Misplaced Pages

April 20 is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 255 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

• 1303 – The Sapienza University of Rome is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.
• 1453 – The last naval battle in Byzantine history occurs, as three Genoese galleys escorting a Byzantine transport fight their way through the huge Ottoman blockade fleet and into the Golden Horn.
• 1534 – Jacques Cartier begins the voyage during which he discovers Canada and Labrador.
• 1535 – The Sun dog phenomenon observed over Stockholm and depicted in the famous painting Vädersolstavlan.
• 1653 – Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament.
• 1657 – Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet under heavy fire at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
• 1657 – Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City).
• 1689 – The former king, James II of England, now deposed, lays siege to Derry.
• 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.
• 1775 – American Revolutionary War: the Siege of Boston begins, following the battles at Lexington and Concord.
• 1789 – President George Washington arrives in Philadelphia after his inauguration to elaborate welcome at Gray's Ferry just after noon first inauguration of George Washington
• 1792 – France declares war against the "King of Hungary and Bohemia", the beginning of French Revolutionary Wars.
• 1809 – Two Austrian army corps in Bavaria are defeated by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France at the Battle of Abensberg on the second day of a four-day campaign that ended in a French victory.
• 1810 – The Governor of Caracas declares independence from Spain.
• 1818 – The case of Ashford v Thornton ends, with Abraham Thornton allowed to go free rather than face a retrial for murder, after his demand for trial by battle is upheld.
• 1828 – René Caillié becomes the first non-Muslim to enter Timbouctou.
• 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.
• 1862 – Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete the experiment falsifying the theory of spontaneous generation.
• 1865 – Astronomer Pietro Angelo Secchi demonstrates the Secchi disk, which measures water clarity, aboard Pope Pius IX's yacht, the L'Immaculata Concezion.
• 1871 – The Civil Rights Act of 1871 becomes law.
• 1876 – The April Uprising, a key point in modern Bulgarian history, leading to the Russo-Turkish War and the liberation of Bulgaria from domination as an independent part of the Ottoman Empire.
• 1884 – Pope Leo XIII publishes the encyclical Humanum Genus.
• 1902 – Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride.
• 1908 – Opening day of competition in the New South Wales Rugby League.
• 1912 – Opening day for baseball's Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan, and Fenway Park in Boston.
• 1914 – Nineteen men, women, and children die in the Ludlow Massacre during a Colorado coal-miner's strike.
• 1916 – The Chicago Cubs play their first game at Weeghman Park (currently Wrigley Field), defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7–6 in 11 innings.
• 1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims, his final victories before his death the following day.
• 1922 – The Soviet government creates South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within Georgian SSR.
• 1926 – Western Electric and Warner Bros. announce Vitaphone, a process to add sound to film.
• 1939 – Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday is celebrated as a national holiday in Nazi Germany.
• 1939 – Billie Holiday records the first civil rights song "Strange Fruit".
• 1945 – World War II: US troops capture Leipzig, Germany, only to later cede the city to the Soviet Union.
• 1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: 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.
• 1951 – Dan Gavriliu performs the first surgical replacement of a human organ.
• 1961 – Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed Cuban exiles against Cuba.
• 1964 – BBC Two launches with a power cut because of the fire at Battersea Power Station.
• 1968 – English politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial Rivers of Blood speech.
• 1972 – Apollo 16, commanded by John Young, lands on the moon.
• 1978 – Korean Air Lines Flight 902 is shot down by the Soviet Union.
• 1980 – Climax of Berber Spring in Algeria as hundreds of Berber political activists are arrested.
• 1984 – The Good Friday Massacre, an extremely violent ice hockey playoff game, is played in Montreal, Canada.
• 1985 – The ATF raids The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord compound in northern Arkansas.
• 1986 – Pianist Vladimir Horowitz performs in his native Russia for the first time in 61 years.
• 1998 – German terrorist group the Red Army Faction announces their dissolution after 28 years.
• 1999 – Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado.
• 2007 – Johnson Space Center shooting: William Phillips with a handgun barricades himself 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 would last six months.
• 2013 – Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Japan last reactor is shut down at midnight.
• 2013 – A 6.6-magnitude earthquake strikes Lushan County, Ya'an, in China's Sichuan province, killing more than 150 people and injuring thousands.

