Major Events of July 1920: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from July 1920 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of July 1920: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Jul 1920 Sir Robert Borden Resigns as Canadian Prime Minister: After nine years of distinguished service, Sir Robert Borden announced his resignation as Prime Minister of Canada, citing health concerns. His departure marked the end of a significant era in Canadian political leadership during the post-World War I period.
02 Jul 1920 Russo-Polish War: Tukhachevsky's Decisive Battle Proclamation: Soviet military leader Mikhail Tukhachevsky issued a dramatic proclamation north of the Pripet Marshes, declaring that the fate of the global revolutionary movement hinged on the conflict with Poland. His inflammatory rhetoric emphasized the strategic importance of the war and the Bolsheviks' revolutionary ambitions.
03 Jul 1920 Denmark Reclaims Schleswig Province: King Christian X of Denmark ratifies a treaty with Germany, successfully returning the northern part of the former German Duchy of Schleswig to Danish control, establishing the province of Slesvig.
04 Jul 1920 Uneventful Day in 1920: While July 4, 1920 appears to be a day without significant recorded historical events, it falls within the post-World War I era, a period of significant global transformation. The United States was experiencing the aftermath of World War I, with social and economic changes emerging during the Roaring Twenties. This particular date might represent a typical summer day in an era of transition, with ongoing societal shifts in politics, culture, and technology.
05 Jul 1920 First Woman Receives Presidential Nomination Vote: A historic moment in American political history occurred when Laura Clay, a Kentucky delegate to the Democratic National Convention, became the first American woman to receive a vote for a presidential nomination from a major political party. During the 33rd ballot, Augustus O. Stanley, chairman of the Kentucky delegation, cast one of the state's 26 votes for Mrs. Clay, marking a significant milestone in women's political representation.
06 Jul 1920 Democratic National Convention Nominates James M. Cox: The Democratic National Convention selected Ohio Governor James M. Cox as the party's presidential nominee after an intense 44-ballot process. Cox secured 699½ votes from delegates, emerging as the consensus candidate in a competitive nomination battle.
07 Jul 1920 Horrific Lynching of Arthur Brothers in Paris, Texas: In a deeply disturbing act of racial violence, a mob in Paris, Texas, forcibly entered the Lamar County courthouse jail and seized two African-American brothers, Irving Arthur and Herman Arthur. The brothers had been arrested on suspicion of murdering their landlord and his son on July 2. The mob brutally lynched the brothers at the county fairgrounds, burning them at the stake in a horrific display of racist terrorism.
08 Jul 1920 Allied Powers Issue Ultimatum to Germany: The Allied powers delivered a critical 24-hour ultimatum to Germany regarding military disarmament. The demands included reducing the German Army from 200,000 to 150,000 by the end of October, and further down to 100,000 by the end of January 1921. British Prime Minister David Lloyd George warned that failure to accept the disarmament plan by noon on July 9 would result in Allied troops crossing the Rhine to occupy Germany.
09 Jul 1920 Lynching of Arthur Brothers in Paris, Texas: A horrific act of racial violence occurred in Paris, Texas, where a mob forcibly entered the Lamar County courthouse jail and seized two African-American brothers, Irving Arthur and Herman Arthur. The brothers, who had been arrested on suspicion of murdering their landlord and his son, were brutally taken to the county fairgrounds and burned alive in a shocking display of racist mob violence. This incident represents a deeply tragic example of the systemic racism and extrajudicial violence prevalent in the early 20th-century American South.
10 Jul 1920 Arthur Meighen Becomes Prime Minister of Canada: Arthur Meighen was sworn in as the 9th Prime Minister of Canada, succeeding Sir Robert Borden. Meighen, a Conservative Party leader, would serve two separate terms as Prime Minister during a tumultuous period in Canadian political history.
11 Jul 1920 Allied Powers Negotiate Polish Defense Strategy: During the Spa Conference, Allied premiers discussed strategic support for Poland, conditionally offering defense aid. The key conditions included Poland's agreement to revert to its pre-war territorial boundaries and the immediate cessation of hostilities between Polish and Soviet forces, reflecting the complex geopolitical negotiations of the post-World War I era.
12 Jul 1920 Soviet-Lithuanian Peace Treaty Establishes Lithuanian Independence: On July 12, 1920, Lithuania and the Soviet Union signed a historic peace treaty that formally recognized Lithuania's independence. This diplomatic agreement marked a significant milestone in Lithuania's path to sovereignty, with Soviet Russia acknowledging the country's right to self-determination and establishing diplomatic relations.
13 Jul 1920 Soviet Forces Capture Lemberg/Lwow: During the Polish-Soviet War, the Soviet Army and Ukrainian Bolsheviks captured Lemberg (Lwow), a strategically important former Austro-Hungarian town then occupied by Poland. The capture involved driving out Polish and Ukrainian defending forces, representing a significant moment in the territorial conflicts of Eastern Europe.
14 Jul 1920 French Ultimatum to Syrian King Faisal: On July 14, 1920, General Henri Gouraud, France's newly appointed High Commissioner for Syria, delivered a critical diplomatic ultimatum to Faisal al-Hashemi, the self-proclaimed King of Syria. The ultimatum demanded unrestricted French access to the strategic railway corridor connecting Riyaq (in modern-day Lebanon) and Aleppo, with a firm deadline of July 20. This demand was part of France's broader colonial strategy in the Levant following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and represented a significant moment of imperial pressure on emerging Arab sovereignty.
