What Happened on January 20
Important Events
- 1265 First English Parliament summoned other than by royal command (in this instance by Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester) mets in Westminster Hall
- 1841 China cedes Hong Kong to the British during the 1st Opium War
- 1921 Republic of Turkey declared out of remnants of Ottoman Empire
- 1942 Nazi officials hold notorious Wannsee Conference in Berlin to organize the "final solution", the extermination of Europe's Jews
- 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt sworn-in for an unprecedented (and never to be repeated) 4th term as US President
- 1981 Ronald Reagan inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States of America
- 2009 Barack Obama, inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America, becomes the United States' first African-American president
January 20 in Film & TV
- 2008 "Breaking Bad", created by Vince Gilligan and starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul premieres on AMC
January 20 in Music
- 1971 Single "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye about police brutality is released
January 20 in Sport
- 1980 President Jimmy Carter announces US boycott of Olympics in Moscow
Did You Know?
Houston Cougars defeat the UCLA Bruins 71-69 to win basketball's Game of the Century and end UCLA's 47 game winning streak
On January 20, 1968
Famous Birthdays
Lead Belly
(1888 - 1949)- Joy Adamson
(1910 - 1980) - Federico Fellini
(1920 - 1993) - Patricia Neal
(1926 - 2010) - Buzz Aldrin
89 Years Old - Bill Maher
63 Years Old
Lead Belly
Joy Adamson
Federico Fellini
Patricia Neal
Buzz Aldrin
Bill MaherWould You Believe?
Heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne bites the head off a bat on stage in Des Moines, Iowa
On January 20, 1982
Famous Weddings
- 1382 King Richard II of England marries Anne of Bohemia and daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor at Westminster Abbey. Anne died of plague in 1394.
- 1800 Napoleon I's sister Carolina marries King Joachim Murat of Naples
- 1968 Actress Sharon Tate (24) weds actor and director Roman Polanski (34) in Chelsea, London
George V
Audrey HepburnJanuary in History
British Museum Opens its Doors
The British Museum opened to visitors on January 15, 1759. Fearing damage to the collections by unruly hordes, nobody was admitted without a ticket.
January 15, 1759Designer Throws His Hat Into the Ring; Creates a Sensation
The first time a man stepped out in London wearing a topper it caused a sensation, then a court case. Who now could imagine Fred Astaire without his famous top hat?
January 15, 1797Squaring Up for Radio Commentary
This was the day when the BBC broadcast live sports commentary for the first time and introduced a novel way of involving listeners in the action.
January 15, 1927The British: 139. Zulu Warriors: 4,000. Let Battle Begin
It was one of the most remarkable military engagements ever: the day that 139 British soldiers took on 4,000 Zulu warriors – and won.
January 22, 1879
