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February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 314 days remaining until the end of the year (315 in leap years).
Events[]
- 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a dowry payment.
- 1547 - Edward VI of England crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
- 1792 - The Postal Service Act, establishing the United States Post Office Department, is signed by President George Washington.
- 1798 - Louis Alexandre Berthier removes Pope Pius VI from power.
- 1810 - Andreas Hofer, Tyrolean patriot and leader of rebellion against Napoleon's forces, was executed.
- 1816 - Gioachino Rossini's The Barber of Seville debuts at Teatro Argentina, with a fiasco.
- 1835 - Concepción is destroyed by an earthquake
- 1864 - Battle of Olustee
- 1872 - In New York City the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens.
- 1873 - The University of California opens its first medical school in San Francisco.
- 1901 - The legislature of Hawaii Territory convenes for the first time.
- 1909 - Publication of the Futurist Manifesto in the French journal Le Figaro
- 1913 - King O'Malley drives in the first survey peg to mark commencement of work on the construction of Canberra.
- 1931 - California gets the go-ahead by the U.S. Congress to build the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
- 1942 - Lieutenant Edward O'Hare becomes America's first World War II flying ace.
- 1943 - American movie studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies.
- 1943 - The Parícutin volcano begins to form in Paricutín, México.
- 1944 - World War II: "Big Week" ended with American bomber raids on Nazi aircraft manufacturing centers.
- 1944 - World War II: The United States takes Eniwetok Island.
- 1947 - State of Prussia ceases to exist
- 1952 - Emmett Ashford becomes the first African-American umpire in organized baseball by being authorized to be a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League.
- 1959 - The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
- 1962 - Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn orbits the earth three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes, becoming the first American to orbit the earth.
- 1965 - Ranger 8 crashes into the moon after a successful mission of photographing possible landing sites for the Apollo program astronauts.
- 1976 - The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization disbands.
- 1987 - Unabomber: In Salt Lake City, in the USA, a bomb explodes in a computer store.
- 1991 - A gigantic statue of Albania's long-time dictator, Enver Hoxha, is brought down in the Albanian capital, Tirana, by mobs of angry protesters.
- 1998 - American figure skater Tara Lipinski becomes the youngest gold-medalist at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
- 2002 - In Reqa Al-Gharbiya, Egypt, a fire on a train injures over 65 and kills at least 370.
- 2005 - Spain becomes the first country to vote in a referendum on ratification of the proposed Constitution of the European Union, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
Births[]
- 1631 - Thomas Osborne, English statesman (d. 1712)
- 1745 - Henry James Pye, English poet (d. 1813)
- 1751 - Johann Heinrich Voß, German poet (d. 1826)
- 1753 - Louis Alexandre Berthier, French marshal (d. 1815)
- 1757 - John 'Mad Jack' Fuller, English philanthropist (d. 1834)
- 1794 - William Carleton, Irish novelist (d. 1869)
- 1802 - Charles de Bériot, Belgian violinist (d. 1870)
- 1819 - Alfred Escher, Swiss politician, railroad entrepreneur (d. 1882)
- 1839 - Benjamin Waugh, American minister; founder of the NSPCC (d. 1908)
- 1844 - Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist (d. 1906)
- 1844 - Joshua Slocum, Canadian seaman and adventurer (d. 1909)
- 1848 - Edward Henry Harriman, American railroad executive (d. 1909)
- 1850 - Nérée Beauchemin, Canadian physician and poet (d. 1931)
- 1866 - Carl Westman, Swedish architect and designer (d. 1936)
- 1867 - Louise (d. 1931)
- 1880 - Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen, French aristocrat and novelist (d. 1923)
- 1887 - Vincent Massey, Governor-General of Canada (d. 1967)
- 1888 - Georges Bernanos, French writer (d. 1948)
- 1893 - Russel Crouse, American playwright (d. 1966)
- 1898 - Enzo Ferrari, Italian automobile manufacturer, designer and racing car driver (d. 1988)
- 1898 - Jimmy Yancey, American pianist (d. 1951)
- 1899 - Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman (d. 1992)
- 1901 - Cecil Harmsworth King, English newspaper owner (d. 1987)
- 1901 - Muhammad Naguib, President of Egypt (d. 1984)
- 1902 - Ansel Adams, American photographer (d. 1984)
- 1904 - Alexei Kosygin, Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1980)
- 1906 - Gale Gordon, American television and radio actor (d. 1995)
- 1912 - Pierre Boulle, French author (d. 1994)
