Events
Pre-1600
*
1339
Year 1339 ( MCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* June – Battle of Laupen: The Canton of Bern defeats the forces of Fribourg.
* ...
– The
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...
ese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of
Lodrisio Visconti clash in the
Battle of Parabiago
__NOTOC__The Battle of Parabiago was fought in February 1339 near Parabiago, in Lombardy, northern Italy, between the Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti. A renowned condottiero, the latter was an ex ...
; Visconti is defeated.
*
1472 –
Orkney and
Shetland
Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom.
The islands lie about to the n ...
are
pawned by Norway to Scotland in lieu of a
dowry
A dowry is a payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price and dower. While bride price or bride service is a payment ...
for
Margaret of Denmark.
*
1521 –
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León (, , , ; 1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and ''conquistador'' known for leading the first official European expedition to Florida and for serving as the first governor of Puerto Rico. He was born in Santerv� ...
sets out from Spain for Florida with about 200 prospective colonists.
*
1547 –
Edward VI of England
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first ...
is crowned
King of England at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
.
1601–1900
*
1685 –
René-Robert Cavelier establishes
Fort St. Louis at
Matagorda Bay thus forming the basis for France's claim to
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
.
*
1792 – The
Postal Service Act
The Postal Service Act was a piece of United States federal legislation that established the United States Post Office Department. It was signed into law by President George Washington on February 20, 1792.
History
William Goddard, a Patr ...
, establishing the
United States Post Office Department, is signed by United States President
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
.
*
1798 –
Louis-Alexandre Berthier removes
Pope Pius VI
Pope Pius VI ( it, Pio VI; born Count Giovanni Angelo Braschi, 25 December 171729 August 1799) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 February 1775 to his death in August 1799.
Pius VI condemned the French Revoluti ...
from power.
*
1813 –
Manuel Belgrano
Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano y González (3 June 1770 – 20 June 1820), usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano (), was an Argentine public servant, economist, lawyer, politician, journalist, and military leader. He ...
defeats the
royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gov ...
army of
Pío de Tristán during the
Battle of Salta.
*
1816 –
Rossini's opera ''
The Barber of Seville
''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an '' opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was ba ...
'' premieres at the
Teatro Argentina
The Teatro Argentina (directly translating to "Theatre Argentina") is an opera house and theatre located in Largo di Torre Argentina, a square in Rome, Italy. One of the oldest theatres in Rome, it was constructed in 1731 and inaugurated on 31 ...
in Rome.
*
1835 – The
1835 Concepción earthquake destroys
Concepción, Chile
Concepción (; originally: ''Concepción de la Madre Santísima de la Luz'', "Conception of the Blessed Mother of Light") is a city and commune in central Chile, and the geographical and demographic core of the Greater Concepción metropolitan ...
.
*
1846 – Polish insurgents lead an
uprising in Kraków to incite a fight for national independence.
*
1864 –
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
:
Battle of Olustee: The largest battle fought in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...
during the war.
*
1865
Events
January–March
* January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City.
* January 13 – American Civil War : Second Battle of Fort Fisher ...
– End of the
Uruguayan War, with a peace agreement between President
Tomás Villalba
Tomás Villalba y Albin (9 December 1805 – 12 July 1886) was a Uruguayan politician who served as interim President for five days (15 February to 20 February 1865), at the end of the Uruguayan War, which had begun on 10 August 1864. The war w ...
and rebel leader
Venancio Flores, setting the scene for the destructive
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...
.
*
1872 – The
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
opens in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
*
1877
Events
January–March
* January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed ''Empress of India'' by the ''Royal Titles Act 1876'', introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom .
* January 8 – Great ...
–
Tchaikovsky's ballet ''
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'' receives its premiere at the
Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
1901–present
*
1901 – The legislature of
Hawaii Territory convenes for the first time.
*
1905 – The
U.S. Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
's mandatory
smallpox vaccination program in ''
Jacobson v. Massachusetts
''Jacobson v. Massachusetts'', 197 U.S. 11 (1905), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court upheld the authority of states to enforce compulsory vaccination laws. The Court's decision articulated the view that individual liberty ...
''.
*
1909 – Publication of the
Futurist Manifesto in the French journal ''
Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of r ...
''.
*
1913 –
King O'Malley drives in the first
survey peg to mark commencement of work on the construction of
Canberra.
*
1920
Events January
* January 1
** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20.
** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
–
An earthquake kills between 114 and 130 in
Georgia and heavily damages the town of
Gori.
*
1931 – The
U.S. Congress approves the construction of the
San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge
The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, known locally as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries about 260,000 ...
by the state of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
* 1931 – An
anarchist
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessar ...
uprising in
Encarnación briefly transforms the city into a revolutionary commune.
*
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
– The
U.S. Congress approves the
Blaine Act to repeal federal
Prohibition in the United States
In the United States from 1920 to 1933, a nationwide constitutional law prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, an ...
, sending the
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution to
state ratifying conventions for approval.
* 1933 –
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
secretly meets with German industrialists to arrange for financing of the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
's upcoming election campaign.
*
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
–
Caroline Mikkelsen
Caroline Mikkelsen (20 November 1906
– 15 September 1998, later married Mandel) was a Danish-Norwegian explorer who on 20 February 1935 was the first woman to set foot on Antarctica, although whether this was on the mainland or an island ...
becomes the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.
*
1942 – Lieutenant
Edward O'Hare becomes America's first World War II
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...
.
*
1943 – American
movie studio executives agree to allow the
Office of War Information
The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a United States government agency created during World War II. The OWI operated from June 1942 until September 1945. Through radio broadcasts, newspapers, posters, photographs, films and othe ...
to censor movies.
* 1943 – ''
The Saturday Evening Post
''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...
'' publishes the first of
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of the country's culture. Rockwell is most famous for the ...
's ''
Four Freedoms
The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Monday, January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech (technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freed ...
