February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 314 days remaining until the end of the year (315 in leap years). [edit] Events - 1472 – Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a dowry payment.
- 1547 – Edward VI of England is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
- 1792 – The Postal Service Act, establishing the United States Post Office Department, is signed by President George Washington.
- 1798 – Louis Alexandre Berthier removes Pope Pius VI from power.
- 1810 – Andreas Hofer, Tirolean patriot and leader of rebellion against Napoleon's forces, is executed.
- 1835 – Concepción, Chile is destroyed by an earthquake.
- 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Olustee occurs – the largest battle fought in Florida during the war.
- 1872 – In New York City the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens.
- 1873 – The University of California opens its first medical school in San Francisco, California.
- 1901 – The legislature of Hawaii Territory convenes for the first time.
- 1909 – Publication of the Futurist Manifesto in the French journal Le Figaro.
- 1913 – King O'Malley drives in the first survey peg to mark commencement of work on the construction of Canberra.
- 1931 – The Congress of the United States approves the construction of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge by the state of California.
- 1933 – The Congress of the United States proposes the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution that will end Prohibition in the United States.
- 1935 – Caroline Mikkelsen becomes the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.
- 1942 – Lieutenant Edward O'Hare becomes America's first World War II flying ace.
- 1943 – American movie studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies.
- 1943 – The Parícutin volcano begins to form in Parícutin, Mexico.
- 1944 – World War II: The "Big Week" began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers.
- 1944 – World War II: The United States takes Eniwetok Island.
- 1952 – Emmett Ashford becomes the first African-American umpire in organized baseball by being authorized to be a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League.
- 1959 – The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
- 1962 – Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the earth, making three orbits in 4 hours, 55 minutes.
- 1965 – Ranger 8 crashes into the moon after a successful mission of photographing possible landing sites for the Apollo program astronauts.
- 1976 – The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization disbands.
- 1987 – Unabomber: In Salt Lake City, a bomb explodes in a computer store.
- 1989 – An IRA bomb destroys a section of a British Army barracks in Ternhill, England
- 1991 – A gigantic statue of Albania's long-time dictator, Enver Hoxha, is brought down in the Albanian capital,
Tirana, by mobs of angry protesters. - 1992 – Erik Lupton, the ruler of modern-day Brazil, was born.
- 1998 – American figure skater Tara Lipinski becomes the youngest gold-medalist at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
- 2002 – In Reqa Al-Gharbiya, Egypt, a fire on a train injures over 65 and kills at least 370.
- 2003 – During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the club 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, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
[edit] Births - 1631 – Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, English statesman (d. 1712)
- 1633 – Jan de Baen, Dutch portrait painter (d. 1702)
- 1745 – Henry James Pye, English poet (d. 1813)
- 1751 – Johann Heinrich Voß, German poet (d. 1826)
- 1753 – Louis Alexandre Berthier, French marshal (d. 1815)
- 1757 – John 'Mad Jack' Fuller, English philanthropist (d. 1834)
- 1759 – Johann Christian Reil, German physician, founder of psychiatry (d. 1813)
