1. On May 13, 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico, leading to the Mexican-American War. The conflict would last two years and result in significant territorial gains for the US, including the present-day states of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

2. On May 13, 1911, criminal and outlaw Black Jack Ketchum was executed in Clayton, New Mexico, for his role in a train robbery that resulted in the death of a railway employee. His hanging was botched, leading to his decapitation, and it would be the last public execution in the state.

3. May 13, 1989, marks the start of a massive wildfire in the Gila National Forest. The fire would cover over 150,000 acres, destroy numerous structures, and take weeks to fully contain. It is still considered one of the largest wildfires in New Mexico's history.

4. On May 13, 2000, the Los Alamos National Laboratory was closed due to threat of wildfire. The lab, which develops and studies nuclear weapons, was evacuated in advance of the Cerro Grande Fire, which would ultimately burn over 43,000 acres and destroy over 200 homes.

5. May 13, 2004, saw the unveiling of artist Frederico Vigil’s murals at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque. The work, which took over 10 years to complete, depicts over 3,000 years of Hispanic history and culture, and is considered one of the largest murals in the US.