his public works in Nazi Germany dies of natural causes at the age of 91 in Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany.

Tuesday 13th of February 2007

Fashion model Eliana Elle Ramos dies of a heart attack due to malnutrition at the age of 19 in Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay.

Ramos was the sister of fashion model Luisel Ramos who died of anorexia nervosa six months earlier.

Tuesday 13th of February 2007

Creative reconstruction of a house front in Borgerhout, Antwerpen, Belgium.

Saturday 13th of February 2010

Multiple murderer Leroy Viva Nash dies of natural causes at the age of 95 in Arizona State Prison Complex, 1305 E Butte Avenue, Florence, Arizona, United States.

Nash was one of the oldest prisoners in history as well as one of those longest incarcerated (for a total of 70 years), spending almost 80 years behind bars. He was the oldest American on death row at the time of his death.