Marine Colonel John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7, circling the planet three times in a Mercury spacecraft and restoring American prestige in the space race with the Soviet Union.
Edward VI was crowned King of England, beginning a brief reign that saw significant military reforms including the modernization of English coastal fortifications and the expansion of the Royal Navy.
Austrian patriot Andreas Hofer was executed by French firing squad after leading the Tyrolean rebellion against Napoleon, becoming a legendary figure of mountain guerrilla warfare.
Union and Confederate forces clashed at Olustee, Florida, in the bloodiest battle in the state. The engagement was notable for the heroic performance of African American troops.
Italian poet Filippo Marinetti published the Futurist Manifesto in Le Figaro, glorifying war as "the world's only hygiene" and celebrating speed and technology, ideas that influenced Italian Fascism's militaristic ideology.
The U.S. Eighth Air Force launched a major bombing raid against heavily fortified U-boat submarine pens at Wilhelmshaven, attempting to neutralize the underwater threat strangling Allied shipping in the Atlantic.
Operation Argument, known as "Big Week," began with massive U.S. bomber raids targeting German aircraft factories. The week-long campaign inflicted devastating losses on the Luftwaffe and won air superiority for D-Day.
General Eisenhower established Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) near Paris, creating the permanent military command that would defend Western Europe throughout the Cold War.
Marine Colonel John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7, circling the planet three times in a Mercury spacecraft and restoring American prestige in the space race with the Soviet Union.
The Armenian-majority Nagorno-Karabakh region voted to join Armenia, sparking a military conflict with Azerbaijan that would rage through the 1990s and reignite in 2020.
Unmarked Russian military personnel, later identified as "little green men", began appearing at strategic locations across Crimea, initiating Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.
Get daily military history, analysis, and technology delivered to your inbox.
Colonel
Marine combat pilot, astronaut, and U.S. Senator who became the first American to orbit Earth. He flew 149 combat missions in WWII and Korea before becoming America's greatest space hero.
Legendary photographer whose images of the American West helped establish the National Park system. During WWII, he controversially documented Japanese American internment camps at Manzanar.
Gonzo journalist and author who covered the Vietnam War, the Hell's Angels, and American counterculture. His irreverent writing style influenced a generation of war correspondents.
10 military events occurred on February 20, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: John Glenn Orbits the Earth, Marine Pilot Conquers Space (1962), "Big Week" Begins, USAAF Devastates German Aircraft Industry (1944), NATO Supreme Headquarters Established in Europe (1951).
The most significant military event on February 20 is John Glenn Orbits the Earth, Marine Pilot Conquers Space (1962). Marine Colonel John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth aboard Friendship 7, circling the planet three times in a Mercury spacecraft and restoring American prestige in the space race with the Soviet Union.
Notable military figures born on February 20 include John Glenn (1921–2016), Ansel Adams (1902–1984).
Events on February 20 span the Cold War, World War II, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, the Interwar Period, the Modern Era, the Civil War, covering 10 events across 4 centuries of military history.
Events on February 20 involve 5 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
The FIM-92 Stinger helped win the Cold War by turning Afghan mujahideen into a credible anti-aircraft threat. By 2023, the United States almost ran out of them, because Raytheon stopped making them for 13 years, and the first 10 months of Ukraine support burned through the remaining stockpile.
These weapons were built to fight a war that everyone prayed would never happen. The Minuteman III has been on alert since 1970. The Typhoon-class carried enough nuclear warheads to destroy a continent. The Davy Crockett could be fired by three soldiers. Most of them have been waiting for 40 years. Here are 10 Cold War weapons built exclusively for World War III.
The MiG-31 was designed to catch the SR-71 Blackbird. It is still the fastest fighter in any air force. The Foxhound's Zaslon phased-array radar, the first ever installed in a fighter, can track 10 targets and engage 4 simultaneously at ranges exceeding 200 miles. Here is why Russia still flies a 1980s interceptor, and why the MiG-31BM carrying a Kinzhal hypersonic missile has changed what the aircraft means to modern warfare.
Nineteen armies on four continents chose the Leopard 2. No other Western tank comes close to this export record, and the reasons go far beyond German engineering.
