Important Events From This day in History – 20th February

Today in History

• 1988 The Nagorno-Karabakh War is triggered by der Autonomous Oblast’s secession from Azerbaijan

  Nagorno-Karabakh is now a de facto independent state, but the territory is still recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan.

• 1962 The first U.S. citizen to orbit the Earth lands safely in the Atlantic Ocean

  On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth for 5 hours.

• 1944 U.S. bombers attack German aircraft manufacturing centers, in a bombing campaign that became known as the “Big Week”

  The goal was to achieve air superiority to secure the invasion of Europe.

• 1913 Works to build Australia’s capital city commence

  Canberra is a completely planned city that was chosen as the Australian capital as a middle ground between rival cities Sydney and Melbourne.

• 1877 Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake” is premiered

  It is one of the world’s best-known ballets.