On this day in military history, June 20: 0451 - Roman and barbarian warriors halt Attila's army at the Catalaunian Plains in eastern France. 1212 - French and Spanish crusaders unite against the Almohaden at Toledo. 1361 - Battle of San Ruffillo: The Papacy defeats the Visconti. 1402 - Battle of Angora, Ankara-Tatars defeat Turkish Army. 1499 - Battle of Frastanz: The Swiss defeat the Hapsburgs. 1593 - Battle of Sissex: The Hapsburgs defeat the Ottoman Turks. 1622 - Battle of Hochst: Imperialst under Tilly and Cordoba defeat Christian of Brunswick. 1656 - Polish King Jan II Casimir recaptures Warsaw. 1756 - Nearly 150 British soldiers are imprisoned in the 'Black Hole' cell of Calcutta. Most die. 1779 - American Revolutionary War: Battle of Stone Ferry. 1813 - U.S. gunboats engage three British ships at Hampton Roads, Va. 1863 - American Civil War: Skirmish at Greencastle Pennsylvania. 1864 - American Civil War: Skirmish at Lattermore's Mills/Powder Springs Georgia. 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Petersburgs Virginia - in trenches. 1864 - American Civil War: Battle of Kinston North Carolina and Battle of Abingdon, Virginia. 1866 - Italy declares war on Austria. 1898 - On the way to the Philippines to fight the Spanish, the U.S. Navy seizes the island of Guam. 1915 - World War I: German offensive in Argonnes. 1923 - France announces it will seize the Rhineland to assist Germany in paying her war debts. 1941 - World War II: The U.S. Army Air Force is established, replacing the Army Air Corps. 1941 - World War II: German U-203 fails on torpedo attack on U.S. battleship Texas. 1942 - World War II: German troops conquer Tobruk, North Africa. 1942 - World War II: Japanese sub I-26 shells Port Estevan, near Vancouver. 1943 - World War II: New Guinea: Japanese attack Australian 17th Bde on Mubo-Lababia Ridge. 1944 - World War II: Nazi begin mass extermination of Jews at Auschwitz. 1944 - World War II: Soviet forces conquer Wiborg. 1944 - World War II: U.S. attacks Japanese fleet in Philippines Sea - Japanese CV Hijo sunk. 1944 - World War II: U.S. troops occupy Biak. 1964 - Vietnam War: General William Westmoreland succeeds General Paul Harkins as head of the U.S. forces in Vietnam. 1999 - NATO declares an official end to its bombing campaign of Yugoslavia.

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