'' in support of United States President
Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
's 1941
State of the Union address theme of
Four Freedoms
The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Monday, January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech (technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freed ...
.
*
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in ...
–
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
: The "
Big Week" began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers.
* 1944 – World War II: The United States takes
Eniwetok Atoll.
*
1952 –
Emmett Ashford
Emmett Littleton Ashford (November 23, 1914 – March 1, 1980), nicknamed Ash, was the first African American umpire in Major League Baseball, working in the American League from 1966 to 1970.
Early life
Ashford was born in Los Angeles, Cal ...
becomes the first
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
umpire
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per' ...
in organized
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
by being authorized to be a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League.
*
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...
– The
United States Merchant Marine Academy becomes a permanent Service Academy.
*
1959 – The
Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture
supersonic
Supersonic speed is the speed of an object that exceeds the speed of sound ( Mach 1). For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) at sea level, this speed is approximately . Speeds greater than five times ...
jet fighters
Fighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield p ...
in Canada is cancelled by the
Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
*
1962 –
Mercury program: While aboard ''
Friendship 7'',
John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's sur ...
, making three orbits in four hours, 55 minutes.
*
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in for a full term ...
–
Ranger 8 crashes into the Moon after a successful mission of photographing possible landing sites for the
Apollo program astronaut
An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...
s.
*
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* J ...
– The
China Academy of Space Technology, China's main arm for the research, development, and creation of
space satellites, is established in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...
.
*
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
J ...
– The United States
Emergency Broadcast System is accidentally activated in an erroneous national alert.
*
1979 – An
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
cracks open the ''Sinila''
volcanic crater on the
Dieng Plateau, releasing poisonous H
2S gas and killing 149 villagers in the
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
n province of
Central Java
Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakart ...
.
*
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal en ...
– The
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
launches its
Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for ten of those years.
*
1988 – The
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast votes to secede from
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
and join
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...
, triggering the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War
The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 t ...
.
*
1991 – In the Albanian capital
Tirana
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
, a gigantic statue of
Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...
's long-time leader,
Enver Hoxha, is brought down by mobs of angry protesters.
*
1998 – American figure skater
Tara Lipinski
Tara Kristen Lipinski (born June 10, 1982) is an American former competitive figure skater, actress, sports commentator and documentary film producer. A former competitor in women's singles, she is the 1998 Olympic champion, the 1997 World ...
, at the age of 15, becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating gold-medalist at the
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in th ...
in
Nagano, Japan.
*
2003 – During a
Great White
Great White is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The band peaked with several albums during the mid-to-late 1980s, including the platinum-selling records ''Once Bitten'' (1987) and '' ...Twice Shy'' (1989), and those albums ...
concert in
West Warwick, Rhode Island, a
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition ...
display
sets the Station nightclub ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others.
*
2005 – Spain becomes the first country to vote in a
referendum on ratification of the
proposed Constitution of the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
*
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
–
Two Tamil Tigers aircraft packed with C4 explosives en route to the national airforce headquarters are shot down by the Sri Lankan military before reaching their target, in a
kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending ...
style attack.
*
2010 – In Madeira Island, Portugal, heavy rain causes
floods and mudslides, resulting in at least 43 deaths, in the worst disaster in the
history of the archipelago.
*
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
– Dozens of
Euromaidan
Euromaidan (; uk, Євромайдан, translit=Yevromaidan, lit=Euro Square, ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhno ...
anti-government protesters died in Ukraine's capital
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Ky ...
, many reportedly killed by snipers.
*
2015 – Two
trains collide in the Swiss town of
Rafz resulting in as many as 49 people injured and
Swiss Federal Railways
Swiss Federal Railways (german: link=no, Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, ''SBB''; french: link=no, Chemins de fer fédéraux suisses, ''CFF''; it, Ferrovie federali svizzere, ''FFS'') is the national railway company of Switzerland. It is usuall ...
cancelling some services.
*
2016 – Six people are killed and two injured in
multiple shooting incidents in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
Births
Pre-1600
*
1358 –
Eleanor of Aragon, queen of
John I of Castile (d. 1382)
*
1469 –
Thomas Cajetan
Thomas Cajetan (; 20 February 14699 August 1534), also known as Gaetanus, commonly Tommaso de Vio or Thomas de Vio, was an Italian philosopher, theologian, cardinal (from 1517 until his death) and the Master of the Order of Preachers 1508 to 151 ...
, Italian philosopher (d. 1534)
*
1523 –
Jan Blahoslav, Czech writer (d. 1571)
*
1549 –
Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, last Duke of Urbino (d. 1631)
*
1552 –
Sengoku Hidehisa, Daimyō (d. 1614)
1601–1900
*
1608 –
Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham (d. 1649)
*
1631 –
Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, English politician,
Treasurer of the Navy (d. 1712)
*
1633 –
Jan de Baen, Dutch painter (d. 1702)
*
1705 –
Nicolas Chédeville, French
musette
Musette may refer to:
Music
* Musette de cour, or baroque musette, a musical instrument of the bagpipe family
* Musette bechonnet, a type of French bagpipe
* Musette bressane, a type of French bagpipe
* Oboe musette, or piccolo oboe, the smalles ...
player and composer (d. 1782)
*
1726 –
William Prescott
William Prescott (February 20, 1726 – October 13, 1795) was an American colonel in the Revolutionary War who commanded the patriot forces in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Prescott is known for his order to his soldiers, "Do not fire until y ...
, American colonel (d. 1795)
*
1745 –
Henry James Pye, English poet and politician (d. 1813)
*
1748 –
Luther Martin
Luther Martin (February 20, 1748, New Brunswick, New Jersey – July 10, 1826, New York, New York) was a politician and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, who left the Constitutional Convention early because he felt the Consti ...
, American politician (d. 1826)
*
1751
In Britain and its colonies (except Scotland), 1751 only had 282 days due to the British Calendar Act of 1751, which ended the year on 31 December (rather than nearly three months later according to its previous rule).
Events
January&n ...
