| September 20 |
| 480 BC |
|
Themistocles and his Greek fleet win one of history’s first decisive naval victories over Xerxes’ Persian force off Salamis. |
| 1378 |
|
The election of Robert of Geneva as anti-pope by discontented cardinals creates a great schism in the Catholic church. |
| 1519 |
|
Ferdinand Magellan embarks from Spain on a voyage to circumnavigate the world. |
| 1561 |
|
Queen Elizabeth of England signs a treaty at Hamptan Court with French Huguenot leader Louis de Bourbon, the Prince of Conde. The English will occupy Le Harve in return for aiding Bourbon against the Catholics of France. |
| 1565 |
|
Pedro Menendez of Spain wipes out the French at Fort Caroline, in Florida. |
| 1604 |
|
After a two-year siege, the Spanish retake Ostend, the Netherlands, from the Dutch. |
| 1784 |
|
Packet and Daily, the first daily publication in America, appears on the streets. |
| 1806 |
|
Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark pass the French village of La Charette, the first white settlement they have seen in more than two years. |
| 1830 |
|
The National Negro Convention convenes in Philadelphia with the purpose of abolishing slavery. |
| 1850 |
|
The slave trade is abolished in the District of Columbia. |
| 1853 |
|
The Allies defeat the Russians at the battle of Alma on the Crimean Peninsula. |
| 1863 |
|
Union troops under George Thomas prevent the Union defeat at Chickamauga from becoming a rout, earning him the nickname "the Rock of Chickamauga." |
| 1934 |
|
Bruno Hauptmann arrested for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. |
| 1952 |
|
Scientists confirm that DNA holds hereditary data. |
| 1965 |
|
Seven U.S. planes are downed in one day over Vietnam. |
|
Born on September 20 |
| 1833 |
|
Petroleum V. Nasby (David Ross Locke), humorist whose work was enjoyed by Abraham Lincoln. |
| 1842 |
|
Lord James Dewar, physician who invented the vacuum flask and cordite, the first smokeless powder. |
| 1878 |
|
Upton Sinclair, author best known today for The Jungle. |
| 1884 |
|
Maxwell Perkins, editor, the first to publish F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Thomas Wolfe. |
| 1885 |
|
Ferdinand Lamenthe (Jelly Roll Morton), jazz pianist, composer and singer, one of the first to orchestrate jazz music. |
| 1891 |
|
Lamine Gueye, Senegalese political leader. |
| 1917 |
|
Arnold "Red" Auerbach, second winningest basketball coach in history with 1,037 victories for the Boston Celtics. |
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