February 20
February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 315 days remain until the year's end. It falls in winter (northern hemisphere) and under the astrological sign of Pisces.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
On February 20 the Sun's declination is approximately -11.6°. At this latitude the Sun is south of the celestial equator, giving the Northern Hemisphere shorter days than nights.
For specific rise/set times at your location, see the U.S. Naval Observatory, or the NASA APOD archive for any imagery published on a February 20.
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- World Day of Social Justice (UN)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1792 — U.S. President George Washington signed the Postal Service Act, establishing the U.S. Post Office Department. ↗(234 years ago)more
The Postal Service Act was a piece of United States federal legislation that established the United States Post Office Department. It was signed into law by President George Washington on February 20, 1792.
1872 — The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in New York City. ↗(154 years ago)more
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the fourth-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas.
1962 — American astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7. ↗(64 years ago)more
John Herschel Glenn Jr. was an American Marine Corps aviator, astronaut, businessman, and politician. He was the third American in space and the first to orbit the Earth, circling it three times in 1962. Following his retirement from NASA, he served from 1974 to 1999 as a U.S. senator from Ohio. In 1998, he flew into space again at the age of 77.
1986 — The Soviet Mir space station's core module reached orbit. ↗(40 years ago)more
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and later by the Russian Federation. Mir was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It had a greater mass than any previous spacecraft.
Notable births
1844 — Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist. ↗(182 years ago)more
Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann was an Austrian mathematician and theoretical physicist. His greatest achievements were the development of statistical mechanics and the statistical explanation of the second law of thermodynamics.
1924 — Sidney Poitier, American actor. ↗(102 years ago)more
Sidney Poitier was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, activist, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Among his other accolades are two competitive Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Grammy Award, in addition to nominations for two Emmy Awards and a Tony Award.
1988 — Rihanna, Barbadian singer and businesswoman. ↗(38 years ago)more
Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. An influential figure in popular culture, she is known for her multifaceted career, artistic reinventions, and eclectic fashion style. Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated sales of over 250 million records.
Notable deaths
1707 — Aurangzeb, Mughal Emperor. ↗(319 years ago)more
Alamgir I, commonly known by the title Aurangzeb, was the sixth Mughal emperor, reigning from 1658 until his death in 1707. Under his reign, the Mughal Empire reached its greatest extent, with territory spanning nearly the entirety of the Indian subcontinent.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (51) | 3 × 17 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (315) | 3^2 × 5 × 7 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 20022026 · no palindrome in next 200 years |
| Sun declination | -11.57° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 62 days |