1. On September 13, 1814, during the War of 1812, a British fleet bombarded Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland. This event inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," which became the national anthem of the United States.

2. In 1943, the Baltimore Colts (now the Indianapolis Colts) played their first game as a professional football team on September 13.

3. On September 13, 1977, the Great Baltimore Fire burned for two days and destroyed over 1,500 buildings in the city's central business district. This fire was one of the worst in Baltimore's history and resulted in millions of dollars in damage.

4. The Maryland Renaissance Festival, which takes place annually from late August to October, begins in Crownsville, Maryland, on or around September 13.

5. In 1998, the Baltimore Orioles' Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,632nd consecutive game on September 13, breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive game record. This achievement earned Ripken a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.