Sept. 20
Today in history
Today is Sept. 20. On this day in:
1565: The first European battle on American soil took place when Spanish forces under Pedro Menéndez de Avilés captured the French Huguenot settlement
of Fort Caroline near present-day Jacksonville, Florida. The French, led by René Goulaine de Laudonnière, lost 135 men in the battle.
1830: The first Negro Convention of Free Men met in Philadelphia and decided to boycott goods produced by slave labor. This marked a significant step in the fight against slavery and the promotion of African American rights.
1881: Chester A. Arthur was inaugurated as the 21st president of the United States following the assassination of President James A. Garfield. It marked the third president in one calendar year, starting with Rutherford B. Hayes, then Garfield.
1932: Mahatma Gandhi initiated a six-day hunger strike to protest the stratification of India’s social classes. The fast, in his cell at Yerwada Jail in Pune, India, concluded successfully when the British government accepted key terms of an agreement that reversed the separation decision.
1946: The first Cannes Film Festival opened in the resort city on the French Riviera. Originally planned for 1939 but delayed due to World War II, the festival featured films from 21 countries and emphasized creative collaboration over competition.
1962: Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett physically blocked James Meredith from entering the University of Mississippi, defying a Supreme Court order to desegregate. The defiance heightened tensions in the Civil Rights Movement. The federal government eventually intervened, and Meredith was able to enroll on Oct. 1, 1962.
1973: Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the highly publicized “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match. King’s win in straight sets at the Houston Astrodome, witnessed by over 30,000 spectators in person and millions globally, marked a pivotal moment for women’s sports and equality.
1988: Greg Louganis won the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard at the Seoul Olympics, one day after hitting his head on the diving board during the preliminaries. Despite the injury, he delivered a flawless performance, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest divers in history.
2001: President George W. Bush declared a “War on Terror” in a speech to Congress following the Sept. 11 attacks. He emphasized that the campaign would target not only al-Qaeda but also any terrorist groups and nations that supported them.
2011: The U.S. government officially repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals to serve openly in the military. The repeal marked a significant milestone in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality within the armed forces.
2019: At 16, Greta Thunberg led a global climate strike that saw roughly 4 million people, mostly students, participate in demonstrations across over 150 countries. Her activism, including her powerful speeches to world leaders, raised public awareness and inspired global action toward climate justice.
– USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Today in history, September 20
