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20 October 2024
Holidays, observances, history and sky information for this date.
Holidays
No listed India public holiday for this date.
Observances
No UN observance in the current list for this date.
Selected anniversaries
Anniversary
2024 - Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka were sworn in as president and vice president of Indonesia, becoming the oldest and the youngest person to assume respective offices.President of Indonesia since 2024
Anniversary
2022 - Protests broke out across Chad after President Mahamat Déby (pictured) declared his intentions to extend his rule by another two years.Anniversary
2011 - First Libyan Civil War: Muammar Gaddafi, the deposed Libyan leader, was captured by rebel forces during the Battle of Sirte, and was killed shortly thereafter.Armed conflict in North Africa
Anniversary
1991 - An earthquake struck the Indian state of Uttarakhand, killing at least 768 people and destroying thousands of homes.6.8 magnitude earthquake in India
Anniversary
1986 - Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashed on approach to Kurumoch Airport in Samara, Russia (then Kuybyshev in the Soviet Union), killing 70 people on board.1986 Tu-134 crash in Samara
Historical events
History
2022 - Liz Truss steps down as British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party amid the country's political crisis, serving for the least time of any British Prime Minister (49 days).Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 2022
History
2017 - Syrian civil war: The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) declare victory in the Raqqa campaign.2011–2024 armed conflict in Syria
History
2011 - Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill them shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war.Conflicts in Libya since 2011
History
2005 - The general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passes the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.Specialized agency of the United Nations
History
2003 - The Sloan Great Wall, once the largest cosmic structures known to humanity, is discovered by students at Princeton University.Cosmic structure formed by a galaxy filament
History
2002 - Top Gear, the revived popular British TV motoring magazine, premieres on BBC.British motoring TV show (2002–present)
History
1995 - Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-73.Space Shuttle orbiter (1981–2003)
History
1991 - A 6.8 Mw earthquake strikes the Uttarkashi region of India, killing more than 1,000 people.Measure of earthquake size
History
1991 - A massive firestorm breaks out in the hills of Oakland and Berkeley, California killing 25 people and destroying more than 3,000 homes, apartments and condominiums.High intensity conflagration
History
1986 - Aeroflot Flight 6502 crashes while landing at Kuibyshev Airport (now Kuromoch International Airport) in Kuibyshev (now present-day Samara, Russia), killing 70 people.1986 Tu-134 crash in Samara
Notable births
No items available.
Notable deaths
Died
2024 - Barbara Dane, American folk, blues and jazz singer (born 1927)American folk, blues and jazz singer (1927–2024)
Died
2024 - Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian (born 1941)Turkish scholar, theologian and dissident (1941–2024)
Died
2024 - Walter Jacob, American Reform rabbi (born 1930)American Reform rabbi (1930–2024)
Died
2024 - Janusz Olejniczak, Polish classical pianist and actor (born 1952)Polish classical pianist and actor (1952–2024)
Died
2024 - Paul White, Baron Hanningfield, British life peer (born 1940)British politician (1940–2024)
Died
2022 - Lucy Simon, American composer and songwriter (born 1940)American composer (1940–2022)
Died
2020 - James Randi, Canadian-American stage magician and author (born 1928)Canadian-American magician and skeptic (1928–2020)
Died
2018 - Wim Kok, Dutch prime minister (born 1938)Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1994 to 2002
Sky
Moon phase
Waning Gibbous
92.5% illuminated
Lunar age: 17.4 days
Sun zodiac
Libra
27.59 degrees
Constellation: Virgo
Moon zodiac
Gemini
9.61 degrees
Constellation: Taurus
Astronomy events
No major astronomy event in the current calendar for this date.