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February 20 Events in History - February 20 Birthdays - February 20 Deaths
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February 20, 2003 Fire at the Station rock club in Rhode Island kills nearly 100 February 20, 2002 Stove mishap sets Egyption train on fire, kills over 360 people February 20, 1998 Tara Lipinski wins Olympic figure skating gold medal February 20, 1998 U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan lands in Baghdad, for peace negotiations February 20, 1998 U.S. movie box office hits quickest $1 billion for year (51 days) February 20, 1997 "Stanley" opens at Circle in Sq Theater New York City February 20, 1997 San Francisco Giants Barry Bonds signs record $22.9M 2 year contract February 20, 1994 3 Afghans take 70 Pakistani children hostage February 20, 1994 Johann Olav Koss skates world record 10 km (13:30.55) February 20, 1994 Pope John Paul II demands juristic discrimination of homosexuals February 20, 1993 Florida Marlins open their 1st spring training camp February 20, 1993 Lisa Walters wins LPGA Itoki Hawaiian Ladies Golf Open February 20, 1993 New York Islanders retire Billy Smith's number 31 February 20, 1992 "Private Lives" opens at Broadhurst Theater New York City for 37 performances February 20, 1992 Orthodox patriarch Shenouda III visits Netherlands February 20, 1992 Ross Perot says he'll run for President on Larry King Show February 20, 1991 "Taking Steps" opens at Circle in Sq Theater New York City for 78 performances February 20, 1991 33rd Grammy Awards: Another Day in Paradise, Mariah Carey February 20, 1989 Members of 1949 Oklahoma football team cancelled an April reunion because of deplorable conduct of Oklahoma players February 20, 1988 500 die in heavy rains in Rio de Janeiro Brazil February 20, 1988 Andre Hoffmann skates world record 1500m (1:52.06) February 20, 1988 Brian Boitano wins Olympic gold medal in figure skating February 20, 1988 Cornelia Oschkenat hurdles indoor world record 50m (6.58 sec) February 20, 1988 Kelly Hrudy's 5th Islander shut-out win-Hartford 3-0 February 20, 1988 Peter Kalikow purchases New York Post from Rupert Murdoch for $37.6 million February 20, 1988 Rob Druppers runs world record indoor 1000m (2:16.2) February 20, 1988 Stefka Kostadinova high jumps indoor world record (2.06 m) February 20, 1987 Bomb blamed on Unabomber explodes by computer store in Salt Lake City February 20, 1987 David Hartman quits ABC's "Good Morning America," after 11 years February 20, 1986 Los Angeles Dodger Orel Hershiser is 1st to win a $1M salary by arbitration February 20, 1986 Mike Tyson sexually harasses a woman in Albany, New York February 20, 1985 After defending his WBC flyweight championship, Sot Chitalada's check for $104,000 is stolen by a ringside pickpocket February 20, 1983 Japan launches Tenma satellite to study x-rays (450/570 km) February 20, 1983 Roland Liboton becomes world champ cross-country cycling February 20, 1982 New York Islanders wins then NHL record 15th straight game February 20, 1981 Flight readiness firing of Columbia's main engines; 20 seconds February 20, 1981 James Sanford equals 50m indoor world record (5.61 sec) February 20, 1980 Actress Susan Dey (LA Law) weds producer Bernard Sofronski February 20, 1979 "Comin' Uptown" opens at Winter Garden Theater New York City for 45 performances February 20, 1978 4th People's Choice Awards: Star Wars, Carol Burnett and Bob Hope February 20, 1978 Bob Backland beats Billy Graham in NY, to become WWF wrestling champ February 20, 1978 Egypt announces it is pulling its diplomats out of Cyprus February 20, 1978 Jane Blalock wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic February 20, 1977 "My Fair Lady" closes at St. James Theater New York City after 384 performances February 20, 1977 Judy Rankin wins LPGA Orange Blossom Golf Classic February 20, 1976 Muhammad Ali KOs Jan Pierre Coopman in 5 for heavyweight boxing title February 20, 1975 Leonard Baichan scores 105* on Test Cricket debut, vs. Pakistan Lahore February 20, 1975 Margaret Thatcher elected leader of British Conservative Party February 20, 1975 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R. February 20, 1974 