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 organise 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]()
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, 1759![Designer Throws His Hat Into the Ring; Creates a Sensation]()
Designer 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, 1797![Squaring Up for Radio Commentary]()
Squaring 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, 1927![The British: 139. Zulu Warriors: 4,000. Let Battle Begin]()
The 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
