On This Day for September 20 - Rome incorporated into Italy, Upton Sinclair is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. September 20 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Upton Sinclair READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1870 Rome incorporated into Italy READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2017: Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, causing more than $90 billion in damages and, according to government officials, nearly 3,000 deaths. [Test your knowledge of historical disasters.] 2011: Don't Ask, Don't Tell—a U.S. military policy that theoretically lifted a ban on homosexuals in the armed forces, provided that individuals kept their sexuality private—officially ended. [Take our quiz about U.S. history.] 1998: American professional baseball player Cal Ripken, Jr., ended his streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. [How much do you know about baseball?] 1973: In a much-publicized " Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs. [Sort fact from fiction in our tennis quiz.] 1886: The South African city of Johannesburg was founded. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about South Africa.] 1519: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan departed from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, on a quest to circumnavigate the globe; although he died during the voyage, the expedition achieved its goal. [ Take our exploration and discovery quiz.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1948 George R.R. Martin American writer 1934 Sophia Loren Italian actress 1878 Upton Sinclair American novelist 1954 Lloyd Blankfein American executive 1899 Leo Strauss American political philosopher 1917 Red Auerbach American coach 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