July 1913

1913

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

The following events occurred inJuly 1913:

July 11 and July 12, 1913: Romania and Turkey invade Bulgaria, which was already fighting the Second Balkan War with Greece and Serbia

July 4, 1913: Bulgarians defeated at Battle of Kilkis

July 23, 1913: Bankruptcy auction brings end to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

the ruins of Kilkis

July 1, 1913 (Tuesday)

• At a reunionto commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of theBattle of Gettysburg,more than fifty thousand (53,407)surviving veterans of theUnionandConfederatearmies assembled atGettysburg, Pennsylvaniato set up tents.Eight of the aged veterans had died by the time President Wilson's speech to the gathering.The reunion ended on July 6.
• Vilhjalmur Stefanssonset off fromSeattle, Washingtonfor a three-and-a-half-year exploration of the area betweenAlaskaand theNorth Pole.
• During theLabour Unity Conferencesheld inWellington,the industrial and political wings of each movement were recommended to split into their own organizations. As a resultNew Zealand Socialist Partyofficially dissolved and reformed as theSocial Democratic Party,a precursor to theNew Zealand Labour Partyformed three years later.
• ThePretoria Regimentof theSouth African Armywas established.
• Some 165 U.S custom districts were consolidated into 49, including theoneforNew Bedford, Massachusettsalthough it retain its status as aport of entryinto theUnited States.
• Arail stationopened inNewport, Isle of Wight,Englandto serve theIsle of Wight Central Railway.The rail station was active for only a decade and closed in 1923.
• Arail stationopened inDartford,Kent,Englandto serve theGravesend West Line.
• American jewelers began the use of themetric caratas the standard for weighing of gemstones and pearls, with a carat being equal to 200 milligrams. The unit was slightly less than the English carat of 205.3035 milligrams.
• L. Frank Baumpublished his seventhLand of Ozbook titledThe Patchwork Girl of Oz,which restarted the entire series afterThe Emerald City of Oz.
• Daily newspaperTageblattbegan publication inEsch-sur-Alzette,Luxembourg,becoming the second most popular paper in the country behind theLuxemburger Wort.
• The city ofDipolog,Zamboanga del Norte,Philippineswas established.
• The city ofMillville, Floridawas incorporated.
• The municipality ofMalmwas established inNorway.It dissolved in 1964.
• Born:
  • Paramasiva Prabhakar Kumaramangalam,Indian army officer,Chief of the Indian Army Staff1966 to 1969; inKumaramangalam,Madras Province,British India(present-dayTamil Nadu,India) (d.2000)
  • André Tollet,French resistance leader, central leader of the committee involved in theLiberation of Parisin 1944; inParis,France(d.2001)

July 2, 1913 (Wednesday)

Con artistDavid Lamar

• Wall Streetcon manDavid Lamartestified before aUnited States Senatesubcommittee that he had frequently impersonated Congressmen during telephone conversations in order to gain an advantage.TheUnited States Department of Justicereluctantly concluded that there was no federal law under which Lamar could be prosecuted.Although federal law made it a felony "to impersonate an officer of the United States," theSupreme Court of the United Stateshad ruled that members of Congress were "not officers of the United States, but of the particular States from which they come."
• Upon recommendation of the city Board of Health, the city ofCincinnatiseized control of eight ice plants whose workers had gone on strike during the hot summer.The strike settled four days later.
• TheCrocker Land Expedition,on the shipDiana,departed fromNew York Citytoward theNorth Polefor a three-year exploration project.
• French aviatorMarcel Brindejonc des Moulinaisset a new distance record for an airplane, flying 3,100 miles from Paris toSaint Petersburg.
• TheCatholic Leaguewas established to reconcile Protestant and Catholic faiths inEngland.

