April 20

Pre-1600 • 1152 – After an eight-year conflict, Baldwin III of Jerusalem wins sole control of the Kingdom of Jerusalem from his mother Melisende. • 1303 – The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by a bull of Pope Boniface VIII. • 1303 – The Bahri Mamluks defeat the Ilkhanate in the battle of Marj al-Saffar, marking the end of the Mongol incursions into Syria. • 1535 – A complex halo display is observed over Stockholm, Sweden, inspiring the Vädersolstavlan ("The Sundog painting"), the earliest depiction of such an event, and the oldest colour depiction of the city. 1601–1900 • 1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolves England's Rump Parliament. • 1657 – English Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet, under heavy fire from the shore, at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. • 1657 – Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City). • 1752 – Start of Konbaung–Hanthawaddy War, a new phase in the Burmese Civil War (1740–57). • 1770 – The Georgian king, Erekle II, abandoned by his Russian ally Count Totleben, wins a victory over Ottoman forces at Aspindza. • 1789 – George Washington arrives at Grays Ferry, Philadelphia, while en route to Manhattan for his inauguration. • 1792 – France declares war against the "King of Hungary and Bohemia", the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars. • 1800 – The Septinsular Republic is established. • 1809 – Two Austrian army corps in Bavaria are defeated by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon at the Battle of Abensberg on the second day of a four-day campaign that ended in a French victory. • 1828 – René Caillié becomes the second non-Muslim to enter Timbuktu, following Major Gordon Laing. He would also be the first to return alive. • 1836 – U.S. Congress passes an act creating the Wisconsin Territory. • 1861 – American Civil War: Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army in order to command the forces of the state of Virginia. • 1861 – Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, attempting to display the value of balloons, makes record journey, flying 900 miles from Cincinnati to South Carolina. • 1862 – Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete the experiment disproving the theory of spontaneous generation. • 1865 – Astronomer Angelo Secchi demonstrates the Secchi disk, which measures water clarity, aboard Pope Pius IX's yacht, the ''L'Immaculata Concezion''. • 1876 – The April Uprising begins. Its suppression shocks European opinion, and Bulgarian independence becomes a condition for ending the Russo-Turkish War. • 1884 – Pope Leo XIII publishes the encyclical Humanum genus, condemning Freemasonry. • 1898 – U.S. President William McKinley signs a joint resolution to Congress for declaration of war against Spain, beginning the Spanish–American War. 1901–present • 1902 – Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride. • 1908 – Opening day of competition in the New South Wales Rugby League. • 1914 – Nineteen men, women, and children participating in a strike are killed in the Ludlow Massacre during the Colorado Coalfield War. • 1918 – World War I: Manfred von Richthofen, a.k.a. The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims, his final victories before his death the following day. • 1922 – The Soviet government creates the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the Georgian SSR. • 1945 – World War II: U.S. troops capture Leipzig, Germany, only to later cede the city to the Soviet Union. • 1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: On his 56th birthday Adolf Hitler makes his last trip to the surface to award Iron Crosses to boy soldiers of the Hitler Youth. • 1945 – Twenty Jewish children used in medical experiments at Neuengamme are killed in the basement of the Bullenhuser Damm school. • 1946 – The League of Nations officially dissolves, giving most of its power to the United Nations. • 1949 – Amethyst incident: The People's Liberation Army attacks travelling to the British embassy in Nanjing during the Chinese Civil War. • 1961 – Cold War: Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed Cuban exiles against Cuba. • 1968 – English politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial "Rivers of Blood" speech. • 1968 – South African Airways Flight 228 crashes near J.G. Strijdom Airport in South West Africa (now Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia), killing 123 people. • 1972 – Apollo program: The Apollo 16 Lunar Module Orion, commanded by John Young and piloted by Charles Duke, lands on the Moon. • 1985 – University of California, Riverside 1985 laboratory raid: Animal Liberation Front