–
Johann Heinrich Voss, German poet, translator, and academic (d. 1826)
*
1753 –
Louis-Alexandre Berthier, French general and politician,
French Minister of Defence (d. 1815)
*
1756
Events
January–March
* January 16 – The Treaty of Westminster is signed between Great Britain and Prussia, guaranteeing the neutrality of the Kingdom of Hanover, controlled by King George II of Great Britain.
* February ...
–
Angelica Schuyler Church, American socialite, sister-in-law to
Alexander Hamilton (d. 1814)
*
1759 –
Johann Christian Reil, German physician, physiologist, and anatomist (d. 1813)
*
1774
Events
January–March
* January 21 – Mustafa III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I.
* January 27
** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and feathers British customs c ...
–
Vicente Sebastián Pintado, Spanish cartographer, engineer, military officer and land surveyor of
Spanish Louisiana and
Spanish West Florida (d. 1829)
[La obra del canario Pintado en la Biblioteca del Congreso](_blank)
(in Spanish: The work of the Canarian Pintado in the Library of Congress). Eric Beerman.
*
1784 –
Judith Montefiore, British linguist, travel writer, philanthropist (d. 1862)
*
1792 –
Eliza Courtney
Elizabeth Courtney (20 February 1792 – 2 May 1859) was the illegitimate daughter of the Whig politician and future Prime Minister Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, and socialite Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, while Georgiana was married t ...
, French daughter of
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (d. 1859)
*
1794 –
William Carleton
William Carleton (4 March 1794, Prolusk (often spelt as Prillisk as on his gravestone), Clogher, County Tyrone – 30 January 1869, Sandford Road, Ranelagh, Dublin) was an Irish writer and novelist. He is best known for his ''Traits and St ...
, Irish author (d. 1869)
*
1802 –
Charles Auguste de Bériot
Charles Auguste de Bériot (20 February 18028 April 1870) was a Belgian violinist, artist and composer.
Biography
Charles de Bériot was born in 1802 in Leuven, Belgium (then under French rule) into a noble family but was orphaned at the age ...
, Belgian violinist and composer (d. 1870)
*
1819 –
Alfred Escher, Swiss businessman and politician (d. 1882)
*
1839
Events
January–March
* January 2 – The first photograph of the Moon is taken, by French photographer Louis Daguerre.
* January 6 – Night of the Big Wind: Ireland is struck by the most damaging cyclone in 300 years.
* January 9 – ...
–
Benjamin Waugh
Benjamin Waugh (20 February 183911 March 1908) was a Victorian social reformer and campaigner who founded the UK charity, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children ( NSPCC) in the late 19th century, and also wrote various ...
, English activist, founded the
NSPCC (d. 1908)
*
1844
In the Philippines, it was the only leap year with 365 days, as December 31 was skipped when 1845 began after December 30.
Events
January–March
* January 15 – The University of Notre Dame, based in the city of the same name, receives ...
–
Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1906)
* 1844 –
Joshua Slocum, Canadian sailor and adventurer (d. 1909)
*
1848 –
E. H. Harriman, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1909)
*
1857
Events January–March
* January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen.
* January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating.
* Jan ...
–
A. P. Lucas, English cricketer (d. 1923)
*
1866 –
Carl Westman
Ernst Carl Westman (20 February 1866 – 23 January 1936) was a Swedish architect and interior designer. He was an early adopter of the National Romantic Style, but turned later to the neo-classical style of the 1920s.
Biography
Carl Westman ...
, Swedish architect, designed the
Stockholm Court House
The Stockholm Court House ( sv, Stockholms rådhus) is situated on Kungsholmen in Central Stockholm, Sweden. The building is connected to the Stockholm Police House through an underground pedestrian walkway. The Stockholm City Court was situat ...
and
Röhsska Museum (d. 1936)
*
1867 –
Louise, Princess Royal of England (d. 1931)
*
1870
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England.
** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed.
* January 3 – Construction of the Br ...
–
Jay Johnson Morrow
Jay Johnson Morrow (February 20, 1870 – April 16, 1937) was Chief Engineer of the United States First Army and as Deputy Chief Engineer of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I and Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1921 to 1 ...
, American engineer and politician, 3rd
Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (d. 1937)
*
1874
Events
January–March
* January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx.
* January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time.
* January 3 – Third Carlist War &ndash ...
–
Mary Garden
A Mary garden is a small sacred garden enclosing a statue or shrine of the Virgin Mary, who is known to many Christians as the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, or the Mother of God. In the New Testament, Mary is the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Mary g ...
, Scottish-American soprano and actress (d. 1967)
*
1879
Events January–March
* January 1 – The Specie Resumption Act takes effect. The United States Note is valued the same as gold, for the first time since the American Civil War.
* January 11 – The Anglo-Zulu War begins.
* Janu ...
–
Hod Stuart, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1907)
*
1880 –
Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen, French author and poet (d. 1923)
*
1882 –
Elie Nadelman
Elie Nadelman (born Eliasz Nadelman; February 20, 1882 – December 28, 1946) was a Polish-American sculptor, draughtsman and collector of folk art.
Early years
Nadelman was born and studied briefly in Warsaw and then visited Munich in 1902 ...
, Polish-American sculptor (d. 1946)
*
1887 –
Vincent Massey, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm ...
(d. 1967)
*
1888 –
Georges Bernanos, French soldier and author (d. 1948)
*
1889 –
Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and physician (d. 1948)
*
1893 –
Elizabeth Holloway Marston, American psychologist and author (d. 1993)
*
1895 –
Louis Zborowski, English race car driver and engineer (d. 1924)
*
1897 –
Ivan Albright
Ivan Le Lorraine Albright (February 20, 1897 – November 18, 1983) was an American painter, sculptor and print-maker most renowned for his self-portraits, character studies, and still lifes. Due to his technique and dark subject matter, he is of ...
