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2024

October 20 in recent years

2024 (Sunday)

2023 (Friday)

2022 (Thursday)

2021 (Wednesday)

2020 (Tuesday)

2019 (Sunday)

2018 (Saturday)

2017 (Friday)

2016 (Thursday)

2015 (Tuesday)

October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 72 days remain until the end of the year.

• 1568 – The Spanish Duke of Alba defeats a Dutch rebel force under William the Silent.
• 1572 – Eighty Years' War: Three thousand Spanish soldiers wade through fifteen miles of water in one night to effect the relief of Goes.

• 1740 – France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony refuse to honour the Pragmatic Sanction, and the War of the Austrian Succession begins.
• 1774 – American Revolution: The Continental Association, a nonconsumption and nonimportation agreement against the British Isles and the British West Indies, is adopted by the First Continental Congress.
• 1781 – The Patent of Toleration, providing limited freedom of worship, is approved in Austria.
• 1803 – The United States Senate ratifies the Louisiana Purchase.
• 1818 – The Convention of 1818 is signed between the United States and the United Kingdom, which settles the Canada–United States border on the 49th parallel for most of its length.
• 1827 – Greek War of Independence: In the Battle of Navarino, a combined Turkish and Egyptian fleet is defeated by British, French and Russian naval forces in the last significant battle fought with wooden sailing ships.
• 1883 – Peru and Chile sign the Treaty of Ancón, by which the Tarapacá province is ceded to the latter, bringing an end to Peru's involvement in the War of the Pacific.

• 1904 – Chile and Bolivia sign the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, delimiting the border between the two countries.
• 1910 – British ocean liner RMS Olympic is launched.
• 1935 – The Long March, a mammoth retreat undertaken by the armed forces of the Chinese Communist Party a year prior, ends.
• 1941 – World War II: Thousands of civilians in German-occupied Serbia are murdered in the Kragujevac massacre.
• 1944 – World War II: The Soviet Red Army and Yugoslav Partisans liberate Belgrade.
• 1944 – Liquefied natural gas leaks from storage tanks in Cleveland and then explodes, leveling 30 blocks and killing 130 people.
• 1944 – American general Douglas MacArthur fulfills his promise to return to the Philippines when he comes ashore during the Battle of Leyte.
• 1947 – Cold War: The House Un-American Activities Committee begins its investigation into Communist infiltration of the Hollywood film industry, resulting in a blacklist that prevents some from working in the industry for years.
• 1948 – A KLM Lockheed L-049 Constellation crashes on approach to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, killing 40.
• 1951 – The "Johnny Bright incident" occurs during a football game between the Drake Bulldogs and Oklahoma A&M Aggies.
• 1952 – The Governor of Kenya Evelyn Baring declares a state of emergency and begins arresting hundreds of suspected leaders of the Mau Mau Uprising.
• 1961 – The Soviet Navy performs the first armed test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, launching an R-13 from a Golf-class submarine.
• 1962 – China launches simultaneous offensives in Ladakh and across the McMahon Line, igniting the Sino-Indian War.
• 1973 – Watergate scandal: "Saturday Night Massacre": United States President Richard Nixon fires U.S. Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus after they refuse to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox, who is finally fired by Solicitor General Robert Bork.
• 1973 – The Sydney Opera House is opened by Elizabeth II after 14 years of construction.
• 1976 – The Luling–Destrehan Ferry MV George Prince is struck by the Norwegian freighter SS Frosta while crossing the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. Seventy-eight passengers and crew die, and only 18 people aboard the ferry survive.
• 1977 – A plane carrying the rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashes in woodland in Mississippi, United States. Six people, including three band members, are killed.
• 1981 – Two police officers and a Brink's armored car guard are killed during an armed robbery carried out by members of the Black Liberation Army and Weather Underground in Nanuet, New York.
• 1982 – During the UEFA Cup match between FC Spartak Moscow and HFC Haarlem, 66 people are crushed to death in the Luzhniki disaster.
• 1986 – Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashes while landing at Kuibyshev Airport (now Kuromoch International Airport) in Kuibyshev (now present-day Samara, Russia), killing 70 people.
• 1991 – A 6.8 M_w earthquake strikes the Uttarkashi region of India, killing more than 1,000 people.
• 1991 – A massive firestorm breaks out in the hills of Oakland and Berkeley, California killing 25 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, apartments and condominiums.
• 1995 – Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-73.
• 2002 – Top Gear, the revived popular British TV motoring magazine, premieres on BBC.
• 2003 – The Sloan Great Wall, once the largest cosmic structures known to humanity, is discovered by students at Princeton University.
• 2005 – The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
• 2011 – Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill him shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war.
• 2017 – Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign.
• 2022 – Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister [49 days].

