On This Day - What Happened On April 20 | Britannica

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2010 Explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig On this day in 2010, an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig—located in the Gulf of Mexico, some 41 miles (66 km) off the coast of Louisiana—leading to the largest oil spill in history. U.S. Coast Guard

Featured Biography

Adolf Hitler dictator of Germany bornApril 20, 1889Braunau, AustriadiedApril 30, 1945 (aged 56)Berlin, GermanyPrint Collector—Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1951 Luther Vandross American singer 1949 Jessica Lange American actress 1920 John Paul Stevens United States jurist 1893 Joan Miró Spanish artist 1889 Adolf Hitler dictator of Germany See All Biographies On This Day

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2021 Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, was found guilty of killing George Floyd, an unarmed African American man whose neck he knelt on while attempting to arrest him in 2020; Floyd's death caused massive protests against police brutality and brought renewed attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. How well do you know African American history?© Maddie Meyer/Getty Images 2008 American race car driver Danica Patrick won the IndyCar 300, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar championship event. Test your knowledge of auto racing© Nick Laham—NASCAR/Getty Images 1999 Two disgruntled and heavily armed students entered Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, and murdered 13 people before killing themselves.Laura Rauch—AP/Shutterstock.com 1968 Pierre Elliott Trudeau of the Liberal Party became prime minister of Canada; in that post, he discouraged the French separatist movement, oversaw the formation of a new constitution, and established relations with China. Sort fact from fiction in our Canada quizNationaal Archief 1949 American actress Jessica Lange, who was known for her versatility and intelligent performances, was born. Take our actors and acting quiz© Matt Baron—BEI/REX/Shutterstock.com 1924 Finalizing the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey's Grand National Assembly voted to adopt a full republican constitution, with General Mustafa Kemal, who had first proclaimed the Turkish republic about six months earlier, becoming the first president of the republic. Watch an overview of TurkeyEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1920 U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens was born in Chicago. Why are there nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court?Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZC6-29) 1919 In an ongoing dispute over the possession of Vilnius, Polish forces drove out Russia's Red Army—which had previously ousted the newly established Lithuanian government—and occupied the city. Sort fact from fiction in our European history quiz© ewg3D—iStock/Getty Images 1914 Striking miners and their families in Ludlow, Colorado, were attacked by the state's National Guard and company guards; 25 people were killed, including 11 children, and the massacre resulted in a bloody retaliation by other miners. Test your knowledge of American history and politicsLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. 1912 Navin Field (later called Tiger Stadium) in Detroit and Fenway Park in Boston officially opened as both hosted their first professional baseball games; Tiger Stadium closed in 1999, leaving Fenway as the oldest baseball stadium in Major League Baseball. How much do you know about baseball?© Jason Figert/Shutterstock.com 1871 Japan's first government-operated postal service opened between Tokyo and Ōsaka. Sort fact from fiction in our Japanese history quizEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1840 French Symbolist painter Odilon Redon was born in Bordeaux. From symbolism to sculpture, test your knowledge of artPhotograph by Trish Mayo. Museum of Modern Art, New York City, gift of Mrs. Werner E. Josten in memory of her husband 1808 Napoleon III, president of the Second Republic (1850–52) and emperor of France (1852–70), was born in Paris. Take our quiz about French historyH. Roger-Viollet 1653 England's Rump Parliament was dissolved by Oliver Cromwell and later replaced by the nominated Barebones Parliament, which was dissolved in the same year, leading to the declaration of the Protectorate. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about famous Englishmen© Matthew Corrigan/Shutterstock.com SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.