rescues 467 animals being tested in a lab at University of California, Riverside in Riverside, California, causing $700,000 in damages to the laboratory, in advocacy for animal rights. • 1998 – Air France Flight 422 crashes after taking off from El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia, killing all 53 people on board. • 1999 – Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 14 people and injure 23 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. • 2004 – The Nicoll Highway in Singapore collapses, killing four workers. • 2007 – Johnson Space Center shooting: William Phillips barricades himself with a handgun in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, before killing a male hostage and himself. • 2008 – Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300, becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race. • 2010 – The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing eleven workers and beginning an oil spill that lasted six months. • 2012 – One hundred twenty-seven people are killed when a plane crashes in a residential area near the Benazir Bhutto International Airport near Islamabad, Pakistan. • 2013 – A 6.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Lushan County, Ya'an, in China's Sichuan province, killing at least 193 people and injuring thousands. • 2015 – Ten people are killed in a bomb attack on a convoy carrying food supplies to a United Nations compound in Garowe in the Somali region of Puntland. • 2020 – For the first time in history, oil prices drop below zero, an effect of the 2020 Russia-Saudi Arabia oil price war. • 2021 – State of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin: Derek Chauvin is found guilty of all charges in the murder of George Floyd by the Fourth Judicial District Court of Minnesota. • 2023 – SpaceX's Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, launches for the first time. It explodes four minutes into flight. ==Births==

Pre-1600 • 1494 – Johannes Agricola, German theologian and reformer (died 1566) • 1544 – Renata of Lorraine, Duchess consort of Bavaria (died 1602) • 1586 – Rose of Lima, Peruvian mystic and saint (died 1617) 1601–1900 • 1619 – Geoffrey Shakerley, English politician (died 1696) • 1633 – Emperor Go-Kōmyō of Japan (died 1654) • 1646 – Charles Plumier, French botanist and author (died 1704) • 1650 – William Bedloe, English spy (died 1680) • 1718 – David Brainerd, American missionary (died 1747) • 1723 – Cornelius Harnett, American merchant, farmer, and politician (died 1781) • 1727 – Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau, Belgian-Austrian minister and diplomat (died 1794) • 1745 – Philippe Pinel, French physician and psychiatrist (died 1826) • 1748 – Georg Michael Telemann, German composer and theologian (died 1831) • 1808 – Napoleon III, French politician, 1st President of France, Emperor of French Second Empire (died 1873) • 1816 – Bogoslav Šulek, Croatian philologist, historian, and lexicographer (died 1895) • 1818 – Heinrich Göbel, German-American mechanic and engineer (died 1893) • 1826 – Dinah Craik, English author and poet (died 1887) • 1839 – Carol I of Romania, King of Romania (died 1914) • 1840 – Odilon Redon, French painter and illustrator (died 1916) • 1850 – Daniel Chester French, American sculptor, designed the Lincoln statue (died 1931) • 1851 – Alexander Dianin, Russian chemist (died 1918) • 1851 – Siegmund Lubin, Polish-American businessman, founded the Lubin Manufacturing Company (died 1923) • 1860 – Justinien de Clary, French target shooter (died 1933) • 1871 – Sydney Chapman, English economist and civil servant (died 1951) • 1873 – James Harcourt, English character actor (died 1951) • 1875 – Vladimir Vidrić, Croatian poet and lawyer (died 1909) • 1879 – Paul Poiret, French fashion designer (died 1944) • 1882 – Holland Smith, American general (died 1967) • 1884 – Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (died 1966) • 1884 – Oliver Kirk, American boxer (died 1960) • 1884 – Daniel Varoujan, Armenian poet and educator (died 1915) • 1889 – Albert Jean Amateau, Turkish rabbi, lawyer, and activist (died 1996) • 1889 – Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland (died 1918) • 1889 – Marie-Antoinette de Geuser, French mystic (died 1918) • 1889 – Adolf Hitler, Austrian-born German politician, Führer of Nazi Germany (died 1945) • 1889 – Tonny Kessler, Dutch footballer (died 1960) • 1890 – Maurice Duplessis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Premier of Quebec (died 1959) • 1890 – Adolf Schärf, Austrian soldier and politician, 6th President of Austria (died 1965) • 1891 – Dave Bancroft, American baseball player and manager (died 1972) • 1893 – Harold