Discover what happened on April 20 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

April 20

Discover what happened on April 20 with HISTORY&#8217;s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.

What Happened on April 20 | History.com

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History

1999

1971

2010

1689

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1902

1980

1945

1986

1898

1914

1841

1978

1861

2008

1777

Great Britain

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

US Government

Auto Racing

Crime

The 1970s are remembered as an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements competed with the Watergate scandal, the energy crisis and the ongoing Vietnam War for the world's attention.&nbsp;

1970s

Latin America

Basketball

Cuba

The Vietnam War pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. The war ended when U.S. forces withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam unified under Communist control two years later.

Vietnam War

The years following the American Revolution were challenging for the new nation, which struggled with the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, Federalism, the Alien and Sedition Acts and more.

Early US

Crime has been a dark and powerful undercurrent in human society throughout history. Uncover the facts behind some of the most daring robberies, brazen scams and brutal murders ever committed.&nbsp;

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.

Civil War

Reformation

Colonial America

Education

Disasters

Sports and recreation are an integral part of human history, from the ancient Olympics to the Kentucky Derby, Jackie Robinson, Negro League Baseball, the Super Bowl and more.

Sports

American Revolution

The civil rights movement was a struggle for justice and equality for African Americans that took place mainly in the 1950s and 1960s. It was led by people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, the Little Rock Nine and many others.&nbsp;

Civil Rights Movement

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.

Art, Literature, and Film History

Royalty

<a href="http://history.com/">HISTORY.com</a> works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the <a href="http://history.com/">HISTORY.com</a> team. Articles with the “<a href="http://history.com/">HISTORY.com</a> Editors” byline have been written or edited by the <a href="http://history.com/">HISTORY.com</a> editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen.

History.com Editors

<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history">World War II</a> was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.

World War II

Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.

Inventions & Science

Science

Aircraft

British History

Cold War

Natural disasters and the environment, such as climate change, the San Francisco Earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, the Galveston Hurricane, the Krakatoa eruption and others, have profoundly shaped human history.

This Day In History: April 20

Teen gunmen kill 13 at Columbine High School

Also on This Day in History April | 20

Supreme Court declares desegregation busing constitutional

Massive oil spill begins in Gulf of Mexico

Siege of Derry begins

Ku Klux Klan Act passed by Congress

Marie and Pierre Curie isolate radium

Fidel Castro announces Mariel Boatlift, allowing Cubans to emigrate to U.S.

Operation Corncob is launched while Hitler celebrates his birthday

“Fragging” on the rise among U.S. military units

Michael Jordan scores 63 points in playoff game

President McKinley asks for declaration of war against Spain

Militia slaughters strikers at Ludlow, Colorado

First detective story is published

Korean Air Lines jet forced down over Soviet Union

Robert E. Lee resigns from U.S. Army after Virginia secedes from Union

Danica Patrick becomes first woman to win Indy race

New York adopts state constitution

Also on This Day in History April | 20

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