January 20
Updated November 6, 2026 · Edited by the JanuaryCalendar.com team
January 20 is Inauguration Day in the United States: under the 20th Amendment, every presidential term since 1937 has begun at noon on this date, every four years. The next one is in 2029. The date also marks the 1981 release of the American hostages held in Iran.
January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. 345 days remain in the year (346 in leap years). In 2027, January 20 falls on a Wednesday.
- Day of year
- 20
- Days left
- 345 (346 in leap years)
- Zodiac sign
- Aquarius ♒︎
- Birthstone
- Garnet
- ISO week (2027)
- Week 3
- Weekday (2027)
- Wednesday
Holidays and observances on January 20
- Religious Feast of St. Sebastian (Worldwide; a city holiday in Rio de Janeiro) — St. Sebastian is the patron saint of Rio de Janeiro.
- Public holiday Day of National Mourning (Black January) (Azerbaijan) — Remembers civilians killed by Soviet troops in Baku in 1990.
- Unofficial Penguin Awareness Day (US) — An informal day for learning about penguins.
- US federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on January 20 in 2020, 2025, 2031 (third Monday of January)
- Official Inauguration Day — every four years; the next is Saturday, January 20, 2029
- Astronomy Full moon (Wolf Moon) on January 20 in 2038 (Eastern Time)
Events on January 20 in history
- 1936 – King George V died at Sandringham, and his eldest son succeeded him as Edward VIII.
- 1937 – Franklin D. Roosevelt began his second term at the first presidential inauguration held on January 20.
- 1942 – Nazi officials met at the Wannsee Conference in Berlin to coordinate the genocide of Europe's Jews.
- 1961 – John F. Kennedy was inaugurated, urging Americans to "ask what you can do for your country."
- 1981 – Iran released 52 American hostages after 444 days, minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration.
- 1986 – Britain and France announced plans to build the Channel Tunnel beneath the English Channel.
- 1990 – Soviet troops cracked down in Baku, Azerbaijan, killing more than 100 civilians in what became known as Black January.
- 2009 – Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first African American president of the United States.
Famous birthdays on January 20
- 1775 – André-Marie Ampère, French physicist, pioneer of electromagnetism
- 1896 – George Burns, American comedian and actor
- 1910 – Joy Adamson, Austrian-born naturalist, author of Born Free
- 1920 – Federico Fellini, Italian film director
- 1926 – Patricia Neal, American Oscar-winning actress
- 1930 – Buzz Aldrin, American astronaut who walked on the Moon
- 1946 – David Lynch, American filmmaker of Twin Peaks
- 1971 – Gary Barlow, English singer-songwriter of Take That
- 1973 – Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Queen of the Belgians since 2013
What day is January 20?
Frequently asked questions
Why are US presidents inaugurated on January 20?
The 20th Amendment, ratified in 1933, moved the start of presidential terms from March 4 to noon on January 20. It first applied in 1937, at Franklin D. Roosevelt's second inauguration, and the next Inauguration Day is in 2029.
What happened on January 20, 1981?
Iran released 52 American hostages after 444 days in captivity, minutes after Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president. Their release followed the Algiers Accords, signed the day before.
What else is observed on January 20?
Catholics mark the feast of St. Sebastian, patron saint of Rio de Janeiro, where it is a city holiday. Azerbaijan holds a day of mourning for the victims of Black January in 1990, and Penguin Awareness Day is an informal observance.
What day of the week is January 20, 2027?
January 20, 2027 is a Wednesday. In 2028 it falls on a Thursday.
What zodiac sign is January 20?
People born on January 20 are Aquarians (January 20 – February 18) in Western astrology. Because the Sun's move into Aquarius can shift by a day, birthdays on January 19 or 20 are sometimes called the Capricorn–Aquarius cusp.