On This Day
What Happened on November 20 in History
9 events that happened on November 20, oldest first. Every entry is written in our own words and links to its source.
The Early 1900s and the World Wars
1917
British forces opened the Battle of Cambrai with a massed surprise tank attack.
Infantry and cavalry divisions of the British Expeditionary Force advanced alongside the Tank Corps and air support against German lines near Cambrai, France. Tanks had first been used in battle only a year earlier, during the Somme offensive.
Source: history.com
1943
U.S. Marines stormed Betio island, opening the Battle of Tarawa.
Low tides left landing craft stuck on the coral reef, and many Marines had to wade ashore under heavy fire. The island was declared secure after 76 hours, at a cost of more than 1,000 Americans killed.
Source: history.com
1945
The Nuremberg trials of leading Nazi officials opened in Germany.
Twenty-four senior Nazi figures faced an international tribunal run by the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain and France. Charges included crimes against peace, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the proceedings ran for about ten months.
Source: history.com
The Cold War
1947
Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in London.
The 21-year-old heir to the British throne wed the 26-year-old former naval officer, who had been made Duke of Edinburgh the day before. The celebration gave a lift to a country still living with postwar hardship.
Source: history.com
1959
The UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
Resolution 1386 set out principles for the protection and welfare of children. Thirty years later to the day, the Assembly adopted the binding Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Source: research.un.org
1969
Native American activists began a full occupation of Alcatraz Island.
The group, calling itself Indians of All Tribes, wanted the former federal prison site turned into an Indian cultural center. The occupation lasted until June 11, 1971.
Source: nps.gov; thenonviolenceproject.wisc.edu
1979
Armed militants seized the Grand Mosque in Mecca, beginning a two-week siege.
Gunmen led by Juhayman al-Otaybi took over Islam's holiest site during morning prayers, holding many worshippers inside. Saudi forces regained control after about two weeks of fighting.
Source: npr.org
The Modern Era
1992
Fire swept through Windsor Castle, the royal residence west of London.
A faulty spotlight set a curtain alight in the Queen's Private Chapel, and the blaze spread to more than 100 rooms, including St. George's Hall. It took about fifteen hours and more than 220 firefighters to put it out.
Source: history.com
1998
Zarya, the first piece of the International Space Station, launched from Kazakhstan.
A Russian Proton rocket carried the module into orbit at 1:40 a.m. Eastern time. Zarya became the first building block of the orbiting laboratory.
Source: pbs.org