July 3, 1913 (Thursday)

• The fiftieth anniversary of "Pickett's Charge,"turning point in theBattle of Gettysburgin theAmerican Civil War,was re-enacted by the survivors of the original battle.
• TheKingdom of Romaniaissued an order for mobilization of its armies in preparation of an invasion ofBulgaria.
• Born:Dorothy Kilgallen,American journalist, columnist for theNew York Journal-Americanand panelist on the television showWhat's My Line?;inChicago,United States(d.1965)

July 4, 1913 (Friday)

Tennis playerTony Wilding

• As theSecond Balkan Warcontinued, Greek and Serbian armies were successful inrouting attacking Bulgarian troops,atKilkis,Central Macedonia,which would later become part of Greek territory.
• The Russian village of Astradamovka, located in the Alatyr Oblast (later theUlyanovsk Oblast), was destroyed by a fire which killed 154 peasants.
• Major GeneralErich von Falkenhaynwas appointed as the newGerman Minister of Warafter GeneralJosias von Heeringenresigned.
• Anthony WildingofEnglandwon hisfourth consecutive Wimbledon championship,ending the hope of AmericanMaurice McLoughlinto become the first foreigner to win theWimbledon finals.Wilding overwhelmed McLoughlin in three straight sets, 8-6, 6-3 and 10-8.
• American race car driverHarry Knightwas killed along with his mechanic Milton McAllis when their car blew a tire during a race inColumbus, Ohioand rolled over twice.
• The opening of a newcounty courthouseinVentura, Californiakicked off two days ofFourth of Julycelebrations that saw 20,000 people attend.
• Died:Alfred Lyttelton,56, British politician and cricket player,wicket-keeperfor theEngland cricket teamfrom 1879 to 1898,Secretary of State for the Colonies1903 to 1905 (b.1857)

July 5, 1913 (Saturday)

• Three days of rioting by miners in theRand DistrictofSouth Africahalted after the government agreed to bring legislation for improvement of working conditions. The night before,Johannesburgpolice had fired their guns into a crowd of protesters who ignored orders to disperse, killing 40.
• TheOttoman Empireannounced that it would not intervene in thewar against Bulgariaon the condition thatBulgariarelinquish its claims for indemnity from the empire from theFirst Balkan War.
• TheUnited States Postal Servicebegan tosegregateblack postal clerks from white clerks.
• Died:Prince Arisugawa Takehito,51, Japanese Imperial Navy Admiral and head of theShinnōkebranch of theImperial House of Japan(b.1862)

July 6, 1913 (Sunday)

• English clergymanHenry Beechingdelivered what would become a widely republished sermon at theNorwich Cathedralin the British city ofNorwich,describing the faith of the lateGeorge Borrow.
• Born:Vance Trimble,American journalist, celebrated investigative reporter for theHoward-Scrippsnewspaper chain, recipient of thePulitzer Prize for National Reportingin 1960; inHarrison, Arkansas,United States(d.2021)
• Died:J. C. Williamson,67, American-Australian actor and theatrical producer, founder ofJ. C. Williamson Ltd.(b.1845)

July 7, 1913 (Monday)

• TheIrish Home Rulebill passed on its third reading in the BritishHouse of Commons,352-243.The measure was sent to theHouse of Lords,which rejected it on July 15.
• Mexican-American folk hero and outlawGregorio Cortezwas freed from theTexas State PenitentiaryinHuntsville, Texas,where he had served eight and one half years, following a pardon issued by GovernorOscar Branch Colquitt.
• Born:Pinetop Perkins,American blues musician who played piano forRobert Nighthawk,Muddy Waters,andThe Legendary Blues Band;as Joseph William Perkins, inBelzoni, Mississippi,United States(d.2011)
• Died:E. Burd Grubb,71, U.S. Army officer and regiment commander during theBattle of Chancellorsvilleand theSiege of Petersburgduring theAmerican Civil War,later the U.S. Ambassador to Spain (b.1841)

July 8, 1913 (Tuesday)

