FEB 20
- 1811 - Austria declared bankruptcy.
- 1835 - Chile: An earthquake in Concepcion killed 5,000+ people.
- 1927 - Birthday: Sidney Poitier first black actor to win Oscar for Best Actor ('Lillies in the Field' - 1963) born in Miami, Florida.
- 1929 - American Samoa recognized as territory of US.
- 1938 - Adolf Hitler announced his support for Japan during the Sino-Japanese War.
- 1941 - Nazi Germany ordered Polish Jews to be prohibited from using public transportation.
- 1944 - Battle of Eniwetok: US forces took Enewetak Atoll (37 Americans killed, 800 Japanese killed)
- 1947 - India: Earl Mountbatten of Burma appointed as last viceroy to oversee the move to independence.
- 1959 - Jimi Hendrix (aged 16) played his first gig in the Temple De Hirsch synagogue basement, Seattle. He was fired from the band after the 1st set due to "wild" playing.
- 1962 - John Glenn became the 1st American to orbit the Earth, aboard shuttle ship Friendship 7.
- 1967 - Birthday: Kurt Cobain born in Aberdeen, Washington.
- 1984 - Birthday: Trevor Noah, South African comedian, actor and TV host born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
- 1988 - Birthday: Rihanna (Robyn Rihanna Fenty) Barbadian singer-songwriter born in Saint Michael, Barbados.
- 1988 - Brazil: 500+ people died due to heavy rainfall in Rio de Janeiro.
- 2013 - Estonia became the first country to establish a national system of fast chargers for electric cars.
- 2016 - John Lennon's hair sold for $35,000 at an auction in Dallas, Texas.