April 20
Saint’s Day for Severiano, Víctor, Crisófono, Antonino and Cesáreo.
1194 - a 10 year peace treaty, the Treaty of Tordehumos, is signed by the King of León, Alfonso IX, and of Castilla, Alfonso VIII.
1482 - in Granada, a Muslim army under Muley Hacén attacks Alhama de Granada, which is vigorously defended by Christians.
1657 - Admiral Robert Blake destroys a Spanish silver fleet under heavy fire at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
1763 - Sevilla bullring Real Maestranza, which will be called the Cathedral of Bullfighting is inaugurated.
1783 - in the theater of Santa Cruz (Barcelona) the first season of opera in that city begins.
"Joan Miró, 1920, Horse, Pipe and Red Flower, oil on canvas, 82.6 x 74.9 cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art" by Joan Miró - Philadelphia Museum of Art. Via Wikipedia -
1808 - Fernando VII, King of Spain following the abdication of his father, Carlos IV, reaches Bayonne in France for a meeting with Napoleon. Both he and his father were to remain prisoners of the French Emperor for the next six years as the Spanish War of Independence raged on at home.
1810 - The Governor of Caracas declares independence from Spain.
1833 - The king of Spain creates, by royal order, the Official Gazette of the Spanish Provinces.
1859 - Spain sets sail of a Franco-Spanish armada expedition bound for Cochin China.
1862 - Barcelona the Liceo reopened after reconstruction motivated by the fire that destroyed the April 9 last year.
1866 - Madrid begins construction of the National Library.
1878 - occurs in the Cantabrian Sea Galerna known as Holy Saturday, in which 322 fishermen drowned by this meteorological phenomenon of extreme violence.
1897 - Barcelona enters into force the Decree of aggregation, whereby the municipalities of Gracia, San Martin de Provencal's, Sant Andreu de Palomar, San Gervasio de Cassola's, Sants and Les Corts are integrated into the city.
1898 - Demonstrations in Madrid against the United States for his role in the war that Spain declared to Cuba.
1913 - San Sebastian - Military Official School is inaugurated.
1917 - King Alfonso XIII calls to the liberal Manuel Garcia Prieto to form government.
1917 - Barcelona, the College of Doctors sends a complaint to the Interior because the council does not analyze daily water consumption.
1929 - The dictatorial government decreed the closure of the University of Barcelona, as I had done in Madrid due to the growing student unrest.
1934 - The Cortes pass the amnesty law.
1935 - in Lorca (Murcia) confrontations between peasants occur because of water scarcity.
1936 - Athletic Bilbao wins the Spanish Football League.
1961 - The film El Cid, of Anthony Mann, starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren is shot.
1971 - Manuel Santana tennis player is sentenced to two months' imprisonment for running over and killing a pedestrian while driving his car at speed higher than allowed.
1990 - The Venezuelan writer Arturo Uslar Pietri is awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature.
1990 - Barcelona, Prince Philip began his first official visit to Catalonia, four days.
1992 - Expo 92 universal exhibition opens in Sevilla.
1993 - The Basque musical group Negu Gorriak publishes Borreroak Baditu Milaka Aurpegi, their most acclaimed album.
2004 - in Guernica (Vizcaya) dies at 146 years old, oak of Guernica, symbol of the Basque fueros, due to a severe infection of the fungus Armillaria mellea.
2008 - in the Indian Ocean, 852 km off the coast of Somalia, Somali pirates kidnapped the Spanish trawler Playa de Bakio. The captivity lasted 7 days.
2015 - opens the inquest for the Madrid Arena tragedy (2012)
1810 - The Governor of Caracas declares independence from Spain.
1833 - The king of Spain creates, by royal order, the Official Gazette of the Spanish Provinces.
1859 - Spain sets sail of a Franco-Spanish armada expedition bound for Cochin China.
1862 - Barcelona the Liceo reopened after reconstruction motivated by the fire that destroyed the April 9 last year.
1866 - Madrid begins construction of the National Library.
1878 - occurs in the Cantabrian Sea Galerna known as Holy Saturday, in which 322 fishermen drowned by this meteorological phenomenon of extreme violence.
1897 - Barcelona enters into force the Decree of aggregation, whereby the municipalities of Gracia, San Martin de Provencal's, Sant Andreu de Palomar, San Gervasio de Cassola's, Sants and Les Corts are integrated into the city.
1898 - Demonstrations in Madrid against the United States for his role in the war that Spain declared to Cuba.
1913 - San Sebastian - Military Official School is inaugurated.
1917 - King Alfonso XIII calls to the liberal Manuel Garcia Prieto to form government.
1917 - Barcelona, the College of Doctors sends a complaint to the Interior because the council does not analyze daily water consumption.
1929 - The dictatorial government decreed the closure of the University of Barcelona, as I had done in Madrid due to the growing student unrest.
1934 - The Cortes pass the amnesty law.
1935 - in Lorca (Murcia) confrontations between peasants occur because of water scarcity.
1936 - Athletic Bilbao wins the Spanish Football League.
1961 - The film El Cid, of Anthony Mann, starring Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren is shot.
1971 - Manuel Santana tennis player is sentenced to two months' imprisonment for running over and killing a pedestrian while driving his car at speed higher than allowed.
