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!
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 – 20th June”.
1789: Third Estate makes Tennis Court Oath
In Versailles, France, the Third Estate deputies met on the Jeu de Paume, an indoor tennis court, in defiance of King Louis XVI’s order to disperse. They represented commoners and the lower clergy. In these modest surroundings, they took the historic Tennis Court Oath, with which they agreed not to disband until a new French constitution had come into adoption. This would eventually go on to lead to the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille.
1887: Victoria Terminus, the busiest railway station in India, opens in Mumbai
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station, in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The terminus is the headquarters of India’s Central Railway. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India, serving as a terminal for both long-distance- and suburban trains.
1975: Spielberg’s Jaws is released in theaters
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws was the highest-grossing film in movie history until Star Wars bested it in 1977. The story of a great white shark that terrorizes a New England resort town made countless viewers afraid to go into the water. It received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Picture category and took home three Oscars, for Best Film Editing, Best Original Score and Best Sound.
1963: USA and USSR agree to establish a nuclear hot line
To lessen the threat of an accidental nuclear war, the United States and the Soviet Union agree to establish a “hot line” communication system between them. The agreement was a small step in reducing tensions between them following the October 1962 Missile Crisis in Cuba. It had brought the two nations to the brink of nuclear war. The system came into place a few months after the agreement was signed. But, it was never needed to avert a war.
2000: World Refugee Day
The United Nations General Assembly officially designated June 20 as World Refugee Day in December 2000. Then, it was held for the first time next year. The day draws attention to the plight of refugees and mobilizes political will and resources to urgently help these people rebuild their lives. This year, the UNHCR is calling for the greater inclusion of refugees in health systems, schools and sports.
