On this day in history - February 20

What Happened On This Day – February 20

• 1988 The Nagorno-Karabakh War is triggered by der Autonomous Oblast's secession from Azerbaijan

  Today, Nagorno-Karabakh is a de facto independent state, but the territory is still internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

• 1962 The first U.S. citizen to orbit the Earth lands safely in the Atlantic Ocean

  John Glenn's 5-hour spaceflight came almost a year after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth on April 12, 1961.

• 1944 U.S. bombers attack German aircraft manufacturing centers, in a bombing campaign that became known as the “Big Week”

  The goal was to achieve air superiority to secure the invasion of Europe.

• 1913 Works to build Australia's capital city commence

  Canberra is an entirely planned city and was chosen as the Australian capital as a compromise between rivals Sydney and Melbourne.

• 1877 Tchaikovsky's ballet “Swan Lake” is premiered

  It is one of the world's best-known ballets.