This Day in History
June 20

Copyright © 2006-2024 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: ken@kpolsson.com
URL: http://kpolsson.com/thisday/
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What happened in history on this day: June 20?

On June 20 in ...

  • 1214 - University of Oxford in England receives its charter.
  • 1402 - Battle of Angora (Ankara)-Tatars defeat Turkish Army.
  • 1567 - Jews are expelled from Brazil by order of regent Don Henrique.
  • 1631 - Pirates attack Baltimore, Ireland, capturing 100 people.
  • 1632 - Britain grants second Lord Baltimore rights to Chesapeake Bay area.
  • 1641 - France and Sweden sign the Treaty of Hamburg. Sweden receives increased monetary subsidies from France, and agrees to continue fighting for the duration of the war.
  • 1646 - In England, Oxford city surrenders to Fairfax.
  • 1646 - In England, Parliament signs a peace treaty with Royalists.
  • 1674 - Birth of Nicholas Rowe England, poet laureate (Jane Shore, Tamerlane).
  • 1756 - Between 64 and 146 British soldiers are confined in Calcutta, India in a prison known as the Black Hole. Only 23 survive the night.
  • 1782 - US Congress approves a written description of the Great Seal of the USA and the eagle as its symbol.
  • 1789 - Oath of the Tennis Court is taken in France. Deputies of the nobility vow not to disperse until they had given France a new constitution.
  • 1791 - King Louis XVI caught trying to escape French Revolution.
  • 1819 - Birth of Jacques Offenbach in Cologne; French composer (Tales of Hoffmann).
  • 1819 - Savannah becomes first steamship to cross any ocean (Atlantic), sailing from Savannah, Georgia, to the Irish Coast in 24 days. The ship uses its steam engine for 90 hours to power a removable paddlewheel, employing sails for most of the journey.
  • 1837 - King William IV of England dies, at age 71.
  • 1837 - Queen Victoria at age 18 ascends British throne following death of King William IV.
  • 1863 - First bank chartered in US (National Bank of Davenport, Iowa).
  • 1863 - West Virginia admitted as 35th US state.
  • 1867 - US President Andrew Johnson announces purchase of Alaska from Russia.
  • 1868 - Birth of Helen Miller Shepard; philanthropist, established Hall of Fame for Great Americans.
  • 1874 - First US Lifesaving Medal awarded (Lucian Clemons).
  • 1877 - Alexander Graham Bell installs the world's first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
  • 1894 - Birth of George Delacorte in New York City, New York, USA; philanthropist/publisher (Dell Books).
  • 1895 - A Charlois discovers asteroid #404 Arsinoe.
  • 1895 - The Greater Republic of Central America is formed uniting Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador.
  • 1899 - Birth of Jean Moulin; hero of the French Resistance during WW II.
  • 1899 - A branch of the British Royal Mint opens in Perth, Western Australia for coinage of gold sovereigns.
  • 1900 - Birth of Frank Gallop in New York City, New York, USA; announcer (Amanda of Honeymoon Hill TV show, Hilltop House TV show, When A Girl Marries TV show, Stella Dallas TV show, Gangbusters TV show, The Perry Como Show, The Ballad of Irving record).
  • 1903 - Birth of Glenna Collett in Vare, Rhode Island, USA; National American Golf champion (1922, 1925, 1928-30, 1935).
  • 1906 - Birth of Bob Howard in Newton, Massachusetts, USA; singer/pianist ("Sing it Again").
  • 1907 - Birth of Lillian Hellman; playwright (Toys in the Attic, Little Foxes).
  • 1909 - Birth of Errol Flynn; actor (Captain Blood, Robin Hood, Against All Flags) (dies 1959).
  • 1910 - Krazy Kat comic strip by George Herriman debuts in New York Journal.
  • 1911 - Birth of Gail Patrick in Birmingham, Alabama, USA; actress (My Man Godfrey, Love Crazy), producer (Perry Mason TV show (1957-66)).
  • 1919 - Birth of Bruce Gordon in London, England; actor (Frank Nitti - Untouchables).
  • 1919 - Roy W. Allen opens his first root beer stand, in Lodi, California. His root beer sells for 5 cents a glass.
  • 1920 - New York Yankees win protest of 1-0 Chicago White Sox win and game is replayed.
  • 1921 - 29.2 cm (11.5 inches) of rainfall in Circle, Montana (state record).
  • 1924 - Birth of Audie Murphy in Kingston, Texas, USA; most decorated American GI of WWII (27 US decorations plus 5 decorations from France and Belgium), actor (Whispering Smith TV show (1961), Destry, Joe Butterfly).
  • 1924 - Birth of Chet Atkins in Luttrell, Tennessee, USA; guitarist, producer (Eddy Arnold, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed, Skeeter Davis, Connie Smith, Waylon Jennings).