Lloyd, American actor, comedian, and producer (died 1971) • 1893 – Joan Miró, Spanish painter and sculptor (died 1983) • 1895 – Henry de Montherlant, French essayist, novelist, and dramatist (died 1972) • 1899 – Alan Arnett McLeod, Canadian lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (died 1918) 1901–present • 1904 – Bruce Cabot, American actor (died 1972) • 1907 – Miran Bakhsh, Pakistani cricketer (died 1991) • 1907 – Augoustinos Kantiotes, Greek bishop (died 2010) • 1908 – Lionel Hampton, American vibraphone player, pianist, bandleader, and actor (died 2002) • 1910 – Fatin Rüştü Zorlu, Turkish diplomat and politician (died 1961) • 1913 – Mimis Fotopoulos, Greek actor and poet (died 1986) • 1913 – Willi Hennig, German biologist and entomologist (died 1976) • 1914 – Betty Lou Gerson, American actress (died 1999) • 1915 – Joseph Wolpe, South African psychotherapist and physician (died 1997) • 1916 – Yoko Matsuoka, Japanese writer (died 1979) • 1916 – Nasiba Zeynalova, Azerbaijani actress (died 2004) • 1918 – Kai Siegbahn, Swedish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2007) • 1919 – Richard Hillary, Australian lieutenant and pilot (died 1943) • 1920 – Frances Ames, South African neurologist, psychiatrist, and human rights activist (died 2002) • 1920 – Clement Isong, Nigerian banker and politician, Governor of Cross River State (died 2000) • 1920 – John Paul Stevens, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (died 2019) • 1921 – Katarína Kolníková, Slovak actress (died 2006) • 1923 – Mother Angelica, American nun and broadcaster, founded Eternal Word Television Network (died 2016) • 1923 – Irene Lieblich, Polish-American painter and illustrator (died 2008) • 1923 – Tito Puente, American drummer and producer (died 2000) • 1924 – Nina Foch, Dutch-American actress (died 2008) • 1924 – Leslie Phillips, English actor and producer (died 2022) • 1924 – Guy Rocher, Canadian sociologist and academic (died 2025) • 1925 – Ernie Stautner, German-American football player and coach (died 2006) • 1925 – Elena Verdugo, American actress (died 2017) • 1927 – Bud Cullen, Canadian judge and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Employment and Immigration (died 2005) • 1927 – Phil Hill, American race car driver (died 2008) • 1927 – K. Alex Müller, Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2023) • 1928 – Robert Byrne, American chess player and author (died 2013) • 1928 – Johnny Gavin, Irish international footballer (died 2007) • 1930 – Dwight Gustafson, American composer and conductor (died 2014) • 1930 – Antony Jay, English director and screenwriter (died 2016) • 1931 – Michael Allenby, 3rd Viscount Allenby, English lieutenant and politician (died 2014) • 1931 – John Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles, English businessman and politician • 1932 – Myriam Bru, French actress • 1936 – Pauli Ellefsen, Faroese technician, surveyor, and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (died 2012) • 1936 – Pat Roberts, American captain, journalist, and politician • 1937 – Jiří Dienstbier, Czech journalist and politician, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2011) • 1937 – Harvey Quaytman, American painter and educator (died 2002) • 1937 – George Takei, American actor • 1938 – Betty Cuthbert, Australian sprinter (died 2017) • 1938 – Manfred Kinder, German runner • 1938 – Eszter Tamási, Hungarian actress (died 1991) • 1938 – Johnny Tillotson, American singer-songwriter (died 2025) • 1939 – Peter S. Beagle, American author and screenwriter • 1939 – Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norwegian physician and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Norway– • 1940 – James Gammon, American actor (died 2010) • 1941 – Ryan O'Neal, American actor (died 2023) • 1943 – Alan Beith, English academic and politician • 1943 – John Eliot Gardiner, English conductor and director • 1943 – Edie Sedgwick, American model and actress (died 1971) • 1944 – Toivo Aare, Estonian journalist and author (died 1999) • 1945 – Michael Brandon, American actor and director • 1945 – Olga Karlatos, Greek actress and Bermudian lawyer • 1945 – Thein Sein, Burmese general and politician, 8th President of Burma • 1945 – Naftali Temu, Kenyan runner (died 2003) • 1945 – Steve Spurrier, American football player and coach • 1946 – Sandro Chia, Italian painter and sculptor • 1947 – Rita Dionne-Marsolais, Canadian economist and politician • 1947 – Viktor Suvorov, Russian intelligence officer, historian, and author • 1947 – Niko Lekishvili, Georgian politician (died 2025) • 1948 – Matthias Kuhle, German geographer and academic (died 2015) • 1949 – Veronica Cartwright, English-American actress • 1949 – Toller