, American painter (d. 1983)
*
1898 –
Ante Ciliga, Croatian politician, writer and publisher (d. 1992)
* 1898 –
Enzo Ferrari, Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, founder of
Scuderia Ferrari and
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
(d. 1988)
*
1899 –
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1992)
1901–present
*
1901 –
René Dubos, French-American biologist and author (d. 1982)
* 1901 –
Louis Kahn
Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky; – March 17, 1974) was an Estonian-born American architect based in Philadelphia. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. W ...
, American architect, designed the
Salk Institute, the
Kimbell Art Museum
The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, hosts an art collection as well as traveling art exhibitions, educational programs and an extensive research library. Its initial artwork came from the private collection of Kay and Velma Kimbell, wh ...
and the
Bangladesh Parliament Building (d. 1974)
* 1901 –
Muhammad Naguib, Egyptian general and politician, 1st
President of Egypt (d. 1984)
* 1901 –
Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili
Raja Sri Ravu Svetachalapati Sir Ramakrishna Ranga Rao KCIE (20 February 1901 – 10 March 1978) was an Indian politician and ''zamindar'' who served as the Chief Minister of Madras Presidency from 5 November 1932 to 4 April 1936 and 24 ...
, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th
Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (d. 1978)
*
1902 –
Ansel Adams, American photographer and environmentalist (d. 1984)
*
1906 –
Gale Gordon, American actor (d. 1995)
*
1912
Events January
* January 1 – The Republic of China is established.
* January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens.
* January 6
** German geophysicist Alfred ...
–
Pierre Boulle, French soldier and author (d. 1994)
* 1912 –
Johnny Checketts
John Milne Checketts, (20 February 1912 – 21 April 2006) was a New Zealand flying ace of the Second World War, who was credited with the destruction of enemy aircraft, three probably destroyed and 11 damaged.
Born in Invercargill, Checketts ...
, New Zealand flying ace of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
(d. 2006)
*
1913 –
Tommy Henrich, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
*
1914 –
John Charles Daly, South African–American journalist and game show host (d. 1991)
*
1916 –
Jean Erdman
Jean Erdman (February 20, 1916 – May 4, 2020) was an American dancer and choreographer of modern dance as well as an avant-garde theater director.
Biography Early years and background
Erdman was born in Honolulu. Erdman's father, John Piney ...
, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2020)
*
1918
This year is noted for the end of the First World War, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, as well as for the Spanish flu pandemic that killed 50–100 million people worldwide.
Events
Below, the events ...
–
Leonore Annenberg, American businesswoman and diplomat (d. 2009)
*
1919 –
James O'Meara, English soldier and pilot (d. 1974)
*
1920
Events January
* January 1
** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20.
** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
–
Karl Albrecht, German businessman, co-founded
Aldi
Aldi (stylised as ALDI) is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 10,000 stores in 20 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht in 1946, when ...
(d. 2014)
*
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in Brazil.
** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' bre ...
–
Buddy Rogers, American wrestler (d. 1992)
*
1923 –
Victor G. Atiyeh, American businessman and politician, 32nd
Governor of Oregon (d. 2014)
* 1923 –
Forbes Burnham, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 2nd
President of Guyana (d. 1985)
* 1923 –
Rena Vlahopoulou
Irene "Rena" Vlahopoulou (Greek: Ειρήνη (Ρένα) Βλαχοπούλου; 28 July 1917 – 29 July 2004) was a Greek actress and singer. She starred in theatre, musical, and Greek cinema productions, including ''The Gambler'' and '' Th ...
, Greek actress (d. 2004)
*
1924
Events
January
* January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after.
* January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hold ...
–
Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt (February 20, 1924 – June 17, 2019) was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite.
During the 1930s, she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial in which her moth ...
, American actress, fashion designer, and socialite (d. 2019)
*
1925 –
Robert Altman, American director and screenwriter (d. 2006)
* 1925 –
Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th
Yokozuna (d. 1990)
*
1926 –
Matthew Bucksbaum, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded
General Growth Properties
GGP Inc. (an initialism of General Growth Properties) was an American commercial real estate company and the second-largest shopping mall operator in the United States. It was founded by brothers Martin, Matthew and Maurice Bucksbaum in Ceda ...
(d. 2013)
* 1926 –
Gillian Lynne, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 2018)
* 1926 –
Richard Matheson, American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
* 1926 –
Bob Richards, American Olympic track and field athlete
* 1926 –
María de la Purísima Salvat Romero, Spanish Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (d. 1998)
*
1927 –
Roy Cohn, American lawyer and political activist (d. 1986)
* 1927 –
Ibrahim Ferrer, Cuban singer and musician (d. 2005)
* 1927 –
Sidney Poitier, Bahamian-American actor, director, and diplomat (d. 2022)
*
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...
–
Jean Kennedy Smith
Jean Ann Kennedy Smith (February 20, 1928June 17, 2020) was an American diplomat, activist, humanitarian, and author who served as United States Ambassador to Ireland from 1993 to 1998. She was a member of the Kennedy family, the eighth of nine ...
, American diplomat, 25th
United States Ambassador to Ireland (d. 2020)
*
1929 –
Amanda Blake
Amanda Blake (born Beverly Louise Neill, February 21, 1929 – August 16, 1989) was an American actress best known for the role of the red-haired saloon proprietress "Miss Kitty Russell" on the western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Along with ...
, American actress (d. 1989)
*
1931 –
John Milnor, American mathematician and academic
*
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort to assassinate Emperor Hir ...
–
Adrian Cristobal
Adrian E. Cristobal (February 20, 1932 – December 22, 2007) was a Filipino writer who frequently touched on political and historical themes. Perhaps best known to the public for his "Breakfast Table" newspaper column, he was also a Palanca Award ...
, Filipino journalist and author (d. 2007)
*
1934 –
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al, A. J. F ...
, American race car driver (d. 2021)
*
1935
Events
January
* January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims.
* January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...
–
Ellen Gilchrist
Ellen Gilchrist (born February 20, 1935) is an American novelist, short story writer, and poet. She won a National Book Award for her 1984 collection of short stories, ''Victory Over Japan''.
