Historical Events
World Record
American super-swimmer Michael Phelps wins 3 gold medals, all in world record time, in the one day at the Beijing Olympics; 200m I/M (1:54.23), 200m butterfly (1.52.03) and 4 x 200m freestyle relay (6:58.56)
- Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice wraps up the medley double at the Beijing Olympics when she swims world record 2:08.45 to win the 200m I/M gold medal
- Italian swimmer Federica Pellegrini sets new world record 1:54.82 to claim 200m freestyle gold medal at the Beijing Olympics; runner-up Sara Isaković is Slovenia's first Olympic swim medal winner
- The Baltic state slides into recession with a 0.9% fall in second-quarter GDP after a drop of 0.5% in the first quarter; it falls deeper into recession in the third quarter when the economy contracted 3.3%
Famous Deaths
- Bill Gwatney, American political figure, assassinated at 48
- Dino Toso, Italian Dutch Formula-1 engineer, dies of cancer at 39
- Henri Cartan, French Mathematician, dies at 104
- Jack Weil, American oldest working CEO (Rockmount Ranch Wear), dies at 107
- Roy Prosser, Australian rugby union prop (25 caps; Northern Suburbs), dies at 66
- Sandy Allen, American second-tallest woman in the world at 7 feet 7 inches (231 cm), dies at 53
About August 13, 2008
Day of the Week: Wednesday
How Long Ago? 14 years, 9 months and 24 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Generation Z
Chinese Zodiac: Rat
Star Sign: Leo
Music Charts
#1 Song: I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry
#1 Song: I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry
