It happened one 20 September
1946 : First Cannes Film FestivalOn September 20, 1946 the first Cannes Film Festival opened. The first Palme d'Or was awarded to the film's Pastoral Symphony of Jean Delannoy. The Best Actress was awarded to Michele Morgan who played Gertrude in this adaptation of a novel by André Gide. |
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1979 : Coup d'Etat to overthrow BokassaOn September 20, 1979, French secret services and special forces launched Operation Barracuda to overthrow Emperor Bokassa in Central Africa and to restore former President David Dacko. The French, who had supported John Bédel Bokassa early in his regime had changed their policy when Bokassa became emperor with the money from French and international aid, and that it seemed clear that the dictator had becom insane. After the massacres of civilians and especially children, France decided to intervene and Bokassa fled the country, first to the Ivory Coast, before being allowed to come and live in France. |
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2002 : Avalanche of ice on a Russian villageSeptember 20, 2002, with the abnormal warming of temperatures, an enormous block of ice broke and went down the slope up to 160 km/h and burried the village of Karmadon, North Ossetia. Over 100 people were killed and it took months to clear the village. |
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2008 : Attack on the Marriott Hotel in IslamabadOn September 20, 2008, a truck filled with explosives exploded at the entrance of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan. Part of the hotel was destroyed and nearby buildings were damaged. 55 people were killed and over 260 injured. |
Quote of the day : 20 September
André Gide Believe those who are seeking the truth. Doubt those who find it. |
Birthdays : 20 September
Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Emperor of Haiti (1758) | |
Ernesto Teodoro Moneta, Italian pacifist journalist, Nobel Peace Prize (1833) | |
Chulalongkorn, Monarch of Siam (1853) | |
Maurice Gamelin, French general (1872) | |
Kenneth More, English actor (1914) | |
Fernando Rey, Spanish actor (1917) | |
Jay Ward, American creator of cartoons (1920) | |
William Kapell, American pianist (1922) | |
Sophia Loren, Italian actress (1934) | |
Keith Roberts, English writer (1935) | |
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, French journalist (1947) | |
Mahesh Bhatt, Indian director (1948) | |
Sabine Azéma, French actress (1949) | |
Gary Cole, American actor (1956) | |
Cyril Neveu, French motorcycle rider (1956) | |
Michael Hurst, New Zealand actor (1957) | |
Maggie Cheung, Hong Kong actress (1964) | |
Todd Blackadder, New Zealand All Black rugby player (1971) | |
Asia Argento, Italian actress (1975) | |
Vladimir Karpets, Russian cyclist (1980) | |
Brian Joubert, French figure skater (1984) | |
Sammi Hanratty, American actress (1995) |
They left us one 20 September
Lodovico Agostini, Italian composer (1590) | |
Nicolas Desmarest, French geologist (1815) | |
Jacob Grimm, German mythologist (1863) | |
Pablo de Sarasate, Spanish violinist and composer (1908) | |
Raimu, French actor (1946) | |
Fiorello La Guardia, American politician (1947) | |
Jean Sibelius, French composer (1957) | |
Saint-John Perse, French diplomat and poet, Nobel Prize in Literature (1975) | |
Gherman Titov, Russian cosmonaut (2000) | |
Simon Wiesenthal, Austrian nazi hunter (2005) |
Tip of the Day : 20 September
Maintenance of polished concreteTo maintain a polished concrete, it is important not to use aggressive cleaning products. A quick vacuuming is usually sufficient for routine maintenance. It can also be washed with warm water and a little soap. Then it should be rinsed and dried with a dry mop. |
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