Browse events, births, deaths and holidays on May 20 throughout history.
The Russo-Ukrainian war began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia occupied Crimea and annexed it from Ukraine. It then supported Rus…
Russo-Ukrainian war: Russia claims full control of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege
The International System of Units, internationally known by the abbreviation SI, is the modern form of the metric system and the world's most widely used system of measurement. …
The International System of Units (SI): The base units are redefined, making the international prototype of the kilogram
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. Its territory comprises a main island, over 60 satellite islands and islets…
The government of Singapore authorised the controversial execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing for the murder of a
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. Its territory comprises a main island, over 60 satellite islands and islets…
The government of Singapore authorises the controversial execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing for the murder of a
The Enhanced Fujita scale is a scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage a tornado causes. It is used in the United States, Brazil and France, among o…
An EF5 tornado strikes the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others
In May 2012, two major earthquakes struck Northern Italy, causing 27 deaths and widespread damage. The events are known in Italy as the 2012 Emilia earthquakes, because they mainl…
At least 27 people are killed and 50 others injured when a 6
Mamata Banerjee is an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 8th chief minister of West Bengal from 2011 to 2026. She was the first woman to hold the office. Being the fou…
Mamata Banerjee is sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the first woman to hold this post
The Indonesian Air Force is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief …
An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100 Hercules crashes in Magetan Regency, killing 99
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the…
The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and three years of
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights in the United States have developed over time, with public opinion and jurisprudence changing significantly since the…
Civil rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Romer v
Communism is a political and economic ideology whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di…
The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania
Democracy is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected thr…
The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiana
Radio y Televisión Martí is an international broadcaster based in Miami, Florida, financed by the federal government of the United States through the U.S. Agency for Global Media.…
Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba
Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs) are two species of Lentivirus that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progr…
First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by a team of French scienti
The Church Street bombing was a terrorist car bombing on 20 May 1983 in the South African capital Pretoria by uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the paramilitary wing of the African National …
Church Street bombing: A car bomb planted by UMkhonto we Sizwe explodes on Church Street in South Africa's capital, Pret
The 1980 Quebec independence referendum was the first referendum in Quebec on the place of Quebec within Canada and whether Quebec should pursue a path toward sovereignty. The ref…
In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects, with 60% of the vote, a government proposal to move towards independe
Chuknagar massacre was a massacre of Bengali Hindus committed by the Pakistan Army and local collaborators during the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971. The massacre took pla…
In the Chuknagar massacre, Pakistani forces massacre thousands, mostly Bengali Hindus
The Battle of Hamburger Hill was fought by United States Army and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces against People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) forces during Operation Apa…
The Battle of Hamburger Hill in Vietnam ends
The Popular Movement of the Revolution was the ruling political party in Zaire. For most of its existence, it was the only legally permitted party in the country. It was founded b…
The Popular Movement of the Revolution political party is established in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 (PK705) was a Boeing 720 airliner that crashed while descending to land at Cairo International Airport on 20 May 1965. Of the 127 passen…
One hundred twenty-one people are killed when Pakistan International Airlines Flight 705 crashes at Cairo International