What’s Happening Today?

World Mosquito Day. It is observed annually on August 20 and it is a commemoration of British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans. Ross is responsible for the annual observance, having declared shortly after his discovery that the day should be known as World Mosquito Day in the future.

Revolution of the King and the People (Morocco). The Revolution for Independence, also known as the Revolution of the King and the People, marks the revolution launched by Moroccan people on August 20, 1953, after French colonial authorities exiled the late king Mohammed V to Corsica and replaced him with cousin Mohamed Ben Arafa. 

What Happened Today?

1. In 1910, extreme fire weather in the Inland Northwest of the United States caused many small wildfires to coalesce into the Great Fire of 1910, burning approximately 3 million acres and killing 87 people.

2. In 1914, the Belgian capital of Brussels was captured during the German invasion in World War I. the invasion came after Belgium backtracked on its earlier pledge of maintaining neutrality during the war. After rejecting a German ultimatum for safe passage in its territory and receiving a proclamation of military support from Britain, Belgium was invaded by Germany and its capital captured.

3. In 1988, the Iran-Iraq War came to an end after 7 years of a deadly conventional war between the two Middle Eastern countries. The war had begun when Iraq invaded Iran on September 22, 1980, with the intention of replacing Iran as the dominant Persian Gulf state.

Birthdays

1. 1931 – Don King, American boxing promoter known for his involvement in some of the most historic boxing matchups. 

2. 1992 – Demi Lovato, American singer and actress.

Sources: Wikipedia, checkiday & bornglorious.com

 Picture credit: Hicare