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  1. On this day - 20 February

On this day - 20 February

Historical items of interest as featured in the papers of the day.

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Anthony Eden resigns as foreign secretary

Action 20/02/1938

Anthony Eden became Foreign Secretary in 1935. He publicly resigned on February 20th 1938 in a protest against policy relating to relations with Italy, which was then under fascist rule by Mussolini. He later went on to serve as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1955 until 1957 when he resigned. He is one of few men known to have had dinner with Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin (not simultaneously)!

The highlighted article in Action discusses his resignation with the author strongly supporting Eden's departure from the position of Foreign Secretary.

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Ranger 8 photographs the moon

Daily Worker 20/02/1965
Ranger 8 was a lunar probe whose mission was to photograph the surface of the moon. These photographs were then used to help select an appropriate landing site for future Apollo missions. Ranger 8 reached the moon on February 20th 1965 and transmitted over 7000 images of the surface of the moon back to Earth. It then crashed into the surface of the moon, forming a crater.

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