Pearl Curran, channeler ofPatience Worth

• Andrew Fisherretained his leadership of theAustralian Labor Partyduring the party'sleadership vote,defeating challengersWilliam HiggsandBilly Hughes.
• Trainmen and conductors of most of the railroads in the easternUnited Statesvoted 72,473 to 4,210 in favor of going on strike for higher wages, tying up the nation's commerce and travel.
• TheWelsh Disestablishment Billpassed its third reading in the House of Commons and was sent to the House of Lords for consideration.
• British yachtVividran aground and wrecked at the island ofColonsayoff the coast ofScotlandwhile en route fromGlasgowtoStornowayon her maiden voyage as a civilian training ship.
• Pearl Curran, aSt. Louishousewife who was experimenting with anOuija board,began reporting the communications of "Patience Worth,"whom Curran said had been an Englishwoman who had lived inDorsetmore than 200 years earlier, during the 17th century, and had been killed by Indians after crossing the ocean to America. For the next 24 years, until her death in 1937, Mrs. Curran would publish novels and poems attributed to her communications with Patience Worth.
• Born:
  • Walter Kerr,American writer and theater critic, columnist forThe New York Times;inEvanston, Illinois,United States(d.1996)
  • Bill Thompson,American actor, known for his voice work for the cartoon characterDroopyforMGMand for theWalt Disneyanimated films; as William Thompson, inTerre Haute, Indiana,United States (d.1971)
• Died:Louis Hémon,32, French novelist who moved to Canada, was killed after being struck by a train inChapleau, Ontario.His novelMaria Chapdelainewas published after his death, and brought him posthumous fame. (b.1880)

July 9, 1913 (Wednesday)

• China's National Assembly ratified a treaty withRussia,relinquishing its claims onMongolia.
• Born:Ted Grant,South African-British activist, founder ofMilitantandSocialist Appealin theUnited Kingdom;as Isaac Blank, inGermiston,Transvaal,Union of South Africa(present-dayGauteng,South Africa) (d.2006)

July 10, 1913 (Thursday)

A cooler July day at Furnace Creek in 2005

• Romania declares war on Bulgaria.
• This afternoon, theUnited States Weather Bureaurecorded the highest ever ambient air temperature of 134 °F (56.7 °C) atGreenland Ranch(modern-dayFurnace Creek) inDeath Valley.The record's validity was later challenged, and in 2020 a temperature of 54.4 °C (129.9 °F) was recorded at the same location, making it the world's highestverifiedair temperature, subject to confirmation.
• Born:Salvador Espriu,Spanish poet, known for poetry collections includingLa pell de brauandD'una vella i encerclada terra;as Salvador Espriu i Castelló, inSanta Coloma de Farners,Spain(d.1985)
• Died:Hayashi Tadasu,63, Foreign Minister of Japan from 1906 to 1912 (b.1850)

July 11, 1913 (Friday)

• With the army ofBulgariaalready engaged in a two-front fightwithGreeceandSerbia,troops from theKingdom of Romaniacrossed theDanuberiver for its own invasion of Bulgaria.
• Born:Kofi Abrefa Busia,Prime Minister of Ghana1969-1972; inWenchi,the Gold Coast(present-dayGhana) (d.1978)
• Died:Redmond Berry,46, Irish judge,Lord Chancellor of Irelandfrom 1911 to 1913 (b.1866)

July 12, 1913 (Saturday)

