1653
373 years ago
UK story
Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament.
On this day: 20 April
122 things happened on 20 April, from AD 888 to 2024. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 3
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1949
77 years ago
UK story
Amethyst incident: The People's Liberation Army attacks HMS Amethyst (F116) travelling to the British embassy in Nanjing during the Chinese Civil War.
1968
58 years ago
UK story
Enoch Powell, a British Conservative member of Parliament, made a controversial speech in opposition to immigration and anti-discrimination legislation, resulting in his removal from the shadow cabinet.
Around the world 34
1152
874 years ago
After an eight-year conflict, Baldwin III of Jerusalem wins sole control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his mother Melisende.
1303
723 years ago
The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by a bull of Pope Boniface VIII.
1303
723 years ago
The Bahri Mamluks defeat the Ilkhanate in the battle of Marj al-Saffar, marking the end of the Mongol incursions into Syria.
1535
491 years ago
Sun dogs were observed over Stockholm, Sweden, inspiring Vädersolstavlan, the oldest coloured depiction of the city.
1537
489 years ago
Bacatá, the main settlement of the Muisca Confederation in present-day Colombia, was conquered by Spanish conquistadors led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada.
1657
369 years ago
Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City).
1752
274 years ago
Start of Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War, a new phase in the Burmese Civil War (1740–57).
1770
256 years ago
The Georgian king, Erekle II, abandoned by his Russian ally Count Totleben, wins a victory over Ottoman forces at Aspindza.
1789
237 years ago
George Washington arrives at Grays Ferry, Philadelphia, while en route to Manhattan for his inauguration.
1792
234 years ago
France declares war against the "King of Hungary and Bohemia", the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars.
1800
226 years ago
The Septinsular Republic is established.
1809
217 years ago
War of the Fifth Coalition: Commanded by Napoleon, Franco-German forces defeated a reinforced Austrian corps at the Battle of Abensberg.
1828
198 years ago
French explorer René Caillié reached Timbuktu in present-day Mali, and later received a 9,000-franc prize from the Société de Géographie for being the first European to return with a description of the city.
1836
190 years ago
U.S. Congress passes an act creating the Wisconsin Territory.
1861
165 years ago
American Civil War: Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army in order to command the forces of the state of Virginia.
1861
165 years ago
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, attempting to display the value of balloons, makes record journey, flying 900 miles from Cincinnati to South Carolina.
1862
164 years ago
Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete the experiment disproving the theory of spontaneous generation.
1865
161 years ago
Astronomer Angelo Secchi demonstrates the Secchi disk, which measures water clarity, aboard Pope Pius IX's yacht, the L'Immaculata Concezion.
1876
150 years ago
The April Uprising begins. Its suppression shocks European opinion, and Bulgarian independence becomes a condition for ending the Russo-Turkish War.
1884
142 years ago
Pope Leo XIII publishes the encyclical Humanum genus, condemning Freemasonry.
1898
128 years ago
U.S. President William McKinley signs a joint resolution to Congress for declaration of war against Spain, beginning the Spanish–American War.
1902
124 years ago
Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride.
1908
118 years ago
Opening day of competition in the New South Wales Rugby League.
1922
104 years ago
The Soviet government created the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the Georgian SSR.
1939
87 years ago
Billie Holiday (pictured) recorded the song "Strange Fruit", which later became an emblem of the civil rights movement.
1945
81 years ago
World War II: U.S. troops capture Leipzig, Germany, only to later cede the city to the Soviet Union.
1946
80 years ago
The League of Nations officially dissolves, giving most of its power to the United Nations.
1961
65 years ago
Cold War: Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed Cuban exiles against Cuba.
1968
58 years ago
Pierre Trudeau was sworn in as prime minister of Canada, succeeding Lester B. Pearson.
1972
54 years ago
Apollo program: The Apollo 16 Lunar Module Orion, commanded by John Young and piloted by Charles Duke, lands on the Moon.
