February 20

Pre-1600

 * 1339 – The Milanese army and the St. George's (San Giorgio) Mercenaries of Lodrisio Visconti clash in the Battle of Parabiago; Visconti is defeated.
 * 1472 – Orkney and Shetland are pawned by Norway to Scotland in lieu of a dowry for Margaret of Denmark.
 * 1521 – Juan Ponce de León sets out from Spain for Florida with about 200 prospective colonists.
 * 1547 – Edward VI of England is crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.

1601–1900

 * 1685 – René-Robert Cavelier establishes Fort St. Louis at Matagorda Bay thus forming the basis for France's claim to Texas.
 * 1792 – The Postal Service Act, establishing the United States Post Office Department, is signed by United States President George Washington.
 * 1798 – Louis-Alexandre Berthier removes Pope Pius VI from power.
 * 1813 – Manuel Belgrano defeats the royalist army of Pío de Tristán during the Battle of Salta.
 * 1816 – Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville premieres at the Teatro Argentina in Rome.
 * 1824 – William Buckland formally announces the name Megalosaurus, the first scientifically validly named non-avian dinosaur species.
 * 1835 – The 1835 Concepción earthquake destroys Concepción, Chile.
 * 1846 – Polish insurgents lead an uprising in Kraków to incite a fight for national independence.
 * 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Olustee: The largest battle fought in Florida during the war.
 * 1865 – End of the Uruguayan War, with a peace agreement between President Tomás Villalba and rebel leader Venancio Flores, setting the scene for the destructive War of the Triple Alliance.
 * 1872 – The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.
 * 1877 – Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake receives its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

1901–present

 * 1901 – The legislature of Hawaii Territory convenes for the first time.
 * 1905 – The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the constitutionality of Massachusetts's mandatory smallpox vaccination program in Jacobson v. Massachusetts.
 * 1909 – Publication of the Futurist Manifesto in the French journal Le Figaro.
 * 1913 – King O'Malley drives in the first survey peg to mark commencement of work on the construction of Canberra.
 * 1920 – An earthquake kills between 114 and 130 in Georgia and heavily damages the town of Gori.
 * 1931 – The U.S. Congress approves the construction of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge by the state of California.
 * 1931  – An anarchist uprising in Encarnación, Paraguay briefly transforms the city into a revolutionary commune.
 * 1933 – The U.S. Congress approves the Blaine Act to repeal federal Prohibition in the United States, sending the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution to state ratifying conventions for approval.
 * 1933  – Adolf Hitler secretly meets with German industrialists to arrange for financing of the Nazi Party's upcoming election campaign.
 * 1935 – Caroline Mikkelsen becomes the first woman to set foot in Antarctica.
 * 1939 – Madison Square Garden Nazi rally: The largest ever pro-Nazi rally in United States history is convened in Madison Square Garden, New York City, with 20,000 members and sympathizers of the German American Bund present.
 * 1942 – World War II: Lieutenant Edward O'Hare becomes America's first World War II flying ace.
 * 1943 – World War II: American movie studio executives agree to allow the Office of War Information to censor movies.
 * 1943  – The Saturday Evening Post publishes the first of Norman Rockwell's Four Freedoms in support of United States President Franklin Roosevelt's 1941 State of the Union address theme of Four Freedoms.
 * 1944 – World War II: The "Big Week" began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers.
 * 1944  – World War II: The United States takes Eniwetok Atoll.
 * 1952 – Emmett Ashford becomes the first African-American umpire in organized baseball by being authorized to be a substitute umpire in the Southwestern International League.
 * 1956 – The United States Merchant Marine Academy becomes a permanent Service Academy.
 * 1959 – The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
 * 1962 – Mercury program: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, making three orbits in four hours, 55 minutes.
 * 1965 – Ranger 8 crashes into the Moon after a successful mission of photographing possible landing sites for the Apollo program astronauts.
 * 1968 – The China Academy of Space Technology, China's main arm for the research, development, and creation of space satellites, is established in Beijing.
 * 1971 – The United States Emergency Broadcast System is accidentally activated in an erroneous national alert.
 * 1979 – An earthquake cracks open the Sinila volcanic crater on the Dieng Plateau, releasing poisonous H2S gas and killing 149 villagers in the Indonesian province of Central Java.
 * 1986 – The Soviet Union launches its Mir spacecraft. Remaining in orbit for 15 years, it is occupied for ten of those years.
 * 1988 – The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast votes to secede from Azerbaijan and join Armenia, triggering the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
 * 1991 – In the Albanian capital Tirana, a gigantic statue of Albania's long-time leader, Enver Hoxha, is brought down by mobs of angry protesters.
 * 1998 – American figure skater Tara Lipinski, at the age of 15, becomes the youngest Olympic figure skating gold-medalist at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
 * 2003 – During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the Station nightclub ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others.
 * 2005 – Spain becomes the first country to vote in a referendum on ratification of the proposed Constitution of the European Union, passing it by a substantial margin, but on a low turnout.
 * 2009 – Two Tamil Tigers aircraft packed with C4 explosives en route to the national airforce headquarters are shot down by the Sri Lankan military before reaching their target, in a kamikaze style attack.
 * 2010 – In Madeira Island, Portugal, heavy rain causes floods and mudslides, resulting in at least 43 deaths, in the worst disaster in the history of the archipelago.
 * 2014 – Dozens of Euromaidan anti-government protesters died in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, many reportedly killed by snipers.
 * 2015 – Two trains collide in the Swiss town of Rafz resulting in as many as 49 people injured and Swiss Federal Railways cancelling some services.
 * 2016 – Six people are killed and two injured in multiple shooting incidents in Kalamazoo County, Michigan.