• TheJiangxiprovince declared its independence fromChina,and the provincial assembly authorized Li Lieh-chun to lead a fight against the national government.
• The day afterRomaniahad invadedBulgariafrom the north,Turkeyattacked from the south and moved intoThrace.
• GermanbattlecruiserDerfflingerwas launched byBlohm & VossinHamburgas part of thebattlecruiser classused duringWorld War I,including theBattle of Jutland.
• Albert Einsteinwas invited to become a member of thePrussian Academy of ScienceswithMax PlanckandWalther Nernsttraveling toZürichto make the offer in person. With the invitation came a full professorship at theFriedrich Wilhelm UniversityinBerlin,with a high salary "without any teaching obligations," and the position of Director of the new Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society.
• ThePacific Highwayopened inBritish Columbiaas a gravel road, connectingSurrey, British ColumbiatoBlaine, Washington.The highway was paved in1923.
• TheAbattoirs railway stationopened to serve theNorthfield railway linenorth ofAdelaide,Australia.
• The historicGrove Park Innopened inAsheville, North Carolina.
• King PeterofSerbiaestablished theMedal for Braveryto be awarded to officers and soldiers demonstrating courage of the battlefield.
• The city ofZapala,Argentinawas established.
• Born:
  • Willis Lamb,American physicist, 1955Nobel Prize in Physicslaureate for his work onquantum electrodynamics,inLos Angeles,United States(d.2008)
  • Mildred Cohn,American biochemist, recipient of the U.S.National Medal of Sciencefor her research intoenzyme catalysis;inNew York City,United States (d.2009)
  • Syarif Hamid,Indonesian noble, eighth monarch of thePontianak Sultanateon the island ofBorneo;inPontianak,Dutch East Indies(present-dayIndonesia) (d.1978)
  • Manohar Malgonkar,Indian writer, author ofA Bend in the GangesandThe Devil's Wind,in Jagalbet,Karwar,Princely State of Mysore,British India(present-dayUttara Kannada,India) (d.2010)

July 13, 1913 (Sunday)

A photograph fromRoger Casement's report

• The final report by Irish diplomatRoger Casement,on the atrocities of thePeruvian Amazon Companyagainst the indigenous people in its employ, was published by theBritish House of Commons.
• French aviatorLéon Letortset a new record for nonstop flight, exceeding 500 miles and finishing at 590 miles upon landing inBerlinafter setting off fromParisnine hours earlier
• Two weeks after the start of theSecond Balkan Warbetween Romania and Bulgaria, the first ofmore than 11,500 within the Romanian Armywas diagnosed. The epidemic would kill more than 1,600 soldiers and officers, while relatively few Romanians would die in combat.
• Born:
  • Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller,Danish industrialist, chairman of theMaerskshipping corporation 1940 to 2003; inHellerup,Copenhagen,Denmark(d.2012)
  • Bryan Hextall,Canadian hockey player, right winger for theNew York Rangersfrom 1933 to 1948, inGrenfell, Saskatchewan,Canada(d.1984)

July 14, 1913 (Monday)

PresidentGerald Ford(then Leslie Lynch King) as a young child

• A nationwide strike of railroad employees was averted by negotiations at theWhite House,which included U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson,Congressional leaders and theSecretary of Labor,as well as representatives of the railroads and the workers' unions. Management and labor settled their differences in light of an understanding thatUnited States Congresswould approve an amendment of theErdman Arbitration Act.Passage of the bill and its signing into law were accomplished the next day.
• TheBritish House of Commonspassed a bill abolishingplural voting,on the third reading, by a margin of 293-222.
• The historicHotel Polonia Palaceopened onJerusalem AvenueinWarsaw.
• Theassociation footballclubCruzeirowas established inCachoeirinha,Brazil.
• Born:Gerald R. Ford,American politician,President of the United Statesfrom 1974 to 1977,Vice President of the United Statesfrom 1973 to 1974; as Leslie Lynch King Jr., inOmaha, Nebraska,United States. After his parents' divorce and the remarriage of his mother, he was renamed Gerald Rudolph Ford. (d.2006)
• Died:John Bannon,83, Irish-born American priest and chaplain in theConfederate States Armyduring theAmerican Civil War(b.1829)

July 15, 1913 (Tuesday)

