August 13th, 1961:
The Cold War division of Berlin deepened, leading to an iconic symbol of the conflict.
East Germany sealed the border between the city's west and east to halt the flight of refugees.
Days later, construction began on the Berlin Wall, which was aimed to serve as a permanent barrier.
The wall fell nearly three decades later, as communism crumbled across Eastern Europe.
1926:
Happy birthday to Cuba's Fidel Castro, though some sources say he was born a year later.
Castro, who established the first communist state in the western hemisphere, challenged the United States during the Cold War and beyond.
1521:
Spain made a major conquest in North America. Fernando Cortez captured what's now Mexico City from the Astika Indians.
Spain ruled the city for the next three centuries.
1899:
Alfred Hitchcock, director of silver screen thrillers, was born in London.
Among his films: Psycho, North by Northwest, Vertigo, Rear Window and The Birds.
1995:
In Dallas, baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees, died of liver cancer. He was 63 years old.
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