Who are famous people born on October 20?

Famous people born on October 20 include: Carney Chukwuemeka, Yéremy Pino, Paige Bueckers.

What famous people died on October 20?

Notable historical figures who died on October 20 include: Barbara Dane, Fethullah Gülen, Walter Jacob.

What was the outcome of Muammar Gaddafi's capture?

He was killed shortly after capture

October 20 in History

Q: What happened on October 20 in history?

On October 20, 2022: Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days).

2022 — Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days)

October 20 spans 38 recorded events across recorded history — from 1568 – 2022. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · October 20 — Wikipedia

Historical Events 38 events 1568 – 2022

Did you know

In 2022, Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days). This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.

Did you know

The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.

Did you know

The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.

Did you know

Modern prime ministers hold office by virtue of their ability to command the confidence of the House of Commons, so they are invariably members of Parliament. This shows how the event shaped policy and public communication in the same period.

Did you know

In 2022, Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days) had consequences that extended beyond the first headline. The key context is the institutions involved, the policy shift, and how the public response evolved afterward.

The Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent.

Spanish military officer, statesman and diplomat (1507–1582)

Fernando Álvarez de Toledo y Pimentel, 3rd Duke of Alba, known as the Grand Duke of Alba in Spain and Portugal and as the Iron Duke or shortly 'Alva' in the Netherlands and Belgium, was a Spanish military officer, statesman and diplomat.

1568

Eighty Years' War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the relief of Goes.

c. 1566/1568–1648 war in Habsburg Netherlands

The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, excessive taxation, and the rights and privileges of the Dutch nobility and cities.

1572

France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction, and the War of the Austrian Succession begins.

Holy Roman edict allowing royal inheritance by Charles VI's daughter Maria Theresa

The Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 was an edict issued by Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, on 19 April 1713 to ensure that the Habsburg monarchy, which included the Archduchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Kingdom of Croatia, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Duchy of Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian Netherlands, could be inherited by a daughter undivided.

1740

American Revolution: The Continental Association, a nonconsumption and nonimportation agreement against the British Isles and the British West Indies, is adopted by the First Continental Congress.

Founding of the United States

The American Revolution (1765–1789) was a political movement in the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain. The movement began as a rebellion and evolved into a revolution resulting in the sovereign United States. These changes were the outcome of the associated American Revolutionary War. The Second Continental Congress, as the provisional government, established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander-in-chief in 1775. The following year, the Congress passed the Lee Resolution on July 2nd, then unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July. Throughout most of the war, the outcome appeared uncertain. However, in 1781, a decisive victory by Washington and the Continental Army in the Siege of Yorktown led King George III and the Fox–North coalition in government to negotiate the cessation of colonial rule and the acknowledgment of American sovereignty, formalized in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The Constitution took effect in 1789 and the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791.

1774

The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Austria.

1781 edict by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II

The Patent of Toleration was an edict of toleration issued on 13 October 1781 by the Habsburg emperor Joseph II. Part of the Josephinist reforms, the Patent extended religious freedom to non-Catholic Christians living in the crown lands of the Habsburg monarchy, including Lutherans, Calvinists, and the Eastern Orthodox. Specifically, these members of minority faiths were now legally permitted to hold "private religious exercises" in clandestine churches.

1781

The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.

1803 acquisition of region of Middle America land by the U.S. from France

The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River's drainage basin west of the river. In return for fifteen million dollars, or approximately eighteen dollars per square mile ($7/km2), the United States nominally acquired a total of 828,000 sq mi of land now in the Central United States. However, France only controlled a small fraction of this area, most of which was inhabited by Native Americans; effectively, for the majority of the area, the United States bought the preemptive right to obtain Indian lands by treaty or by conquest, to the exclusion of other colonial powers.

1803

The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada–United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length.

