Today in History: Grand Mosque Seizure in Mecca

The following are some of the major events that occurred on November 20 throughout history:

1815 – Second Treaty of Paris: The definitive peace treaty ending the Napoleonic Wars was signed on 20 November 1815. It restored France’s borders to their 1790 extent but imposed heavy indemnities and a five‑year allied occupation on France. This “Second Peace of Paris” formally concluded the wars with Napoleon and set the European balance of power for decades.

1917 – Battle of Cambrai (WWI): On 20 November 1917 the British Army launched a surprise tank-led offensive against German lines near Cambrai, France. Some 476 tanks and supporting infantry stormed the position, capturing ground and thousands of prisoners within hours. It was the first large‑scale, successful use of armored tanks in combat, demonstrating their potential in modern warfare.

1945 – Nuremberg Trials Begin: On 20 November 1945 twenty-four top Nazi leaders were brought to trial in Nuremberg, Germany. Convened by the U.S., Soviet, British and French Allies, the Nuremberg Trials prosecuted major war criminals for atrocities and crimes against humanity. These hearings established the principle that even heads of state and military leaders are individually accountable under international law.

1959 – UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child: On 20 November 1959 the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This was the first major international treaty affirming that children everywhere have specific rights to protection, education, and welfare. It signaled growing global commitment to child welfare and later paved the way for binding conventions on children’s human rights.

1962 – End of Cuban Missile Crisis: On 20 November 1962 U.S. President Kennedy announced the lifting of the naval “quarantine” of Cuba, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. This move came after Soviet Premier Khrushchev agreed to dismantle Soviet nuclear missiles on Cuba. The peaceful resolution on this date averted nuclear war and defused the Cold War confrontation between the superpowers.

1977 – President Sadat’s Visit to Israel: On 20 November 1977 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat became the first Arab head of state to visit Israel, flying to Jerusalem, meeting Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and addressing the Knesset (Israeli parliament). In a landmark speech Sadat called for peace between Egypt and Israel. His visit broke long-standing taboos and directly paved the way for the Camp David Accords (1978) and the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty, reshaping Middle East politics.

1979 – Grand Mosque Seizure in Mecca: On 20 November 1979 Islamist insurgents led by Juhayman al-Otaybi seized the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Over the next two weeks the militants held hostages and proclaimed a radical takeover. Saudi forces (aided by French advisers) retook the mosque, but the event shocked the Muslim world. Its aftermath led the Saudi government to enforce stricter Islamic laws at home and it heightened global awareness of Islamist militant threats.

1989 – Prague’s Velvet Revolution Protest: On 20 November 1989 some 500,000 people demonstrated peacefully in Prague’s Wenceslas Square against Czechoslovakia’s communist government. This massive protest – just days after similar student demonstrations began – galvanized the nonviolent “Velvet Revolution.” Within a week the Communist leadership resigned and Czechoslovakia set the stage for a democratic transition (with Václav Havel eventually becoming president), marking a pivotal step in the collapse of Soviet-era regimes in Eastern Europe.

1998 – Launch of ISS First Module: On 20 November 1998 Russia launched Zarya (“Dawn”), the first module of the International Space Station, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. This initiated assembly of the ISS in Earth orbit – the largest multinational space project ever undertaken. The event symbolized post–Cold War US–Russian cooperation in space and set the stage for years of continuous human presence in orbit, advancing scientific research and international partnership in space exploration.

2022 – FIFA World Cup Begins in Qatar: On 20 November 2022 the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup was held at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar. This marked the start of the first World Cup ever hosted in the Middle East (and the first played in November/December). The tournament’s kickoff drew global attention, involving 32 national teams and billions of viewers, and highlighted Qatar on the world stage.