Also on This Day in History November 20
Discover what happened on November 20 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.
Births on This Day, November 20
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1925
Robert F. Kennedy
American politician, 64th United States Attorney General
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1892
James Bertram Collip
Canadian biochemist who co-discovered insulin
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1889
Edwin Hubble
American astronomer (discoverer of galaxies, red shift)
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1910
Willem Jacob van Stockum
Dutch physicist and mathematician
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1924
Benoit Mandelbrot
Polish-French-American mathematician (proved Zipf's law, discovered the Mandelbrot set)
Deaths on This Day, November 20
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1954
Clyde Vernon Cessna
American aviator and airplane manufacturer
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1996
Bert Geoffrey Achong
Trinidadian pathologist and inventor (electron microscopist)
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2000
Mike Muuss
American computer programmer (Ping)
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2003
David Dacko
First President of the Central African Republic
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1945
Francis William Aston
British chemist and physicist who won a Nobel laureate for his work with isotopes and the whole number rule
1959
United Nations Adopts Declaration of the Rights of the Child
On November 20, 1959, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This landmark document outlined fundamental rights and principles for children worldwide, emphasizing their right to special protection, education, and healthcare, laying the groundwork for subsequent international efforts to protect and promote children's rights globally.
1985
Microsoft Releases Windows 1.0
On November 20, 1985, Microsoft released Windows 1.0, marking the company's debut into the graphical personal computer operating system market. Windows 1.0 introduced a graphical user interface (GUI) and paved the way for future versions that would dominate the PC operating system landscape worldwide.
1789
New Jersey is the first U.S. state that ratifies the Bill of Rights
On November 20, 1789, New Jersey became the first U.S. state to ratify the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. This historic act affirmed individual rights and freedoms, laying the foundation for the protection of civil liberties in the newly formed United States of America.
1984
McDonald's makes its 50 billionth hamburger
On November 20, 1984, McDonald's celebrated the milestone of serving its 50 billionth hamburger. This achievement highlighted the global popularity and widespread impact of the fast-food chain, which had become synonymous with fast, convenient dining around the world.