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On This Day in History — October 20
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Highlights of October 20
- 2024 — Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka were sworn in as president and vice president of Indonesia, becoming the oldest and the youngest person to assume respective offices. Read more
- 2022 — Protests broke out across Chad after President Mahamat Déby (pictured) declared his intentions to extend his rule by another two years. Read more
- 2011 — First Libyan Civil War: Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyan leader, was captured by rebel forces during the Battle of Sirte, and was killed shortly thereafter. Read more
- 1991 — An earthquake struck the Indian state of Uttarakhand, killing at least 768 people and destroying thousands of homes. Read more
- 1986 — Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashed on approach to Kurumoch Airport in Samara, Russia (then Kuybyshev in the Soviet Union), killing 70 people on board. Read more
- 1986 — Soviet Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashed after overrunning the runway at Kuibyshev Airport, killing 70 people on board. Read more
- 1984 — The Spanish trawler Sonia sank in British waters after a five-hour chase by the Irish Naval Service patrol vessel Aisling, during which almost 600 shots were fired. Read more
- 1982 — During a UEFA Cup match between Spartak Moscow and Haarlem, a large number of attendees trying to leave the Central Lenin Stadium resulted in a stampede that caused 66 deaths. Read more
- 1977 — Three members of the American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd died when their chartered plane crashed in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Read more
- 1973 — Watergate scandal: Attorney General Elliot Richardson and his deputy William Ruckelshaus resigned after refusing to obey President Richard Nixon's order to have Archibald Cox fired. Read more
- 1969 — Experimental results from the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center were published showing that protons were composed of smaller particles, the first evidence of quarks. Read more
- 1967 — Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin filmed an unidentified subject, which they claimed was Bigfoot, at Six Rivers National Forest in California. Read more
- 1951 — African-American college football player Johnny Bright was the victim of an on-field assault, eventually leading to changes in NCAA football rules that mandated the use of more protective helmets with face guards. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: Fulfilling a promise he made two years previously, General Douglas MacArthur landed on Leyte to begin the recapture of the Philippines. Read more
- 1939 — Pope Pius XII (pictured) published his first encyclical, Summi Pontificatus, which critiqued ideologies such as racism, cultural superiority and totalitarianism. Read more
- 1936 — British woman Mabel Freer was refused entry to Australia after failing a dictation test given in Italian, leading to a debate over Australia's immigration policy. Read more
- 1740 — Under the terms of the Pragmatic Sanction, Maria Theresa (pictured) ascended the Habsburg throne. Read more
Events
- 2022 — Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days). Read more
- 2018 — The BepiColombo spacecraft is launched on an Ariane 5 rocket to study Mercury. Read more
- 2017 — Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign. Read more
- 2011 — Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill them shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war. Read more
- 2005 — The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Read more
- 2003 — The Sloan Great Wall, once the largest cosmic structures known to humanity, is discovered by students at Princeton University. Read more
- 2002 — Top Gear, the revived popular British TV motoring magazine, premieres on BBC. Read more
- 1995 — Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-73. Read more
- 1991 — A 6.8 Mw earthquake strikes the Uttarkashi region of India, killing more than 1,000 people. Read more
- 1991 — A massive firestorm breaks out in the hills of Oakland and Berkeley, California killing 25 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, apartments and condominiums. Read more
- 1986 — Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashes while landing at Kuibyshev Airport (now Kuromoch International Airport) in Kuibyshev (now present-day Samara, Russia), killing 70 people. Read more
- 1982 — During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death in the Luzhniki disaster. Read more
- 1981 — Two police officers and a Brink's armored car guard are killed during an armed robbery carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground in Nanuet, New York. Read more
- 1977 — A plane carrying the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in woodland in Mississippi, United States. Six people, including three band members, are killed. Read more
