What Happened On December 20

What Happened On Dec 20 Events

1334 Dec 20 Jacques Fournier (Benedict XII) elected Pope
Pope Benedict XII (died April 24, 1342), born Jacques Fournier, was Pope from 1334 to 1342. Little is known of the origins of Jacques Fournier. He is believed to have been born in Save...
1790 Dec 20 First American Cotton Mill
On December 20, 1790, water-powered machinery for spinning and carding cotton was set in motion in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Based on the designs of English inventor Richard Arkwright, the...
1803 Dec 20 France Turns New Orleans Over To United States
France turned New Orleans over on December 20, 1803 at The Cabildo. On March 10, 1804, a formal ceremony was conducted in St. Louis to transfer ownership of the territory from France to t...
1840 Dec 20 The United States Exploring Expedition Lands On And Surveys Wake
On December 20, 1840, the United States Exploring Expedition commanded by Commodore Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Navy, landed on and surveyed Wake. Wilkes described the atoll as "a low cora...
1860 Dec 20 First State (South Carolina) Secedes from Union
On December 20, 1860, when it became clear that Lincoln would be the next president, South Carolina became the first state to declare its secession from the Union.
1861 Dec 20 Battle of Dranesville
The Battle of Dranesville was a small battle during the American Civil War that took place between Confederate forces under General J.E.B. Stuart and Union forces under General Edward O.C...
1864 Dec 20
to 1864 Dec 21
 Second Battle of Saltville
Description: Union cavalry and infantry raiders led by Brig. Gen. Stephen Burbridge attempted to destroy the saltworks near Saltville. He was delayed at Clinch Mountain and Laurel Gap by ...
1933 Dec 20 Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera Move to Mexico
On December 20, Frida and Diego return to Mexico. Upon their return they move into the double studio-houses in San Angel designed for them by Juan O'Gorman.
1940 Dec 20
to 1940 Dec 22
 The Christmas Blitz of Liverpool
The first major air raids began towards the end of 1940 against Liverpool and Wirral, with over 300 casualties sustained to air raids by the end of the year. 365 people were killed betwee...
1943 Dec 20
to 1943 Dec 28
 Battle of Ortona
The Canadians faced elements of the renowned German 1st Parachute Division. These soldiers were battle-hardened after many years of war, and were ordered by Hitler to defend Ortona at any...
1944 Dec 20
to 1944 Dec 27
 Siege of Bastogne
The Siege of Bastogne was an engagement between American and German forces at the Belgian town of Bastogne, as part of the larger Battle of the Bulge. The goal of the German offensive was...
1946 Dec 20 "It's A Wonderful Life" Is Released
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) is an American drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and loosely based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern. ...
1948 Dec 20 Project Twinkle Established to Monitor Green Fireball Sightings
In December, 1948 a new and strange phenomenon began to be observed repeatedly in the southwestern United States in areas where Top Secret nuclear weapon research was being carried out. P...
1961 Dec 20 "Lover Come Back" Is Released
Lover Come Back is a 1961 romantic comedy released by Universal Pictures. The film stars Doris Day and Rock Hudson in their second film together. The supporting cast includes Tony Randall...
1971 Dec 20 The Rolling Stones Release 'Hot Rocks 1964–1971'
Hot Rocks 1964–1971 is the first compilation album of Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records (who gained control of the band's Decca/London material i...
1974 Dec 20 The Godfather Part II released
The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American crime thriller directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a script co-written with Mario Puzo. The film is both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather...
1987 Dec 20 Sinking of the MV Doña Paz
The 2,215-ton Dona Paz collided Dec. 20 with the 629-ton oil tanker Vector off Mindoro Island. Both vessels exploded in huge fireballs. Only 26 of the 1,775 people known to have been o...
1989 Dec 20 "Born On The Fourth Of July" Is Released
Born on the Fourth of July is a 1989 film adaptation of the best selling autobiography of the same name by Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Tom Cruise plays Kovic, in a performance that ear...
1989 Dec 20 "Roger & Me" Is Released
Roger & Me is a 1989 American documentary film directed by independent filmmaker/author Michael Moore. With sarcasm and irony, Moore illustrates the negative economic impact of the late G...
