Historical Events
- 1522 Suleiman the Magnificent accepts surrender of the surviving Knights of Rhodes, who are allowed to evacuate. They eventually settle in Malta and become known as the Knights of Malta.
- 1803 French flag lowered in New Orleans to mark the formal transfer of the Louisiana Purchase from France to USA, purchased for $15M
- 1812 "Grimm's Fairy Tales" or "Children's and Household Tales" by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm is first published
- 1917 Cheka formed - Soviet state security force and forerunner to the KGB, under Felix Dzerzhinsky after decree by Lenin
- 1960 The National Liberation Front, better known as the Viet Cong, is officially formed in South Vietnam
- More Historical Events
Dec 20 in Film & TV
- 1946 Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" film, directed by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart, Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore premieres in New York
Dec 20 in Music
- 1823 Play "Rosamunde, Princess of Cyprus" by Helmina von Chézy with incidental music by Franz Schubert premieres in Vienna
Dec 20 in Sport
- 1894 England beat Australia by 10 runs in the 1st six-day Test Cricket, Australia needed 177 to win, all out at 166 on 6th day
Did You Know?
Elvis Presley receives his draft notice to join the US Army for national service
On December 20, 1957
Bonnie Prince Charlie
Harvey S. Firestone
Branch Rickey
Robert Menzies
Dylan Wang
Kylian MbappéWould You Believe?
Missouri imposes a $1 bachelor tax on unmarried men aged between 21 & 50
On December 20, 1820
Famous Weddings
- 1832 Inventor William Henry Fox Talbot (32) weds Constance Mundy
- 1919 Actress Gloria Swanson (20) weds businessman Herbert K. Somborn (38)
- 1949 "Gone With The Wind" actor Clark Gable (48) weds socialite Sylvia Ashley (45)
Famous Divorces
- 1984 Actress Kate Jackson (36) divorces business executive David Greenwald after 2 years of marriage
- 2005 American actress Renée Zellweger (36) annuls her marriage to American country-music singer Kenny Chesney (37) citing fraud, after 4 months of marriage
- 2007 "Hot in Cleveland" actress Valerie Bertinelli (47) divorces guitarist Eddie Van Halen (52) due to irreconcilable differences after 26 years of marriage
More Weddings & Divorces
Sacagawea
Erich Ludendorff
Moss Hart
John Steinbeck
Max Robinson
Carl SaganArticles, Photos and Quiz
Rumpelstiltskin
Illustration from Andrew Lang's The Blue Fairy Book (1889)
December 20, 1812
Slavery Divide Triggers America’s Civil War
South Carolina voted to secede from the United States on this day. The move was quickly followed by other Southern states and led to the American Civil War.
December 20, 1860
Weekly Quiz for December 16 - 22
What is the world's most performed ballet? Who discovered radium in 1898? Which new currency launched in 1995?