Cranston, Canadian-Mexican figure skater and painter (died 2015) • 1949 – Massimo D'Alema, Italian journalist and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Italy • 1949 – Jessica Lange, American actress • 1950 – Alexander Lebed, Russian general and politician (died 2002) • 1950 – N. Chandrababu Naidu, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh • 1951 – Luther Vandross, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2005) • 1952 – Louka Katseli, Greek economist and politician • 1953 – Sebastian Faulks, English journalist and author • 1953 – James Chance, American musician (died 2024) • 1955 – Olivia Dahl (died 1962), daughter of Roald Dahl and Patricia Neal • 1955 – Donald Pettit, American engineer and astronaut • 1955 – Svante Pääbo, Swedish geneticist and Nobel Laureate • 1956 – Beatrice Ask, Swedish politician, Swedish Minister for Justice • 1956 – Peter Chelsom, English film director, writer, and actor • 1956 – Kakha Bendukidze, Georgian economist and politician (died 2014) • 1958 – Viacheslav Fetisov, Russian ice hockey player and coach • 1959 – Perry Haddock, Australian rugby league player • 1960 – Debbie Flintoff-King, Australian hurdler and coach • 1961 – Don Mattingly, American baseball player, coach, and manager • 1961 – Konstantin Lavronenko, Russian actor • 1962 – Sanjaasürengiin Zorig, Mongolian Politician, (died 1998) • 1963 – Rachel Whiteread, English sculptor • 1964 – John Carney, American football player • 1964 – Crispin Glover, American actor and filmmaker • 1964 – Andy Serkis, English actor and director • 1964 – Rosalynn Sumners, American figure skater • 1965 – Kostis Chatzidakis, Greek politician, Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism • 1965 – Léa Fazer, Swiss film director, screenwriter and actress • 1965 – Mark Mallia, Maltese painter and sculptor (died 2024) • 1966 – David Chalmers, Australian philosopher and academic • 1966 – David Filo, American businessman, co-founded Yahoo! • 1967 – Lara Jill Miller, American actress • 1967 – Mike Portnoy, American drummer and songwriter • 1968 – Julia Morris, Australian entertainer • 1969 – Felix Baumgartner, Austrian daredevil (died 2025) • 1969 – Will Hodgman, Australian politician, 45th Premier of Tasmania • 1970 – Shemar Moore, American actor • 1971 – Allan Houston, American basketball player • 1971 – Mikey Welsh, American bassist and painter (died 2011) • 1972 – Carmen Electra, American model and actress • 1972 – Stephen Marley, Jamaican-American musician • 1973 – Julie Powell, American food writer and memoirist (died 2022) • 1974 – Randy Fine, American politician and former gambling industry executive • 1975 – Killer Mike, American rapper • 1978 – Carl Greenidge, English cricketer • 1980 – Emma Husar, Australian politician • 1983 – Miranda Kerr, Australian model • 1984 – Harris Wittels, American comedian (died 2015) • 1987 – Jorge Pinto, Portuguese politician • 1988 – Brandon Belt, American baseball player • 1989 – Vannesa Rosales, Venezuelan activist and teacher • 1990 – Kyle Higashioka, American baseball player • 1990 – Jason Behrendorff, Australian cricketer • 1991 – Luke Kuechly, American football player • 1997 – Alexander Zverev, German tennis player • 2005 – Tallyn Da Silva, Australian rugby league player ==Deaths==

Pre-1600 • 689 – Cædwalla, king of Wessex (born 659) • 888 – Xi Zong, Chinese emperor (born 862) • 1099 – Peter Bartholomew (born 1061) • 1164 – Antipope Victor IV • 1176 – Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English-Irish politician, Lord Chief Justice of Ireland (born 1130) • 1248 – Güyük Khan, Mongol ruler, 3rd Great Khan of the Mongol Empire (born 1206) • 1284 – Hōjō Tokimune, regent of Japan (born 1251) • 1314 – Pope Clement V (born 1264) • 1322 – Simon Rinalducci, Italian Augustinian friar • 1344 – Gersonides, French Jewish philosopher, Talmudist, mathematician, physician, and astronomer (born 1288) • 1502 – Mary of Looz-Heinsberg, Dutch noble (born 1424) • 1521 – Zhengde, Chinese emperor (born 1491) • 1534 – Elizabeth Barton, English nun and martyr (born 1506) • 1558 – Johannes Bugenhagen, German priest and theologian (born 1485) 1601–1900 • 1643 – Christoph Demantius, German composer and poet (born 1567) • 1703 – Lancelot Addison, English clergyman and educator (born 1632) • 1769 – Chief Pontiac, American tribal leader (born 1720) • 1831 – John Abernethy, English surgeon and anatomist (born 1764) • 1873 – William Tite, English architect, designed the Royal Exchange (born 1798) • 1874 – Alexander H. Bailey, American lawyer, judge, and politician (born 1817) • 1881 – William Burges, English architect and designer (born 1827) • 1886 – Charles-François-Frédéric, marquis de Montholon-Sémonville, French general and