- 1976 — The Luling–Destrehan Ferry MV George Prince is struck by the Norwegian freighter SS Frosta while crossing the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. Seventy-eight passengers and crew die, and only 18 people aboard the ferry survive. Read more
- 1973 — Watergate scandal: "Saturday Night Massacre": United States President Richard Nixon fires U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork. Read more
- 1973 — The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction. Read more
- 1962 — China launches simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line, igniting the Sino-Indian War. Read more
- 1961 — The Soviet Navy performs the first armed test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, launching an R-13 from a Golf-class submarine. Read more
- 1952 — The Governor of Kenya Evelyn Baring declares a state of emergency and begins arresting hundreds of suspected leaders of the Mau Mau Uprising. Read more
- 1951 — The "Johnny Bright incident" occurs during a football game between the Drake Bulldogs and Oklahoma A&M Aggies. Read more
- 1948 — A KLM Lockheed L-049 Constellation crashes on approach to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, killing 40. Read more
- 1947 — Cold War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: The Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade. Read more
- 1944 — Liquefied natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland and then explodes, leveling 30 blocks and killing 130 people. Read more
- 1944 — World War II: American general Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise to return to the Philippines when he comes ashore during the Battle of Leyte. Read more
- 1941 — World War II: Thousands of civilians in German-occupied Serbia are murdered in the Kragujevac massacre. Read more
- 1935 — The Long March, a mammoth retreat undertaken by the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party a year prior, ends. Read more
- 1910 — British ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched. Read more
- 1904 — Chile and Bolivia sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, delimiting the border between the two countries. Read more
- 1883 — Peru and Chile sign the Treaty of Ancón, by which the Tarapacá province is ceded to the latter, bringing an end to Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific. Read more
- 1827 — Greek War of Independence: In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships. Read more
- 1818 — The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada–United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length. Read more
- 1803 — The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase. Read more
- 1781 — The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Austria. Read more
- 1774 — American Revolution: The Continental Association, a nonconsumption and nonimportation agreement against the British Isles and the British West Indies, is adopted by the First Continental Congress. Read more
- 1740 — France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction, and the War of the Austrian Succession begins. Read more
- 1572 — Eighty Years' War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the relief of Goes. Read more
- 1568 — The Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent. Read more
- 1448 — The second battle of Kosovo ends when the larger army of the Ottoman Empire defeats those of the Kingdom of Hungary after the Wallachian troops desert. Read more
Born on October 20
- 2003 — Carney Chukwuemeka, English footballer Read more
- 2002 — Yéremy Pino, Spanish footballer Read more
- 2001 — Paige Bueckers, American basketball player Read more
- 2000 — Kenneth Walker III, American football player Read more
- 1999 — Chuu, South Korean singer and television personality Read more
- 1999 — YoungBoy Never Broke Again, American rapper Read more
- 1998 — Jordan Ridley, Australian rules footballer Read more
- 1997 — Ademola Lookman, Nigerian footballer Read more
- 1997 — Daizen Maeda, Japanese footballer Read more
- 1997 — Nguyễn Tiến Linh, Vietnamese footballer Read more
- 1997 — Andrey Rublev, Russian tennis player Read more
- 1996 — Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Indonesian badminton player Read more
- 1995 — Humberto Carrillo, Mexican wrestler Read more
- 1994 — Festus Talam, Kenyan long-distance runner Read more
- 1992 — Mattia De Sciglio, Italian footballer Read more
- 1992 — Ksenia Semyonova, Russian gymnast Read more
- 1992 — Kyle Wiltjer, Canadian-American basketball player Read more
- 1991 — Phupoom Pongpanupak, Thai actor Read more
- 1990 — Sam Mataora, Cook Islands rugby league player Read more
- 1989 — Jamie Collins, American football player Read more
- 1989 — Jess Glynne, English singer-songwriter Read more
- 1988 — ASAP Ferg, American rapper Read more
- 1988 — Rui Pinto, Portuguese activist and whistleblower Read more
- 1988 — Candice Swanepoel, South African supermodel and philanthropist Read more
- 1987 — Marie Sophie Hingst, German historian and blogger who falsely claimed to be descended from Holocaust survivors (died 2019) Read more
