On This Day for August 20 - Viking 1 launched, Eero Saarinen is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. August 20 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Eero Saarinen READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1975 Viking 1 launched READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2017: American comedian and actor Jerry Lewis, who was known for his unrestrained comic style and his numerous movies with Dean Martin, died at age 91. [Take our quiz about A-list actors.] 2014: Indian teacher B.K.S. Iyengar, who helped popularize Yoga (a system of Indian philosophy) in the West, died at the age of 95. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about India.] 2012: American comedienne and actress Phyllis Diller—who was one of the first female stand-up comics, noted for her raucous personality and self-deprecating humour—died in Los Angeles. [Test your knowledge of pop culture.] 1968: The Warsaw Pact nations (except Romania and Albania), led by the Soviet Union, invaded Czechoslovakia to put an end to the Prague Spring. 1960: Senegal seceded from the Mali Federation, declaring its full independence. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about Africa.] 1940: Leon Trotsky was assassinated by a Stalinist agent in Mexico. [Learn the answers to five important questions about Leon Trotsky.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1974 Amy Adams American actress 1890 H.P. Lovecraft American writer 1958 David O. Russell American director and screenwriter 1935 Ron Paul American politician 1944 Rajiv Gandhi prime minister of India 1931 Don King American boxing promoter SEE ALL BIOS ON THIS DAY   Advertisement   FOLLOW: To unsubscribe from Britannica e-mails, click here. Encyclopædia Britannica 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 Chicago, Illinois 60654 United States © 2020 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Privacy Policy • Help