• 888 – Zhu Youzhen, emperor of Later Liang (d. 923)
• 1475 – Giovanni di Bernardo Rucellai, Italian poet and playwright (d. 1525)
• 1496 – Claude, Duke of Guise (d. 1550)
• 1554 – Bálint Balassi, Hungarian writer and noble (d. 1594)

• 1612 – Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Burlington, Anglo-Irish nobleman, Lord High Treasurer of Ireland, Cavalier (d. 1698)
• 1616 – Thomas Bartholin, Danish physician, mathematician, and theologian (d. 1680)
• 1620 – Aelbert Cuyp, Dutch painter (d. 1691)
• 1632 – Edward Hungerford, English politician (d. 1711)
• 1660 – Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (d. 1723)
• 1677 – Stanisław Leszczyński, King of Poland (d. 1766)
• 1679 – Samuel von Cocceji, Prussian jurist and statesman (d. 1755)
• 1711 – Timothy Ruggles, American lawyer, jurist, and politician, (d. 1795)
• 1718 – Catherine Gordon, Duchess of Gordon, Scottish aristocrat (d. 1779)
• 1719 – Gottfried Achenwall, German historian, economist, and jurist (d. 1772)
• 1740 – Isabelle de Charrière, Dutch author and poet (d. 1805)
• 1759 – Chauncey Goodrich, American lawyer and politician, 8th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut (d. 1815)
• 1780 – Pauline Bonaparte, French sister of Napoleon (d. 1825)
• 1784 – Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, English academic and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1865)
• 1785 – George Ormerod, English historian and author (d. 1873)
• 1790 – Patrick Matthew. Scottish farmer and biologist (d. 1874)
• 1801 – Melchior Berri, Swiss architect and educator, designed the Natural History Museum of Basel (d. 1854)
• 1808 – Karl Andree, German geographer and journalist (d. 1875)
• 1819 – Báb, Iranian religious leader, founded Bábism (d. 1850)
• 1822 – Thomas Hughes, English lawyer and judge (d. 1896)
• 1832 – Constantin Lipsius, German architect and theorist (d. 1894)
• 1847 – Frits Thaulow, Norwegian painter (d. 1906)
• 1854 – Arthur Rimbaud, French soldier and poet (d. 1891)
• 1858 – John Burns, English union leader and politician, President of the Board of Trade (d. 1943)
• 1859 – John Dewey, American psychologist and philosopher (d. 1952)
• 1864 – James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (d. 1951)
• 1873 – Nellie McClung, Canadian author and suffragist (d. 1951)
• 1873 – Jussi Merinen, Finnish politician (d. 1918)
• 1874 – Charles Ives, American composer (d. 1954)
• 1877 – Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, American businessman (d. 1915)
• 1882 – Margaret Dumont, American actress (d. 1965)
• 1882 – Bela Lugosi, Hungarian-American actor (d. 1956)
• 1883 – Karl Probst, American engineer (d. 1963)
• 1887 – Prince Yasuhiko Asaka of Japan (d. 1981)
• 1889 – Johann Gruber, Austrian priest and saint (d. 1944)
• 1890 – Aleksander Maaker, Estonian bagpipe player (d. 1968)
• 1891 – Samuel Flagg Bemis, American historian and author (d. 1973)
• 1891 – James Chadwick, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1974)
• 1893 – Charley Chase, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1940)
• 1894 – Olive Thomas, American model and actress (d. 1920)
• 1895 – Rex Ingram, American actor (d. 1969)
• 1895 – Morrie Ryskind, American writer/director (d. 1985)
• 1897 – Yi Un, South Korean general (d. 1970)
• 1900 – Ismail al-Azhari, Sudanese politician, 3rd President of Sudan (d. 1969)
• 1900 – Wayne Morse, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 1974)