Pre-1600

 * 1358 – Eleanor of Aragon, queen of John I of Castile (d. 1382)
 * 1469 – Thomas Cajetan, Italian philosopher (d. 1534)
 * 1523 – Jan Blahoslav, Czech writer (d. 1571)
 * 1549 – Francesco Maria II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, last Duke of Urbino (d. 1631)
 * 1552 – Sengoku Hidehisa, Daimyō (d. 1614)

1601–1900

 * 1608 – Arthur Capell, 1st Baron Capell of Hadham (d. 1649)
 * 1631 – Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds, English politician, Treasurer of the Navy (d. 1712)
 * 1633 – Jan de Baen, Dutch painter (d. 1702)
 * 1705 – Nicolas Chédeville, French musette player and composer (d. 1782)
 * 1726 – William Prescott, American colonel (d. 1795)
 * 1745 – Henry James Pye, English poet and politician (d. 1813)
 * 1748 – Luther Martin, American politician (d. 1826)
 * 1751 – Johann Heinrich Voss, German poet, translator, and academic (d. 1826)
 * 1753 – Louis-Alexandre Berthier, French general and politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1815)
 * 1756 – Angelica Schuyler Church, American socialite, sister-in-law to Alexander Hamilton (d. 1814)
 * 1759 – Johann Christian Reil, German physician, physiologist, and anatomist (d. 1813)
 * 1774 – Vicente Sebastián Pintado, Spanish cartographer, engineer, military officer and land surveyor of Spanish Louisiana and Spanish West Florida (d. 1829)
 * 1784 – Judith Montefiore, British linguist, travel writer, philanthropist (d. 1862)
 * 1792 – Eliza Courtney, French daughter of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (d. 1859)
 * 1794 – William Carleton, Irish author (d. 1869)
 * 1802 – Charles Auguste de Bériot, Belgian violinist and composer (d. 1870)
 * 1819 – Alfred Escher, Swiss businessman and politician (d. 1882)
 * 1839 – Benjamin Waugh, English activist, founded the NSPCC (d. 1908)
 * 1844 – Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1906)
 * 1844  – Joshua Slocum, Canadian sailor and adventurer (d. 1909)
 * 1848 – E. H. Harriman, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1909)
 * 1857 – A. P. Lucas, English cricketer (d. 1923)
 * 1866 – Carl Westman, Swedish architect, designed the Stockholm Court House and Röhsska Museum (d. 1936)
 * 1867 – Louise, Princess Royal of England (d. 1931)
 * 1870 – Jay Johnson Morrow, American engineer and politician, 3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (d. 1937)
 * 1874 – Mary Garden, Scottish-American soprano and actress (d. 1967)
 * 1879 – Hod Stuart, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1907)
 * 1880 – Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen, French author and poet (d. 1923)
 * 1882 – Elie Nadelman, Polish-American sculptor (d. 1946)
 * 1887 – Vincent Massey, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Governor General of Canada (d. 1967)
 * 1888 – Georges Bernanos, French soldier and author (d. 1948)
 * 1889 – Hulusi Behçet, Turkish dermatologist and physician (d. 1948)
 * 1893 – Elizabeth Holloway Marston, American psychologist and author (d. 1993)
 * 1895 – Louis Zborowski, English race car driver and engineer (d. 1924)
 * 1897 – Ivan Albright, American painter (d. 1983)
 * 1898 – Ante Ciliga, Croatian politician, writer and publisher (d. 1992)
 * 1898  – Enzo Ferrari, Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, founder of Scuderia Ferrari and Ferrari (d. 1988)
 * 1899 – Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1992)

