Vintage News · Odd history for October 20

What Happened On October 20

Q: What happened on October 20?

1939: Pope Pius XII (pictured) published his first encyclical, Summi Pontificatus, which critiqued ideologies such as racism, cultural superiority and totalitarianism. 1827: Greek War of Independence: In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships. 1781: The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Austria. 1774: American Revolution: The Continental Association, a nonconsumption and nonimportation agreement against the British Isles and the British West Indies, is adopted by the First Continental Congress. 2011: First Libyan Civil War: Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyan leader, was captured by rebel forces during the Battle of Sirte, and was killed shortly thereafter. 1973: Watergate scandal: Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy William Ruckelshaus resigned after refusing to obey President Richard Nixon's order to have Archibald Cox fired. 1969: Experimental results from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center were published showing that protons were composed of smaller particles, the first evidence of quarks. 1967: Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin filmed an unidentified subject, which they claimed was Bigfoot, at Six Rivers National Forest in California. 1936: British woman Mabel Freer was refused entry to Australia after failing a dictation test given in Italian, leading to a debate over Australia's immigration policy. 2011: Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill them shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war.

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10 odd things that happened on October 20

1939 First ever
Pope Pius XII (pictured) published his first encyclical, Summi Pontificatus, which critiqued ideologies such as racism, cultural superiority and totalitarianism.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1827 Oddly true
Greek War of Independence: In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1781 Oddly true
The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Austria.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1774 First ever
American Revolution: The Continental Association, a nonconsumption and nonimportation agreement against the British Isles and the British West Indies, is adopted by the First Continental Congress.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2011 First ever
First Libyan Civil War: Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyan leader, was captured by rebel forces during the Battle of Sirte, and was killed shortly thereafter.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1973 Oddly true
Watergate scandal: Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy William Ruckelshaus resigned after refusing to obey President Richard Nixon's order to have Archibald Cox fired.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1969 First ever
Experimental results from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center were published showing that protons were composed of smaller particles, the first evidence of quarks.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1967 Oddly true
Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin filmed an unidentified subject, which they claimed was Bigfoot, at Six Rivers National Forest in California.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
1936 Oddly true
British woman Mabel Freer was refused entry to Australia after failing a dictation test given in Italian, leading to a debate over Australia's immigration policy.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
2011 First ever
Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill them shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war.
Read more →
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Observed today

2022Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days). Wikipedia →
2017Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign. Wikipedia →
2011Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill them shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war. Wikipedia →
2005The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Wikipedia →
2003The Sloan Great Wall, once the largest cosmic structures known to humanity, is discovered by students at Princeton University. Wikipedia →
2002Top Gear, the revived popular British TV motoring magazine, premieres on BBC. Wikipedia →
1995Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-73. Wikipedia →
1991A 6.8 Mw earthquake strikes the Uttarkashi region of India, killing more than 1,000 people. Wikipedia →
1991A massive firestorm breaks out in the hills of Oakland and Berkeley, California killing 25 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, apartments and condominiums. Wikipedia →
1986Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashes while landing at Kuibyshev Airport (now Kuromoch International Airport) in Kuibyshev (now present-day Samara, Russia), killing 70 people. Wikipedia →
1982During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death in the Luzhniki disaster. Wikipedia →
1981Two police officers and a Brink's armored car guard are killed during an armed robbery carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground in Nanuet, New York. Wikipedia →
1977A plane carrying the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in woodland in Mississippi, United States. Six people, including three band members, are killed. Wikipedia →
1976The Luling–Destrehan Ferry MV George Prince is struck by the Norwegian freighter SS Frosta while crossing the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. Seventy-eight passengers and crew die, and only 18 people aboard the ferry survive. Wikipedia →
1973Watergate scandal: "Saturday Night Massacre": United States President Richard Nixon fires U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork. Wikipedia →
1973The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction. Wikipedia →
1962China launches simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line, igniting the Sino-Indian War. Wikipedia →
1961The Soviet Navy performs the first armed test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, launching an R-13 from a Golf-class submarine. Wikipedia →
1952The Governor of Kenya Evelyn Baring declares a state of emergency and begins arresting hundreds of suspected leaders of the Mau Mau Uprising. Wikipedia →
1951The "Johnny Bright incident" occurs during a football game between the Drake Bulldogs and Oklahoma A&M Aggies. Wikipedia →
1948A KLM Lockheed L-049 Constellation crashes on approach to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, killing 40. Wikipedia →
1947Cold War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years. Wikipedia →
1944World War II: The Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade. Wikipedia →
1944Liquefied natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland and then explodes, leveling 30 blocks and killing 130 people. Wikipedia →
1944World War II: American general Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise to return to the Philippines when he comes ashore during the Battle of Leyte. Wikipedia →
1941World War II: Thousands of civilians in German-occupied Serbia are murdered in the Kragujevac massacre. Wikipedia →
1935The Long March, a mammoth retreat undertaken by the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party a year prior, ends. Wikipedia →
1910British ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched. Wikipedia →
1904Chile and Bolivia sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, delimiting the border between the two countries. Wikipedia →
1883Peru and Chile sign the Treaty of Ancón, by which the Tarapacá province is ceded to the latter, bringing an end to Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific. Wikipedia →
1827Greek War of Independence: In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships. Wikipedia →
1818The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada–United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length. Wikipedia →
1803The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase. Wikipedia →
1781The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Austria. Wikipedia →
1774American Revolution: The Continental Association, a nonconsumption and nonimportation agreement against the British Isles and the British West Indies, is adopted by the First Continental Congress. Wikipedia →
1740France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction, and the War of the Austrian Succession begins. Wikipedia →
1572Eighty Years' War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the relief of Goes. Wikipedia →
1568The Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent. Wikipedia →

From The Guardian Archives — On This Day

2019The Guardian
Leading Australian engineers turn their backs on new fossil fuel projects
The Engineers Declare movement pledges to put climate considerations first in evaluating plans
Read on The Guardian →
2018The Guardian
Scott Morrison 'deplores' killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Prime minister calls on Riyadh to ‘cooperate fully’ with Turkish investigation into case
Read on The Guardian →
1948The New York Times · Front page
Blind Veteran to Test New Law As Restaurant Bars Him and Dog
S Gerbush, backed by Blinded Veterans Assn, makes ct test of NYS law barring exclusion of blind with dogs from pub pl…
Read on NYTimes.com →

Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform · Historic front pages via the NYT Archive API

Facts from Wikipedia On This Day API (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Wikimedia. Thumbnails CC BY-SA. Headlines via The Guardian Open Platform and the NYT Archive API. Historic pages via Library of Congress Chronicling America. Curated by OddlyTrue.