On This Day in History – January 20

Major Events

• 1265 – England’s first representative Parliament, convened by Simon de Montfort, meets in Westminster, laying groundwork for modern democracy.
• 1649 – King Charles I of England goes on trial for treason, an unprecedented act against a reigning monarch.
• 1801 – John Marshall is appointed Chief Justice of the United States, shaping the power of the Supreme Court.
• 1841 – Hong Kong Island is occupied by British forces during the First Opium War.
• 1937 – Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first U.S. president inaugurated for a second term on January 20, following the 20th Amendment.
• 1942 – Senior Nazi officials meet at the Wannsee Conference to coordinate the implementation of the Holocaust.
• 1961 – John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States.
• 1981 – Iran releases 52 American hostages minutes after Ronald Reagan is inaugurated as U.S. president.
• 2009 – Barack Obama is inaugurated as the first African American President of the United States.
• 2021 – Joe Biden is inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States amid heightened security.

Famous Birthdays

• 1775 – André-Marie Ampère, French physicist and mathematician (d. 1836)
• 1896 – George Burns, American comedian and actor (d. 1996)
• 1920 – Federico Fellini, Italian film director (d. 1993)
• 1934 – Buzz Aldrin, American astronaut
• 1942 – David Lynch, American filmmaker (d. 2025)
• 1956 – Bill Maher, American comedian and political commentator
• 1961 – Paul Hester, Australian musician (Crowded House) (d. 2005)
• 1971 – Questlove, American musician and producer
• 1981 – Owen Teague, American actor

Notable Deaths

• 250 – Pope Fabian, Bishop of Rome (b. unknown)
• 1942 – Reinhard Heydrich, Nazi official (b. 1904)
• 1973 – Amílcar Cabral, African revolutionary leader (b. 1924)
• 1984 – Johnny Weissmuller, American Olympic swimmer and actor (b. 1904)
• 1993 – Audrey Hepburn, British actress and humanitarian (b. 1929)
• 2006 – Wilson Pickett, American singer (b. 1941)
• 2012 – Etta James, American singer (b. 1938)
• 2018 – Ursula K. Le Guin, American author (b. 1929)
• 2022 – Meat Loaf, American singer and actor (b. 1947)

Holidays

• Inauguration Day – United States (every four years)
• World Snow Day
• Saint Sebastian Feast Day – Observed in several Christian traditions

Fun Facts

• January 20 is traditionally U.S. Inauguration Day due to the 20th Amendment.
• John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address introduced the famous phrase “Ask not what your country can do for you.”
• Buzz Aldrin was the second human to walk on the Moon.
• The Wannsee Conference was held in a lakeside villa near Berlin.
• George Burns lived to be 100 years old.
• Hong Kong remained under British rule for more than 150 years after 1841.