20 October in Indian and World History is celebrated, observed, and remembered for various reasons. 20 October is the birth anniversary of Kumar Sanu, Krishnappa Gautam, Leila Seth, Sudarshan Bhagat, and Virender Sehwag.
20 October is also observed as the death anniversary of Niranjan Nath Wanchoo, and Dadu Chougule Dattatreya.
Birth Anniversary on 20 October
20 October in Indian history is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the following personalities:
Kumar Sanu (20 October 1957, Kolkata, West Bengal) is one of the most famous and successful playback singers of Indian cinema. The 90s of the Hindi film industry was known for the voice of Kumar Sanu. He was born on 20 October 1957 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
Krishnappa Gautam, an Indian first-class cricket player. His professional career began when he was selected for the Under-15 zonal tournament in Bangalore, where he emerged as the second-highest wicket-taker. He played his first Ranji Trophy match for Karnataka in November 2012 against Bengal and took two wickets in the second innings. He was born on 20 October 1988 in Bangalore, Karnataka.
Leila Seth (20 October 1930 – 5 May 2017) was the first woman to become the Chief Justice of the High Court in India. She also had the credit of becoming the first woman judge of Delhi High Court. She was also the first woman in the country to top the London Bar Examination. He was born on 20 October 1930 in Lucknow.
Sudarshan Bhagat is the current Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the Narendra Modi cabinet. He is a Lok Sabha MP from Bharatiya Janata Party, whose constituency is Lohardaga (Jharkhand). In political rivalry, when the country has seen pictures of character accusations by keeping morality aside, it is a big achievement of Sudarshan Bhagat for the opposition to praise his personality even in such a situation.
Virender Sehwag is a famous former Indian cricket player. Has been one of the best opening batsmen in the world. Sehwag announced his retirement from international cricket in October 2015. Sehwag is the only Indian player to have scored a triple century in a Test match. After Sir Donald Bradman and Brian Lara, Sehwag is the third batsman in the world to have set the record of scoring triple century twice in Test cricket.
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Death Anniversary on 20 October
20 October in Indian history is observed as the death anniversary of the following personalities:
Niranjan Nath Wanchoo (1 May 1910 – 20 October 1982) was a senior administrative officer. Later he held the post of Governor of Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. In the year 1934, Niranjan Nath Wanchu entered the ‘Indian Administrative Service’ and started his services as Sub-Collector in Bihar.
Dadu Chougule Dattatreya was one of the famous wrestlers of India. He won a silver medal in the British Commonwealth Games. For his achievements, he was honored with the ‘Dhyanchand Award’ in the year 2018.
Read More: 18 October in Indian and World History
Notable events on 20 October in Indian and World History
Some of the Notable events on 20 October in World History are mentioned below:
20 October 1568 – Akbar attacked Chittorgarh.
20 October 1632 – Sir Christopher Wren a brilliant English architect, astronomer, and mathematician, was born.
20 October 1740 – Maria Theresa became the ruler of Austria, Hungary and Bosnia.
20 October 1774 – Kolkata (then Calcutta) became the capital of India.
20 October 1822 – The first issue of the London Sunday Times is published.
20 October 1880 – Free University of Amsterdam established.
20 October 1904 – Chile and Bolivia signed a treaty of peace and friendship.
20 October 1905 – A historic strike lasting 11 days began in Russia.
20 October 1923 – Otfried Preußler was a celebrated German author, best known for his enchanting children’s books that continue to captivate young readers worldwide.
20 October 1946 – The Democratic-Republican government of Vietnam declared October 20 as Vietnam Women’s Day.
20 October 1946 – Elfriede Jelinek, an Austrian playwright, and Nobel Prize Laureate, was born.
20 October 1947 – America and Pakistan established diplomatic relations for the first time.
20 October 1962 – China attacked India and tried to enter India through Arunachal Pradesh.
20 October 1963 – Case started against Nelson Mandela and eight others in South Africa. 1970 – Syed Barre declared Somalia a socialist state.
20 October 1991 – More than 1000 people died in a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Uttarkashi, India.
20 October 1995 – Special Golden Jubilee Session of the United Nations General Assembly begins.
20 October 1998 – Maldives President Abdul Gayoom re-elected to the post of President for the fifth time.
20 October 2004 – 3 former army officers got death sentence in Bangladesh. Britain’s prestigious literary honor went to Alan Hollinghurst.
20 October 2007 – After the resignation of Ali Larijani, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Jalali became the new chief nuclear negotiator. US President George W Bush announced new sanctions against Myanmar’s military rulers.
20 October 2008- RBI cut the repo rate by one percent.
20 October 2011 – Dictator Mohammad Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for 40 years, was killed in the civil war.
20 October Historical Significance
The date of 20 October holds various significant events in history. On this day in 1962, a pivotal moment occurred when the Sino-Indian War began, marking a major conflict between India and China. This day also commemorates the attack on Chittorgarh by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1568, and the establishment of Calcutta (now Kolkata) as the capital of British India in 1774. Globally, 20 October has seen events such as the completion of the Human Genome Project and the opening of the Metropolitan Opera House, which have had lasting impacts on science and culture. Additionally, it marks the birth of notable figures like Tom Petty and Snoop Dogg, as well as significant scientific breakthroughs and political milestones that have shaped our world today.
Important Days of 20 October in History
Some of the Notable events on 20 October in History are mentioned below:
- World Statistics Day is celebrated every five years on October 20th. It aims to acknowledge the importance of reliable and timely data for informed decision-making by governments, businesses, and individuals. This celebration serves to raise awareness about the critical role that official statistics play in shaping societies, assisting in evidence-based policies, and monitoring global progress.
- World Osteoporosis Day: This day is observed annually on October 20th to raise global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.
- National Solidarity Day (India): In India, October 20th is observed as National Solidarity Day, which emphasizes the importance of unity and integrity in safeguarding the nation.
- International Chefs Day: A day dedicated to celebrating chefs and their contribution to society, promoting culinary arts as a global craft.
- World Day of Bullying Prevention: An initiative to raise awareness about bullying and to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in schools and communities.
- International Sloth Day: A day to celebrate one of the most beloved animals in the world and to raise awareness about its conservation and habitat protection.
- National Call-in Day for Health Reform (USA): An initiative encouraging citizens to call their senators and representatives to express support for health care reform.
- National Youth Confidence Day: Recognized on October 20th to celebrate the energy, spirit, and potential of young people and to encourage their development into confident, inclusive leaders.
- National Day on Writing (USA): Established by the National Council of Teachers of English, this day emphasizes the importance of writing instruction and practice in schools.
Please note that these are just a few examples of the many observances that might be celebrated on October 20th. Different countries may have other national or local observances on this date.