On January 13, 2012, one of the world’s biggest cruise liners, the Costa Concordia set off from Italy’s Civitavecchia for a seven-day journey. Hours later, disaster struck when the ship ran aground just off the coast of the Giglio Islands, killing 32 people. Today, this incident is remembered as one of the world’s worst sea disasters. Here’s what else occurred on this dayread more

For history buffs, January 13 is a significant day. Significant events have occurred changing the course of the world.

Firstpost Explainers’ History Today series deep dives into the past to dig up the events that make January 13 unforgettable — from the Italian cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, running aground after hitting rocks off the coast of Giglio Island, killing 32 people to Donald Trump being impeached for a second time by the US House of Representatives.

Here’s what else unfolded on this day in the past.

Sinking of the Costa Concordia

On January 13, 2012, Italian cruise liner Costa Concordia, 17 decks high and a floating pleasure palace with the length of three football fields, left Civitavecchia, Italy, at 7:18 pm. On board were 1,023 crew members and 3,206 passengers.

The Concordia was supposed to take passengers on a seven-day Italian cruise from Civitavecchia to Savona. However, as the cruise approached Giglio Island several hours later, it deviated from its standard course, moving closer to the small Tuscan island for a maritime “salute”. The vessel’s Captain, Francesco Schettino, reportedly carried out this manoeuvre to impress his girlfriend — a claim he has rejected.

Whatever be the reason, the ship collided with the reef, causing the vessel’s port (left) side to suffer a 174-foot (53-metre) tear and eventually capsized, killing 32 people on board.

An aerial view shows the Costa Concordia as it lies on its side next to Giglio Island in Italy, taken from an Italian navy helicopter. File image/Reuters

Later, prosecutors blamed delayed evacuation orders and conflicting instructions given by crew for the chaos that ensued. The captain, Francesco Schettino, is now serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning a ship before all the passengers and crew had evacuated.

It was only in September 2013, a year later, that the 114,000-tonne Concordia was finally righted and in July 2014, it was towed to Genoa, Italy, where it was dismantled for scrap.

Donald Trump impeached yet again

Donald Trump as US president has had many firsts to his name. On January 13, 2021, he also earned the ‘honour’ of becoming the only president to be twice impeached when the US House of Representatives impeached him over the violent January 6 siege of the Capitol.

The House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump in lightning-fast proceedings just a week after violent pro-Trump loyalists stormed the US Capitol. Amid those who voted for Trump to be impeached were 10 Republicans who said he needed to be held accountable.

US House Speaker displays the signed article of impeachment against Trump on January 13, 2021. File image/AP

At the beginning of the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of Trump: “He must go, he is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love.”

Trump is the only US president to be twice impeached. It was the most bipartisan presidential impeachment in modern times, more so than against Bill Clinton in 1998. Trump was first impeached by the House in 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine, but the Senate voted in 2020 acquit.

Notably, Trump was once again acquitted by the Senate in a vote after his term was over.

First use of ejection seat

Today, we all know of ejection seats in planes and aircraft. But did you know that it was first successfully used on this day in 1942?

On January 13, German test pilot Helmut Schenk became the first person to escape from a stricken aircraft using an ejection seat, when they lost control of their Heinkel He 280 experimental jet fighter, which was flying as an unpowered glider at the time.

According to Paul Marks, who wrote for the BBC, said that by the autumn of 1944,“the British Air Ministry was receiving bizarre reports of sightings of German pilots ‘being fired into the sky’ from crashing German jets.” Both Britain and the US successfully developed their own ejection seats after the end of World War II.

Since then, the ejection seat has saved many lives, including that of Indian Air Force Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman.

This Day, That Year

>> In 2000, Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates resigns as the company’s chief executive officer and promoted Steve Ballmer to the position.
>> On this day, in 2022, Britain’s Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages due to increasing sexual assault allegations.