What’s Happening Today?

UN Chinese Language Day. It is observed annually on April 20. The event was established by the UN Department of Public Information in 2010, seeking "to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization". April 20 was chosen as the date "to pay tribute to Cangjie, a mythical figure who is presumed to have invented Chinese characters about 5,000 years ago". The first Chinese Language Day was celebrated in 2010 on the 12th of November, but since 2011 the date has been the 20th of April, roughly corresponding to Guyu in the Chinese calendar.

Volunteer Recognition Day. This holiday is observed on April 20 of every year. Volunteer Recognition Day is celebrated to honour and respect all volunteers around the world who are helping others without expecting anything in return. These volunteers dedicated themselves and large parts of their lives for helping the needy.

What Happened Today?

1. In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the use of busing ( the practice of attempting to integrate schools by assigning students to schools based primarily on race ), to achieve racial desegregation in schools.

2. In 1999, two students - Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold - wearing balaclavas went through Columbine High School in Denver, Colorado, firing automatic weapons and throwing homemade bombs, killing 13 people and wounding 24 others before the two students committed suicide. They had originally planted two homemade bombs in the cafeteria and were planning on murdering the students as they ran from the building. When the bombs failed to go off they went into the school and began the massacre.

3. In 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a law, which made it illegal to sell videos of animals being tortured, violated the right to free speech. Chief Justice John Roberts said that the law was too broad and invalid to be used under the First Amendment. The ruling was a victory for Robert Stevens, who was sentenced in 2005 to three years for making and selling videos of dog fights.

Birthdays

1. 1889 - Adolf Hitler, Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945.

2. 1997 – Moses Waisswa, Uganda Cranes midfielder.

Sources: Wikipedia, checkiday, thepeoplehistory.com & bornglorious.com