British Prime MinisterH.H. Asquith

• As expected,Great Britain'sHouse of Lordsvoted against approval of theIrish Home Rulebill, for the second time, by a majority of 238. Prime MinisterH. H. Asquithannounced that his government would present a plan for abolition of the House of Lords at the next session ofParliament.The bill would finally become law on September 18, 1914, after passing under the terms of the Parliament Act on May 25 of that year.
• Stoyan Danevresigned asPrime Minister of Bulgaria.
• Augustus Octavius Baconwas re-electedU.S. senatorin thefirst electionunder the17th Amendmentbut would pass away while serving his term in 1914.
• Born:
  • Lloyd "Cowboy" Copas,American country singer, known for country hits "Signed Sealed and Delivered"and"Candy Kisses";inBlue Creek, Ohio,United States(killed in plane crash withPatsy Cline,1963)
  • Abraham Sutzkever,Russian Yiddish poet andHolocaustsurvivor, known for poetry collections includingLider (Songs)andLider fun geto (Songs from the ghetto);inSmarhon’,Russian Empire(present-dayBelarus) (d.2010)

July 16, 1913 (Wednesday)

• China's PresidentYuan Shikaiasked Prime MinisterZhao Bingjunto resign, then appointed him to the Beijing police to guide a campaign against Yuan's opponents.
• Robert Bridgeswas appointed by Prime MinisterH. H. Asquithas the newPoet Laureate of the United Kingdom,to succeed the lateAlfred Austin.
• TheArgentinacity ofVilla Carlos Pazwas founded by Carlos Nicandro Paz.
• Born:William L. Brown,American geneticist, known for his research intogenetically modified organismsfor agriculture; inArbovale, West Virginia,United States(d.1991)

July 17, 1913 (Thursday)

• William Lea Chamberswas nominated as the first U.S. Commissioner of Mediation and Conciliation.
• The all-femaleFrensham Schoolwas established inMittagong,New South Wales,Australia.
• Born:Roger Garaudy,French author, philosopher andHolocaustdenier, author ofThe Founding Myths of Modern Israel;inMarseille,France(d.2012)
• Died:Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani,88,Emir of Qatarsince 1878 (b.1825)

July 18, 1913 (Friday)

• A rebellion broke out in theSichuanprovince of theRepublic of China,with Tsen Chun-hsuan being declared president.
• As troops fromRomaniaadvanced to within thirty miles ofSofia,King Ferdinandsent an appeal toKing Carolof Romania, asking for a ceasefire and discussion of terms of peace.
• Born:
  • Red Skelton,American comedian and television star known forThe Red Skelton Show;as Richard Bernard Eheart, inVincennes, Indiana,United States(d.1997)
  • Eric Pohlmann,Austrian-born British actor, known for his character film and stage roles includingGentlemen Marry BrunettesandLust for Life;as Erich Pollak, inVienna,Austria-Hungary(present-dayAustria) (d.1979)
  • Karl Rolvaag,American politician,Governor of Minnesota1963-1967, later Ambassador to Iceland 1967-1969; inNorthfield, Minnesota,United States (d.1990)

July 19, 1913 (Saturday)

• TheFrench Chamber of Deputiesvoted 358-204 to extend the required military service from two years to three years.
• TheMental Deficiency Actwas passed by theBritish House of Commons,180 to 3, providing for the removal of "feeble-minded" persons to special institutions. The only three MPs to vote against it wereJosiah Wedgwood,Frederick BanburyandHandel Booth.The act would receive royal assent and take effect on April 1, 1914.
• AtGuangzhou(Canton), the Governor-General of theKwangtungprovince proclaimed that land's independence fromChina.
• The Apostolic Prefecture of the Island of Formosa was established inTaiwan,later becoming theRoman Catholic Diocese of Kaohsiungin 1961.
• TheVilla Marinaon theIsle of Manwas reopened as a theatrical venue byLieutenant GovernorGeorge Somerset.
• The village ofKincaid, Saskatchewanwas established.
• Died:Clímaco Calderón,60,President of Colombiafor a single day in 1882 (b.1852)

