Today, September 20, 2023

1519…. Ferdinand Magellan sets sail from Spain with 5 ships and 270 men, in order to circumnavigate the Earth.

1821… Galaxidi is destroyed by the Turks.

1909…. The British Parliament ratifies the Constitution of South Africa and establishes English and Dutch as official languages.

1912… Themistocles Sofoulis, who has landed on Samos with guerrilla forces, calls the people of the island to revolt against the Turks.

…. On the same day, the Greek navy receives four new destroyers: “Leon”, “Panther”, “Eagle” and “Ierax”.

1913…. The Peace Treaty between Turks and Bulgarians is signed.

1946… The first Cannes Film Festival begins.

1951…. The Swiss Parliament votes against the proposal to grant women the right to vote.

…. On the same day, the Supreme Council of NATO meeting in Ottawa decides on the inclusion of Greece and Turkey in the alliance.

1960… The 1st Greek Film Festival takes place in Thessaloniki at the Olympian cinema.

1961… Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis resigns. The country is entering a pre-election period.

1974…. Georgios Mavros is elected president of the Center Union by the party’s parliamentary group.

1983…. The Minister of Education, Apostolos Kaklamanis, submits to the Parliament a bill that provides for the abolition of KATEE and the creation of TEIs.

1989…. The Parliament refers Andreas Papandreou, Theofani Tombras and Costas Tsimas to the Special Court as responsible for the wiretapping scandal.

1990…. The 2nd PASOK conference begins at the Olympic Stadium facilities, in which more than 4,000 delegates participate. The 2nd Congress unanimously re-elects Andreas Papandreou as president of PASOK, while the position of Secretary of the Central Committee is instituted for the first time. K.E. elects Akis Tsochatzopoulos to this position.

1995…. The UEFA Disciplinary Committee, in its extraordinary meeting in Oporto, expels Dynamo Kyiv from the Champions Cup by imposing a 3-year ban for attempting to bribe the Spanish referee, Antonio Jesus Lopez Nieto, in the match against Panathinaikos.

…. On the same day in Turkey, Prime Minister Tansu Çiler tenders her resignation to President Suleiman Demirel, following a deadlock in negotiations with Deniz Baikal, her coalition partner.

2003… In a referendum held in Latvia, the country’s accession to the EU is approved. 67% vote in favor of accession and only 32% against.

Like today in 1934 he was born the Italian actress, Sophia Loren.

On the same day in 1863 passed away the German storyteller, Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm, one of the two Grimm brothers and in 1971 the Nobel laureate poet, George Seferis, philological pseudonym of George Seferiadis.