Births

• 1492 – Pietro Aretino, Italian author, playwright, and poet (d. 1556)
• 1494 – Johannes Agricola, German reformer (d. 1566)
• 1586 – Rose of Lima, Peruvian saint (d. 1617)
• 1633 – Emperor Go-Kōmyō of Japan (d. 1654)
• 1646 – Charles Plumier, French botanist (d. 1704)
• 1650 – William Bedloe, English fraudster (d. 1680)
• 1718 – David Brainerd, American missionary (d. 1747)
• 1723 – Cornelius Harnett, American merchant, farmer, and politician (d. 1781)
• 1727 – Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau, Belgian-Austrian diplomat (d. 1794)
• 1745 – Philippe Pinel, French physician (d. 1826)
• 1748 – Georg Michael Telemann, German composer and theologian (d. 1831)
• 1808 – Napoleon III, French politician, 1st President of France (d. 1873)
• 1816 – Bogoslav Šulek, Croatian philologist, historian, and lexicographer (d. 1895)
• 1818 – Heinrich Göbel, German-American mechanic and inventor (d. 1893)
• 1826 – Dinah Craik, English author (d. 1887)
• 1836 – Eli Whitney Blake, Jr., American scientist (d. 1895)
• 1840 – Odilon Redon, French painter (d. 1916)
• 1850 – Daniel Chester French, American sculptor, designed the Lincoln statue (d. 1931)
• 1851 – Young Tom Morris, Scottish golfer (d. 1875)
• 1851 – Siegmund Lubin, Polish-American businessman, founded the Lubin Manufacturing Company (d. 1923)
• 1860 – Justinien de Clary, French target shooter (d. 1933)
• 1871 – Sydney Chapman, English economist and civil servant (d. 1951)
• 1875 – Vladimir Vidrić, Croatian poet (d. 1909)
• 1879 – Paul Poiret, French fashion designer (d. 1944)
• 1882 – Holland Smith, American general (d. 1967)
• 1884 – Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (d. 1966)
• 1884 – Oliver Kirk, American boxer (d. 1960)
• 1884 – Daniel Varoujan, Armenian poet (d. 1915)
• 1889 – Albert Jean Amateau, Turkish rabbi, lawyer, and activist (d. 1996)
• 1889 – Harold Bache, English cricketer (d. 1916)
• 1889 – A. J. Balaban, American showman based in Chicago (d. 1962)
• 1889 – Robert Butler (Australian politician), Australian politician (d. 1950)
• 1889 – Walter Costello, American gangster (d. 1917)
• 1889 – Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland, Swedish prince (d. 1918)
• 1889 – Marie-Antoinette de Geuser, French Christian mystic (d. 1918)
• 1889 – S. W. Harrington, American physician and surgeon, All-American football player, and head football coach (d. 1975)
• 1889 – Adolf Hitler, Austrian-German politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1945)
• 1889 – Tonny Kessler, Dutch footballer (d. 1960)
• 1890 – Maurice Duplessis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Premier of Quebec (d. 1959)
• 1893 – Harold Lloyd, American actor and producer (d. 1971)
• 1893 – Joan Miró, Spanish painter (d. 1983)
• 1893 – Edna Parker, American educator and super-centenarian (d. 2008)
• 1895 – Emile Christian, American trombonist and composer (d. 1973)
• 1895 – Henry de Montherlant, French author and playwright (d. 1972)
• 1896 – Wop May, Canadian pilot and captain (d. 1952)
• 1899 – Alan Arnett McLeod Canadian lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1918)
• 1904 – Bruce Cabot, American actor (d. 1972)
• 1904 – George Stibitz, American computer scientist (d. 1995)
• 1907 – Augoustinos Kantiotes, Greek bishop (d. 2010)
• 1908 – Lionel Hampton, American pianist, bandleader, and actor (d. 2002)
• 1913 – Mimis Fotopoulos, Greek actor and poet (d. 1986)
• 1913 – Willi Hennig, German biologist (d. 1976)
• 1914 – Betty Lou Gerson, American actress (d. 1999)
• 1915 – Joseph Wolpe, South African-American psychotherapist (d. 1997)
• 1916 – Nasiba Zeynalova, Azerbaijani actress (d. 2004)
• 1918 – Edward L. Beach, Jr., American captain and author (d. 2002)
• 1918 – Kai Siegbahn, Swedish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
• 1919 – Richard Hillary, Australian pilot, lieutenant, and author (d. 1943)
• 1920 – Clement Isong, Nigerian banker and politician (d. 2000)
• 1920 – Ronald Speirs, American colonel (d. 2007)
• 1920 – John Paul Stevens, American lieutenant and judge
• 1921 – Janine Sutto, French-Canadian actress
• 1923 – Mother Angelica, American nun and broadcaster, founded Eternal Word Television Network
• 1923 – Irene Lieblich, Polish-American painter (d. 2008)