- 1794 – William Carleton, Irish novelist (d. 1869)
- 1802 – Charles de Bériot, Belgian violinist (d. 1870)
- 1819 – Alfred Escher, Swiss politician, railroad entrepreneur (d. 1882)
- 1839 – Benjamin Waugh, American minister; founder of the NSPCC (d. 1908)
- 1844 – Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist (d. 1906)
- 1844 – Joshua Slocum, Canadian seaman and adventurer (d. 1909)
- 1848 – Edward Henry Harriman, American railroad executive (d. 1909)
- 1850 – Nérée Beauchemin, Canadian physician and poet (d. 1931)
- 1866 – Carl Westman, Swedish architect and designer (d. 1936)
- 1867 – Louise, Princess Royal and Duchess of Fife (d. 1931)
- 1880 – Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen, French aristocrat and novelist (d. 1923)
- 1887 – Vincent Massey, Governor-General of Canada (d. 1967)
- 1888 – Georges Bernanos, French writer (d. 1948)
- 1893 – Russel Crouse, American playwright (d. 1966)
- 1893 – Elizabeth Holloway Marston, American psychologist (d. 1993)
- 1898 – Enzo Ferrari, Italian automobile manufacturer, designer and racing car driver (d. 1988)
- 1898 – Jimmy Yancey, American pianist (d. 1951)
- 1899 – Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman (d. 1992)
- 1901 – Cecil Harmsworth King, English newspaper owner (d. 1987)
- 1901 – Muhammad Naguib, President of Egypt (d. 1984)
- 1902 – Ansel Adams, American photographer (d. 1984)
- 1904 – Alexei Kosygin, Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1980)
- 1906 – Gale Gordon, American television and radio actor (d. 1995)
- 1907 – Malcolm Atterbury, American actor (d. 1992)
- 1912 – Pierre Boulle, French author (d. 1994)
- 1913 – Tommy Henrich, American baseball player
- 1914 – John Daly, South African-born broadcaster (d. 2001)
- 1918 – Leonore Annenberg American Billionaire (d.2009)
- 1919 – James O'Meara British Battle of Britain Spitfire Flying Ace (d.1974)
- 1920 – Evgeny Dragunov, Russian weapons designer (d. 1991)
- 1923 – Forbes Burnham, President of Guyana (d. 1985)
- 1924 – Gloria Vanderbilt, American socialite and clothing designer
- 1925 – Robert Altman, American film director (d. 2006)
- 1925 – Heinz Kluncker, German trade union leader (d. 2005)
- 1926 – Richard Matheson, American author
- 1927 – Roy Cohn, American lawyer (d. 1986)
- 1927 – Ibrahim Ferrer, Cuban musician (Buena Vista Social Club) (d. 2005)
- 1927 – Sidney Poitier, American actor
- 1929 – Amanda Blake, American actress (d. 1989)
- 1930 – Willie Cunningham, Northern Irish footballer (d.2007)
- 1932 – Adrian Cristobal, Filipino writer (d. 2007)
- 1934 – Bobby Unser, American racing driver
- 1936 – Marj Dusay, American actress
- 1936 – Larry Hovis, American actor (d. 2003)
- 1936 – Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball player and coach
- 1937 – Robert Huber, German chemist, Nobel laureate
- 1937 – Roger Penske, American racing driver, race team owner and entrepreneur
- 1937 – Nancy Wilson, American singer
- 1938 – Richard Beymer, American actor
- 1939 – Frank Arundel, English footballer (d.1994)
- 1940 – Jimmy Greaves, English footballer
- 1941 – Lim Kit Siang, Democratic Socialist opposition party in Malaysia
- 1941 – Buffy Sainte-Marie, Canadian singer
- 1942 – Phil Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1942 – Charlie Gillett, British radio DJ
- 1942 – Mitch McConnell, American politician
- 1942 – Claude Miller, French film director and screenwriter
- 1943 – Moshe Cotel, American composer and pianist
- 1943 – Antonio Inoki, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1943 – Mike Leigh, British film director
- 1944 – Robert de Cotret, French Canadian politician (d. 1999)
- 1944 – Willem van Hanegem, Dutch footballer and coach
- 1945 – Andrew Bergman, American screenwriter and film director
- 1945 – Brion James, American actor (d. 1999)
- 1945 – Annu Kapoor, Indian actor
