The fires in Victoria from 1939 to 1940 were the culmination of a long, dry summer. But on January 13, 1939 the Black Friday bushfires consumed the area: 71 people died and 575,000ha were burned to a crisp.
9. Computers fell victim to the "Friday the 13th Virus"
On January 13, 1989, a computer virus swept through the UK. According to the LA Times, hundreds of computers were affected by the virus, which deleted personal files specifically on the unlucky date.
The virus also slowed computers down.
10. Swedish flight DC-3 vanishes, never to be seen again
According to National Geographic, a Swedish flight disappeared while flying over the Baltic Sea on Friday June 13, 1952.
For 40 years the Swedish Government said the plane was performing training exercises.
But in the 1990s National Geographic reported it was leaked that crew members were spying on the Soviet Union.
Russia responded, saying a pilot told a Swedish diplomat he had shot down the plane.
11. Tennessee bans teaching of evolution
On Friday, May 13, 1925, science took a bitter blow when the Tennessee Senate passed a law preventing the teaching of evolution. It provided fuel for a still-ongoing movement which battles the teaching of evolution in schools.
