July 20
Overview
Holidays & Observances
Birthday of Crown Prince Haakon Magnus(Norway)
Annual celebration of the heir to the Norwegian throne marked by ceremonial salutes and public acknowledgement in Oslo.
Christianfeast day:
Ansegisus, Apollinaris of Ravenna, Aurelius, Ealhswith (or Elswith), Elijah, Elizabeth Cady Stanton,Amelia Bloomer,Sojourner Truth, andHarriet Ross Tubman(Episcopal Church (USA)), Giuseppe Beotti, John Baptist Yi(one of TheKorean Martyrs), Margaret the Virgin, Thorlac(relic translation), Wilgefortis, July 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
Commemoration of multiple saints and notable Christian figures across various traditions.
Día del Amigo(Argentina,Brazil)
Friendship Day celebrated in Argentina and Brazil to honor and strengthen bonds between friends.
Engineer's Day(Costa Rica)
Engineer's Day in Costa Rica honors the founding of the national engineering and architecture body and the profession's impact.
Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration ofColombiafrom Spain in 1810.
Colombia’s national holiday commemorating the 1810 declaration of independence from Spain.
International Chess Day
Global celebration of chess, highlighting its cultural and educational impact.
Lempira Day(Honduras)
Honduran holiday honoring Chief Lempira, the Lenca leader who resisted Spanish conquest.
Ansegisus
Feast day of Saint Ansegisus, a Frankish abbot known for monastic reform.
Apollinaris of Ravenna
Feast day of Saint Apollinaris, first bishop of Ravenna and early Christian martyr.
Events
Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, storms the Fortress of Antonia north of the Temple Mount. The Roman army is drawn into street fights with the Zealots.
In 70 AD, Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian, led Roman legions to storm the Fortress of Antonia during the Siege of Jerusalem, sparking fierce street battles with Zealot defenders.
Kardam of Bulgaria defeats Byzantine Emperor Constantine VI at the Battle of Marcellae.
In 792, Khan Kardam of Bulgaria defeated Byzantine Emperor Constantine VI at the Battle of Marcellae, halting Byzantine territorial ambitions in the Balkans.
Rollo lays siege to Chartres.
In 911, Viking leader Rollo laid siege to the Frankish city of Chartres, marking a pivotal moment in Norse incursions into western Europe.
Richard I of England officially invested as Duke of Normandy.
On July 20, 1189, Richard I of England was formally invested as Duke of Normandy, strengthening his control over this key French duchy.
Treaty of San Germano is signed at San Germano between Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX. A Dominican named Guala is responsible for the negotiations.
In 1230, Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX signed the Treaty of San Germano, mediated by Dominican friar Guala, to resolve their conflicts.
The Battle of Kellistown was fought on this day between the forces of the English led by Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March against the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles under the command of Art Óg mac Murchadha Caomhánach, the most powerful Chieftain in Leinster.
On July 20, 1398, English forces under Roger Mortimer clashed with Irish clans led by Art Óg mac Murchadha Caomhánach at the Battle of Kellistown.
Ottoman-Timurid Wars: Battle of Ankara: Timur, ruler of Timurid Empire, defeats forces of the Ottoman Empire sultan Bayezid I.
In 1402, Timur's Timurid forces decisively defeated Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I at the Battle of Ankara, reshaping power dynamics in Anatolia.
During the first Japanese invasion of Korea, Japanese forces led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi captured Pyongyang, although they were ultimately unable to hold it.
In 1592, during the first Japanese invasion of Korea, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's forces captured Pyongyang but soon faced fierce counterattacks.
A fire in Oulu, Finland almost completely destroyed the fourth district, which covered the southern part of the city and was by far the largest of the city districts.
In 1705, a devastating fire in Oulu, Finland, destroyed the city's largest southern district, transforming its urban landscape.
Births
Taichō
Taichō was a Japanese Buddhist monk and scholar active in the Nara period.
Petrarch
Petrarch was an Italian scholar and poet, often called the 'Father of Humanism'.
John Tiptoft
John Tiptoft was an English nobleman who held the title 2nd Baron Tibetot in the 14th century.
Margaret
Margaret was an English princess who became Countess of Pembroke in the mid-14th century.
John Bourchier
John Bourchier was an English nobleman who became the 1st Earl of Bath under Henry VIII.
Pope Innocent IX served as head of the Catholic Church for a brief period in 1591.
Arnaud d'Ossat
Arnaud d'Ossat was a French cardinal and diplomat active in the late 16th century.
Alban Roe
Alban Roe was an English Benedictine monk who was martyred for his faith in 1642.
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was an English Puritan preacher who challenged colonial religious norms.
Deaths
Amantius
A Byzantine court official who served as grand chamberlain and became a Monophysite Christian martyr.
Ansegisus
A Frankish abbot who led monastic communities and became a saint in the early 9th century.
Boniface VII
A 10th-century cleric who twice claimed the papal throne as antipope Boniface VII.
Robert II
King of France from 996 to 1031, known as Robert the Pious for his devout faith.
Al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi
A Fatimid vizier who served as the chief minister of Egypt and patron of intellectual life in the early 12th century.
Toba
The 74th emperor of Japan who reigned from 1107 to 1123, notable for his patronage of the arts.
Oshin
King of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1286 to 1320, known for defending his realm against Mamluk invasions.
Thomas Randolph
1st Earl of Moray and regent of Scotland, celebrated for his leadership during the Wars of Independence.