East German soldiers and construction workers began erecting barbed wire barriers and concrete blocks dividing East and West Berlin. The Wall became the most powerful symbol of the Cold War's Iron Curtain, standing for 28 years until its fall in November 1989.
After a 75-day siege, Hernán Cortés and his Spanish conquistadors, allied with tens of thousands of indigenous warriors, captured the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán. Emperor Cuauhtémoc was taken prisoner, and the great city, one of the largest in the world, was largely destroyed. The conquest opened the way for Spanish colonization of Mexico and Central America.
The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy defeated a French and Bavarian army at Blenheim (Blindheim) in southern Germany, saving the Grand Alliance and ending Louis XIV's bid for European domination. It was the first major defeat of a French army in over fifty years and is considered one of the most decisive battles in European history.
American and Filipino forces captured Manila after a brief and largely ceremonial engagement with the Spanish garrison. The battle, fought after the August 12 armistice protocol, transferred the Philippines to American control and set the stage for the Philippine-American War that would follow within months.
Opha May Johnson became the first woman to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, opening the service to female recruits. She and the approximately 300 women who followed her served as clerks and administrators, freeing male Marines for combat duty in World War I and setting the precedent for later integration of women into all military branches.
The Luftwaffe launched Adlertag, Eagle Day, the opening of its strategic air offensive against RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. Over 1,400 sorties struck British coastal radar stations and airfields in a coordinated effort to destroy British air defense in advance of a planned invasion.
The U.S. Army established the Manhattan Engineer District to oversee the development of the atomic bomb. Under the direction of Brigadier General Leslie Groves and scientific director J. Robert Oppenheimer, the project would employ 125,000 people and spend $2 billion to produce the weapons that ended World War II.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formally established the Manhattan Engineer District under Colonel James C. Marshall, creating the organizational framework for the American atomic bomb program. Within a month, Brigadier General Leslie Groves would take command and accelerate the effort that produced nuclear weapons by July 1945.
East German soldiers and construction workers began erecting barbed wire barriers and concrete blocks dividing East and West Berlin. The Wall became the most powerful symbol of the Cold War's Iron Curtain, standing for 28 years until its fall in November 1989.
In the predawn hours of August 13, 1961, East German border troops and construction crews sealed the boundary between East and West Berlin with barbed wire and concrete blocks. The Wall that grew from the initial barrier became the defining physical symbol of the Cold War and a focal point of NATO and Warsaw Pact military planning for the next 28 years.
Category 4 Hurricane Charley made landfall in Florida with 150 mph winds, causing $16 billion in damage. The military response involved National Guard units, Navy ships, and Air Force transport aircraft in one of the largest domestic military disaster relief operations before Hurricane Katrina.
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Legendary sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and offered to raise a company of women sharpshooters for the U.S. Army at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War (the offer was declined). She later trained thousands of soldiers in marksmanship during World War I.
Cuban revolutionary leader who overthrew the Batista regime in 1959 and ruled Cuba for nearly fifty years. His alliance with the Soviet Union brought the world to the brink of nuclear war during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and made Cuba a flashpoint of Cold War military confrontation in the Western Hemisphere.
The last Aztec emperor who organized the fierce defense of Tenochtitlán against Cortés's siege in 1521. Captured on this date when the city fell, he was tortured for the location of Aztec gold and eventually executed in 1525. He is revered in Mexico as a symbol of indigenous resistance.
10 military events occurred on August 13, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: Construction of the Berlin Wall Begins (1961), Cortés Conquers Tenochtitlán (1521), Manhattan Project Officially Established (1942), Battle of Blenheim (1704), Manhattan Engineer District Officially Established (1942).
The most significant military event on August 13 is Construction of the Berlin Wall Begins (1961). East German soldiers and construction workers began erecting barbed wire barriers and concrete blocks dividing East and West Berlin. The Wall became the most powerful symbol of the Cold War's Iron Curtain, standing for 28 years until its fall in November 1989.
Notable military figures born on August 13 include Annie Oakley (1860–1926), Fidel Castro (1926–2016).
Events on August 13 span the Cold War, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, World War II, the Modern Era, World War I, the Interwar Period, covering 10 events across 5 centuries of military history.
Events on August 13 involve 4 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
The FIM-92 Stinger helped win the Cold War by turning Afghan mujahideen into a credible anti-aircraft threat. By 2023, the United States almost ran out of them, because Raytheon stopped making them for 13 years, and the first 10 months of Ukraine support burned through the remaining stockpile.
These weapons were built to fight a war that everyone prayed would never happen. The Minuteman III has been on alert since 1970. The Typhoon-class carried enough nuclear warheads to destroy a continent. The Davy Crockett could be fired by three soldiers. Most of them have been waiting for 40 years. Here are 10 Cold War weapons built exclusively for World War III.
The MiG-31 was designed to catch the SR-71 Blackbird. It is still the fastest fighter in any air force. The Foxhound's Zaslon phased-array radar, the first ever installed in a fighter, can track 10 targets and engage 4 simultaneously at ranges exceeding 200 miles. Here is why Russia still flies a 1980s interceptor, and why the MiG-31BM carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic missile has changed what the aircraft means to modern warfare.
Nineteen armies on four continents chose the Leopard 2. No other Western tank comes close to this export record, and the reasons go far beyond German engineering.