- 1914 - John Daly, South African-born broadcaster (d. 2001)
- 1920 - Evgeny Dragunov, Russian weapons designer (d. 1991)
- 1923 - Forbes Burnham, President of Guyana (d. 1985)
- 1924 - Gloria Vanderbilt, American socialite and clothing designer
- 1925 - Robert Altman, American film director (d. 2006)
- 1925 - Heinz Kluncker, German trade union leader
- 1926 - Richard Matheson, American author
- 1927 - Roy Cohn, American lawyer (d. 1986)
- 1927 - Ibrahim Ferrer, Cuban musician (Buena Vista Social Club) (d. 2005)
- 1927 - Sidney Poitier, American actor
- 1929 - Amanda Blake, American actress (d. 1989)
- 1930 - Willie Cunningham, Northern Irish footballer
- 1934 - Bobby Unser, American racing driver
- 1936 - Marj Dusay, American actress
- 1936 - Larry Hovis, American actor (d. 2003)
- 1937 - Robert Huber, German chemist, Nobel laureate
- 1937 - Roger Penske, American racing driver
- 1937 - Nancy Wilson, American singer
- 1938 - Richard Beymer, American actor
- 1939 - Frank Arundel, English footballer
- 1941 - Buffy Sainte-Marie, Canadian singer
- 1942 - Phil Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1942 - Charlie Gillett, British radio DJ
- 1942 - Mitch McConnell, American politician
- 1943 - Antonio Inoki, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1943 - Mike Leigh, British film director
- 1944 - Robert de Cotret, French Canadian politician (d. 1999)
- 1944 - Willem van Hanegem, Dutch footballer and coach
- 1944 - Martina Newberry, American poet, writer
- 1945 - Brion James, American actor (d. 1999)
- 1945 - Annu Kapoor, Indian actor
- 1946 - Brenda Blethyn, English actress
- 1946 - Richard Cocciante, French-Italian singer and songwriter
- 1946 - Sandy Duncan, American singer and actress
- 1946 - J. Geils, American guitarist (The J. Geils Band)
- 1947 - André van Duin, Dutch comedian
- 1947 - Eggert Magnusson, Icelandic football executive
- 1947 - Peter Osgood, English footballer (d. 2006)
- 1947 - Peter Strauss, American actor
- 1948 - Pierre Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1948 - Jennifer O'Neill, Brazilian-born actress
- 1949 - Ivana Trump, Czech-born American socialite
- 1950 - Walter Becker, American guitarist (Steely Dan)
- 1950 - Ken Shimura, Japanese performer and actor
- 1950 - Tony Wilson, British journalist and impresario (d. 2007)
- 1951 - Edward Albert, American actor (d. 2006)
- 1951 - Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- 1951 - Randy California, American guitarist (Spirit) (d. 1997)
- 1951 - Phil Neal, English footballer
- 1953 - Riccardo Chailly, Italian conductor
- 1953 - Poison Ivy, American musician (The Cramps)
- 1954 - Jon Brant, American musician (Cheap Trick)
- 1954 - Anthony Stewart Head, English actor
- 1954 - Patty Hearst, American socialite
- 1956 - Rick Green, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1957 - Glen Hanlon, Canadian ice hockey coach
- 1957 - Charlie Adler, American voice actor
- 1959 - Bill Gullickson, American baseball player
- 1960 - Joel Hodgson, American comedian (Mystery Science Theater 3000)
- 1960 - Kee Marcello, Swedish guitarist
- 1963 - Charles Barkley, American basketball player
- 1963 - Ian Brown, English singer (The Stone Roses)
- 1963 - Jon Lynn Christensen, former Nebraska Congressman
- 1964 - French Stewart, American actor
- 1966 - Cindy Crawford, American model
- 1967 - Kurt Cobain, American musician (Nirvana) (d. 1994)
- 1967 - Andrew Shue, American television actor
- 1967 - Lili Taylor, American actress
- 1968 - Ted Hankey, English darts player
- 1969 - Vaginal Davis, American drag queen and performance artist
- 1969 - Gedo, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1971 - Jari Litmanen, Finnish footballer
- 1971 - Shawn McKenzie, American programmer
- 1972 - Brent Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1972 - K-OS, Canadian musician/rapper
- 1974 - Ophelie Winter, French actress
- 1975 - Liván Hernández, Cuban baseball player
- 1975 - Brian Littrell, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
- 1976 - Ed Graham, English drummer (The Darkness)
- 1976 - Gail Kim, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1977 - Bartosz Kizierowski, Polish swimmer
- 1977 - Stephon Marbury, American basketball player
- 1977 - T.J. Slaughter, American football player
- 1978 - Lauren Ambrose, American actress
- 1978 - Jakki Degg, English glamour model/actress
- 1978 - Jay Hernandez, American actor
- 1978 - Julia Jentsch, German actress
- 1980 - Artur Boruc, Polish footballer
- 1980 - Massimo Donati, Italian footballer
- 1980 - Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby union footballer
- 1981 - Tony Hibbert, English footballer
- 1981 - Chris Thile, American musician
- 1982 - Jason Hirsh, American baseball player
- 1983 - Justin Verlander, American baseball player
- 1985 - Ryan Sweeney, American baseball player
- 1985 - Yulia Volkova, Russian singer (t.A.T.u.)
