October 20, 1727

1727 James Oglethorpe dropped out of Corpus Christi College at Oxford University without completing his B.A. degree. However, he would receive a special M.A. degree on July 31, 1731.

October 20, 1820

1820 As a result of Spain selling East Florida to the U.S. for $5 million, Georgia got a new southern neighbor.

October 20, 1839

1839 Lawyer and veteran politician Augustus Octavious Bacon was born in Bryan County, Georgia (although he ultimately made his home in Macon). After graduating from the University of Georgia with undergraduate and law degrees, he began the practice of law in Atlanta in 1860. Bacon became involved in politics after serving in the Confederate army during the Civil War. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1871-1883, eventually rising to the prominent position of Speaker of the House. Bacon was elected to the U.S. Senate, serving from 1895 until his death in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 14, 1914. Following his death, the Georgia General Assembly passed an act creating Bacon County, which Gov. John Slaton signed into law on Nov. 3, 1914.

October 20, 1886

1886 The committee created by the legislature to choose a site for the new state technology school of Georgia selected Atlanta.

October 20, 1905

1905 En route to Atlanta, Pres. Theodore Roosevelt’s train stopped in Roswell so he could visit Bulloch Hall, girlhood home of his mother Martha Bulloch Roosevelt.

October 20, 1918

1918 There was a slight decrease in the number of new cases of Spanish influenza reported statewide.

October 20, 1963

1963 St. Simons Island-born Jim Brown set a National Football League single-season rushing record of 1,863 yards -- a record that stood until broken by O.J. Simpson in 1973. In 1971, Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

October 20, 1969

1969 The U.S. Department of Interior designated the Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge on Wassaw Island off the coast of Chatham County.

October 20, 1996

1996 Playing in New York, the Atlanta Braves embarrassed the Yankees in the opening game of the World Series with a 12-1 win. In his first at-bat, 19-year-old Andruw Jones hit a home run to become the youngest player to homer in the history of the World Series. During his second at-bat, Jones hit another home run to become the second player to hit back-to-back home runs in his first appearance in the World Series.

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Atlanta, GA 30318
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Today in History

1962 In Atlanta, the federal district court for the northern district of Georgia issued a ruling in the case of Toombs v. Fortson that found both houses of the Georgia … read more