What happened on March 20? There are more than 283 events that were made this day in history. Here are the important historical events, facts, and some myths about this day.
Interesting Facts & Myths About March 20
March 20 is the 80th day of the year 2024. There are 286 days remaining until the end of this year. The day of the week is Wednesday. This day falls under the 12th week of the year 2024.
On this day in Timpson, Texas 75975 sunrise occured at 07:19 AM and sunset occured at 07:30 PM (local time).
The zodiac sign of a person born on this day is Pisces. The modern birthstone for this month is Aquamarine while the mystical birthstone is Jade.
According to the Chinese calendar, there are 315 days remaining before the start of the next Chinese New Year (January 29, 2025).
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Historical Events For March 20
- 235Maximinus Thrax is proclaimed emperor. He is the first foreigner to hold the Roman throne.
- 1208Michael IV Autoreianos is appointed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
- 1600The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden.
- 1602The Dutch East India Company is established.
- 1616Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment.
- 1760The “Great Fire” of Boston, Massachusetts, destroys 349 buildings.
- 1815After escaping from Elba, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule.
- 1848Revolutions of 1848 in the German states: King Ludwig I of Bavaria abdicates.
- 1852Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published.
- 1861An earthquake completely destroys Mendoza, Argentina.
- 1883The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property is signed.
- 1888The premiere of the very first Romani language operetta is staged in Moscow, Russia.
- 1913Sung Chiao-jen, a founder of the Chinese Nationalist Party, is wounded in an assassination attempt and dies 2 days later.
- 1914In New Haven, Connecticut, the first international figure skating championship takes place.
- 1916Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.
- 1922The USS Langley is commissioned as the first United States Navy aircraft carrier.
- 1923The Arts Club of Chicago hosts the opening of Pablo Picasso’s first United States showing, entitled Original Drawings by Pablo Picasso, becoming an early proponent of modern art in the United States.
- 1933Giuseppe Zangara is executed in Florida’s electric chair for fatally shooting Anton Cermak in an assassination attempt against President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- 1942World 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”.
- 1948With 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.
- 1951Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded.
- 1952The United States Senate ratifies a peace treaty with Japan.
- 1956Tunisia gains independence from France.
- 1964The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organization) is established per an agreement signed on June 14, 1962.
- 1974Ian Ball attempts, but fails, to kidnap Her Royal Highness Princess Anne and her husband Captain Mark Phillips in The Mall, outside Buckingham Palace, London.
- 1980The Radio Caroline ship, Mi Amigo founders in a gale off the English coast.
- 1985Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research.
- 1985Libby Riddles becomes the first woman to win the 1,135-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
- 1987The Food and Drug Administration approves the anti-AIDS drug, AZT.
- 1988Eritrean 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.
- 1990Ferdinand Marcos’s widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering.
- 1993An IRA bomb explodes, killing two children in Warrington, Northwest England.
- 1995A sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway kills 12 and wounds 1,300 persons.
- 1999Legoland California, the only Legoland outside of Europe, opens in Carlsbad, California.
- 2000Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther once known as H. Rap Brown, is captured after murdering Georgia sheriff’s deputy Ricky Kinchen and critically wounding Deputy Aldranon English.
- 20032003 invasion of Iraq: In the early hours of the morning, the United States and three other countries begin military operations in Iraq.
- 2005A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits Fukuoka, Japan, its first major quake in over 100 years. One person is killed, hundreds are injured and evacuated.
- 2006Cyclone Larry makes landfall in eastern Australia, destroying most of the country’s banana crop.
- 2006Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Deby.
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Who Were Born On March 20?