1901–present

 * 1901 – René Dubos, French-American biologist and author (d. 1982)
 * 1901  – Louis Kahn, American architect, designed the Salk Institute, the Kimbell Art Museum and the Bangladesh Parliament Building (d. 1974)
 * 1901  – Muhammad Naguib, Egyptian general and politician, 1st President of Egypt (d. 1984)
 * 1901  – Ramakrishna Ranga Rao of Bobbili, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th Chief Minister of Madras Presidency (d. 1978)
 * 1902 – Ansel Adams, American photographer and environmentalist (d. 1984)
 * 1906 – Gale Gordon, American actor (d. 1995)
 * 1912 – Pierre Boulle, French soldier and author (d. 1994)
 * 1912  – Johnny Checketts, New Zealand flying ace of the Second World War (d. 2006)
 * 1913 – Tommy Henrich, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2009)
 * 1914 – John Charles Daly, South African–American journalist and game show host (d. 1991)
 * 1916 – Jean Erdman, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2020)
 * 1918 – Leonore Annenberg, American businesswoman and diplomat (d. 2009)
 * 1919 – James O'Meara, English soldier and pilot (d. 1974)
 * 1920 – Karl Albrecht, German businessman, co-founded Aldi (d. 2014)
 * 1921 – Buddy Rogers, American wrestler (d. 1992)
 * 1923 – Victor G. Atiyeh, American businessman and politician, 32nd Governor of Oregon (d. 2014)
 * 1923  – Forbes Burnham, Guyanese lawyer and politician, 2nd President of Guyana (d. 1985)
 * 1923  – Rena Vlahopoulou, Greek actress (d. 2004)
 * 1924 – Gloria Vanderbilt, American actress, fashion designer, and socialite (d. 2019)
 * 1925 – Robert Altman, American director and screenwriter (d. 2006)
 * 1925  – Tochinishiki Kiyotaka, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 44th Yokozuna (d. 1990)
 * 1926 – Matthew Bucksbaum, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded General Growth Properties (d. 2013)
 * 1926  – Gillian Lynne, English ballerina, choreographer, and director (d. 2018)
 * 1926  – Richard Matheson, American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
 * 1926  – Bob Richards, American Olympic track and field athlete (d. 2023)
 * 1926  – María de la Purísima Salvat Romero, Spanish Roman Catholic nun; later canonized (d. 1998)
 * 1927 – Roy Cohn, American lawyer and political activist (d. 1986)
 * 1927  – Ibrahim Ferrer, Cuban singer and musician (d. 2005)
 * 1927  – Hubert de Givenchy, French fashion designer (d. 2018)
 * 1927  – Sidney Poitier, Bahamian-American actor, director, and diplomat (d. 2022)
 * 1928 – Jean Kennedy Smith, American diplomat, 25th United States Ambassador to Ireland (d. 2020)
 * 1929 – Amanda Blake, American actress (d. 1989)
 * 1931 – John Milnor, American mathematician and academic
 * 1932 – Adrian Cristobal, Filipino journalist and author (d. 2007)
 * 1934 – Bobby Unser, American race car driver (d. 2021)
 * 1935 – Ellen Gilchrist, American novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 2024)
 * 1936 – Marj Dusay, American actress (d. 2020)
 * 1936  – Larry Hovis, American actor and singer (d. 2003)
 * 1936  – Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball player and coach
 * 1937 – Robert Huber, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
 * 1937  – Roger Penske, American race car driver and businessman
 * 1937  – Nancy Wilson, American singer and actress (d. 2018)
 * 1939 – Herbert Kohler Jr., American businessman (d. 2022)
 * 1940 – Jimmy Greaves, English footballer and TV pundit (d. 2021)
 * 1941 – Lim Kit Siang, Malaysian lawyer and politician
 * 1941  – Buffy Sainte-Marie, Canadian singer-songwriter and producer
 * 1942 – Phil Esposito, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
 * 1942  – Mitch McConnell, American lawyer and politician
 * 1942  – Claude Miller, French director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
 * 1943 – Antonio Inoki, Japanese wrestler, mixed martial artist, and politician (d. 2022)
 * 1943  – Mike Leigh, English director and screenwriter
 * 1944 – Robert de Cotret, Canadian economist and politician, 56th Secretary of State for Canada (d. 1999)
 * 1944  – Lew Soloff, American trumpet player, composer, and actor (d. 2015)
 * 1944  – Willem van Hanegem, Dutch footballer and coach
 * 1945 – Alan Hull, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1995)
 * 1946 – Brenda Blethyn, English actress
 * 1946  – Sandy Duncan, American actress, singer, and dancer
 * 1946  – J. Geils, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
 * 1947 – Peter Osgood, English footballer (d. 2006)
 * 1947  – Peter Strauss, American actor and producer
 * 1948 – Pierre Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
 * 1948  – Jennifer O'Neill, American model and actress
 * 1949 – Eddie Hemmings, English cricketer
 * 1949  – Ivana Trump, Czech-American socialite and model (d. 2022)
