In History, Today on September 20

The United States announced plans to lift travel restrictions on fully vaccinated international travelers from 33 countries, including members of the European Union, starting in November 2021. This marked a major shift in policy that had been in place since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Millions of people around the world participated in the Global Climate Strike, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, to demand action on climate change.

Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico as a Category 4 hurricane, causing widespread devastation, significant loss of life, and a humanitarian crisis. The storm resulted in the longest blackout in U.S. history.

The United States military policy known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' which barred openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service, was officially repealed, allowing them to serve openly.

A truck bomb exploded at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing at least 54 people and injuring over 260. The attack was attributed to Islamist militants and highlighted the ongoing security challenges in Pakistan.

Simon Wiesenthal, famed Nazi hunter and Holocaust survivor, dies in Vienna. Wiesenthal was instrumental in bringing over 1,100 Nazi war criminals to justice, including Adolf Eichmann, one of the main architects of the Holocaust.

In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress and the American public, outlining the War on Terror and demanding that the Taliban hand over al-Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden.

A suicide bomber in a truck attacked the U.S. Embassy annex in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 24 people, including two Americans.

Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, a significant event in the women's liberation movement.

James Meredith, an African-American student, attempted to enroll at the University of Mississippi, an event that precipitated a prominent confrontation between state officials and federal authority.

The first Cannes Film Festival was held, originally scheduled for 1939 but delayed due to World War II.

Mahatma Gandhi begins his hunger strike in Bombay to protest against the British decision to separate India's electoral system by caste.

The White Star Line's RMS Olympic, sister ship to the ill-fated Titanic, is in a collision with the British cruiser HMS Hawke off the Isle of Wight, resulting in significant damage to the Olympic.

Italian troops entered Rome, completing the unification of Italy and marking the end of the Papal States.

The Battle of Alma took place during the Crimean War, marking the first major engagement between the allied British, French, and Ottoman forces against the Russian Empire.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is established in Pennsylvania, becoming a crucial body for the promotion of scientific endeavors in the United States.

The impeachment trial of U.S. Federal Judge James H. Peck begins. It follows accusations of oppressive and arbitrary conduct.

The first successful parachute jump from a balloon is made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, landing safely after leaping from a height of 3,000 feet.

The Treaty of Ryswick was signed, ending the Nine Years' War between France and the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Dutch Republic.

Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, with a fleet of five ships, on what would become the first successful circumnavigation of the Earth.

Cardinal Robert of Geneva was elected as Antipope Clement VII, marking the beginning of the Western Schism.

The Battle of the Catalaunian Plains, also known as the Battle of Châlons, took place between the Roman general Flavius Aetius and the Visigothic king Theodoric I against the Huns led by Attila. This battle was one of the last major military operations of the Western Roman Empire and is considered a significant event in halting the advance of the Huns into Western Europe.