2008
18 years ago
Fernando Lugo became the first candidate not from the Colorado Party candidate to be elected President of Paraguay in 61 years.
2008
18 years ago
American racing driver Danica Patrick won the Indy Japan 300, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar auto race.
2020
6 years ago
For the first time in history, oil prices drop below zero, an effect of the 2020 Russia-Saudi Arabia oil price war.
2023
3 years ago
SpaceX's Starship launched for the first time before exploding four minutes into flight.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “Enoch Powell, a British Conservative member of Parliament, made a”?
- 1949
- 1826
- 1968
Show the answer
C: 1968. 1968 — that’s 58 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament”?
- 1653
- 1968
- 1953
Show the answer
A: 1653. 1653 — that’s 373 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- Enoch Powell, a British Conservative member of Parliament, made a
- Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament
- Amethyst incident: The People's Liberation Army attacks HMS Amethyst (F116)
Show the answer
B: Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament. 1968: Enoch Powell, a British Conservative member of Parliament, made a · 1653: Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament · 1949: Amethyst incident: The People's Liberation Army attacks HMS Amethyst (F116) Find it on the page
-
“Andy Serkis” happened in 1964. How many years ago was that?
- 62 years
- 52 years
- 72 years
Show the answer
A: 62 years. 2026 − 1964 = 62. Find it on the page
Born on this day 29
Famous people whose birthday is 20 April.
- 1808 Napoleon III — French politician, 1st President of France, Emperor of French Second Empire (died 1873) Read more about Napoleon III on Wikipedia
- 1964 Andy Serkis — English actor and director UK Read more about Andy Serkis on Wikipedia
- 1893 Joan Miró — Spanish painter and sculptor (died 1983) Read more about Joan Miró on Wikipedia
- 1939 Gro Harlem Brundtland — Norwegian physician and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Norway– Read more about Gro Harlem Brundtland on Wikipedia
- 1949 Jessica Lange — American actress Read more about Jessica Lange on Wikipedia
- 1949 Veronica Cartwright — English-American actress UK Read more about Veronica Cartwright on Wikipedia
- 1893 Harold Lloyd — American actor, comedian, and producer (died 1971) Read more about Harold Lloyd on Wikipedia
- 1937 George Takei — American actor Read more about George Takei on Wikipedia
- 1826 Dinah Craik — English author and poet (died 1887) UK Read more about Dinah Craik on Wikipedia
- 1924 Leslie Phillips — English actor and producer (died 2022) UK Read more about Leslie Phillips on Wikipedia
- 1969 Felix Baumgartner — Austrian daredevil (died 2025) Read more about Felix Baumgartner on Wikipedia
- 1983 Miranda Kerr — Australian model Read more about Miranda Kerr on Wikipedia
- 1943 John Eliot Gardiner — English conductor and director UK Read more about John Eliot Gardiner on Wikipedia
- 1927 K. Alex Müller — Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2023) Read more about K. Alex Müller on Wikipedia
- 1955 Svante Pääbo — Swedish geneticist and Nobel Laureate Read more about Svante Pääbo on Wikipedia
- 1953 Sebastian Faulks — English journalist and author UK Read more about Sebastian Faulks on Wikipedia
- 1918 Kai Siegbahn — Swedish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2007) Read more about Kai Siegbahn on Wikipedia
- 1963 Rachel Whiteread — English sculptor UK Read more about Rachel Whiteread on Wikipedia
- 1956 Peter Chelsom — English film director, writer, and actor UK Read more about Peter Chelsom on Wikipedia
- 1949 Massimo D'Alema — Italian journalist and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Italy Read more about Massimo D'Alema on Wikipedia
- 1972 Carmen Electra — American model and actress Read more about Carmen Electra on Wikipedia
- 1840 Odilon Redon — French painter and illustrator (died 1916) Read more about Odilon Redon on Wikipedia
- 1586 Rose of Lima — Peruvian mystic and saint (died 1617) Read more about Rose of Lima on Wikipedia
- 1941 Ryan O'Neal — American actor (died 2023) Read more about Ryan O'Neal on Wikipedia
- 1839 Carol I of Romania — King of Romania (died 1914) Read more about Carol I of Romania on Wikipedia
- 1895 Henry de Montherlant — French essayist, novelist, and dramatist (died 1972) Read more about Henry de Montherlant on Wikipedia
- 1997 Alexander Zverev — German tennis player Read more about Alexander Zverev on Wikipedia
- 1964 Crispin Glover — American actor and filmmaker Read more about Crispin Glover on Wikipedia
- 1951 Luther Vandross — American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2005) Read more about Luther Vandross on Wikipedia
Remembering 22
Well-known people who died on 20 April.
