This Day in History May 13
By Jim Turner
West
1846 – Congress declared war with Mexico in reaction to the Thornton Affair. The Republic of Mexico asserted that the western/southern Texas border was the Nueces River, while Texas claimed it was the Rio Grande. On April 25, approximately 1600 Mexican troops crossed into the disputed territory and attacked eighty U.S. troops already there under the command of Captain Seth B. Thornton. Eleven Americans were killed, six wounded, and the rest were captured. The number of Mexican injuries is unknown. President Polk stated, “American blood has been shed on American soil.” Congressman Abraham Lincoln, elected several months after the war began, gave his “Spot Resolutions” speech on December 22, 1846, asking Congress to re-examine Polk’s claim.
United States
1607 – Settlers land at Jamestown. Approximately one hundred English colonists founded the first permanent English settlement in North America. St. Augustine, Florida, founded by the Spanish in 1565, is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in what is now the United States. Santa Fe, New Mexico, also founded in 1607, is the oldest state capital.
World
1917 – Our Lady of Fatima. While guarding their sheep, three Portuguese children reported seeing a vision of “a lady dressed in white” near the village of Fatima, 128 km northeast of Lisbon. The lady said that God sent her with a message of prayer, repentance, and consecrations, and visited the children on the 13th day of each month, May through October. On the last instance, a gathering of 70,000 pilgrims witnessed what is now called the Miracle of the Sun, where to some of them the sun seemed to dance in the sky, zoom toward the earth, or display a pinwheel of brilliant colors.
