This Day in History – August 20

Discover important historical events that happened on this day. Explore key moments in politics, science, culture, and more — organized by date and year.

AUGUST 20, 2018

Silent Sam, a Confederate monument on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was toppled by protestors.

The Confederate Monument, University of North Carolina, commonly known as Silent Sam, is a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier by Canadian Read More

AUGUST 20, 1950

Korean War: United Nations forces repelled an attempt by North Korea to capture the city of Taegu.

The Korean War was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea and South Korea and their allies. North Read More

AUGUST 20, 1998

The Al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory (pictured) in Sudan was destroyed by a missile attack launched by the United States in retaliation for the August 7 U.S. embassy bombings.

The al-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Kafouri, Khartoum North, Sudan, was constructed between 1992 and 1996 with components imported from Germany, India, Italy, Read More