January

• Barack Obama begins second presidential term 2013-01-21 — Barack Obama and Joe Biden participated in the public inaugural ceremony for their second terms on January 21, 2013.

  Washington, D.C.. West Front, U.S. Capitol Location ↗ (opens in new tab)

  Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Federal Reserve holds target rate at 0–1/4% 2013-01-30 — The Federal Open Market Committee kept its target for the federal funds rate at 0–1/4 percent. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ↗ (opens in new tab)

February

• Argo wins Best Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards 2013-02-24 — Argo won Best Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards, honoring films released in 2012.

  Annual Entertainment anchor event for the America Since 2000 timeline, sourced to the Academy’s official ceremony archive.

  Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ↗ (opens in new tab)

March

• Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act becomes law 2013-03-07 — Public Law 113-4 reauthorized and amended federal programs addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and related issues. GovInfo / U.S. Government Publishing Office ↗ (opens in new tab)

April

• The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson wins the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction April 15, 2013 — The Pulitzer Prize Board awarded The Orphan Master's Son, by Adam Johnson the 2013 prize for Fiction. The Pulitzer Prizes ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Disgraced, by Ayad Akhtar wins the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama April 15, 2013 — The Pulitzer Prize Board awarded Disgraced, by Ayad Akhtar the 2013 prize for Drama. The Pulitzer Prizes ↗ (opens in new tab)

June

• Supreme Court decides Shelby County v. Holder 2013-06-25 — The Court invalidated the Voting Rights Act coverage formula in Section 4(b), which made the Section 5 preclearance system inoperative unless Congress enacted a new coverage formula. Supreme Court of the United States ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Supreme Court decides United States v. Windsor 2013-06-26 — The Court held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage for federal purposes as opposite-sex marriage, violated the Fifth Amendment. Supreme Court of the United States ↗ (opens in new tab)

September

• Breaking Bad ends with a series-record 10.3 million viewers September 29, 2013 — Breaking Bad's finale, "Felina," aired September 29, 2013 to 10.3 million viewers, a series record and the highest-rated telecast in basic-cable drama history at the time. AMC Global Media ↗ (opens in new tab)
• NASA launches LADEE to study the Moon’s atmosphere September 6, 2013 — The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer launched to orbit the Moon. National Aeronautics and Space Administration ↗ (opens in new tab)

October

• Federal government shutdown begins 2013-10-01 — A lapse in appropriations began on October 1, 2013, leading to furloughs and shutdown procedures across affected federal agencies. U.S. Office of Personnel Management ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Federal government reopens after 2013 shutdown 2013-10-17 — Funding resumed after enactment of Public Law 113-46, ending the October 2013 lapse in appropriations. GovInfo / U.S. Government Publishing Office ↗ (opens in new tab)

November

• Senate changes cloture precedent for most nominations 2013-11-21 — The Senate established a precedent allowing a simple majority to invoke cloture on executive and lower-court nominations, while excluding Supreme Court nominations at that time. U.S. Senate ↗ (opens in new tab)
• NASA launches MAVEN toward Mars November 18, 2013 — MAVEN launched to study how Mars lost much of its atmosphere and water. National Aeronautics and Space Administration ↗ (opens in new tab)

December

• Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 becomes law 2013-12-26 — Public Law 113-67 set budget levels for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 and modified portions of the sequestration schedule. GovInfo / U.S. Government Publishing Office ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Beyonce releases a surprise self-titled album December 13, 2013 — Beyonce released her fifth studio album with no advance announcement on December 13, 2013, complete with a music video for every track; its surprise-drop success is widely credited with shifting the industry's standard album-release day from Tuesday to Friday. NPR ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Federal Reserve holds target rate at 0–1/4% 2013-12-18 — The Federal Open Market Committee kept its target for the federal funds rate at 0–1/4 percent. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System ↗ (opens in new tab)

Date within this year unknown

• Miami Heat win the 2013 NBA championship 2013 NBA Finals — Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-3 in the NBA Finals to win the 2013 championship. LeBron James was named Finals MVP.

  Annual Sports anchor event for the America Since 2000 timeline. The championship, runner-up, series result, and Finals MVP are sourced from NBA.com history archives.

  NBA.com ↗ (opens in new tab) NBA.com ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII over 49ers 2013 Super Bowl — The Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in a game delayed by a 34-minute power outage at the Superdome.

  New Orleans, Louisiana. Mercedes-Benz Superdome Location ↗ (opens in new tab)

  CBS News ↗ (opens in new tab)
• Boston Red Sox win 2013 World Series over Cardinals 2013 World Series — The Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 2 to win their third championship since 2004. MLB.com ↗ (opens in new tab)