• 1901 – Frank Churchill, American film composer (d. 1942)
• 1901 – Adelaide Hall, American-English singer, actress, and dancer (d. 1993)
• 1904 – Tommy Douglas, Scottish-Canadian minister and politician, 7th Premier of Saskatchewan (d. 1986)
• 1904 – Enolia McMillan, American educator and activist (d. 2006)
• 1904 – Anna Neagle, English actress, singer, and producer (d. 1986)
• 1907 – Arlene Francis, American actress and television personality (d. 2001)
• 1908 – Stuart Hamblen, American singer-songwriter, actor, and radio show host (d. 1989)
• 1909 – Carla Laemmle, American actress and photographer (d. 2014)
• 1909 – Yasushi Sugiyama, Japanese painter (d. 1993)
• 1910 – Chen Liting, Chinese director and playwright (d. 2013)
• 1912 – Ruhi Su, Turkish singer-songwriter (d. 1985)
• 1913 – Grandpa Jones, American singer-songwriter and banjo player (d. 1998)
• 1914 – Fayard Nicholas, American actor, dancer, and choreographer (d. 2006)
• 1917 – Stéphane Hessel, German-French activist and diplomat (d. 2013)
• 1917 – Ants Kaljurand, Estonian anti-communist, freedom fighter and forest brother (d. 1951)
• 1917 – Jean-Pierre Melville, French actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1973)
• 1918 – Martin Drewes, German soldier and pilot (d. 2013)
• 1918 – Robert Lochner, American-German soldier and journalist (d. 2003)
• 1919 – Tracy Hall, American chemist and academic (d. 2008)
• 1920 – Nick Cardy, American illustrator (d. 2013)
• 1920 – Fanny de Sivers, Estonian-French linguist and academic (d. 2011)
• 1920 – Janet Jagan, 6th President of Guyana (d. 2009)
• 1920 – Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Indian lawyer and politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 2010)
• 1921 – Manny Ayulo, American race car driver (d. 1955)
• 1921 – Hans Warren, Dutch poet and author (d. 2001)
• 1922 – John Anderson, American actor (d. 1992)
• 1922 – Franco Ventriglia, American opera singer (d. 2012)
• 1923 – Robert Craft, American conductor and musicologist (d. 2015)
• 1924 – Robert Peters, American poet, playwright, and critic (d. 2014)
• 1925 – Art Buchwald, American soldier and journalist (d. 2007)
• 1925 – Tom Dowd, American record producer and engineer (d. 2002)
• 1925 – Roger Hanin, Algerian-French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
• 1925 – András Bíró, Hungarian journalist and human rights activist (d. 2024)
• 1926 – Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, English lieutenant and politician, founded the National Motor Museum (d. 2015)
• 1927 – Joyce Brothers, American psychologist, author, and actress (d. 2013)
• 1927 – Gunturu Seshendra Sarma, Indian poet and critic (d. 2007)
• 1928 – Michael O'Donnell, English physician, author, and journalist (d. 2019)
• 1931 – Richard Caliguiri, American lawyer and politician, 54th Mayor of Pittsburgh (d. 1988)
• 1931 – Mickey Mantle, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1995)
• 1931 – Ken Morrison, English businessman (d. 2017)
• 1932 – Rosey Brown, American football player and coach (d. 2004)
• 1932 – William Christopher, American actor and singer (d. 2016)
• 1932 – Rokurō Naya, Japanese voice actor (d. 2014)
• 1933 – Barrie Chase, American actress and dancer
• 1934 – Bill Chase, American trumpet player (d. 1974)
• 1934 – Eddie Harris, American saxophonist (d. 1996)
• 1934 – Timothy West, English actor (d. 2024)
• 1935 – Jerry Orbach, American actor and singer (d. 2004)
• 1937 – Cancio Garcia, Filipino lawyer and jurist (d. 2013)
• 1937 – Wanda Jackson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1937 – Juan Marichal, Dominican baseball player and sportscaster
• 1937 – Emma Tennant, English author (d. 2017)
• 1938 – Emidio Greco, Italian director and screenwriter (d. 2012)
• 1938 – Dolores Hart, American actress and nun
• 1938 – Iain Macmillan, Scottish photographer and educator (d. 2006)
• 1939 – Patrick Hughes, English painter, illustrator, and photographer
• 1940 – Jean-Pierre Dikongué Pipa, Cameroonian filmmaker
• 1940 – Kathy Kirby, English singer (d. 2011)
• 1940 – Robert Pinsky, American poet and critic
• 1941 – Anneke Wills, English actress
• 1942 – Earl Hindman, American actor (d. 2003)