Life
Gilchrist was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, a ...
, American novelist, short story writer, and poet
*
1936 –
Marj Dusay, American actress (d. 2020)
* 1936 –
Larry Hovis, American actor and singer (d. 2003)
* 1936 –
Shigeo Nagashima
is a Japanese former professional baseball player and manager.
Biography
Nagashima played baseball at his local high school, and on the Rikkyo University baseball team from 1954–1957. He joined the Yomiuri Giants in 1958. His jersey number ( ...
, Japanese baseball player and coach
*
1937 –
Robert Huber
Robert Huber (; born 20 February 1937) is a German biochemist and Nobel laureate. known for his work crystallizing an intramembrane protein important in photosynthesis and subsequently applying X-ray crystallography to elucidate the protein's st ...
, German biochemist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate
* 1937 –
Roger Penske
Roger Searle Penske (born February 20, 1937) is an American businessman and entrepreneur involved in professional auto racing and a retired professional auto racing driver. He is most famous for his ownership of Team Penske, DJR Team Penske, ...
, American race car driver and businessman
* 1937 –
Nancy Wilson, American singer and actress (d. 2018)
*
1939 –
Herbert Kohler Jr., American businessman (d. 2022)
*
1940 –
Jimmy Greaves, English international footballer and TV pundit (d. 2021)
*
1941 –
Lim Kit Siang
Lim Kit Siang (; born 20 February 1941) is a Malaysian politician. He is the longest-serving leader of the opposition in Malaysia, having held the position for a total of 29 years on three separate occasions. He is also former Secretary-Gene ...
, Malaysian lawyer and politician
* 1941 –
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American (Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these ar ...
, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
*
1942 –
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito ( , ; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach and executive, and current broadcaster for the Tampa Bay Lightning. A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in ...
, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
* 1942 –
Mitch McConnell, American lawyer and politician
* 1942 –
Claude Miller
Claude Miller (20 February 1942 – 4 April 2012) was a French film director, producer and screenwriter.
Life and career
Claude Miller was born to a Jewish family. A student at Paris' IDHEC film school from 1962 through 1963, Miller had his fi ...
, French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
*
1943 –
Antonio Inoki, Japanese wrestler, mixed martial artist, and politician (d. 2022)
* 1943 –
Mike Leigh
Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Des ...
, English director and screenwriter
*
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in ...
–
Robert de Cotret, Canadian economist and politician, 56th
Secretary of State for Canada (d. 1999)
* 1944 –
Lew Soloff, American trumpet player, composer, and actor (d. 2015)
* 1944 –
Willem van Hanegem, Dutch footballer and coach
*
1945 –
Alan Hull
James Alan Hull (20 February 1945 – 17 November 1995) was an English singer-songwriter and founding member of the Tyneside folk rock band Lindisfarne.
Career
Hull was born at 68 Sutton's Dwellings, Adelaide Terrace, Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyn ...
, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1995)
*
1946 –
Brenda Blethyn
Brenda Blethyn (''née'' Bottle; 20 February 1946) is an English actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, and two Academy Award nominations.
Blethyn ...
, English actress
* 1946 –
Sandy Duncan, American actress, singer, and dancer
* 1946 –
J. Geils
John Warren Geils Jr. () (February 20, 1946 – April 11, 2017), known professionally as J. Geils or Jay Geils, was an American guitarist. He was known as the leader of The J. Geils Band.
Growing up in New York City, Geils became interested in ...
, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
*
1947 –
Peter Osgood, English footballer (d. 2006)
* 1947 –
Peter Strauss, American actor and producer
*
1948 –
Pierre Bouchard
Pierre Émile Bouchard (born February 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals. He was selected by the Canadiens in the first ...
, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
* 1948 –
Jennifer O'Neill, American model and actress
*
1949 –
Eddie Hemmings, English cricketer
* 1949 –
Ivana Trump, Czech-American socialite and model (d. 2022)
*
1950 –
Walter Becker, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)
* 1950 –
Peter Marinello, Scottish footballer
* 1950 –
Tony Wilson, English journalist and businessman (d. 2007)
*
1951 –
Edward Albert, American actor (d. 2006)
* 1951 –
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown (born 20 February 1951) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in Tony ...
, Scottish politician,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...
* 1951 –
Randy California, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1997)
* 1951 –
Phil Neal, English footballer and manager
*
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yugosl ...
–
Poison Ivy, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
*
1954 –
Jon Brant
Jonathan Edward "Jon" Brant (born February 20, 1955 in Chicago) is an American musician and business owner, best known as the bass player for the band Cheap Trick from 1982 to 1987. Brant was a founding member of the Chicago band D'Thumbs with ...
, American bass player
* 1954 –
Anthony Head, English actor
* 1954 –
Patty Hearst, American actress and author
*
1957 –
Glen Hanlon
Glen A. Hanlon (born February 20, 1957) is a Canadian ice hockey coach, executive and former goaltender.
Hanlon played in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. He is a ...
, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
*
1959 –
Scott Brayton, American race car driver (d. 1996)
* 1959 –
David Corn, American journalist and author
* 1959 –
Bill Gullickson
William Lee Gullickson (born February 20, 1959) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played professionally in Canada, the U.S. and Japan, during an 18-year professional career, of which 14 seasons were spent in MLB.
MLB career ...
, American baseball player
*
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events
January
* Ja ...
–
Joel Hodgson
Joel Hodgson (born February 20, 1960) is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K'') and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007, ''MST3K'' was liste ...
, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
* 1960 –
Cándido Muatetema Rivas
Cándido Muatetema Rivas (20 February 1960 – 16 June 2014) was a political figure in Equatorial Guinea who was Prime Minister from 2001 to 2004.
Rivas was born in Batete, a village in southern Fernando Po (today Bioko) near Luba. , Equatoguinean politician and diplomat,
Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea (d. 2014)
*
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 (K ...
