Did you know that the first known performance of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, was recorded by Simon Forman on this day in 1611? Such a historic moment, right?
Discover many other significant events that made it to the books of history on this day, April 20. Here is a list for you!
- 1836-The U.S. territory of Wisconsin was created by the U.S. Congress.
- 1865-Safety matches were first advertised.
- 1889-German politician, Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler was born on this day.
- 1902-Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the radioactive element radium.
- 1920-Balfour Declaration recognized, makes Palestine a British Mandate
- 1940-The First electron microscope was demonstrated by RCA.
- 1951-For the first time, a human organ was surgically replaced.
- 1953-The Boston marathon was won by Keizo Yamada with a record time of 2:18:51.
- 1967-U.S. planes bombed Haiphong for the first time during the Vietnam War.
- 1978-Soviet air defense shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 902.
- 1979-President Jimmy Carter was attacked by a swamp rabbit that swam up to his fishing boat in Plains, Georgia.
- 1984-Britain announced that its administration of Hong Kong would cease in 1997.
- 1988-The U.S. Air Forces’ Stealth (B-2 bomber) was officially unveiled.
- 1989-Scientists announced the successful testing of high-definition TV.
- 1991-Mikhail Gorbachev became the first Soviet head of state to visit South Korea.
- 1999-15 lives were lost in the Columbine High School massacre.
- 2010-The explosion of the British Petroleum platform operated by Transocean led to the largest accidental marine oil spill in history.
- 2013-Iraq held its first elections since US troops left the country in 2011.
- 2014-Iranian President called for women’s rights in the country.
- 2016-The U.S. Treasury Department announced a plan for Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson as the portrait on the $20 bill.