• 1942 – Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard, German biologist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1942 – Bart Zoet, Dutch cyclist (d. 1992)
• 1943 – Dunja Vejzović, Croatian soprano and actress
• 1944 – Nalin de Silva, Sri Lankan physicist and philosopher (d. 2024)
• 1944 – David Mancuso, American party planner, created The Loft (d. 2016)
• 1945 – Ric Lee, English drummer
• 1946 – Diana Gittins, American-English sociologist, author, and academic
• 1946 – Lewis Grizzard, American comedian and author (d. 1994)
• 1946 – Elfriede Jelinek, Austrian author and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1946 – Richard Loncraine, English director and screenwriter
• 1946 – Lucien Van Impe, Belgian cyclist
• 1946 – Chris Woodhead, English civil servant and academic (d. 2015)
• 1948 – Peter Combe, Australian entertainer
• 1948 – Sandra Dickinson, American-English actress and composer
• 1948 – Piet Hein Donner, Dutch jurist and politician, Dutch Minister of Justice
• 1948 – Melih Gökçek, Turkish journalist and politician, Mayor of Ankara
• 1949 – Valeriy Borzov, Ukrainian-Russian sprinter
• 1950 – Tom Petty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)
• 1950 – William Russ, American actor and director
• 1950 – Chris Cannon, American politician (d. 2024)
• 1951 – Al Greenwood, American keyboard player
• 1951 – Patrick Hall, English lawyer and politician
• 1951 – Ken Ham, Australian-American evangelist
• 1951 – Leif Pagrotsky, Swedish businessman and politician
• 1951 – Claudio Ranieri, Italian footballer and manager
• 1952 – Melanie Mayron, American actress and director
• 1952 – Derek Ridgers, English photographer and art director
• 1952 – Wilma Salgado, Ecuadorian politician and economist
• 1953 – Keith Hernandez, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1953 – Richard McWilliam, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded the Upper Deck Company (d. 2013)
• 1953 – Bill Nunn, American actor (d. 2016)
• 1954 – Steve Orich, American composer and conductor
• 1955 – Thomas Newman, American composer and conductor
• 1955 – David Profumo, English author and academic
• 1955 – Aaron Pryor, American boxer (d. 2016)
• 1955 – Sheldon Whitehouse, American politician
• 1956 – Danny Boyle, English director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1956 – Martin Taylor, English guitarist
• 1957 – Jane Bonham-Carter, Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury, English politician
• 1957 – Chris Cowdrey, English cricketer and sportscaster
• 1957 – Hilda Solis, American academic and politician, 25th United States Secretary of Labor
• 1958 – Valerie Faris, American director and producer
• 1958 – Lynn Flewelling, American author and academic
• 1958 – Scott Hall, American wrestler (d. 2022)
• 1958 – Mark King, English singer-songwriter and bass player
• 1958 – Dave Krieg, American football player
• 1958 – Viggo Mortensen, American-Danish actor and producer
• 1959 – Mark Little, Australian comedian, actor, and screenwriter
• 1960 – Konstantin Aseev, Russian chess player and trainer (d. 2004)
• 1961 – Audun Kleive, Norwegian drummer and composer
• 1961 – Kate Mosse, English author and playwright
• 1961 – Ian Rush, Welsh footballer and manager
• 1961 – Les Stroud, Canadian director, producer, and harmonica player
• 1961 – Michie Tomizawa, Japanese voice actress and singer
• 1962 – David M. Evans, American director and screenwriter
• 1962 – Dave Wong, Hong Kong-Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor
• 1963 – Julie Payette, Canadian engineer, astronaut, and 29th Governor General of Canada
• 1963 – Nikos Tsiantakis, Greek footballer
• 1963 – Stan Valckx, Dutch footballer and manager
• 1964 – Kamala Harris, American politician and lawyer, 49th Vice President of the United States
• 1964 – Tomoko Yamaguchi, Japanese actress and singer
• 1965 – Norman Blake, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1965 – Jonathan I. Schwartz, American businessman
• 1965 – Mikhail Shtalenkov, Russian ice hockey player
• 1965 – William Zabka, American actor and producer
• 1966 – Allan Donald, South African cricketer and coach