–
Steve Lundquist, American swimmer
*
1962 –
Dwayne McDuffie, American author, screenwriter, and producer, co-founded
Milestone Media
Milestone Media is a company best known for creating Milestone Comics, which were published and distributed by DC Comics and the ''Static Shock'' animated series. It was founded in 1993 by a coalition of African-American artists and writers, co ...
(d. 2011)
*
1963 –
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons in the Nati ...
, American basketball player and sportscaster
* 1963 –
Ian Brown, English singer-songwriter and musician
* 1963 –
Joakim Nystrom, Swedish tennis player
* 1963 –
Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, Greek lawyer and politician,
Greek Minister of Health
* 1963 –
Cui Yongyuan, Chinese former anchor
*
1964 –
Willie Garson
William Garson Paszamant (February 20, 1964September 21, 2021) was an American actor. He appeared in over 75 films and more than 300 TV episodes. He was known for playing Stanford Blatch on the HBO series ''Sex and the City'', in the related f ...
, American actor and director (d. 2021)
* 1964 –
Tom Harris, Scottish journalist and politician
* 1964 –
Jeff Maggert, American golfer
* 1964 –
French Stewart, American actor
*
1966 –
Cindy Crawford, American model and businesswoman
*
1967 –
Paul Accola
Paul Accola (born 20 February 1967 in Davos) is a Swiss former Alpine skier. He came in first in the overall World Cup in 1992, and won a total of four medals at the Winter Olympics and World Championships in the combined event.
By the end of hi ...
, Swiss alpine skier
* 1967 –
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994) was an American musician who served as the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Nirvana. Through his angst-fueled songwriting and anti-establishment persona ...
, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1994)
* 1967 –
David Herman, American comedian and actor
* 1967 –
Andrew Shue
Andrew Eppley Shue (born February 20, 1967) is an American actor, known for his role as Billy Campbell on the television series ''Melrose Place'' (1992–1999). Shue played soccer professionally for several years. He co-founded and served on the ...
, American actor and activist, founded
Do Something
* 1967 –
Lili Taylor, American actress
* 1967 –
Tom Waddle, American football player and sportscaster
*
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
–
Kjell Ove Hauge, Norwegian school principal and track and field athlete
* 1969 –
Siniša Mihajlović, Serbian footballer and manager (d. 2022)
* 1969 –
Danis Tanović, Bosnian director and screenwriter
*
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6).
The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history.
Events
J ...
–
Jari Litmanen, Finnish footballer
* 1971 –
Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby player (d. 2017)
*
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
–
Karim Bagheri, Iranian footballer and manager
*
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
–
Liván Hernández, Cuban baseball player
* 1975 –
Brian Littrell, American singer-songwriter and actor
*
1977 –
Stephon Marbury, American basketball player
* 1977 –
Gail Kim, Canadian professional wrestler
*
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – In ...
–
Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby player
* 1980 –
Luis Gabriel Rey, Colombian footballer
*
1981 –
Tony Hibbert
Anthony James Hibbert (born 20 February 1981) is an English footballer, currently playing for French amateur side ES Louzy.
Originally a midfielder, Hibbert converted to play at right-back. He spent his entire professional career with Everto ...
, English footballer
*
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...
–
Jason Hirsh, American baseball player
*
1983 –
Jose Morales, Puerto Rican-American baseball player
* 1983 –
Justin Verlander, American baseball player
*
1984 –
Brian McCann, American baseball player
* 1984 –
Trevor Noah, South African comedian, actor, and television host
* 1984 –
Ramzee Robinson
Ramzee Robinson (born February 20, 1984) is a former American football cornerback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions with the last pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, earning the title of Mr. Irrelevant. He played college football at Alabama.
Robins ...
, American football player
*
1985 –
Ryan Sweeney, American baseball player
* 1985 –
Julia Volkova, Russian singer and actress
* 1985 –
TJ Kirk, American YouTube personality and podcast host
*
1987 –
Luke Burgess, English rugby league player
* 1987 –
Miles Teller, American actor
*
1988 –
Kealoha Pilares, American football player
* 1988 –
Ki Bo-bae
Ki Bo-bae ( Hangul: 기보배; or ; born February 20, 1988) is a South Korean recurve archer and three-time Olympic gold medalist. She was the winner of the women's team and women's individual events at the 2012 Summer Olympics and of the wo ...
, South Korean archer
* 1988 –
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...
, Barbadian-American singer-songwriter and actress
* 1988 –
Jiah Khan, Indian singer and actress (d. 2013)
*
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
–
Daly Cherry-Evans, Australian rugby league player
*
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...
–
Ciro Immobile, Italian footballer
*
1991 –
Hidilyn Diaz
Hidilyn Francisco Diaz-Naranjo (; born February 20, 1991) is a Filipino World and Olympic champion weightlifter and airwoman, the first Filipino to ever win an Olympic gold medal for the Philippines. She is also an Olympic weightlifting recor ...
, Filipino weightlifter
* 1991 –
Angelique van der Meet, Dutch tennis player
*
1992 –
Kyle Turner, Australian rugby league player
*
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
–
Kateryna Baindl
Kateryna Baindl ( uk, Катерина Ігорівна Баіндль, née Kozlova; born 20 February 1994) is a Ukrainian tennis player. On 19 February 2018, she achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 62. On 22 October 2012, she ...
, Ukrainian tennis player
*
2003 –
Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer
Deaths
Pre-1600
*
789
__NOTOC__
Year 789 ( DCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 789 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar ...
–
Leo of Catania, saint and bishop of Catania (b. 709)
*
922 –
Theodora, Byzantine empress
*
1054 –
Yaroslav the Wise, grand prince of
Veliky Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( rus, links=no, Великий Новгород, t=Great Newtown, p=vʲɪˈlʲikʲɪj ˈnovɡərət), also known as just Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the ...
and
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe.
Ky ...
(b. 978)
*
1154 – Saint
Wulfric of Haselbury (b. c. 1080)
*
1171
Year 1171 ( MCLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* March 12 – Emperor Manuel I (Komnenos) orders the arrest of all Venetian ...