 * 1950 – Walter Becker, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2017)
 * 1950  – Peter Marinello, Scottish footballer
 * 1950  – Tony Wilson, English journalist and businessman (d. 2007)
 * 1951 – Edward Albert, American actor (d. 2006)
 * 1951  – Gordon Brown, Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
 * 1951  – Randy California, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1997)
 * 1951  – Phil Neal, English footballer and manager
 * 1953 – Poison Ivy, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
 * 1954 – Jon Brant, American bass player
 * 1954  – Anthony Head, English actor
 * 1954  – Patty Hearst, American actress and author
 * 1957 – Glen Hanlon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
 * 1958 – James Wilby, English actor
 * 1959 – Scott Brayton, American race car driver (d. 1996)
 * 1959  – David Corn, American journalist and author
 * 1959  – Bill Gullickson, American baseball player
 * 1960 – Joel Hodgson, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter
 * 1960  – Cándido Muatetema Rivas, Equatoguinean politician and diplomat, Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea (d. 2014)
 * 1961 – Steve Lundquist, American swimmer
 * 1962 – Dwayne McDuffie, American author, screenwriter, and producer, co-founded Milestone Media (d. 2011)
 * 1963 – Charles Barkley, American basketball player and sportscaster
 * 1963  – Ian Brown, English singer-songwriter and musician
 * 1963  – Joakim Nystrom, Swedish tennis player
 * 1963  – Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Health
 * 1963  – Cui Yongyuan, Chinese former anchor
 * 1964 – Willie Garson, American actor and director (d. 2021)
 * 1964  – Tom Harris, Scottish journalist and politician
 * 1964  – Jeff Maggert, American golfer
 * 1964  – French Stewart, American actor
 * 1966 – Cindy Crawford, American model and businesswoman
 * 1967 – Paul Accola, Swiss alpine skier
 * 1967  – Kurt Cobain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1994)
 * 1967  – David Herman, American comedian and actor
 * 1967  – Andrew Shue, American actor and activist, founded Do Something
 * 1967  – Lili Taylor, American actress
 * 1969 – Kjell Ove Hauge, Norwegian school principal and track and field athlete
 * 1969  – Siniša Mihajlović, Serbian footballer and manager (d. 2022)
 * 1969  – Danis Tanović, Bosnian director and screenwriter
 * 1971 – Jari Litmanen, Finnish footballer
 * 1971  – Joost van der Westhuizen, South African rugby player (d. 2017)
 * 1973 – Andrea Savage, American actress and comedian
 * 1974 – Karim Bagheri, Iranian footballer and manager
 * 1975 – Liván Hernández, Cuban-American baseball player
 * 1975  – Brian Littrell, American singer-songwriter and actor
 * 1977 – Gail Kim, Canadian wrestler
 * 1977  – Stephon Marbury, American basketball player
 * 1978 – Lauren Ambrose, American actress
 * 1978  – Jay Hernandez, American actor
 * 1978  – Chelsea Peretti, American actress, comedian, writer, and singer-songwriter
 * 1979 – Michael Zegen, American actor
 * 1980 – Imanol Harinordoquy, French rugby player
 * 1980  – Luis Gabriel Rey, Colombian footballer
 * 1980  – Artur Boruc, Polish footballer
 * 1981 – Majandra Delfino, American actress and singer-songwriter
 * 1981  – Tony Hibbert, English footballer
 * 1983 – Jose Morales, Puerto Rican baseball player
 * 1983  – Justin Verlander, American baseball player
 * 1984 – Brian McCann, American baseball player
 * 1984  – Trevor Noah, South African comedian, actor, and television host
 * 1985 – Killian Dain, Northern Irish wrestler
 * 1985  – Ryan Sweeney, American baseball player
 * 1985  – Julia Volkova, Russian singer and actress
 * 1986 – Julio Borbón, American baseball player
 * 1987 – Luke Burgess, English rugby league player
 * 1987  – Martin Hanzal, Czech ice hockey player
 * 1987  – James Johnson, American basketball player
 * 1987  – Daniella Pineda, American actress
 * 1987  – Miles Teller, American actor
 * 1988 – Ki Bo-bae, South Korean archer
 * 1988  – Jiah Khan, Indian singer and actress (d. 2013)
 * 1988  – Rihanna, Barbadian singer, songwriter and actress
 * 1989 – Jack Falahee, American actor and singer-songwriter
 * 1990 – Ciro Immobile, Italian footballer
 * 1991 – Hidilyn Diaz, Filipino weightlifter
 * 1991  – Angelique van der Meet, Dutch tennis player
 * 1993 – Jurickson Profar, Curaçaoan baseball player
 * 1994 – Kateryna Baindl, Ukrainian tennis player
 * 1994  – Luis Severino, Dominican baseball player
 * 1995 – Elle Purrier St. Pierre, American track and field athlete
 * 1996 – Clarke Schmidt, American baseball player
 * 1998 – Emam Ashour, Egyptian footballer
 * 1999 – Jarrett Culver, American basketball player
 * 2000 – Josh Sargent, American soccer player
 * 2002 – Gavin Bazunu, Irish footballer
 * 2003 – Olivia Rodrigo, American actress and singer

