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 20th, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about November 20th in history!
Table of Contents
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.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, November 20
1981: Sam Fuld, American baseball player
1942: Joe Biden, American politician, 46th President of the United States
1925: Robert F. Kennedy, American politician, 64th United States Attorney General
1912: Otto von Habsburg, Austrian/German son of Charles I of Austria
1750: Tipu Sultan, Indian army officer, king
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, November 20
2006: Robert Altman, American director, screenwriter
1975: Francisco Franco, Spanish general, politician, Caudillo of Spain
1925: Alexandra of Denmark
1910: Leo Tolstoy, Russian author
1737: Caroline of Ansbach
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