Treaty establishing the western US–Canada border

The Convention respecting fisheries, boundary and the restoration of slaves, also known as the London Convention, Anglo-American Convention of 1818, Convention of 1818, or simply the Treaty of 1818, is an international treaty signed in 1818 between the United States and the United Kingdom. This treaty resolved standing boundary issues between the two nations. The treaty allowed for joint occupation and settlement of the Oregon Country, known to the British and in Canadian history as the Columbia District of the Hudson's Bay Company, and including the southern portion of its sister district New Caledonia.

1818

Greek War of Independence: In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships.

Greek rebellion against the Ottoman Empire (1821–1829)

The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence fought by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire from 1821 to 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted by the British Empire, the Kingdom of France, and the Russian Empire, while the Ottomans were aided by their vassals, especially by the Eyalet of Egypt. The war led to the formation of modern Greece, which in subsequent years would be expanded to its current size. The revolution is commemorated by the Greek diaspora as independence day on 25 March.

1827

Peru and Chile sign the Treaty of Ancón, by which the Tarapacá province is ceded to the latter, bringing an end to Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific.

1883 territorial settlement between Chile and Peru

The Treaty of Ancón was a peace treaty signed by Chile and Peru on 20 October 1883, in Ancón, near Lima. It was intended to settle the two nations' remaining territorial differences at the conclusion of their involvement in the War of the Pacific and to stabilise post-bellum relations between them.

1883

Chile and Bolivia sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, delimiting the border between the two countries.

1904 border demarcation treaty between Chile and Bolivia

The Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1904 between Chile and Bolivia was signed in Santiago de Chile on 20 October 1904, to delineate the boundary through 96 specified points between Cerro Zapaleri and Cerro Chipe and to regulate the relations between the two countries 20 years after the end of the War of the Pacific.

1904

British ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched.

Type of passenger ship

An ocean liner is a type of passenger ship that was primarily used for transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes. The Queen Mary 2 is the only active ocean liner in 2026, serving with Cunard Line.

1910

The Long March, a mammoth retreat undertaken by the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party a year prior, ends.

1934–1936 Red Army retreat during the Chinese Civil War

The Long March was a military retreat by the Chinese Red Army and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from advancing Kuomintang (KMT) forces during the Chinese Civil War, occurring between October 1934 and October 1935. About 100,000 troops retreated from the Jiangxi Soviet and other bases to a new headquarters in Yan'an, Shaanxi, travelling approximately 10,000 kilometres. About 8,000 troops ultimately survived the Long March.

1935

World War II: Thousands of civilians in German-occupied Serbia are murdered in the Kragujevac massacre.

1939–1945 global conflict

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, the latter enabling the strategic bombing of cities and delivery of the only nuclear weapons used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the death of 60 to 75 million people. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides, including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.

1941

World War II: The Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade.

Soviet army and air force from 1918 to 1946

The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often referred by its shortened name as the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars to oppose the military forces of the new nation's adversaries during the Russian Civil War, especially the various groups collectively known as the White Army. In February 1946, the Red Army was renamed the "Soviet Army". Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was split between the post-Soviet states, with its bulk becoming the Russian Ground Forces, commonly considered to be the successor of the Soviet Army.

1944

Liquefied natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland and then explodes, leveling 30 blocks and killing 130 people.

Form of natural gas for easier storage and transport

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up approximately 1/600th the volume of natural gas in the gaseous state at standard temperature and pressure.

1944

World War II: American general Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise to return to the Philippines when he comes ashore during the Battle of Leyte.

American general (1880–1964)

Douglas MacArthur was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army. He served with distinction in World War I; as chief of staff of the United States Army from 1930 to 1935; as Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific Area, from 1942 to 1945; as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers overseeing the occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1951; and as head of the United Nations Command in the Korean War from 1950 to 1951. MacArthur was nominated for the Medal of Honor three times, and awarded it for his WWII service in the Philippines. He is one of only five people to hold the rank of General of the Army, and the only person to hold the rank of Field Marshal in the Philippine Army.

1944

Cold War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.