15 Jul 1920 Soviet Capture of Lemberg: The Soviet Army and Ukrainian Bolsheviks captured Lemberg (now Lviv), a strategically important former Austro-Hungarian town then occupied by Poland, signaling territorial conflicts in Eastern Europe.
16 Jul 1920 Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye: The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, originally signed on September 10, 1919, was a significant post-World War I agreement between the Allied Powers and several Central and Eastern European countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania, reshaping territorial and political boundaries.
17 Jul 1920 Birth of Juan Antonio Samaranch, Olympic Leader: Juan Antonio Samaranch was born in Barcelona, Spain, on this date. He would later become a significant figure in international sports administration, serving as the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1980 to 2001. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in modernizing and globalizing the Olympic movement, helping to expand the Games' international reach and commercial appeal.
18 Jul 1920 Soviet and Ukrainian Bolsheviks Capture Lemberg: In a significant military operation during the Polish-Soviet War, Soviet Army units and Ukrainian Bolshevik forces successfully captured Lemberg (known as Lwow in Polish), a strategically important city in the contested territories of Eastern Europe. This capture represented a major shift in the regional power dynamics, driving out Polish and Ukrainian defending forces and expanding Soviet territorial control.
19 Jul 1920 Second Congress of Communist International Convenes: The Second Congress of the Communist International (Comintern) opened in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, adopting the controversial Twenty-one Conditions, which established strict guidelines for communist parties worldwide and solidified the ideological direction of the international communist movement.
20 Jul 1920 French Ultimatum in Syria: General Henri Gouraud, France's High Commissioner for Syria, issued a critical ultimatum to King Faisal al-Hashemi, demanding unobstructed access to the railway between Riyaq and Aleppo. This action was part of France's colonial mandate in the region and signaled growing tensions between French colonial authorities and local Arab leadership.
21 Jul 1920 Belfast Pogrom of 1920: On July 21, 1920, a significant sectarian conflict erupted in Belfast, Northern Ireland, marking the beginning of a two-year period of intense violence. During this event, thousands of Catholic workers were systematically expelled from their jobs in shipyards, factories, and linen mills, primarily by Protestant workers and loyalist groups. This pogrom was part of the broader Irish War of Independence and reflected deep-seated sectarian tensions between Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland.
22 Jul 1920 Warren G. Harding's Foreign Policy Speech: Senator Warren G. Harding delivered a significant foreign policy address advocating for a 'covenant of conscience' instead of a rigid international agreement. He proposed an alternative approach to international diplomacy, criticizing the League of Nations' Article 10 and suggesting a more flexible peace strategy with Germany. Harding emphasized reducing armaments and minimizing the potential for future global conflicts, which would later be partially realized through the 1921-22 Conference on the Limitation of Armament.
23 Jul 1920 Battle of Maysalun: On July 23, 1920, the Battle of Maysalun took place, where French forces decisively defeated the Syrian army. This battle was a crucial moment in the French mandate period in Syria, demonstrating the colonial power's military superiority and solidifying their control in the region.
24 Jul 1920 BOGUS - Horrific Racial Lynching in Paris, Texas: A deeply disturbing incident of racial violence occurred in Paris, Texas, where a mob illegally entered the Lamar County courthouse, seized two African-American brothers (Irving Arthur and Herman Arthur), and brutally murdered them at the county fairgrounds through burning at the stake, reflecting the extreme racial injustice prevalent during this period.
25 Jul 1920 French Capture of Damascus: French forces entered Damascus, solidifying their control over Syria and marking a pivotal moment in the post-World War I Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape, establishing French colonial influence in the region.
26 Jul 1920 Charles Ponzi Investment Fraud Exposed: The Boston Post initiated a groundbreaking investigative series exposing Charles Ponzi's fraudulent investment scheme, which would later become synonymous with financial fraud. This reporting would ultimately lead to the unraveling of Ponzi's elaborate financial scam and introduce the term 'Ponzi scheme' into the global lexicon.
27 Jul 1920 First Radio Compass for Aircraft Navigation: A groundbreaking moment in aviation technology occurred when the radio compass was first utilized for aircraft navigation, marking a significant advancement in aerial positioning and safety.
28 Jul 1920 Cary Grant's Early Immigration to America: Archibald 'Archie' Leach, who would later become the legendary Hollywood actor Cary Grant, arrived in the United States at Ellis Island as a 16-year-old English vaudeville performer. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of his transformative journey from a young British entertainer to one of the most iconic and charismatic movie stars of the 20th century. Leach, born in Bristol, England, was part of a traveling performance troupe and would eventually reinvent himself in Hollywood, changing his name to Cary Grant and becoming a symbol of sophistication and charm in classic American cinema.
29 Jul 1920 Pancho Villa's Surrender: On July 29, 1920, Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa formally surrendered to the Mexican government, effectively ending his long-standing armed rebellion. This event signaled a crucial turning point in Mexico's post-revolutionary period and represented the gradual stabilization of the country's political landscape.
30 Jul 1920 Soviet and Ukrainian Forces Capture Lemberg: The Soviet Army and Ukrainian Bolsheviks captured Lemberg (now Lviv, Ukraine), a strategically important former Austro-Hungarian town then occupied by Poland. This event was part of the complex territorial conflicts following World War I and the Russian Revolution.
31 Jul 1920 Denmark Reclaims Northern Schleswig from Germany: On July 31, 1920, King Christian X of Denmark formally ratified a treaty with Germany that restored the northern part of the former German Duchy of Schleswig to Danish control. This territorial adjustment was a direct result of the post-World War I territorial reorganizations and the principle of national self-determination, resolving long-standing border disputes between Denmark and Germany.