- 1986 — Elyse Taylor, Australian model Read more
- 1985 — James Sutton, English race car driver Read more
- 1984 — Mitch Lucker, American singer-songwriter (died 2012) Read more
- 1984 — Andrew Trimble, Irish rugby player Read more
- 1983 — Alona Tal, Israeli actress Read more
- 1983 — Michel Vorm, Dutch footballer Read more
- 1982 — Preeti Barameeanant, Thai singer Read more
- 1982 — Becky Brewerton, Welsh golfer Read more
- 1982 — Lawrence Roberts, American basketball player Read more
- 1981 — Dimitrios Papadopoulos, Greek footballer Read more
- 1979 — Paul Ifill, English footballer Read more
- 1979 — John Krasinski, American actor, director, and producer Read more
- 1979 — Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby player Read more
- 1978 — Virender Sehwag, Indian cricketer Read more
- 1978 — Paul Wilson, Scottish bass player and songwriter Read more
Died on October 20
- 2024 — Barbara Dane, American folk, blues and jazz singer (born 1927) Read more
- 2024 — Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian (born 1941) Read more
- 2024 — Walter Jacob, American Reform rabbi (born 1930) Read more
- 2024 — Janusz Olejniczak, Polish classical pianist and actor (born 1952) Read more
- 2024 — Paul White, Baron Hanningfield, British life peer (born 1940) Read more
- 2022 — Lucy Simon, American composer and songwriter (born 1940) Read more
- 2020 — James Randi, Canadian-American stage magician and author (born 1928) Read more
- 2018 — Wim Kok, Dutch prime minister (born 1938) Read more
- 2016 — Kaneta Kimotsuki, Japanese actor, voice actor, and theater director (born 1935) Read more
- 2016 — Robert E. Kramek, former United States Coast Guard admiral (born 1939) Read more
- 2016 — Michael Massee, American actor (born 1952) Read more
- 2016 — Junko Tabei, Japanese mountaineer (born 1939) Read more
- 2015 — Makis Dendrinos, Greek basketball player and coach (born 1950) Read more
- 2015 — Arno Gruen, German-Swiss psychologist and psychoanalyst (born 1923) Read more
- 2015 — Kazimierz Łaski, Polish-Austrian economist and academic (born 1921) Read more
- 2015 — Michael Meacher, English academic and politician, Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (born 1939) Read more
- 2015 — Ian Steel, Scottish cyclist and manager (born 1928) Read more
- 2014 — René Burri, Swiss photographer and journalist (born 1933) Read more
- 2014 — Oscar de la Renta, Dominican-American fashion designer (born 1932) Read more
- 2014 — Christophe de Margerie, French businessman (born 1951) Read more
- 2013 — Jovanka Broz, Croatian-Serbian colonel (born 1924) Read more
- 2013 — Don James, American football player and coach (born 1932) Read more
- 2013 — Lawrence Klein, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1920) Read more
- 2013 — Joginder Singh, Kenyan race car driver (born 1932) Read more
- 2013 — Larri Thomas, American actress and dancer (born 1932) Read more
- 2013 — Sid Yudain, American journalist, founded Roll Call (born 1923) Read more
- 2012 — Przemysław Gintrowski, Polish poet and composer (born 1951) Read more
- 2012 — Paul Kurtz, American philosopher and academic (born 1925) Read more
- 2012 — Dave May, American baseball player (born 1943) Read more
- 2012 — John McConnell, American activist, created Earth Day (born 1915) Read more
- 2012 — E. Donnall Thomas, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1920) Read more
- 2012 — Raymond Watson, American businessman (born 1926) Read more
- 2011 — Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan colonel and politician, Prime Minister of Libya (born 1942) Read more
- 2011 — Mutassim Gaddafi, Libyan colonel (born 1974) Read more
- 2011 — Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, Libyan politician (born 1942) Read more
- 2011 — Iztok Puc, Croatian-Slovenian handball player (born 1966) Read more
- 2010 — W. Cary Edwards, American politician (born 1944) Read more
- 2010 — Bob Guccione, American publisher, founded Penthouse magazine (born 1930) Read more
- 2010 — Eva Ibbotson, Austrian-English author (born 1925) Read more
- 2010 — Max Kohnstamm, Dutch historian and diplomat (born 1914) Read more
Holidays & observances
Christian feast days:
Acca of Hexham; Christian feast days:
Aderald; Christian feast days:
Artemius; Christian feast days:
Caprasius of Agen; Christian feast days:
Blessed Franz Alexander Kern; Christian feast days:
Irene of Tomar; Christian feast days:
Jakub Strzemię; Christian feast days:
Magdalene of Nagasaki; Christian feast days:
Paul of the Cross (in USA, moved from Oct. 19); Christian feast days:
Maria Bertilla Boscardin; Christian feast days:
Mater Admirabilis; Christian feast days:
October 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Arbor Day (Czech Republic); Heroes' Day (Kenya); Revolution Day (Guatemala), one of the two Patriotic Days (Guatemala); Vietnamese Women's Day (Vietnam); World Osteoporosis Day; World Statistics Day
Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “October 20”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.