1947–1991 geopolitical rivalry between US and USSR

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc. It began in the aftermath of the Second World War and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The term cold war is used because there was no direct fighting between the two superpowers, though each supported opposing sides in regional conflicts known as proxy wars. In addition to the struggle for ideological and economic influence and an arms race in both conventional and nuclear weapons, the Cold War was expressed through technological rivalries such as the Space Race, espionage, propaganda campaigns, embargoes, and sports diplomacy.

1947

A KLM Lockheed L-049 Constellation crashes on approach to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, killing 40.

National airline of the Netherlands

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, or simply KLM, is the flag carrier of the Netherlands. KLM's headquarters are located in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM group and a member of the SkyTeam airline alliance. Founded in 1919, KLM is the oldest operating airline still using its original name, having gone through significant changes in its ownership and legal structure over its history, including a period of majority government ownership. The company had a fleet of 110 aircraft and 35,488 employees as of 2021. KLM operates scheduled passenger and cargo services to 145 destinations.

1948

The "Johnny Bright incident" occurs during a football game between the Drake Bulldogs and Oklahoma A&M Aggies.

1951 on-field assault during an American college football game

The Johnny Bright incident was a violent on-field assault against African-American player Johnny Bright by Wilbanks Smith, a white opposing player during an American college football game held on October 20, 1951, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The game was significant in itself as it marked the first time that an African-American athlete with a national profile and of critical importance to the success of his team, the Drake Bulldogs, had played against Oklahoma A&M College at Oklahoma A&M's Lewis Field. Bright's injury also highlighted the racial tensions of the times and assumed notoriety when it was captured in what was later to become both a widely disseminated and eventually Pulitzer Prize–winning photo sequence.

1951

The Governor of Kenya Evelyn Baring declares a state of emergency and begins arresting hundreds of suspected leaders of the Mau Mau Uprising.

British diplomat (1903–1973)

Evelyn Baring, 1st Baron Howick of Glendale, was Governor of Southern Rhodesia from 1942 to 1944, High Commissioner for Southern Africa from 1944 to 1951, and Governor of Kenya from 1952 to 1959. Baring played an integral role in the suppression of the Mau Mau rebellion. Together with Colonial Secretary Alan Lennox-Boyd, Baring played a significant role in the government's efforts to deal with the rebellion, and see Kenya through to independence. He was appointed as Baron Howick of Glendale in 1960 by Queen Elizabeth II.

1952

The Soviet Navy performs the first armed test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, launching an R-13 from a Golf-class submarine.

Maritime service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces

The Soviet Navy was the naval warfare uniform service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy made up a large part of the Soviet Union's strategic planning in the event of a conflict with the opposing superpower, the United States, during the Cold War (1945–1991). The Soviet Navy played a large role during the Cold War, either confronting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in western Europe or power projection to maintain its sphere of influence in eastern Europe.

1961

China launches simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line, igniting the Sino-Indian War.

Country in East Asia

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the second-most populous country after India, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, across an area of 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), making it the third-largest country by area. It is divided into 33 province-level divisions, including two special administrative regions. Beijing is the capital, while Shanghai is the most populous city by urban area. Its geography features the vast Central Plain, major rivers such as the Yangtze and Yellow River, deserts, subtropical and temperate forests, and mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.

1962

Watergate scandal: "Saturday Night Massacre": United States President Richard Nixon fires U.S.

Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork.

The Watergate scandal, or simply Watergate, was a political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon. On June 17, 1972, operatives associated with Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign were caught burglarizing and planting listening devices in the Democratic National Committee headquarters at Washington, D.C.'s Watergate complex. Nixon's efforts to conceal his administration's involvement led to an impeachment process and his resignation in August 1974.

1973

The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction.

Performing arts centre in Australia

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings, and a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture.

1973

The Luling–Destrehan Ferry MV George Prince is struck by the Norwegian freighter SS Frosta while crossing the Mississippi River in St.

