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Today September 20th 2009 this day in history Read more below to view events, deaths, births, Holidays observances and video clips. Last database updated: Jan 17th, 2009
Events
451 – The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Flavius Aetius s victory over Attila the Hun in a day of combat, is considered to be the largest battle in the ancient world.
1187 – Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem.
1378 – Cardinal Robert of Geneva, called by some the Butcher of Cesena, is elected as Avignon Pope Clement VII, beginning the Papal schism.
1519 – Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda with about 270 men on his expedition to circumnavigate the globe.
1596 – Diego de Montemayor founded the city of Monterrey in New Spain.
1633 – Galileo Galilei is tried before the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for teaching that the Earth orbits the Sun.
1697 – The Treaty of Rijswijk is signed by France, England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the Dutch Republic ending the Nine Years War (1688–97).
1737 – Runner Edward Marshall completes his journey in the Walking Purchase forcing the cession of 1.2 million acres (4,860 km²) of Lenape-Delaware tribal land to the Pennsylvania Colony.
1792 – French troops stop allied invasion of France, during the War of the First Coalition at Valmy.
1835 – Farroupilha s Revolution begins in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
1848 – The American Association for the Advancement of Science is created.
1854 – Battle of Alma: British and French troops defeat Russians in the Crimea.
1857 – The Indian Rebellion of 1857 ends with the recapture of Delhi by troops loyal to the East India Company.
1860 – The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of the United Kingdom) visits the United States.
1863 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chickamauga ends.
1870 – Bersaglieri corps enter Rome through the Porta Pia and completes the unification of Italy; see capture of Rome.
1871 – Bishop John Coleridge Patteson martyred on the island of Nukapu, a Polynesian outlier island now in the Temotu province of the Solomon Islands. He was the first bishop of Melanesia.
1879 – Cliftonville Football Club, the oldest club in Ireland, is founded.
1881 – Chester A. Arthur is inaugurated as the 21st President of the United States following the assassination of James Garfield.
1891 – The first gasoline-powered car debuts in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States.
1906 – Cunard Line s RMS Mauretania is launched at the Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson shipyard in Newcastle, England.
1917 – Paraguay becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
1920 – Foundation of the Spanish Legion.
1930 – Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is formed by Archbishop Mar Ivanios.
1942 – Holocaust in Letychiv, Ukraine. In the course of two days German SS murders at least 3,000 Jews.
1946 – The first Cannes Film Festival is held.
1954 – New Zealand s Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents reports just ten days after concluding hearings.
1962 – James Meredith, an African-American, is barred from entering the University of Mississippi.
1967 – The RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 is launched at John Brown & Company, Clydebank, Scotland. It is operated by the Cunard Line.
1970 – Syrian tanks roll into Jordan in response to continued fighting between Jordan and the fedayeen. The Jordanians knock out 30 of the Syrian tanks.
1973 – Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes tennis match at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas.
1977 – The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is admitted to the United Nations.
1979 – Lee Iacocca is elected president of the Chrysler Corporation.
1979 – A coup d état in the Central African Empire overthrows Emperor Bokasa I.
1979 – The Punjab wing of the Unity Centre of Communist Revolutionaries of India (Marxist-Leninist) formally splits and constitutes a parallel UCCRI(ML).
1979 – Assassination of French left-wing militant Pierre Goldman.
1982 – The National Football League players begin a 57-day strike.
1984 – A suicide bomber in a car attacks the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing twenty-two people.
1990 – South Ossetia declares its independence from Georgia.
1998 – Baltimore Orioles third baseman Cal Ripken, Jr. chooses to sit out the Orioles game against the New York Yankees, ending his record streak for consecutive Major League Baseball games played at 2,632.
2000 – The British MI6 Secret Intelligence Service building is attacked by a Russian-built Mark 22 anti-tank missile.
2001 – In an address to a joint session of Congress and the American people, U.S. President George W. Bush declares a war on terror.
2002 – The Kolka-Karmadon rock/ice slide started.
2003 – A referendum is held in Latvia to decide the country s accession to the European Union.
2003 – Maldives civil unrest: the death of prisoner Hassan Evan Naseem sparks a day of rioting in Malé.
