On 18 August 1920 Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which says that the right to vote shall not be denied on account of sex, providing the final vote needed. A young legislator, Harry Burn, changed his vote after a letter from his mother telling him to 'be a good boy' and support suffrage. The amendment was certified on 26 August. It followed 72 years of campaigning since Seneca Falls, but many Black women in the South, as well as Native Americans and Asians, were prevented from voting by other laws until the 1960s.
Before and after
- 14 June 1920Death of Max Weber
- 25 July 1920Birth of Rosalind Franklin
- 10 August 1920Treaty of Sèvres
- 16 August 1920Birth of Charles Bukowski
- 18 August 1920The 19th Amendment gives American women the vote
- 22 August 1920Birth of Ray Bradbury
- from 20 September 1920 to 1 January 1932Founding of International Mathematical Union
- from 23 September 1920 to 2 December 1920Turkish–Armenian War
- from 24 September 1920 to 29 November 1920Red Army invasion of Armenia
More in Society, economy & sport
- 1915Armenian Genocide
- from 1919 to 1946Founding of League of Nations
- 11 December 1931Founding of Commonwealth of Nations
- 18 June 1932Founding of International Basketball Federation
- 1938Founding of Samsung Group
- 22 July 1944Founding of International Monetary Fund
The era
This moment belongs to the Modern era (1914 CE to 1945 CE), world wars and a changing world. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.