• 1966 – Patrick Volkerding, American computer scientist and engineer, founded Slackware
• 1967 – Elizabeth Carling, English actress and singer
• 1967 – Kerrod Walters, Australian rugby league player
• 1967 – Kevin Walters, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1968 – Susan Tully, English actress, director, and producer
• 1969 – Laurie Daley, Australian rugby league player and coach
• 1969 – Juan González, Puerto Rican baseball player
• 1969 – Labros Papakostas, Greek high jumper
• 1970 – Sander Boschker, Dutch footballer
• 1970 – Neil Heywood, English-Chinese businessman (d. 2011)
• 1970 – Aapo Ilves, Estonian poet and illustrator
• 1970 – Michelle Malkin, American blogger and author
• 1970 – Taj McWilliams-Franklin, American basketball player
• 1971 – Kenneth Choi, American actor
• 1971 – Snoop Dogg, American rapper, producer, and actor
• 1971 – Eddie Jones, American basketball player
• 1971 – Kamiel Maase, Dutch runner
• 1971 – Dannii Minogue, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
• 1972 – Pie Geelen, Dutch swimmer
• 1972 – Will Greenwood, English rugby player and sportscaster
• 1972 – Brian Schatz, American academic and politician, 11th Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii
• 1974 – Ed Hale, American singer-songwriter, writer and socio-political activist
• 1974 – Limmy, Scottish comedian and writer
• 1974 – Bashar Rahal, Emirati-American actor and producer
• 1976 – Nikolaos Bacharidis, Greek footballer
• 1976 – Dan Fogler, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1976 – Nicola Legrottaglie, Italian footballer and manager
• 1977 – Matt Jansen, English footballer and manager
• 1977 – Leila Josefowicz, Canadian-American violinist
• 1977 – Erko Saviauk, Estonian footballer
• 1977 – Sam Witwer, American actor and musician
• 1978 – Virender Sehwag, Indian cricketer
• 1978 – Paul Wilson, Scottish bass player and songwriter
• 1979 – Vasyl Baranov, Ukrainian footballer
• 1979 – Paul Ifill, English footballer
• 1979 – John Krasinski, American actor, director, and producer
• 1979 – Paul O'Connell, Irish rugby player
• 1979 – Paul Terek, American decathlete
• 1980 – Chad Robinson, Australian rugby league player (d. 2016)
• 1980 – José Veras, Dominican baseball player
• 1981 – Dimitris Papadopoulos, Greek footballer
• 1981 – Francisco Javier Rodríguez, Mexican footballer
• 1982 – Kristian Bach Bak, Danish footballer
• 1982 – Becky Brewerton, Welsh golfer
• 1982 – Katie Featherston, American actress
• 1982 – Lawrence Roberts, American basketball player
• 1983 – Flavio Cipolla, Italian tennis player
• 1983 – Luis Saritama, Ecuadorian footballer
• 1983 – Alona Tal, Israeli actress
• 1983 – Michel Vorm, Dutch footballer
• 1984 – Mitch Lucker, American singer-songwriter (d. 2012)
• 1984 – Florent Sinama Pongolle, French footballer
• 1984 – Andrew Trimble, Irish rugby player
• 1985 – Jennifer Freeman, American actress
• 1985 – Dominic McGuire, American basketball player
• 1985 – Alphonso Smith, American football player
• 1985 – James Sutton, English race car driver
• 1986 – Wanlop Saechio, Thai footballer
• 1986 – Elyse Taylor, Australian model
• 1987 – Raphael Hackl, German rugby player
• 1987 – Marie Sophie Hingst, German historian and blogger who falsely claimed to be descended from Holocaust survivors
• 1988 – ASAP Ferg, American rapper
• 1988 – Candice Swanepoel, South African supermodel and philanthropist
• 1989 – Jamie Collins, American football player
• 1989 – Jess Glynne, English singer-songwriter
• 1990 – Sam Mataora, Cook Islands rugby league player
• 1992 – Rodney Hood, American basketball player
• 1992 – Ksenia Semyonova, Russian gymnast
• 1992 – Kyle Wiltjer, Canadian-American basketball player
• 1992 – Ferhat Yazgan, Turkish footballer
• 1995 – Humberto Carrillo, Mexican wrestler
• 1996 – Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Indonesian badminton player
• 1997 – Andrey Rublev, Russian tennis player
• 1998 – Jordan Ridley, Australian rules footballer
• 1999 – Chuu, South Korean singer and television personality
• 1999 – YoungBoy Never Broke Again, American rapper
• 2000 – Kenneth Walker III, American football player
• 2001 – Paige Bueckers, American basketball player

