Tag Archives: 20 October

20 October 1973

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The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic and recognizable landmarks in the world, located in Sydney, Australia. It is renowned for its distinctive and innovative design, which sets it apart as a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture.

Architectural Marvel: The Sydney Opera House was designed by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon and opened on October 20, 1973. Its unique and modernist design features a series of sail-like shells or “sails” that appear to be billowing in the wind.

UNESCO World Heritage Site: In 2007, the Sydney Opera House was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its architectural significance and contribution to the cultural heritage of humanity.

Location: It is situated on Bennelong Point, a prominent peninsula that juts out into Sydney Harbour. This prime waterfront location offers stunning views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the city’s skyline.

Performance Venues: The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts center. It houses several performance venues, the most notable of which are the Concert Hall, Opera Theatre, Drama Theatre, and the Joan Sutherland Theatre. These venues host a wide range of performances, including opera, ballet, symphony concerts, theater, and more.

Versatile Programming: The Opera House is not limited to classical performances but also hosts a diverse array of events, including contemporary music concerts, comedy shows, talks, and cultural festivals.

Acoustics: Each of the performance venues in the Sydney Opera House has been acoustically designed to ensure optimal sound quality for different types of performances. The Concert Hall, for example, is known for its exceptional acoustics and is often used for orchestral and choral performances.

Tours: Guided tours are available to the public, allowing visitors to explore the interior of the Sydney Opera House, learn about its history, architecture, and enjoy panoramic views of Sydney Harbour from various vantage points.

Cultural Icon: The Sydney Opera House is not just a venue for the performing arts; it is also a symbol of Australian culture and a testament to human creativity. Its image is widely associated with Australia and is featured on various forms of media and merchandise.

Economic and Cultural Impact: The Sydney Opera House has a significant impact on both the cultural and economic aspects of Sydney and Australia as a whole. It attracts millions of tourists annually and contributes to the city’s cultural vibrancy.

Renovations and Maintenance: Over the years, the Sydney Opera House has undergone several renovations and maintenance projects to preserve its architectural integrity and ensure that it continues to serve as a world-class performing arts venue.

20 October 1803

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The USA Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.

On this day in 1803, the U.S. Senate approves a treaty with France providing for the purchase of the territory of Louisiana, which would double the size of the United States.

At the end of 18th century, the Spanish technically owned Louisiana, the huge region west of the Mississippi that had once been claimed by France and named for its monarch, King Louis XIV. Despite Spanish ownership, American settlers in search of new land were already threatening to overrun the territory by the early 19th century. Recognizing it could not effectively maintain control of the region, Spain ceded Louisiana back to France in 1801, sparking intense anxieties in Washington, D.C. Under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte, France had become the most powerful nation in Europe, and unlike Spain, it had the military power and the ambition to establish a strong colony in Louisiana and keep out the Americans.

Realizing that it was essential that the U.S. at least maintain control of the mouth of the all-important Mississippi River, early in 1803 President Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe to join the French foreign minister, Robert Livingston, in France to see if Napoleon might be persuaded to sell New Orleans and West Florida to the U.S. By that spring, the European situation had changed radically. Napoleon, who had previously envisioned creating a mighty new French empire in America, was now facing war with Great Britain. Rather than risk the strong possibility that Great Britain would quickly capture Louisiana and leave France with nothing, Napoleon decided to raise money for his war and simultaneously deny his enemy plum territory by offering to sell the entire territory to the U.S. for a mere $15 million. Flabbergasted, Monroe and Livingston decided that they couldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity, and they wisely overstepped the powers delegated to them and accepted Napoleon’s offer.

Despite his misgivings about the constitutionality of the purchase, Jefferson finally agreed to send the treaty to the U.S. Senate for ratification, noting privately, “The less we say about constitutional difficulties the better.” Despite his concerns, the treaty was ratified and the Louisiana Purchase now ranks as the greatest achievement of Jefferson’s presidency.

20 October 1982

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During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death in the Luzhniki disaster.

Luzhniki Stadium

On 20 October 1982, the weather in Moscow was snowy and extraordinarily cold for the middle of October, ?10 °C.There were 82,000 match tickets available, but because of the freezing weather conditions only 16,500 tickets were sold. According to some reports the total number of tickets sold was 16,643.

The Grand Arena of Central Lenin Stadium (also called Olympic Stadium) did not have a roof over the seating at the time it was installed in the 1997 improvements. In preparation for the match, the stadium management decided to open only two of the four stands for fans: the East Stand and the West Stand, to have enough time to clean snow from the stands before the game Each stand had seating for 23,000 spectators. Most of the fans about 12,000 went to the East Stand, which was closer to the Metro station. There were approximately 100 Dutch supporters; the vast majority of fans in attendance were fans of Spartak Moscow.

The match started at 7:00 pm. In the 16th minute Spartak took the lead through an Edgar Gess strike. The rest of the game was largely uneventful. Minutes before the end of the game, several hundred fans began to leave the stadium in an attempt to get to the Metro station ahead of the crowds.

There were two covered stairways in Luzhniki under each stand, leading down to the exits. All of the exits at both stands were open. However, most of the fans from the East Stand rushed to Stairway 1, closer to the Metro station.

20 October 1803

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The United States Senate agrees to purchase Louisiana.

With the Louisiana Purchase in October 20,1803, the United States purchased approximately 828,000,000 square miles of territory from France, thereby doubling the size of the young republic. What was known as Louisiana Territory stretched from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to the Canadian border in the north. Part or all of 15 states were eventually created from the land deal, which is considered one of the most important achievements of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency.

The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory for the bargain price of less than three cents an acre was among Jefferson’s most notable achievements as president. American expansion westward into the new lands began immediately, and in 1804 a territorial government was established. On April 30, 1812, exactly nine years after the Louisiana Purchase agreement was made, the first state to be carved from the territory Louisiana was admitted into the Union as the 18th U.S. state.