1990 - The Venezuelan writer Arturo Uslar Pietri is awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature.
1990 - Barcelona, Prince Philip began his first official visit to Catalonia, four days.
1992 - Expo 92 universal exhibition opens in Sevilla.
1993 - The Basque musical group Negu Gorriak publishes Borreroak Baditu Milaka Aurpegi, their most acclaimed album.
2004 - in Guernica (Vizcaya) dies at 146 years old, oak of Guernica, symbol of the Basque fueros, due to a severe infection of the fungus Armillaria mellea.
2008 - in the Indian Ocean, 852 km off the coast of Somalia, Somali pirates kidnapped the Spanish trawler Playa de Bakio. The captivity lasted 7 days.
2015 - opens the inquest for the Madrid Arena tragedy (2012)
2015 - 13-year-old, Max Porta carried out an attack at his high school, IES Joan Fuster, in Barcelona, killing one teacher and injuring four others. Porta was armed with a crossbow and a machete, On arrival to school, he started shooting in a class with the crossbow, resulting in a teacher being killed and four students injured. The attack was the first documented case of a student killing a teacher in Spain. Porta began the attack by arriving late to class, and firing a crossbow into the face of a female teacher. The student then fatally stabbed another teacher, Abel Martínez Oliva, as Martínez came to help the female teacher, trying to get her out. Two other students were injured in the attack, including the daughter of the female teacher. The attack ended when the school P.E. teacher, David Jurado Fernández, managed to talk the student down. According to Jurado, he found the student in the second floor classroom with a knife, a crossbow, a backpack, and manipulating a beer bottle to make a molotov cocktail. Jurado then told the student that he was hurting more people than he realized and asked him to show him what he had in his backpack. The student did, then collapsed in tears into Jurado's arms
2020 - The last three cruise ships still afloat amid Covid pandemic, finally dock at the ports of Marseille; Barcelona and Los Angeles
Births
1672 - Juan Rana (Cosme Perez), comic actor Golden Age (d. 1593).
1702 - Marques de la Ensenada (Zeno Somodevilla), politician (d. 1781).
1741 - José Antonio García Mohedano, priest (d. 1804).
1893 - The painter and sculptor, Joan Miró, was born on this day in Barcelona. (d. 1963)
1923 - José Barea Tejeiro, economist.
1927 - Pedro Beltrán, screenwriter and actor (d. 2007).
1935 - Film director Mario Camus, in Santander
1940 - Pilar Miró screenwriter and director (Wether; Beltenebros) born in Madrid (d. 1997)
1940 - Inocencio Arias, diplomat.
1940 - Miquel Roca, politician.
1955 - Juan Carlos Aparicio, politician.
1955 - Elena Benarroch, businesswoman.
1963 - Champi Herreros, motorbike rider.
1963 - Fermin Muguruza, Musician.
1964 - Serafín Zubiri, singer.
1969 - Alberto Herreros, basketball player.
1978 - Manuel Baqueiro, actor.
1984 - Bárbara Lennie, actress.
Deaths
1693 - Claudio Coello, painter (b. 1642).
1865 - Braulio Foz, writer and politician.
1909 - Manuel Penella Raga, composer (b. 1847).
1927 - Enrique Simonet, painter and educator (b. 1866)
1963 - the communist leader, Julián Grimau, is executed in Madrid.
1999 - Señor Wences, ventriloquist and comedian (b. 1896)
2001 - Antonio Asensio, editor.
2003 - Luis Alonso Luengo, writer and academic.
Births
1672 - Juan Rana (Cosme Perez), comic actor Golden Age (d. 1593).
1702 - Marques de la Ensenada (Zeno Somodevilla), politician (d. 1781).
1741 - José Antonio García Mohedano, priest (d. 1804).
1893 - The painter and sculptor, Joan Miró, was born on this day in Barcelona. (d. 1963)
1923 - José Barea Tejeiro, economist.
1927 - Pedro Beltrán, screenwriter and actor (d. 2007).
1935 - Film director Mario Camus, in Santander
1940 - Pilar Miró screenwriter and director (Wether; Beltenebros) born in Madrid (d. 1997)
1940 - Inocencio Arias, diplomat.
1940 - Miquel Roca, politician.
1955 - Juan Carlos Aparicio, politician.
1955 - Elena Benarroch, businesswoman.
1963 - Champi Herreros, motorbike rider.
1963 - Fermin Muguruza, Musician.
1964 - Serafín Zubiri, singer.
1969 - Alberto Herreros, basketball player.
1978 - Manuel Baqueiro, actor.
1984 - Bárbara Lennie, actress.
Deaths
1693 - Claudio Coello, painter (b. 1642).
1865 - Braulio Foz, writer and politician.
1909 - Manuel Penella Raga, composer (b. 1847).
1927 - Enrique Simonet, painter and educator (b. 1866)
1963 - the communist leader, Julián Grimau, is executed in Madrid.
1999 - Señor Wences, ventriloquist and comedian (b. 1896)
2001 - Antonio Asensio, editor.
2003 - Luis Alonso Luengo, writer and academic.
2023 - Josep Maria Fuste, Barcelona footballer from 1959-1972 - including time in their academy - appearing over 400 times and captaining his boyhood side (b. 1941)
