1. In 1634, the Dutch West India Company formed the Council of Twelve Men, which served as the first representative body in New Amsterdam (now New York City). This marked an important step towards self-government in the colony.

2. On February 13, 1837, a massive fire broke out in New York City's financial district. Known as the "Great Fire of 1835," it destroyed over 650 buildings and caused an estimated $20 million in damages. The fire led to the creation of the first professional fire department in the city.

3. In 1935, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering the infant son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. The trial, which took place in Flemington, New Jersey, lasted over six weeks and was one of the most high-profile criminal cases in American history.

4. On February 13, 1945, the Yalta Conference began in Crimea, Russia. The conference, which was attended by Allied leaders Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin, aimed to plan the post-war reorganization of Europe and Asia.

5. In 1960, a US Navy submarine called the USS Triton became the first vessel to complete a submerged circumnavigation of the earth. The voyage, which took almost three months, covered over 41,000 nautical miles and demonstrated the US Navy's ability to operate under the polar ice cap.