On This Date: Historical events that took place on 13 February in the past

The 13th of February commemorates a number of important historical and global-changing occurrences that happened on this day in the past. Speaking of which, it is crucial for each of us to be aware of our past and to teach future generations about it. Warfare, the birth and death of famous people, the evolution of humanity, and breakthroughs in a variety of sectors, including medicine, technology, science, and education, among other things, have all been part of our history. Continue reading and have a thorough understanding of our past to learn more about each of these in depth. 1960 - First French atom bomb was exploded Following the end of World War II, France embarked on its nuclear weapons program and finally began the same in the late 1950s. As a part of this, France in its first nuclear test ‘Gerboise Bleue’ detonated the atomic bomb on 13 February 1960. This was done in the Sahara desert in a 345-foot tower. The bomb used plutonium with a high yield of 60 to 70 kilotons, thrice the yield of the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan. 2001 - El Salvador earthquake Exactly a month after the January 13th earthquake, another powerful earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter magnitude scale hit El Salvador on 13 February 2001. The earthquake was followed by around 170 aftershocks in just the first 24 hours, causing massive restrictions across multiple regions and claiming the lives of around 944 people. 2002 - The Protection of Wild Mammals Bill (Scotland) was passed On 13 February 2002, the Scottish Parliament in a bid to put a ban on hunting wild mammals with dogs passed the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act. Notably, this was mainly done to ban traditional fox hunting in Scotland. As a part of this act, it was an offence for anyone to hunt wild mammals with dogs or even allow others to hunt on their land. 2008 - Kevin Rudd’s apology to Australia’s Indigenous people Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology for Australia’s Indigenous people (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) on the behalf of the nation. The Indigenous people were the ones whose lives were affected the most by the government’s past policies of forced child removal and assimilation. Notably, between 1910-1970, thousands were forced to leave their families and communities. They were also subjected to abuse and exploitation. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .