COUNTDOWN TO NOVEMBER 20TH

November 20th

Remembrance and justice — honoring lives lost to violence and commemorating humanity's pursuit of accountability.

--Days
--Hours
--Minutes
--Seconds
What Makes This Day Special

November 20th
Significance

🏳️‍⚧️

Transgender Day of Remembrance

First observed on November 20, 1999, Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) honors the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost to anti-transgender violence. The day was founded by activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith to memorialize Rita Hester, a transgender woman murdered in Boston in 1998. Now observed worldwide, TDoR raises awareness about the violence faced by transgender and gender non-conforming people and promotes advocacy for their rights, dignity, and safety. It's a day of mourning, remembrance, and commitment to justice.

⚖️

Nuremberg Trials Begin (1945)

On November 20, 1945, the Nuremberg Trials commenced in Nuremberg, Germany, prosecuting 24 high-ranking Nazi officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity. This unprecedented international tribunal, conducted by the Allied powers (United States, Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain), established the principle that individuals could be held accountable for atrocities committed during wartime. The trials lasted 10 months, featuring 216 court sessions and ultimately resulted in 12 death sentences, seven prison terms, and three acquittals.

🌍

Universal Children's Day

November 20th is also Universal Children's Day, established by the United Nations in 1954. The date commemorates the day in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, and the day in 1989 when it adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child—the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. The day promotes international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide, advocating for their welfare, rights, and protection.

Historical Events

This Day
in History

1945

Nuremberg Trials Begin

Twenty-four Nazi leaders went on trial before an International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg for crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The trials were groundbreaking in international law, establishing that "following orders" was not a valid defense for atrocities. Chief prosecutor Robert H. Jackson delivered a powerful opening statement: "The wrongs which we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored." The proceedings set precedents for international justice that influence war crimes tribunals today.

1998

International Space Station Assembly Begins

Russia launched Zarya, the first module of the International Space Station (ISS), from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Two weeks later, the Space Shuttle Endeavour launched with the Unity module, and astronauts connected the two components in orbit. This marked the beginning of the largest international cooperative scientific and engineering project in history, involving space agencies from the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. The ISS has been continuously inhabited since November 2, 2000, serving as a laboratory for scientific research and international collaboration.

1925

Robert F. Kennedy Born

Robert Francis Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the seventh child of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy. He would serve as U.S. Attorney General under his brother President John F. Kennedy, championing civil rights and leading the fight against organized crime. After JFK's assassination, RFK became a U.S. Senator from New York and a leading voice for social justice, peace, and equality. Running for president in 1968, he was assassinated on June 5, 1968, shortly after winning the California Democratic primary.