Charles Parish, Louisiana. Seventy-eight passengers and crew die, and only 18 people aboard the ferry survive.

The Luling–Destrehan Ferry was a ferry across the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana, connecting Luling and Destrehan. The ferry was one of three routes then operated by the Louisiana Department of Highways, District 2. The others were the pedestrian Taft–Norco Ferry and the vehicle Edgard–Reserve Ferry. The ferry ceased operation in October 1983 with the opening of the Luling-Destrehan Bridge.

1976

A plane carrying the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in woodland in Mississippi, United States.

Six people, including three band members, are killed.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964. The group originally formed as My Backyard and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom (bass), and Bob Burns (drums). The band spent four years touring small venues under various names and with several lineup changes before deciding on "Lynyrd Skynyrd" in 1968. The band released its first album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), in 1973. By then, they had settled on a lineup that included bassist Leon Wilkeson, keyboardist Billy Powell, and guitarist Ed King. Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. King left in 1975 and was replaced by Steve Gaines in 1976. At the height of their fame in the 1970s, the band popularized the Southern rock genre with songs such as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird". After releasing five studio albums and one live album, the band's career was abruptly halted on October 20, 1977, when their chartered airplane crashed, killing Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines, and seriously injuring the rest of the band.

1977

Two police officers and a Brink's armored car guard are killed during an armed robbery carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground in Nanuet, New York.

Security company

The Brink's Company is an American cash handling company, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Its operations include cash-in-transit, ATM replenishment & maintenance, and cash management & payment services, such as vault outsourcing, money processing, intelligent safe services, and international transportation of valuables.

1981

During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death in the Luzhniki disaster.

Association football club in Russia

FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian professional football club based in Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 10 Russian championships, it is the country's most successful club. They have also won a record 10 Soviet Cups, 5 Russian Cups and one Russian Super Cup. Spartak have also reached the semi-finals of UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup.

1982

Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashes while landing at Kuibyshev Airport (now Kuromoch International Airport) in Kuibyshev (now present-day Samara, Russia), killing 70 people.

1986 Tu-134 crash in Samara

Aeroflot Flight 6502 was a Soviet domestic passenger flight operated by a Tupolev Tu-134A from Sverdlovsk to Grozny via Kuibyshev, which crashed in Kuibyshev on 20 October 1986. 70 of the 94 passengers and crew on board were killed when the plane overran the runway, after the pilot attempted to make an instrument-only approach with curtained cockpit windows. Investigators determined the cause of the accident was pilot negligence.

1986

A 6.8 Mw earthquake strikes the Uttarkashi region of India, killing more than 1,000 people.

Measure of earthquake size

The moment magnitude scale is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude based on its seismic moment. Mw was defined in a 1979 paper by Thomas C. Hanks and Hiroo Kanamori. Similar to the local magnitude/Richter scale (ML ) defined by Charles Francis Richter in 1935, it uses a logarithmic scale; small earthquakes have approximately the same magnitudes on both scales. Despite the difference, news media often use the term "Richter scale" when referring to the moment magnitude scale.

1991

A massive firestorm breaks out in the hills of Oakland and Berkeley, California killing 25 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, apartments and condominiums.

High intensity conflagration

A firestorm is a conflagration which attains such intensity that it creates and sustains its own wind system. It is most commonly a natural phenomenon, created during some of the largest bushfires and wildfires. Although the term has been used to describe certain large fires, the phenomenon's determining characteristic is a fire with its own storm-force winds from every point of the compass towards the storm's center, where the air is heated and then ascends.

1991

Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-73.

