History of December 20

On December 20 the following events have occured in our world's history.

1606 - Va Co settlers leave London to establish Jamestown
1699 - Peter the Great ordered Russian New Year changed - Sept 1 to Jan 1
1790 - 1st successful US cotton mill (Pawtucket RI)
1803 - Louisiana Purchase was formally transferred from France to US
1812 - Sacagawea Shoshone interpreter for Lewis & Clark dies
1820 - Missouri imposes a $1 bachelor tax on unmarried men between 21 & 50
1850 - Hawaiian PO established
1860 - SC becomes 1st state to secede from US
1864 - Union Gen. Sherman continued his `march to the sea.' Savannah Ga
1879 - Tom Edison privately demonstrated incandescent light at Menlo Park
1883 - Intl cantilever railway bridge opens at Niagara Falls
1892 - Phileas Fogg completes around world trip according to Verne
1892 - Pneumatic automobile tire patented
1919 - Canadian National Railways established (longest on continent with more than 50 000 kilometers of track in US & Canada)
1922 - 14 republics formed USSR
1929 - Mt Davidson dedicated as city park
1939 - Radio Australia starts shortwave service
1944 - Battle of Bastogne Nazis surrounded 101st Airborne (NUTS!)
1963 - Berlin Wall opened for 1st time to West Berliners
1968 - Author John Steinbeck dies in NY at 66
1976 - Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley dies at 74
1976 - Israel's PM Yitzhak Rabin resigns
1977 - 1st Space walk made by G. Grechko from Salyut
1982 - Arthur Rubinstein pianists dies in Geneva Switzerland at 95
1983 - Islanders scored 11 goals against Penguins