A complete timeline of historical events, famous births, notable deaths, and holidays that occurred on April 20 throughout history.
92
Events
11
Births
5
Deaths
Round Table tournament held near Winchester, England, in imitation of King Arthur, to commemorate betrothal of daughter of Edward I, and attended by the king
First pasteurization test is completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard
Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive compound radium chloride
John Enoch Powell (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, scholar and writer.
Climax of the Berber Spring in Algeria sees hundreds of Berber political activists arrested
Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School, Colorado
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes, killing 11 and causing the rig to sink, causing a massive oil discharge into the Gulf of Mexico and an environmental disaster
US House passes a bipartisan $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and a bill against TikTok [1]
"Annie Hall", film written and directed by Woody Allen, starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, is released; wins Academy Award for Best Picture in 1978
Broadway theatre, or Broadway, is a theatre genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats, in the Theater District and Lincoln...
Danica Patrick driving for Andretti Green Racing wins the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi; first female driver in history to win an IndyCar Series race
American poet and critic Ezra Pound (28) weds British artist Dorothy Shakespear (27) at St Mary Abbots church in Kensington, England until his death in 1972
American actor Tony Curtis (42) weds (his 3rd time) American Leslie Allen; divorce in 1982
Actor-writer Charlie Shanian (39) divorces former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Tori Spelling (32) only 15 months after their lavish $1-million wedding
Halley's Comet is the only known short-period comet that is consistently visible to the naked eye from Earth, appearing every 72–80 years, though with the majority of recorded apparitions (25 of 30)...
Gunther or Gunthar (German: Günther; died 8 July 873) was Archbishop of Cologne in Germany from 850 until he was excommunicated and deposed in 863.
Second Lateran Council (10th ecumenical council) opens in Rome
Jews are expelled from Orange Burgandy by Philibert of Luxembourg
Dutch East India Company (VOC) management sets new guidelines
Robert Blake (27 September 1598 – 7 August 1657) was an English naval officer who served as general at sea and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1656 to 1657.
Comet C/1702 H1 approaches within 0.0437 AUs of Earth
New York adopts new constitution as an independent state
Friedrich von Schiller's play "Wallensteins Tod" premieres in Weimar
The Governors of Caracas declares the national sovereignty from Spain
Napoleon Bonaparte bids emotional farewell to his old guard at Palace of Fontainebleau
Frenchman René Caillié is the first non-Muslim to enter Timbuktu and returns to win a 10,000 franc prize from the Société de Géographie
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted...
Crosby's Opera House (1865–1871) was an opera house in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was founded by Uranus H.
US 3rd Enforcement Act confirms ability of President to suspend writ of habeas corpus
First mobile home (horse-drawn) used in a journey from London to Cyprus
,000 mine workers strike in Ohio for pay increase
US Assay Office in Deadwood, South Dakota opens
Louisiana Purchase Exposition opens in St. Louis
The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which is currently contested by 17 teams from New...
Cleveland Naps Addie Joss 2nd no-hitter, beats Chicago, 1-0
Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts officially opens, Red Sox beat visitibg New York Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings
Ludlow Massacre: Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) security team and Colorado National Guard soldiers kill 21 workers, women and children during mine strike in Ludlow, Colorado
World War I, or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers.
Wrigley Field () is a ballpark on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises.
King Nicholas of Montenegro abdicates under duress
Big Show ends 2 year run on NBC radio
1st check sent by radio facsimile transmission across Atlantic
British House of Commons agrees for sports play on Sunday
"Your Hit Parade" begins broadcasting (becomes #1 quickly)
Jews repel an Arab attack in Petach Tikvah Palestine
1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [1]
The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (German: Unternehmen Marita), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II.
Nazi German occupiers forbid Dutch access to their beach
Dutch Communist Party resistance fighter John Postma sentence to death
Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride (March 20, 1888 – November 10, 1972) was the founder of the Cleveland Browns professional American football team in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National...
First baseball broadcast in Chicago, Cardinals vs. Cubs
Frederik IX becomes King of Denmark
NYC hikes subway fare from 5 cents to 10 cents
4th Cannes Film Festival: "Miss Julie" directed by Alf Sjoberg and "Miracle in Milan" directed by Vittorio De Sica jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
Spanish Sahara (Spanish: Sahara Español; Arabic: الصحراء الإسبانية, romanized: aṣ-Ṣaḥrā' al-Isbānīyah), officially the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara from 1884 to 1958, then Province of the Sahara...
American Harold Graham makes 1st rocket belt flight
-30] All Africa Conferences of Churches opens in Kampala Uganda
86% of black students boycott Cleveland schools
In 1965, the United States rapidly increased its military forces in South Vietnam, prompted by the realization that the South Vietnamese government was losing the Vietnam War as the...
