Did you know
The first album stayed on the charts for over nine years and is one of the best-selling albums in history, still selling an estimated 200,000 copies annually as of 2016.
Notable Deaths on January 20
2022 — Meat Loaf
American singer and actor (born 1947)
January 20 has 104 recorded notable deaths across history, from 640 to 2025. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
104 source records
640 – 2025
Today in history
Major events on January 20
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1986 In the United States, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated as a federal holiday for the first time. Source
- 1783 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. Source
- 1981 Twenty minutes after Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States of America, Iran releases 52 American hostages. Source
- 1973 Amílcar Cabral, leader of the independence movement in Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, is assassinated in Conakry, Guinea. Source
Did you know
Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as the Chitlin' Circuit.
Did you know
Norman Jewison was nominated for an additional four Oscars, three Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, and won a BAFTA Award.
Did you know
Gerry Mulligan's piano-less quartet of the early 1950s with trumpeter Chet Baker is still regarded as one of the best cool jazz ensembles.
Did you know
At his coronation and his birthday jubilee, the hula, which had hitherto been banned in public in the kingdom, became a celebration of Hawaiian culture.
More major people who died on January 20
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
2012
Etta James
American singer-songwriter (born 1938)
Jamesetta Hawkins, known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter.
2024
Norman Jewison
Canadian actor, director, and producer (born 1926)
Norman Frederick Jewison was a Canadian filmmaker. He is known for directing films which addressed topical social and political issues, often making controversial or complicated subjects accessible to mainstream…
1996
Gerry Mulligan
American saxophonist and composer (born 1927)
Gerald Joseph Mulligan, also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger.
1891
Kalākaua
king of Hawaii (born 1836)
Kalākaua, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, reigning from February 12, 1874, until his death in 1891.
820
Al-Shafi'i
Arab scholar and jurist (born 767)
Al-Shafi'i was a Muslim scholar, jurist, muhaddith, traditionist, theologian, ascetic, and eponym of the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence.
2014
Claudio Abbado
Italian conductor (born 1933)
Claudio Abbado was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation.
882
Louis the Younger
king of the East Frankish Kingdom
Louis the Younger, sometimes called Louis the Saxon or Louis III, was the second of three sons of king Louis the German and queen Hemma, with his brothers being the elder Carloman and younger Charles.
1841
Jørgen Jørgensen
Danish explorer (born 1780)
Jørgen Jørgensen was a Danish adventurer during the Age of Revolution. During the action of 2 March 1808, his ship was captured by the British.
640
Eadbald
king of Kent
Eadbald was King of Kent from 616 until his death in 640. He was the son of King Æthelberht and his wife Bertha, a daughter of the Merovingian king Charibert.
2005
Jan Nowak-Jeziorański
Polish journalist and politician (born 1914)
Jan Nowak-Jeziorański was a Polish journalist, writer, politician, social worker and patriot. He served during the Second World War as one of the most notable resistance fighters of the Home Army.
1908
John Ordronaux
American surgeon and academic (born 1830)
John Ordronaux was an American Civil War army surgeon, a professor of medical jurisprudence, a pioneering mental health commissioner and a generous patron of university endowments.
1770
Charles Yorke
English lawyer and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (born 1722)
Charles Yorke PC was a British lawyer and politician who briefly served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. His father was also Lord Chancellor, and he began his career as a Member of Parliament.
1990
Barbara Stanwyck
American actress (born 1907)
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and versatility.
1841
Minh Mạng
Vietnamese emperor (born 1791)
Minh Mạng, also known as Minh Mệnh, was the second emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty of Vietnam, reigning from 14 February 1820 until his death, on 20 January 1841.
2016
Mykolas Burokevičius
Lithuanian carpenter and politician (born 1927)
Mykolas Burokevičius was a communist political leader in Lithuania.
1663
Isaac Ambrose
English minister and author (born 1604)
Isaac Ambrose was an English Puritan divine. He graduated with a BA from Brasenose College, Oxford, on 1624. He obtained the curacy of St Edmund’s Church, Castleton, Derbyshire, in 1627.
1984
Johnny Weissmuller
American swimmer and actor (born 1904)
Johnny Weissmuller was an American Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor. He set world records alongside winning five gold medals in the Olympics.
1875
Jean-François Millet
French painter and educator (born 1814)
Jean-François Millet was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France. Millet is noted for his paintings of peasant farmers and can be categorized as part of the Realism art movement.
1994
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga
first Kenyan Vice-President (born 1911)
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was a Kenyan politician who became a prominent figure in Kenya's struggle for independence. He served as the Kenya's first vice-president, and thereafter as an opposition leader.