February 20: Facts & Historical Events On This Day - The Fact Site

February 20th is officially Hoodie Hoo Day as well as Love Your Pet Day.

Today marks the 51st day of the year. We’re slowly getting through the year, but still have 314 days remaining in 2026.

If you were born on this day or just want to know more about the day then you’ll love these fascinating past events, one or two might surprise you!

Did you know that on this day, February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit planet Earth? In his almost five-hour flight he circled Earth three times.

Keep reading for more fun & interesting facts about February 20th in history!

Historical Events

What memorable events happened on February 20 in history? Keep reading to find out!

2026

Norway broke the record for most gold medals at a single Winter Olympics after Johannes Dale-Skjevdal won the country’s 17th gold in the Milano-Cortina Winter Games.

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2020

A polymer note replaced the paper £20 note in the UK.

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2018

Venezuela created its first virtual currency, called the petro, in hopes of saving its economy.

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For the first time in her life, at age 91, Queen Elizabeth II attended London Fashion Week.

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2016

A John Lennon fan bought a lock of his hair for $35,000 at an auction in Dallas, Texas, USA.

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2013

The first electric car charging network debuted in Estonia.

One hundred and sixty-five charging stations were installed across the country, each taking less than 30 minutes to charge a car.

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2003

The Station nightclub in Rhode Island burned down, killing 100 people.

The fire started when Great White's pyrotechnics went out of control, igniting acoustic foam surrounding the stage and ceiling. One hundred people were killed, and another 230 people were injured.

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1998

Fifteen-year-old Tara Lipinski became the youngest Olympic figure skating gold medalist.

Lipinski won gold while competing for the United States of America at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Her record was only broken in 2019.

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1986

The Soviet Union launched the first module of its Mir space station.

Known as the core module, this first piece of the space station was the living module. Over the following years, six additional modules were launched into space and attached to the core module. The Mir space station operated for fifteen years before being decommissioned and returned to Earth in 2001.

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1962

John Glenn became the first American to orbit planet Earth.

Astronaut John Glenn orbited the planet three times during his five-hour trip in his Friendship 7 capsule.

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1959

Jimi Hendrix played his first gig at Temple de Hirsch Synagogue, Seattle, USA.

Hendrix was fired for playing his guitar too wildly.

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1943

American movie studio executives allowed the Office of War Information to review their scripts.

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1935

Danish-Norwegian explorer Caroline Mikkelsen became the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.

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1872

The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened for the first time in New York City.

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1792

US President George Washington signed the Postal Service Act.

Once signed, the United States Post Office became a cabinet position under the presidency. The Postal Service later became an independent corporation in 1971.

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Famous Births

If today’s your birthday, you share this special day with Rihanna! Here are other famous people born on this day.

2003

Olivia Rodrigo

American Singer-Songwriter

Age

23 years old

Born IN

California, USA

1988

Rihanna

Barbadian Singer

Age

38 years old

Born IN

Saint Michael, Barbados

1967

Kurt Cobain

American Singer

Died On

Apr 5, 1994 (Age 27)

Born IN

Washington, USA

1966

Cindy Crawford

American Model

Age

60 years old

Born IN

Illinois, USA

1984

Trevor Noah

South African Comedian

Age

42 years old

Born IN

Johannesburg, South Africa

Birthday & Zodiac

If you were born on February 20, your zodiac sign is Pisces.

Pisces is the last constellation of the zodiac. It’s symbolized by two fish swimming in opposite directions, which represents the division of Pisces’s attention between fantasy and reality.

If your birthday is in February, your birthstone is the Amethyst. The Ancient Greeks thought the color of Amethyst resembled wine, so they associated it with the Bacchus, the god of wine.

February’s primary birth flower, the violet, represents the loyalty and humility of those born this month. The secondary birth flower, the primrose, symbolizes young love and the joy of new beginnings.

People born on this day were likely conceived the previous year on May 30th.

Babies conceived on February 20, 2026, will be due around November 13, 2026.

Special Holidays

If you're looking for something to do today, maybe these special holidays might just help to cure your boredom!

United States

Hoodie Hoo Day

We've all been enduring the thick, bitter cold of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, but spring isn't far away now. Today is Hoodie Hoo Day, and you can celebrate by going outside, throwing your hands in the air, and shouting "Hoodie-Hoo!" to chase winter away.

United States

National Love Your Pet Day

Coming home at the end of a long day to your pet instantly makes life a little bit better, so it’s time to give some of their love back on Love Your Pet Day! It doesn’t matter whether you have a pet dog, lizard, rat, goldfish, or tarantula, give them some extra love and treats today.

Fact Of The Day

In New Delhi, if a tree falls sick, an ambulance is dispatched to treat it. This came into effect in 2009 and takes four people to do the job.

Check out our daily facts page for fresh, random facts updated every day!

Days Until

Your countdown to 2026's upcoming special days!

• Women's Day

  16 days

• St Patrick's Day

  25 days

• Earth Day

  61 days

• Halloween

  253 days

• Christmas Day

  308 days