13 August: On this day in history

With its near-sacred reputation as Winston Churchill’s birthplace, Blenheim Palace is one of the most famous country houses in Britain, far more so than the Bavarian village of Blindheim, from which it takes its name. But it was at Blindheim, on 13 August 1704, that the Duke of Marlborough secured one of the most famous victories in English history.

Two years into the War of the Spanish Succession – a series of conflicts fought over the disputed succession to the Spanish throne following the death of the childless Charles II – France remained the greatest military power in Europe. If Louis XIV could seize Vienna and knock Austria out of the war, then French victory would be almost certain. So in just five weeks, Marlborough had led his men from the Low Countries to join their imperial allies on the Danube.

With about 52,000 men, he was slightly outnumbered by his French adversary, Marshal Tallard. “I know the danger,” he told officers on the night of 12 August, “yet a battle is absolutely necessary, and I rely on the bravery and discipline of the troops, which will make amends for our disadvantages.”

When battle was joined the next morning, it was a close-run thing. Amid the musket and artillery fire, the bloodshed was terrible, with at least 30,000 men killed or wounded. Only as evening drew in did the French troops crack, as enemy fire poured into them. They “died to a man where they stood”, a French officer said later, “stationed right out in the open plain – supported by nobody”.

As night fell, Marlborough was still on his horse. On the back of a tavern bill he scribbled a note to his wife, Sarah: “I have no time to say more but to beg you will give my duty to the Queen [Queen Anne], and let her know her army has had a glorious victory.” | Written by Dominic Sandbrook

13 August 1792

Birth of Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, the future wife of King William IV. The South Australian city of Adelaide, which was founded in 1836, is named after her.

13 August 1809

English physician, botanist, JP and social reformer William Penny Brookes was born in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Brookes went on to found the Shropshire Olympian games and the National Olympian Society. His games were visited in 1890 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin who later credited Brookes for inspiring him to found the International Olympic Committee in 1894. | Read more about the history of the Olympic Games

13 August 1910

Florence Nightingale died in her sleep, aged 90. Her relatives declined the offer of a burial in Westminster Abbey and she was laid to rest next to her parents in East Wellow churchyard, Hampshire.

13 August 1913: A former lion tamer is crowned king of Albania

Otto Witte enjoys a brief taste of the royal high life – or does he?

Born in Germany in 1872, Witte first appeared in the circus as an eight-year-old lion tamer, before becoming an acrobat. His friends knew him as a great raconteur, always inventing daring and implausible adventures. But nothing could match his tale of his ascent to the throne of Albania.

According to Witte’s account, he was performing in Budapest in early 1913 when he read a newspaper story about Albania, a former Ottoman possession but now independent. The newspaper explained that some Albanians wanted the Ottoman sultan’s nephew, Halim Eddine, to be their new king. To Witte’s amazement, the printed picture of Halim Eddine showed an uncanny resemblance to... himself!

Witte set off for Albania where he declared himself to be Halim Eddine: on 13 August, he was crowned king. The next five days were very good for Witte, as he sampled the pleasures of his royal harem and even declared war on Montenegro.

Alas, all good things come to an end. Increasingly anxious that locals had seen through his ruse, Witte mounted an audacious getaway, making off with a considerable portion of the royal treasury.

But there was one flaw in Witte’s story: it was totally untrue. No Albanian sources supported it, and Halim Eddine did not exist. Still, people liked to believe it and the story was featured in books and newspapers. Back in Berlin, the authorities allowed Witte to include the words ‘Former King of Albania’ on his identity card, and Witte toured Germany in uniform, telling his story. Even his tombstone in Hamburg, where he was buried in 1958, carries his royal title. | Written by Dominic Sandbrook

13 August 1961

To stem the flow of refugees to the West, the East German authorities closed the border between East and West Berlin. Berlin would remain divided until November 1989. | Read more about the Berlin Wall

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