• 460 – Aelia Eudocia, Byzantine wife of Theodosius II (b. 401)
• 967 – Li Yixing, Chinese governor
• 1122 – Ralph d'Escures, archbishop of Canterbury
• 1139 – Henry X, Duke of Bavaria (b. 1108)
• 1187 – Pope Urban III
• 1327 – Teresa d'Entença, Countess of Urgell (b. 1300)
• 1401 – Klaus Störtebeker, German pirate
• 1423 – Henry Bowet, Archbishop of York
• 1438 – Jacopo della Quercia, Sienese sculptor (b. c. 1374)
• 1439 – Ambrose the Camaldulian, Italian theologian
• 1524 – Thomas Linacre, English physician and scholar (b. 1460)
• 1538 – Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, condottiero (b. 1490)
• 1570 – João de Barros, Portuguese historian and author (b. 1496)

• 1602 – Walter Leveson, Elizabethan member of parliament, Shropshire landowner (b. 1550)
• 1640 – John Ball, English clergyman and theologian (b. 1585)
• 1652 – Antonio Coello, Spanish poet and playwright (b. 1611)
• 1713 – Archibald Pitcairne, Scottish physician and academic (b. 1652)
• 1740 – Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1685)
• 1865 – Champ Ferguson, American guerrilla leader (b. 1821)
• 1870 – Michael William Balfe, Irish violinist and composer (b. 1808)
• 1871 – Karl Christian Ulmann, Latvian-German theologian and academic (b. 1793)
• 1880 – Lydia Maria Child, American journalist, author, and activist (b. 1802)
• 1883 – George Chichester, 3rd Marquess of Donegall (b. 1797)
• 1890 – Richard Francis Burton, English-Italian geographer and explorer (b. 1821)
• 1894 – James Anthony Froude, English historian, novelist, biographer and editor (b. 1818)
• 1900 – Naim Frashëri, Albanian poet and translator (b. 1846)

