August 13 is:
Left Hander’s Day
National Fillet Mignon Day A French derivative, the literal meaning is small (mignon) boneless meat (filet).
August 13, 1521 – After an extended siege, forces led by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés captured Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc and conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Mexico.
Publication of Federalist Paper #85: Concluding Remarks written by Alexander Hamilton in 1788. This was the final Federalist Paper.
King Louis XVI of France was formally arrested in 1792 by the National Tribunal, and declared an enemy of the people.
Birthday of Annie Oakley (August 13, 1860), American markswoman. Annie Oakley was the stage name of Phoebe Ann Mosey Butler. From Wikipedia:
Throughout her career, it is believed that Oakley taught upwards of 15,000 women how to use a gun. Oakley believed strongly that it was crucial for women to learn how to use a gun, as not only a form of physical and mental exercise, but also to defend themselves. She said: “I would like to see every woman know how to handle guns as naturally as they know how to handle babies.”
1899 Alfred Hitchcock was born. Renowned director known for over 50 feature films.
From Today in Science:
In 1913, the first true stainless steel was cast in Sheffield, England. It was a steel alloy that contained 0.24% carbon and 12.8% chromium. English metallurgist, Harry Brearley was developing a more erosion-resistant steel for rifle barrels. In order to examine the grain structure of the steel he needed to etch samples with acid before examining them under the microscope. The etching reagents he used were based on nitric acid, and he found that this new steel strongly resisted chemical attack. He then exposed samples to vinegar and other food acids such as lemon juice and found the same result. Brearley realized that this new steel could also revolutionise the cutlery industry.
Women enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for the first time. Opha Mae Johnson is the first of 305 woman to enlist on August 13, 1918.
Walt Disney’s fifth full-length animated film, Bambi, was released to theaters in 1942.
Building of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961. On June 12, 1987 President Reagan challenged Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall”. The date on which the Wall fell is considered to have been November 9, 1989.
1991 Jack Ryan died. Before helping to develop the Barbie Doll, Hot Wheels, and Chatty Cathy for Mattell and create the ‘easy bake oven’, Ryan worked for the Pentagon designing missiles! And he was the sixth husband of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor.
2004 Julia Child died 2 days before her 92 birthday. American cooking authority, cookbook author, TV Cooking show host, etc. During World War II, she also worked for the OSS from 1941-1945 (The OSS is the forerunner of the CIA).