February 20 in history — What Happened Today in History
Curious what February 20 in history holds? From 2016 back through the centuries, our timeline gathers everything that happened on February 20 — events, birthdays and deaths on one cozy page.
On this page, February 20 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about February 20 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on February 20 in History 40
- 2016
Six people are killed and two injured in multiple shooting incidents in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
- 2015
Two trains collide in the Swiss town of Rafz resulting in as many as 49 people injured and Swiss Federal Railways cancelling some services.
- 2014
Dozens of Euromaidan anti-government protesters die in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, many reportedly killed by snipers.
- 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.
- 2009
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 style attack.
- 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.
- 2003
During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the Station nightclub ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others.
- 2002
A cooking gas cylinder explodes on board an Egyptian National Railways train in El Ayyat, causing a fire and killing over 370 people.
- 1998
American figure skater Tara Lipinski, at the age of 15, becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating gold-medalist at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
- 1991
In the Albanian capital Tirana, a gigantic statue of Albania's long-time leader, Enver Hoxha, is brought down by mobs of angry protesters.
- 1988
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast votes to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia, triggering the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
- 1986
The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for ten of those years.
All entries for February 20（+28）
- 1979
An earthquake cracks open the Sinila volcanic crater on the Dieng Plateau, releasing poisonous H2S gas and killing 149 villagers in the Indonesian province of Central Java.
- 1971
The United States Emergency Broadcast System is accidentally activated in an erroneous national alert.
- 1968
The China Academy of Space Technology, China's main arm for the research, development, and creation of space satellites, is established in Beijing.
- 1965
Ranger 8 crashes into the Moon after a successful mission of photographing possible landing sites for the Apollo program astronauts.
- 1962
Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, making three orbits in four hours, 55 minutes.
- 1959
The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
- 1956
The United States Merchant Marine Academy becomes a permanent Service Academy.
- 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.
- 1944
World War II: The "Big Week" begins with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers.
- 1944
World War II: The United States takes Eniwetok Atoll.
- 1943
World War II: American movie studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies.
- 1943
The Saturday Evening Post publishes the first of Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms in support of United States President Franklin Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address theme of Four Freedoms.
- 1942
World War II: Lieutenant Edward O'Hare becomes America's first World War II flying ace.
- 1939
Madison Square Garden Nazi rally: The largest ever pro-Nazi rally in United States history is convened in Madison Square Garden, New York City, with 20,000 members and sympathizers of the German American Bund present.
- 1935
Caroline Mikkelsen becomes the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.
- 1933
The U.S. Congress approves the Blaine Act to repeal federal Prohibition in the United States, sending the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution to state ratifying conventions for approval.
- 1933
Adolf Hitler secretly meets with German industrialists to arrange for financing of the Nazi Party's upcoming election campaign.
- 1931
The U.S. Congress approves the construction of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge by the state of California.
- 1931
An anarchist uprising in Encarnación, Paraguay briefly transforms the city into a revolutionary commune.
- 1920
An earthquake kills between 114 and 130 in Georgia and heavily damages the town of Gori.
- 1913
King O'Malley drives in the first survey peg to mark commencement of work on the construction of Canberra.
- 1909
Publication of the Futurist Manifesto in the French journal Le Figaro.
- 1905
The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of Massachusetts's mandatory smallpox vaccination program in Jacobson v. Massachusetts.
- 1901
The legislature of Hawaii Territory convenes for the first time.
- 1894
20 February bombings by Désiré Pauwels during the Ère des attentats (1892-1894).
- 1877
Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake receives its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
- 1872
The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.
- 1865
End of the Uruguayan War, with a peace agreement between President Tomás Villalba and rebel leader Venancio Flores, setting the scene for the destructive War of the Triple Alliance.
Famous Birthdays on February 20 in History 25
- 2004
Jared McCain, American basketball player
- 2003
Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer
- 2002
Gavin Bazunu, Irish footballer
- 2000
Josh Sargent, American soccer player
- 1999
Jarrett Culver, American basketball player
- 1998
Emam Ashour, Egyptian footballer
- 1996
Clarke Schmidt, American baseball player
- 1995
Elle Purrier St. Pierre, American track and field athlete
- 1994
Kateryna Baindl, Ukrainian tennis player
- 1994
Luis Severino, Dominican baseball player
- 1993
Jurickson Profar, Curaçaoan baseball player
- 1991
Hidilyn Diaz, Filipino weightlifter
All entries for February 20（+13）
- 1991
Angelique van der Meet, Dutch tennis player
- 1991
Sally Rooney, Irish novelist
- 1990
Ciro Immobile, Italian footballer
- 1988
Ki Bo-bae, South Korean archer
- 1988
Rihanna, Barbadian singer, songwriter, businesswoman, and actress
- 1987
Luke Burgess, English rugby league player
- 1987
Martin Hanzal, Czech ice hockey player
- 1987
James Johnson, American basketball player
- 1987
Miles Teller, American actor
- 1986
Julio Borbón, American baseball player
- 1985
Killian Dain, Northern Irish wrestler
- 1985
Ryan Sweeney, American baseball player
- 1985
Julia Volkova, Russian singer and actress
Notable Deaths on February 20 in History 25
- 2025
David Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Oklahoma (born 1941)
- 2025
Jerry Butler, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1939)
- 2025
Peter Jason, American actor (born 1944)
- 2024
Andreas Brehme, German footballer (born 1960)
- 2024
Yoko Yamamoto, Japanese actress (born 1942)
- 2021
Nurul Haque Miah, Bangladeshi professor and writer (born 1944)
- 2021
Mauro Bellugi, Italian footballer (born 1950)
- 2020
Joaquim Pina Moura, Portuguese Minister of Economy and Treasury and MP (born 1952)
- 2017
Vitaly Churkin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations (born 1952)
- 2017
Mildred Dresselhaus, American physicist (born 1930)
- 2017
Steve Hewlett, British journalist (born 1958)
- 2016
Fernando Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest and politician (born 1934)
All entries for February 20（+13）
- 2015
Govind Pansare, Indian author and activist (born 1933)
- 2015
Henry Segerstrom, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1923)
- 2015
John C. Willke, American physician, author, and activist (born 1925)
- 2014
Rafael Addiego Bruno, Uruguayan jurist and politician, President of Uruguay (born 1923)
- 2014
Walter D. Ehlers, American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1921)
- 2014
Garrick Utley, American journalist (born 1939)
- 2013
Kenji Eno, Japanese game designer and composer (born 1970)
- 2013
David S. McKay, American biochemist and geologist (born 1936)
- 2013
Antonio Roma, Argentinian footballer (born 1932)
- 2012
Knut Torbjørn Eggen, Norwegian footballer and manager (born 1960)
- 2012
Katie Hall, American educator and politician (born 1938)
- 2010
Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th United States Secretary of State (born 1924)
- 2009
Larry H. Miller, American businessman and philanthropist (born 1944)
That is the story of February 20 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on February 20 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on February 20 in history?
The biggest event on February 20 in history is: 2016 — Six people are killed and two injured in multiple shooting incidents in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on February 20?
25 famous people were born on February 20 in history, the best known being 2004 — Jared McCain, American basketball player.
Who died on February 20?
25 notable people died on February 20 in history, including 2025 — David Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Oklahoma (born 1941).
Why should I read about February 20 in history?
Exploring February 20 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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