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1961 65 years ago Historical Events August 13 8 sources

Cold 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.

On August 13, in the year 1961, Cold 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. This event is recorded as a Historical Events event in the history of August 13, one of 403 recorded events on this date across all of history.

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc. It began in the aftermath of the Second World War and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term cold war is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars. In addition to the struggle for ideological and economic influence and an arms race in both conventional and nuclear weapons, the Cold War was expressed through technological rivalries such as the Space Race, espionage, propaganda campaigns, embargoes, and sports diplomacy.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on August 13, 1961 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Historical Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 8 Wikipedia articles.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 31 July 2026.

On This Date in History 403

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2024 Aug 13 Richard Alatorre, American politician (born 1943)
Notable Deaths 2024 Aug 13 Wally Amos, American entrepreneur, founder of Famous Amos (born 1936)
Notable Deaths 2024 Aug 13 Sergio Donati, Italian screenwriter (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2024 Aug 13 Greg Kihn, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1949)
Notable Deaths 2024 Aug 13 Frank Selvy, American basketball player and coach (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2021 Aug 13 Nanci Griffith, American singer-songwriter (born 1953)
Historical Events 2020 Aug 13 Israel–United Arab Emirates relations are formally established.
Notable Deaths 2018 Aug 13 Jim Neidhart, American wrestler (born 1955)
Notable Deaths 2016 Aug 13 Kenny Baker, English actor and musician (born 1934)
Notable Deaths 2016 Aug 13 Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Indian Hindu leader (born 1921)
Historical Events 2015 Aug 13 At least 76 people are killed and 212 others are wounded in a truck bombing in Baghdad, Iraq.
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 13 Watban Ibrahim al-Tikriti, Iraqi politician, Iraqi Minister of Interior (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 13 Bob Fillion, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2015 Aug 13 Om Prakash Munjal, Indian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Hero Cycles (born 1928)
Historical Events 2014 Aug 13 A Cessna Citation Excel crashes in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil killing all seven people aboard, including Brazilian…
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 13 Frans Brüggen, Dutch flute player and conductor (born 1934)
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 13 Eduardo Campos, Brazilian politician, 14th Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology (born 1965)
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 13 Martino Finotto, Italian race car driver (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2014 Aug 13 Süleyman Seba, Turkish footballer and manager (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 13 Lothar Bisky, German politician (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 13 Aaron Selber, Jr., American businessman and philanthropist (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2013 Aug 13 Jean Vincent, French footballer and manager (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 13 Hugo Adam Bedau, American philosopher and academic (born 1926)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 13 Helen Gurley Brown, American journalist and author (born 1922)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 13 Ray Jordon, Australian cricketer and coach (born 1937)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 13 Johnny Pesky, American baseball player and manager (born 1919)
Notable Deaths 2012 Aug 13 Joan Roberts, American actress and singer (born 1917)
Notable Deaths 2011 Aug 13 Tareque Masud, Bangladeshi director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1957)
Notable Deaths 2011 Aug 13 Mishuk Munier, Bangladeshi journalist and cinematographer (born 1959)
Notable Deaths 2010 Aug 13 Panagiotis Bachramis, Greek footballer (born 1976)
Notable Deaths 2010 Aug 13 Lance Cade, American wrestler (born 1981)
Notable Deaths 2010 Aug 13 Edwin Newman, American journalist and author (born 1919)
Selected Events 2010 Aug 13 After being boarded by Canadian authorities, MV Sun Sea docked in British Columbia and the 492 Sri Lankan Tamil…
Notable Deaths 2009 Aug 13 Lavelle Felton, American basketball player (born 1980)
Historical Events 2008 Aug 13 Russo-Georgian War: Russian units occupy the Georgian city of Gori.
Notable Deaths 2008 Aug 13 Henri Cartan, French mathematician and academic (born 1904)
Notable Deaths 2008 Aug 13 Bill Gwatney, American politician (born 1959)
Notable Deaths 2008 Aug 13 Jack Weil, American businessman (born 1901)
Notable Deaths 2007 Aug 13 Brian Adams, American wrestler (born 1964)
Notable Deaths 2007 Aug 13 Brooke Astor, American philanthropist and socialite (born 1902)
Notable Deaths 2007 Aug 13 Phil Rizzuto, American baseball player and sportscaster (born 1917)
Notable Deaths 2006 Aug 13 Tony Jay, English actor and singer (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2006 Aug 13 Jon Nödtveidt, Swedish musician (born 1975)
Notable Deaths 2006 Aug 13 Kermit L. Hall, American legal historian and university president (born 1944)
Notable Deaths 2005 Aug 13 Miguel Arraes, Brazilian lawyer and politician (born 1916)
Notable Deaths 2005 Aug 13 David Lange, New Zealand lawyer and politician, 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand (born 1942)
Historical Events 2004 Aug 13 One hundred fifty-six Congolese Tutsi refugees are massacred at the Gatumba refugee camp in Burundi.
Notable Deaths 2004 Aug 13 Julia Child, American chef, author, and television host (born 1912)
Notable Deaths 2004 Aug 13 Akku Yadav, Indian gangster and serial rapist (born 1971 or 1972)
Selected Events 2004 Aug 13 Merely 22 hours after Tropical Storm Bonnie struck the U.S. state of Florida, Hurricane Charley inflicted further…

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