What happened today in history
August
What happened on August 13
On August 13 history recorded 55 notable events. 160 people who left a mark were born on this day, and 106 died. Here is the full almanac.
- 55events
- 160births
- 106deaths
- 22observances
Highlights
Highlights
582Maurice was crowned as Byzantine emperor, succeeding Tiberius II Constantine.
Maurice was Eastern Roman emperor from 582 to 602 and the last member of the Justinian dynasty. A successful general, Maurice was chosen as heir and son-in-law by his predecessor Tiberius II.
1650General George Monck founded Monck's Regiment of Foot, the predecessor to the Coldstream Guards, the oldest regular regiment of the British Army in continuous active service.
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle was a professional soldier from Devon who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was crucial to the 1660 Stuart Restoration of Charles II.
1704War of the Spanish Succession: The Duke of Marlborough led Allied forces to a crucial victory at the Battle of Blenheim.
The War of the Spanish Succession was a conflict between the European great powers, fought between 1701 and 1714. The death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a succession crisis, the rival claimants being Philip of Anjou, grandson of
August 13
On this day
I century BC
- 29 BC
29 BCOctavian holds the first of three consecutive triumphs in Rome to celebrate the victory over the Dalmatian tribes.
VI century
- 523
523John I becomes the new Pope after the death of Pope Hormisdas. - 554
554Emperor Justinian I issues a Pragmatic Sanction in which he organises the renewed Roman rule over the recently re-conquered Italy. All privileges granted to Romans under the Gothic rule until 538 are confirmed, confiscated estates restored and the participation of the Roman Church in civil government increased. - 582
582Maurice is crowned Emperor of the Byzantine Empire by the dying emperor Tiberius.
IX century
XI century
XV century
XVI century
- 1516
1516The Treaty of Noyon between France and Spain is signed. Francis I of France recognizes Charles's claim to Naples, and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, recognizes Francis's claim to Milan. - 1521
1521After an extended siege, forces led by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés capture Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc and conquer the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. - 1532
1532Union of Brittany and France: The Duchy of Brittany is absorbed into the Kingdom of France. - 1536
1536Buddhist monks from Kyoto, Japan's Enryaku-ji temple set fire to 21 Nichiren temples throughout Kyoto in what will be known as the Tenbun Hokke Disturbance. - 1553
1553Michael Servetus is arrested by John Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland as a heretic.
XVII century
XVIII century
- 1704
1704War of the Spanish Succession: Battle of Blenheim: English and Imperial forces are victorious over French and Bavarian troops. - 1724
1724Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101, a chorale cantata on a famous tune. - 1779
1779American Revolutionary War: The Royal Navy defeats the Penobscot Expedition with the most significant loss of United States naval forces prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. - 1792
1792King Louis XVI of France is formally arrested by the National Tribunal, and declared an enemy of the people.
XIX century
- 1806
1806Battle of Mišar during the Serbian Revolution begins. The battle ends two days later with a Serbian victory over the Ottomans. - 1814
1814The Convention of London, a treaty between the United Kingdom and the United Netherlands, is signed in London, England. - 1868
1868The 8.5–9.0 Mw Arica earthquake strikes southern Peru with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), causing 25,000+ deaths and a destructive basin-wide tsunami that affected Hawaii and New Zealand. - 1876
1876A performance of Wagner's Das Rheingold opens the first Ring cycle at the first Bayreuth Festival. - 1889
1889William Gray of Hartford, Connecticut is granted United States Patent Number 408,709 for "Coin-controlled apparatus for telephones." - 1898
1898Spanish–American War: Spanish and American forces engage in a mock battle for Manila, after which the Spanish commander surrendered in order to keep the city out of Filipino rebel hands. - 1898
1898Carl Gustav Witt discovers 433 Eros, the first near-Earth asteroid to be found. - 1900
1900The steamer Deutschland of Hamburg America Lines sets a new record for the eastward passage when it docks in Plymouth, England, five days, 11 hours and 45 minutes after sailing from New York, breaking by three hours, six minutes its previous mark in its maiden voyage in July.
