^{James Meredith, who desegregated the University of Mississippi, is escorted to class by US marshals (Photo: Marion S. Trikosko, US News and World Report, public domain by deed of gift to the Library of Congress, digital ID ppmsca.04292)}

Today in History

• The Prophet Muhammad and Abu Baker arrive in Medina (622)
• Saladin begins the Siege of Jerusalem (1187)
• Ferdinand Magellan sets sail on an expedition to circumnavigate the globe (1519)
• American Civil War: The Battle of Chickamauga, the bloodiest two-day battle of the war, concludes (1863)
• The first Cannes Film Festival is held (1946)
• African-American James Meredith is barred from entering the University of Mississippi; he is later admitted by court order (1962)
• Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes tennis match (1973)
• The US military ends “don’t ask, don’t tell” (2011)

Birthdays

• Upton Sinclair, author and political candidate (1878)
• Maxwell Perkins, editor (1884)
• Charles Williams, author (1886)
• Red Auerbach, basketball coach (1917)
• Jay Ward, animator (1920)
• Anne Meara, actress (1929)
• Sophia Loren, actress (1934)
• Keith Roberts, author (1935)
• George R. R. Martin, author and television producer (1948)
• Gary Cole, actor (1956)
• Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, singer-songwriters (1967)

Deaths

• Fletcher Christian, mutineer (1793)
• Jacob Grimm, mythologist (1863)
• Annie Besant, theosophist (1933)
• Fiorello La Guardia, New York mayor (1947)
• Jim Croche, singer-songwriter (1973)
• Paul Erdös, mathematician (1996)
• Gherman Titov, cosmonaut (2000)
• Simon Wiesenthal, Holocaust survivor and human rights activist (2005)
• Polly Bergen, actress (2014)

Holidays and Observances

• Independence Day (South Ossetia, not fully recognized)
• Constitution Day (Nepal)
• Youth Day (Thailand)
• Oil Workers’ Day (Azerbaijan)
• Universal Children’s Day (Germany)

September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). There are 102 days remaining until the end of the year.