The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers
MajorThe explosion led to the largest marine oil spill in history, with nearly 5 million barrels of oil released over 87 days. The disaster caused catastro...
April 20 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2010
2008
Danica Patrick became the first woman to win an IndyCar Series race
Patrick's victory at the Indy Japan 300 broke a significant barrier in professional motorsports. She led 32 laps and won by nearly 6 seconds, proving...
1972
The Apollo 16 lunar module landed on the Moon with astronauts John Young and Charles Duke
Young and Duke spent nearly three days on the lunar surface, conducting experiments and driving the lunar rover. Duke became the youngest person to wa...
1971
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools
In Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, the Court ruled that busing was an acceptable method to integrate public schools. The decision w...
1964
The BBC broadcast the first episode of Top of the Pops, which became the world's longest-running music show
The first episode featured performances from acts like the Rolling Stones and Dusty Springfield. The show would run for 42 years, airing over 2,200 ep...
1939
Adolf Hitler celebrated his 50th birthday with a massive military parade in Berlin
Nazi Germany staged an elaborate four-hour military display featuring over 50,000 troops, tanks, and aircraft. The propaganda spectacle was designed t...
1902
Marie and Pierre Curie successfully isolated radioactive radium salts from pitchblende
MajorAfter processing literally tons of uranium ore residue, the Curies isolated one-tenth of a gram of pure radium chloride. This breakthrough work on rad...
1889
Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary
MajorThe future Nazi dictator was born on this date to Alois and Klara Hitler. His birth would lead to one of history's darkest chapters, resulting in Worl...
1657
Freedom of religion was granted to Jews in New Amsterdam (later New York)
Despite director-general Peter Stuyvesant's personal opposition, the Dutch West India Company ordered him to allow Jews to settle and practice their r...
1534
Jacques Cartier began his first voyage to North America from Saint-Malo, France
Cartier's expedition would lead to the first European exploration of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the St. Lawrence River. His voyages laid the foundat...
