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What happened in history on this day: November 20?
On November 20 in ...
- 1272 - Edward I proclaimed King of England.
- 1602 - Birth of Otto von Guericke in Magdeburg; invented an air pump in 1650, first to learn that light travels through a vacuum, but sound does not, first to demonstrate that a vacuum can exist, built the world's first electric generator in 1663.
- 1620 - Birth of Peregrine White son of William and Susanna White, born aboard Mayflower.
- 1637 - Peter Minuit and first Swedish immigrants to Delaware sail from Sweden.
- 1700 - At Narva, Swedish King Karl XII with about 10,000 men defeats the Russian army of 40,000.
- 1726 - Birth of Oliver Wolcott (Connecticut-Governor), signed Declaration of Independence.
- 1752 - Birth of Thomas Chatterton English poet (Christabel).
- 1761 - Birth of Pius VIII 253rd Roman Catholic pope (1829-30).
- 1789 - New Jersey becomes first state to ratify Bill of Rights.
- 1820 - An 80-ton whale attacks the Essex, a whaling ship from Massachusetts, partly inspiring Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby Dick.
- 1829 - Jews are expelled from Russia's Nikolayev and Sevastopol.
- 1841 - Birth of Wilfrid Laurier; 7th Canadian Prime Minister (Liberal, 1896-1911).
- 1858 - Birth of Selma Lagerlof in Sweden; novelist (Tales of a Manor - Nobel Prize 1909).
- 1862 - Confederate army of Tennessee organizes under General Braxton Bragg.
- 1866 - First US national convention of Grand Army of the Republic (veterans' organization).
- 1866 - Birth of Kenesaw Mountain Landis; judge/first commissioner of baseball.
- 1866 - Howard University, Washington DC, is founded.
- 1866 - Pierre Lalemont patents rotary crank bicycle.
- 1869 - Birth of Clark Griffith in Missouri, USA; baseball player/manager (New York Yankees).
- 1873 - Birth of Daniel Gregory Mason in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA; composer (Chanticker).
- 1878 - War starts between Britain and Afghanistan.
- 1884 - Birth of Norman Thomas in Marion, Ohio, USA; socialist (presidential candidate 1928-48).
- 1886 - Birth of Karl von Frisch; zoologist/bee expert (Nobel Prize 1973).
- 1888 - William Bundy patents the timecard clock.
- 1889 - Birth of Edwin Hubble; astronomer (discoverer of galaxies, red shift) (dies 1953).
- 1890 - Pope Leo XIII issues encyclical on slavery in the missions.
- 1891 - Birth of Leon Cadore; pitcher (pitched all of a 26-inning game).
- 1894 - US intervenes in Bluefields, Nicaragua.
- 1900 - Birth of Chester Gould; cartoonist (Dick Tracy).
- 1907 - Birth of Fran Allison in LaPorte City, Iowa, USA; actress (Kukla, Fran and Ollie).
- 1908 - Birth of Alistair Cooke in Manchester, England; actor (Masterpiece Theatre) (dies 2004).
- 1909 - Birth of Alan Bible; American politician (Senator-Democrat-Nevada, 1954-74).
- 1910 - Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, Russian author (Anna Karenina), dies at age 82.
- 1910 - Revolution breaks out in Mexico, led by Francisco I Madero.
- 1911 - Birth of Jean Shiley; US high jumper (Olympic-gold-1932).
- 1914 - Birth of Emilio Pucci in Naples, Italy; fashion designer (Neiman-Marcus Award-1954).
- 1914 - US State Department starts requiring photographs for passports.
- 1915 - Birth of Kon Ichikawa in Japan; director (Matatabi, Money Talks).
- 1916 - Birth of Judy Canova in Jacksonville, Florida, USA; comedienne/actress (Cannonball).
- 1916 - Birth of Robert A Bruce in Maryland, USA; pioneer (exercise cardiology).
- 1917 - Birth of Robert Byrd; American politician (Democrat-Senator-West Virginia) majority leader.
- 1917 - Ukrainian Republic is declared.
- 1918 - Birth of Dora Ratjen in Germany; man posing as woman high jumper (Olympics-4th-1936).
- 1919 - First municipally-owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Arizona.
- 1919 - Birth of Evelyn Keyes; actress (Adventure of Martin Eden).
- 1920 - Birth of Douglas Dick in Charlestown, West Virginia, USA; actor (Carl - Waterfront).
