HomeToday in HistoryWhat Happened on October 20

What Happened on October 20

Muammar Gaddafi is Captured
The deposed leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, is captured by the National Transitional Council Forces. He was killed by the troops soon after.

Luzhniki Disaster
A stampede during a UEFA Cup soccer (football) match between Dutch club Haarlem and the Moscovian football club, Spartak at the Lenin Stadium in Moscow left about 60 people dead.

Sydney Opera House Opens its Doors
The iconic building, which was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, was designed by Danish architect Jørn Oberg Utzon. Construction on the performing arts center began in March 1959 and cost over $100 million.

Jacqueline Kennedy marries Aristotle Onassis
Former American first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, married Greek shipping magnet, Aristotle Onassis

War Breaks Out Between India and China
The month-long border dispute began after the Chinese launched a two-pronged attack on the border between the two countries. During the duration of hostilities, China and India did not officially declare war on each other nor cut off any diplomatic ties.

  • 1971 Snoop Dogg
    American rapper, producer, actor
  • 1958 Viggo Mortensen
    American actor
  • 1950 Tom Petty|
    American singer-songwriter, musician
  • 1931 Mickey Mantle
    American baseball player
  • 1859 John Dewey
    American philosopher, psychologist
  • 2011 Muammar Gaddafi
    Libyan politician, Prime Minister of Libya
  • 1984 Paul Dirac
    English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1964 Herbert Hoover
    American politician, 31st President of the United States
  • 1950 Henry L. Stimson
    American statesman, lawyer, politician
  • 1890 Richard Francis Burton
    English soldier, geographer, diplomat

Latest Articles

Panic Erupts at Palace Over Kate Middleton’s Health

Princess Kate caused what palace insiders called "a real sense of panic" when she suddenly pulled out of Royal Ascot at the last minute...

Judge Sides With Trump, Humiliates Governor Newsom

A three-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a unanimous decision Thursday evening, June 19, that allows President Donald Trump to...

CNN Reporter Torched After Insensitive Trump Comment

The White House condemned former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta as a "disgraceful human being" after he made controversial jokes about President Donald Trump's deceased...

World Series Baseball Champ Dead at 87

Dr. Ron Taylor, a two-time World Series champion pitcher who later became the Toronto Blue Jays team physician for three decades, died Monday in...

Trump Scorches Defense Secretary For Disappointing Parade

President Donald Trump reportedly blamed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the disappointing turnout and tone of a military parade held Saturday, June 14, 2025,...

More Articles Like This

What Happened on June 21

2009 Greenland assumes self-ruleThe island had been administered by Denmark (earlier Denmark-Norway) for centuries. The Self-Government Act grants Greenland full responsibility for its inner affairs,...

What Happened on June 20

1991 The German parliament moves to BerlinBonn had been the capital of West Germany until the country's reunification in 1990. The “Hauptstadtbeschluss” (capital decision) stipulated...

What Happened on June 19

2002 Steve Fossett takes off on his record-breaking balloon flightThe American adventurer lifted off from Northam in Western Australia to commence history's first solo flight...

What Happened on June 18

1979 Leonid Brezhnev and Jimmy Carter sign SALT IIThe second “Strategic Arms Limitation Talks” (SALT) agreement was a ground-breaking arms reduction treaty between the Soviet...

What Happened on June 17

1972 The arrest of five White House operatives sets off the Watergate scandalThe men were caught attempting to wiretap the Democratic National Committee headquarters at...