- 1988 - Rihanna, Barbadian singer
- 1989 - Melanie Leishman, Canadian actress
Deaths[]
- 702 - K'inich Kan B'alam II, king of the Maya state of Palenque (b. 635)
- 1154 - Saint Wulfric of Haselbury Plucknett
- 1171 - Conan IV (b. 1138)
- 1194 - King Tancred of Sicily
- 1258 - Al-Musta'sim, last Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad
- 1408 - Henry Percy, English statesman (b. 1342)
- 1431 - Pope Martin V (b. 1368)
- 1524 - Tecún Umán, last leader of the Quiché-Maya
- 1579 - Nicholas Bacon, English politician (b. 1509)
- 1618 - Philip William (b. 1554)
- 1626 - John Dowland, English composer and lutenist (b. 1563)
- 1762 - Tobias Mayer, German astronomer (b. 1723)
- 1771 - Jean Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan, French geophysicist (b. 1678)
- 1773 - King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (b. 1701)
- 1778 - Laura Bassi, Italian scholar (b. 1711)
- 1790 - Joseph II (b. 1741)
- 1803 - Marie Dumesnil, French actress (b. 1713)
- 1806 - Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-born American military and political leader (b. 1725)
- 1810 - Andreas Hofer, Tyrolean national hero (executed) (b. 1767)
- 1871 - Paul Kane, Irish-born painter (b. 1810)
- 1893 - P.G.T. Beauregard, American Confederate general (b. 1818)
- 1895 - Frederick Douglass, American abolitionist writer (b. 1818)
- 1905 - Jeremiah W. Farnham, American merchant captain
- 1907 - Henri Moissan, French chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
- 1916 - Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Swedish writer and pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1844)
- 1920 - Robert Peary, American explorer (b. 1856)
- 1961 - Percy Grainger, Australian composer (b. 1882)
- 1963 - Ferenc Fricsay, Hungarian conductor (b. 1914)
- 1963 - Jacob Gade, Danish Composer(b. 1879)
- 1966 - Chester Nimitz, American admiral (b. 1885)
- 1968 - Anthony Asquith, British film director and writer (b. 1902)
- 1969 - Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor (b. 1883)
- 1970 - Sophie Treadwell, American playwright and journalist (b. 1885)
- 1972 - Maria Goeppert-Mayer, German physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1906)
- 1972 - Walter Winchell, American journalist (b. 1897)
- 1976 - René Cassin, French judge, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1887)
- 1976 - Kathryn Kuhlman, American evangelist (b. 1907)
- 1980 - Bon Scott, lead singer of rock band AC/DC (b. 1946)
- 1981 - Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, magazine editor, socialite (b. 1904)
- 1983 - Fritz Köberle, Austrian-Brazilian physician (b. 1910)
- 1985 - Clarence "Ducky" Nash, American voice actor (b. 1904)
- 1992 - Roberto D'Aubuisson, Salvadoran politician (b. 1944)
- 1992 - Dick York, American actor (b. 1928)
- 1993 - Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian automobile manufacturer (b. 1916)
- 1996 - Solomon Asch, American psychologist (b. 1907)
- 1996 - Tōru Takemitsu, Japanese composer (b. 1930)
- 1997 - Zachary Breaux, American jazz guitarist (b. 1960)
- 1999 - Sarah Kane, English playwright (b. 1971)
- 1999 - Gene Siskel, American film critic (b. 1946)
- 2000 - Anatoly Sobchak, Russian politician (b. 1937)
- 2001 - Rosemary DeCamp, American actress (b. 1910)
- 2003 - Maurice Blanchot, French author (b. 1907)
- 2003 - Orville Freeman, American politician (b. 1918)
- 2003 - Harry Jacunski, American football player
- 2003 - Ty Longley, American guitarist (Great White) (b. 1971)
- 2003 - Mushaf Ali Mir, Pakistani Chief of the Air Staff (b. 1947)
- 2005 - Pam Bricker, American jazz singer and Thievery Corporation vocalist (b. 1954)
- 2005 - Sandra Dee, American actress (b. 1944)
- 2005 - John Raitt, American actor (b. 1917)
- 2005 - Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (b. 1937)
- 2005 - Tom Willmore, English geometer (b. 1919)
- 2006 - Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster (b. 1919)
- 2006 - Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist, writer and traveller (b. 1920)
- 2007 - F. Albert Cotton, American chemist (b. 1930)
Holidays and observances[]
External links[]
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| This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at February 20. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License. |
146 Familypedia people were born on February 20
146 Familypedia people died on February 20
95 Familypedia people were first married on February 20