Facts About the 13th of August

The 13th of August is the 225th day of the year of the Gregorian calendar and the 23rd day of the zodiac sign of Leo, which falls between the 22nd of July and the 23rd of August.

This day is commemorated by way of 5 saints days,1 internationally recognised day and 2 national days. 

                                                                SAINTS DAYS.

St Cassian.

Cassian of Imola was a Christain saint of the 4th century. His feast day is celebrated on this day, which occurs on his day of death.

St Cassian is the patron saint of Mexico City, capital of Mexico and patron saint of schoolteachers.

St Hippolyte.

Hippolytus of Rome was a Christan martyr of the second century.

Born in 170 he was considered one of the world's most prolific writers of the early church.

He was exiled to Sardinia for his beliefs and died there on this day in 236, supposedly from inhumane treatment.

He is the patron saint of Bibbiena in Italy and the patron saint of horses and prison workers.

St Maximus.

Maximus of Constantinople ( present day Istanbul ) was a Christian monk, theologist and scribe.

Known as Maximus the Confessor, this suggests that he suffered for his beliefs but was not martyred.

His work, Life of the Virgin, is considered to be the first complete biography ever written about the Virgin Mary.

He died on this day in 236.

St Pontian.

Pope Pontian was pope from the 21st of July 230 to the 29th of September 235.

He was exiled to Sicily for his beleifs along with Hippolytus of Rome, where he died from inhumane treatment in 235.

His feast day has been designated as that of Hippolytus so that they can both be remembered on the same day.

St Radegunde.

Radegunde was a 6th century Frankish Princess.

She lived from 520 - 586 and was canonised in the 9th century.

During her life she founded the monastery of the Holy Cross at Poitiers in France.

She has five churches and 3 cathedrals named in her honour in England, as well as several churches and villages around Europe.

She is the patron saint of Jesus College, Cambridge, U.K. 

                                                                           NATIONAL DAYS. 

International left handers day is celebrated around the world on this day.

First observed in 1976 the day was introduced to enable the world's  left handed people to get together in order to share ideas on how to make life easier for themselves in a right handed world.

Lao Issara Day is celebrated in Laos and remembers the four years ( 1945 - 1949) of own rule between the Japanese and French occupations of the country.

Women's Day, Tunisia. Women's days are held all over the world on different dates, this particular date is the one held by Tunisia. 

                                                                     SIGNIFICANT EVENTS.

On this day in...

1816 - A small magnitude earthquake hit northern Scotland, with slight structural damage and no fatalaties.

1868 - A magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit Arica in Peru killing 25,000 people and causing untold damage to the local area.

1883 - The first paroxysmal eruption of Krakatau in Indonesia heralded what was to be a cataclysmic eventual eruption for this volcano.

1889 - Ferdinand Von Zeppelin patented his air balloon.

1918 - Women enlisted in the U.S Marines for the first time.

1918 - The German company Bayerische Motoren Werke ( BMW ) was established.

1940 - The WW II Battle of Britain began.

1961 - First brick of the Berlin Wall was laid.

1966 - The beginning of the cultural Revolution in China.

1970 - A volcanic eruption was recorded on Deception Island, Antarctica.

2004 - Hurricane Charley a category 4 storm hit Punta Gorda in Florida.

2004 - Opening ceremony of the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece.

2007 - A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Moyobama in Peru killing five people.

2007 - Five people died after a capsule on the world's largest transportable Ferris Wheel overturned in Busan, South Korea.

2008 - American swimmer Michael Phelps became an Olympic Record holder with his 16th medal at the Beijing Olympic Games when he won the men's 200m butterfly event. He currently holds 14 gold and 2 bronze Olympic medals.

2009 - A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Tokyo, Japan killing one and injuring several people.  

                                                                         Fidel Castro

                                                                    SIGNIFICANT BIRTHS.

1752 - Maria Carolina of Austria, future Queen of Sicily.

1792 - Princess Adelaide, Queen Consort of Britain and whom the Australian city of Adelaide was named after.

1860 - Annie Oakley, American sharpshooter.

1888 - John Logi Baird. Inventor of the television in 1928.

1899 - Alfred Hitchcock, film director.

1913 - Archbishop Makarios, first president of Cyprus.

1926 - Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary.

1930 - Bernard Manning, British comedian.

1958 - Fergal Sharkey, Irish musician.

1959 - Danny Bonaduce, American actor.

1970 - Alan Shearer, British footballer. 

                                                                    Herbert George Wells

                                                                     SIGNIFICANT DEATHS.

1863 - Eugene Delacroix, French artist.

1910 - Florence Nightingale.British nurse.

1946 - H.G Wells. Author

1965 - Ikedo Hayato, former Japanese Prime Minister.

1991 - Jack Ryan, inventor of the Barbie Doll.

2005 - David Lange, 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand.

2007 - Yone Minagana, world's oldest woman, aged 114.

There are of course many more births and deaths on this day but I chose only those of world acclaim for this article.  

                                                        INFLUENCIAL PROPERTIES. 

ANIMAL - Lion.

BIRTHSTONE - Peridot / Ruby.

COLOUR - Gold.

DAY - Sunday.

ELEMENT - Fire.

PLANET - Sun.

PLANT - Dandelion.

READ ALSO knoji.com/the-20th-of-march 

                                                                     © D.B.Bellamy.August 2010. 

                                                       All images courtesy of wikimedia commons.