January 20 in history — What Happened Today in History

Pakistan launches its nuclear weapons program, a few weeks after its defeat in the Bangladesh Liberation War, as well as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

In the United States, the National Negro Network is established with 40 charter member radio stations.

World War II: The provisional government of Béla Miklós in Hungary agrees to an armistice with the Allies.

World War II: Germany begins the evacuation of 1.8 million people from East Prussia, a task which will take nearly two months.

World War II: At the Wannsee Conference held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee, senior Nazi German officials discuss the implementation of the "Final Solution to the Jewish question".

A German officer is killed in Bucharest, Romania, sparking a rebellion and pogrom by the Iron Guard, killing 125 Jews and 30 soldiers.

During the Irish Civil War the Irish Free State Army executes 10 members of the anti-treaty Irish Republican Army

The British K-class submarine HMS K5 sinks in the English Channel; all 56 on board die.

The first Constitution of Turkey is adopted, making fundamental changes in the source and exercise of sovereignty by consecrating the principle of national sovereignty.

Newly formed automaker General Motors (GM) buys into the Oakland Motor Car Company, which later becomes GM's long-running Pontiac division.

The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Harbor as a naval base.

The last day of the Constantinople Conference results in agreement for political reforms in the Balkans.

The Treaty of Pangkor is signed between the British and Sultan Abdullah of Perak, paving the way for further British colonization of Malaya.

Hong Kong Island is occupied by the British during the First Opium War.

In the Battle of Yungay, Chile defeats an alliance between Peru and Bolivia.

The third and main part of First Fleet arrives at Botany Bay, beginning the British colonization of Australia. Arthur Phillip decides that Port Jackson is a more suitable location for a colony.

Invading Siamese forces attempt to exploit the political chaos in Vietnam, but are ambushed and annihilated at the Mekong river by the Tây Sơn in the Battle of Rạch Gầm-Xoài Mút.

The Kingdom of Great Britain signs preliminary articles of peace with the Kingdom of France, setting the stage for the official end of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War later that year.

J. S. Bach leads the first performance of his cantata Meine Seufzer, meine Tränen (My sighs, my tears), BWV 13, for the second Sunday after Epiphany.

The High Court of Justice for the trial of Charles I begins its proceedings.

The Mexican city of León is founded by order of the viceroy Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza.

Battle of Rio de Janeiro: Portuguese forces under the command of Estácio de Sá definitively drive the French out of Rio de Janeiro.

Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway.

Lorenzo Crisetig, Italian footballer

Cat Janice, American singer-songwriter (died 2024)

DeVante Parker, American football player

Tom Cairney, Scottish footballer

Ciara Hanna, American actress and model

Polona Hercog, Slovenian tennis player

Jumpol Adulkittiporn, Thai actor

Nick Foles, American football player

Alex Grant, Canadian ice hockey player

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, New Zealand rugby league player

Uwa Elderson Echiéjilé, Nigerian footballer

Jan Muršak, Slovenian ice hockey player

Evan Peters, American actor

Claudio Abbado, Italian conductor (born 1933)

Otis G. Pike, American judge and politician (born 1921)

Jonas Trinkūnas, Lithuanian ethnologist and academic (born 1939)

Pavlos Matesis, Greek author and playwright (born 1933)

Toyo Shibata, Japanese poet and author (born 1911)

Etta James, American singer-songwriter (born 1938)

John Levy, American bassist and manager (born 1912)

Ioannis Kefalogiannis, Greek politician, Greek Minister of the Interior (born 1933)

Alejandro Rodriguez, Venezuelan-American pediatrician and psychiatrist (born 1918)

Stéphanos II Ghattas, Egyptian patriarch (born 1920)

Per Borten, Norwegian lawyer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Norway (born 1913)

Jan Nowak-Jeziorański, Polish journalist and politician (born 1914)

Miriam Rothschild, English zoologist, entomologist, and author (born 1908)