Births
1486 – Arthur, Prince of Wales, son of King Henry VII of England (d. 1502)
1599 – Christian the Younger, German Protestant military leader (d. 1623)
1744 – Thomas Grosvenor, American Revolutionary War hero (d. 1825)
1746 – Móric Benyovszky Hungarian count (d. 1786)
1778 – Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian naval officer and explorer (d. 1852)
1831 – Kate Harrington, American teacher, writer and poet (d. 1917)
1833 – Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1918)
1842 – James Dewar, Scottish chemist (d. 1923)
1844 – William H. Illingworth, American photographer (d. 1893)
1851 – Henry Arthur Jones, English writer (d. 1929)
1853 – Rama V, King of Thailand (d. 1910)
1861 – Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress (d. 1955)
1872 – Maurice Gamelin, French army general (d. 1958)
1873 – Sidney Olcott, Canadian film director (d. 1949)
1873 – Ferenc Szisz, Hungarian race car driver (d. 1944)
1878 – Upton Sinclair, American writer (d. 1968)
1880 – Louise Peete, American murderess (d. 1947)
1884 – Maxwell Perkins, American editor and publisher (d. 1947)
1885 – Jelly Roll Morton, American jazz pianist, bandleader and composer (d. 1941)
1886 – Charles Williams, British author (d. 1945)
1889 – Charles Reidpath, American athlete (d. 1975)
1899 – Leo Strauss, German-born philosopher (d. 1973)
1902 – Stevie Smith, British poet (d. 1971)
1911 – Shriram Sharma Acharya, Indian spiritual leader (d. 1991)
1914 – Kenneth More, English actor (d. 1982)
1916 – Malik Meraj Khalid, Former Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan (d. 2003)
1917 – Red Auerbach, American basketball coach (d. 2006)
1917 – Fernando Rey, Spanish-born actor (d. 1994)
1920 – Jay Ward, American animated cartoonist (d. 1989)
1920 – Alberto de Lacerda, Portuguese poet (d. 2007)
1922 – William Kapell, American pianist (d. 1953)
1923 – Geraldine Clinton Little, Irish-born poet (d. 1997)
1924 – Gogi Grant, American singer
1925 – Ananda Mahidol, King of Thailand (d. 1946)
1925 – Bobby Nunn, American singer (The Coasters) (d. 1986)
1927 – Johnny Dankworth, English musician and composer
1927 – Rachel Roberts, English actress (d. 1980)
1928 – Joyce Brothers, American psychologist and advice columnist
1928 – Kirsten Rolffes, Danish actress (d. 2000)
1928 – Donald Hall, American poet and US Poet Laureate
1929 – Anne Meara, American comic and actress
1931 – Cherd Songsri, Thai filmmaker (d. 2006)
1933 – Dennis Viollet, English former footballer (d. 1999)
1934 – Sophia Loren, Italian actress
1935 – Jim Taylor, National Football League player
1935 – Keith Roberts, British science fiction author (d. 2000)
1935 – David Pegg, English footballer (d. 1958)
1937 – Birgitta Dahl, Swedish politician
1937 – Monica Zetterlund, Swedish actress and singer (d. 2005)
1939 – Robert L. Gerry III, American businessman
1941 – Dale Chihuly, American glass artist
1942 – Gérald Tremblay, Québec politician
1947 – Mia Martini, Italian singer (d. 1995)
1947 – Bruce Pasternack, American CEO
1947 – Steve Gerber, American comics writer (d. 2008)
1948 – George R. R. Martin, American writer
1948 – Chuck Panozzo and John Panozzo (d. 1996), American musicians (Styx)
1949 – Mahesh Bhatt. Indian film director
1949 – Anthony Denison, American actor
1949 – John W. Henry, American MLB team owner
1951 – Guy Lafleur, Canadian ice hockey player
1951 – Javier Marías, Spanish author, translator and academic
1954 – Henry Samueli, American NHL team owner
1956 – Gary Cole, American actor
1957 – Alannah Currie, New Zealander musician (Thompson Twins)
1957 – Rich DiSilvio, American new media developer & artist
1958 – Arn Anderson, American wrestler
1959 – Danny Devos, Belgian artist
1960 – Deborah Roberts, American journalist and TV reporter
1961 – Lisa Bloom, American lawyer and television personality
1964 – Maggie Cheung, Hong Kong actress
1965 – Robert Rusler, American actor
1966 – Nuno Bettencourt, Portuguese rock musician
1967 – Martin Harrison, American NFL Football Player
1967 – Kristen Johnston, American actress
1967 – Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, American musicians (Nelson)
1968 – Leah Pinsent, Canadian actress
1968 – Darrell Russell, American race car driver (d. 2004)
1968 – Tim Rogers, Australian singer / songwriter
1969 – Victoria Dillard, American actress
1969 – Megumi Kudo, Japanese pro-wrestler
1969 – Richard Witschge, former Dutch footballer
1970 – Moon Bloodgood, American actress and model
1971 – Henrik Larsson, Swedish footballer
1971 – Masashi Hamauzu, Japanese composer
1973 – Ronald McKinnon, National Football League linebacker
1974 – Michael Waddington, American defense lawyer
1975 – Asia Argento, Italian actress
1975 – Juan Pablo Montoya, Colombian race car driver
1976 – Yo Hitoto, Japanese pop singer
1976 – Yui Horie, Japanese seiyuu
1976 – Enuka Okuma, Canadian actress
