20th JULY ~ HiSTORY ON THiS DAY

1700s / 18th century history on the 20th of July

1738 : Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye the Canadian explorer reached the western shore of Lake Michigan.

1800s / 19th century history on the 20th of July

1807 : The world’s 1st internal combustion engine was awarded a patent by Napoleon, to Nicéphore Niépce, for the Pyréolophore, which successfully powered a boat upstream on the river Saône in France.

The world’s first internal combustion engine was patented in France on the 20th July in 1807 (HistoryPod YouTube channel video)

1810 : Citizens of Bogotá, New Granada declared independence from Spain.

1847 : Max Liebermann the German painter was born in Berlin, Germany (died in 1935 aged 87).

see a collection of 238 paintings by Max Liebermann (Learn From Masters YouTube channel video)
A visit to Max Liebermann’s garden (Royal Academy of Arts verified YouTube channel video)

1848 : The 1st Women’s Rights Convention, was held in Seneca Falls, New York, in a 2 day event.

1871 : British Columbia joined the confederation of Canada.

1900s / 20th century history on the 20th of July

1903 : The Ford Motor Company shipped its first car.

1919 : Edmund Hillary (KG, ONZ, KBE) the New Zealand mountaineer and explorer was born in Auckland, New Zealand (died in 2008 aged 88). He is best known as one of the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest, with Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay.

all about Edmund Hillary the conqueror of Everest (Biographics verified YouTube channel video) over 100,000 views

1929 : Hazel Hawke (AO) the Australian 1st wife of Bob Hawke (23rd Prime Minister of Australia) was born Hazel Susan Masterson in Perth, Western Australia (died in 2013 aged 83).

1937 : Guglielmo Marconi the Italian physicist and Nobel Prize laureate died aged 63 (born in 1874).

1938 : Natalie Wood the American actress was born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko in San Francisco, California, USA (died in 1981 aged 43).

1940 : The 1st freeway built in the United States, was opened in California opened, as the Arroyo Seco Parkway, but also known as the Pasadena Freeway. Official website page : Arroyo Seco Parkway @ NPS.gov

1944 : Adolf Hitler survived an assassination attempt which was led by the German Army Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, during World War II.

1945 : Kim Carnes the  American singer-songwriter was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. Official website : KimCarnes.com

Kim Carnes – Bette Davis Eyes – song released in 1981 (Kim Carnes VEVO verified YouTube channel video) over 89 million views

1945 : John Lodge the English singer-songwriter and guitarist from The Moody Blues was born in Erdington, Birmingham, England. Official websites : JohnLodge.com | MoodyBlues.com

The Moody Blues – Nights In White Satin – Days Of Future Passed Live ( The Moody Blues verified YouTube channel video) over 350,000 views

1947 : Carlos Santana the Mexican-American guitarist from the Santana rock band was born Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán in San Francisco, California, USA. Official website : Santana.com

Santana performing Oye Como Va live at Montreux in 2011 (Santana verified YouTube channel video) over 24 million views
Santana – Smooth featuring Rob Thomas – song released in 1999 (Santana verified YouTube channel video) over 245 million views

1949 : Israel and Syria signed a truce to end their 19 month war.

1953 : Dave Evans the Australian singer was born in Carmarthen, Wales. He was the original singer in AC/DC from 1973 until being replaced by Bon Scott in 1974.

1953 : Marcia Hines (AM) the American-Australian singer was born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Official website : MarciaHines.com.au

Marcia Hines – You – song released in 1977 (music video uploaded by Antipodes on YouTube)

1954 ~ Jay Jay French the American guitarist from Twisted Sister was born John French Segall in New York City, USA. Official website : TwistedSister.com

Twisted Sister – We’re Not Gonna Take It – song released in 1984 (Twisted Sister verified YouTube channel video) over 57 million views
Twisted Sister – I Wanna Rock – song released in 1984 (Twisted Sister verified YouTube channel video) over 78 million views

1956 : Paul Cook the English drummer from the Sex Pistols was born in Shepherd’s Bush, London, England.

Sex Pistols – God Save The Queen – song released in 1977 (Sex Pistols Official verified YouTube channel video) over 24 million views

1958 : Mick MacNeil the Scottish keyboard player and songwriter from Simple Minds was born Norman Michael MacNeil in Isle of Barra, Scotland.

Simple Minds – Alive And Kicking – song released in 1985 (Simple Minds verified YouTube channel video) over 71 million views

1960 : The Polaris missile was successfully launched from a submarine for the first time, from the USS George Washington.

1962 : Lee Harris the English drummer from the band Talk Talk was born.

