Pope John Paul II was shot and critically wounded by Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on May 13, 1981. The assassination attempt shocked the world and deeply affected the Catholic community. Pope John Paul II’s remarkable recovery and his subsequent forgiveness of his assailant were widely admired […]

Vice President Richard Nixon faced a violent mob attack while on a goodwill tour in Caracas, Venezuela, on May 13, 1958. The attack was a stark demonstration of anti-American sentiment in Latin America during a period of heightened Cold War tensions and U.S. interventions in Latin American politics. The incident prompted a reassessment of American […]

On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress officially declared war on Mexico, initiating the U.S.-Mexican War. This conflict stemmed from the annexation of Texas and the disputes over its border, as well as American desires to acquire lands in what are now California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. The war significantly altered the […]