So you want to have a drink but you aren't sure why? Here are some GREAT reasons to call your friends over and have a party.

April 20th


- 4/20, a counterculture holiday, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis.
- Christian Feast Day
- L. Ron Hubbard Exhibition Day (Church of Scientology)
- Ridván begins at sunset (Bahá'í Faith)

April 20th


- 2010 - Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion kills 11 and causes rig to sink, initiating a massive oil discharge in the Gulf of Mexico.
- 2008 - Danica Patrick wins the Indy Japan 300 becoming the first female driver in history to win an Indy car race.
- 2007 - Johnson Space Center Shooting: A man with a handgun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas before killing a male hostage and himself.
- 1999 - Columbine High School massacre: Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold kill 13 people and injure 24 others before committing suicide at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado.
- 1998 - German terrorist group Red Army Faction announces their dissolution after 28 years.
- 1986 - Pianist Vladimir Horowitz performs in his native Russia for the first time in 61 years.
- 1986 - Professional basketball player Michael Jordan sets all-time record for points in an NBA playoff game with 63 against the Boston Celtics.
- 1985 - ATF raid on The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord compound in northern Arkansas.
- 1984 - The Good Friday Massacre, an extremely violent ice hockey playoff game, is played in Montreal, Canada.
- 1980 - Climax of Berber Spring in Algeria as hundreds of Berber political activists are arrested.
- 1978 - Korean Air Flight 902 is shot down by Soviets.
- 1972 - Apollo 16 landed on the moon commanded by John Young.
- 1968 - English politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial Rivers of Blood speech.
- 1964 - BBC Two launches with the power cut because of the fire at Battersea Power Station.
- 1961 - Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed troops against Cuba.
- 1945 - World War II: US troops capture Leipzig, Germany, only to later cede the city to the Soviet Union.
- 1945 - World War II: Fuehrerbunker: Adolf Hitler makes his last trip to the surface to award Iron Crosses to boy soldiers of the Hitler Youth.
- 1939 - Billie Holiday records the first Civil Rights song "Strange Fruit".
- 1926 - Western Electric and Warner Bros. announce Vitaphone, a process to add sound to film.
- 1918 - Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron, shoots down his 79th and 80th victims marking his final victories before his death the following day.
- 1916 - The Chicago Cubs play their first game at Weeghman Park (currently Wrigley Field), defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings
- 1914 - Nineteen men, women, and children die in the Ludlow Massacre during a Colorado coal-miner's strike.
- 1912 - Opening day for baseball stadiums Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan, and Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
- 1908 - Opening day of competition of the New South Wales Rugby League.
- 1902 - Pierre and Marie Curie refine radium chloride.
- 1884 - Pope Leo XIII publishes the encyclical Humanum Genus.
- 1876 - The April Uprising - a key point in the new bulgarian history, leading to the Russo-Turkish War and the liberation of Bulgaria from ottoman slavery, as an independent part of the Ottoman Empire.
- 1871 - The Civil Rights Act of 1871 becomes law.
- 1862 - Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard complete the first pasteurization tests.
- 1861 - American Civil War: Robert E. Lee resigns his commission in the United States Army in order to command the forces of the state of Virginia.
- 1836 - U.S. Congress passes an act creating the Wisconsin Territory.
- 1828 - René Caillié becomes the first non-Muslim to enter Timbouctou.
- 1818 - The case of Ashford v Thornton was concluded, with Abraham Thornton allowed to go free rather than face a retrial for murder, after his demand for trial by battle was upheld.
- 1810 - The Governor of Caracas declares independence from Spain.
- 1809 - Two Austrian army corps in Bavaria are defeated by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon I of France at the Battle of Abensberg on the second day of a four day campaign which ended in a French victory.
- 1792 - France declares war on Austria, the beginning of French Revolutionary Wars.
- 1775 - American Revolutionary War: the Siege of Boston begins, following the battles at Lexington and Concord.
- 1689 - The former King James II of England, now deposed, lays siege to Derry.
- 1657 - Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet under heavy fire at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
- 1657 - Freedom of religion is granted to the Jews of New Amsterdam (later New York City).
- 1653 - Oliver Cromwell dissolves the Rump Parliament.
- 1535 - The Sun Dog phenomenon observed over Stockholm and depicted in the famous painting "Vädersolstavlan"
- 1534 - Jacques Cartier begins the voyage during which he discovers Canada and Labrador.
- 1526 - The last ruler of the Lodi Dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi was defeated and killed by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat.
- 1453 - The last naval battle in Byzantine history occurs, as three Genoese galleys escorting a Byzantine transport fight their way through the huge Ottoman blockade fleet and into the Golden Horn.
- 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII.

