On This Day for October 20 - Opening of Sydney Opera House, Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard is featured, and more

This message contains graphics. If you do not see the graphics, click here to view. October 20 FEATURED BIOGRAPHY Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard READ MORE   FEATURED EVENT 1973 Opening of Sydney Opera House READ MORE   Advertisement Advertisement   MORE EVENTS ON THIS DAY 2014: Dominican-born American fashion designer Oscar de la Renta—whose work, blending European luxury with American ease, helped define standards of elegant dressing among socialites, U.S. first ladies, and red-carpet celebrities—died in Connecticut. [Test your knowledge of fashion.] 2011: Libyan de facto leader Muammar al-Qaddafi was killed by rebel forces following a revolt that received international military assistance. [How much do you know about Libya?] 2002: Blue Stream, the deepest underwater pipeline in the world, opened in Turkey and was put in use for the transport of natural gas. [ Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about oil and natural gas.] 1977: A plane carrying the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, known for such songs as Free Bird and Sweet Home Alabama, crashed in Gillsburg, Mississippi, killing singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines, among others. [ Take our rock and roll quiz.] 1973: During the ongoing Watergate investigation, U.S. President Richard Nixon ordered special prosecutor Archibald Cox fired, resulting in the resignations of Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William D. Ruckelshaus, both of whom refused to carry out his request; the events became known as the "Saturday Night Massacre" of Justice Department officials. [Test your knowledge of modern U.S. political scandals.] 1931: American baseball player Mickey Mantle—who was one of the game's greatest players, known for his tremendous power as a switch-hitter—was born. [ Test your knowledge of baseball.] SEE ALL EVENTS ON THIS DAY ALSO BORN ON THIS DAY 1971 Snoop Dogg American rapper and songwriter 1956 Danny Boyle British filmmaker 1950 Tom Petty American musician 1859 John Dewey American philosopher and educator 1854 Arthur Rimbaud French poet 1882 Bela Lugosi Hungarian-American actor 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