Talk Talk – It’s My Life – song released in 1984 (Talk Talk band verified YouTube channel video) over 14 million views

1964 : Chris Cornell the American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Soundgarden and Audioslave was born Christopher John Boyle in Seattle, Washington, USA (died in 2017 aged 52). Official website : ChrisCornell.com

Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun – song released in 1994 (Soundgarden verified YouTube channel video) over 189 million views

1964 : Terri Irwin the American-Australian zoologist and author was born. She married Steve Irwin in 1992, and had 2 children, Bindi and Robert, before he died in 2006. Official website : AustraliaZoo.com.au | CrocodileHunter.com.au

The Irwin family on life without Steve (60 Minutes Australia verified YouTube channel video) over 3 million views

1966 : Stone Gossard the American musician was born in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is best known as a guitarist and founding member of Pearl Jam.

Pearl Jam – Even Flow – song released in 1992 (Pearl Jam verified YouTube channel video) over 117 million views

1967 : Courtney Taylor-Taylor the American lead singer from The Dandy Warhols was born in Portland, Oregon, USA.

The Dandy Warhols – Bohemian Like You – song released in 2000 (Dandy Warhols verified YouTube channel video) over 18 million views

1968 : The 1st International Special Olympics Summer Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago, USA, with approximately 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities.

1969 : Apollo 11’s crew made the 1st landing on the Moon, in the Sea of Tranquility. Later that day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the Moon.

1969 : Roy Hamilton the American singer died from a massive cerebral haemorrhage, aged 40 (born in 1929).

1973 : Bruce Lee the American actor and martial artist died due to a cerebral edema, aged 32 (born in 1940).

The Top 10 Bruce Lee Moments (WatchMojo.com verified YouTube channel video) over 95 million views

1976 : The American Viking 1 lander landed on Mars, making it the first successful Mars lander in history. It also transmitted the first clear image ever transmitted from the surface of Mars.

See the first photographs of Mars by Viking Space Probe Lander (Blast From The Past YouTube channel video)
Viking 1 Landed on Mars on the 20th July in 1976 : Today in History (Associated press : AP Archive verified YouTube channel video)
The Viking Mars Lander & Mars Orbiter in 1976 : NASA : (Aviation Technology Space Channel YouTube channel video)

1976 : Andrew Stockdale the Australian lead singer and guitarist in Wolfmother was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Official website : Wolfmother.com

Wolfmother – Victorious (Wolfmother Music verified YouTube channel video) over 2 million views

1977 : Johnstown, Pennsylvania was hit by a flash flood that killed 80 people,  and caused $350 million in damage.

1977 : The Central Intelligence Agency released documents under the Freedom of Information Act that revealed it had engaged in mind control experiments.

1980 : Gisele Bündchen the Brazilian model was born in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Gisele Bündchen Shares Details About Her First Date with Tom Brady (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon verified YouTube channel video) over 4 million views
73 Questions With Gisele Bündchen featuring Tom Brady (Vogue verified YouTube channel video) over 7 million views

1982 : The Provisional IRA detonated 2 bombs in Hyde Park and Regents Park in central London. There were 8 soldiers killed, 47 people wounded, and 7 horses killed in the Hyde Park and Regents Park bombings.

1992 : Václav Havel resigned as president of Czechoslovakia.

1997 : The fully restored USS Constitution (aka Old Ironsides) celebrated its 200th birthday by setting sail for the first time in 116 years.

1999 : Sandra Gould the American actress died aged 82 (born in 1916). She was best known as Gladys Kravitz in the Bewitched sitcom television series.

Mrs. Kravitz Meets The Real Santa Claus! (Bewitched verified YouTube channel video)
2000s / 21st century history on the 20th of July

2011 : Lucian Freud (OM, CH) the English painter died aged 88 (born in 1922).

Conversation with a recluse: Lucian Freud 2008 Interview (Channel 4 News verified YouTube channel video)
see Lucian Freud on his last day of painting (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien YouTube channel video)
An exclusive tour of Lucian Freud’s studio (Channel 4 News verified YouTube channel video)

2012 : A gunman killed 12 people and injured 58 others when he opened fire at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, USA.

2017 : O. J. Simpson was granted parole for release from prison after serving 9 years of his 33 year sentence, after he was convicted of armed robbery in Las Vegas, USA.

2021 : BLUE ORiGiN launched its 1st crewed mission into space on the New Shepard rocket and spaceflight system. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos was 1 of the 4 crew members, along with his brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk aged 82, and Oliver Daemen aged 18. Wally Funk became the oldest person to go to space at the age of 82, and Oliver Daemen became the youngest person to travel to space at the age of 18 years old. Official website : BlueOrigin.com

Watch how Jeff Bezos and the Blue Origin Crew launch into space (NBC News verified YouTube channel video) over 1 million views
Replay of the live stream of New Shepard First Human Flight rocket launch into space (Blue Origin verified YouTube channel video) over 250,000 views

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This page was last updated on the 23rd July 2021

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