- 1912 Bram Stoker — Anglo-Irish novelist and critic, created Count Dracula (born 1847) UK Read more about Bram Stoker on Wikipedia
- AD 888 Xi Zong — Chinese emperor (born 862) Read more about Xi Zong on Wikipedia
- 2003 Bernard Katz — German-English biophysicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1911) UK Read more about Bernard Katz on Wikipedia
- 1992 Benny Hill — English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (born 1924) UK Read more about Benny Hill on Wikipedia
- 1918 Karl Ferdinand Braun — German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1850) Read more about Karl Ferdinand Braun on Wikipedia
- 2018 Avicii — Swedish DJ and musician (born 1989) Read more about Avicii on Wikipedia
- 2021 Idriss Déby — Chadian politician and military officer (born 1952) Read more about Idriss Déby on Wikipedia
- 1314 Pope Clement V Read more about Pope Clement V on Wikipedia
- 1929 Prince Henry of Prussia UK Read more about Prince Henry of Prussia on Wikipedia
- 2016 Victoria Wood — British comedian, actress and writer (born 1953) UK Read more about Victoria Wood on Wikipedia
- 1947 Christian X — King of Denmark (born 1870) Read more about Christian X on Wikipedia
- 1176 Richard de Clare — 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English-Irish politician, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (born 1130) UK Read more about Richard de Clare on Wikipedia
- 2011 Tim Hetherington — English photographer and journalist (born 1970) UK Read more about Tim Hetherington on Wikipedia
- 1932 Giuseppe Peano — Italian mathematician and philosopher (born 1858) Read more about Giuseppe Peano on Wikipedia
- 1935 Lucy — Lady Duff-Gordon, English fashion designer (born 1863) UK Read more about Lucy on Wikipedia
- 1991 Steve Marriott — English singer-songwriter and producer (born 1947) UK Read more about Steve Marriott on Wikipedia
- 1881 William Burges — English architect and designer (born 1827) UK Read more about William Burges on Wikipedia
- 2024 Andrew Davis — English conductor (born 1944) UK Read more about Andrew Davis on Wikipedia
- 1831 John Abernethy — English surgeon and anatomist (born 1764) UK Read more about John Abernethy on Wikipedia
- 1534 Elizabeth Barton — English nun and martyr (born 1506) UK Read more about Elizabeth Barton on Wikipedia
- 2012 Bert Weedon — English guitarist and songwriter (born 1920) UK Read more about Bert Weedon on Wikipedia
- 1993 Cantinflas — Mexican actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1911) Read more about Cantinflas on Wikipedia
Special days 13
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 20 April somewhere in the world.
