On This Day — May 20

Famous events, births, and deaths from May 20 in history, plus the public holidays, religious observances, sports, and national days happening on this date today.

Pick a month

Pick a day in May

50 events · 192 births · 92 deaths recorded for May 20.

🕰️ Notable Events on May 20

2013 — An EF5 tornado strikes the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others. Wikipedia ↗
2012 — At least 27 people are killed and 50 others injured when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Italy. Wikipedia ↗
2002 — The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and three years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976). Wikipedia ↗
1996 — Civil rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Romer v. Evans against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians. Wikipedia ↗
1990 — The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania. Wikipedia ↗
1989 — The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre. Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba. Wikipedia ↗
1983 — First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by Luc Montagnier. Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Church Street bombing: A car bomb planted by Umkhonto we Sizwe explodes on Church Street in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, killing 19 people and injuring 217 others. Wikipedia ↗
1980 — In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects, by 60% of the vote, a government proposal to move towards independence from Canada. Wikipedia ↗
1971 — In the Chuknagar massacre, Pakistani forces massacre thousands, mostly Bengali Hindus. Wikipedia ↗
1969 — The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends. Wikipedia ↗
1967 — The Popular Movement of the Revolution political party is established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Robert Woodrow Wilson and Arno Penzias. Wikipedia ↗
1956 — In Operation Redwing, the first United States airborne hydrogen bomb is dropped over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Wikipedia ↗
1949 — In the United States, the Armed Forces Security Agency, the predecessor to the National Security Agency, is established. Wikipedia ↗
1948 — Chiang Kai-shek is elected as the first President of the Republic of China. Wikipedia ↗
1941 — World War II: Battle of Crete: German paratroops invade Crete. Wikipedia ↗
1940 — The Holocaust: The first prisoners arrive at a new concentration camp at Auschwitz. Wikipedia ↗
1932 — Amelia Earhart takes off from Newfoundland to begin the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean by a female pilot, landing in Ireland the next day. Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Treaty of Jeddah: The United Kingdom recognizes the sovereignty of King Ibn Saud in the Kingdoms of Hejaz and Nejd, which later merge to become the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Wikipedia ↗
1902 — Cuba gains independence from the United States. Tomás Estrada Palma becomes the country's first President. Wikipedia ↗
1891 — History of cinema: The first public display of Thomas Edison's prototype kinetoscope. Wikipedia ↗
1883 — Krakatoa begins to erupt; the volcano explodes three months later, killing more than 36,000 people. Wikipedia ↗
1882 — The Triple Alliance between the German Empire, Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy is formed. Wikipedia ↗
1875 — Signing of the Metre Convention by 17 nations leading to the establishment of the International System of Units. Wikipedia ↗