–
Conan IV, Duke of Brittany (b. 1138)
*
1194 –
Tancred, King of Sicily (b. 1138)
*
1258
Year 1258 (Roman numerals, MCCLVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Mongol Empire
* February 10 – Siege of Baghdad (1258), Siege of Baghdad: ...
–
Al-Musta'sim, Iraqi caliph (b. 1213)
*
1408 –
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, 4th Baron Percy, titular King of Mann, KG, Lord Marshal (10 November 134120 February 1408) was the son of Henry de Percy, 3rd Baron Percy, and a descendant of Henry III of England. His mother was M ...
, English politician,
Earl Marshal of the United Kingdom (b. 1342)
*
1431 –
Pope Martin V (b. 1368)
*
1458 –
Lazar Branković,
Despot of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
*
1513 –
King John of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (b. 1455)
*
1524 –
Tecun Uman, Mayan ruler (b. 1500)
*
1579 –
Nicholas Bacon, English politician (b. 1509)
1601–1900
*
1618 –
Philip William, Prince of Orange (b. 1554)
*
1626 –
John Dowland, English
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
player and composer (b. 1563)
*
1762
Events
January–March
* January 4 – Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples.
* January 5 – Empress Elisabeth of Russia dies, and is succeeded by her nephew Peter III. Peter, an admirer of Frederick ...
–
Tobias Mayer, German astronomer and academic (b. 1723)
*
1771 –
Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan, French geophysicist and astronomer (b. 1678)
*
1773 –
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (b. 1701)
*
1778 –
Laura Bassi, Italian physicist and scholar (b. 1711)
*
1790
Events
January–March
* January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City.
* January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which t ...
–
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
(b. 1741)
*
1806
Events
January–March
* January 1
** The French Republican Calendar is abolished.
** The Kingdom of Bavaria is established by Napoleon.
* January 5 – The body of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, lies in state in the Painted Hall ...
–
Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-American general and politician (b. 1725)
*
1810 –
Andreas Hofer, Tyrolean rebel leader (b. 1767)
*
1850
Events
January–June
* April
** Pope Pius IX returns from exile to Rome.
** Stephen Foster's parlor ballad " Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway" is published in the United States.
* April 4 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a city ...
–
Valentín Canalizo, Mexican general and politician. 14th President (1843–1844) (b. 1794)
*
1862
Events
January–March
* January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria.
* January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico.
* January ...
–
William Wallace Lincoln, American son of
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
(b. 1850)
*
1871
Events January–March
* January 3 – Franco-Prussian War – Battle of Bapaume: Prussians win a strategic victory.
* January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...
–
Paul Kane, Irish-Canadian painter (b. 1810)
*
1893 –
P. G. T. Beauregard, American general (b. 1818)
*
1895 –
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...
, American author and activist (b. c. 1818)
*
1900 –
Washakie, American tribal leader (b. 1798)
1901–present
*
1907 –
Henri Moissan, French chemist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate (b. 1852)
*
1910 –
Boutros Ghali, Egyptian educator and politician, 9th
Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1846)
*
1916 –
Klas Pontus Arnoldson
Klas Pontus Arnoldson (27 October 1844 – 20 February 1916) was a Swedish author, journalist, politician, and committed pacifist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1908 with Fredrik Bajer. He was a founding member of the Swedish Pea ...
, Swedish journalist and politician,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate (b. 1844)
*
1920
Events January
* January 1
** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20.
** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...
–
Jacinta Marto, Portuguese saint (b. 1910)
* 1920 –
Robert Peary, American admiral and explorer (b. 1856)
*
1933
Events
January
* January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand.
* January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...
–
Takiji Kobayashi, Japanese writer (b. 1903)
*
1936 –
Max Schreck, German actor (b. 1879)
*
1957 –
Sadri Maksudi Arsal
Sadri Maksudi Arsal (1878 – 20 February 1957) was one of the leading figures in the national awakening of Tatars in Russia during early 1900s. He worked as a writer, lawyer, politician, professor, lecturer, researcher of Turkic languages and a ...
, Turkish scholar and politician (b. 1878)
*
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 (K ...
–
Percy Grainger, Australian-American pianist and composer (b. 1882)
*
1963 –
Jacob Gade, Danish violinist and composer(b. 1879)
*
1966 –
Chester W. Nimitz
Chester William Nimitz (; February 24, 1885 – February 20, 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in C ...
, American admiral (b. 1885)
*
1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events January–February
* January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
* J ...
–
Anthony Asquith, English director and screenwriter (b. 1902)
*
1969
This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon.
Events January
* January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco.
* January 5
**Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
–
Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor (b. 1883)
*
1972 –
Maria Goeppert-Mayer, German-American physicist and academic,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate (b. 1906)
* 1972 –
Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and ...
, American journalist and actor (b. 1897)
*
1976 –
René Cassin, French lawyer and judge,
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
laureate (b. 1887)
* 1976 –
Kathryn Kuhlman, healing evangelist, known for belief in Holy Spirit (b. 1907)
*
1981 –
Nicolas de Gunzburg, French-American banker and publisher (b. 1904)
*
1987 –
Wayne Boring, American illustrator (b. 1905)
*
1992 –
A. J. Casson
Alfred Joseph Casson LL. D. (May 17, 1898 – February 20, 1992) was a member of the Canadian group of artists known as the Group of Seven. He joined the group in 1926 at the invitation of Franklin Carmichael, replacing Frank Johnston. Cas ...
, Canadian painter (b. 1898)
* 1992 –
Dick York, American actor (b. 1928)
*
1993 –
Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, founded
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.
Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–19 ...
(b. 1916)
* 1993 –
Ernest L. Massad
Ernest Louis "Iron Mike" Massad (December 25, 1908 — February 20, 1993) was a college football star, major general of the U.S. Army, and successful oilman.
Biography
Massad was born in 1908 in Brinkman, Oklahoma to a Lebanese family, Name ...
