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Carthaginian war elephants, depicted by Bussière The Battle of the Bagradas River was fought in 240 BC, in present-day north-east Tunisia, between a Carthaginian army led by Hamilcar Barca and a rebel force led by Spendius. Carthage was fighting a coalition of mutinous soldiers and rebellious African cities in the Mercenary War, which had started late the previous year in the wake of the First Punic War. Hamilcar left Carthage and evaded a rebel blockade by crossing the Bagradas River (the modern Medjerda River) at its mouth. Two rebel armies marched towards the Carthaginians. When they came into sight Hamilcar ordered a feigned retreat. The rebels broke ranks to chase the Carthaginians and this impetuous pursuit caused them to fall into disorder. Once the rebels had closed, the Carthaginians turned and charged them. The rebels broke and were routed. The Carthaginians pursued, killing or capturing many of the rebels and taking a bridge over the Bagradas. This victory gave Hamilcar freedom to manoeuvre and the operational initiative. (This article* is part of a featured topic: Mercenary War.)* Recently featured: SMS Niobe American Writers 1271 Avenue of the Americas Archive By email More featured articles About
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Pablo Busch ... that a bandit spared the life of physician Pablo Busch (pictured) because "he treated the poor for free"? ... that a skull of the distant horse relative Palaeotherium was first misidentified as an amphibian, then as a canine? ... that Nikolaus Mollyn was the first book printer in Riga, and the first to print a book in Latvian within the present-day territory of Latvia? ... that in addition to millions murdered, Nazi crimes against children included compulsory sterilization, forced labor, forced institutionalization, medical experiments and Germanisation? ... that Chivas USA had eleven different managers over ten seasons? ... that literary critic Qian Xingcun brought several Communist writers into the Shanghai film industry? ... that the clergy of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis were upset about the sale of Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary after its closure? ... that Femke Bol successfully defended her 2021 title by winning the women's 400 metres at the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships? ... that Louis Abramson worked on the renovation of a building that he designed 57 years earlier? Archive Start a new article Nominate an article

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On this day...

December 20

Russian and U.S. Implementation Force troops

1852 – Led by George Cathcart, British troops defeated Basuto and Taung forces at the Battle of Berea in present-day Lesotho, leading to an offer of peace from King Moshoeshoe I.
1940 – The superhero Captain America made his first published appearance in the comic book Captain America Comics #1.
1980 – NBC aired the American football match between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins without announcers.
1995 – Mandated by the Dayton Agreement that ended the Bosnian War, the NATO-led Implementation Force (troops pictured) began peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
1999 – Portugal transferred the sovereignty over Macau, which it had administered since the mid–16th century, to China.

Ambroise Paré (d. 1590)
Jean Jannon (d. 1658)
Bill O'Reilly (b. 1905)
Elizabeth Kekaʻaniau (d. 1928)

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