Pre-1600

 * 789 – Leo of Catania, saint and bishop of Catania (b. 709)
 * 922 – Theodora, Byzantine empress
 * 1054 – Yaroslav the Wise, grand prince of Veliky Novgorod and Kyiv (b. 978)
 * 1154 – Saint Wulfric of Haselbury (b. c. 1080)
 * 1171 – Conan IV, Duke of Brittany (b. 1138)
 * 1194 – Tancred, King of Sicily (b. 1138)
 * 1258 – Al-Musta'sim, Iraqi caliph (b. 1213)
 * 1408 – Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland, English politician, Earl Marshal of England (b. 1341)
 * 1431 – Pope Martin V (b. 1368)
 * 1458 – Lazar Branković, Despot of Serbia
 * 1513 – King John of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (b. 1455)
 * 1524 – Tecun Uman, Mayan ruler (b. 1500)
 * 1579 – Nicholas Bacon, English politician (b. 1509)

1601–1900

 * 1618 – Philip William, Prince of Orange (b. 1554)
 * 1626 – John Dowland, English lute player and composer (b. 1563)
 * 1762 – Tobias Mayer, German astronomer and academic (b. 1723)
 * 1771 – Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan, French geophysicist and astronomer (b. 1678)
 * 1773 – Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (b. 1701)
 * 1778 – Laura Bassi, Italian physicist and scholar (b. 1711)
 * 1790 – Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1741)
 * 1806 – Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-American general and politician (b. 1725)
 * 1810 – Andreas Hofer, Tyrolean rebel leader (b. 1767)
 * 1850 – Valentín Canalizo, Mexican general and politician. 14th President (1843–1844) (b. 1794)
 * 1862 – William Wallace Lincoln, American son of Abraham Lincoln (b. 1850)
 * 1871 – Paul Kane, Irish-Canadian painter (b. 1810)
 * 1893 – P. G. T. Beauregard, American general (b. 1818)
 * 1895 – Frederick Douglass, American author and activist (b. c. 1818)
 * 1900 – Washakie, American tribal leader (b. 1798)