  • 1928 - Birth of Jean-Marie Le-Pen in France; leader of National Front party.
  • 1928 - Birth of Martin Landau; actor (Mission Impossible, Space 1999, Tucker).
  • 1931 - Birth of Martin Landau in Brooklyn, New York, USA; actor (Mission Impossible, Tucker, Space 1999, Without a Trace).
  • 1931 - Birth of James Tolkan; actor (Nero Wolfe Mystery, Remington Steele).
  • 1931 - Birth of Arne Nordheim in Larvik, Norway; conductor/composer (Aftonland).
  • 1931 - Birth of Olympia Dukakis; actress (Moonstruck, Tales of the City, Center of the Universe).
  • 1933 - Birth of Brett Halsey in Santa Ana, California, USA; actress (Paul - Follow the Sun).
  • 1933 - Birth of Danny Aiello in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Moonstruck, Radio Days, Last Don, Godfather Saga, Lady Blue).
  • 1933 - Birth of Jean Boiteux in France; 400m freestyle swimmer (Olympic-gold-1952).
  • 1934 - Birth of Rossana Podesta in Tripoli, Libya; actress (Hercules, Ulysses).
  • 1936 - Birth of Billy Guy in Atasca, Texas, USA; singer (The Coasters - "Searchin'", "Little Egypt", "Run Red Run", "Wait A Minute"), producer (J. R. Bailey).
  • 1936 - Jesse Owens of the US sets 100m record at 10.2 seconds.
  • 1939 - C Jackson discovers asteroid #1817 Katanga.
  • 1939 - Test flight of first rocket plane using liquid propellants.
  • 1940 - Birth of John Mahoney; actor (Frasier, In Treatment).
  • 1942 - Birth of Brian Wilson in Inglewood, California, USA; singer (The Beach Boys - "In My Room").
  • 1943 - National Congress of Racial Equality organizes.
  • 1943 - New Québec (Chubb) Crater (3.5 km diameter) discovered in northern Québec, Canada.
  • 1943 - Sweden's Gunther Hagg beats favorite Greg Rice by 35 yards in 5000m at national Amateur Athletic Union track and field championship in New York.
  • 1943 - Birth of John McCook; actor (The Bold and the Beautiful).
  • 1945 - Birth of Anne Murray in Nova Scotia, Canada; singer ("Snow Bird").
  • 1945 - Birth of James F Buchli in New Rockford, North Dakota, USA; US Marine Corp/astronaut (STS 51C, 61A, 29, 48).
  • 1945 - Birth of John McCook in Ventura, California, USA; actor (Codename: Firefox, The Bold and the Beautiful).
  • 1946 - Birth of Bob Vila; host (This Old House, Home Again).
  • 1946 - Birth of André Watts in Nuremberg, Germany; concert pianist (Oberon).
  • 1947 - Death of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, gangster, operator of the Flamingo Hotel/casino in Las Vegas, is shot dead in Beverly Hills, California.
  • 1947 - Birth of Candy Clark; actress (The Man Who Fell to Earth, Q, American Graffiti, Mystery Woman: Redemption, The Price She Paid, Popeye Doyle).
  • 1947 - US President Harry Truman vetoes Taft-Hartley Act.
  • 1948 - West German Finance Minister Ludwig Erhard eliminates most price controls and introduces a new currency, the "Deutsche mark".
  • 1948 - CBS premieres the Toast of the Town 60-minute variety TV show, hosted by Ed Sullivan. First guests are Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
  • 1949 - Birth of Lionel Richie; singer (The Commodores, "Hello", "Penny Lover").
  • 1950 - Joe Dimaggio's 2,000th hit, New York Yankees beat Cleveland Indians 8-2.
  • 1952 - Birth of John Goodman; actor (Roseanne, Everyone's All American, Treme, West Wing).
  • 1953 - Birth of Brian Duffy in Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Major US Air Force/astronaut (STS 45).
  • 1953 - Birth of Cyndi Lauper in Brooklyn, New York, USA; singer ("Girls Just Want to Have Fun", "Vibes").
  • 1954 - Birth of Michael Anthony; rock bassist/singer (Van Halen - "Pretty Woman", "Jump", "1984").
  • 1957 - Birth of Butch Patrick in Inglewood, California, USA; actor (Real McCoys, Eddie - The Munsters).
  • 1960 - Birth of John Taylor; rocker (Duran Duran - "Girls on Film", "Rio", "Hungry Like the Wolf").
  • 1960 - Birth of Michael Corbett in Collingwood, New Jersey, USA; actor (David - The Young and the Restless).
  • 1960 - Federation of Mali disbands, Republic of Mali proclaims independent of France.
  • 1960 - In Burbank, California, the 12th Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Fred Astaire.
    • Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Children's Programming: The Huckleberry Hound Show,
    • Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Series: Robert Stack for The Untouchables,
    • Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Series: Jane Wyatt for Father Knows Best,
    • Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Drama: Playhouse 90,
    • Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor: The Art Carney Special,
    • Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of News: The Huntley-Brinkley Report,
    • Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Public Service: The Twentieth Century,
    • Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Variety: The Fabulous Fifties,
    • Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor: Laurence Olivier for The Moon and Sixpence,
    • Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress: Ingrid Bergman for Startime.

  • 1961 - Birth of Karin Enke in German Democratic Republic; speed skater (Olympic-gold-1980, 1984).
  • 1963 - First Mayor's Trophy Game, New York Mets beat New York Yankees 6-2.
  • 1963 - Death of Gordon Jones at age 52 of a heart attack; character actor (Mike the Cop - Abbott and Costello Show TV show).
  • 1963 - Joseph Self, murderer, executed in Washington state (last for 25 years).
  • 1963 - Ralph Sanford, actor (Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp), dies at age 64.
  • 1963 - US and USSR agree to set up "Hot Line".
  • 1965 - Ira Louvin, country singer (Louvin Brothers), dies at age 41.
  • 1966 - Georges Lemaître, originator of "big bang" theory, dies at age 71.
  • 1967 - Birth of Nicole Kidman; actress (Five Mile Creek, Bangkok Hilton).
  • 1967 - Birth of Joseph William Cathcart; rock guitarist (Nelson - "Love and Affection").
  • 1967 - Philadelphia Phillies' Larry Jackson beats New York Mets for 18th straight time.
  • 1967 - Birth of Murphy Karges; musician (Sugar Ray).
  • 1968 - Jim Hines becomes first person to run 100 metres in under 10 seconds.
  • 1969 - In Canada, CBC-TV airs the last Don Messer's Jubilee show, which began on radio in 1931.
  • 1969 - 150,000 attend Newport '69, Jimi Hendrix gets $120,000 to appear.
  • 1969 - Birth of Peter Paige; actor (Queer as Folk).
  • 1970 - Baltimore Orioles' Brooks Robinson get his 2,000 career hit, a three run home run.
  • 1970 - NBC-TV debuts The Ray Stevens Show.
  • 1971 - Birth of Josh Lucas; actor (Empire Falls, Cracker).
  • 1974 - Felix Aguilar Observatory discovers asteroid #2124 Nissen.
  • 1977 - Abner Biberman, actor (Imhook - Kodiak), dies at age 68.
  • 1977 - Oil first enters Trans-Alaska pipeline, exits 38 days later at Valdez.
  • 1978 - First six teams of Women's Pro Basketball League (WBL) granted-Iowa.
  • 1978 - In Greece, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurs, centered about 30 kilometres northeast of Thessaloniki. At least 50 people killed, and extensive damage in the Thessaloniki area. The shock is felt throughout Bulgaria and southern Yugoslavia.
  • 1979 - A Nicaraguan National Guard soldier kills ABC TV news correspondent Bill Stewart and his interpreter Juan Espinosa. Other members of the news crew capture the killing on tape.
  • 1980 - Birth of Damián A. Fernández Beanato; Newsweek and ANSA journalist.
  • 1982 - Pete Rose becomes the fifth major leaguer to appear in 3000 games.
  • 1983 - New York Yankees' Bobby Murcer retires.
  • 1983 - Birth of Chris Dudley; keyboardist (Underoath).
  • 1984 - The biggest exam shake-up in the British education system in over ten years is announced, with O-level and CSE exams to be replaced by a new exam, the GCSE.
  • 1984 - Death of Estelle Winwood at age 101 of natural causes; actress (Miracle on 34th Street, Aunt Hilda - Batman TV show).
  • 1986 - Columbia releases the film The Karate Kid Part II to theaters.
  • 1986 - Tim Herbert, comedian (Dagmar's Canteen), dies at age 71.
  • 1988 - New York City WABC-AM becomes the flagship radio station of the New Jersey Devils.
  • 1988 - The Price is Right model Janice Pennington is knocked out by a TV camera.
  • 1990 - In Iran, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurs. One of the world's most destructive earthquakes. Estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people killed, more than 60,000 injured, 400,000 or more homeless and extensive damage and landslides.
  • 1990 - Death of Ina Balin at age 52 of pulmonary hypertension in Connecticut, USA; actress (Quincy ME TV show, As The World Turns TV show).
  • 1990 - The asteroid Eureka is discovered.
  • 1991 - Decision of the Bundestag (in Bonn) that Berlin should become the German capital.
  • 1992 - In Estonia, kroon currency replaces the Soviet ruble.
  • 1992 - The NBC TV network airs the last episode of the TV show The Torkelsons.
