1944 world war ii american and australian forces landed on the j 09 15
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1944 82 years ago Selected Events October 20 5 sources

World War II: Fulfilling a promise he made two years previously, General Douglas MacArthur landed on Leyte to begin the recapture of the Philippines.

On October 20, in the year 1944, World War II: Fulfilling a promise he made two years previously, General Douglas MacArthur landed on Leyte to begin the recapture of the Philippines. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of October 20, a notable event in this corner of history.

World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many engaging in total war on an unprecedented scale. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, causing the deaths of 60 to 75 million people, a majority of whom were civilians. Millions died as a result of massacres, starvation, disease, and genocides including the Holocaust. After the Allied victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and German and Japanese leaders were tried for war crimes.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on October 20, 1944 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 5 Wikipedia articles.
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 28 September 2026.

On This Date in History

Type Year Date Event
Notable Deaths 2024 Oct 20 Barbara Dane, American folk, blues and jazz singer (born 1927)
Notable Deaths 2024 Oct 20 Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian (born 1941)
Notable Deaths 2024 Oct 20 Walter Jacob, American Reform rabbi (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2024 Oct 20 Janusz Olejniczak, Polish classical pianist and actor (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2024 Oct 20 Paul White, Baron Hanningfield, British life peer (born 1940)
Selected Events 2024 Oct 20 Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka were sworn in as president and vice president of Indonesia, becoming the…
Historical Events 2022 Oct 20 Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political…
Notable Deaths 2022 Oct 20 Lucy Simon, American composer and songwriter (born 1940)
Selected Events 2022 Oct 20 Protests broke out across Chad after President Mahamat Déby (pictured) declared his intentions to extend his rule by…
Notable Deaths 2020 Oct 20 James Randi, Canadian-American stage magician and author (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2018 Oct 20 Wim Kok, Dutch prime minister (born 1938)
Historical Events 2017 Oct 20 Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign.
Notable Deaths 2016 Oct 20 Robert E. Kramek, former United States Coast Guard admiral (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2016 Oct 20 Michael Massee, American actor (born 1952)
Notable Deaths 2016 Oct 20 Junko Tabei, Japanese mountaineer (born 1939)
Notable Deaths 2015 Oct 20 Makis Dendrinos, Greek basketball player and coach (born 1950)
Notable Deaths 2015 Oct 20 Arno Gruen, German-Swiss psychologist and psychoanalyst (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2015 Oct 20 Kazimierz Łaski, Polish-Austrian economist and academic (born 1921)
Notable Deaths 2015 Oct 20 Michael Meacher, English academic and politician, Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions…
Notable Deaths 2015 Oct 20 Ian Steel, Scottish cyclist and manager (born 1928)
Notable Deaths 2014 Oct 20 René Burri, Swiss photographer and journalist (born 1933)
Notable Deaths 2014 Oct 20 Oscar de la Renta, Dominican-American fashion designer (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2014 Oct 20 Christophe de Margerie, French businessman (born 1951)
Notable Deaths 2013 Oct 20 Jovanka Broz, Croatian-Serbian colonel (born 1924)
Notable Deaths 2013 Oct 20 Don James, American football player and coach (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2013 Oct 20 Lawrence Klein, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2013 Oct 20 Joginder Singh, Kenyan race car driver (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2013 Oct 20 Larri Thomas, American actress and dancer (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2013 Oct 20 Sid Yudain, American journalist, founded Roll Call (born 1923)
Notable Deaths 2012 Oct 20 Przemysław Gintrowski, Polish poet and composer (born 1951)
Notable Deaths 2012 Oct 20 Paul Kurtz, American philosopher and academic (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2012 Oct 20 Dave May, American baseball player (born 1943)
Notable Deaths 2012 Oct 20 John McConnell, American activist, created Earth Day (born 1915)
Notable Deaths 2012 Oct 20 E. Donnall Thomas, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1920)
Notable Deaths 2012 Oct 20 Raymond Watson, American businessman (born 1926)
Historical Events 2011 Oct 20 Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and…
Notable Deaths 2011 Oct 20 Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan colonel and politician, Prime Minister of Libya (born 1942)
Notable Deaths 2011 Oct 20 Mutassim Gaddafi, Libyan colonel (born 1974)
Notable Deaths 2011 Oct 20 Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, Libyan politician (born 1942)
Notable Deaths 2011 Oct 20 Iztok Puc, Croatian-Slovenian handball player (born 1966)
Selected Events 2011 Oct 20 First Libyan Civil War: Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyan leader, was captured by rebel forces during the Battle of…
Notable Deaths 2010 Oct 20 W. Cary Edwards, American politician (born 1944)
Notable Deaths 2010 Oct 20 Bob Guccione, American publisher, founded Penthouse magazine (born 1930)
Notable Deaths 2010 Oct 20 Eva Ibbotson, Austrian-English author (born 1925)
Notable Deaths 2010 Oct 20 Max Kohnstamm, Dutch historian and diplomat (born 1914)
Notable Deaths 2010 Oct 20 Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (born 1940)
Notable Deaths 2008 Oct 20 Gene Hickerson, American football player (born 1935)
Notable Deaths 2007 Oct 20 Max McGee, American football player and sportscaster (born 1932)
Notable Deaths 2006 Oct 20 Arnold Viiding, Estonian shot putter and discus thrower (born 1911)
Notable Deaths 2006 Oct 20 Jane Wyatt, American actress (born 1910)

This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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