July 20, 1913 (Sunday)

• United States Secretary of StateWilliam Jennings Bryanannounced the terms of a proposed treaty withNicaraguathat would make the Central American nation a virtual U.S. protectorate relative to international affairs.
• TheFu gian(Fukien) province, led by Xu Chongzhi, seceded from theRepublic of China.
• Vasil Radoslavovformed a new cabinet asPrime Minister of Bulgaria.
• TheNew Town Hall,designed by architectsHermann EggertandGustav Halmhuberopened to the public inHanover.

July 21, 1913 (Monday)

• Turkish forces for theOttoman Empire,led byEnver Pasha,recaptured the city ofAdrianoplefromBulgaria,four months after the Bulgarians had successfully invaded the historic city onMarch 26, 1913.The city, which had been ceded to Bulgaria less than two months earlier by theTreaty of London,would formally be relinquished back to theOttoman Empireby theTreaty of Constantinopleon September 29.
• China's PresidentYuan Shikaideclared martial law nationwide as the southern provinces continued their rebellion.On the same day, former PresidentSun Yat-senreleased a statement to the media, calling for Yuan's resignation.
• BritishsuffragetteNellie Hallthrew a brick through the window of the automobile of Prime MinisterH. H. Asquith,while he was being chauffeured during a visit toBirmingham.
• Born:Catherine Storr,British children's writer, author ofMarianne Dreams;as Catherine Cole, inKensington,England(d.2001)

July 22, 1913 (Tuesday)

• Fifty people, mostly women and girls, were killedin a fire at the Binghamton Clothing Company factory inBinghamton, New York.Although an alarm system had been installed two months earlier by state law, it was believed that there had been so many fire drills that "recent familiarity with fire drills had led the workers to become almost indifferent to alarms," the girls were slow in evacuating the second and third floors, and were trapped by the swiftly moving fire. Firefighters were also led four blocks off course by a bystander who stood at the corner and rang an alarm.
• TheHouse of Lordsrejected theWelsh Disestablishment Bill,voting 242-48 against giving the bill a second reading, after the measure had come from theHouse of Commons.TheWelsh Church Actwould pass the following year.
• McGraw Squarewas dedicated inDenny Triangle, Seattle.The square features a statue ofJohn McGraw,secondGovernor of Washington.
• Born:Tex Thornton,American entrepreneur, founder ofLitton Industries;as Charles Bates Thornton, inGoree, Texas,United States(d.1981)
• Died:Eduardo López Rivas,62, Venezuelan journalist, founder of the newspaperDiario El Fonógrafoand the magazineEl Zulia ilustrado(b.1850)

July 23, 1913 (Wednesday)

• Copper miners in Michigan walked off of their jobsin a strike called by theWestern Federation of Miners,with the goal of winning an eight-hour workday without a cut in pay. The strike would last for more than eight months, until April 12, 1914, without the miners receiving the shorter day. During that time, 73 people, consisting of striking miners and their families would die in theItalian Hall disasteron December 24, 1913.
• George Washington Hayswas elected as the 24thGovernor of Arkansasin aspecial state electionwith 64% of the vote.
• William F. Cody, better known by his stage nameBuffalo Bill,auctioned off the assets of the Buffalo Bill's Wild West show that he had operated since May 19, 1883. The public auction followed Cody's loss of nearly one million dollars in attempts to mine gold inArizona.
• Born:
  • Michael Foot,British politician,Leader of the Oppositionfrom 1980 to 1983; inPlymouth,Devonshire,England(d.2010)
  • Licia Albanese,Italian-born American opera singer, known for her collaborations withMetropolitan Opera;inBari,Kingdom of Italy(present-dayItaly) (d.2014)
  • Coral Browne,Australian actress, known for film roles inAn Englishman Abroad,The Killing of Sister George,andThe Ruling Class;as Coral Brown, inMelbourne,Australia(d.1991)

