On May 13, 1846, in a blatant attempt to grab territory, the United States declared war on Mexico beginning the Mexican-American War.
On May 13, 1940, Germany invaded France as the German army crosses the Meuse and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes his “blood, toil, tears, and sweat” speech to the House of Commons.
On May 13, 1954, Chinese students demonstrated against the British government’s decision to make young men, ages 18 to 20, do part-time military service. The students were unwilling to defend a foreign government which, during World War II, deserted Singapore.
On May 13, 1960, hundreds of University of California at Berkeley students protested the campus visit by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Thirty-one students are arrested and the Free Speech Movement was born.