Historical events on August 13
AUGUST 13, 1704
War 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 European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the
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AUGUST 13, 1876
The first Bayreuth Festival, created by Richard Wagner and his wife Cosima to showcase his stage works, was opened with Das Rheingold.
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German
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AUGUST 13, 1868
A major earthquake near Arica, Peru (now in Chile), caused an estimated 25,000 casualties; the subsequent tsunami caused considerable damage as far away as Hawaii and New Zealand.
The 1868 Arica earthquake occurred on 13 August 1868, near Arica, then part of Peru, now part of Chile, at 21:30 UTC.
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AUGUST 13, 1918
Opha May Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.
Opha May Johnson was the first woman known to have enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. She joined the Marine Corps
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AUGUST 13, 582
Maurice was crowned Byzantine emperor to succeed Tiberius II Constantine.
Maurice was Byzantine emperor from 582 to 602 and the last member of the Justinian dynasty. A successful general, Maurice was chosen
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AUGUST 13, 1650
General George Monck founded the predecessor to the Coldstream Guards (soldier pictured), the oldest regular regiment of the British Army in continuous active service.
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
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AUGUST 13, 1724
Bach led the Thomanerchor in Leipzig in the first performance of the chorale cantata, Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101.
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across
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AUGUST 13, 2004
Merely 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie struck the U.S. state of Florida, Hurricane Charley inflicted further damage to the region (example pictured).
Tropical Storm Bonnie was a tropical storm that made landfall on Florida in August 2004. The second storm of the 2004 Atlantic
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AUGUST 13, 1762
Anglo-Spanish War: The United Kingdom captured Havana after a five-week siege, holding it until the Treaty of Paris the following year.
The Anglo-Spanish War was a military conflict fought between Britain and Spain as part of the Seven Years' War. It lasted from
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AUGUST 13, 1898
Spanish–American War: After a mock battle for Manila, the Spanish commander surrendered to the United States to keep the city out of the Philippine Revolutionary Army's hands.
The Spanish–American War was fought between Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine
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AUGUST 13, 2010
After being boarded by Canadian authorities, MV Sun Sea docked in British Columbia and the 492 Sri Lankan Tamil refugee claimants on board were placed into detention.
MV Sun Sea is a Thai cargo ship that brought 492 Sri Lankan Tamils into British Columbia, Canada, in August 2010. Following
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AUGUST 13, 1906
Members of the U.S. Army's all-black 25th Infantry Regiment were accused of killing a white bartender and wounding a white police officer in Brownsville, Texas, despite exculpatory evidence.
The 25th Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment of the United States Army activated in 1866 and deactivated in 1957. One of
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AUGUST 13, 1999
The Act on National Flag and Anthem was adopted, formally establishing the Hinomaru and "Kimigayo" as the Japanese national flag and anthem, respectively.
The Act on National Flag and Anthem , abbreviated as 国旗国歌法, is a law that formally established Japan's national flag and anthem.
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