January 20
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Featured Event
CWO Donald MingfieldâU.S. Army Signal Corps/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
Inaugural address delivered by John F. Kennedy
On this day in 1961, U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy delivered his inaugural address in front of nearly 1 million people. He was the youngest person to have been elected president, and his speech garnered praise from across the world. His address was also marked by the famous phrase, âAsk not what your country can do for youâask what you can do for your country.â [Read todayâs edition of Today in History > >]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
Paris Match/Pictorial Parade
Italian director Federico Fellini, born this day in 1920, was one of the most-celebrated filmmakers in the post-World War II period, his distinctive style imposing dreamlike or hallucinatory imagery on ordinary situations.
Famous Birthdays
More on January 20
Official White House photo by Adam Schultz
2021
Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice president of the United States, making her the first woman to serve in that office. [Take our quiz about famous firsts for women.]
White House Photo
2017
After defeating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. [How much do you know about U.S. presidential elections?]
Courtesy of the Office of U.S. Senator Barack Obama
2009
Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the office.
EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica, Inc.
2001
Amid a corruption scandal that sparked mass protests, Philippine President Joseph Estrada was ousted from office; in 2007 he was convicted of plundering but was later pardoned.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
1993
Belgian-born actress Audrey Hepburnâwho created unforgettable film roles as the epitome of sophistication and glamour while paradoxically bewitching audiences and critics with her sprightly mannerisms and elfin charmâdied in Switzerland.
© Will Ireland/Classic Rock MagazineâFuture/Getty Images
1982
Black Sabbath front man Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat during a concert in Des Moines, Iowa. [Discover nine other defining moments in Osbourneâs life.]
MSGT Deal Toney/U.S. Department of Defense
1981
The Iran hostage crisis ended when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini released 52 Americans who had been held hostage for 15 months.
Keystone Press/Alamy
1973
AmĂlcar Lopes Cabral was assassinated as he led efforts to secure Guinea-Bissauâs independence, which was achieved in September 1974.
EncyclopĂŠdia Britannica, Inc.
1971
A nationwide strike in Great Britainâs postal system began. [Take our quiz about British culture and politics.]
Collection of David J. and Janice L. Frent
1945
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for an unprecedented fourth term in office. [Test your knowledge of U.S. presidential firsts.]
NASA
1930
American astronaut Buzz Aldrin was born in Montclair, New Jersey. [Take our space exploration quiz.]
© Bettmann/Getty Images
1892
Several weeks after the chaotic birth of the sport, the first official basketball gameâwith new rules, many of which have been in place ever sinceâwas played in Springfield, Massachusetts. [Read what basketballâs inventor wrote for Britannica in 1929.]
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-17681)
1801
U.S. President John Adams nominated John Marshall to be chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. [Why are there nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court?]
© Photos.com/Getty Images
1778
During the reign of KalaniâĆpuâu, king of the island of Hawaiâi, British explorer James Cook landed at Waimea, on Kauai island. Cook was the first European to visit what would become, in 1959, the U.S. state of Hawaii.