Cher files for separation from husband Sonny Bono February 20, 1974 Gordie Howe comes out of retirement for $1M from Houston Aeros, WHA February 20, 1973 10th time Islanders shut-out-4-0 vs Penguins February 20, 1972 1st time Cleveland Cavaliers beat New York Knicks (111-109) February 20, 1972 Ard Schenk becomes world champ skater February 20, 1972 Sicco Mansholt becomes chairman of European Committee February 20, 1971 Bruin Phil Esposito is NHL's quickest to score 50 goals in a season February 20, 1971 General Idi Amin Dada appointed president of Uganda February 20, 1971 National Emergency Center erroneously orders U.S. radio and TV stations to go off the air. Mistake wasn't resolved for 30 minutes February 20, 1968 John Cleese (Monty Python) marries Connie Booth February 20, 1968 State troopers used tear gas to stop demonstration at Alcorn A and M February 20, 1966 Author Valery Tarsis banished in U.S.S.R. February 20, 1965 Beatles record "That Means a Lot" February 20, 1965 Ranger 8 makes hard landing on the Moon, returns photos, other data February 20, 1965 Turkish government of Uerguplu forms February 20, 1963 End of the Test Cricket careers of Neil Harvey and Alan Davidson February 20, 1963 Willie Mays for the San Francisco Giants signs a record $100,000 per year contract February 20, 1962 John Glenn is 1st American to orbit Earth in Friendship 7 February 20, 1958 Jockey Eddie Arcaro rides his 4,000th winner February 20, 1958 Los Angeles Coliseum Commission approves 2-yr pact allows Dodgers to use facility February 20, 1957 Hughie Tayfield takes 9-113 vs. England, 13 wkts for match February 20, 1956 WOSU TV channel 34 in Columbus, OH (PBS) begins broadcasting February 20, 1955 Fay Crocker wins LPGA Serbin Golf Open February 20, 1954 Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA Serbin Golf Open February 20, 1954 General Zahedi wins election in Persia February 20, 1953 August A. Busch buys the Cards for $3.75 million February 20, 1953 U.S. Court of Appeals rules that Organized Baseball is a sport and not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling February 20, 1952 "African Queen" opens at Capitol Theater in New York City February 20, 1952 1st black umpire in organized baseball certified (Emmett Ashford) February 20, 1950 Dylan Thomas arrives in New York City for his 1st U.S. poetry reading tour February 20, 1950 WOL-AM in Washington D.C. swaps calls with WWDC February 20, 1949 1st International Pancake Race held (Liberal Ks) February 20, 1948 Czechoslovakia's non-communist minister resigns February 20, 1947 Chemical mixing error causes explosion that destroys 42 blocks in Los Angeles February 20, 1947 Lord Mountbatten appointed as last viceroy of India February 20, 1944 Batman and Robin comic strip premieres in newspapers February 20, 1944 U.S. takes Eniwetok Island February 20, 1943 Allied troops occupy Kasserine pass in Tunisia February 20, 1943 New volcano Paracutin erupts in farmer's corn patch (Mexico) February 20, 1943 Phil Wrigley and B Rickey charter All-American Girls Softball League February 20, 1942 Lt. E. H. O'Hare single-handedly shoots down 5 Japanese heavy bombers February 20, 1941 1st transport of Jews to concentration camps leave Plotsk, Poland February 20, 1941 Nazis order Polish Jews barred from using public transportation February 20, 1941 Romania breaks relations with Netherlands February 20, 1940 Larry Clinton and his Orchestra record "Limehouse Blues" February 20, 1938 U.K. Foreign Secretary Eden resigns, says PM Chamberlain appeased Germany February 20, 1937 1st automobile/airplane combination tested, Santa Monica, Ca February 20, 1935 Karoline Mikkelson is 1st woman on Antarctica February 20, 1934 Virgil Thomson's opera "4 Saints in 3 Acts" opens in New York City February 20, 1933 Curom, Curacaose Broadcast System starts: Princess Juliana's speech February 20, 1933 House of Representatives completes congressional action to repeal Prohibition February 20, 1933 Sidney Howard's "Alien Corn," premieres in New York City February 20, 1932 Japanese troops occupy Tunhua China February 20, 1931 Congress allows California to build Oakland-Bay Bridge February 20, 1930 Capelle soccer team forms February 20, 1929 American Samoa