- 1920 - Birth of Gene Tierney in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actress (Laura, Razor's Edge, Ghost and Mrs Muir) (dies 1991).
- 1921 - Birth of Phyllis Thaxter in Portland, Maine, USA; actress (Nora, Fort Worth).
- 1923 - Garrett Morgan invents and patents the traffic signal.
- 1923 - Birth of Beryl Sprinkel in Missouri, USA; economist (Council of Economic Advisers).
- 1923 - Birth of Nadine Gordimer in South Africa; actress/writer (Lying Days).
- 1923 - Exchange rate of German marks to US dollars: 4,200,000,000,000 to 1.
- 1924 - Birth of Benoit Mandelbrot Warsaw Poland, mathematician (proved Zipf's law).
- 1925 - Birth of Maya Plisetkaya; prima ballerina (Bolshoi Ballet).
- 1925 - Birth of Robert Francis Kennedy in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA; (Democrat, Senator, New York) Attorney-General; assassinated in 1968.
- 1926 - Birth of Kaye Ballard in Cleveland, Ohio, USA; actress/comedienne (Kaye - Mothers-in-Law).
- 1927 - Birth of Estelle Parsons in Lynn, Massachusetts, USA; actress (Rachel Rachel, Bonnie and Clyde).
- 1928 - Birth of Franklin Cover in Cleveland, USA; actor (Tom - The Jeffersons).
- 1928 - Birth of Rex Reason in Berlin, Germany; actor (Man Without a Gun, Roaring 20s, This Island Earth).
- 1929 - Birth of Kenneth DeWitt Schermerhorn in Schenectady, New York, USA; conductor (American Ballet).
- 1931 - Commercial teletype service begins.
- 1932 - Birth of Richard Dawson in Hampshire, England; actor (Hogan's Heroes, Family Feud).
- 1933 - In Akron, Ohio, USA, the balloon Century of Progress is launched, with 7-foot diameter gondola, balloon capacity 600,000 cubic feet, rising to a record 61,238 feet.
- 1934 - Birth of Valentine J Peter in Omaha, Nebraska, USA; priest (Boy's Town 1985-).
- 1937 - Birth of Eero Muntyranta in Finland; nordic ski relay (Olympic-gold-1960).
- 1937 - Birth of Jack Linkletter in San Francisco, California, USA; TV host (Haggis Baggis, Hootenanny).
- 1938 - First documented anti-Semitic remarks over US radio (by Father Coughlin).
- 1939 - Birth of Dick Smothers in New York City, New York, USA; comedian (Smother Brothers' Show).
- 1940 - Birth of Bob Einstein in Los Angeles, California, USA; comedian (Officer Judy, Super Dave Osborne).
- 1940 - Hungary signs the Tripartite Pact with Germany, Japan, and Italy.
- 1941 - Birth of Gary Karr in Los Angeles, California, USA; double-bassist (Oslo Philharmonic).
- 1942 - Birth of Joseph R Biden Junior; American politician (Democrat-Senator-Delaware, Vice President 2009-).
- 1942 - Birth of Norman Greenbaum in Massachusetts, USA; folk singer ("Spirit in the Sky").
- 1942 - NHL abolishes regular season overtime until World War II is over.
- 1943 - Birth of Veronica Hamel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Joyce - Hill Street Blues, 79 Park Ave).
- 1943 - US forces land on Tarawa and Makin Atoll in the Gilbert Islanda.
- 1944 - Birth of Anthea Stewart in Zimbabwe; field hockey coach/player (Olympic-1980).
- 1945 - The first war crimes trial opens at Nuremberg, with 22 defendants.
- 1946 - Birth of Duane Allman; rocker (Allman Brothers - "Jessica", "Ramblin' Man").
- 1946 - Birth of Judy Woodruff; newscaster (McNeil Lehrer Report).
- 1947 - First permanent TV installed on seagoing vessel (The New Jersey).
- 1947 - Birth of Joe Walsh in Wichita, Kansas, USA; guitarist/rocker (Eagles - "Take it Easy").
- 1947 - At Westminster Abbey in London, England, Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten, former prince of Greece and Denmark. He takes the title Duke of Edinburgh.
- 1948 - Birth of Richard Masur in New York City, New York, USA; actor (David - One Day at a Time).
- 1948 - Birth of Samuel E Wright in Camden, South Carolina, USA; actor (Enos, Ball Four).
- 1949 - Birth of Juha Mieto in Finland; 15km skier (Olympic-silver-1980).
