Today in History: Estonia declares independence from the Soviet Union

The following is a chronological list of notable events that occurred on August 20 throughout history:

1. 636 – Battle of Yarmouk ends

The Rashidun Caliphate delivers a decisive defeat to the Byzantine Empire, ending the multi-day Battle of Yarmouk on August 20. This marked a major turning point in the Islamic conquest of the Levant.

2. 917 – Battle of Anchialus

The Bulgarian army under Tsar Simeon I defeats the Byzantine Empire near Anchialus (modern Pomorie, Bulgaria) on August 20, 917, asserting Bulgarian dominance in the Balkans.

3. 1858 – First telegraph message sent between U.S. President and British Monarch

Although the transatlantic cable had problems, Queen Victoria sent a message to President Buchanan on August 20, 1858, hailing peace and unity.

4. 1882 – Premiere of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture

The 1812 Overture by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky debuts in Moscow on August 20, 1882, during the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. It later became one of the most recognized orchestral works worldwide.

5. 1914 – German forces occupy Brussels

During World War I, German troops captured Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on August 20, 1914, as part of their advance through Western Europe.

6. 1940 – Leon Trotsky attacked in Mexico

Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky is struck with an ice axe by a Soviet agent in Mexico City on August 20, 1940. He succumbed to his injuries the next day.

7. 1944 – Allied liberation of Paris begins

The liberation of Paris from Nazi German occupation begins on August 20, 1944, with uprisings by the French Resistance, followed by the approach of Allied forces.

8. 1968 – Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia

Warsaw Pact forces, led by the Soviet Union, invade Czechoslovakia on August 20, 1968, to crush the Prague Spring, ending a period of liberal reforms.

9. 1975 – NASA launches Viking 1

NASA launches Viking 1 on August 20, 1975, which would become the first U.S. spacecraft to land successfully on Mars in 1976.

10. 1991 – Estonia declares independence from the Soviet Union

On August 20, 1991, Estonia formally declares independence amid the collapse of the USSR, becoming one of the first Soviet republics to do so following the failed Moscow coup.