February 20
People born on this day are Pisces.
- 1971
The United States Emergency Broadcast System is accidentally activated in an erroneous national alert.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1979
An earthquake cracks open the Sinila volcanic crater on the Dieng Plateau, releasing poisonous H2S gas and killing 149 villagers in the Indonesian province of Central Java.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1986
The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for ten of those years.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1988
The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast votes to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia, triggering the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1991
In the Albanian capital Tirana, a gigantic statue of Albania's long-time leader, Enver Hoxha, is brought down by mobs of angry protesters.
Wikipedia ↗ - 1998
American figure skater Tara Lipinski, at the age of 15, becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating gold-medalist at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2003
During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the Station nightclub ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2005
Spain becomes the first country to vote in a referendum on ratification of the proposed Constitution of the European Union, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2009
Two Tamil Tigers aircraft packed with C4 explosives en route to the national airforce headquarters are shot down by the Sri Lankan military before reaching their target, in a kamikaze style attack.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2010
In Madeira Island, Portugal, heavy rain causes floods and mudslides, resulting in at least 43 deaths, in the worst disaster in the history of the archipelago.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2014
Dozens of Euromaidan anti-government protesters die in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, many reportedly killed by snipers.
Wikipedia ↗ - 2015
Two trains collide in the Swiss town of Rafz resulting in as many as 49 people injured and Swiss Federal Railways cancelling some services.
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2004Jared McCain, American basketball player
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2003Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer
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2002Gavin Bazunu, Irish footballer
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2000Josh Sargent, American soccer player
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1999Jarrett Culver, American basketball player
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1998Emam Ashour, Egyptian footballer
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1996Clarke Schmidt, American baseball player
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1995Elle Purrier St. Pierre, American track and field athlete
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1994Kateryna Baindl, Ukrainian tennis player
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1994Luis Severino, Dominican baseball player
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1993Jurickson Profar, Curaçaoan baseball player
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1991Hidilyn Diaz, Filipino weightlifter
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Data: Wikipedia “February 20” and “On this day”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikipedia ↗