September 20 has witnessed major turning points in exploration, wars, political history, science, civil rights, cinema, sport, and international affairs. Here is a comprehensive “This Day in World History” article suitable for Nelsapy.com.
🌍 Major Historical Events on September 20
480 BC – Battle of Salamis
The Battle of Salamis, one of the decisive battles of the Greco-Persian Wars, was fought between the Greek city-states and the Persian fleet. The Greek victory helped prevent Persian control of Greece and became a turning point in the conflict. (World History Project)
1187 – Saladin Begins the Siege of Jerusalem
Muslim ruler Saladin began the siege of Jerusalem during the Crusades. Jerusalem surrendered to Saladin on October 2, 1187. (SiteProxy)
1498 – Nankai Tsunami
A major tsunami struck Japan following an earthquake. Among the damage was the destruction of the building housing the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in in Kamakura; the statue subsequently remained outdoors. (SiteProxy)
1519 – Magellan Begins His Historic Voyage
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan departed from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, with an expedition seeking a western route to the Spice Islands.
The expedition eventually became the first expedition to circumnavigate the Earth, although Magellan himself died in the Philippines in 1521 and did not complete the journey. (HISTORY)
1697 – Treaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick was signed, ending the Nine Years’ War between France and a coalition that included England, Spain, the Dutch Republic and the Holy Roman Empire. (SiteProxy)
1792 – Battle of Valmy
French revolutionary forces defeated Prussian troops at the Battle of Valmy. The victory helped protect the newly established French Republic from invasion and became an important event in the French Revolutionary Wars. (SiteProxy)
1854 – Battle of the Alma
During the Crimean War, British and French forces defeated Russian troops at the Battle of the Alma in Crimea. (On This Day)
🇮🇳 1857 – Delhi Recaptured
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 reached a major turning point when British forces and troops loyal to the East India Company recaptured Delhi from the rebels. (Calendarz)
1863 – Battle of Chickamauga Ends
The Battle of Chickamauga, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War, ended with a Confederate victory in northwestern Georgia. (Calendarz)
🇮🇹 1870 – Capture of Rome
Italian troops entered Rome through the Porta Pia, bringing the Papal States to an end and completing the territorial unification of Italy. Rome subsequently became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. (On This Day)
1881 – Chester A. Arthur Becomes U.S. President
Following the death of President James A. Garfield, Vice President Chester A. Arthur was sworn in as the 21st President of the United States. (HISTORY)
1893 – First American Gasoline-Powered Automobile
Brothers Charles and Frank Duryea road-tested an early American gasoline-powered automobile, an important milestone in the development of the American automobile industry. (SiteProxy)
1911 – RMS Olympic Collides with HMS Hawke
The British ocean liner RMS Olympic, sister ship of the Titanic, collided with the British warship HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight. (SiteProxy)
1920 – Balbriggan Raid
During the Irish War of Independence, British police forces known as the Black and Tans attacked and burned parts of Balbriggan, Ireland. (Wikipedia)
1946 – First Cannes Film Festival
The first Cannes International Film Festival opened in Cannes, France. The festival had originally been planned for 1939 but was postponed because of World War II. (HISTORY)
1954 – First FORTRAN Program
An early program was executed in the FORTRAN programming language, an important milestone in the development of modern scientific computing. (On This Day)
1962 – James Meredith and the University of Mississippi
African American student James Meredith was temporarily prevented from enrolling at the University of Mississippi because of racial segregation. His eventual enrollment became a landmark episode in the American civil-rights movement. (Wikipedia)
1963 – Kennedy Proposes a Joint Moon Mission
U.S. President John F. Kennedy proposed that the United States and Soviet Union cooperate on a joint mission to the Moon during an address to the United Nations. (HISTORY)
1965 – Battle of Dograi
During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Indian forces captured Dograi near Lahore after intense fighting. (Wikipedia)
1967 – Queen Elizabeth 2 Launched
The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) was launched at John Brown & Company shipyard in Clydebank, Scotland. It later became one of the world’s most famous passenger liners. (Wikipedia)
1973 – Billie Jean King Wins the “Battle of the Sexes”
Tennis champion Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome in a highly publicized match known as the “Battle of the Sexes.”
King won in straight sets, and the event became a prominent moment in the history of women’s sport and the broader discussion of gender equality. (AP News)
1977 – Vietnam Joins the United Nations
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam was admitted to the United Nations, becoming its 149th member. (Wikipedia)
1982 – NFL Players Begin Strike
Players in the National Football League began a 57-day strike during the 1982 season. (Histories Today)
1984 – U.S. Embassy in Beirut Bombed
A suicide car bomb attack targeted the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 22 people. (Histories Today)
1989 – USAir Flight 5050 Crash
USAir Flight 5050 crashed during an aborted takeoff at LaGuardia Airport in New York. Two people died. (Wikipedia)
1990 – South Ossetia Declares Independence
South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia, beginning another chapter in the region’s long-running political conflict. (Wikipedia)
2000 – MI6 Headquarters Attacked
Britain’s MI6 headquarters in London was attacked with a Russian-made RPG-22 rocket launcher. No deaths were reported. (Wikipedia)
2001 – George W. Bush Declares a “War on Terror”
U.S. President George W. Bush, addressing Congress after the September 11 attacks, announced a broad international campaign against terrorism. (Time and Date)
2002 – Kolka–Karmadon Rock-Ice Avalanche
A massive rock-ice avalanche struck the Karmadon Valley in North Ossetia, Russia, killing more than 100 people. (HISTORY)
2011 – “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Ends
The U.S. military officially ended the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly. (Time and Date)
2017 – Hurricane Maria Hits Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, causing catastrophic destruction and a major humanitarian crisis. A later official estimate put the death toll at 2,975. (KnowPast)
2018 – Lake Victoria Ferry Disaster
The passenger ferry MV Nyerere capsized near Ukara Island in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria. At least 161 people died. (KnowPast)
2019 – Global Climate Strike
Millions of people around the world participated in climate demonstrations, with young activists including Greta Thunberg playing a prominent role. (KnowPast)
🇮🇳 September 20 in Indian History
September 20 has several important connections with Indian history.