, American general (b. 1908)
*
1996 –
Solomon Asch, American psychologist and academic (b. 1907)
* 1996 –
Audrey Munson
Audrey Marie Munson (June 8, 1891 – February 20, 1996) was an American artist's model and film actress, considered to be "America's first supermodel." In her time, she was variously known as "Miss Manhattan", the "Panama–Pacific Girl", the ...
, American model (b. 1891)
* 1996 –
Toru Takemitsu, Japanese pianist, guitarist, and composer (b. 1930)
*
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
–
Sarah Kane, English playwright (b. 1971)
* 1999 –
Gene Siskel, American journalist and critic (b. 1946)
*
2001 –
Rosemary DeCamp, American actress (b. 1910)
* 2001 –
Donella Meadows
Donella Hager "Dana" Meadows (March 13, 1941 – February 20, 2001) was an American environmental scientist, educator, and writer. She is best known as lead author of the books ''The Limits to Growth'' and '' Thinking In Systems: A Primer''.
...
, American environmentalist, author, and academic (b. 1941)
*
2003 –
Mushaf Ali Mir, Pakistani air marshal (b. 1947)
* 2003 –
Maurice Blanchot, French philosopher and author (b. 1907)
* 2003 –
Orville Freeman, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 29th
Governor of Minnesota
The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...
(b. 1918)
*
2005 –
Sandra Dee, American actress (b. 1942)
* 2005 –
Josef Holeček, Czechoslovakian canoeist (b. 1921)
* 2005 –
John Raitt, American actor and singer (b. 1917)
* 2005 –
Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (b. 1937)
*
2006 –
Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster (b. 1919)
* 2006 –
Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist and author (b. 1920)
*
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
–
Emily Perry, English actress and dancer (b. 1907)
*
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
–
Larry H. Miller
Larry H. Miller (April 26, 1944 – February 20, 2009) was an American businessman. He owned the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Utah Jazz and the Salt Lake Bees, a minor league baseball team. Miller and his companies (LHM Group) also ow ...
, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1944)
*
2010 –
Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th
United States Secretary of State
The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...
(b. 1924)
*
2012 –
Knut Torbjørn Eggen, Norwegian footballer and manager (b. 1960)
* 2012 –
Katie Hall, American educator and politician (b. 1938)
*
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
–
Kenji Eno
was a Japanese musician and video game designer. He gained a reputation as a maverick during the mid-1990s for creating unorthodox games like '' Real Sound'' and is perhaps best remembered today for his rebellious marketing techniques. Outside o ...
, Japanese game designer and composer (b. 1970)
* 2013 –
David S. McKay
David Stewart McKay (September 25, 1936 – February 20, 2013) was Chief Scientist for astrobiology at the Johnson Space Center. During the Apollo program, McKay provided geology training to the first men to walk on the Moon in the late 1960s. M ...
, American biochemist and geologist (b. 1936)
* 2013 –
Antonio Roma
Antonio Roma (13 July 1932 – 20 February 2013) was an Argentine football goalkeeper.
Nicknamed ''Tarzan'' for the way of throwing himself for the ball, he started his professional career with Ferrocarril Oeste in 1955, where he played until ...
, Argentinian footballer (b. 1932)
*
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...
–
Rafael Addiego Bruno, Uruguayan jurist and politician,
President of Uruguay (b. 1923)
* 2014 –
Walter D. Ehlers, American lieutenant,
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...
recipient (b. 1921)
* 2014 –
Garrick Utley
Clifton Garrick Utley (November 19, 1939 – February 20, 2014) was an American television journalist. He established his career reporting about the Vietnam War and has the distinction of being the first full-time television correspondent coveri ...
, American journalist (b. 1939)
*
2015 –
Govind Pansare
Govind Pansare (26 November 1933 – 20 February 2015) was a left-wing Indian politician of the Communist Party of India (CPI). He was also the author of the best selling Marathi language biography of 17th century ruler Shivaji, ''Shivaji Kon ...
, Indian author and activist (b. 1933)
* 2015 –
Henry Segerstrom, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1923)
* 2015 –
John C. Willke, American physician, author, and activist (b. 1925)
*
2016 –
Fernando Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest and politician (b. 1934)
*
2017 –
Vitaly Churkin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
(b. 1952)
* 2017 –
Mildred Dresselhaus, American physicist (b. 1930)
* 2017 –
Steve Hewlett, British journalist (b. 1958)
*
2020 –
Joaquim Pina Moura, Portuguese
Minister of Economy and Treasury and
MP (b. 1952)
*
2021 –
Nurul Haque Miah
Muhammad Nurul Haque Miah ( bn, মোহম্মদ নুরুল হক মিঞা; 1 July 1944 — 20 February 2021) was a professor at Dhaka College and the head of its Department of Chemistry. He is renowned for writing high school and d ...
, Bangladeshi professor and writer (b.
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in ...
)
* 2021 –
Mauro Bellugi, Italian footballer (b. 1950)
Holidays and observances
*Christian
feast day
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context do ...
:
**
Eleutherius of Tournai
Saint Eleutherius of Tournai (french: Eleuthère) (died c. 532) is venerated as a saint and considered the first bishop of Tournai.
**
Eucherius of Orléans
Saint Eucherius of Orléans (c. 687 in Orléans – February 20, 743 AD), nephew of Suavaric, bishop of Auxerre, was Bishop of Orléans.
Reading the letters of Paul the Apostle led Eucherius to seek the monastic life in 714, when he retired to ...
**
Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto
**
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became ...
(
Episcopal Church (USA))
**
Wulfric of Haselbury
**
February 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
February 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), February 19 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - February 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics), February 21
All fixed commemorations below are observed on March 5 (March 4 on leap years) by Eastern Orthodo ...
*
Day of Heavenly Hundred Heroes (
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
)
*
World Day of Social Justice
References
External links
BBC: On This Day*
Historical Events on February 20
{{months
Days of the year
February