What are the important events that happened on January 20? Here are historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
January 20: Facts & Myths About This Day
January 20 is the 20th day of the year 2020 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 346 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Monday.
Under the Julian calendar, this day is January 7, 2020 – a Monday. Both day of the week are the same but did you notice the difference with the Gregorian calendar?
When this day started, 26,324,640 minutes 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 ‘icosagon’ day.
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Capricorn is the zodiac sign of a person born on this day. Garnet is the modern birthstone for this month. Emerald is the mystical birthstone from Tibetan origin that dates back over a thousand years.
According to the lunisolar Chinese calendar, there are 5 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 2,586 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.
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January 20: This Day In History
In the ancient astronomy, it was the cusp day between Capricorn and Aquarius. In some years it is Aquarius, but others Capricorn. It depends on the year.
January 20 Historical Events
- 1356 –Edward Balliol abdicates as King of Scotland.
- 1502 –The present-day location of Rio de Janeiro is first explored.
- 1523 –Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway.
- 1649 –Charles I of England goes on trial for treason and other “high crimes”.
- 1783 –The Kingdom of Great Britain signs a peace treaty with France and Spain, officially ending hostilities in the American Revolutionary War (also known as the American War of Independence).
- 1921 –The first Constitution of Turkey is adopted, making fundamental changes in the source and exercise of sovereignty by consecrating the principle of national sovereignty.
- 1942 –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”.
- 1960 –Hendrik Verwoerd announces a plebiscite on whether South Africa should become a Republic.
- 1999 –The China News Service announces new government restrictions on Internet use, aimed especially at Internet cafés.
- 2006 –Witnesses report seeing a bottlenose whale swimming in the River Thames, the first time the species had been seen in the Thames since records began in 1913.
Who were born on January 20?
- 1907 –Paula Wessely, Austrian actress (d. 2000)
- 1912 –Walter Briggs, Jr., American sports executive (d. 1970)
- 1913 –Cleon Skousen, American author (d. 2006)
- 1926 –Jamiluddin Aali, Pakistani poet, essayist and columnist
- 1929 –Edward Glenn “Fireball” Roberts, American race car driver (d. 1964)
- 1933 –Ron Townson, American singer (The 5th Dimension) (d. 2001)
- 1950 –Daniel Benzali, Brazilian-American actor
- 1954 –Rudy La Scala, Venezuelan singer-songwriter
- 1959 –Tami Hoag, American novelist
- 1978 –Allan Søgaard, Danish footballer
Who died on January 20?
- 1739 –Francesco Galli-Bibiena, Italian architect/designer (b. 1659)
- 1848 –Christian VIII of Denmark (b. 1786)
- 1908 –John Ordronaux, American Civil War army surgeon, a professor of medical jurisprudence, and pioneering mental health commissioner (b. 1830)
- 1913 –José Guadalupe Posada, Mexican engraver and illustrator (b. 1852).
- 1973 –Amilcar Cabral, Guinea Bissauan and Cape Verdian politician (b. 1924)
- 1988 –Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Pashtun Nationalist & non-violent freedom fighter (b. 1890)
- 1997 –Curt Flood, American baseball player (b. 1938)
- 2003 –Nedra Volz, American actress (b. 1908)
- 2009 –David Newman, American jazz musician, nicknamed “Fathead” (b. 1933)
- 2009 –Stan Hagen, Canadian politician (b. 1940)
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