1857 – Recapture of Delhi
The recapture of Delhi on September 20, 1857, was a decisive episode in the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The city had been a major center of the uprising and was associated with the Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II. (Calendarz)
1932 – Mahatma Gandhi Begins Hunger Strike
On September 20, 1932, Mahatma Gandhi began a fast while imprisoned in Yerwada Central Jail, protesting the British government’s proposal for separate electorates for the so-called “Depressed Classes.”
The fast became a major episode in the political history surrounding representation and caste in colonial India. (HISTORY)
1965 – Battle of Dograi
During the India-Pakistan War of 1965, Indian troops captured Dograi after fierce fighting. (Wikipedia)
🎂 Famous People Born on September 20
| Year | Person | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| 1878 | Upton Sinclair | American author and social reformer |
| 1884 | Maxwell Perkins | Influential American literary editor |
| 1899 | Leo Strauss | German-American philosopher |
| 1934 | Sophia Loren | Italian actress |
| 1941 | Dale Chihuly | American glass artist |
| 1948 | George R. R. Martin | American author and screenwriter |
| 1971 | Henrik Larsson | Swedish footballer |
| 1975 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Colombian racing driver |
| 1984 | Brian Joubert | French figure skater |
| 1988 | Khabib Nurmagomedov | Russian mixed martial artist |
Among the most internationally recognized September 20 birthdays are Sophia Loren, Upton Sinclair and George R. R. Martin. (HISTORY)
🕯️ Famous People Who Died on September 20
| Year | Person | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| 1328 | Ibn Taymiyyah | Islamic scholar and theologian |
| 1933 | Gombojab Tsybikov | Russian explorer and ethnographer |
| 1933 | Annie Besant | Theosophist, social reformer and Indian independence activist |
| 1947 | Fiorello H. La Guardia | American politician and former mayor of New York City |
| 1957 | Jean Sibelius | Finnish composer |
| 1973 | Jim Croce | American singer-songwriter |
| 2004 | Brian Clough | English football manager |
| 2005 | Simon Wiesenthal | Holocaust survivor and Nazi-hunter |
🎬 Culture, Science & Technology Highlights
September 20 has also produced several memorable milestones outside conventional political history:
- 🎈 1519: Magellan’s expedition begins its historic voyage. (HISTORY)
- 🔬 1848: The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is founded. (SiteProxy)
- 🚗 1893: The Duryea brothers conduct an early test of an American gasoline-powered automobile. (SiteProxy)
- 🎬 1946: The first Cannes Film Festival opens. (HISTORY)
- 💻 1954: An early FORTRAN program is executed. (On This Day)
- 🚢 1967: QE2 is launched. (Wikipedia)
- 🎾 1973: Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes. (AP News)
- 📺 1977: The television sitcom Happy Days popularizes the phrase “jump the shark” after Fonzie performs a waterski jump over a shark. (HISTORY)
- 💻 1989: Apple releases the Macintosh Portable, its first portable Macintosh computer. (World History Project)
⭐ September 20 – Quick History Highlights
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 480 BC | Battle of Salamis |
| 1187 | Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem |
| 1498 | Nankai tsunami strikes Japan |
| 1519 | Magellan begins his circumnavigation expedition |
| 1697 | Treaty of Ryswick ends the Nine Years’ War |
| 1792 | French victory at the Battle of Valmy |
| 1854 | Battle of the Alma |
| 1857 | Delhi recaptured during the Indian Rebellion |
| 1863 | Battle of Chickamauga ends |
| 1870 | Italian troops enter Rome |
| 1881 | Chester A. Arthur becomes U.S. president |
| 1893 | Early American gasoline automobile road-tested |
| 1946 | First Cannes Film Festival |
| 1963 | Kennedy proposes a joint U.S.–Soviet Moon mission |
| 1965 | Battle of Dograi |
| 1967 | QE2 launched |
| 1973 | Billie Jean King wins the Battle of the Sexes |
| 1977 | Vietnam joins the United Nations |
| 1984 | U.S. Embassy in Beirut bombed |
| 1990 | South Ossetia declares independence |
| 2001 | George W. Bush addresses Congress on the “War on Terror” |
| 2011 | “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ends |
| 2017 | Hurricane Maria hits Puerto Rico |
| 2018 | Lake Victoria ferry disaster |
| 2019 | Global climate strikes |
September 20 is therefore a particularly rich date in history, connecting ancient warfare, the Crusades, global exploration, the Indian independence era, Italian unification, computing, cinema, civil rights, international diplomacy, sport, natural disasters and environmental activism. (World History Project)
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