WDCA TV channel 20 in Washington, D.C. (IND) begins broadcasting
French author Régis Debray caught in Bolivia
The 23rd Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by NBC television on April 20, 1969, from the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City. Hosts were Diahann Carroll and Alan King.
Bruno Kreisky was an Austrian social democratic politician who served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1966 and as chancellor from 1970 to 1983.
Kallicharran scores his 2nd Test century in his 2nd Test Cricket
Canadian ANIK A2 becomes 1st commercial satellite in orbit
'The Troubles', the Northern Ireland conflict between republican and loyalist paramilitaries, British security forces, and civil rights groups, claims its 1000th victim
The 29th Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held on April 20, 1975, at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City, and broadcast by ABC television. Hosts Presenters were Larry Blyden, George S.
"Fire and Smoke" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Earl Thomas Conley.
The 1982 Atlanta Braves season was the club's 17th in Atlanta and its 112th overall.
Russian offensive in Panshirvallei Afghanistan
ATF raid on The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord compound in northern Arkansas
Sri Lankan Civil War: Tamils shoot 122 Sinhalese dead
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division.
8 2/3 inning perfect game pitched by Brian Holman of Oakland A's is spoiled by a home run hit by Ken Philips
First non-stop flight from Schiphol to Flamingo Airport, Bonaire in the Caribbean
th episode of American sitcom "Murphy Brown" airs
Daniel Harold Rolling (May 26, 1954 – October 25, 2006), known as the Gainesville Ripper, was an American serial killer who murdered five college students in Gainesville, Florida over four days in...
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, and...
"Present Laughter" closes at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
Members of the Red Army Faction (RAF) can be split up into three generations. The first (founding) generation existed from 1970 onwards.
The 2002 NFL draft was the 67th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players.
The occupation of Iraq began on 20 March 2003, when the United States invaded with a military coalition to overthrow Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and continued...
A man with a handgun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before killing a male hostage and then himself
40 people are killed and 27 injured after a tractor trailer collided with a bus in Alamo, Mexico
people are killed and 11,826 are injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes Lushan County, China
Pulitzer Prize awarded to Anthony Doerr's for his novel "All the Light We Cannot See" and to Elizabeth Kolbert for "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History"
On 20 April 2017, three French National Police officers were shot by Karim Cheurfi, a French national wielding an AK-47 rifle on the Champs-Élysées boulevard in Paris.
Actress Allison Mack arrested on charges of sex trafficking in relation to sex cult NXIVM in New York
Price of US oil turns negative for the 1st time in history - West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for US oil, falls as low as minus $37.63 a barrel as worldwide demand falls
All six EPL clubs withdraw from the controversial European Super League just 3 days after it was announced - Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham
Online streaming service Netflix suffers its first subscriber loss in a decade, losing 200,000 customers Jan-Mar [1]
people massacred in village of Karma, Burkina Faso, one of the country worst attacks on civilians, blamed on the country's security forces [1]
Philippe Pinel, French psychiatrist, known for french psychiatrist, was born on 1745-04-20. Philippe Pinel was a French physician, precursor of psychiatry and incidentally a zoologist.
Paul Poiret, French fashion designer, known for french fashion designer, was born on 1879-04-20.
Adolf Hitler is born
George Takei, American actor, author and activist, known for american actor, author and activist, was born on 1938-04-20.
Jessica Lange, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1950-04-20. Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress and photographer.
Carmen Electra, American actress and model, known for american actress and model, was born on 1973-04-20. Carmen Electra is an American actress, model, media personality, and singer.
Miranda Kerr, Australian model, known for australian model, was born on 1984-04-20. Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model. She rose to prominence in 2007 as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels.
Luther Vandross musician, known for american singer, was born on 1951-04-20. Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr.(April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record…
Betty Cuthbert, Australian athlete, known for australian sprinter, was born on 1938-04-20.
Don Mattingly, American athlete, known for american baseball player and manager, was born on 1962-04-20.
Alexander Zverev, German athlete, known for german tennis player, was born on 1998-04-20. Alexander "Sascha" Zverev is a German professional tennis player and the current world No. 4.
Bram Stoker, Irish author, known for irish author, died on 1912-04-20. Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish writer, barrister, and theatre manager.
Archibald MacLeish, American poet and 9th librarian of congress, known for american poet and 9th librarian of congress, died on 1982-04-20.
Avicii, Swedish dj and music producer, known for swedish dj and music producer, died on 2018-04-20.
Tom Lester, American actor and evangelist, known for american actor and evangelist, died on 2020-04-20.
Idriss Déby dies
Halley's Comet is the only known short-period comet that is consistently visible to the naked eye from Earth, appearing every 72–80 years, though with the majority of recorded apparitions (25 of 30)...