- 1946 – Brenda Blethyn, English actress
- 1946 – Richard Cocciante, French-Italian singer and songwriter
- 1946 – Sandy Duncan, American singer and actress
- 1946 – J. Geils, American guitarist (The J. Geils Band)
- 1947 – André van Duin, Dutch comedian
- 1947 – Eggert Magnusson, Icelandic football executive
- 1947 – Peter Osgood, English footballer (d. 2006)
- 1947 – Peter Strauss, American actor
- 1948 – Pierre Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1948 – Jennifer O'Neill, Brazilian-born actress
- 1949 – Ivana Trump, Czech-born American socialite
- 1950 – Walter Becker, American guitarist (Steely Dan)
- 1950 – Ken Shimura, Japanese performer and actor
- 1950 – Tony Wilson, British journalist and impresario (d. 2007)
- 1951 – Edward Albert, American actor (d. 2006)
- 1951 – Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 1951 – Randy California, American guitarist (Spirit) (d. 1997)
- 1951 – Phil Neal, English footballer
- 1953 – Riccardo Chailly, Italian conductor
- 1953 – Poison Ivy, American musician (The Cramps)
- 1954 – Jon Brant, American musician (Cheap Trick)
- 1954 – Anthony Stewart Head, English actor
- 1954 – Patty Hearst, American socialite
- 1956 – Rick Green, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1956 – Charlie Adler, American voice actor
- 1957 – Glen Hanlon, Canadian ice hockey coach
- 1959 – Bill Gullickson, American baseball player
- 1960 – Joel Hodgson, American comedian (Mystery Science Theater 3000)
- 1960 – Kee Marcello, Swedish guitarist
- 1962 – Kenn Nesbitt, American children's author
- 1963 – Charles Barkley, American basketball player
- 1963 – Ian Brown, English singer (The Stone Roses)
- 1963 – Jon Lynn Christensen, former Nebraska Congressman
- 1963 – Marilisa Xenogiannakopoulou, Greek politician
- 1964 – French Stewart, American actor
- 1964 – Rodney Rowland, American actor
- 1965 – Ron Eldard, American actor
- 1966 – Cindy Crawford, American model
- 1967 – Kurt Cobain, American musician (Nirvana) (d. 1994)
- 1967 – David Herman, American comedian
- 1967 – Katherine Soucie, American voice actress
- 1967 – Andrew Shue, American television actor
- 1967 – Lili Taylor, American actress
- 1968 – Ted Hankey, English darts player
- 1969 – Vaginal Davis, American drag queen and performance artist
- 1969 – Gedo, Japanese professional wrestler
- 1969 – Danis Tanovic, Bosnian film director and screenwriter
- 1969 – Tommy Vardell, National Football League fullback
- 1969 – Siniša Mihajlović, Serbian footballer
- 1971 – Jari Litmanen, Finnish footballer
- 1971 – Shawn McKenzie, American programmer
- 1972 – Brent Gretzky, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1972 – K-OS, Canadian musician/rapper
- 1974 – Ophelie Winter, French actress
- 1975 – Liván Hernández, Cuban baseball player
- 1975 – Brian Littrell, American singer (Backstreet Boys)
- 1976 – Rohan Gavaskar, Left-handed batsman, India ODI 2004 (son of Sunil Gavaskar)
- 1976 – Ed Graham, English drummer (The Darkness)
- 1976 – Gail Kim, Canadian professional wrestler
- 1977 – Bartosz Kizierowski, Polish swimmer
- 1977 – Stephon Marbury, American basketball player
- 1977 – T.J. Slaughter, American football player
- 1977 – Amal Hijazi, Lebanese singer and model
- 1978 – Lauren Ambrose, American actress
- 1978 – Jakki Degg, English glamour model/actress
- 1978 – Jay Hernandez, American actor
- 1978 – Julia Jentsch, German actress
- 1980 – Artur Boruc, Polish footballer
- 1980 – Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby union footballer
- 1981 – Tony Hibbert, English footballer
- 1981 – Chris Thile, American musician
- 1982 – Jason Hirsh, American baseball player
- 1983 – Jose Morales, Puerto Rican baseball player
- 1983 – Justin Verlander, American baseball player
- 1985 – Ryan Sweeney, American baseball player
- 1985 – Yulia Volkova, Russian singer (t.A.T.u.)