• 1923 – Tito Puente, American drummer and producer (d. 2000)
• 1924 – Nina Foch, Dutch-American actress (d. 2008)
• 1924 – Leslie Phillips, English actor
• 1924 – Guy Rocher, Canadian sociologist and academic
• 1925 – Ernie Stautner, German-American football player and coach (d. 2006)
• 1927 – Bud Cullen, Canadian judge and politician (d. 2005)
• 1927 – Phil Hill, American race car driver (d. 2008)
• 1927 – K. Alex Müller, Swiss physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1928 – Robert Byrne, American chess player and author (d. 2013)
• 1928 – Johnny Gavin, Irish footballer (d. 2007)
• 1928 – Arvo Kruusement, Estonian actor and director
• 1929 – Harry Agganis, American baseball and football player (d. 1955)
• 1930 – Dwight Gustafson, American composer and conductor (d. 2014)
• 1930 – Antony Jay, British writer, broadcaster and director
• 1931 – Michael Allenby, 3rd Viscount Allenby
• 1931 – John Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles, English businessman and politician
• 1936 – Pauli Ellefsen, Faroese politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (d. 2012)
• 1936 – Pat Roberts, American politician
• 1936 – Christopher Robinson, British condutor and organist
• 1937 – George Takei, American actor
• 1937 – Antonios Kounadis, Greek discus thrower
• 1937 – Jiří Dienstbier, Czech journalist and politician (d. 2011)
• 1938 – Eszter Tamási, Hungarian actress (d. 1991)
• 1939 – Peter S. Beagle, American author and screenwriter
• 1939 – Ray Brooks, British actor
• 1939 – Gro Harlem Brundtland, Norwegian physician and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Norway
• 1939 – José Alves da Costa, Brazilian bishop (d. 2012)
• 1939 – Johnny Tillotson, American singer-songwriter
• 1940 – James Gammon, American actor (d. 2010)
• 1941 – David L. Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Oklahoma
• 1941 – Ryan O'Neal, American actor
• 1942 – Giles Henderson, British, Master of Pembroke College, Oxford
• 1942 – Arto Paasilinna, Finnish journalist and author
• 1943 – Alan Beith, British politician
• 1943 – John Gardiner, English conductor
• 1943 – Edie Sedgwick, American model and actress (d. 1971)
• 1943 – Jamie Gillis, American pornographic actor and director (d. 2010)
• 1944 – Toivo Aare, Estonian journalist (d. 1999)
• 1945 – Michael Brandon, American actor
• 1945 – Alistair Cooke, Baron Lexden, British historian, author and politician
• 1945 – Judith O'Dea, American actress
• 1945 – Thein Sein, Burmese politician, 8th President of Burma
• 1945 – Steve Spurrier, American football player and coach
• 1946 – Tommy Hutton, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1946 – Julien Poulin, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1946 – Gordon Smiley, American race car driver (d. 1982)
• 1947 – Rita Dionne-Marsolais, Canadian economist and politician
• 1947 – David Leland, English actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1947 – Ken Scott, English record producer
• 1947 – Björn Skifs, Swedish singer-songwriter, actor, and screenwriter (Blue Swede and Slam Creepers')
• 1947 – Andrew Tobias, American journalist and author
• 1948 – Craig Frost, American pianist and songwriter (Grand Funk)
• 1948 – Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll, Lord High Constable of Scotland
• 1948 – Gregory Itzin, American actor
• 1948 – Hugh Roberts, British art historian and curator
• 1948 – Rémy Trudel, Canadian educator and politician
• 1949 – Veronica Cartwright, English-American actress
• 1949 – Toller Cranston, Canadian figure skater and painter
• 1949 – Massimo D'Alema, Italian journalist and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Italy
• 1949 – Jessica Lange, American actress
• 1950 – Steve Erickson, American author
• 1950 – Alexander Lebed, Russian general and politician (d. 2002)
• 1950 – Robert Mair, British professor of geotechnical engineering
• 1950 – N. Chandrababu Naidu, Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
• 1950 – Milt Wilcox, American baseball player
• 1951 – Luther Vandross, American singer-songwriter and producer (Change) (d. 2005)
• 1952 – Louka Katseli, Greek politician
• 1952 – Božidar Maljković, Serbian basketball coach
• 1952 – Eric Pickles, British politician
• 1952 – J. Thiviyanathan, Sri Lankan Tamil politician
