✦ DateLore

On This Day · The 232nd day of the year

August 20

A look at August 20 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Rajiv Gandhi and Ron Paul, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2008

    Spanair Flight 5022

    Spanair Flight 5022, from Madrid, Spain to Gran Canaria, skids off the runway and crashes at Barajas Airport. Of the 172 people on board, 146 die immediately, and eight more later die of injuries sustained in the crash.

    2008 aviation accident in
  2. 1991

    Estonia

    Estonia, occupied by and incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, issues a decision on the re-establishment of independence on the basis of legal continuity of its pre-occupation statehood.

    Country in Northern Europe
  3. 1988

    The Troubles

    The Troubles: Eight British soldiers are killed and 28 wounded when their bus is hit by an IRA roadside bomb in Ballygawley, County Tyrone.

    1960s–1998 conflict in Northern
  4. 1949

    Hungary

    Hungary adopts the Hungarian Constitution of 1949 and becomes a People's Republic.

    Country in Central Europe
  5. 1948

    New York City

    Soviet Consul General in New York, Jacob M. Lomakin is expelled by the United States, due to the Kasenkina Case.

    Most populous city in
  6. 1940

    World War II

    World War II: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes the fourth of his famous wartime speeches, containing the line "Never was so much owed by so many to so few".

    1939–1945 global conflict
  7. 1920

    National Football League

    The National Football League is organized as the American Professional Football Conference in Canton, Ohio

    Professional American football league
  8. 1914

    World War I

    World War I: Brussels is captured during the German invasion of Belgium.

    1914–1918 global conflict
  9. 1710

    War of the Spanish Succession

    War of the Spanish Succession: A multinational army led by the Austrian commander Guido Starhemberg defeats the Spanish-Bourbon army commanded by Alexandre Maître, Marquis de Bay in the Battle of Saragossa.

    1701–1714 European great power
  10. 1707

    Siege of Pensacola (1707)

    The first Siege of Pensacola comes to an end with the failure of the British to capture Pensacola, Florida.

    Part of Queen Anne's
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Famous birthday twins

Born on August 20

Rajiv Gandhi

b. 1944

Indian lawyer and politician, 6th Prime Minister of India

Ron Paul

b. 1935

American captain, physician, and politician

Andrew Garfield

b. 1983

American-English actor

Bernardo O'Higgins

b. 1778

Chilean general and politician, 2nd Supreme Director of Chile

Benjamin Harrison

b. 1833

American general, lawyer, and politician, 23rd President of the United States

Bernard Mendy

b. 1981

French footballer

Demi Lovato

b. 1992

American singer-songwriter and actress

Fred Durst

b. 1970

American singer-songwriter

Deaths

  • 2008Hua Guofeng, Chinese politician, 2nd Premier of the People's Republic of China
  • 1995Hugo Pratt, Italian author and illustrator
  • 1982Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress
  • 1914Pope Pius X, Head of the Catholic Church from 1903 to 1914
  • 1528Georg von Frundsberg, German knight and landowner
  • 14AD 14, Roman son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (born 12 BC)

Holidays & observances

  • —Christian feast day: Amadour
  • —Christian feast day: Bernard of Clairvaux
  • —Christian feast day: Blessed Georg Häfner
  • —Christian feast day: Heliodorus of Bet Zabdai
  • —Christian feast day: Maria De Mattias
  • —Christian feast day: Oswine of Deira
  • —Christian feast day: Philibert of Jumièges
  • —Christian feast day: Samuel (prophet)

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