April 20th


- 1987 - John Patrick Amedori, American actor
- 1986 - Cameron Duncan, New Zealand director (d. 2003)
- 1985 - Ehsan Jami, Dutch-Iranian politician and activist.
- 1984 - Tyson Griffin, American mixed martial artist
- 1983 - Danny Granger, American basketball player
- 1983 - Terrence J, American television host
- 1983 - Miranda Kerr, Australian supermodel
- 1983 - Joanne King, Irish/English actress
- 1983 - Fabio Staibano, Italian rugby player
- 1981 - Matus Valent, male fitness model
- 1980 - Arin Paul, Indian Film Director
- 1980 - Jasmin Wagner, German singer
- 1980 - Chris Duffy, American baseball player
- 1979 - Nathan Marquardt, American mixed martial artist
- 1979 - Quinn Weng, Taiwanese singer (Seraphim)
- 1978 - Mirei Kuroda, Japanese gravure idol
- 1977 - Johnny "The Bull" Stamboli, professional wrestler
- 1976 - Shay Given, Irish footballer
- 1976 - Joey Lawrence, American actor
- 1976 - Chris Mason, Canadian ice hockey goaltender
- 1973 - Geoff Lloyd, British radio presenter
- 1973 - Lamond Murray, American basketball player
- 1972 - Le Huynh ?uc, Vietnamese footballer
- 1972 - Carmen Electra, American actress
- 1972 - Marko Kon, Serbian singer, composer, songwriter and producer
- 1972 - Željko Joksimovi?, Serbian singer, songwriter and producer
- 1972 - Stephen Marley, Jamaican musician
- 1971 - Tina Cousins, English singer
- 1971 - Carla Geurts, Dutch swimmer
- 1971 - Allan Houston, American basketball player
- 1970 - Shemar Moore, American actor
- 1970 - Adriano Moraes, Brazilian rodeo performer
- 1970 - Saraa, Mongolian singer
- 1968 - J. D. Roth, American game show host and television personality
- 1967 - Raymond van Barneveld, Dutch darts player
- 1967 - Lara Jill Miller, American actress
- 1967 - Mike Portnoy, American drummer (Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold)
- 1966 - David Chalmers, Australian philosopher
- 1965 - Adrian Fernández, Mexican racing driver
- 1965 - Kostas Hatzidakis, Greek politician
- 1965 - April March, American musician
- 1964 - Crispin Glover, American actor
- 1964 - Andy Serkis, English actor
- 1964 - Rosalynn Sumners, American figure skater
- 1963 - Aubrey de Grey, British biomedical gerontologist
- 1963 - Maurício Gugelmin, Brazilian racing driver
- 1962 - Henry Joseph Nasiff Jr. (AKA: Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf), American radio personality (d. 2001)
- 1961 - Konstantin Lavronenko, Russian actor
- 1961 - Don Mattingly, American baseball player
- 1961 - Barry Smolin, American radio host, writer, and musician
- 1959 - Clint Howard, American actor
- 1958 - Viacheslav Fetisov, Russian ice hockey player
- 1957 - Geraint Wyn Davies, Welsh-born Canadian actor
- 1956 - Beatrice Ask, Swedish politician
- 1955 - Don Pettit, American astronaut and inventor
- 1954 - Gilles Lupien, French-Canadian ice hockey player
- 1953 - Sebastian Faulks, British novelist
- 1952 - Božidar Maljkovi?, Serbian basketball coach
- 1951 - Luther Vandross, American singer (d. 2005)
- 1950 - Steve Erickson, American novelist
- 1950 - Aleksandr Lebed, Russian general and politician (d. 2002)
- 1950 - Chandra Babu Naidu, Indian politician
- 1949 - Veronica Cartwright, American actress
- 1949 - Toller Cranston, Canadian figure skater and artist
- 1949 - Massimo D'Alema, 76th Prime Minister of Italy
- 1949 - Jessica Lange, American actress
- 1948 - Craig Frost, American musician (Grand Funk & Bob Seger)
- 1948 - Gregory Itzin, American actor
- 1948 - Rémy Trudel, French Canadian politician
- 1947 - David Leland, British actor, director and screenwriter
- 1947 - Ken Scott, English record producer and recording engineer
- 1947 - Björn Skifs, Swedish singer (Blue Swede)
- 1947 - Andrew Tobias, American journalist and author