• 1908 – Vaiben Louis Solomon, Australian politician, 21st Premier of South Australia (b. 1853)
• 1910 – David B. Hill, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of New York (b. 1843)
• 1926 – Eugene V. Debs, American union leader and politician (b. 1855)
• 1928 – Jack Peddie, Scottish footballer (b. 1876)
• 1935 – Arthur Henderson, Scottish-English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1863)
• 1936 – Anne Sullivan, American educator (b. 1866)
• 1940 – Gunnar Asplund, Swedish architect and academic, co-designed Skogskyrkogården (b. 1885)
• 1941 – Ken Farnes, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1911)
• 1950 – Henry L. Stimson, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 46th United States Secretary of State (b. 1867)
• 1953 – Werner Baumbach, German colonel and pilot (b. 1916)
• 1956 – Lawrence Dale Bell, American industrialist and founder of Bell Aircraft Corporation (b. 1894)
• 1957 – Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American javelin thrower and football player (b. 1890)
• 1964 – Herbert Hoover, American engineer and politician, 31st President of the United States (b. 1874)
• 1967 – Shigeru Yoshida, Japanese politician and diplomat, 32nd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1878)
• 1968 – Bud Flanagan, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1896)
• 1972 – Harlow Shapley, American astronomer and academic (b. 1885)
• 1977 – Steve Gaines, American guitarist (b. 1949)
• 1977 – Ronnie Van Zant, American singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
• 1978 – Gunnar Nilsson, Swedish race car driver (b. 1948)
• 1983 – Yves Thériault, Canadian author (b. 1915)
• 1983 – Merle Travis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1917)
• 1984 – Carl Ferdinand Cori, Czech-American biochemist and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
• 1984 – Paul Dirac, English-American physicist and mathematician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
• 1987 – Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1903)
• 1988 – Sheila Scott, English pilot and author (b. 1922)
• 1989 – Anthony Quayle, English actor and director (b. 1913)
• 1990 – Joel McCrea, American actor (b. 1905)
• 1992 – Werner Torkanowsky, German-American conductor (b. 1926)
• 1993 – Yasushi Sugiyama, Japanese painter (b. 1909)
• 1994 – Burt Lancaster, American actor (b. 1913)
• 1995 – Christopher Stone, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
• 1995 – John Tonkin, Australian politician, 20th Premier of Western Australia (b. 1902)
• 1999 – Calvin Griffith, Canadian-American businessman (b. 1911)
• 1999 – Jack Lynch, Irish footballer, lawyer, and politician, 5th Taoiseach of Ireland (b. 1917)
• 2001 – Ted Ammon, American financier and banker (b. 1949)
• 2003 – Jack Elam, American actor (b. 1918)
• 2004 – Anthony Hecht, American poet and educator (b. 1923)
• 2004 – Chuck Hiller, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1934)
• 2005 – Shirley Horn, American singer and pianist (b. 1934)
• 2005 – Eva Švankmajerová, Czech painter and poet (b. 1940)
• 2005 – André van der Louw, Dutch lawyer and politician, 16th Mayor of Rotterdam (b. 1933)
• 2006 – Arnold Viiding, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (b. 1911)
• 2006 – Jane Wyatt, American actress (b. 1910)
• 2007 – Max McGee, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1932)
• 2008 – Gene Hickerson, American football player (b. 1935)
• 2010 – W. Cary Edwards, American politician (b. 1944)
