Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1952 Emmett Ashford became the first African American umpire in organized professional baseball.
DiasporaOn this day — February 20 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
We are adding a source to every entry in this archive. 1 of 5 on this page carry one so far. The rest were written before per-entry citations were recorded, so if you intend to rely on one, check it independently until its source appears here. See our sourcing methodology.
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1952 A gas cylinder ignited in a crowded third-class carriage on the Cairo to Luxor night train, and fire spread through seven carriages while the train ran on for another two and a half miles before stopping. Officials counted 373 dead. The carriages were built for 150 passengers and held about twice that, bars across the windows blocked the way out, and passengers threw one another through the openings as the train kept moving.
Sources: PBS NewsHour ; World Socialist Web Site
Tragedy
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1901 Muhammad Naguib, who became the 1st President of Egypt, was born.
BirthCándido Muatetema Rivas, who became Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea, was born.
Birth
CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons 1971 Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby union player regarded as one of the greatest scrum-halves in the sport's history, was born.
Birth