THE DAY IN HISTORY · SEPTEMBER 20

September 20 in history

What happened on September 20: 7 moments from the Maps of History atlases, in 1792, 1857, 1863, 1916, 1945, 1954 and 1985, each linked to the map that shows it.

1792 — Battle of Valmy

20 Sep 1792 — Throughout a day-long cannonade, a citizen army held its ground against Prussia’s professionals. Goethe watched and declared: “Here and today, a new era of world history begins.”

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1857 — Siege of Delhi

11 May – 20 Sep 1857 — When the sepoys from Meerut reached Delhi, they hailed the elderly Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar as their sovereign. His city became the capital of the rising. British forces besieged it from the Ridge for three months, began storming it on 14 September, and then sacked and emptied the city.

READ THIS MOMENT → · SEE IT ON THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE & PARTITION MAP → · THE FULL STORY →

1863 — Battle of Chickamauga

19–20 Sep 1863 — In the north-Georgia woods, Bragg breaks the Union line in the bloodiest western battle of the war, which leaves 34,000 casualties. George Thomas’ stand earns him the name “the Rock of Chickamauga” and saves the Union army, though it must retreat to Chattanooga, where it comes under siege.

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1916 — Brusilov Offensive

4 Jun-20 Sep 1916 — Brusilov prepares with silent registration, avoiding the massing that would telegraph an attack. He then strikes everywhere at once, sending shock troops to probe for weak points. Austria-Hungary loses about 750,000 men and never again mounts an independent offensive.

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1945 — Friedland transit camp

20 Sep 1945 — Britain opens a reception camp in farm buildings where its occupation zone meets the American and Soviet zones. Millions would pass through Friedland: expellees, prisoners of war returning home and, in the decades that followed, ethnic German resettlers. The camp still receives newcomers today.

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1954 — First constitution of the PRC

20 Sep 1954 — The first National People’s Congress adopts the PRC’s constitution. It sets out a state of people’s congresses and includes freedom of speech, assembly and religion. Its preamble places the country under a “people’s democratic united front” led by the Communist Party. In practice, the Party chose every delegate and every official.

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1985 — Tunisia ratifies CEDAW

20 Sep 1985 — Tunisia ratifies CEDAW while reserving its position on family law and nationality. It lifts those reservations only after the 2011 revolution. The second half of this atlas follows Tunisia.

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