This Day in History is DUE’s daily dose of trivia for all the history buffs out there. So sit back and take a ride of all the fascinating things that happened today on 20 February!
People are trapped in history and history is trapped in people, and hence, every day has been a significant one in the foibles of history. Now, let’s take a tour of “This Day in History – 20 February”.
1931 – An important day for the San Francisco Bay Bridge
This day denotes an important event for The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, one of the most significant American bridges to exist to date. The U.S Congress passed an Act that allowed the State of California to construct, maintain and operate this bridge. It is instrumental for commuting in the region and as is known as the ‘working horse of Northern California’.
1947 – UK PM announces official deadline for transferring powers to India
Clement Attlee, the then British Prime Minister, gave a speech in the House of Commons about the transfer of powers of colonial India. He announced the deadline to be June 1948 and conveyed that his majesty wanted the power to be handed over to ‘responsible Indians’.
1985 – Ireland allows contraception
The Government of Ireland won a highly controversial battle with the Catholic Church with the passing of this new legislation. It allowed non-medical contraceptives like condoms and spermicides to be made available to people over the age of 18.
1988- Rihanna’s birthday
The extremely popular Barbadian singer was born on this day. Some of her best works include albums ‘Anti’, ‘Good Girl Gone Bad’ and ‘A Girl like me’. Her cosmetic brand Fenty Beauty won over the industry as soon as it hit the shelves with its powerful social message of inclusivity.
1999- Vajpayee’s inaugural visit to Lahore
On this day, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee travelled to Lahore on a bus ride and met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. His ‘Bus Yatra’ is fondly remembered today because of his emphasis on peace talks between the two historically hostile countries. Many compare his efforts with President Nixon and his visit to China.