1976 – Reuben Singh, British entrepreneur
1977 – Namie Amuro, Japanese pop singer
1978 – Jason Bay, Canadian baseball player
1978 – Patrizio Buanne, Italian singer
1978 – Sarit Hadad, Israeli singer
1978 – T.J. Tucker, American baseball player
1978 – Dante Hall, American football player
1979 – Sean Davis, English footballer
1980 – Mariacarla Boscono, Italian fashion model
1980 – Jonathan Le Billon, British actor
1980 – Vladimir Karpets, Russian cyclist
1981 – Joanie Dodds, America s Next Top Model contestant
1981 – Feliciano López, Spanish tennis player
1981 – Jordan Tata, American baseball player
1983 – Yuna Ito, Japanese singer and actress
1983 – Ángel Sánchez, Puerto Rican baseball player
1985 – David Allen, American composer and writer
1987 – Jack Lawless, American drummer for the Jonas Brothers
1990 – John Tavares, Canadian ice hockey player
1990 – Marilou, Quebec pop singer
1991 – Spencer Locke, American actress
1993 – Taylor Parks, American actress
1995 – Sammi Hanratty, American actress
Deaths
1246 – Mikhail of Chernigov, ruler of Kiev
1384 – King Louis I of Naples (b. 1339)
1460 – Gilles Binchois, Flemish composer
1586 – Chidiock Tichborne, English conspirator and poet (executed) (b. 1558)
1590 – Lodovico Agostini, Italian composer (b. 1534)
1625 – Heinrich Meibom, German historian and critic (b. 1555)
1627 – Jan Gruter, Dutch critic (b. 1560)
1630 – Claudio Saracini, Italian composer (b. 1586)
1639 – Johannes Meursius, Dutch classical scholar (b. 1579)
1643 – Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland, English politician and writer
1721 – Thomas Doggett, Irish actor
1803 – Robert Emmet, Irish patriot (b. 1780)
1815 – Nicolas Desmarest, French geologist (b. 1725)
1852 – Philander Chase, American university founder (b. 1775)
1863 – Jacob Grimm, German folklorist (b. 1785)
1884 – Leopold Fitzinger, Austrian zoologist (b. 1802)
1898 – Theodor Fontane, German writer (b. 1819)
1906 – Robert R. Hitt, American politician (b. 1834)
1908 – Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (b. 1844)
1932 – Wovoka, Paiute visionary
1933 – Annie Besant, women s rights activist (b. 1847)
1939 – Paul Bruchési, French Canadian Catholic archbishop of Montreal (b. 1855)
1945 – William Buehler Seabrook, Writer, journalist, occultist and explorer (b. 1884)
1945 – Augusto Tasso Fragoso, Brazilian president (b. 1869)
1945 – Eduard Wirths, Nazi physician at Auschwitz concentration camp (b. 1909)
1946 – Raimu, French actor (b. 1883)
1947 – Fiorello La Guardia, Mayor of New York City (b. 1882)
1957 – Jean Sibelius, Finnish composer (b. 1865)
1971 – Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1900)
1973 – Jim Croce, American singer and songwriter (b. 1943)
1975 – Saint-John Perse, French diplomat and writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
1979 – Ludvík Svoboda, President of Czechoslovakia (b. 1895)
1980 – Sanpei Hayashiya, Japanese comedian (b. 1925)
1984 – Steve Goodman, American folk music singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
1987 – Michael Stewart, American playwright (b. 1924)
1989 – Richie Ginther, American racing driver (b. 1930)
1993 – Erich Hartmann, German, world s most successful fighter pilot (352 kills ) (b. 1922)
1994 – Jule Styne, American songwriter (b. 1905)
1994 – Abioseh Nicol, Sierra Leonean diplomat and noted author (b. 1924)
1996 – Paul Erdos, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1913)
1997 – Nick Traina, American singer, Link 80 (b. 1978)
1999 – Raisa Gorbachyova, wife of Mikhail Gorbachev (b. 1932)
1999 – Robert Lebel, Quebec ice hockey administrator (b. 1905)
2000 – Gherman Titov, cosmonaut (b. 1935)
2003 – Lord Williams of Mostyn, British politician (b. 1941)
2003 – Gordon Mitchell, American actor (b. 1923)
2003 – Simon Muzenda, Zimbabwe politician (b. 1922)
2004 – Brian Clough, English footballer and football manager (b. 1935)
2004 – Townsend Hoopes, American politician (b. 1922)
2005 – Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian-Polish Nazi hunter (b. 1908)
2006 – Armin Jordan, Swiss conductor (b. 1932)
2006 – John W. Peterson, American songwriter (b. 1921)
2007 – Johnny Gavin, Irish footballer (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances
Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul only – Farroupilha s Revolution (1835)
South Ossetia celebrates its independence day.
In ancient Greece, the seventh day of the Eleusinian Mysteries, when the secret rites in the Telesterion began.
Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
St Eustace
The Korean Martyrs, including Andrew Kim Taegon and Laurent-Marie-Joseph Imbert
Thomas Johnson, John Davy, and companions (martyrs).
Feast day of the following saint(s) in the Anglican Church:
John Coleridge Patteson.
Also see September 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
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