What happened on February 20

54 documented historical events happened on February 20, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: The French colonization of Texas began with the landing of colonists led by Robert de La Salle near Matagorda Bay. On the same day, in another year: The Barber of Seville, an opera buffa composed by Gioachino Rossini, premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome to jeers from the audience. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.

160 people with a Wikipedia article were born on February 20, including Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Castile, Thomas Cajetan, Jan Blahoslav. The list spans every era and every field — art, science, politics, sport, entertainment — ordered by year of birth, from the earliest to the most recent. The six featured people are those most has been written about: the ordering uses the length of their Wikipedia article as an indicator of prominence. For each one you find their occupation, year of birth and a link to the full biography.

95 people with a Wikipedia article died on February 20, including Leo of Catania, Yaroslav the Wise, Conan IV of Brittany. The list is in chronological order by year of death and spans all of documented history, from antiquity to the present day. For each person you find their occupation, the year and a link to the Wikipedia biography, where the full story and its sources can be read.

9 observances are celebrated on February 20 around the world: Christian feast day: Eleutherius of Tournai, Christian feast day: Eucherius of Orléans, Christian feast day: Julia Rodzińska, Christian feast day: Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto, Christian feast day: Frederick Douglass (Episcopal Church (USA)), Christian feast day: Wulfric of Haselbury. The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.