- 1946 - Julien Poulin, French Canadian actor
- 1946 - Gordon Smiley, American racecar driver (d. 1982)
- 1945 - Steve Spurrier, American football player and coach
- 1945 - Michael Brandon, American actor
- 1943 - John Eliot Gardiner, English conductor
- 1943 - Edie Sedgwick, American actress (d. 1971)
- 1942 - Arto Paasilinna, Finnish writer
- 1941 - Ryan O'Neal, American actor
- 1940 - James Gammon, American actor (d. 2010)
- 1939 - Peter S. Beagle, American author
- 1939 - Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway
- 1939 - Johnny Tillotson, American singer
- 1937 - Antonios Kounadis, Greek discus thrower
- 1937 - George Takei, American actor
- 1936 - Pat Roberts, American politician
- 1931 - John Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles, British businessman and peer
- 1928 - Johnny Gavin, Irish footballer (d. 2007)
- 1928 - Gerald S. Hawkins, English astronomer (d. 2003)
- 1927 - Phil Hill, American race car driver (d. 2008)
- 1927 - Karl Alexander Müller, Swiss physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1925 - Ernie Stautner, German-born American football player (d. 2006)
- 1924 - Nina Foch, Dutch-born American actress (d. 2008)
- 1924 - Leslie Phillips, English actor
- 1923 - Mother Angelica, American nun and broadcaster
- 1923 - Tito Puente, American musician (d. 2000)
- 1921 - Janine Sutto, French-Canadian actress
- 1920 - Ronald Speirs, WWII Veteran (d. 2007)
- 1920 - John Paul Stevens, American jurist
- 1919 - Richard Hillary, Australian pilot and author (d. 1943)
- 1918 - Edward L. Beach, Jr., American naval officer, author (d. 2002)
- 1918 - Kai Siegbahn, Swedish physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
- 1915 - Joseph Wolpe, South African–born psychotherapist (d. 1997)
- 1914 - Betty Lou Gerson, American actress (d. 1999)
- 1908 - Lionel Hampton, American musician (d. 2002)
- 1904 - George Stibitz, American scientist (d. 1995)
- 1904 - Bruce Cabot, American actor (d. 1972)
- 1896 - Wop May, Canadian aviator (d. 1952)
- 1896 - Henry de Montherlant, French writer (d. 1972)
- 1895 - Emile Christian, American musician (d. 1973)
- 1893 - Harold Lloyd, American actor (d. 1971)
- 1893 - Joan Miró, Spanish painter (d. 1983)
- 1893 - Edna Parker, American supercentenarian (d. 2008)
- 1890 - Maurice Duplessis, premier of Quebec (d. 1959)
- 1889 - Albert Jean Amateau, Turkish-born businessman and activist (d. 1996)
- 1889 - Adolf Hitler, German politician, Chancellor of Germany, Nazi dictator of Germany (d. 1945)
- 1884 - Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (d. 1966)
- 1882 - Holland Smith, U.S. General (d. 1967)
- 1879 - Paul Poiret, French couturier (d. 1944)
- 1871 - Sydney Chapman, British economist and civil servant (d. 1951)
- 1870 - Maulvi Abdul Haq, Pakistani scholar (d. 1961)
- 1851 - Young Tom Morris, Scottish golfer (d. 1875)
- 1850 - Daniel Chester French, American sculptor (d. 1931)
- 1826 - Dinah Craik, English author (d. 1887)
- 1818 - Heinrich Göbel, German-born inventor (d. 1893)
- 1808 - Napoleon III of France, Emperor of the French (d. 1873)
- 1745 - Philippe Pinel, French physician (d. 1826)
- 1727 - Comte de Mercy-Argenteau, Belgian-born Austrian diplomat (d. 1794)
- 1723 - Cornelius Harnett, American Continental Congress delegate (d. 1781)
- 1718 - David Brainerd, American missionary (d. 1747)
- 1668 - Yuri Troubetzkoy, Governor of Belgorod (d. 1739)
- 1650 - William Bedloe, English informer (d. 1680)
- 1646 - Charles Plumier, French botanist (d. 1704)
- 1633 - Emperor Go-Komyo of Japan (d. 1654)
- 1586 - Saint Rose of Lima, Peruvian saint (d. 1617)
- 1494 - Johannes Agricola, German Protestant reformer (d. 1566)
- 702 - Jafar Sadiq, Shi'a Imam and Muslim scholar (d. 765)