What Happened on January 20

Historical 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

Jan 20 in Film & TV

Jan 20 in Music

  • 1971 Tamla Records releases Marvin Gaye's single "What's Going On" about police brutality, from the album of the same name

Jan 20 in Sport

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

Would You Believe?

Heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne allegedly 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 dies of plague in 1394.
  • 1800 Napoleon I's sister Carolina marries French military leader Joachim Murat, future King of Naples
  • 1968 Actress Sharon Tate (24) weds actor and director Roman Polanski (34) in Chelsea, London

Famous Divorces


More Weddings & Divorces