Today in history: Anne Frank receives a diary on her 13th birthday

Anne Frank -- the legendary diarist who wrote about her experiences hiding from the Nazis during World War II -- was born on June 12, 1929, in Frankfurt, Germany. On her 13th birthday, Frank's parents gave her a red checkered diary. Frank had hoped that her diary would be published as a novel after the war, but little did she know that this important document would later be read by millions around the world.

Frank made her first diary entry that same day. Addressed to an imaginary friend named Kitty, the entry read: "I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support."

In July 1942, Anne Frank and her family went into hiding in a secret attic apartment where she would write the remainder of the diary. After Frank's family was arrested in 1944, the diary was found by a family friend. It was eventually published in 1947 thanks to Otto Frank, Anne's father, who was the only member of his immediate family to survive.

According to David Eisenbach, a historian at Columbia University, Anne Frank's diary "serves as a symbol of the human spirit that is indomitable even under the most horrific circumstances."

You can learn more about the famous diary at the Anne Frank House website.