It is often said, “There is history in all men’s lives.” History is the major factor that keeps mankind going ahead. History records the progress of the human race as well as their major events. Thus, April 20 is one such day in history that kept a track of all the major events throughout the centuries. Here are a few of them:
1611- The first performance of Macbeth in London
Dr. Simon Ferman was an eyewitness to the first performance of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, Macbeth. It took place on April 20, 1611, at the Globe Theatre in London. Hence, it continues to remain one of the most important and classic plays of Shakespeare. It is a tragedy because it explores several themes like greed, betrayal, lies, and murder. The occurrence of events one after another. These events consequently lead to Macbeth’s death. He was a Scottish nobleman who served Duncan, the King.
1711- Constitution adopted in New York as an independent state
New York adopted the first constitution as an independent state on April 20, 1777. This constitution establishes the structure of the government in New York. It also gives and recognizes the basic right of all the citizens residing there. However, the state’s Constitution is more detailed. Yet, the amendment was more often than the federal counterpart. Furthermore, New York’s state has held nine Constitutional Conventions. Consequently, New York’s current Constitution comprises a preamble and twenty articles.
1865- Crosby Opera House opened in Chicago
Uranus H. Crosby was the founder of the Crosby Opera House located in Chicago, Illinois. The main objective behind this was to initiate further advancements in the arts of Chicago. He achieved this through the performance of opera in the city. The structure of the house consisted of a five-story building. William W.Boyington designed it. Along with this, the building also contained statues, paintings, and sculptures for the visitors whenever they entered through the arch of it.
1902- Marie Curie and Pierre Curie isolated Radium Chloride (radioactive compound)
A major event took place in the field of science on April 20, 1902. That is to say, Marie Curie and Pierre Curie isolated radioactive radium salts from the mineral pitchblende in the laboratory. Marie Curie is known for her discovery of radium. She was a successful physicist and chemist. She was also the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the only person to win it twice. In 1903, she shared the Nobel Prize in physics with her husband Pierre Curie and with Henri Becquerel for the development of the theory on radioactivity.
1910- Halley’s Comet passed 29th recorded perihelion at the rate of 87.9 million km
Halley’s Comet is a short-period comet i.s. visible from Earth every 75-76 years. The last appearance in the Solar System happened in 1986. It is predicted that the next will take place in the middle of 2061. However, the observance of this comet in the solar system has been since at least 240BC.
Yet, it was the astronomer Edward Halley that it was the same comet that appeared and reappeared later on. Therefore the comet Halley was named after him because it was his discovery. In 1910, the Halley Comet passed the 29th recorded perihelion at 87.9 million km. The term perihelion refers to the orbit of the comet when it is closest to the sun.
1962- NASA civilian pilot Neil Armstrong took X-15 to 63,250m
The second major event in the history of astronomy occurred on April 20. Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon. However, this was not his sole achievement. Individuals knew him for his excellence in and technical abilities as a pilot too. Hence, Armstrong became one of the twelve pilots to head the ultimate aircraft i.e. North American X-15. During the test program, this aircraft became the fastest as well as the highest-flying aircraft in the world.
2013- Giorgio Napolitano became the President of Italy for the second time
Giorgio Napolitano was an Italian politician. He served in the house of the president from 2006-2015. He was the 11th President of Italy and the sole person to have been re-elected for the position of presidency. This happened to safeguard the nation’s institutions during the deadlock in the parliament following the 2013 elections. However, after eight and a half years of serving as a president, he eventually resigned in January 2015. At that point, he was 89 years old.
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