organizes as territory of U.S. February 20, 1929 Red Sox announce they will play Sunday games at Braves Field February 20, 1927 Golfers in South Carolina arrested for violating Sabbath February 20, 1923 Christy Mathewson becomes President of Boston Braves February 20, 1922 Marc Connelly and George Kaufman's "To the Ladies," premieres in New York City February 20, 1922 Vilinus, Lithuania, agrees to separate from Poland February 20, 1922 WOR-AM in New York City begins radio transmissions February 20, 1921 Riza Khan Pahlevi seizes control of Iran February 20, 1919 French premier Clemenceau injured during assassination attempt February 20, 1917 Ammunitions ship explodes in Archangelsk harbor, about 1,500 die February 20, 1917 Kern, Bolton and Wodehouse's musical "Oh, Boy!," premieres in New York City February 20, 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition opens in San Francisco February 20, 1912 Argentina beat the MCC in their inaugural cricket 1st-class fixture February 20, 1903 Nick Young remains as NL president as AG Spalding ends challenge February 20, 1902 Heavy surf breaks over Seal Rocks and damages Sutro Baths, San Francisco February 20, 1901 1st territorial legislature of Hawaii convenes February 20, 1899 Ill Tel and Tel granted franchise for Chicago freight tunnel system February 20, 1895 Congress authorizes a U.S. mint at Denver, Colorodo February 20, 1890 Amsterdam Theater destroyed by fire February 20, 1887 1st minor league baseball association organizes in Pittsburgh February 20, 1887 Germany, Austria-Hungary and France end Triple Alliance February 20, 1877 1st cantilever bridge in U.S. completed, Harrodsburg, Kentucky February 20, 1877 International Association (minor baseball league) organizes February 20, 1873 University of California gets its 1st Med School (UC/SF) February 20, 1872 Hydraulic electric elevator patented by Cyrus Baldwin February 20, 1872 Luther Crowell patents a machine that manufactures paper bags February 20, 1872 Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City February 20, 1872 Silas Noble and JP Cooley patents toothpick manufacturing machine February 20, 1869 Tennessee Governor W. C. Brownlow declares martial law in Ku Klux Klan crisis February 20, 1865 MIT forms 1st U.S. collegiate architectural school February 20, 1864 Civil War battle of Olustee, Florida February 20, 1861 Department of Navy of Confederacy forms February 20, 1861 Steeple of Chichester Cathedral blown down during a storm February 20, 1856 John Rutledge, Liverpool - New York steamer, hits iceberg; many die February 20, 1846 British occupy Sikh citadel of Lahore February 20, 1839 Congress prohibits dueling in District of Columbia February 20, 1835 Concepcion, Chile destroyed by earthquake; 5,000 die February 20, 1832 Charles Darwin visits Fernando Noronha in Atlantic Ocean February 20, 1831 Polish revolutionaries defeat Russians in battle of Growchow February 20, 1823 English Capt James Weddell reaches 74 degrees 15' S, 1520 km from S pole February 20, 1816 Rossini's opera "Barber of Seville" premieres in Rome February 20, 1811 Austria declares bankruptcy February 20, 1809 Supreme Court rules federal government power greater than any state February 20, 1792 U.S. postal service created; postage 6 cents -12 cents, depending on distance February 20, 1768 1st American chartered fire insurance company opens (Penn) February 20, 1746 Bonnie Prince Charlie occupies Castle of Inverness February 20, 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlies troops occupy Fort August, Scotland February 20, 1737 French minister of Finance, Chauvelin, resigns February 20, 1732 Estates of Holland ratifies Treaty of Vienna February 20, 1725 10 sleeping Indians scalped by whites in New Hampshire for bounty February 20, 1710 Johan Willem Friso becomes viceroy of Groningen Neth February 20, 1673 1st recorded wine auction held in London February 20, 1653 Defeat of Dutch fleet under Adm Van Tromp by Adm Blake off Portsmouth February 20, 1613 Gerard Reynst appointed Dutch Governor-General of East-Indies February 20, 1547 King Edward VI of England was enthroned following death of Henry VIII February 20, 1525 Swiss and German mercenaries desert Francois I's army |