1873 — Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis receive a U.S. patent for blue jeans with copper rivets. Wikipedia ↗
1864 — American Civil War: Battle of Ware Bottom Church: In the Virginia Bermuda Hundred Campaign, 10,000 troops fight in this Confederate victory. Wikipedia ↗
1862 — U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act into law. Wikipedia ↗
1861 — American Civil War: The state of Kentucky proclaims its neutrality, which will last until September 3 when Confederate forces enter the state. Meanwhile, the State of North Carolina secedes from the Union. Wikipedia ↗
1840 — York Minster is badly damaged by fire. Wikipedia ↗
1813 — Napoleon Bonaparte leads his French troops into the Battle of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany, against the combined armies of Russia and Prussia. The battle ends the next day with a French victory. Wikipedia ↗
1802 — By the Law of 20 May 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte reinstates slavery in the French colonies, revoking its abolition in the French Revolution. Wikipedia ↗
1775 — The controversial Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence is allegedly signed in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wikipedia ↗
1645 — Yangzhou massacre: the 10-day massacre of 800,000 residents of the city of Yangzhou, part of the Transition from Ming to Qing. Wikipedia ↗
1631 — The city of Magdeburg in Germany is seized by forces of the Holy Roman Empire and most of its inhabitants massacred, in one of the bloodiest incidents of the Thirty Years' War. Wikipedia ↗
1609 — Shakespeare's sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by the publisher Thomas Thorpe. Wikipedia ↗
1570 — Cartographer Abraham Ortelius issues Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, the first modern atlas. Wikipedia ↗
1521 — Ignatius of Loyola is seriously wounded in the Battle of Pampeluna. Wikipedia ↗
1520 — The massacre at the festival of Tóxcatl takes place during the Fall of Tenochtitlan, resulting in turning the Aztecs against the Spanish. Wikipedia ↗
1498 — Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovers the sea route to India when he arrives at Kozhikode (previously known as Calicut), India. Wikipedia ↗
1497 — John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date). Wikipedia ↗
1449 — The Battle of Alfarrobeira is fought, establishing the House of Braganza as a principal royal family of Portugal. Wikipedia ↗
1293 — King Sancho IV of Castile creates the Estudio de Escuelas de Generales in Alcalá de Henares. Wikipedia ↗
1217 — The Second Battle of Lincoln is fought near Lincoln, England, resulting in the defeat of Prince Louis of France by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. Wikipedia ↗
794 — King Æthelberht II of East Anglia visits the royal Mercian court at Sutton Walls, with a view to marrying princess Ælfthryth. He is taken captive and beheaded. Wikipedia ↗
685 — The Battle of Dun Nechtain is fought between a Pictish army under King Bridei III and the invading Northumbrians under King Ecgfrith, who are decisively defeated. Wikipedia ↗
526 — An earthquake kills about 250,000 people in what is now Syria and Antiochia. Wikipedia ↗
491 — Empress Ariadne marries Anastasius I. The widowed Augusta is able to choose her successor for the Byzantine throne, after Zeno (late emperor) dies of dysentery. Wikipedia ↗
325 — The First Council of Nicaea is formally opened, starting the first ecumenical council of the Christian Church. Wikipedia ↗