- 43 BCOvid, Roman poet (d. 17 AD)
- 1469Princess Cecily of York (d. 1507)
- 1477Jerome Emser, German theologian (d. 1527)
- 1502Pierino Belli, Italian soldier and jurist (d. 1575)
- 1639Ivan Mazepa, Hetman of Ukraine (d. 1709)
- 1725Abdul Hamid I, Ottoman Sultan (d. 1789)
- 1735Torbern Bergman, Swedish chemist (d. 1784)
- 1737Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, King of Thailand (d. 1809)
- 1741Jean Antoine Houdon, French sculptor (d. 1828)
- 1770Friedrich Hölderlin, German writer (d. 1843)
- 1799Karl August Nicander, Swedish poet (d. 1839)
- 1800Braulio Carrillo Colina, Costa Rican Head of State (d. 1845)
- 1811Napoleon II, Emperor of the French and King of Rome (d. 1832)
- 1823Ned Buntline, American publisher (d. 1886)
- 1828Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian writer (d. 1906)
- 1831Solomon L. Spink, U.S. Congressman (d. 1881)
- 1834Charles W. Eliot, President of Harvard University (d. 1926)
- 1836Ferris Jacobs, Jr., American politician (d. 1886)
- 1836Sir Edward Poynter, British painter (d. 1919)
- 1840Illarion Pryanishnikov, Russian painter (d. 1894)
- 1856Frederick Winslow Taylor, American inventor (d. 1915)
- 1856Sir John Lavery, Irish artist (d. 1941)
- 1870Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, German general (d. 1964)
- 1874Börries von Münchhausen, German poet (d. 1945)
- 1876Payne Whitney, American businessman (d. 1927)
- 1879Maud Menten, Canadian biochemist (d. 1960)
- 1882René Coty, French President (d. 1962)
- 1890Beniamino Gigli, Italian tenor (d. 1957)
- 1890Lauritz Melchior, Danish tenor (d. 1973)
- 1895Fredric Wertham, German-born psychologist (d. 1981)
- 1903Edgar Buchanan, American actor (d. 1979)
- 1904B. F. Skinner, American psychologist (d. 1990)
- 1905Jean Galia, French rugby footballer (d. 1949)
- 1906Abraham Beame, American politician (d. 2001)
- 1906Mickey Hirschl, Austrian wrestler (d. 1991)
- 1906Ozzie Nelson, American bandleader and actor (d. 1975)
- 1907Ruby Muhammad, American matriarch of Black Islam (d. 2011)
- 1908Sir Michael Redgrave, English actor (d. 1985)
- 1911Alfonso García Robles, Mexican diplomat and Nobel laureate (d. 1991)
- 1914Wendell Corey, American actor (d. 1968)
- 1915Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian politician, President (1974-1986) (d. 2000)
- 1915Sviatoslav Richter, Soviet pianist (d. 1997)
- 1916Pierre Messmer, French politician, Prime Minister (1972-1974) (d. 2007)
- 1917Vera Lynn, English actress and singer
- 1918Donald Featherstone, British writer and wargamer
- 1918Jack Barry, American TV host (d. 1984)
- 1918Marian McPartland, British jazz pianist
- 1920Pamela Harriman, British-American diplomat (d. 1997)
- 1921Dušan Pirjevec, Slovenian resistance fighter, philosopher and literary historian (d. 1977)
- 1921Sister Rosetta Tharpe, American singer (d. 1973)
- 1922Carl Reiner, American film director
- 1922Larry Elgart, American saxophonist and bandleader
- 1922Ray Goulding, American comedian (d. 1990)
- 1923Shaukat Siddiqui, Pakistani author, journalist and political activist (d. 2006)
- 1924Jozef Kroner, Slovak actor (d. 1998)
- 1925John Ehrlichman, American political figure (d. 1999)
- 1927John Joubert, South African-born British composer
- 1928Fred Rogers, American TV host (d. 2003)
- 1929Germán Robles, Spanish actor
- 1931Hal Linden, American actor
- 1933Alexander Gorodnitsky, Russian geologist and poet
- 1933George Altman, American baseball player
- 1934David Malouf, Australian author
- 1934Willie Brown, American politician
- 1935Ted Bessell, American actor (d. 1996)
- 1936Lee “Scratch” Perry, Jamaican Reggae artist
- 1936Vaughn Meader, American comedian (d. 2004)
- 1937Jerry Reed, American singer and actor (d. 2008)
- 1937Lois Lowry, American children’s author
- 1938Sergei Novikov, Russian Mathematician, Fields Medalist
- 1939Brian Mulroney, former Prime Minister of Canada
- 1940Stathis Chaitas, Greek fooballer
- 1941Kenji Kimihara, Japanese long-distance runner
- 1941Pat Corrales, American baseball player
- 1943Gerard Malanga, American poet and photographer
- 1943Naima Neidre, Estonian graphic artist
- 1943Paul Junger Witt, American TV producer
- 1945Henry Bartholomay, American fighter pilot
- 1945Jay Ingram, Canadian television host and author