diplomat, French ambassador to the United States (born 1814) • 1887 – Muhammad Sharif Pasha, Greek-Egyptian politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Egypt (born 1826) • 1899 – Joseph Wolf, German ornithologist and illustrator (born 1820) 1901–present • 1902 – Joaquim de Sousa Andrade, Brazilian poet and educator (born 1833) • 1912 – Bram Stoker, Anglo-Irish novelist and critic, created Count Dracula (born 1847) • 1918 – Jussi Merinen, Finnish politician (born 1873) • 1918 – Karl Ferdinand Braun, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1850) • 1927 – Enrique Simonet, Spanish painter and educator (born 1866) • 1929 – Prince Henry of Prussia (born 1862) • 1931 – Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, 5th Baronet, Scottish-English fencer and businessman (born 1862) • 1932 – Giuseppe Peano, Italian mathematician and philosopher (born 1858) • 1935 – John Cameron, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1872) • 1935 – Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, English fashion designer (born 1863) • 1942 – Jüri Jaakson, Estonian businessman and politician, 6th State Elder of Estonia (born 1870) • 1944 – Elmer Gedeon, American baseball player and pilot (born 1917) • 1945 – Erwin Bumke, Polish-German jurist and politician (born 1874) • 1946 – Mae Busch, Australian actress (born 1891) • 1947 – Christian X, King of Denmark (born 1870) • 1951 – Ivanoe Bonomi, Italian politician, 25th Prime Minister of Italy (born 1873) • 1967 – Léo-Paul Desrosiers, Canadian journalist and author (born 1896) • 1968 – Rudolph Dirks, German-American illustrator (born 1877) • 1969 – Vjekoslav Luburić, Croatian Ustaše official and concentration camp administrator (born 1914) • 1978 – Lord Richard Cecil, British soldier and journalist in the Rhodesian Bush War (born 1948) • 1980 – M. Canagaratnam, Sri Lankan politician (born 1924) • 1982 – Archibald MacLeish, American poet, playwright, and lawyer (born 1892) • 1986 – Sibte Hassan, Pakistani journalist, scholar, and activist (born 1916) • 1991 – Steve Marriott, English singer-songwriter and producer (born 1947) • 1991 – Don Siegel, American director and producer (born 1912) • 1992 – Marjorie Gestring, American springboard diver (born 1922) • 1992 – Benny Hill, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter (born 1924) • 1993 – Cantinflas, Mexican actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1911) • 1995 – Milovan Đilas, Yugoslav communist, politician, theorist and author (born 1911) • 1996 – Trần Văn Trà, Vietnamese general and politician (born 1918) • 1999 – Rick Rude, American professional wrestler (born 1958) • 1999 – Rachel Scott, American victim of Columbine High School massacre (born 1981) • 1999 – Cassie Bernall, American victim of Columbine High School massacre (born 1981) • 2001 – Giuseppe Sinopoli, Italian conductor and composer (born 1946) • 2002 – Alan Dale, American singer (born 1925) • 2003 – Bernard Katz, German-English biophysicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1911) • 2004 – Lizzy Mercier Descloux, French musician, singer-songwriter, composer, actress, writer and painter (born 1956) • 2005 – Fumio Niwa, Japanese journalist and author (born 1904) • 2007 – Andrew Hill, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (born 1931) • 2007 – Michael Fu Tieshan, Chinese bishop (born 1931) • 2008 – Monica Lovinescu, Romanian journalist and author (born 1923) • 2010 – Dorothy Height, American educator and activist (born 1912) • 2011 – Tim Hetherington, English photographer and journalist (born 1970) • 2012 – Bert Weedon, English guitarist and songwriter (born 1920) • 2014 – Neville Wran, Australian politician, 35th Premier of New South Wales (born 1926) • 2016 – Victoria Wood, British comedian, actress and writer (born 1953) • 2018 – Avicii, Swedish DJ and musician (born 1989) • 2021 – Idriss Déby, Chadian politician and military officer (born 1952) • 2021 – Monte Hellman, American film director (born 1929) • 2021 – Les McKeown, Scottish pop singer (born 1955) • 2022 – Gavin Millar, Scottish film director (born 1938) • 2024 – Antonio Cantafora, Italian film and television actor (born 1944) • 2024 – Andrew Davis, English conductor (born 1944) • 2024 – Roman Gabriel, Filipino-American NFL American footballer • 2024 – Lourdes Portillo, Mexican film director, producer, and writer (born 1943) • 2025 – Hugo Gatti, Argentine footballer (born 1944) • 2026 – Luis Brandoni, Argentine actor and politician (born 1940) ==Holidays and observances==

• Christian feast day: • Agnes of Montepulciano • Pope Anicetus • Beuno • Blessed James Bell and John Finch • Evacuee Flag Day (Finland) • UN Chinese Language Day (United Nations) ==References==