Space Shuttle orbiter (1981–2003)

Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) was a Space Shuttle orbiter manufactured by Rockwell International and operated by NASA. Named after the first American ship to circumnavigate the globe, and the female personification of the United States, Columbia was the first of five Space Shuttle orbiters to fly in space, debuting the Space Shuttle launch vehicle on its maiden flight on April 12, 1981 and becoming the first spacecraft to be re-used after its first flight when it launched on STS-2 on November 12, 1981. As only the second full-scale orbiter to be manufactured after the Approach and Landing Test vehicle Enterprise, Columbia retained unique external and internal features compared with later orbiters, such as test instrumentation and distinctive black chines. In addition to a heavier aft fuselage and the retention of an internal airlock throughout its lifetime, these made Columbia the heaviest of the five spacefaring orbiters: around 1,000 kilograms heavier than Challenger and 3,600 kilograms heavier than Endeavour when originally constructed. Columbia also carried ejection seats based on those from the SR-71 during its first six flights until 1983, and from 1986 onwards carried an imaging pod on its vertical stabilizer.

1995

Top Gear, the revived popular British TV motoring magazine, premieres on BBC.

British motoring TV show (2002–2022)

Top Gear is a British motoring-themed magazine television programme. It is a revival of the 1977–2001 show of the same name for the BBC, devised by Jeremy Clarkson and Andy Wilman, which premiered on 20 October 2002. The programme expanded upon its earlier incarnation which focused on reviewing cars to incorporate films featuring motoring-based challenges, races, timed laps of notable cars, and celebrity timed laps on a specially-designed track. The programme drew acclaim for its visual and presentation style, as well as criticism over the controversial nature of some content. The programme aired on BBC Two until it was moved to BBC One in 2020.

2002

The Sloan Great Wall, once the largest cosmic structures known to humanity, is discovered by students at Princeton University.

Cosmic structure formed by a galaxy filament

The Sloan Great Wall (SGW) is a cosmic structure formed by a giant wall of galaxies. Its discovery was announced from Princeton University on October 20, 2003, by J. Richard Gott III, Mario Jurić, and their colleagues, based on data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

2003

The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Specialized agency of the United Nations

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It has 194 member states and 12 associate members, as well as partners in the non-governmental, intergovernmental and private sector. Headquartered in Paris, France, UNESCO has 53 regional field offices and 199 national commissions.

2005

Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill them shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war.

Conflicts in Libya since 2011

The Libyan crisis is the current humanitarian crisis and political-military instability occurring in Libya, beginning with the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which led to two civil wars, foreign military intervention, and the ousting and killing of Muammar Gaddafi. The first civil war's aftermath and proliferation of armed groups led to violence and instability across the country, which erupted into renewed civil war in 2014. The second war lasted until October 23, 2020, when all parties agreed to a permanent ceasefire and negotiations.

2011

Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign.

2011–2024 armed conflict in Syria

The Syrian civil war was an armed conflict that began with the Syrian revolution in March 2011, when popular discontent with the Ba'athist regime ruled by Bashar al-Assad triggered large-scale protests and pro-democracy rallies across Syria, as part of the wider Arab Spring. The Assad regime responded to the protests with lethal force, which led to a series of defections, the emergence of armed opposition groups, and the civilian uprising descending into a civil war. The war lasted almost 14 years and culminated in the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. Many sources regard this as the end of the civil war even though clashes have continued into 2026.

2017

Born on October 20

20 people 1989 – 2003

Carney Chukwuemeka

English footballer

Carney Chibueze Chukwuemeka is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and the Austria national team.

2003

Yéremy Pino

Spanish footballer

Yéremy Jesús Pino Santos is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Premier League club Crystal Palace and the Spain national team.

2002

Paige Bueckers

American basketball player

Paige Madison Bueckers is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Breeze of Unrivaled. She played college basketball for the UConn…

2001

Kenneth Walker III

American football player

Kenneth Walker III is an American professional football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Michigan State…

2000

Chuu

South Korean singer and television personality

Kim Ji-woo, known professionally as Chuu (츄), is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a former member of the South Korean girl group Loona and its sub-unit, yyxy.

