What are the important events that happened on March 20? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.

March 20: Facts & Myths About This Day

March 20 is the 79^th day of the year 2025 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 286 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Thursday.

Under the Julian calendar, this day is March 7, 2025 – a Thursday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?

When this day started, 484,008 hours has elapsed since midnight of January 1, 1970 – the Unix epoch.

Strange as it may, if we name this day after a polygon then it will be called ‘heptacontaenneagon’ day.

Pisces is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Aquamarine is the modern birthstone for this month. Jade is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.

According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 334 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year.

The ancient Maya civilization believes that the end of the world will happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 4,472 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

March 20 Historical Events

• 1883 –
  The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property is signed.
• 1914 –
  In New Haven, Connecticut, the first international figure skating championship takes place.
• 1916 –
  Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.
• 1942 –
  World War II: General Douglas MacArthur, at Terowie, South Australia, makes his famous speech regarding the fall of the Philippines, in which he says: “I came out of Bataan and I shall return”.
• 1948 –
  With a Musicians Union ban lifted, the first telecasts of classical music in the United States, under Eugene Ormandy and Arturo Toscanini, are given on CBS and NBC.
• 1951 –
  Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded.
• 1956 –
  Tunisia gains independence from France.
• 1988 –
  Eritrean War of Independence: Having defeated the Nadew Command, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front enters the town of Afabet, victoriously concluding the Battle of Afabet.
• 2005 –
  A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Fukuoka, Japan, its first major quake in over 100 years. One person is killed, hundreds are injured and evacuated.
• 2006 –
  Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Deby.

Who were born on March 20?

• 1799 –
  Karl August Nicander, Swedish poet (d. 1839)
• 1874 –
  Börries von Münchhausen, German poet (d. 1945)
• 1895 –
  Fredric Wertham, German-born psychologist (d. 1981)
• 1905 –
  Jean Galia, French rugby footballer (d. 1949)
• 1917 –
  Vera Lynn, English actress and singer
• 1924 –
  Jozef Kroner, Slovak actor (d. 1998)
• 1939 –
  Brian Mulroney, former Prime Minister of Canada
• 1948 –
  Marva Wright, American blues singer (d. 2010)
• 1956 –
  Anne Donahue, Vermont state representative
• 1967 –
  Mookie Blaylock, American basketball player

Who died on March 20?

• 1413 –
  King Henry IV of England (b. 1367)
• 1780 –
  Sir Benjamin Truman – English brewer
• 1835 –
  Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (b. 1794)
• 1940 –
  Alfred Ploetz, German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860)
• 1947 –
  Sigurd Wallén, Swedish actor and filmdirector (b. 1884)
• 1970 –
  Manolis Chiotis, Greek bouzouki virtuoso and song writer (b. 1920)
• 2008 –
  Brian Wilde, English actor (b. 1921)
• 2008 –
  Shoban Babu, Indian actor (b. 1937)
• 2010 –
  Liz Carpenter, American feminist writer (b. 1920)
• 2010 –
  Stewart Udall, American politician, environmentalist (b. 1920)