🎂 Notable Births on May 20

1998 — Jamie Chadwick, English race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1998 — Nam Nguyen, Canadian figure skater Wikipedia ↗
1996 — Brian Kelly, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1993 — Caroline Zhang, American figure skater Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Cate Campbell, Australian swimmer Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Jack Gleeson, Irish actor Wikipedia ↗
1992 — Enes Kanter, Turkish basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Bastian Baker, Swiss singer, songwriter, and performer Wikipedia ↗
1991 — Emre Colak, Turkish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1989 — Siosia Vave, Australian-Tongan rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1988 — Joel Moon, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Mike Havenaar, Japanese footballer Wikipedia ↗
1987 — Julian Wright, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Dexter Blackstock, English footballer Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Stéphane Mbia, Cameroonian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1986 — Jiřina Svobodová, Czech pole vaulter Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Chris Froome, Kenyan-English cyclist Wikipedia ↗
1985 — Brendon Goddard, Australian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Mauro Rafael da Silva, Brazilian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Patrick Ewing, Jr., American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1984 — Keith Grennan, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Óscar Cardozo, Paraguayan footballer Wikipedia ↗
1983 — Matt Langridge, English rower Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Petr Čech, Czech footballer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Imran Farhat, Pakistani cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Jessica Raine, English actress Wikipedia ↗
1982 — Daniel Ribeiro, Brazilian director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Iker Casillas, Spanish footballer Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Rachel Platten, American singer and songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Lindsay Taylor, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1981 — Mark Winterbottom, Australian race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Austin Kearns, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1980 — Kassim Osgood, American football player Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Andrew Scheer, Canadian politician, 35th Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons Wikipedia ↗
1979 — Jayson Werth, American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Hristos Banikas, Greek chess player Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Pavla Hamáčková-Rybová, Czech pole vaulter Wikipedia ↗
1978 — Nils Schumann, German runner Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Matt Czuchry, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Leo Franco, Argentinian footballer Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Angela Goethals, American actress Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Stirling Mortlock, Australian rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1977 — Vesa Toskala, Finnish ice hockey player Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Ramón Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1976 — Tomoya Satozaki, Japanese baseball player Wikipedia ↗
1975 — Juan Minujín, Argentinian actor, director, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1974 — Allison Amend, American novelist and short story writer Wikipedia ↗
1973 — Nathan Long, Australian rugby league player Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Michael Diamond, Australian shooter Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Christophe Dominici, French rugby player Wikipedia ↗
1972 — Busta Rhymes, American rapper, producer, and actor Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Šárka Kašpárková, Czech triple jumper and coach Wikipedia ↗
1971 — Tony Stewart, American race car driver Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Terrell Brandon, American basketball player Wikipedia ↗
1970 — Louis Theroux, Singaporean-English journalist and producer Wikipedia ↗
1969 — Road Dogg, American wrestler, producer, and soldier Wikipedia ↗
1968 — Timothy Olyphant, American actor and producer Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Graham Brady, English politician Wikipedia ↗
1967 — Gabriele Muccino, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1966 — Dan Abrams, American journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Ted Allen, American television host and author Wikipedia ↗
1965 — Stu Grimson, Canadian ice hockey player, sportscaster, and lawyer Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Kōichirō Genba, Japanese politician, 80th Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Edin Osmanović, Slovenian footballer, coach, and manager Wikipedia ↗
1964 — Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, English journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
1963 — David Wells, American baseball player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Clive Allen, English footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1961 — Nick Heyward, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1960 — Tony Goldwyn, American actor and director Wikipedia ↗
1959 — Susan Cowsill, American singer-songwriter Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Ron Reagan, American journalist and radio host Wikipedia ↗
1958 — Jane Wiedlin, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress Wikipedia ↗
1957 — Yoshihiko Noda, Japanese lawyer and politician, 62nd Prime Minister of Japan Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Norwegian-German author and critic Wikipedia ↗
1956 — Douglas Preston, American journalist and author Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Steve George, American keyboard player and songwriter (Mr. Mister) Wikipedia ↗
1955 — Zbigniew Preisner, Polish composer and producer Wikipedia ↗
1954 — David Paterson, American lawyer and politician, 55th Governor of New York Wikipedia ↗
