November 20

A quick look at Today in History, check out some Celebrity Birthdays, and find out what Days of the Year to celebrate.

TODAY IN HISTORY:

1789 – New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

1820 – An 80-ton sperm whale attacked the whaling ship the “Essex” from Nantucket, MA, two-thousand miles from the western coast of South America. Herman Melville’s 1851 novel “Moby Dick” was in part inspired by this story.

1866 – Haven and Hettrich received a patent for the whirligig, also known as the Yo-Yo. The toy actually dates back as far as 440 B.C.

1916 – Harry Houdini appeared in Grand Rapids at the Empress Theater. Several thousand people gathered to watch Houdini break free from a police straight jacket and handcuffs while suspended by his feet from the new Grand Rapids Savings Bank building. The intersection of Monroe and Ionia was backed up for two blocks with people who came to watch.

1953 – Birmingham, MI became the second city in the United States to have direct long distance dialing.

1962 – The Cuban Missile Crisis ended. The Soviet Union removed its missiles and bombers from Cuba and the U.S. ended its blockade of the island.

1962 – Mickey Mantle was named the American League Most Valuable Player for the third time.

1967 – The Census Clock at the Department of Commerce in Washington, DC, went past 200 million.

1969 – The Richard Nixon administration announced a halt to residential use of the pesticide DDT as part of a total phase out of the substance.

1973 – The animated special, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, aired for the very first time.

1974 – The U.S. Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T Corporation. This suit later leads to the breakup of AT&T and its Bell System.

1980 – On Jefferson Island, LA, an oil rig in Lake Pigneur pierced the top of the salt dome beneath the island. The freshwater lake completely drained within a few hours. The Delcambre Canal reversed flow and two days later the previous freshwater lake was a 1,300-foot-deep saltwater lake.

1982 – At the age of 7, Drew Barrymore became the youngest host of TV’s “Saturday Night Live”

1983 – An estimated 100 million people watched the controversial ABC-TV movie “The Day After.” The movie depicted the outbreak of nuclear war.

1984 – McDonald’s sold its 50 billionth hamburger.

1985 – Microsoft Windows 1.0 was released.

1986 – Dr. Halfdan Maher, the director of the World Health Organization, announced the first coordinated global effort to fight the disease AIDS.

1986 – The one billionth Little Golden Book was printed. The title was “The Poky Little Puppy”.

1990 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, FL, after completing a secret military mission.

1993 – The U.S. Senate passed the Brady Bill and legislation implementing NAFTA.

1994 – Singer David Crosby got a liver transplant.

1997 – Kenny G. received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1998 – Pixar’s second feature length film, “A Bug’s Life”, debuted in theaters.

1998 – The first module of the International Space Station, Zarya, was launched.

1998 – Forty-six states agreed to a $206 billion settlement of health claims against the tobacco industry. The industry also agreed to give up billboard advertising of cigarettes.

2001 – On what would have been Robert F. Kennedy’s 76th birthday, the U.S. Justice Department headquarters building was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy building by President George W. Bush.

2006 – The News Corporation bows to pressure and killed O.J. Simpson’s upcoming book, “If I Did It”, in which he speculates how he would have killed his ex-wife if, of course, he had killed her and a 2-part FOX television special promoting it.

2012 – Veteran Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash resigned from television’s “Sesame Street” after being accused of sexually abusing several underage boys.

2017 – The Georgia Dome in Atlanta was imploded.

BIRTHDAYS:

Estelle Parsons – 98 years old (1927) – Actress and director

Jerry Hardin – 96 years old (1929) – Actor

Don DeLillo – 89 years old (1936) – Novelist, essayist, and playwright

Jerry Colangelo – 86 years old (1939) – Businessman

Dick Smothers – 86 years old (1939) – Actor and comedian

Wendy Doniger – 85 years old (1940) – Indologist

Arieh Warshel – 85 years old (1940) – Israeli-American biochemist and biophysicist

Joe Biden – 83 years old (1942) – Politician, 46th President of the United States

Norman Greenbaum – 83 years old (1942) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Meredith Monk – 83 years old (1942) – Composer and choreographer

Veronica Hamel – 82 years old (1943) – Actress and model

Louie Dampier – 81 years old (1944) – Basketball player and coach

Deborah Eisenberg – 80 years old (1945) – Writer, actress and teacher

Joe Walsh – 78 years old (1947) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor

John R. Bolton – 77 years old (1948) – Lawyer and diplomat, 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations

Barbara Hendricks – 77 years old (1948) – American-Swedish soprano and actress

Richard Masur – 77 years old (1948) – Actor and director

Jeff Dowd – 76 years old (1949) – Film producer and activist

Thelma Drake – 76 years old (1949) – Politician

Rodger Bumpass – 74 years old (1951) – Actor and singer

David Walters – 74 years old (1951) – Businessman and politician, 24th Governor of Oklahoma

