1. On June 20, 1863, the Civil War Battle of Hoover's Gap took place in Rutherford County, Tennessee, which is now part of the Nashville metropolitan area. The Confederate Army attempted to stop the Union Army's advance, but ultimately failed, paving the way for the Union's eventual capture of Chattanooga.

2. On June 20, 1901, the first excavation work began on the Alabama State Capitol building in Montgomery. The building was designed by Georgia architect Barachias Holt and completed in 1851, but additions and renovations continued for many years.

3. June 20, 1921, marked the birthdate of famed civil rights leader and congressman John Lewis, who was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Lewis was born in Troy, Alabama, and later represented Georgia's 5th congressional district for over 30 years.

4. On June 20, 1964, three civil rights workers - James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner - were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan near Philadelphia, Mississippi. The incident received national attention and helped to catalyze support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was signed into law just a few days later.

5. Finally, June 20, 2002, saw the opening of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's new Davidson Center for Space Exploration in Huntsville, Alabama. The center features a number of historical spacecraft and exhibits, including a Saturn V rocket, and is dedicated to educating visitors about the history and future of space exploration.