XX century
- 1905
1905Norwegians vote to end the union with Sweden. - 1906
1906The all black infantrymen of the U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Regiment are accused of killing a white bartender and wounding a white police officer in Brownsville, Texas, despite exculpatory evidence; all are later dishonorably discharged. (Their records were later restored to reflect honorable discharges but there were no financial settlements.) - 1913
1913First production in the UK of stainless steel by Harry Brearley. - 1918
1918Women enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time. Opha May Johnson is the first woman to enlist. - 1918
1918Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) is established as a public company in Germany. - 1920
1920Polish–Soviet War: The Battle of Warsaw begins and will last till August 25. The Red Army is defeated. - 1937
1937Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Shanghai begins. - 1940
1940World War II: The German Luftwaffe launches an air operation, codenamed Adlertag, during the Battle of Britain in an attempt to destroy the British Royal Air Force. - 1942
1942Major General Eugene Reybold of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authorizes the construction of facilities that would house the "Development of Substitute Materials" project, better known as the Manhattan Project. - 1944
1944World War II: German troops begin the pillage and razing of Anogeia in Crete that would continue until September 5. - 1954
1954Radio Pakistan broadcasts the "Qaumī Tarāna", the national anthem of Pakistan for the first time. - 1960
1960The Central African Republic declares independence from France. - 1961
1961Cold War: East Germany closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin to thwart its inhabitants' attempts to escape to the West, and construction of the Berlin Wall is started. The day is known as Barbed Wire Sunday. - 1964
1964Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans are hanged for the murder of John Alan West becoming the last people executed in the United Kingdom. - 1967
1967Two young women became the first fatal victims of grizzly bear attacks in the 57-year history of Montana's Glacier National Park in separate incidents. - 1968
1968Alexandros Panagoulis attempts to assassinate the Greek dictator Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos in Varkiza, Athens. - 1969
1969The Apollo 11 astronauts enjoy a ticker-tape parade in New York City. That evening, at a state dinner in Los Angeles, they are awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Richard Nixon. - 1973
1973Aviaco Flight 118 crashes on approach to A Coruña Airport in A Coruña, Spain, killing all 85 people on the plane and one other one the ground. - 1977
1977Members of the British National Front (NF) clash with anti-NF demonstrators in Lewisham, London, resulting in 214 arrests and at least 111 injuries. - 1978
1978One hundred fifty Palestinians in Beirut are killed in a terrorist attack during the second phase of the Lebanese Civil War. - 1990
1990A mainland Chinese fishing boat Min Ping Yu No. 5202 is hit by a Taiwanese naval vessel and sinks in a repatriation operation of mainland Chinese immigrants, resulting in 21 deaths. This is the second tragedy less than a month after Min Ping Yu No. 5540 incident. - 1997
1997The animated TV comedy South Park airs its very first episode.
XXI century
- 2004
2004One hundred fifty-six Congolese Tutsi refugees are massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi. - 2008
2008Russo-Georgian War: Russian units occupy the Georgian city of Gori. - 2014
2014A Cessna Citation Excel crashes in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil killing all seven people aboard, including Brazilian Socialist Party presidential candidate Eduardo Campos. - 2015
2015At least 76 people are killed and 212 others are wounded in a truck bombing in Baghdad, Iraq. - 2020
2020Israel–United Arab Emirates relations are formally established.
Best known
Born on August 13
1913Makarios III
Greek Cypriot prelate and politician
1913Fred Davis (snooker player)
English former professional snooker player, 8-time world champion
1917Sid Gordon
American baseball player
1918Noor Hassanali
President of Trinidad and Tobago from 1987 to 1997
1919Rex Humbard
American evangelist
1919George Shearing
British jazz pianist
Best known
Died on August 13
604Emperor Wen of Sui
Emperor of China from 581 to 604
612Fabia Eudokia
Roman empress from 610 to 612
900Zwentibold
King of Lotharingia from 895 to 900
908Al-Muktafi
17th Abbasid Caliph (r. 902–908)
1134Irene of Hungary
Byzantine empress from 1104 to 1134
1382Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Castile
Queen of Castile and León from 1379 to 1382
Holidays and observances
- Christian feast day: Benedetto Sinigardi
- Christian feast day: Benildus Romançon
- Christian feast day: Cassian of Imola
- Christian feast day: Clara Maass (Lutheran Church)
- Christian feast day: Florence Nightingale, Octavia Hill (Lutheran Church)
- Christian feast day: Blessed Gertrude of Aldenberg
- Christian feast day: Hippolytus of Rome
- Christian feast day: Blessed Jakob Gapp
- Christian feast day: Jeremy Taylor (Anglican Communion)
- Christian feast day: John Berchmans
- Christian feast day: Junian of Mairé
- Christian feast day: Blessed Marco d'Aviano
- Christian feast day: Maximus the Confessor
- Christian feast day: Nerses Glaietsi (Catholic Church)
Frequently asked questions
What happened on August 13?
55 documented historical events happened on August 13, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Maurice was crowned as Byzantine emperor, succeeding Tiberius II Constantine. On the same day, in another year: General George Monck founded Monck's Regiment of Foot, the predecessor to the Coldstream Guards, the oldest regular regiment of the British Army in continuous active service. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
Who was born on August 13?
160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on August 13, including Makarios III, Fred Davis (snooker player), Sid Gordon. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.
Who died on August 13?
106 people with a Wikipedia article died on August 13, including Emperor Wen of Sui, Fabia Eudokia, Zwentibold. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.
What is celebrated on August 13?
22 observances are celebrated on August 13 around the world: Christian feast day: Benedetto Sinigardi, Christian feast day: Benildus Romançon, Christian feast day: Cassian of Imola, Christian feast day: Clara Maass (Lutheran Church), Christian feast day: Florence Nightingale, Octavia Hill (Lutheran Church), Christian feast day: Blessed Gertrude of Aldenberg. The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
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Source: Wikipedia · Calendar