Greg Gibson – 72 years old (1953) – Wrestler

Ray Ozzie – 70 years old (1955) – Software industry entrepreneur

Bo Derek – 69 years old (1956) – Actress and producer

Sean Young – 66 years old (1959) – Actress and dancer

Beezie Madden – 62 years old (1963) – Show jumper

Ming-Na Wen – 62 years old (1963) – Chinese-American actress

Mike D – 60 years old (1965) – Rapper and drummer

Yehuda Glick – 60 years old (1965) – American-Israeli Orthodox rabbi

Jimmy Vasser – 60 years old (1965) – Race car driver

Jill Thompson – 59 years old (1966) – Author and illustrator

Chris Childs – 58 years old (1967) – Basketball player

James Dutton – 57 years old (1968) – Astronaut

Paul Scheuring – 57 years old (1968) – Screenwriter and director

David Einhorn – 57 years old (1968) – Hedge fund manager

Jeff Tarango – 57 years old (1968) – Tennis player

Callie Thorne – 56 years old (1969) – Actress and producer

Matt Blunt – 55 years old (1970) – Lieutenant and politician, 54th Governor of Missouri

Delia Gonzalez – 55 years old (1970) – Boxer

Geoffrey Keezer – 55 years old (1970) – Pianist and educator

Sabrina Lloyd – 55 years old (1970) – Actress

Joey Galloway – 54 years old (1971) – Football player and sportscaster

Joel McHale – 54 years old (1971) – Comedian, actor, and producer

Angelica Bridges – 52 years old (1973) – Actress and singer

Jason Faunt – 51 years old (1974) – Actor

Dierks Bentley – 50 years old (1975) – Singer-songwriter and guitarist

Ryan Bowen – 50 years old (1975) – Basketball player and coach

J. D. Drew – 50 years old (1975) – Baseball player

Joshua Gomez – 50 years old (1975) – Actor

Davey Havok – 50 years old (1975) – Singer-songwriter

DeJuan Collins – 49 years old (1976) – Basketball player

Dominique Dawes – 49 years old (1976) – Gymnast and actress

Harold Jamison – 49 years old (1976) – Basketball player

Rudy Charles – 48 years old (1977) – Wrestling referee

Josh Turner – 48 years old (1977) – Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor

Nadine Velazquez – 47 years old (1978) – Actress and model

Joseph Hallman – 46 years old (1979) – Composer and academic

Jacob Pitts – 46 years old (1979) – Actor

Carlos Boozer – 44 years old (1981) – Basketball player

Future – 42 years old (1983) – Rapper

Halley Feiffer – 41 years old (1984) – Actress and playwright

Jeremy Jordan – 41 years old (1984) – Actor

Cartier Martin – 41 years old (1984) – Basketball player

Dan Byrd – 40 years old (1985) – Actor

Greg Holland – 40 years old (1985) – Baseball player

Josh Carter – 39 years old (1986) – Basketball player

Ashley Fink – 39 years old (1986) – Actress and singer

Amelia Rose Blaire – 38 years old (1987) – Actress

Max Pacioretty – 37 years old (1988) – Ice hockey player

Cody Linley – 36 years old (1989) – Actor and singer

Haley Anderson – 35 years old (1990) – Swimmer

Jenna Prandini – 33 years old (1992) – Track and field athlete

Kyle Snyder – 30 years old (1995) – Wrestler

Caty McNally – 24 years old (2001) – Tennis player

Madisyn Shipman – 23 years old (2002) – Actress

TODAY IS:

• Use Less Stuff Day: Cutting back on things, like a green champ! It's like giving Earth a high-five, all while making life simpler and cooler.
• Beaujolais Nouveau Day: Every third Thursday in November, people worldwide grab their wine glasses in anticipation. Why? Because it's Beaujolais Nouveau Day! This isn't just any wine day. It's a global party celebrating the first wine of the season from France's Beaujolais region. This vibrant celebration hails from the beautiful Beaujolais region of...
• Great American Smokeout: Imagine a day when folks across the nation band together with a common goal: kicking the habit of smoking for good. Picture this happening every year on the third Thursday of November. We're talking about the Great American Smokeout, a day earmarked for encouraging people to say goodbye to cigarettes...
• Transgender Day of Remembrance: Transgender Day of Remembrance is a solemn occasion that honors the lives of transgender people lost to violence. The day brings attention to the brutality faced by the trans community, especially those targeted simply for living their truth. It's a powerful reminder of the challenges many transgender individuals encounter and...
• Africa Industrialization Day: A transformative wave bringing innovation, progress, and economic growth to new heights. Exciting times lie ahead!
• World Pancreatic Cancer Day: With almost 500,000 people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year worldwide, along with a very low survival rate, World Pancreatic Cancer Day promotes awareness, education and information regarding this serious disease. History of World Pancreatic Cancer Day This event was founded in 2015 as an initiative of the World Pancreatic Cancer...
• National Peanut Butter Fudge Day: Satiate your sweet tooth with a batch of creamy, nutty fudge, rustle up this treat at home and host a bake-off to share your best recipes with loved ones.
• National Rural Health Day: The rural areas of the United States are deeply rooted in community and connected through relationships that have been fostered for generations. Limited access to healthcare facilities, provider shortages, and a growing aging population are all challenges faced by those who need health services but live in rural areas. National Rural...
• World Philosophy Day: Since the beginning of civilized human activity, philosophy has made an impact on the way that people live their lives, run governments, practice religion, and engage in their communities. History of World Philosophy Day The discipline of philosophy can be traced back to Ancient Greece from the 6th century BC...
• Social Enterprise Day: Businesses with heart, making the world better while turning profits, caring for communities, and championing causes that touch our souls.
• Name Your PC Day: Assigning a quirky moniker to your trusty computer, it's like bestowing it with a dash of personality, making tech feel more like a buddy than a device.
• Future Teachers of America Day: Future Teachers of America Day illuminates the vital role of teachers and encourages those aspiring to join this noble profession. Celebrated every November 20th, this day recognizes the hard work and dedication of current and retired educators who have significantly impacted their students and communities. It's a day that highlights...
• National Absurdity Day: Embracing the quirky and finding joy in life's delightful randomness, where laughter and oddities take center stage.
• BOTOX® Cosmetic Day: BOTOX® Cosmetic Day gets people excited about a popular wrinkle treatment. It brings energy and warmth to those focused on smooth, refreshed skin. You’ll see special offers like “buy one $50 gift card, get one free” for Allē™ members. Many providers offer extra loyalty points or rewards. It even gives patients a...
• International Hug a Runner Day: International Hug a Runner Day offers a joyful moment to recognize those who lace up and hit the pavement. It’s not just about the miles logged or the races finished. This day invites everyone—friends, families, and fellow athletes—to share a warm gesture with the runners in their lives. Whether it’s...
• National Child Day: Children are the most precious part of any community. They bring energy, curiosity, and fresh ideas into every space they touch. National Child Day shines a light on their rights, their voices, and their place in the world. It’s not just a celebration—it’s a call to action. Kids deserve to grow...
• National Pay Back Your Parents Day: National Pay Back Your Parents Day is a heartfelt occasion that encourages grown children to express gratitude to their parents. It's a time to acknowledge the countless ways parents have supported their children—emotionally, physically, and financially—throughout their lives. Whether it's through a simple gesture like a phone call or a more...
• Black Consciousness Day: Black Consciousness Day is a time to honor and reflect on the power of identity. It brings awareness to the experiences, culture, and strength of Black people, inspiring pride and unity. This day encourages people to embrace their heritage and recognize the importance of self-worth. It's not just a celebration...
• World Children’s Day: In the vast playground of life, where every adventure begins, lies a world of endless possibilities for the little dreamers.
• Book Week Scotland: Book Week Scotland is a vibrant celebration of books and reading that brings together people from all walks of life across the nation. This week is packed with events, activities, and discussions designed to ignite a passion for reading. Whether it's through live readings, author interviews, or community book discussions, the...
• National Farm-City Week: National Farm-City Week shines a light on the vital link between farm fields and city tables. Celebrated the week leading up to Thanksgiving, this time honors the teamwork between rural farmers and urban workers. Together, they ensure we all enjoy safe and abundant food. Why do we celebrate it? The week...
• US Antibiotic Awareness Week : The presence of antibiotics in the world has changed everything about modern medicine and the ways infections are fought. Reducing mortality and extending life expectancy, antibiotics now save the lives of millions of people each and every year. However, over the century since their discovery, the prolific use of antibiotics...
• World AMR Awareness Week : Antimicrobial Resistance, also known as AMR, takes place when microbes such as bacteria and viruses evolve so that they are no longer responsive to the types of medicines that used to treat them. This type of resistance makes these microbes much stronger and makes it more challenging to overcome the...
• Geography Awareness Week: Geography Awareness Week is a lively celebration that highlights the importance of understanding our world. It's a time to explore how geographical knowledge helps us connect with diverse landscapes and cultures. This week-long event invites everyone to appreciate the Earth's beauty and complexity, sparking curiosity about our surroundings. Celebrated annually, Geography Awareness...

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For additional information check out websites like: www.on-this-day.com, www.born-today.com, www.famousbirthdays.com, www.daysoftheyear.com, and www.nationaldaycalendar.com.