On This Day: 13 August

13 August in Indian history

• 2010After being boarded by Canadian authorities, MV Sun Sea docked in British Columbia and the 492 Sri Lankan Tamil refugee claimants on board were placed in detention.India

13 August in world history

• 2014A Cessna Citation Excel crashes in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil killing all seven people aboard, including Brazilian Socialist Party presidential candidate Eduardo Campos.
• 2004Merely 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie struck the U.S. state of Florida, Hurricane Charley inflicted further damage to the region.
• 2004One hundred fifty-six Congolese Tutsi refugees are massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi.
• 1999The Act on National Flag and Anthem was adopted, formally establishing the Hinomaru and "Kimigayo" as the Japanese national flag and anthem, respectively.
• 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.
• 1968Alexandros Panagoulis attempts to assassinate the Greek dictator Colonel Georgios Papadopoulos in Varkiza, Athens.
• 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.
• 1954Radio Pakistan broadcasts the "Qaumī Tarāna", the national anthem of Pakistan for the first time.
• 1940World War II: The German Luftwaffe launched an air operation, codenamed Adlertag, to destroy the British Royal Air Force; its failure indefinitely postponed the German invasion of the United Kingdom.
• 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.
• 1876A performance of Das Rheingold opened the first performance of Richard Wagner's Ring cycle at the inaugural Bayreuth Festival, attended by emperors and other composers.
• 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.
• 1762Anglo-Spanish War: The United Kingdom captured Havana after a five-week siege, holding it until the Treaty of Paris the following year.
• 1724Bach led the Thomanerchor in Leipzig in the first performance of the chorale cantata, Nimm von uns, Herr, du treuer Gott, BWV 101.
• 1704War of the Spanish Succession: The Duke of Marlborough led Allied forces to a crucial victory at the Battle of Blenheim.
• 1553Michael Servetus is arrested by John Calvin in Geneva, Switzerland as a heretic.
• 1521After an extended siege, forces led by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés capture Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc and conquer the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.

Born on 13 August

• 1993Johnny Gaudreau, American ice hockey player (died 2024)
• 1970Will Clarke, American author
• 1963Sridevi, Indian actress (died 2018)India
• 1956Rohinton Fali Nariman, Judge of the Supreme Court of IndiaIndia
• 1949Bobby Clarke, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
• 1945Robin Jackman, Indian-English cricketer and sportscaster (died 2020)India

Died on 13 August

• 2016Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Indian Hindu leader (born 1921)India
• 2015Om Prakash Munjal, Indian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Hero Cycles (born 1928)India
• 2014Eduardo Campos, Brazilian politician, 14th Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology (born 1965)
• 908Al-Muktafi, Abbasid caliph

Frequently asked questions

What happened on 13 August in history?

2014: A Cessna Citation Excel crashes in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil killing all seven people aboard, including Brazilian Socialist Party presidential candidate Eduardo Campos. 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 in detention. 2004: Merely 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie struck the U.S. state of Florida, Hurricane Charley inflicted further damage to the region. 2004: One hundred fifty-six Congolese Tutsi refugees are massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi.

What happened on 13 August in Indian history?

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 in detention.

Which famous people were born on 13 August?

Johnny Gaudreau, American ice hockey player (died 2024) (1993); Will Clarke, American author (1970); Sridevi, Indian actress (died 2018) (1963); Rohinton Fali Nariman, Judge of the Supreme Court of India (1956).

Which day is observed on 13 August?

Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Central African Republic from France in 1960.; International Lefthanders Day (International); Women's Day, commemorates the enaction of Tunisian Code of Personal Status in 1956. (Tunisia); World Organ Donation Day.