A chicken in Montana set the world record by living 18 months without a head
Just kidding - that was Mike the Headless Chicken in 1945, and he lived until March. But November 20, 2018, was the day Nvidia's stock reached its pea...
November 20 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2018
2003
A man in Istanbul robbed a bank, then threw the money into the street while shouting 'I'm rich!'
The 28-year-old robber stole 20,000 lira but immediately tossed it to confused pedestrians outside. He was arrested within minutes, still celebrating...
1998
The first module of the International Space Station was launched into orbit
MajorRussia launched Zarya, the first component of the ISS, marking the beginning of humanity's most ambitious space collaboration. The station has been co...
1992
A fire broke out at Windsor Castle, damaging over 100 rooms in Queen Elizabeth II's favorite residence
The blaze started in the Queen's Private Chapel when a spotlight ignited a curtain during renovation work. It burned for 15 hours and destroyed pricel...
1979
The Grand Mosque in Mecca was seized by armed Islamic fundamentalists
MajorAbout 500 militants took over Islam's holiest site, holding thousands of pilgrims hostage for two weeks. The siege ended after French special forces s...
1969
Native American activists began the occupation of Alcatraz Island
A group called "Indians of All Tribes" seized the abandoned federal prison, claiming it under an 1868 treaty. They occupied the island for 19 months,...
1947
Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey
MajorThe future Queen Elizabeth II married the former Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in a ceremony that provided hope and celebration for post-war Bri...
1945
The Nuremberg Trials began, prosecuting Nazi war criminals
MajorTwenty-four major Nazi leaders faced justice in an international military tribunal. This landmark trial established precedents for international law a...
1943
Joe Biden, the 46th President of the United States, was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Biden became the oldest person ever elected to the U.S. presidency at age 77. He previously served as Vice President under Barack Obama for eight year...
1923
Garrett Morgan patented the three-position traffic signal
The African American inventor revolutionized road safety by adding a yellow caution light between red and green. He sold the patent to General Electri...
1866
A dentist in New York performed the first surgery using nitrous oxide as anesthesia on a human patient
Dr. Horace Wells had a tooth extracted using laughing gas, revolutionizing pain management in medicine. Unfortunately, Wells' later attempts to demons...
1820
An 80-ton sperm whale rammed and sank the whaling ship Essex in the Pacific Ocean
The whale attacked the ship twice, deliberately ramming it and causing it to sink. The crew survived in lifeboats for over 90 days, resorting to canni...
1789
New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights
New Jersey unanimously approved all 12 proposed amendments, though only 10 ultimately became the Bill of Rights. This marked a crucial step in protect...
