WEDNESDAY, Aug.13, 2025

1521-Spanish conquistadors under Hernán Cortés capture Aztec Emperor Cuauhtémoc in Tenochtitlan, marking the end of the Aztec Empire

1536-Buddhist monks from Kyōto's Enryaku Temple set fire to 21 Nichiren temples throughout Kyoto in the Tenbun Hokke Disturbance (Traditional Japanese date: July 27, 1536)

1642-Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovers Mars' southern polar cap

1788--Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90

1937-Second Sino-Japanese War: Japanese forces begin the Battle of Shanghai, a conflict that will last 3 months and involve 1 million troops

1942 -The Manhattan Project commences under the direction of U.S. General Leslie Groves with the aim of developing an atomic bomb

1993-Hotel in Nakhon Ratchasima Thailand, collapses, 114 killed

2016-British super-star Mo Farah wins 1st leg of 5,000/10,000m double (repeat of London 2012) in 27:05.17 in the 10k at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics; Kenya's Paul Tanui wins silver just 0.47 behind