- 1949 - Birth of Ray Vitte in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Doc, Cody - Quest).
- 1949 - In Kochi, Japan, a hot meteoritic stone enters a house through a window.
- 1952 - Birth of Robert Lipton in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Tom - The Survivors, As the World Turns).
- 1953 - Scott Crossfield in Douglas Skyrocket, first to break Mach 2 (1300mph).
- 1954 - Birth of Steve Dahl in California, USA; Chicago's anti-disco DJ (WLS-FM).
- 1956 - Birth of Bo Derek in Long Beach, California, USA; actress (10, Tarzan the Ape Man).
- 1956 - Birth of Mark Gastineau; NFL end (New York Jets, Pro Bowl 1981-85).
- 1959 - Birth of Sean Young in Louisville, Kentucky, USA; actress (Dune, Young Doctors in Love).
- 1959 - United Nations adopts the declaration of children's rights.
- 1962 - Birth of Steve Alexander; rocker (Brother Beyond - "Can You Keep a Secret").
- 1962 - Jasper McLevy, socialist mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, dies.
- 1962 - US lifts blockade of Cuba.
- 1964 - Birth of Ned Vaughn; actor (The Rescuer).
- 1965 - Birth of Mike D [Diamond]; rocker (Beastie Boys - "You Gotta Fight").
- 1966 - Dallas Cowboys sack Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterbacks an NFL record 12 times.
- 1967 - At 11 AM, Census Clock at US Department of Commerce ticks past 200 million.
- 1967 - Birth of Jeff Cotler in Long Beach, California, USA; actor (Brian - Struck by Lightning).
- 1968 - Cathy Lewis, actress (Deidre - Hazel), dies at age 50.
- 1968 - CBS airs the 100th episode of TV show Green Acres.
- 1969 - Pele scores his 1,000th soccer goal.
- 1969 - In Southern West Virginia, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake occurs. This is the largest known historical earthquake in West Virginia.
- 1973 - Death of Allan Sherman at age 49; comedian and writer (I've Got a Secret TV show, "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh!").
- 1974 - The United States Department of Justice files its final anti-trust suit against AT&T, which leads to the break up of AT&T and its Bell System.
- 1974 - Birth of Marisa Ryan; actress (Major Dad).
- 1975 - General Francisco Franco, Spain's dictator, dies in Madrid at age 82.
- 1977 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat becomes first Arab leader to address Israeli Knesset.
- 1977 - Walter Payton (Chicago Bears) rushes for NFL-record 275 yards.
- 1979 - A group of 200 Juhayman al-Otaibi militants occupy Mecca's Grand Mosque. They are driven out by French commandos after bloody fighting that leaves 250 people dead and 600 wounded.
- 1980 - Death of John McEwen, eighteenth Prime Minister of Australia (born 1900).
- 1980 - Billy Martin named American League Manager of the Year (Oakland Athletics).
- 1980 - Steve Ptacek in Solar Challenger makes first solar-powered flight.
- 1980 - CBS airs the 200th episode of the M*A*S*H TV show.
- 1981 - Birth of Kimberley Walsh; British singer (Girls Aloud).
- 1981 - Anatoly Karpov, USSR, retains world chess championship.
- 1982 - University of California, Berkeley executes "The Play" in a college football game against Stanford. Completing a wacky 57-yard kickoff return that includes five laterals, Kevin Moen runs through Stanford band members who had prematurely come onto the field. His touchdown stands and California wins 25-20.
- 1983 - In the U.S., an estimated 100 million people watch the controversial made-for-television movie The Day After, depicting a nuclear war and its effects on the United States.
- 1983 - Cleveland Browns shutout New England Patriots 30-0.
- 1983 - Marcel Dalio, actor (Casablanca), dies at age 83.
- 1983 - New York Giants' Butch Woolfolk ties NFL record of 43 attempts rushing.
- 1984 - SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) is founded.
- 1985 - Bill Scott, cartoon voice (Mr Peabody, Bullwinkle), dies at age 65.
- 1985 - Microsoft ships Microsoft Windows for the IBM PC, for US$100. It is delivered two years after the initial announcement of the product.
- 1985 - New York Yankees' Don Mattingly named American League Most Valuable Player.
- 1986 - United Nations's World Health Organization announces first global effort to combat AIDS.
- 1989 - In Sichuan Province, China, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurs. Four people killed, 161 injured and at least 1,000 homes destroyed.
