81 years ago today
Nuremberg Trials Begin
On November 20, 1945, the International Military Tribunal convened at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany, to try 24 leading Nazi war criminals for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It was the first time in history that state leaders were held criminally accountable by an international court for waging aggressive war and committing systematic atrocities. The defendants included Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, and Joachim von Ribbentrop. The ten-month trial produced 19 convictions, 12 death sentences, and a legal framework — including the concept of crimes against humanity — that shaped international law for generations. Nuremberg established the principle that "I was following orders" is no defense against atrocity.
Joe Biden
46th President of the United States
Joe Biden served as a U.S. Senator from Delaware for 36 years, Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017, and 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025. His presidency oversaw the withdrawal from Afghanistan, a massive infrastructure investment, and the U.S. response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. At 78, he was the oldest person elected to the presidency.
Edwin Hubble
American astronomer
Edwin Hubble transformed humanity's understanding of the universe, proving in 1924 that the fuzzy 'nebulae' seen through telescopes were not clouds within the Milky Way but entire galaxies far beyond it. He then discovered in 1929 that those galaxies were receding from one another — the first observational evidence that the universe was expanding. The Hubble Space Telescope was named in his honor.
Robert F. Kennedy
U.S. Attorney General and Senator
Robert F. Kennedy served as Attorney General under his brother President John F. Kennedy, playing a central role in confronting the civil rights movement with both hostility and eventual support. After his brother's assassination, he became a U.S. Senator from New York and was running for the Democratic presidential nomination when he was assassinated in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.
Selma Lagerlöf
Swedish author, first woman to win Nobel Prize in Literature
Selma Lagerlöf was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded in 1909. Her fairy-tale storytelling, rooted in Swedish folk traditions and landscapes, produced beloved works including The Wonderful Adventures of Nils and Gösta Berlings saga. Her face adorns the Swedish 20-kronor banknote.
Nadine Gordimer
South African novelist, Nobel Laureate
Nadine Gordimer won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991 for her unflinching portrayal of apartheid-era South Africa. Her novels and stories depicted the moral corruptions of racial segregation with psychological precision, and many of her works were banned by the South African government. She was a lifelong anti-apartheid activist.
Diocletian Becomes Roman Emperor
Diocletian was proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops, beginning one of the most significant reigns of the late Roman Empire. He reformed the army and administration, launched the last great persecution of Christians, and eventually split the empire into East and West to govern it more effectively.
Zumbi Executed — Last Leader of Quilombo dos Palmares
Zumbi, the last king of Quilombo dos Palmares — a free community of escaped enslaved Africans in Brazil — was captured and executed by Portuguese colonial forces. Palmares had survived for nearly a century as a self-governing haven; Zumbi remains a national hero in Brazil, and November 20 is celebrated as Black Consciousness Day.
Beethoven's Fidelio Premieres
Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, received its world premiere in Vienna — though it was a failure in its first form. With French troops occupying the city, attendance was sparse, and Beethoven revised the opera twice before its final, successful 1814 version.
Sperm Whale Sinks the Whaleship Essex
A massive sperm whale rammed and sank the Nantucket whaling ship Essex in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, leaving the crew stranded thousands of miles from land. Their harrowing survival story — including acts of cannibalism — inspired Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.
Mexican Revolution Begins
Francisco Madero issued the Plan de San Luis Potosí, calling for the Mexican people to rise up against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz and triggering the Mexican Revolution. The ensuing decade of civil war claimed over one million lives and reshaped Mexico's political, social, and cultural identity.
Princess Elizabeth Marries Prince Philip
Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in a ceremony broadcast by radio to 200 million listeners worldwide. The wedding provided a rare moment of postwar joy for Britain still under rationing; Elizabeth became Queen just five years later when her father George VI died.
Cuban Missile Crisis Ends
The Cuban Missile Crisis officially concluded when President Kennedy lifted the naval blockade of Cuba after receiving assurances from the Soviet Union that its missiles had been removed. The thirteen-day standoff in October had brought the world closer to nuclear war than at any point in history.
Francisco Franco Dies
Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died in Madrid after 36 years in power, ending the longest-lasting fascist regime in Western Europe. His death immediately triggered Spain's transition to democracy, with King Juan Carlos I guiding the country toward constitutional governance.
Microsoft Windows 1.0 Released
Microsoft released Windows 1.0, the first version of its graphical operating system for personal computers. Though primitive by later standards, it introduced millions of users to a mouse-driven, graphical interface and laid the foundation for the Windows ecosystem that would come to dominate computing.
Windsor Castle Fire
A fire broke out in the Queen's private chapel at Windsor Castle and spread rapidly through nine of the castle's state rooms, causing catastrophic damage over fifteen hours. The disaster came during Queen Elizabeth II's annus horribilis and sparked a public debate about royal finances when the government initially said taxpayers would foot the entire repair bill.
2022 FIFA World Cup Opens in Qatar
The FIFA World Cup kicked off in Qatar, the first tournament held in the Middle East and the last to feature 32 teams. Qatar had controversially won the hosting rights in 2010, and the tournament proceeded amid ongoing criticism over labor conditions and human rights.
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Start a conversation →Leo Tolstoy
Russian novelist and philosopher
Leo Tolstoy died at a remote railway station at Astapovo, having fled his estate at age 82 in a final, dramatic break from his wealthy life. The author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina was already a legend during his lifetime; his death drew journalists from across the world to the small Russian station.
Francisco Franco
Spanish dictator
Francisco Franco ruled Spain as a military dictator for 36 years, suppressing political opposition, regional languages, and civil liberties after his Nationalist forces won the Spanish Civil War with help from Hitler and Mussolini. His death triggered the rapid transition to democracy under King Juan Carlos I.
Zumbi
King of Quilombo dos Palmares
Zumbi was the last ruler of Quilombo dos Palmares, a self-governing community of escaped enslaved Africans that survived in the Brazilian interior for nearly a century. Captured and beheaded by Portuguese forces, he became Brazil's greatest symbol of Black resistance to slavery. November 20 is now Brazil's Black Consciousness Day.
Giorgio de Chirico
Greek-Italian painter, founder of metaphysical art
Giorgio de Chirico founded the Scuola Metafisica movement, whose haunting, dreamlike cityscapes featuring long shadows, classical statues, and enigmatic perspectives directly influenced the Surrealist movement. His work had a profound effect on Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and others.
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