• 1953 – Robert Crais, American author
• 1953 – Sebastian Faulks, English journalist and author
• 1954 – Gilles Lupien, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1955 – Donald Pettit, American astronaut and engineer
• 1956 – Beatrice Ask, Swedish politician
• 1957 – Geraint Wyn Davies, Welsh-Canadian actor
• 1957 – Bryan Illerbrun, Canadian football player (d. 2013)
• 1958 – Viacheslav Fetisov, Russian ice hockey player and coach
• 1959 – Clint Howard, American actor
• 1960 – Rodney Holman American football player and coach
• 1961 – Konstantin Lavronenko, Russian actor
• 1961 – Nicholas Lyndhurst, English actor
• 1961 – Don Mattingly, American baseball player, coach, and manager
• 1961 – Corrado Micalef, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1961 – Barry Smolin, American radio host and composer
• 1962 – Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf, American comedian (d. 2001)
• 1963 – Aubrey de Grey, English gerontologist and author
• 1963 – Maurício Gugelmin, Brazilian race car driver
• 1964 – Crispin Glover, American actor, singer, director, and screenwriter
• 1964 – Andy Serkis, English actor, director, and author
• 1964 – Rosalynn Sumners, American figure skater
• 1964 – John Carney American football player
• 1965 – Adrián Fernández, Mexican race car driver
• 1965 – Kostis Chatzidakis, Greek politician
• 1965 – April March, American singer-songwriter and animator
• 1966 – David Chalmers, Australian philosopher
• 1966 – David Filo, American businessman and the co-founded Yahoo!
• 1966 – Vincent Riendeau, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1967 – Lara Jill Miller, American actress and lawyer
• 1967 – Mike Portnoy, American drummer (Dream Theater, Transatlantic, Liquid Tension Experiment, and Flying Colors)
• 1967 – Raymond van Barneveld, Dutch darts player
• 1968 – Evelin Ilves, Estonian businesswoman, 4th First Lady of Estonia
• 1968 – Julia Morris, Australian comedian, actress, and producer
• 1968 – J.D. Roth, American television host and actor
• 1968 – Yelena Välbe, Russian skier
• 1969 – Felix Baumgartner, Austrian skydiver
• 1970 – Sarantuya, Mongolian soprano
• 1970 – Shemar Moore, American actor
• 1970 – Adriano Moraes, Brazilian bull rider
• 1971 – Carla Geurts, Dutch swimmer
• 1971 – Allan Houston, American basketball player and manager
• 1971 – Nikos Kyzeridis, Greek footballer
• 1972 – Le Huynh Duc, Vietnamese footballer, coach, and manager
• 1972 – Carmen Electra, American model, actress, and singer
• 1972 – Željko Joksimović, Serbian singer-songwriter, and producer
• 1972 – Marko Kon, Serbian singer-songwriter
• 1972 – Stephen Marley, American singer, guitarist, and producer (Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers)
• 1973 – Todd Hollandsworth American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1973 – Geoff Lloyd, English radio host
• 1973 – Lamond Murray, American basketball player
• 1974 – Tina Cousins, English singer-songwriter and model
• 1974 – Urmas Paet, Estonian politician
• 1975 – Benjamin Butler, American painter
• 1976 – Aldo Bobadilla, Paraguayan footballer
• 1976 – Shay Given, Irish footballer
• 1976 – Joey Lawrence, American actor
• 1976 – Chris Mason, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1976 – Lenka Němečková, Czech tennis player
• 1977 – Jon Hugger, American wrestler
• 1977 – Meelis Rooba, Estonian footballer
• 1978 – Clayne Crawford, American actor
• 1978 – Mirei Kuroda, Japanese model
• 1979 – Ludovic Magnin, Swiss footballer
• 1979 – Nate Marquardt, American mixed martial artist
• 1979 – Gregor Tait, Scottish swimmer
• 1979 – Quinn Weng, Taiwanese singer (Seraphim)
• 1980 – Gunta Baško, Latvian basketball player
• 1980 – Chris Duffy, American baseball player
• 1980 – Arin Paul, Indian director and screenwriter
• 1980 – Jasmin Wagner, German singer, actress, and model
• 1981 – Saša Tabaković, Slovenian actor
• 1982 – Jacqueline Govaert, Dutch singer-songwriter and pianist (Krezip)
• 1982 – Sayaka Kamiya, Japanese actress and model
• 1982 – Dario Knežević, Croatian footballer
• 1983 – Danny Granger, American basketball player
• 1983 – Miranda Kerr, Australian model
• 1983 – Joanne King, Irish-English actress
• 1983 – Patrice M'Bock, Cameroonian footballer
• 1983 – Erik Segerstedt, Swedish singer (E.M.D.)