Gunther or Gunthar (German: Günther; died 8 July 873) was Archbishop of Cologne in Germany from 850 until he was excommunicated and deposed in 863.
Second Lateran Council (10th ecumenical council) opens in Rome
Round Table tournament held near Winchester, England, in imitation of King Arthur, to commemorate betrothal of daughter of Edward I, and attended by the king
Jews are expelled from Orange Burgandy by Philibert of Luxembourg
Dutch East India Company (VOC) management sets new guidelines
Robert Blake (27 September 1598 – 7 August 1657) was an English naval officer who served as general at sea and the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1656 to 1657.
Comet C/1702 H1 approaches within 0.0437 AUs of Earth
Philippe Pinel, French psychiatrist, known for french psychiatrist, was born on 1745-04-20. Philippe Pinel was a French physician, precursor of psychiatry and incidentally a zoologist.
New York adopts new constitution as an independent state
Friedrich von Schiller's play "Wallensteins Tod" premieres in Weimar
The Governors of Caracas declares the national sovereignty from Spain
Napoleon Bonaparte bids emotional farewell to his old guard at Palace of Fontainebleau
Frenchman René Caillié is the first non-Muslim to enter Timbuktu and returns to win a 10,000 franc prize from the Société de Géographie
The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted...
First pasteurization test is completed by Frenchmen Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard
Crosby's Opera House (1865–1871) was an opera house in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It was founded by Uranus H.
US 3rd Enforcement Act confirms ability of President to suspend writ of habeas corpus
First mobile home (horse-drawn) used in a journey from London to Cyprus
Paul Poiret, French fashion designer, known for french fashion designer, was born on 1879-04-20.
Adolf Hitler is born
,000 mine workers strike in Ohio for pay increase
Broadway theatre, or Broadway, is a theatre genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats, in the Theater District and Lincoln...
US Assay Office in Deadwood, South Dakota opens
Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive compound radium chloride
Louisiana Purchase Exposition opens in St. Louis
The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which is currently contested by 17 teams from New...
Cleveland Naps Addie Joss 2nd no-hitter, beats Chicago, 1-0
Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts officially opens, Red Sox beat visitibg New York Highlanders 7-6 in 11 innings
Bram Stoker, Irish author, known for irish author, died on 1912-04-20. Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish writer, barrister, and theatre manager.
American poet and critic Ezra Pound (28) weds British artist Dorothy Shakespear (27) at St Mary Abbots church in Kensington, England until his death in 1972
Ludlow Massacre: Colorado Fuel and Iron (CF&I) security team and Colorado National Guard soldiers kill 21 workers, women and children during mine strike in Ludlow, Colorado
World War I, or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers.
Wrigley Field () is a ballpark on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises.
King Nicholas of Montenegro abdicates under duress
Big Show ends 2 year run on NBC radio
1st check sent by radio facsimile transmission across Atlantic
British House of Commons agrees for sports play on Sunday
"Your Hit Parade" begins broadcasting (becomes #1 quickly)
Jews repel an Arab attack in Petach Tikvah Palestine
George Takei, American actor, author and activist, known for american actor, author and activist, was born on 1938-04-20.
Betty Cuthbert, Australian athlete, known for australian sprinter, was born on 1938-04-20.
1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [1]
The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (German: Unternehmen Marita), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II.
Nazi German occupiers forbid Dutch access to their beach
Dutch Communist Party resistance fighter John Postma sentence to death
Arthur B. "Mickey" McBride (March 20, 1888 – November 10, 1972) was the founder of the Cleveland Browns professional American football team in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National...
First baseball broadcast in Chicago, Cardinals vs. Cubs
Frederik IX becomes King of Denmark
NYC hikes subway fare from 5 cents to 10 cents
Jessica Lange, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1950-04-20. Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress and photographer.
4th Cannes Film Festival: "Miss Julie" directed by Alf Sjoberg and "Miracle in Milan" directed by Vittorio De Sica jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
Luther Vandross musician, known for american singer, was born on 1951-04-20. Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr.(April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record…
Spanish Sahara (Spanish: Sahara Español; Arabic: الصحراء الإسبانية, romanized: aṣ-Ṣaḥrā' al-Isbānīyah), officially the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara from 1884 to 1958, then Province of the Sahara...
American Harold Graham makes 1st rocket belt flight
Don Mattingly, American athlete, known for american baseball player and manager, was born on 1962-04-20.
-30] All Africa Conferences of Churches opens in Kampala Uganda
86% of black students boycott Cleveland schools
In 1965, the United States rapidly increased its military forces in South Vietnam, prompted by the realization that the South Vietnamese government was losing the Vietnam War as the...
