AUGUST 13 | Birthdays and Events
Famous Birthdays
People born on August 13
Lucy Stone
Died: October 18, 1893
The first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree. She was a vocal supporter of women's rights and publicly campaigned against slavery.
George Grove
English musicologist and historian founding editor of A Dictionary of Music and Musician. The Dictionary is considered to be one of the largest reference works on the history and theory of music.
Charles Wells
Founded Charles Wells Ltd, the holding company of the Charles Wells Brewery and Pub Company. The company currently controls over 200 leased and tenanted public houses in England and manages 13 pubs in France.
Annie Oakley
Died: November 3, 1926
Sharpshooter and star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She performed for millions of people in the U.S. and Europe.
Giovanni Agnelli
Died: January 24, 1945
Founder of the Fiat S.p.A, otherwise known as Fiat. He is considered to be the richest man in the history of Italy.
Karl Liebknecht
Died: January 15, 1919
Co-founder of the Communist Party of Germany and the Spartacus League.
John Logie Baird
Died: June 14, 1946
Scottish engineer who invented the television and pioneered the color television system and the electronic color television picture tube.
Margaret Tafoya
Died: February 25, 2001
Native American Pueblo potter who is considered to be the Matriarch of Pottery.
Don Ho
Died: April 18, 2007
Singer and ukulele player fondly remembered for his pop music hit Tiny Bubbles.
Dante Bonaduce
Actor who played the character Danny on the Partridge Family.
Midori Ito
Japanese figure skater who became the first woman to land seven triple jumps in an Olympic free skating competition.
Kevin Plank
Founder of Under Armour.
Historical Events on August 13
Events that occurred on August 13 throughout history
The Spanish conquer the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
After an extended siege, forces led by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés capture Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc and conquer the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.
Colonel George Monck of the English Army forms Monck's Regiment of Foot.
Colonel George Monck of the English Army forms Monck's Regiment of Foot. The Regiment later becomes the Coldstream Guards and is the oldest infantry regiment serving in the British Army.
Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of his chorale cantata Nimm von uns.
Johann Sebastian Bach leads the first performance of Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101. The chorale cantata was the famous piece based on Martin Moller’s hymn Vater unser im Himmelreich.
The Royal Navy defeats the U.S. naval forces.
The Royal Navy defeats the U.S. naval forces. The loss is the most significant loss for the U.S. Navy before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
King Louis XVI of France is arrested and declared an enemy of the people.
King Louis XVI of France is arrested and declared an enemy after being arrested by revolutionaries. He was tried for treason for conspiring with foreign monarchs. He was stripped of his titles and designated a common citizen.
William Gray of Hartford is granted the patent for a "Coin-controlled apparatus for telephones."
William Gray of Hartford is granted the patent for a "Coin-controlled apparatus for telephones." His invention of the modern day payphone was a result of people not allowing him to use their telephones to call a doctor for his sick wife.
Spanish and American forces engage in a mock battle for Manila.
Spanish and American forces engage in a mock battle for Manila, after which the Spanish surrendered to the Americans. The fake battle was planned between the two counties to prevent the Filipino military from taking control of Manila.
The U.S. Army's 25th Infantry Regiment are accused of killing a white bartender and wounding a white police officer.
The 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, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a declaration for the Regiment to be dishonorably discharged and denied benefits. President Richard Nixon pardoned the men and changed their discharges to honorable in 1972.
The first woman enlists in the U.S. Marine Corp.
Opha May Johnson becomes the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corp. Referred to as "Marine Skirts" and "Marinettes," women were enlisted as bookkeepers, typists, and clerks. Most of the women were discharged after ending of WWI until 1942, when they were allowed to enlist again for war.
BMW is established as a public company in Germany.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) is established as a public company in Germany. Their first products were aircraft engines for the Luftstreitkräfte, the German Air Combat Forces during WWI.
A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Major authorizes construction of the "Development of Substitute Materials" project.
Major General Eugene Reybold, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, authorizes the construction of the "Development of Substitute Materials" project. The project became known as the Manhattan Project.
East Germany closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin.
East Germany closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin by putting up barbed wire. Known as Barbed Wire Sunday, the closing prevented thousands of people from leaving the East. It also led to the creation of the Berlin Wall.
Two women fall victim of grizzly bear attacks at Glacier National Park in Montana.
Two women fall victim of grizzly bear attacks at Glacier National Park in Montana. Julie Helgeson and Michele Koons were both killed in two separate attacks on opposite ends of the park. It was the first time grizzlies attacked visitors in the 57-year history of the park.
Congolese Tutsi refugees are massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi
One hundred fifty-six Congolese Tutsi refugees are massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi. The group had fled violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Victims were explicitly targeted based on their ethnic identity. Only Lives of those who were not Tutsi refugees were spared.