Horse meat, meteor strike and Mandela’s death: What happened in 2013 | World News

The world said goodbye to two of its most influential leaders during 2013, and welcomed a future king of the UK.

Here’s what happened during the year (and in 2010, 2011, 2012)…

Horse meat found in burgers – January

The Food Standards Agency tested beefburgers and ready meals from supermarkets and found horse meat.

Some products were found to be 100% horse. The source was traced to French manufacturer Comigel.

Jimmy Savile report published – 11 January

The report into the allegations made by victims of Jimmy Savile, called Giving Victims a Voice, was published by the Met Police and the NSPCC.

The report found his offences covered a period of 54 years, and spread across 28 police force areas. The reported victims were as young as eight, and ranged up to the age of 47.

HMV goes into administration – 15 January

Despite attempts by groups like Universal to keep the record store afloat, HMV announced it would have to call in administrators.

Helicopter crash in Vauxhall – 16 January

Two people were killed and 12 injured after a helicopter crashed into a crane at the top of The Tower, One St George Wharf, in south London.

The pilot was one of those killed. He had asked to be diverted to a nearby heliport because of bad weather but the time of the crash meant nighttime warning lights had been turned off the crane.

Oscar Pistorius kills his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp – 14 February

The former paralympic athlete fired four shots through his bathroom door on Valentine’s Day 2013, saying he mistook his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder.

She died and Pistorius was charged with murder later in the year. His trial began in 2014 and he remains in jail following his conviction for murder.

Chelyabinsk meteor – 15 February

Hundreds of people were injured in central Russia after a meteor hit the Chelyabinsk region of the country.

According to the region’s health department, 985 sought medical attention, including 204 children. No deaths were reported.

Bedroom tax introduced – 1 April

The spare room subsidy, which became known as the bedroom tax, was introduced by the coalition government, meaning tenants in social housing faced a drop in their benefits if they had a spare bedroom

Margaret Thatcher died – 8 April

Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher died of a stroke at the age of 87.

She was the first female prime minister in UK history and led Tory governments between 1979 and 1990.

Boston Marathon bombing – 15 April

Two bombs were detonated at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others.

The bombs were contained in pressure cookers inside backpacks, according to the FBI.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was eventually found guilty of 30 charges, many of which carried the death sentence in Massachusetts.

Rana Plaza collapses – 24 April

An eight-story garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing 1,129 people and injuring another 2,515.

The factory produced clothes for companies like Primark and Walmart. The incident raised more questions about supply chains and discount brands.

UKIP surge in local election – 2 May

The UK Independence Party performed unexpectedly well in local elections for 34 English councils, gaining 139 seats.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage claimed the results signified a “sea-change in British politics”.

Ariel Castro kidnappings discovered – 6 May

Amanda Berry escaped from a house in Cleveland, Ohio, with her six-year-old daughter and managed to get in touch with police. She and two other women had been held hostage by Castro for several years after he abducted them in his car and restrained them in his basement.

Alex Ferguson retired – May

Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down as Manchester United manager after 26 years at the helm.

He left the club having helped them to 13 league titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.

Angelina Jolie revealed double mastectomy – 14 May

The actress said she had a double mastectomy after a BRCA1 gene test revealed that she had an 87% chance of breast cancer.

She said: “I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could.”

Lee Rigby killed – 22 May

Drummer Lee Rigby was murdered in the street near his barracks in Woolwich, southeast London. He was knocked down with a car and his attackers attempted to decapitate him. Police shot at the attackers before arresting them.

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were both found guilty of murder.

President Mohamed Morsi deposed in Egyptian coup – 3 July

The head of Egypt’s armed forces, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, announced Mohamed Morsi’s fall on national television.

Supporters of ousted President Morsi were massacred by the security services. The Egyptian health ministry figures put the death toll of the attacks at 638; others counted the dead in thousands.

Andy Murray wins Wimbledon – 7 July

Scottish tennis player Andy Murray became the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936. He defeated Novak Djokovic to claim the title.

Same sex marriage law passed – 17 July

Couples of the same sex were given the right to marry in the UK for the first time. It was 2014 when the law came into force.

Prince George is born – 22 July

William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, welcomed their firstborn into the world. Prince George was born at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, and became third in line to the throne.

Chelsea Manning sentenced – 21 August

Chelsea Manning was sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment for handing confidential government information to the WikiLeaks site.

Manning leaked more than 700,000 documents, the biggest military leak in US history.

Damascus chemical attacks – 21 August

About 1,429 people (according to US estimates), including many children, were killed in chemical attacks in the suburbs of Damascus, apparently involving sarin gas.

Opposition groups blamed the Assad regime. In the week that followed, as more details emerged, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, condemned the attacks as a “moral obscenity” and President Obama threatened limited military strikes.

David Cameron pledged British support but was defeated in parliament.

Westgate shopping centre attack – 21 September

Al-Shabaab militants attacked the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenya, and killed 62 people, with 170 wounded.

The militants threw grenades and fired at random before conducting what became an 80-hour siege of the centre.

Lampedusa shipwreck – 3 October

At least 359 people died when a boat carrying migrants from Libya sunk off the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Typhoon Haiyan kills 6,000 in the Philippines – November

Haiyan was one of the most powerful storms of all time. It affected more than 14 million people across 44 provinces, displacing about 4.1 million and killing 6,000.

Glasgow helicopter crash – 29 November

Ten people were killed and more were injured after a police helicopter crashed into a bar called the Clutha in Glasgow.

It later emerged the pilot did not follow emergency protocol and flew on a low fuel warning.

Nelson Mandela died – 5 December

Anti-apartheid figurehead and former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, died at the age of 95.

He spent decades in prison trying to overcome the racial segregation in the nation and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Fellow campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: “He made us walk tall. God be praised.”

Ian Watkins sentenced over child sex charges – 18 December

Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins was sentenced to 35 years in prison for child sex charges after pleading guilty to 13 offences at Cardiff Crown Court.

Apollo theatre ceiling collapse – 19 December

The ceiling of the Apollo Theatre in London collapsed during a packed performance of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time.

Although 58 people were taken to hospital none of the injuries were reported to be serious.