1954 — Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway, Scottish lawyer and judge Wikipedia ↗
1953 — Robert Doyle, Australian educator and politician, 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Roger Milla, Cameroonian footballer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1952 — Michael Wills, English politician, British Minister of Justice Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Thomas Akers, American colonel, engineer, and astronaut Wikipedia ↗
1951 — Mike Crapo, American lawyer and politician Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Andy Johns, English-American engineer and producer (d. 2013) Wikipedia ↗
1950 — Reinaldo Merlo, Argentinian footballer and coach Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Robert Morin, Canadian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Michèle Roberts, English author and poet Wikipedia ↗
1949 — Dave Thomas, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Steve Currie, English bass player (d. 1981) Wikipedia ↗
1947 — Greg Dyke, English journalist and academic Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Cher, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress Wikipedia ↗
1946 — Bobby Murcer, American baseball player, coach, manager, and sportscaster (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
1945 — Vladimiro Montesinos, Peruvian intelligence officer Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Joe Cocker, English singer-songwriter (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Boudewijn de Groot, Indonesian-Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Keith Fletcher, English cricketer and manager Wikipedia ↗
1944 — Dietrich Mateschitz, Austrian businessman, co-founded Red Bull GmbH Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Albano Carrisi, Italian singer, actor, and winemaker Wikipedia ↗
1943 — Deryck Murray, Trinidadian cricketer Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Raymond Chrétien, Canadian lawyer and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Lynn Davies, Welsh sprinter and long jumper Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Carlos Hathcock, American sergeant and sniper (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1942 — Frew McMillan, South African tennis player Wikipedia ↗
1941 — Goh Chok Tong, Singaporean politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore Wikipedia ↗
1941 — John Strasberg, American actor and teacher Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Shorty Long, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1969) Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Stan Mikita, Slovak-Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster Wikipedia ↗
1940 — Sadaharu Oh, Japanese-Taiwanese baseball player and manager Wikipedia ↗
1939 — Balu Mahendra, Sri Lankan-Indian director, cinematographer, and screenwriter (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1937 — Dave Hill, American golfer (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1936 — Anthony Zerbe, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1935 — José Mujica, Uruguayan guerrilla leader and politician, 40th President of Uruguay Wikipedia ↗
1933 — Constance Towers, American actress and singer Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Ken Boyer, American baseball player and manager (d. 1982) Wikipedia ↗
1931 — Louis Smith, American trumpeter Wikipedia ↗
1930 — Sam Etcheverry, American football player and coach (d. 2009) Wikipedia ↗
1929 — Gilles Loiselle, Canadian politician and diplomat, 33rd Canadian Minister of Finance Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Bud Grant, American football player and coach Wikipedia ↗
1927 — David Hedison, American actor Wikipedia ↗
1927 — Franciszek Macharski, Polish cardinal (d. 2016) Wikipedia ↗
1926 — Bob Sweikert, American race car driver (d. 1956) Wikipedia ↗
1925 — Alexei Tupolev, Russian engineer, designed the Tupolev Tu-144 (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
1924 — David Chavchavadze, English-American CIA officer and author (d. 2014) Wikipedia ↗
1924 — Zelmar Michelini, Uruguayan journalist and politician (d. 1976) Wikipedia ↗
1923 — Edith Fellows, American actress (d. 2011) Wikipedia ↗
1921 — Wolfgang Borchert, German author and playwright (d. 1947) Wikipedia ↗
1921 — Hal Newhouser, American baseball player and scout (d. 1998) Wikipedia ↗
1921 — Hao Wang, Chinese-American logician, philosopher, and mathematician (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
1920 — John Cruickshank, Scottish lieutenant and banker, Victoria Cross recipient Wikipedia ↗
1919 — George Gobel, American comedian (d. 1991) Wikipedia ↗
1918 — Edward B. Lewis, American biologist, geneticist, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1917 — Tony Cliff, Israeli-English author and activist (d. 2000) Wikipedia ↗
1917 — Guy Favreau, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician, 28th Canadian Minister of Justice (d. 1967) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Owen Chadwick, English rugby player, historian, and academic (d. 2015) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Alexey Maresyev, Russian soldier and pilot (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
1916 — Ondina Valla, Italian sprinter and hurdler (d. 2006) Wikipedia ↗
1915 — Peter Copley, English actor (d. 2008) Wikipedia ↗
1915 — Moshe Dayan, Israeli general and politician, 5th Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1981) Wikipedia ↗
1915 — Joff Ellen, Australian comedian and actor (d. 1999) Wikipedia ↗
1913 — Teodoro Fernández, Peruvian footballer (d. 1996) Wikipedia ↗
1913 — William Redington Hewlett, American engineer, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (d. 2001) Wikipedia ↗
1911 — Gardner Fox, American author (d. 1986) Wikipedia ↗
1911 — Annie M. G. Schmidt, Dutch author and playwright (d. 1995) Wikipedia ↗
1908 — Henry Bolte, Australian politician, 38th Premier of Victoria (d. 1990) Wikipedia ↗
1908 — Louis Daquin, French actor and director (d. 1980) Wikipedia ↗
1908 — Francis Raymond Fosberg, American botanist and author (d. 1993) Wikipedia ↗
1908 — James Stewart, American actor (d. 1997) Wikipedia ↗
1907 — Carl Mydans, American photographer and journalist (d. 2004) Wikipedia ↗
1906 — Giuseppe Siri, Italian cardinal (d. 1989) Wikipedia ↗