Anniversaries and commemorations come and go daily. Most of us, even the best historians, miss most occasions. If we think of history as events then we are faced with a continually showering in the grains of sand. Nevertheless, we do pick out certain patterns in the remembrance of historical dates. The blog here reminds us of some dates where the local, state, national, and global perspectives entwine.
On 20, Wednesday January 1869, F. Matthias Alexander, actor, born (died 1955)
On 20, Wednesday January 1869, Elizabeth Cady Stanton is the first woman to testify before the United States Congress.
On 20, Saturday January 1894, Walter Piston, American composer, born (d. 1976)
On 20, Thursday January 1944, Seventeen people are killed at Brooklyn, New South Wales when a mail train and a bus collide at a level crossing. There is only one survivor, Gloria Iren Silvia.
On 20, Thursday January 1944, WWII: The Royal Air Force drops 2,300 tons of bombs on Berlin.
On 20, Thursday January 1944, The United States 36th Infantry Division in Italy attempts to cross the Rapido river.
On 20, Thursday January 1944, James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist, died (b. 1860)
On 20, Tuesday January 1959, Roger Gray, American actor, died (b. 1881)
On 20, Monday January 1969, Richard Nixon is sworn in as the 37th President of the United States.
On 20, Monday January 1969, Patrick K. Kroupa, American writer, hacker, born
On 20, Saturday January 1979, Billy Knight, American professional basketball player, born (d. 2018)
On 20, Saturday January 1979, Asaka Kubo, Japanese gravure idol, born
On 20, Saturday January 1979, Will Young, English singer, born
On 20, Friday January 1989, George H. W. Bush is sworn in as the 41st President of the United States.
On 20, Friday January 1989, Kim Bùi, German artistic gymnast, born
On 20, Friday January 1989, Nadia Di Cello, Argentine actress, born
On 20, Friday January 1989, Beatrice Lillie, Canadian actress, died (b. 1894)
On 20, Friday January 1989, Józef Cyrankiewicz, Polish communist politician, 2-time Prime Minister of Poland and 15th President of Poland, died (b. 1911)
On 20, Thursday January 1994, Matt Busby, Scottish football manager, died (b. 1909)
On 20, Thursday January 1994, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenyan politician, died (b. 1911)
On 20, Wednesday January 1999, The China News Service announces new government restrictions on Internet use aimed especially at Internet cafés.
On 20, Tuesday January 2009, A protest movement in Iceland culminates as the 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests start.
On 20, Tuesday January 2009, Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States, becoming the first African-American to hold the office.
On 20, Tuesday January 2009, Stéphanos II Ghattas, Egyptian Patriarch of Alexandria, died (b. 1920)
On 20, Monday January 2014, New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell uses special legislation to cancel three coal licences worth hundreds of millions of dollars issued by corrupt former Labor minister Ian Macdonald and deny the companies that own them any compensation.
On 20, Monday January 2014, Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor, died (b. 1933)
Other On This Day days in history
Neville Buch
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