1999

YoungBoy Never Broke Again

American rapper

Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Gaulden released eight mixtapes from 2015 to 2017, and garnered a regional…

1999

Jordan Ridley

Australian rules footballer

Jordan Ridley is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected by Essendon with their second selection and twenty-second…

1998

Ademola Lookman

Nigerian footballer

Ademola Lookman Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or second-striker for La Liga club Atlético Madrid. Born in England, he plays for the Nigeria national team.

1997

Daizen Maeda

Japanese footballer

Daizen Maeda is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Scottish Premiership side Celtic and the Japan national team.

1997

Nguyễn Tiến Linh

Vietnamese footballer

Nguyễn Tiến Linh is a Vietnamese professional footballer who plays as a striker for V.League 1 club Công An Hồ Chí Minh City and the Vietnam national team.

1997

Andrey Rublev

Russian tennis player

Andrey Andreyevich Rublev is a Russian professional tennis player. He has been ranked by the ATP as high as world No. 5 in singles, which he achieved on 13 September 2021, and No. 44 in doubles, attained on 6 November…

1997

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting

Indonesian badminton player

Anthony Sinisuka Ginting is an Indonesian badminton player. He first rose to senior prominence when he won the bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games, having won a 2014 Youth Olympic bronze in 2014. At the 2020 Olympics,…

1996

Humberto Carrillo

Mexican wrestler

Humberto Garza Carrillo is a Mexican professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Berto. He is one-half of Los Garza with his cousin Angel.

1995

Festus Talam

Kenyan long-distance runner

Festus Talam is a Kenyan long-distance runner.

1994

Mattia De Sciglio

Italian footballer

Mattia De Sciglio is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right-back.

1992

Ksenia Semyonova

Russian gymnast

Ksenia Andreyevna Semyonova is a retired Russian artistic gymnast. She is the 2007 world champion on the uneven bars, the 2008 European champion on the uneven bars and the balance beam, and the 2009 European all-around…

1992

Kyle Wiltjer

Canadian-American basketball player

Kyle Gregory Wiltjer is a Canadian-American professional basketball player for Reyer Venezia Mestre of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He spent two seasons of college basketball with the Kentucky Wildcats before…

1992

Phupoom Pongpanupak

Thai actor

Phupoom Pongpanupak, better known by his nickname Ken (เคน), is a Thai actor known for his leading role in the Thai television soap opera Saam Num Nua Thong. He is one of the top Thai actors in Thailand known for his…

1991

Sam Mataora

Cook Islands rugby league player

Sam Mataora is a Cook Island professional rugby league footballer. He played for the Canberra Raiders and Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League. His positions were prop and second-row.

1990

Jamie Collins

American football player

Jamie Lee Collins Sr. is an American football coach and former professional linebacker who is the inside linebackers coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10…

1989

See all birthdays on October 20

Died on October 20

20 people 2013 – 2024

Barbara Dane

American folk, blues and jazz singer (born 1927)

Barbara Jean Spillman, known professionally as Barbara Dane, was an American folk, blues and jazz singer, guitarist, record producer, and political activist. She co-founded Paredon Records with Irwin Silber.

2024

Fethullah Gülen

Turkish preacher and theologian (born 1941)

Muhammed Fethullah Gülen was a Turkish Muslim scholar, preacher, and leader of the Gülen movement, which as of 2010 had 8-10 million of followers globally and had established a network of over 2,000 STEM focused schools…

2024

Walter Jacob

American Reform rabbi (born 1930)

Walter Jacob was an American Reform rabbi. He was rabbi at the Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh from 1955 to 1997. He served as chairman of organizations such as the Central Conference of American Rabbis and…

2024

Janusz Olejniczak

Polish classical pianist and actor (born 1952)

Janusz Olejniczak was a Polish classical pianist, academic teacher and actor. He made an international career as a pianist, especially with the piano music of Chopin which he played on modern and period instruments. He…

2024

Paul White

Baron Hanningfield, British life peer (born 1940)