July 24, 1913 (Thursday)

• TheHouse of Lordsrejected the bill abolishing plural voting by a margin of 166 to 42.
• TheUnited States Department of Justicefiled an antitrust lawsuit for the first time againstAmerican Telephone and Telegraph(AT&T) for monopolistic practices inOregon,Washington,IdahoandMontana.The suit would be dropped after AT&T agreed to divest itself of its ownership ofWestern Unionstock.
• TheMuseu de Belles Arts de Valènciawas established inValencia,Spain.
• Born:Britton Chance,American biochemist who patented thestopped-flowtechnique to measure fast biochemical reactions, as well as being an Olympic gold medalist swimmer; inWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania,United States(d.2010)

July 25, 1913 (Friday)

• Austria-HungarywarnedSerbiaandGreecenot to humiliateBulgariain a peace settlement.
• TheWashington Senatorsand theSt. Louis Browns(now the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles, respectively) played to an 8-8 tie after their game went 15 innings until ended because of darkness.Walter Johnsonset a record for a relief pitcher, throwing 15 strikeouts.Carl Weilmanof the Browns became the first player to strike out six times in one game, in every single one of his times at bat.Walter Johnson's record would be broken 88 years later, by Randy Johnson on July 19, 2001.

July 26, 1913 (Saturday)

• TheHunanprovince seceded from theRepublic of China,even as Chinese troops retook the city ofZhen gian g(Chinkiang) in theJiangsuprovince.
• Romaniahalted its armies to within ten miles of the Bulgarian capital ofSofia,at the request of Bulgaria's Foreign Minister and an assurance of a favorable settlement.
• British soldiers, who had been sent to monitor theUlster Volunteers,fired into a crowd of Irish protesters inDublin,killing three and wounding 38.
• TheRoman Catholic Diocese of Tacámbarowas established inMexico.
• Born:Kan Yuet-keung,Chinese financial leader, chairman of theBank of East Asiafrom 1963 to 1983; inHong Kong(d.2012)

July 27, 1913 (Sunday)

Modest swimming attire in the 1910s

Dr. Rosalie M. Ladova in the 1910s

• In an action that made headlines around the world,Dr. Rosalie M. Ladova,a prominentChicagophysician, made an unsuccessful attempt to challenge the American socialmoresof the time, when she discarded the "bathing skirt" that female swimmers were required to wear in addition to thebloomersthat covered their legs. Police arrested Dr. Ladova at the beach atJackson ParkonLake Michiganand charged her with obscenity.After seeing the newspaper photographs the next day of Dr. Cordova's blouse and bloomers swimwear, Chicago MayorCarter Harrison Jr.declared that "No woman should think of wearing that kind of costume" at a beach, and directed the city police to "gently but firmly insist upon the lady putting on proper costumes."The "skin-tight" bathing suit had long been accepted in Britain for both men and women.After Dr. Ladova's daring experiment, almost eight years would pass before the taboo was discarded in theUnited States,with Mayor Robert Crissye of the city ofSomers Point, New Jersey,inviting women "to bathe on his city's beaches barelegged and in a one-piece suit," in the style of Australian swimmerAnnette Kellermann.
• Theassociation footballclubChaco For Everwas established inResistencia, Chaco,Argentina.
• The town ofSan Javier, Uruguaywas established.