• 2010 – Bob Guccione, American publisher, founded Penthouse magazine (b. 1930)
• 2010 – Eva Ibbotson, Austrian-English author (b. 1925)
• 2010 – Max Kohnstamm, Dutch historian and diplomat (b. 1914)
• 2010 – Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (b. 1940)
• 2011 – Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan colonel and politician, Prime Minister of Libya (b. 1942)
• 2011 – Mutassim Gaddafi, Libyan colonel (b. 1974)
• 2011 – Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, Libyan politician (b. 1942)
• 2011 – Iztok Puc, Croatian-Slovenian handball player (b. 1966)
• 2012 – Przemysław Gintrowski, Polish poet and composer (b. 1951)
• 2012 – Paul Kurtz, American philosopher and academic (b. 1925)
• 2012 – Dave May, American baseball player (b. 1943)
• 2012 – John McConnell, American activist, created Earth Day (b. 1915)
• 2012 – E. Donnall Thomas, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
• 2012 – Raymond Watson, American businessman (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Jovanka Broz, Croatian-Serbian colonel (b. 1924)
• 2013 – Don James, American football player and coach (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Lawrence Klein, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
• 2013 – Joginder Singh, Kenyan race car driver (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Larri Thomas, American actress and dancer (b. 1932)
• 2013 – Sid Yudain, American journalist, founded Roll Call (b. 1923)
• 2014 – René Burri, Swiss photographer and journalist (b. 1933)
• 2014 – Oscar de la Renta, Dominican-American fashion designer (b. 1932)
• 2014 – Christophe de Margerie, French businessman (b. 1951)
• 2015 – Makis Dendrinos, Greek basketball player and coach (b. 1950)
• 2015 – Arno Gruen, German-Swiss psychologist and psychoanalyst (b. 1923)
• 2015 – Kazimierz Łaski, Polish-Austrian economist and academic (b. 1921)
• 2015 – Michael Meacher, English academic and politician, Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (b. 1939)
• 2015 – Ian Steel, Scottish cyclist and manager (b. 1928)
• 2016 – Robert E. Kramek, former United States Coast Guard admiral (b. 1939)
• 2016 – Michael Massee, American actor (b. 1952)
• 2016 – Junko Tabei, Japanese mountaineer (b. 1939)
• 2018 – Wim Kok, Dutch prime minister (b. 1938)
• 2020 – James Randi, Canadian-American stage magician and author (b. 1928)
• 2022 – Lucy Simon, American composer and songwriter (b. 1940)
• 2024 – Barbara Dane, American folk, blues and jazz singer (b. 1927)
• 2024 – Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian (b. 1941)
• 2024 – Walter Jacob, American Reform rabbi (b. 1930)
• 2024 – Janusz Olejniczak, Polish classical pianist and actor (b. 1952)
• 2024 – Paul White, Baron Hanningfield, British life peer (b. 1940)

• Christian feast days:
  • Acca of Hexham
  • Aderald
  • Artemius
  • Caprasius of Agen
  • Hedwig (in Canada, moved from Oct. 16)
  • Irene of Tomar
  • Magdalene of Nagasaki
  • Margaret Marie Alacoque (in Canada, moved from Oct. 16)
  • Paul of the Cross (in USA, moved from Oct. 19)
  • Maria Bertilla Boscardin
  • Mater Admirabilis
  • October 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Arbor Day (Czech Republic)
• Heroes' Day (Kenya)
• Revolution Day (Guatemala), one of the two Patriotic Days (Guatemala)
• Vietnamese Women's Day (Vietnam)
• World Osteoporosis Day
• World Statistics Day

• "On This Day". BBC.
• The New York Times: On This Day
• "Historical Events on October 20". OnThisDay.com.