• 1983 – Fabio Staibano, Italian rugby player
• 1983 – Yuri van Gelder, Dutch gymnast
• 1984 – Nelson Évora, Ivorian-Portuguese triple jumper
• 1984 – Anthony Fasano, American football player
• 1984 – Tyson Griffin, American mixed martial artist
• 1984 – Edixon Perea, Colombian footballer
• 1984 – Jenna Shoemaker, American triathlete
• 1984 – Harris Wittels, American actor
• 1985 – Amanda Fahy, English actress
• 1985 – Curt Hawkins, American wrestler
• 1985 – Ehsan Jami, Dutch-Iranian politician and activist
• 1985 – Billy Magnussen, American actor
• 1985 – Jadyn Maria, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter
• 1985 – Brent Seabrook, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1986 – Cameron Duncan, New Zealand director (d. 2003)
• 1987 – John Patrick Amedori, American actor
• 1987 – Thorsten Kirschbaum, German footballer
• 1987 – Michael Klauß, German footballer
• 1987 – Anna Rossinelli, Swiss singer-songwriter
• 1988 – Brandon Belt, American baseball player
• 1989 – Alex Black, American actor
• 1989 – Heejun Han, South Korean-American singer
• 1989 – Sergei Zenjov, Estonian footballer
• 1991 – Thomas Curtis, American actor
• 1991 – Marissa King, English gymnast
• 1991 – Ondřej Kraják, Czech footballer
• 1991 – Allie Will, American tennis player
• 1991 – Luke Kuechly, American football linebacker
• 1992 – Kristian Álvarez, Mexican footballer
• 1992 – Marko Meerits, Estonian footballer
• 1994 – Anastasia Vdovenco, Moldovan tennis player
• 1999 – Carly Rose Sonenclar, American actress and singer
• 2002 – Twist Magic, Thoroughbred racehorse (d. 2010)
• 2007 – Zarkandar, Thoroughbred racehorse

Deaths

• 1176 – Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English-Irish military leader (b. 1130)
• 1314 – Pope Clement V (b. 1264)
• 1517 – Bogdan III the One-Eyed, Romanian son of Stephen III of Moldavia (b. 1470)
• 1521 – Zhengde Emperor of China (b. 1491)
• 1534 – Elizabeth Barton, English nun (b. 1506)
• 1558 – Johannes Bugenhagen, German priest and theologian (b. 1485)
• 1643 – Christoph Demantius, German composer and poet (b. 1567)
• 1703 – Lancelot Addison, English educator (b. 1632)
• 1769 – Chief Pontiac, American tribal leader (b. 1720)
• 1831 – John Abernethy, English surgeon (b. 1764)
• 1873 – William Tite, English architect, designed the Royal Exchange (b. 1798)
• 1874 – Alexander H. Bailey, American politician (b. 1817)
• 1887 – Muhammad Sharif Pasha, Greek-Egyptian politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1826)
• 1899 – Joseph Wolf, German illustrator (b. 1820)
• 1902 – Joaquim de Sousa Andrade, Brazilian poet (b. 1833)
• 1912 – Bram Stoker, Irish author (b. 1847)
• 1918 – Karl Ferdinand Braun, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1850)
• 1927 – Enrique Simonet, Spanish painter (b. 1866)
• 1929 – Prince Henry of Prussia (b. 1862)
• 1931 – Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon, 5th Baronet, Scottish fencer and businessman (b. 1862)
• 1932 – Giuseppe Peano, Italian mathematician (b. 1858)
• 1935 – Lucy, Lady Duff-Gordon, English fashion designer (b. 1863)
• 1935 – John Cameron, Scottish footballer and manager (b. 1872)
• 1942 – Jüri Jaakson, Estonian politician and businessman (b. 1870)
• 1944 – Elmer Gedeon, American baseball player and pilot (b. 1917)
• 1945 – Erwin Bumke, German jurist (b. 1874)
• 1947 – Christian X of Denmark (b. 1870)
• 1951 – Ivanoe Bonomi, Italian politician, 25th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1873)
• 1964 – Eddie Dyer, American baseball player and manager (b. 1899)
• 1967 – Léo-Paul Desrosiers, Canadian journalist and author (b. 1896)
• 1968 – Rudolph Dirks, German-American illustrator (b. 1877)
• 1969 – Vjekoslav Luburić, Croatian general (b. 1911)
• 1980 – M. Canagaratnam, Sri Lankan Tamil politician (b. 1924)
• 1982 – Archibald MacLeish, American poet (b. 1892)