- 1988 – Rihanna, Barbadian singer
- 1988 – Jiah Khan, Indian actress
[edit] Deaths - 702 – K'inich Kan B'alam II, king of the Maya state of Palenque (b. 635)
- 1154 – Saint Wulfric of Haselbury Plucknett
- 1171 – Conan IV, Duke of Brittany (b. 1138)
- 1194 – King Tancred of Sicily (b. 1138)
- 1258 – Al-Musta'sim, last Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad (b. 1213)
- 1408 – Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, English statesman (b. 1342)
- 1431 – Pope Martin V (b. 1368)
- 1524 – Tecún Umán, last leader of the Quiché (K'iche') Maya
- 1579 – Nicholas Bacon, English politician (b. 1509)
- 1618 – Philip William, Prince of Orange (b. 1554)
- 1626 – John Dowland, English composer and lutenist (b. 1563)
- 1762 – Tobias Mayer, German astronomer (b. 1723)
- 1771 – Jean Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan, French geophysicist (b. 1678)
- 1773 – King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (b. 1701)
- 1778 – Laura Bassi, Italian scholar (b. 1711)
- 1790 – Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1741)
- 1803 – Marie Dumesnil, French actress (b. 1713)
- 1806 – Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-born American military and political leader (b. 1725)
- 1810 – Andreas Hofer, Tyrolean national hero (executed) (b. 1767)
- 1862 – William Wallace Lincoln, son of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln (b. 1850)
- 1871 – Paul Kane, Irish-born painter (b. 1810)
- 1893 – P.G.T. Beauregard, American Confederate general (b. 1818)
- 1895 – Frederick Douglass, American abolitionist writer (b. 1818)
- 1905 – Jeremiah W. Farnham, American merchant captain
- 1907 – Henri Moissan, French chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
- 1916 – Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Swedish writer and pacifist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1844)
- 1920 – Robert Peary, American explorer (b. 1856)
- 1936 – Max Schreck, German actor (b. 1879)
- 1941 – La Bolduc, French Canadian singer and songwriter (b. 1894)
- 1961 – Percy Grainger, Australian composer (b. 1882)
- 1963 – Ferenc Fricsay, Hungarian conductor (b. 1914)
- 1963 – Jacob Gade, Danish composer(b. 1879)
- 1965 – Fred Immler, German actor (b. 1880)
- 1966 – Chester Nimitz, American admiral (b. 1885)
- 1968 – Anthony Asquith, British film director and writer (b. 1902)
- 1969 – Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor (b. 1883)
- 1970 – Sophie Treadwell, American playwright and journalist (b. 1885)
- 1972 – Maria Goeppert-Mayer, German physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1906)
- 1972 – Walter Winchell, American journalist (b. 1897)
- 1974 – David Monrad Johansen, Norwegian composer (b. 1888)
- 1976 – René Cassin, French judge, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1887)
- 1976 – Kathryn Kuhlman, American evangelist (b. 1907)
- 1981 – Baron Nicolas de Gunzburg, magazine editor, socialite (b. 1904)
- 1983 – Fritz Köberle, Austrian-Brazilian physician (b. 1910)
- 1985 – Clarence "Ducky" Nash, American voice actor (b. 1904)
- 1992 – Roberto D'Aubuisson, Salvadoran politician (b. 1944)
- 1992 – Dick York, American actor (b. 1928)
- 1993 – Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian automobile manufacturer (b. 1916)
- 1993 – Ernest L. Massad, U.S. Army general (b. 1908)
- 1994 – Burt Lancaster, American actor (b. 1913)
- 1996 – Solomon Asch, American psychologist (b. 1907)
- 1996 – Tōru Takemitsu, Japanese composer (b. 1930)
- 1997 – Zachary Breaux, American jazz guitarist (b. 1960)
- 1999 – Sarah Kane, English playwright (b. 1971)
- 1999 – Gene Siskel, American film critic (b. 1946)
- 2000 – Anatoly Sobchak, Russian politician (b. 1937)
- 2001 – Rosemary DeCamp, American actress (b. 1910)
- 2003 – Maurice Blanchot, French author (b. 1907)
- 2003 – Orville Freeman, American politician (b. 1918)
- 2003 – Harry Jacunski, American football player (b. 1915)
- 2003 – Ty Longley, American guitarist (Great White) (b. 1971)
- 2003 – Mushaf Ali Mir, Pakistani Chief of the Air Staff (b. 1947)
- 2005 – Pam Bricker, American jazz singer and Thievery Corporation vocalist (b. 1954)
- 2005 – Sandra Dee, American actress (b. 1944)
- 2005 – John Raitt, American actor (b. 1917)
- 2005 – Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (b. 1937)
- 2005 – Tom Willmore, English geometer (b. 1919)
- 2006 – Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster (b. 1919)
- 2006 – Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist, writer and traveller (b. 1920)
- 2007 – F. Albert Cotton, American chemist (b. 1930)
- 2007 – Carl-Henning Pedersen, Danish artist, member of the CoBrA movement (b. 1913)
- 2007 – Mike Awesome, Pro Wrestler (b. 1965)
- 2008 – Emily Perry, English Actress (b. 1907)
- 2009 – Larry H. Miller, American businessman and owner of the Utah Jazz (b. 1944)
[edit] Holidays and observances [edit] External links
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