On This Day June 20th

  OTD

June 20th is the one-hundred-seventy-first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 194 days remain until the end of the year.

 

Events

451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory.

1631 – The Sack of Baltimore: The Irish village of Baltimore is attacked by Barbary slave traders.

1782 – The U.S. Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States.

1837 – Queen Victoria succeeds to the British throne.

1840 – Samuel Morse receives the patent for the telegraph.

1863 – American Civil War: West Virginia is admitted as the 35th U.S. state.

1944 – The experimental MW 18014 V-2 rocket reaches an altitude of 176 km, becoming the first man-made object to reach outer space.

1975—Jaws was released in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing film of that time and starting the trend of films known as "summer blockbusters."

 

Birthdays

 

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) - German-French composer and cellist known for his operettas, including "Orpheus in the Underworld" and "The Tales of Hoffmann."

Errol Flynn (1909-1959) - Australian-American actor known for his swashbuckling roles in films like "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "Captain Blood."

Audie Murphy (1925-1971) - American soldier, actor, and Medal of Honor recipient known for his heroic actions during World War II and subsequent acting career.

Martin Landau (1928-2017) - American actor known for his roles in films like "North by Northwest," "Ed Wood," and the TV series "Mission: Impossible."

 Chet Atkins (1924-2001) - American guitarist, songwriter, and producer, considered one of the most influential guitarists in country music history.

Nicole Kidman (born 1967) - Australian-American actress and producer known for her versatile performances in films such as "Moulin Rouge!" and "The Hours."

 John Goodman (born 1952) is an American actor known for his roles in films like The Big Lebowski, Monsters, Inc., and the TV series Roseanne.

Brian Wilson (born 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, co-founder of The Beach Boys and one of the most innovative figures in popular music.

Olympia Dukakis (1931-2021) - American actress known for her Academy Award-winning performance in "Moonstruck" and her work in films like "Steel Magnolias."

Lionel Richie (born 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for his soulful ballads and hits like "Hello" and "All Night Long."

 

Highlighted Holiday

SUMMER SOLSTICE

Hey there! Did you know that the summer solstice is considered the longest day of the year when the Sun is farthest from the equator? Since ancient times, it's been seen as the midpoint of summer and celebrated in various ways.

In Northern and Central Europe, ancient cultures connected the summer solstice with crop cycles and celebrated by lighting bonfires to support the Sun's energy for the upcoming harvest.

Cool fact: Neolithic stone circles were actually built to align with the Sun's movements during the solstices. Although we're not completely sure of their exact purpose due to the lack of written records, it's clear that they were carefully positioned to frame the Sun's motion during the summer and winter solstices.

 

Holidays And Observance

American Eagle Day

Ann & Samantha Day

Cuckoo Warning Day

Finally Summer Day

First Day of Summer

International Asteroid Day

Litha

Midsummer - June 20, 2024

National Daylight Appreciation Day

National Dump the Pump Day

National Hike With a Geek Day

National Ice Cream Soda Day

National Kouign Amann Day

National Seashell Day

National Smoothie Day

National Vanilla Milkshake Day

New Identity Day

Nystagmus Awareness Day

Plain Yogurt Day 

Recess at Work Day

Summer Solstice

Tall Girl Appreciation Day

The Longest Day

Toad Hollow Day of Thank You

West Virginia Day

World Humanist Day

World Peace and Prayer Day

World Productivity Day

World Refugee Day

World Tapas Day 

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