- 1945Pat Riley, American basketball player and coach
- 1947John Boswell, American historian (d. 1994)
- 1948Bobby Orr, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1948John de Lancie, American actor
- 1948Marva Wright, American blues singer (d. 2010)
- 1949Marcia Ball, American singer and pianist
- 1950Carl Palmer, English drummer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer)
- 1950William Hurt, American actor
- 1951Curt Smith, American author and media host
- 1951Jimmie Vaughan, American blues guitarist
- 1952Geoff Brabham, Australian racing driver
- 1954Liana Kanelli, Greek journalist and politician
- 1954Louis Sachar, American author
- 1954Mike Francesa, American sports talk show host
- 1954Paul Mirabella, American baseball player
- 1956Anne Donahue, Vermont state representative
- 1956Catherine Ashton, British politician
- 1957Chris Wedge, American animator
- 1957David Foster, Australian woodchopper
- 1957Spike Lee, American film director
- 1957Theresa Russell, American actress
- 1957Vanessa Bell Calloway, American actress
- 1958Holly Hunter, American actress
- 1958Phil Anderson, Australian cyclist
- 1958Stephen Sommers, American film director
- 1959Dave Beasant, English football goalkeeper
- 1959Steve McFadden, British actor
- 1959Sting, American professional wrestler
- 1960Norbert Pohlmann, German computer scientist
- 1960Norm Magnusson, American fine artist
- 1961Ingrid Arndt-Brauer, German politician
- 1961Jesper Olsen, Danish footballer
- 1961Slim Jim Phantom, American musician (Stray Cats)
- 1963David Thewlis, British actor
- 1963Kathy Ireland, American model and actress
- 1963Paul Annacone, American tennis player
- 1963Yelena Romanova, Russian athlete (d. 2007)
- 1964Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer
- 1965William Dalrymple, Writer and Historian
- 1966Alka Yagnik, Indian singer
- 1967Mookie Blaylock, American basketball player
- 1968A. J. Jacobs, American journalist and author
- 1968Liza Snyder, American actress
- 1968Paul Merson, English footballer
- 1969Caroline Brunet, Canadian kayaker
- 1969Jean Labonté, Canadian sledge hockey player
- 1969Mannie Fresh, American producer
- 1970Michael Rapaport, American actor
- 1970Michele Jaffe, American novelist
- 1971Ingrid Kavelaars, Canadian actress
- 1971Manny Alexander, Dominican baseball player
- 1971Touré, American writer
- 1972Alexander Kapranos, Greek-British musician (Franz Ferdinand)
- 1973Cedric Yarbrough, American actor
- 1973Jane March, English actress
- 1973Jung Woo-sung, South Korean actor
- 1974Andrzej Pilipiuk, Polish writer
- 1974Paula Garces, Colombian actress
- 1976Chester Bennington, American musician (Linkin Park)
- 1979Bernard O'Connor, Gaelic Footballer
- 1979Bianca Lawson, American actress
- 1979Fiona Wade, British actress
- 1979Freema Agyeman, British actress
- 1979Keven Mealamu, New Zealand rugby player
- 1979Molly Jenson, American musician
- 1979Silvia Abascal, Spanish actress
- 1980Jamal Crawford, American basketball player
- 1980Ock Ju-Hyun, South Korean singer
- 1981Ian Murray, Scottish football player
- 1982José Moreira, Portuguese footballer
- 1982Terrence Duffin, Zimbabwean cricketer
- 1982Tomasz Kuszczak, Polish footballer
- 1984Christy Carlson Romano, American actress
- 1984Fernando Torres, Spanish footballer
- 1984Marcus Vick, American football player
- 1984Markus Niemelä, Finnish racing driver
- 1984Valtteri Filppula, Finnish ice-hockey player
- 1984Winta, Norwegian musician
- 1985Morgan Amalfitano, French footballer
- 1985Nicolas Lombaerts, Belgian footballer
- 1985Ronnie Brewer, American basketball player
- 1985Yoan Merlo, French e-sport gamer
- 1986Dean Geyer, Australian singer and actor
- 1986Julián Magallanes, Argentine footballer
- 1986Ruby Rose Langenheim, Australian VJ
- 1987Daniel Maa Boumsong, Cameroonian football player
- 1987Jô, Brazilian footballer
- 1987Kangana Ranaut, Indian actress
- 1987Patrick Boyle, Scottish footballer
- 1987Pedro Ken, Brazilian footballer
- 1987Sergei Kostitsyn, Belarusian hockey player
- 1988Louie Vito, American snowboarder
- 1989André Bernardes Santos, Portuguese footballer
- 1989Tamim Iqbal, Bangladeshi cricketer
- 1991Mattia Destro, Italian footballer
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Who Died On March 20?
