April 20th in History

An anti-marijuana advertisement distributed by the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1935.

Today in History

  • Jews in New Amsterdam are granted freedom of religion (1657)
  • The Wisconsin Territory is established (1836)
  • Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the US Army (1861)
  • The Curies refine radium chloride (1902)
  • The Chicago Cubs play their first game at what will be later known as Wrigley Field (1916)
  • Manfred von Richthofen achieves his final two victories — he will be shot down the following day (1918)
  • Billie Holiday records “Strange Fruit,” the first civil rights song (1939)
  • Adolf Hitler makes his last trip to the surface from the Führerbunker to award Iron Crosses to some Hitler Youth boys (1945)
  • The League of Nations officially dissolves (1946)
  • The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba fails (1961)
  • Apollo 16 lands on the moon (1972)
  • KAL 902 is shot down by the Soviet Union (1978)
  • The Columbine High School massacre takes place (1999)
  • The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes, killing eleven and triggering a six month long oil spill (2010)

Birthdays

  • Georg Michael Telemann, composer (1748)
  • Young Tom Morris, golfer (1851)
  • Howlin’ Mad Smith, US general (1882)
  • Adolf Hitler, dictator (1889)
  • Harold Lloyd, silent film star (1893)
  • Joan Miró, painter (1893)
  • Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist (1908)
  • John Paul Stevens, supreme jurist (1920)
  • Mother Angelica, televangelist nun (1923)
  • Tito Puente, drummer (1923)
  • George Takei, actor (1937)
  • Peter S. Beagle, author (1939)
  • Ryan O’Neal, actor (1941)
  • Edie Sedgwick, Warhol “superstar” (1943)
  • Jamie Gillis, porn star (1943)
  • Veronica Cartwright, actress (1949)
  • Jessica Lange, actress (1949)
  • Luther Vandross, singer-songwriter (1951)
  • Don Mattingly, baseball player and manager (1961)
  • Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, comedian (1962)
  • Aubrey de Grey, gerontologist (1963)
  • Crispin Glover, actor (1964)
  • Andy Serkis, actor (1964)
  • Carmen Electra, entertainer (1972)

Deaths

  • Chief Pontiac, Native American tribal leader (1769)
  • Bram Stoker, author (1912)
  • Archibald MacLeish, poet (1982)
  • Benny Hill, comedian (1992)
  • Cantinflas, actor (1993)
  • Christopher Robin Milne, model for Christopher Robin in the Pooh stories (1996)
  • Señor Wences, ventriloquist (1999)

Holidays and Celebrations

  • 420 (international cannabis culture holiday)
  • Chinese Language Day (United Nations)
  • رضوان (Riḍván) (Bahá’í, begins at sunset and lasts until sunset on May 2)
  • Volunteer Recognition Day (US)
Informal and made-up holidays include Look Alike Day and National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day.
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April 20 is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years). There are 255 days remaining until the end of the year.