- 1989 - In southern Iran, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurs.
- 1989 - The number of potesters assembled in Prague, Czechoslovakia swells to an estimated half-million.
- 1990 - UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher fails to defeat Michael Heseltine's bid for party leadership.
- 1990 - US 68th manned space mission STS 38 (Atlantis 7) returns from space.
- 1992 - In England, a fire breaks out in the Private Chapel room of Windsor Castle, rages for 15 hours, and seriously damages 100 rooms of the northwest corner of the building.
- 1992 - Fox releases the film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York to theaters.
- 1993 - An Avioimpex Yak 42D crashes into Mount Trojani near Ohrid, Macedonia. The aircraft was on a flight from Geneva, Switzerland to Skopje, but had been diverted to Ohrid due to poor weather conditions at the Skopje airport. All eight crew members and 115 of the 116 passengers are killed.
- 1993 - The ABC TV network airs the last episode of Where I Live.
- 1994 - The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign the Lusaka Protocol.
- 1994 - Death of John Lucarotti, TV writer (born 1926).
- 1995 - Sergei Grinkov, Soviet ice skater (Olympic Gold 1988, 1994) dies (heart attack) at age 28.
- 1997 - David Feldman Company of Switzerland sells at auction a Mauritius 1847 1-penny "Post Office" stamp on cover for US$1,469,700.
- 1998 - A court in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan declares accused terrorist Osama bin Laden "a man without a sin" in regard to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
- 1998 - Galina Starovoitova, Russian legislator and democracy advocate, is assassinated in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- 1998 - The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, is launched.
- 1998 - Buena Vista releases the film A Bug's Life to theaters.
- 1999 - The People's Republic of China launches the first Shenzhou spacecraft.
- 2000 - Intel introduces the Pentium 4 processor, at speeds of 1.4 and 1.5 GHz, with a 400 MHz system bus. It features NetBurst micro-architecture, and incorporates 42 million transistors. The processor adds 144 new Streaming SIMD Extensions 2 multimedia instructions.
- 2000 - The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is lifted into place in one piece by the Asian Hercules II floating crane.
- 2003 - Several bombs explode in Istanbul, Turkey, destroying the Turkish head office of HSBC and the British consulate.
- 2003 - Entertainer Michael Jackson is arrested by police on charges of child molestation.
- 2003 - Death of David Dacko, first President of the Central African Republic (born 1930).
- 2005 - The Washington Post rebukes journalist Bob Woodward over his conduct in the US Central Intelligence Agency leak probe.
- 2006 - Iran and Syria recognize the government of Iraq, restore diplomatic relations, and call for a peace conference.
- 2006 - Lee High School bus crash kills four students in Huntsville, Alabama.
- 2007 - The UK's HM Revenue and Customs admits that it has misplaced two computer discs which contain the records of child benefit claimants data, including bank details and National Insurance numbers, in the United Kingdom, leaving up to 7.25 million households susceptible to identity theft.
- 2007 - Death of Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (born 1919).
- 2008 - Oil prices drop to below US$50 a barrel, settling at US$49.62 a barrel, the lowest since May 23, 2005.
- 2008 - Canada's S&P/TSX composite index drops below 8,000 points for the first time in more than five years, closing at 7,724.80. The day's drop of more than nine percent is the second-largest on record.
- 2008 - Argentine Congress approves nationalizing the private pension system.
- 2008 - Launch party for the Altantis hotel in Dubai, 2500 people on the guest list.
- 2008 - An estimated 10-tonne object explodes in the atmosphere over Canadian provinces Alberta and Saskatchewan, landing south of Lone Rock, Saskatchewan. Within weeks, 130 stony meteorites (type H4), totalling 40 kg are recovered.
- 2008 - Death of Boris Fyodorov, Russian economic reformer, at age 50.
- 2009 - Summit Entertainment releases the film The Twilight Saga: New Moon to theaters.
- 2009 - CERN restarts the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator in Geneva, Switzerland; they had shut it down on September 19, 2008.
- 2010 - Participants of the 2010 NATO Lisbon summit issue the Lisbon Summit Declaration.
- 2014 - Death of Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba, Spanish aristocrat (born 1926).
- 2017 - Nature publishes an article recognising the high-velocity asteroid ?Oumuamua as originating from outside the Solar System, i.e. the first known interstellar object.
- 2022 - Death of Mickey Kuhn at age 90 in Naples, Florida, USA; actor (Gone With the Wind movie (1939)).
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