- 420 (cannabis culture) Read more about 420 (cannabis culture) on Wikipedia
- UN Chinese Language Day (United Nations) Read more about UN Chinese Language Day on Wikipedia
- Evacuee Flag Day (Finland) Read more about Evacuee Flag Day on Wikipedia
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Beuno, Pope Anicetus, Blessed James Bell and John Finch, Blessed Anastazy Jakub Pankiewicz, Blessed Muiris Mac Ionrachtaigh, Johannes Bugenhagen (Lutheran), Agnes of Montepulciano, Marcellinus of Gaul, Theotimos, April 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 21 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
- 1657 Anglo-Spanish War: The English navy sank much of a Spanish treasure fleet at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife off the Canary Islands, but was unable to capture the treasure. Read more about Anglo-Spanish War (1654–1660) on Wikipedia
- 1818 Four days after the Court of King's Bench upheld an English murder suspect's right to a trial by battle in Ashford v Thornton, the plaintiff declined to fight, allowing the defendant to go free. Read more about Court of King's Bench (England) on Wikipedia
- 1985 The Animal Liberation Front raided a laboratory at the University of California, Riverside, rescuing 467 animals and causing $700,000 in damage. Read more about Animal Liberation Front on Wikipedia
- 2021 Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all charges in the murder of George Floyd by a Minnesota court. Read more about Derek Chauvin on Wikipedia
- 1914 A fire and a gun battle between the Colorado National Guard and striking coal miners led to 17 deaths in the Ludlow Massacre. Read more about Ludlow Massacre on Wikipedia
- 1978 Korean Air Lines Flight 902 was shot down after violating Soviet airspace and was forced to make an emergency landing. Read more about Korean Air Lines Flight 902 on Wikipedia
- 1999 Students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold carried out a massacre at Columbine High School, killing 13 people before committing suicide. Read more about Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold on Wikipedia
- 2010 An explosion on Deepwater Horizon, an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico, resulted in the largest marine oil spill in history. Read more about Deepwater Horizon explosion on Wikipedia
- 1939 Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday was celebrated as a national holiday in Nazi Germany. Read more about Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday on Wikipedia
- 1968 South African Airways Flight 228 crashed shortly after take-off from Windhoek in South West Africa, resulting in 123 deaths. Read more about South African Airways Flight 228 on Wikipedia
- 2004 An incomplete tunnel leading to the Nicoll Highway MRT station in Singapore collapsed, resulting in four deaths and the station's relocation. Read more about Nicoll Highway MRT station on Wikipedia
- 1942 World War II: German and Italian forces began a large-scale counter-insurgency operation in occupied Yugoslavia. Read more about Operation Trio on Wikipedia
- 1889 Born: Adolf Hitler, Austrian-born German politician, Führer of Nazi Germany (died 1945) Read more about Adolf Hitler on Wikipedia
- 1918 World War I: Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims, his final victories before his death the following day. Read more about Manfred von Richthofen on Wikipedia
- 2013 A 6.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Lushan County, Ya'an, in China's Sichuan province, killing at least 193 people and injuring thousands. Read more about Moment magnitude scale on Wikipedia
- 1945 World War II: Führerbunker: On his 56th birthday Adolf Hitler makes his last trip to the surface to award Iron Crosses to boy soldiers of the Hitler Youth. Read more about Führerbunker on Wikipedia
- 1945 Twenty Jewish children used in medical experiments at Neuengamme are killed in the basement of the Bullenhuser Damm school. Read more about Nazi human experimentation on Wikipedia
- 2012 One hundred twenty-seven people are killed when a plane crashes in a residential area near the Benazir Bhutto International Airport near Islamabad, Pakistan. Read more about Bhoja Air Flight 213 on Wikipedia
- 1998 Air France Flight 422 crashes after taking off from El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, killing all 53 people on board. Read more about Air France Flight 422 on Wikipedia
- 2015 Ten people are killed in a bomb attack on a convoy carrying food supplies to a United Nations compound in Garowe in the Somali region of Puntland. Read more about Garowe attack on Wikipedia
- 2007 Johnson Space Center shooting: William Phillips barricades himself with a handgun in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before killing a male hostage and himself. Read more about Johnson Space Center shooting on Wikipedia
Where these facts come from
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “April 20” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.