On July 20th, 1807, French scientist Nicephore Niepce created the first-ever photographic image using a technique he called "heliography." This pioneering achievement laid the groundwork for the invention of photography.
1837 Euston railway station opens in London as the terminus of the London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR), the city's first intercity railway station.
On 20th July 1899, a rabid dog attacked a group of children in Pontarddulais. The stray setter dog visited the neighbourhood of Pontardulais and bit a number of children, two on the face. The dog was reported to the Board of Agriculture, whose inspector on the following day visited Pontardulais and ordered the animal to be immediately shot and strongly recommended treatment at the Pasteur Institute for eight of the children. This resulted in the respective boards of guardians of Swansea and Llanelli paying for the trip and 21 days treatment, which thankfully was successful with all the children returning fit and well.
In 1917, on July 20th, Mata Hari, an exotic dancer and accused spy, was sentenced to death in a French military court. Though her true role in espionage remains uncertain, her story has captivated people for over a century.
1933 In London, 500,000 march against anti-Semitism.
1944 Adolf Hitler survives an assassination attempt led by German Army officer Claus von Stauffenberg, suffering only minor injuries after explosives hidden in a briefcase detonate.
1956 Great Britain refuses to lend Egypt money to build a second Aswan Dam.
July 20th is International Chess Day, which celebrates the ancient game of strategy and intellect. The day was chosen by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1966, commemorating its founding in 1924. Today, chess is played by millions of people worldwide.
The world's first passenger and mail hovercraft service commenced on 20th July 1962, between Rhyl and Moreton, Wirral. Rhyl and Moreton were chosen because of their flat beaches; the service was scheduled to run up to 12 trips a day. However, they only achieved this on 6 days and the service ran on only 19 days out of 54, mainly because of strong winds, high seas and the continual failure of the rear lift engine. The service was discontinued 14th September 1962.
1969 NASA's Apollo 11 lunar module, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, lands on the surface of the Moon. Seven hours later, Armstrong becomes the first person to step on the moon at 10:56 pm EDT, and Aldrin joins him shortly after. Michael Collins remains in orbit in the command module.
1961 The Beatles perform at St. John's Hall in Tuebrook, Liverpool.
1979 - Electric Light Orchestra took out advertisements dedicating the release of "Don't Bring Me Down" to Skylab.
