April 20

April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). There are 255 days remaining.

Events

• 1657 - Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City) granted freedom of religion
• 1689 - The former King James II of England, now deposed, lays siege to Londonderry
• 1775 - American Revolutionary War: British troops begin siege of Boston, Massachusetts
• 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 - The first pasteurization test completed by Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard[?]
• 1902 - Pierre and Marie Curie isolate radium
• 1926 - Western Electric and Warner Bros. announce Vitaphone[?], a process to add sound to film
• 1972 - Apollo 16 lands on the Moon
• 1999 - Eric Harris[?] and Dylan Klebold[?] open fire in Columbine High School[?] in Littleton, Colorado, leaving 15 dead and 23 wounded
• 2001 - The anti-globalization movement holds a People's Summit and large protest marches, some of which are forcibly put down by police, against the FTAA summit in Quebec City, Quebec

Births

• 1808 - Emperor Napoleon III of France (+ 1873)
• 1818 - Henrey von Goebel[?], inventor (+ 1893)
• 1832 - Ernst von Leyden[?], physician (+ 1910)
• 1845 - Philippe Pinel, physician (+ 1826)
• 1883 - Harold Lloyd, actor (+ 1971)
• 1889 - Adolf Hitler, dictator (+ 1945)
• 1889 - Albert Jean Amateau[?], businessman and social activist (+ 1996)
• 1893 - Joan Miró, painter (+ 1983)
• 1893 - Harold Lloyd, actor (+ 1971)
• 1900 - Fred Raymond[?], composer (+ 1954)
• 1908 - Lionel Hampton, musician (+ 2002)
• 1915 - Joseph Wolpe[?], psychotherapist (+ 1997)
• 1920 - John Paul Stevens, associate justice of the United States Supreme Court
• 1925 - Tito Puente, musician (+ 2000)
• 1928 - Gerald S. Hawkins[?], astronomer
• 1939 - Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway
• 1939 - Peter S. Beagle[?], author
• 1941 - Ryan O'Neal, actor
• 1943 - Edie Sedgwick[?], actress (+ 1971)
• 1949 - Jessica Lange, actress
• 1951 - Luther Vandross, singer
• 1972 - Hank The Angry Drunken Dwarf[?], radio and television personality (+ 2001)
• 1964 - Crispin Glover[?], actor
• 1964 - Rosalynn Sumners[?], figure skater
• 1964 - Andy Serkis[?], actor
• 1976 - Joey Lawrence[?], actor

Deaths

• 1769 - Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawa tribe[?]
• 1869 - Carl Loewe, composer
• 1908 - Henry Chadwick, baseball writer and historia
• 1912 - Bram Stoker, author
• 1932 - Giuseppe Peano, Italian mathematician
• 1940 - Alfred Cort Haddon[?], anthropologist
• 1947 - King Christian X of Denmark
• 1982 - Archibald Macleish[?], author
• 1992 - Benny Hill, comedian
• 1999 - Senor Wences[?], Spanish ventriloquist

Holidays and Observances

• In Canada and the United States, April 20th is a ceremonial day to "smoke out" (smoke marijuana). See: 420 (drug culture)

April 19 - April 21 - March 20 - May 20 -- listing of all days

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