Osun Defender History Corner: November 20th In Focus

Today, on the history corner, we take a trip in the realm of flashback and recall some events that marked this day.

November 20th, 1820

An 80-ton sperm whale attacks the Essex, a whaling ship, inspiring Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick.”

November 20th, 1945

The Nuremberg Trials begin, prosecuting prominent leaders of Nazi Germany for war crimes.

November 20th, 1947

Princess Elizabeth marries Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in London.

November 20th, 1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis comes to an end as the United States agrees to remove missiles from Turkey, and the Soviet Union removes missiles from Cuba.

November 20th, 1969

The first-ever Internet message is sent by UCLA student Charley Kline through ARPANET, the precursor to the modern internet.

November 20th, 1974

The United Nations General Assembly recognizes the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

November 20th, 1979

The United Nations General Assembly approves the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

November 20th, 1984

McDonald’s manager in San Ysidro, California, shoots and kills 21 people.

November 20th, 1985

Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released.

November 20th, 1994

The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign the Lusaka Protocol, ending decades of civil war.

November 20th, 1998

The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, is launched.

November 20th, 2001

In Afghanistan, the Northern Alliance captures the capital, Kabul, from the Taliban.

November 20th, 2002

The United Nations Security Council approves Resolution 1441, urging Iraq to disarm or face “serious consequences.”

November 20th, 2008

A car bomb explodes in St. Petersburg, Russia, killing three people and injuring many others.

November 20th, 2009

The first International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is observed by the United Nations.

November 20th, 2012

50 people are killed in a train accident in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

November 20th, 2013

NASA’s MAVEN mission successfully enters orbit around Mars.

November 20th, 2015

A series of terrorist attacks in Paris, including at the Bataclan theater, result in 130 deaths.

November 20th, 2017

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe resigns after 37 years in power.

November 20th, 2019

The International Space Station conducts its first all-female spacewalk, with astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch.

Please note that these are just a few historical events that happened on November 20th. History is full of numerous other significant events on this day, ranging from politics and warfare to cultural and scientific milestones.