July 28, 1913 (Monday)

• BulgariaandRomaniasigned a peace treaty inBucharest,with Bulgaria ceding its territory inSouthern Dobrujain return for Romania withdrawing its troops.
• TheUnited Statestennis team defeatedGreat Britainin the finals of theDavis Cup,held atWimbledon, London.
• The trial of Jewish factory managerLeo Frank,on charges of the murder of Mary Phagan, began inAtlanta.Because of the heat, the windows in theFulton Countycourthouse were kept open, giving the opportunity for the mob outside to influence the trial's outcome, although theSupreme Court of the United Stateswould later rule, in 1915, that Frank's due process rights had not been prejudiced by the circumstances.
• Born:
  • Laird Cregar,American actor, known for his film roles inI Wake Up ScreamingandThe Lodger;as Samuel Laird Cregar, inPhiladelphia,United States(d.1944)
  • Rosemary Murray,British chemist and educator, and the first woman to hold the position ofVice-Chancellorat theUniversity of Cambridge;inHavant,England(d.2004)

July 29, 1913 (Tuesday)

• At a conference of the ambassadors toLondonof the six "Great Powers" (Austria-Hungary,France,Germany,Italy,Russia,and theUnited Kingdom), it was agreed that an international commission would governAlbaniauntil a monarch could be chosen, and boundaries were set for the new nation. The seven-memberInternational Control Commission,composed of one representative each from each of the Great Powers, and Albania, was to govern the country for ten years. In March,Prince Wilhelm zu Wiedwould be selected asKing of Albaniaunder the ICC's authority, but the Commission dissolved after its members went to war against each other.
• TheAnglo-Ottoman Conventionwas signed between the British and Ottoman Empires, as the "Convention relating to the Persian Gulf and surrounding territories". However, the convention was never ratified and became a moot point in 1914 whenWorld War Ibegan.
• Under the stipulations of theTreaty of Bucharest,Bulgariademobilized its army.
• Slovak clergy and politicianAndrej Hlinkaestablished the Hlinka Party, eventually evolving into theSlovak People's Party.
• Sports clubVålerengenswas established inOslo,where it became known for itsmen's association football,women's association football,andice hockeyprograms.
• Born:Erich Priebke,GermanSchutzstaffel(SS)officer who commanded theArdeatine massacreof 335 civilians in 1944; inHennigsdorf,Brandenburgprovince,Prussia(present-dayGermany(d.2013)
• Died:Tobias Asser,75, Dutch lawyer, recipient of the 1911Nobel Peace Prizefor helping to establish theHague Conference on Private International Law(b.1838)

July 30, 1913 (Wednesday)

• As a bloody battle between Bulgarian and Greek troops took place at Djuma, south ofSofia,representatives ofBulgaria,Serbia,Greece,RomaniaandMontenegroagreed to an armistice in a meeting atBucharest.
• Seven spectators at a motorcycle race inCincinnatiwere killed and 18 seriously injured, when racer Odin Johnson lost control of his cycle while competing at the Lagoon Motordrome and crashed into a light pole, showering 35 people with flaming gasoline.
• Great Britainannounced that it would not participate in thePanama–Pacific International ExpositionatSan Franciscoin 1915, and was followed within the next two days byGermanyandRussia,with news editorials saying "it is regarded as Great Britain's way of intimating that she still resents the course of the United States in regard to the [Panama] canal tolls."
• American singerChauncey Olcottmade the first recording of the classic Irish-American song "Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral,"written byJames Royce Shannon,as a way to promote theTin Pan AlleymusicalShameen Dhu.
• Born:Lou Darvas,American cartoonist, best known for his cover art forSporting News;as Louis Darvas, inCleveland,United States(d.1987)

July 31, 1913 (Thursday)

• In the largest demonstration forwomen's suffrage in the United Statesup to that time, a motorcade of sixty automobiles traveled fromHyattsville, Marylandto theUnited States Capitolto present theUnited States Senatewith petitions bearing 200,000 signatures of persons favoring an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to allow women to vote.On May 9, 1915, petitions with 500,000 signatures would be presented, and on October 27, 1917, one million.
• The Second Opium Conference was convened, atThe Hague,in order to take up the matter of the remaining 12 of 46 nations that had not signed. The Conference would end after eight days.
• TheRoyal Meteorological Institutewas established inBrussels.