20 May in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 20 May is the birth anniversary of Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, Sumitranandan Pant, Piru Singh Shekhawat, Simranjit Singh Mann, and N.T Rama Rao.
20 May is also observed as the death anniversary of Malhar Rao Holkar, Ganesh Vyankatesh Joshi, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Swami Brahmananda Saraswati.
Birth Anniversary on 20 May
20 May in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati (20 May 1894 – 8 January 1994) also known as the Sage of Kanchi was the 68th Jagadguru Shankaracharya of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham. He was born on 20 May 1894 in Villupuram.
Sumitranandan Pant (20 May 1900 – 28 December 1977), an Indian poet. The beautiful and lively depiction of nature is rare as found in Pantji’s poem. He was a beautiful poet of nature and was well versed in drawing a lively, beautiful, and captivating picture. The composition of national love is also found abundantly in the poetry of Pant Ji. He was a serious thinker, an excellent poet, and a man of innately skilled craftsman of humanity. Pant received the ‘Gyan Peeth Award’ for his work ‘Chidambra‘. His other compositions are the following – Veena, Granthi, Pallava, Pallvini, Atima, Gunjan, Yuganta, Yugavani Gramya, Swarn Kiran, Swarna Dhuli ‘,’ Uttara ‘,’ Shilpi ‘ and Rashmibandh. Pant became the first Hindi poet to receive the Jnanpith Award in 1969 for a collection of his most famous poems titled Chidambara. He also got Padma Bhushan in 1961 by the Indian Government. He was born on 20 May 1900 in Kausani, North-Western Provinces, British India.
Piru Singh Shekhawat (20 May 1918 – 18 July 1948), an Indian Army non-commissioned officer, awarded the Param Vir Chakra. He took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, serving with the Indian Army’s 6th Rajputana Rifles. Piru Singh was born on 20 May 1918 in Beri, Rajputana, British India.
Simranjit Singh Mann, a politician, a former police officer from Punjab, and the president of the political party, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). He was born on 20 May 1945.
N.T Rama Rao, an Indian actor, singer, and television presenter who works in Telugu Cinema. He was also known as Jr NTR or Tarak. He is well known for his acting in Aadi (2002), Simhadri (2003), Rakhi (2006), Yamadonga (2007), Brindavanam (2010), Temper (2015), Nannaku Prematho (2016), Janatha Garage (2016), Jai Lava Kusa (2017) and Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava (2018). He was born on 20 May 1983 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (now in Telangana), India.
Read More: 19 May in Indian and World History
Death Anniversary on 20 May
20 May in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Malhar Rao Holkar (16 March 1694 – 20 May 1766), a noble subedar of the Maratha Empire, in present-day India. He helped in the spread of the Maratha rule to northern states and was given the estate of Indore to rule by the Peshwas, during the reign of the Maratha Emperor Shahu I. He died on 20 May 1766 at the age of 73.
Ganesh Vyankatesh Joshi (9 June 1851 – 20 May 1911), an economist born on 9 June 1851 in Miraj, Maharashtra, India in the Utturkar family. He is also famous with the name Hon.Rao Bahadur G.V.Joshi. Joshi died on 20 May 1911 at the age of 59 in Poona, India.
Bipin Chandra Pal (7 November 1858 – 20 May 1932), an Indian revolutionary, teacher, journalist, and writer. He is one of the great personalities who played a major role in laying the foundation of India’s independence movement. He was part of the famous Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Vipin Chandra Pal) trio. This trio shook the cradles of English rule with its sharp attack. Apart from being a nationalist leader. He is also considered the father of revolutionary ideas in India. He died on 20 May 1932 at the age of 73 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), British India.
Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (21 December 1871 – 20 May 1953), the Shankaracharya of the Jyotir Math monastery in India. He is also known as Guru Dev. Some of his disciples included Swami Shantanand Saraswati, Transcendental Meditation founder Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Svāmī Swarūpānanda Sarasvatī and Swami Karpatri. He died on 20 May 1953 at the age of 81 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India.
Read More: 18 May in Indian and World History
Notable events on 20 May in Indian and World History
Some of the Notable events on 20 May in World History are mentioned below:
20 May 1498 – The Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama, reached Calicut (now Kozhikode) after discovering the sea route to India.
20 May 1822 – Frederic Passy, a French economist, pacifist, and Nobel Prize Laureate was born.
20 May 1860 – Eduard Buchner, a German chemist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
20 May 1873 – San Francisco businessman Levi Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis were awarded the same day in 1873 to make the world’s first jeans.
20 May 1882 – Sigrid Undset, a Norwegian novelist, essayist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
20 May 1918 – Piru Singh, an Indian Army non-commissioned officer, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
20 May 1918 – Edward Butts Lewis, an American geneticist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
20 May 1940 – Verner von Heidenstam, a Swedish poet, novelist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
20 May 1947 – Philipp Lenard, a Hungarian-born German physicist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
20 May 1965 – About 100 people lost their lives in the crash of a Pakistani Boeing aircraft “720-B” in Egypt.
20 May 1965 – Successful launch of unmanned space ‘Spectra’ by Russia.
20 May 1983 – 16 people were killed and more than 130 injured in a car bomb blast in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa.
20 May 1989 – John Richards Hicks, a British economist, and Nobel Prize Laureate, died.
20 May 2003 – Pakistan banned the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen.
20 May 2012 – Earthquake in Italy killed 27 people.
20 May Historical Significance
The date of May 20th holds a rich tapestry of historical events that have shaped various aspects of world history. On this day in 325, the First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council of Christian bishops, was formally opened, marking a significant moment in the development of early Christianity. In 1498, Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama arrived at Calicut, India, becoming the first European to reach India by sea, which established a new maritime route and had a profound impact on global trade. The year 1609 saw the publication of Shakespeare’s sonnets, a cornerstone of English literature. Fast forward to 1802, Napoleon Bonaparte reinstated slavery in the French colonies with the Law of 20 May, revoking its abolition during the French Revolution, a decision that had deep and lasting social implications. Additionally, May 20th is also remembered for the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, which is claimed to have been signed in 1775 in North Carolina, asserting independence from Great Britain before the Declaration of Independence. Each of these events, among others, contributes to the historical significance of May 20th, reflecting a day of profound changes, discoveries, and declarations that have echoed through time.
Important Days of 20 May in History
Some of the Notable events on 20 May in History are mentioned below:
- World Bee Day (International): A day to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators in the ecosystem.
- World Metrology Day (International): Celebrates the impact of measurement and metrology on our daily lives.
- National Rescue Dog Day (United States): Recognizes the importance of rescue dogs and encourages their adoption.
- Endangered Species Day (United States): Raises awareness about the need to protect endangered species and their habitats.
- National Bike to Work Day (United States): Promotes cycling as a healthy and environmentally friendly commute option.
- National Pizza Party Day (United States): A fun celebration of one of the most popular foods worldwide.
- National Quiche Lorraine Day (United States): Honors this classic French dish, enjoyed by many in the U.S.
- International Tea Day (International): Highlights the cultural and economic significance of tea around the world.
- Cameroon Republic Day, a momentous occasion celebrated annually on May 20th. Join us as we delve into the rich tapestry of history, cultural significance, and festive traditions surrounding this important day for the people of Cameroon.