• 1986 – Sibte Hassan, Pakistani journalist, scholar, and activist (b. 1916)
• 1989 – Doru Davidovici, Romanian pilot (b. 1945)
• 1990 – Arnold Alas, Estonian landscape architect and artist (b. 1911)
• 1991 – Steve Marriott, English singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (The Small Faces and Humble Pie) (b. 1947)
• 1991 – Don Siegel, American director and producer (b. 1912)
• 1992 – Benny Hill, English comedian and actor (b. 1924)
• 1992 – Marcel Albers, Dutch motor racing driver (b. 1967)
• 1993 – Cantinflas, Mexican actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1911)
• 1994 – Jean Carmet, French actor (b. 1920)
• 1996 – Trần Văn Trà, Vietnamese general and politician (b. 1918)
• 1996 – Christopher Robin Milne, English bookseller (b. 1920)
• 1999 – Casualties of the Columbine High School massacre:
  • Cassie Bernall, American student (b. 1981)
  • Eric Harris, American student and murderer (b. 1981)
  • Dylan Klebold, American student and murderer (b. 1981)
  • Rachel Scott, American student, inspired the Rachel's Challenge (b. 1981)
  • William David Sanders, American educator (b. 1951)
• 1999 – Rick Rude, American wrestler (b. 1958)
• 1999 – Señor Wences, Spanish ventriloquist and comedian (b. 1896)
• 2001 – Giuseppe Sinopoli, Italian conductor and composer (b. 1946)
• 2002 – Alan Dale, American singer (b. 1925)
• 2002 – Pierre Rapsat, Belgian singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
• 2003 – Ruth Hale, American playwright and actress (b. 1908)
• 2003 – Daijiro Kato, Japanese motorcycle racer (b. 1976)
• 2003 – Bernard Katz, German biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
• 2005 – Zygfryd Blaut, Polish footballer (b. 1943)
• 2005 – Ea Jansen, Estonian historian (b. 1921)
• 2005 – Fumio Niwa, Japanese author(b. 1904)
• 2007 – Andrew Hill, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (b. 1931)
• 2007 – Michael Fu Tieshan, Chinese bishop (b. 1931)
• 2007 – Fred Fish, American computer programmer (b. 1952)
• 2008 – VL Mike, American rapper (Chopper City Boyz) (b. 1976)
• 2008 – Monica Lovinescu, Romanian journalist and author (b. 1923)
• 2009 – Beata Asimakopoulou, Greek actress (b. 1932)
• 2010 – Dorothy Height, American educator and activist (b. 1912)
• 2011 – Tim Hetherington, English-American photographer and journalist (b. 1970)
• 2011 – Chris Hondros, American photographer (b. 1970)
• 2011 – Gerard Smith, American guitarist (TV on the Radio) (b. 1974)
• 2012 – Mario Arturo Acosta Chaparro, Mexican general (b. 1942)
• 2012 – Jack Ashley, Baron Ashley of Stoke, English politician (b. 1922)
• 2012 – Matt Branam, American academic (b. 1954)
• 2012 – George Cowan, American chemist, businessman, and philanthropist (b. 1920)
• 2012 – Bert Weedon, English guitarist and songwriter (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Günseli Başar, Turkish model, Miss Europe 1952 (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Glenn Cannon, American actor and director (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Peter Kane Dufault, American poet (b. 1923)
• 2013 – Huang Wenyong, Malaysia-Singaporean actor (b. 1952)
• 2013 – Jocasta Innes, Chinese-English journalist and author (b. 1934)
• 2013 – Rick Mather, American-English architect (b. 1937)
• 2013 – Howard Phillips, American politician (b. 1941)
• 2013 – Nosher Powell, English actor and stuntman (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances

• 4/20 (International cannabis culture holiday)
• Christian Feast Day:
  • Agnes of Montepulciano
  • Johannes Bugenhagen (Lutheran)
  • Blessed Oda of Brabant
  • Theotimos
  • April 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Ridván begins at sunset (Bahá'í Faith)
• UN Chinese Language Day (United Nations)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

• Days of the year
• April