Summary of the Day ✨ 20 May (20/05)
Russia claimed control of Mariupol after a three-month siege as the International System of Units redefined its base units, making the kilogram prototype obsolete. Singapore executed Kho Jabing despite international pleas while natural disasters struck with a tornado killing 24 in Oklahoma and an earthquake claiming 27 lives in northern Italy.
Historical Events 📜
- 2022: Russo-Ukrainian war: Russia claims full control of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege.
- 2019: The International System of Units (SI): The base units are redefined, making the international prototype of the kilogram obsolete.
- 2016: The government of Singapore authorised the controversial execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing for the murder of a Chinese construction worker despite the international pleas for clemency, notably from Amnesty International and the United Nations.
- 2013: An EF5 tornado strikes the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others.
- 2012: At least 27 people are killed and 50 others injured when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Italy.
- 2011: Mamata Banerjee is sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the first woman to hold this post.
- 2009: An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100 Hercules crashes in Magetan Regency, killing 99.
- 2002: The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and three years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976).
- 1996: Civil rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Romer v. Evans against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians.
- 1990: The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania.
- 1989: The Chinese authorities declare martial law in the face of pro-democracy demonstrations, setting the scene for the Tiananmen Square massacre.
- 1985: Radio Martí, part of the Voice of America service, begins broadcasting to Cuba.
- 1983: First publications of the discovery of the HIV virus that causes AIDS in the journal Science by a team of French scientists including Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Jean-Claude Chermann, and Luc Montagnier.
- 1983: Church Street bombing: A car bomb planted by UMkhonto we Sizwe explodes on Church Street in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, killing 19 people and injuring 217 others.
- 1980: In a referendum in Quebec, the population rejects, with 60% of the vote, a government proposal to move towards independence from Canada.
Famous Births 👶
- 2012: Doug the Pug, American celebrity dog
- 1998: Jamie Chadwick, English race car driver
- 1998: Nam Nguyen, Canadian figure skater
- 1997: Kaoru Mitoma, Japanese footballer
- 1996: Brian Kelly, Australian rugby league player
- 1993: Ramy Rabia, Egyptian footballer
- 1993: Caroline Zhang, American figure skater
- 1992: Cate Campbell, Malawian-Australian swimmer
- 1992: Jack Gleeson, Irish actor
- 1992: Enes Kanter, Turkish basketball player
- 1992: Fanny Smith, Swiss freestyle skier
- 1991: Bastian Baker, Swiss singer, songwriter, and performer
- 1991: Emre Çolak, Turkish footballer
- 1990: Josh O’Connor, British actor
- 1989: Siosia Vave, Australian-Tongan rugby league player
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2025: George Wendt, American actor and comedian (born 1948)
- 2024: Ivan Boesky, American stock trader (born 1937)
- 2022: Roger Angell, American sportswriter and author (born 1920)
- 2022: Susan Roces, Filipino actress (born 1941)
- 2021: Gary Wilson, American anti-pornography activist (born 1956)
- 2019: Niki Lauda, Austrian race car driver (born 1949)
- 2016: Kho Jabing, Malaysian convicted murderer who was executed by hanging in Singapore (born 1984)
- 2015: Bob Belden, American saxophonist, composer, and producer (born 1956)
- 2015: Femi Robinson, Nigerian actor and playwright (born 1940)
- 2014: Sandra Bem, American psychologist and academic (born 1944)
- 2014: Ross Brown, New Zealand rugby player (born 1934)
- 2014: Robyn Denny, English-French painter (born 1930)
- 2014: Arthur Gelb, American journalist, author, and critic (born 1924)
- 2014: Prince Rupert Loewenstein, Spanish-English businessman (born 1933)
- 2014: Barbara Murray, English actress (born 1929)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Abercius and Helena - Christian feast day:
Alcuin of York - Christian feast day:
Aurea of Ostia - Christian feast day:
Austregisilus - Christian feast day:
Baudilus - Christian feast day:
Bernardino of Siena - Christian feast day:
Columba of Rieti - Christian feast day:
Lydia of Thyatira - Christian feast day:
Lucifer of Cagliari - Christian feast day:
Sanctan - Christian feast day:
May 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Day of Remembrance (Cambodia)
- Emancipation Day (Florida)
- European Maritime Day (European Council)
- Independence Restoration Day, celebrates the independence of East Timor from Indonesia in 2002.