Hisdates•ComPage 7: Historical Events In August - 20
Thursday, 18 September 2025
1975 On this day in history il-62 crashes south of Damascus, Syria, killing 126 
1975 On August - 20 viking 1 launched toward orbit around Mars, soft landing
1976 Phyllis Konstam, actress (Murder, Skin Game), dies at 69 on August - 20.
1977 NASA launches Voyager 2 towards Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune on this day in history.
1978 On August - 20 gunmen open fire on an Israeli El Al Airline bus in London
1978 On this day in history ivan Jirko, composer, dies at 51
1980 On August - 20 reinhold Messner of Italy is first to solo ascent Mt Everest
1980 On August - 20 uN Security Council condemns (14-0, US abstains) Israeli declaration that all of Jersualem is its capital
1980 On August - 20 otto Frank, father of Anne Frank, dies at 91
1982 On this day in history mexican Treasury Secretary Jesus Silva Herzog tells foreign bankers that Mexico cannot repay her $60 billion foreign debt, the first Third World country to default
1982 Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress (Zulu), dies of bone cancer at 53 on this day in history.
1983 Kerwin Duinmeijer, Antillean boy, murdered by racist at 15 on this day in history.
1985 On August - 20 israel ships 96 TOWs to Iran on behalf of the US
1985 Harchand Singh Longowai, Sikh leader, shot by Sikh extremists on August - 20.
1986 On this day in history mail carrier Patrick Sherrill, Edmond Ok, shot 14 fellow workers dead
1986 On August - 20 donn Bennett, TV host (The Big Idea), dies at 76
1987 On August - 20 the Canadian federal government slaps a total ban on smoking in public service offices, starting Jan. 1, 1988. Smoking by government employees at all public service counters ends immediately, well maybe not quite??
1988 On August - 20 in the Nepal-India border region a 6.6 quake killed 721, 6,553 injured and 64,470 buildings damaged in eastern Nepal
1989 In Ethiopia a 6.3 earthquake killed 2, injured 2 and damage and rockslides caused in the Galafi-Yoboki area on August - 20.
1990 On August - 20 george Steinbrenner steps down as NY Yankee owner
1990 Iraq moves Western hostages to military installations (human shields) on this day in history.
1990 Marc Turfkruijer, Flemish movie journalist/writer, dies on August - 20.
1991 On this day in history betty Bowden, British dancer/actress (Vote for Nigel), dies at 86
1992 Ivan Nikolayevich Anikeyev, cosmonaut, dies at 59 on August - 20.
1993 On August - 20 bernard Delfgaauw, philosopher (Johnson murderer!), dies at 80
1994 On this day in history aleksander Petrovic, film Director, dies at 65
1995 Hugo Pratt, graphic artist, dies at 68 on this day in history.
1996 On August - 20 george Brian Snape, businessman/rugby league entrepreneur, dies at 81
1997 Hudson Bay Railway, owned by Omnitrax of Denver, Colorado, takes over operation of former CN lines to Flin Flon, Lyn Lake and Churchill on August - 20.
2011 On August - 20 arab Spring and the Libyan civil war: In the Battle of Tripoli, Libyan rebels take control the nation's capital, effectively overthrowing the government of Muammar Gaddafi.
2012 On August - 20 20 people are killed in a riot in Caracas, Venezuela
2013 9 Islamist militants are killed by Russian police in North Caucasus on this day in history.
2018 Measles cases reach record high in Europe with 41,000 infected first six months of 2018 with 37 deaths according to WHO on this day in history.
2018 On August - 20 pope Francis releases letter to all Catholics condemning sexual abuse atrocities and clerical cover-ups "We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them"