1901–present

 * 1907 – Henri Moissan, French chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1852)
 * 1916 – Klas Pontus Arnoldson, Swedish journalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1844)
 * 1920 – Jacinta Marto, Portuguese saint (b. 1910)
 * 1920  – Robert Peary, American admiral and explorer (b. 1856)
 * 1933 – Takiji Kobayashi, Japanese writer (b. 1903)
 * 1936 – Max Schreck, German actor (b. 1879)
 * 1957 – Sadri Maksudi Arsal, Turkish scholar and politician (b. 1878)
 * 1961 – Percy Grainger, Australian-American pianist and composer (b. 1882)
 * 1963 – Jacob Gade, Danish violinist and composer (b. 1879)
 * 1965 – Michał Waszyński, Polish film director and producer (b. 1904)
 * 1966 – Chester W. Nimitz, American admiral (b. 1885)
 * 1968 – Anthony Asquith, English director and screenwriter (b. 1902)
 * 1969 – Ernest Ansermet, Swiss conductor (b. 1883)
 * 1972 – Maria Goeppert-Mayer, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
 * 1972  – Walter Winchell, American journalist and actor (b. 1897)
 * 1976 – René Cassin, French lawyer and judge, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1887)
 * 1976  – Kathryn Kuhlman, healing evangelist, known for belief in Holy Spirit (b. 1907)
 * 1981 – Nicolas de Gunzburg, French-American banker and publisher (b. 1904)
 * 1987 – Wayne Boring, American illustrator (b. 1905)
 * 1992 – A. J. Casson, Canadian painter (b. 1898)
 * 1992  – Dick York, American actor (b. 1928)
 * 1993 – Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, founded Lamborghini (b. 1916)
 * 1993  – Ernest L. Massad, American general (b. 1908)
 * 1996 – Solomon Asch, American psychologist and academic (b. 1907)
 * 1996  – Audrey Munson, American model (b. 1891)
 * 1996  – Toru Takemitsu, Japanese pianist, guitarist, and composer (b. 1930)
 * 1999 – Sarah Kane, English playwright (b. 1971)
 * 1999  – Gene Siskel, American journalist and critic (b. 1946)
 * 2001 – Rosemary DeCamp, American actress (b. 1910)
 * 2001  – Donella Meadows, American environmentalist, author, and academic (b. 1941)
 * 2003 – Mushaf Ali Mir, Pakistani air marshal (b. 1947)
 * 2003  – Maurice Blanchot, French philosopher and author (b. 1907)
 * 2003  – Orville Freeman, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 29th Governor of Minnesota (b. 1918)
 * 2005 – Sandra Dee, American actress (b. 1942)
 * 2005  – Josef Holeček, Czechoslovakian canoeist (b. 1921)
 * 2005  – John Raitt, American actor and singer (b. 1917)
 * 2005  – Hunter S. Thompson, American journalist and author (b. 1937)
 * 2006 – Curt Gowdy, American sportscaster (b. 1919)
 * 2006  – Lucjan Wolanowski, Polish journalist and author (b. 1920)
 * 2008 – Emily Perry, English actress and dancer (b. 1907)
 * 2009 – Larry H. Miller, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1944)
 * 2010 – Alexander Haig, American general and politician, 59th United States Secretary of State (b. 1924)
 * 2012 – Knut Torbjørn Eggen, Norwegian footballer and manager (b. 1960)
 * 2012  – Katie Hall, American educator and politician (b. 1938)
 * 2013 – Kenji Eno, Japanese game designer and composer (b. 1970)
 * 2013  – David S. McKay, American biochemist and geologist (b. 1936)
 * 2013  – Antonio Roma, Argentinian footballer (b. 1932)
 * 2014 – Rafael Addiego Bruno, Uruguayan jurist and politician, President of Uruguay (b. 1923)
 * 2014  – Walter D. Ehlers, American lieutenant, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1921)
 * 2014  – Garrick Utley, American journalist (b. 1939)
 * 2015 – Govind Pansare, Indian author and activist (b. 1933)
 * 2015  – Henry Segerstrom, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1923)
 * 2015  – John C. Willke, American physician, author, and activist (b. 1925)
 * 2016 – Fernando Cardenal, Nicaraguan priest and politician (b. 1934)
 * 2017 – Vitaly Churkin, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United Nations (b. 1952)
 * 2017  – Mildred Dresselhaus, American physicist (b. 1930)
 * 2017  – Steve Hewlett, British journalist (b. 1958)
 * 2020 – Joaquim Pina Moura, Portuguese Minister of Economy and Treasury and MP (b. 1952)
 * 2021 – Nurul Haque Miah, Bangladeshi professor and writer (b. 1944)
 * 2021  – Mauro Bellugi, Italian footballer (b. 1950)
 * 2024 – Andreas Brehme, German footballer (b. 1960)
 * 2024   – Yoko Yamamoto, Japanese actress (b. 1942)

Holidays and observances

 * Christian feast day:
 * Eleutherius of Tournai
 * Eucherius of Orléans
 * Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto
 * Frederick Douglass (Episcopal Church (USA))
 * Wulfric of Haselbury
 * February 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
 * Day of Heavenly Hundred Heroes (Ukraine)
 * World Day of Social Justice