1995 Dec 20 American Airlines Flight 965 Crashes into Mountain
American Airlines Flight 965, a Boeing 757 registered N651AA, was a scheduled flight from Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in ...
1996 Dec 20 Beavis and Butt-head Do America released
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America is a 1996 animated feature film, based on the TV series, Beavis and Butt-Head. It was produced by Paramount Pictures in association with Geffen Pictures an...
1996 Dec 20 FDA Approves Teva's Copaxone to Reduce Frequency in Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Copaxone is indicated for reduction of the frequency of relapses in patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS), including patients who have experienced a first clinical e...
2000 Dec 20 South Park Episode 417 - "A Very Crappy Christmas"
Kyle and Ike anxiously await Mr. Hankey. When he doesn't show, Kyle calls the others for a late night emergency meeting. They find Mr. Hankey living with his alcoholic wife and their thre...
2002 Dec 20 Gangs of New York is Released
Gangs of New York is a 2002 American historical film set in the mid-19th century in the Five Points district of New York City. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks,...
2003 Dec 20 New England Patriots defeat New York Jets, 21-16
Based on the history of this series, if there was a game that posed the biggest threat to the Patriots' winning streak, "Jets at the Meadowlands" was the one. The threat was real, but ...
2004 Dec 20 Miami Dolphins defeat New England Patriots, 29-28
Oops. OK, so the big game Jan. 23 will be in Pittsburgh, after all. I mean, that's all we really care about, isn't it? Of course, if the Patriots don't play better than this against...
2005 Dec 20 FDA Approver Bayer Healthcare's Nexavar
Nexavar is a cancer (chemotherapeutic) medication. Nexavar interferes with the growth of cancer cells and slows their growth and spread in the body. Nexavar is used to treat a type of ...
2008 Dec 20 Boston Bruins defeat Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2
The Bruins continued their winning ways at the Garden yesterday, pinning a 4-2 loss on the Carolina Hurricanes, but they also continued to pay a steep price in terms of injury. A sello...
2009 Dec 20 Atlanta Falcons defeat New York Jets, 10-7
Astonished to find himself wide open as he the caught the game-winning touchdown on Sunday, Tony Gonzalez couldn't help but express shock at the Jets' zone coverage following the Falcons'...
2009 Dec 20 Boston Celtics defeat Minnesota Timberwolves, 122-104
Celtics fast out of the blocks, chop Timberwolves The Celtics regained their winning form last night. They also rediscovered the formula for preserving themselves for the playoffs, pro...
2009 Dec 20 Carolina Panthers defeat Minnesota Vikings, 26-7
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a game in which many Vikings had a bad day at the office, Bryant McKinnie might have had one of the worst. The left tackle's struggles in the Vikings' 26-7 loss to...
2009 Dec 20 Justin Bieber Performs at the White House
Bieber performed Stevie Wonder's "Someday at Christmas" for U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the White House for Christmas in Washington, which was broadcast o...
2009 Dec 20 New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 17-10
Every time they needed to today, the Patriots survived. They overcame devastating injuries across their defensive line, ignored a subpar statistical day from their quarterback, and, most ...
2009 Dec 20 New York Knicks defeat Charlotte Bobcats, 98-94
Gallinari blocked Acie Law's potential game-tying layup with 4.9 seconds left to preserve the Knicks' 98-94 victory over the depleted Charlotte Bobcats at the Garden. "I don't want to ...
2009 Dec 20 Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Green Bay Packers, 37-36
Pittsburgh — The Green Bay Packers are running out of ways to get kicker Mason Crosby out of his slump. This week the Packers, purely to give Crosby more confidence, decided to replace...
2010 Dec 20 South Korea Conducts Live Fire Drill On Yeonpyeong Island
North Korea did not retaliate as threatened Monday after a South Korean military exercise that it had warned could lead to war. At the same time, the North agreed to allow U.N. monitor...
2011 Dec 20 Star Wars: The Old Republic Launches
Star Wars: The Old Republic, abbreviated as TOR or SWTOR, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based in the Star Wars universe. Developed by BioWare Austin and a supplement...