- 687St. Cuthbert, patron saint of Northumbria (b. c. 634)
- 1239Hermann von Salza, Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights (b. c. 1179)
- 1390Alexios III, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1338)
- 1413King Henry IV of England (b. 1367)
- 1549Lord High Admiral Thomas Seymour, widower of Queen Catherine Parr (b. 1508)
- 1568Duke Albert of Prussia (b. 1490)
- 1586Richard Maitland, Scottish statesman and historian (b. 1496)
- 1619Mathias, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1557)
- 1673Augustyn Kordecki, Polish prior (b. 1603)
- 1730Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (b. 1692)
- 1732Johann Ernst Hanxleden, German philologist (b. 1681)
- 1746Nicolas de Largillière, French painter (b. 1656)
- 1780Sir Benjamin Truman – English brewer
- 1793William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish judge and politician (b. 1705)
- 1809Mary Bateman, English woman executed for witchcraft, known as the “Yorkshire Witch”
- 1835Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (b. 1794)
- 1849James Justinian Morier, British diplomat and novelist (b. 1780)
- 1855Joseph Aspdin, English mason and inventor (b. 1788)
- 1865Keisuke Yamanami, Japanese samurai (b. 1833)
- 1874Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish composer (b. 1810)
- 1878Julius Robert von Mayer, German physician and physicist (b. 1814)
- 1890Alexander F. Mozhayskiy, Russian aviation pioneer (b. 1825)
- 1897Apollon Maykov, Russian poet (b. 1821)
- 1899Franz Ritter von Hauer, Austrian geologist (b. 1822)
- 1916Ota Benga, Congolese pygmy (b. 1884)
- 1918Lewis A. Grant, American Civil War General (b. 1828)
- 1925Lord George Nathaniel Curzon, British statesman, Viceroy of India (b. 1859)
- 1929Ferdinand Foch, French commander of allied forces in World War I (b. 1851)
- 1931Hermann Müller, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
- 1933Giuseppe Zangara, attempted assassin of Franklin Roosevelt (b. 1900)
- 1934Queen Emma of the Netherlands (b. 1858)
- 1940Alfred Ploetz, German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860)
- 1947Sigurd Wallén, Swedish actor and filmdirector (b. 1884)
- 1958Adegoke Adelabu, Nigerian politician (b. 1915)
- 1964Brendan Behan, Irish playwright and author (b. 1923)
- 1968Carl Theodor Dreyer, Danish film director (b. 1889)
- 1969Henri Longchambon, French politician (b. 1896)
- 1970Manolis Chiotis, Greek bouzouki virtuoso and song writer (b. 1920)
- 1972Marilyn Maxwell, American actress (b. 1921)
- 1974Chet Huntley, American television journalist (b. 1911)
- 1977Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (b. 1919)
- 1981Gerry Bertier, American wheelchair Olympian (b. 1953)
- 1983Ivan Matveyevich Vinogradov, Russian mathematician (b. 1891)
- 1990Lev Yashin, Soviet footballer (b. 1929)
- 1991Conor Clapton, son of Eric Clapton (b. 1986)
- 1992Georges Delerue, French film composer (b. 1925)
- 1993Polykarp Kusch, German-born American physicist, Nobel laureate (b. 1911)
- 1994Lewis Grizzard, American humorist (b. 1946)
- 1995Big John Studd, American professional wrestler (b. 1948)
- 1997Tony Zale, American boxer (b. 1913)
- 1997V. S. Pritchett, British writer and critic (b. 1900)
- 1998George Howard, American jazz saxophone musician (b. 1956)
- 2000Gene Eugene, Canadian actor and singer (b. 1961)
- 2001Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican baseball player (b. 1949)
- 2003Sailor Art Thomas, American professional wrestler (b. 1924)
- 2004Pierre Sévigny, Canadian military officer and politician (b. 1917)
- 2004Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (b. 1909)
- 2005Armand Lohikoski, Finnish film director (b. 1912)
- 2007Gilbert E. Patterson, presiding bishop of COGIC (b. 1939)
- 2007Hawa Yakubu, Ghanaian politician (b. 1948)
- 2007Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraqi politician (b. 1938)
- 2008Brian Wilde, English actor (b. 1921)
- 2008Eric Ashton, English rugby league footballer (b. 1935)
- 2008Klaus Dinger, German musician (b. 1946)
- 2008Shoban Babu, Indian actor (b. 1937)
- 2009Mel Brown, American/Canadian blues guitarist (b. 1939)
- 2010Girija Prasad Koirala, Nepalese politician (b. 1925)
- 2010Harry Carpenter, English television sports commentator (b. 1925)
- 2010Liz Carpenter, American feminist writer (b. 1920)
- 2010Stewart Udall, American politician, environmentalist (b. 1920)
- 2011Johnny Pearson, British Composer (b. 1925)
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