WDCA TV channel 20 in Washington, D.C. (IND) begins broadcasting
French author Régis Debray caught in Bolivia
John Enoch Powell (16 June 1912 – 8 February 1998) was a British politician, scholar and writer.
American actor Tony Curtis (42) weds (his 3rd time) American Leslie Allen; divorce in 1982
The 23rd Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by NBC television on April 20, 1969, from the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City. Hosts were Diahann Carroll and Alan King.
Bruno Kreisky was an Austrian social democratic politician who served as foreign minister from 1959 to 1966 and as chancellor from 1970 to 1983.
Kallicharran scores his 2nd Test century in his 2nd Test Cricket
Canadian ANIK A2 becomes 1st commercial satellite in orbit
Carmen Electra, American actress and model, known for american actress and model, was born on 1973-04-20. Carmen Electra is an American actress, model, media personality, and singer.
'The Troubles', the Northern Ireland conflict between republican and loyalist paramilitaries, British security forces, and civil rights groups, claims its 1000th victim
The 29th Annual Tony Awards ceremony was held on April 20, 1975, at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City, and broadcast by ABC television. Hosts Presenters were Larry Blyden, George S.
"Annie Hall", film written and directed by Woody Allen, starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, is released; wins Academy Award for Best Picture in 1978
Climax of the Berber Spring in Algeria sees hundreds of Berber political activists arrested
"Fire and Smoke" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Earl Thomas Conley.
The 1982 Atlanta Braves season was the club's 17th in Atlanta and its 112th overall.
Archibald MacLeish, American poet and 9th librarian of congress, known for american poet and 9th librarian of congress, died on 1982-04-20.
Russian offensive in Panshirvallei Afghanistan
Miranda Kerr, Australian model, known for australian model, was born on 1984-04-20. Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model. She rose to prominence in 2007 as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels.
ATF raid on The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord compound in northern Arkansas
Sri Lankan Civil War: Tamils shoot 122 Sinhalese dead
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division.
8 2/3 inning perfect game pitched by Brian Holman of Oakland A's is spoiled by a home run hit by Ken Philips
First non-stop flight from Schiphol to Flamingo Airport, Bonaire in the Caribbean
th episode of American sitcom "Murphy Brown" airs
Daniel Harold Rolling (May 26, 1954 – October 25, 2006), known as the Gainesville Ripper, was an American serial killer who murdered five college students in Gainesville, Florida over four days in...
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, and...
"Present Laughter" closes at Walter Kerr Theater NYC
Members of the Red Army Faction (RAF) can be split up into three generations. The first (founding) generation existed from 1970 onwards.
Alexander Zverev, German athlete, known for german tennis player, was born on 1998-04-20. Alexander "Sascha" Zverev is a German professional tennis player and the current world No. 4.
Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School, Colorado
The 2002 NFL draft was the 67th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible professional football players.
The occupation of Iraq began on 20 March 2003, when the United States invaded with a military coalition to overthrow Iraqi president Saddam Hussein and his Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party, and continued...
Actor-writer Charlie Shanian (39) divorces former Beverly Hills, 90210 actress Tori Spelling (32) only 15 months after their lavish $1-million wedding
A man with a handgun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before killing a male hostage and then himself
Danica Patrick driving for Andretti Green Racing wins the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi; first female driver in history to win an IndyCar Series race
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes, killing 11 and causing the rig to sink, causing a massive oil discharge into the Gulf of Mexico and an environmental disaster
40 people are killed and 27 injured after a tractor trailer collided with a bus in Alamo, Mexico
people are killed and 11,826 are injured after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake strikes Lushan County, China
Pulitzer Prize awarded to Anthony Doerr's for his novel "All the Light We Cannot See" and to Elizabeth Kolbert for "The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History"
On 20 April 2017, three French National Police officers were shot by Karim Cheurfi, a French national wielding an AK-47 rifle on the Champs-Élysées boulevard in Paris.
Actress Allison Mack arrested on charges of sex trafficking in relation to sex cult NXIVM in New York
Avicii, Swedish dj and music producer, known for swedish dj and music producer, died on 2018-04-20.
Price of US oil turns negative for the 1st time in history - West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for US oil, falls as low as minus $37.63 a barrel as worldwide demand falls
Tom Lester, American actor and evangelist, known for american actor and evangelist, died on 2020-04-20.
All six EPL clubs withdraw from the controversial European Super League just 3 days after it was announced - Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham
Idriss Déby dies
Online streaming service Netflix suffers its first subscriber loss in a decade, losing 200,000 customers Jan-Mar [1]
people massacred in village of Karma, Burkina Faso, one of the country worst attacks on civilians, blamed on the country's security forces [1]
US House passes a bipartisan $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and a bill against TikTok [1]