  • 1993 - John Paxson's three-point shot in Game six of the National Basketball Association Finals helps the Chicago Bulls secure a 99-98 win over the Phoenix Suns, and their third consecutive championship.
  • 1993 - A 7.5 earthquake hits Japan, killing 385 people.
  • 1994 - Chinese bulk carrier Apollo Sea sinks off South Africa shortly after leaving Saldanha Bay, creating an oil slick washing ashore on Dassen Island.
  • 1995 - Oil multinational Royal Dutch Shell caves in to international pressure and abandons plans to dump the Brent Spar oil rig at sea. The platform will be towed to Norway for dismantling on land.
  • 1995 - The Walt Disney Company announces plans for a fourth theme park in Florida: Disney's Animal Kingdom. The new park is expected to cost US$760 million to create, over a 200-hectare area. It is due to open in 1998.
  • 1996 - Westinghouse Electric agrees to buy Infinity Broadcasting for $3.9 billion.
  • 1997 - Sony releases the film My Best Friend's Wedding to theaters.
  • 1997 - Death of Lawrence Payton at age 59 of liver cancer; singer (Four Tops - "Baby I Need Your Loving", "Reach Out (I'll Be There)").
  • 1998 - Death of Bobby Gimby at age 79 in North Bay, Ontario, Canada; Canadian trumpeter-songwriter (The Happy Gang - "Ca-na-da" (1967), Kitsilano Boys Band, Mart Kenney's Western Gentlemen, Juliette show).
  • 1999 - Death of Clifton Fadiman at age 95; writer/host (Information Please radio and TV show).
  • 2001 - Pervez Musharraf becomes President of Pakistan after the resignation of Muhammad Rafiq Tarar.
  • 2001 - With his 38th homerun of the season, Barry Bonds breaks the major league record for home runs hit before the All-Star game.
  • 2001 - In Germany Heinz Josef Algermissen is named the bishop of Fulda.
  • 2003 - The North East MRT Line, the world's first fully automated and driverless subway opens in Singapore.
  • 2004 - Ken Griffey, Junior of the Cincinnati Reds hits his 500th career home run, the 20th major league player to reach this mark.
  • 2004 - Death of Jim Bacon, Premier of Tasmania (born 1950).
  • 2004 - Retief Goosen wins the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
  • 2006 - The Miami Heat win the NBA Finals over the Dallas Mavericks, 4-2.
  • 2006 - Death of Claydes Charles Smith at age 57; co-founder and lead guitarist (Kool and the Gang - "Celebration" (1981)).
  • 2007 - The Argentinian team Boca Juniors beat the Brazilian team Grêmio to win the Copa Libertadores 2007.
  • 2008 - The Janus-2 satellite is launched from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, atop a Delta-2 rocket. The satellite will be used for measuring the shape of the world's oceans.
  • 2009 - A suicide truck bomb near a Shia mosque in Taza, near Kirkuk, Iraq, kills 72, injures about 200 others.
  • 2009 - Ground is broken in New Mexico, USA, on the construction site of Spaceport America, the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport. It will cost the New Mexico government almost US$200 million.
  • 2010 - Rain and landslides in southern China kill 132 people, with 86 others missing. An estimated 68,000 houses are damaged and 800,000 residents are evacuated.
  • 2010 - Britain's Graeme McDowell takes a one-shot victory to win the U.S. Open of golf at the Pebble Beach Golf links in California, the first European win in 40 years.
  • 2010 - Manute Bol, 7-foot 7-inch (2.3m) NBA basketball legend (Washington Bullets) from southern Sudan, dies at age 47 of kidney problems in Virginia, USA.
  • 2010 - Abdolmalek Rigi, leader of Sunni militant group Jundullah, is executed by hanging in Tehran, Iran for his involvement in bombings and raids in Sistan-Baluchistan province.
  • 2010 - Juan Manuel Santos of the Social National Unity Party wins the final round of Colombia's presidential elections, with about 69 percent of ballots.
  • 2016 - Nigeria allows its naira currency to float on the market.
  • 2019 - Iran shoots down a United States RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz after claiming it violated their airspace. The U.S. claims it was shot down in international airspace in an "unprovoked attack".
  • 2019 - (to June 21) Chinese President Xi Jinping makes a state visit to North Korea. It is his first visit to the country as president.
  • 2020 - Death of Ema Derossi-Bjelajac, 6th President of the Presidency of the SR of Croatia (born 1926).
  • 2021 - Acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia wins the country's snap election, with his Civil Contract party gaining 54% of the vote.
  • 2022 - International Swimming Federation gender inclusion policy goes into effect, allowing only people who transitioned before age 12 to compete in women's events.
  • 2022 - In New York City, Heritage Auctions sells the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize gold medal presented to Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov for US$103.5 million, with proceeds going to help Ukrainian child refugees.

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