1. On April 13, 1873, the University of Alabama opened its doors in Tuscaloosa. The university had been closed during the Civil War and the Reconstruction period, but was reestablished as the state's flagship institution of higher education.

2. On April 13, 1945, the Battle of Okinawa began, marking the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War. Over 60,000 American troops and 100,000 Japanese soldiers fought for control of the island, resulting in over 250,000 casualties.

3. On April 13, 1959, the USS Alabama was decommissioned and turned into a museum ship in Mobile. The battleship had served in both World War II and the Korean War, earning nine battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation.

4. On April 13, 1963, the Civil Rights Movement reached a critical moment in Birmingham with the arrest of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for protesting segregation. The event would lead to the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and increased national attention to the fight for equal rights.

5. On April 13, 2011, several tornadoes swept through Alabama, causing widespread damage and claiming over 240 lives. The storms were part of a larger outbreak that affected 11 states and was one of the deadliest in U.S. history.