20 November

November 20 is the 324th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 41 days remain until the end of the year.

We have some interesting facts & historic events all about November 20^th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.

Keep reading for more interesting facts about November 20^th in history!

Global Celebrations

National Absurdity Day
Universal Children’s Day
Name Your PC Day
National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
Africa Industrialization Day

Historic Events

What Happened On This Day – November 20

1998: First module of the International Space Station launched

Called Zarya, the module is Russian-built and American owned. The International Space Station (ISS) is a manned artificial satellite was built and operated by 5 space agencies – the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, US’s NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos, and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. The brightest man-made object visible to the naked eye from Earth, ISS orbits the Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour (28,000 kilometers per hour) at an average distance of 248 miles (400 kilometers) from Earth.

1985: Windows 1.0 released

Nearly two years after it was announced, Microsoft released its first graphical operating system. The OS made it easier for users to navigate on their computer screens. It came with Paint, Notepad, Calculator and a game called Reversi.

1959: Declaration of the Rights of the Child

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the document that laid out the rights of children around the world. The day is also annually celebrated as Universal Children’s Day.

1945: Nuremberg trials begin

The trials were led by the International Military Tribunal and were held to prosecute high-ranking members of the Nazi party for war crimes committed during the Second World War. Of the 23 people tried, 14 were sentenced to death.

1923: Traffic signal patented

American Garret Morgan was awarded the patent for an automated traffic signal. Morgan’s invention was not the first of its kind, but unlike the other traffic signals which just had stop and go signals, his traffic light had a third signal that warned drivers about changes in the stop and go lights. This signal was the precursor for today’s yellow light.

1985: On November 20, 1985 – Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released.