Paul Edward Winston White, Baron Hanningfield,, was a British politician and farmer. As a member of the Conservative Party, he served in various leadership roles in local government in Essex and was influential in…

2024

Lucy Simon

American composer and songwriter (born 1940)

Lucy Elizabeth Simon was an American singer and composer for the theatre and of popular songs. She recorded and performed as a singer and songwriter, and was known for the musicals The Secret Garden (1991) and Doctor…

2022

James Randi

Canadian-American stage magician and author (born 1928)

James Randi was a Canadian-American stage magician, author, and scientific skeptic who extensively challenged paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. He was the co-founder of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI),…

2020

Wim Kok

Dutch prime minister (born 1938)

Willem "Wim" Kok was a Dutch politician and trade union leader who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 August 1994 until 22 July 2002. He was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA).

2018

Robert E. Kramek

former United States Coast Guard admiral (born 1939)

Robert Edward Kramek was an admiral of the United States Coast Guard who served as the 20th commandant from 1994 to 1998. During his tenure as commandant, he successfully led the service through difficult budget battles…

2016

Michael Massee

American actor (born 1952)

Michael Groo Massee was an American actor. Active on screen for three decades, he frequently portrayed villainous characters. His film roles include Funboy in the dark fantasy The Crow (1994), Newton in the horror…

2016

Junko Tabei

Japanese mountaineer (born 1939)

Junko Tabei was a Japanese mountaineer, author and teacher. She was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest and ascend the Seven Summits, climbing the highest peak on every continent.

2016

Makis Dendrinos

Greek basketball player and coach (born 1950)

Gerasimos "Makis" Dendrinos was a Greek professional basketball player and basketball coach. He was a 1.80 m tall point guard. His nickname as a player was "Buddha".

2015

Arno Gruen

German-Swiss psychologist and psychoanalyst (born 1923)

Arno Gruen was a Swiss-German psychologist and psychoanalyst.

2015

Kazimierz Łaski

Polish-Austrian economist and academic (born 1921)

Kazimierz Łaski was a Polish-Austrian economist. During the antisemitic purge of 1968 Łaski had to leave Poland and moved to Austria, where he worked for the rest of his life and was widely recognized as a major…

2015

Michael Meacher

English academic and politician, Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (born 1939)

Michael Hugh Meacher was a British politician who served as a government minister under Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and Tony Blair. A member of the Labour Party, he was Member of Parliament (MP) for Oldham West and…

2015

Ian Steel

Scottish cyclist and manager (born 1928)

John "Ian" Steel was a Scottish racing cyclist who in 1952 won the Peace Race, a central European race between Warsaw, Berlin and Prague. He was the only Briton, and the only rider from the English-speaking world to win…

2015

René Burri

Swiss photographer and journalist (born 1933)

René Burri was a Swiss photographer. Burri was a member of Magnum Photos and photographed major political, historical and cultural events and key figures of the second half of the 20th century. He made portraits of Che…

2014

Oscar de la Renta

Dominican-American fashion designer (born 1932)

Óscar Arístides de la Renta y Fiallo, known professionally as Óscar de la Renta, was a Dominican fashion designer. Born in Santo Domingo, he was trained by Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. De la Renta…

2014

Christophe de Margerie

French businessman (born 1951)

Christophe de Margerie was a French businessman. He served as the chairman and chief executive officer of French oil corporation Total.

2014

Jovanka Broz

Croatian-Serbian colonel (born 1924)

Jovanka Broz was the First Lady of Yugoslavia from 1952 until 1980 as the wife of Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito. She was a lieutenant colonel in the Yugoslav People's Army.

2013

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What happened on October 20 in history?

On October 20, one notable event in history was 2022: Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days)..

This date currently highlights 38 recorded events on thisDay.info, spanning 1568 – 2022.

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Events listed38

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October 20 in History

2022 — Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days)

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October 20 in History

2022 — Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days)

Born on October 20

Died on October 20

More questions about October 20

What happened on October 20?

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