Discover what happened on September 20 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

September 20

Discover what happened on September 20 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

What Happened on September 20 | HISTORY

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1973

The decade-long manhunt for 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden ended in 2011 with his killing by U.S. Navy SEALs in Pakistan. Japan faced disaster with the Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdown. Anti-government demonstrations spread through the Middle East in the Arab Spring, while the Occupy Wall Street movement protested America’s economic inequality. “Game of Thrones” premiered on TV, R-rated novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” published, becoming the decade’s bestselling book, and England’s Prince William wed Kate Middleton, watched by millions.

2011

1988

2012

1519

1565

1946

One of the worst years of the Great Depression, when one in four Americans lacked work and nearly 9,000 banks had failed, 1932 brought the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the U.S. presidency for the first of his four terms. Amelia Earhart flew the Atlantic in triumph, while the kidnapping of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s young son ended in tragedy. In the Middle East, King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud united the regions under his control to establish the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

1932

U.S. President James A. Garfield took the oath of office in March, only to die from an assassin’s bullet six months later. Out West, Indian leader Sitting Bull surrendered to the U.S. Army, while lawmen and cattle rustlers had a 30-second gunfight at the O.K. Corral. In Russia, the assassination of Czar Alexander II led to violent attacks—or “pogroms”—on Russian Jews. Black educator Booker T. Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute, and nurse-humanitarian Clara Barton established the American Red Cross.

1881

1806

1878

2002

1963

1777

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian—the U.S. president—would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

Colonial America was a vast land settled by Spanish, Dutch, French and English immigrants who established colonies such as St. Augustine, Florida; Jamestown, Virginia; and Roanoke in present-day North Carolina.

Colonial America

The continent of Asia, home to the majority of the world's population and countries as diverse as China, South Korea and India, has thousands of years of rich history.

Asian History

In the 15th century, Europeans began to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of new routes to China and the East, but in the process they discovered what they labeled a "New World," although Indigenous people had lived there for centuries. Other explorers have pushed the limits of flight and seafaring, and traversed the frozen Continent of Antarctica.

Exploration

The gay rights movement is the advocacy for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Key moments in LGBTQ+ history include the trial of Oscar Wilde, the Stonewall Riots, the assassination of Harvey Milk and marriage equality.

Gay Rights

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.

Crime

Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

Sports

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

American Revolution

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History.com Editors

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art, literature and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature and Film History

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded vast control over politics and business.

19th Century

Natural disasters and changes in the environment, such as global warming, the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Galveston Hurricane, the Krakatoa eruption and others, have profoundly shaped human history. Explore both the sudden and long-term impacts of natural and human-made disasters.

This Day In History: September 20

Billie Jean King triumphs in “Battle of the Sexes”

Also on This Day in History September | 20

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed

Greg Louganis wins Olympic gold the day after suffering head injury

Amish convicted in beard‑cutting attacks

This Day in History Video: What Happened on September 20

Magellan sets sail from Spain

First European battle on American soil

First Cannes Film Festival

Gandhi begins fast in protest of caste separation

Chester Arthur becomes third president to serve in one year

The returning Lewis and Clark reach the first white settlement on the Missouri

Upton Sinclair is born

Avalanche thunders into Russian village

Kennedy proposes joint mission to the moon

Redcoats kill Americans in Paoli Massacre

Also on This Day in History September | 20

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