On this day... September 20

On this day...

September 20 1066 – King Harald III of Norway and Tostig Godwinson, his English ally, fought and defeated the Northern Earls Edwin and Morcar in the Battle of Fulford near York, England. 1498 – A tsunami caused by the Meiō Nankaidō earthquake washed away the building housing the statue of theGreat Buddha at Kōtoku-in in Kamakura, Japan. 1971 – Hurricane Irene (satellite image pictured) departed Nicaragua to become the first known tropical cyclone to successfully cross from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific. 1984 - The Cosby Show, which became one of three U.S. shows to have the highest ratings five years in a row, aired its its pilot episode. 2011 – The United States ended its "don't ask, don't tell" policy, allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve in the military.