On this day

October 20, 2011

Revisit the music, news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from October 20, 2011

Violent End to an Era as Qaddafi Dies in Libya

By Kareem Fahim, Anthony Shadid and Rick Gladstone

Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi was killed Thursday as fighters battling the vestiges of his fallen regime took control of his hometown of Surt after a prolonged struggle, the interim government said.

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of October 19, 2011, covering October 20, 2011.

  1. 1
    Album cover for Clear As Day by Scotty McCreery

    Clear As Day

    Scotty McCreery

    Last week
    —
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    1
  2. 2
    Album cover for 21 by Adele

    21

    Adele

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    33
  3. 3
    Album cover for Duets II by Tony Bennett

    Duets II

    Tony Bennett

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    3
  4. 4
    Album cover for Own The Night by Lady Antebellum

    Own The Night

    Lady Antebellum

    Last week
    6
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    4
  5. 5
    Album cover for Cole World: The Sideline Story by J. Cole

    Cole World: The Sideline Story

    J. Cole

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    2

Notable Deaths

Muammar Gaddafi

2011Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan colonel and politician, Prime Minister of Libya (born 1942)[†]

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi was a Libyan military officer, revolutionary, politician and political theorist who ruled Libya from 1969 until his assassination by Libyan rebel forces in 2011. He came to power through a military coup, first becoming Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the Brotherly Leader of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011. Initially ideologically committed to Arab nationalism and Arab socialism, Gaddafi later ruled according to his own Third International Theory.

Mutassim Gaddafi

2011Mutassim Gaddafi, Libyan colonel (born 1974)[†]

Mutassim Billah Gaddafi was a Libyan military officer, and the National Security Advisor of Libya from 2008 until his assassination in 2011. He was the fourth son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and a member of his father's inner circle. He was said to have been in charge of crushing opposition during the Libyan civil war.

Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr

2011Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr, Libyan politician (born 1942)[†]

Abu-Bakr Yunis Jabr was a Libyan military officer and politician who was the Secretary of the Libyan General Committee for Defence during the rule of Muammar Gaddafi. His official position was Secretary of the Libyan General Interim Committee for Defence.

Iztok Puc

2011Iztok Puc, Croatian-Slovenian handball player (born 1966)[†]

Iztok Puc was a Croatian-Slovenian handball player, who was one of the world's top players of the 1980s and 1990s. During his career he played professionally for Borac Banja Luka, Zagreb, Celje and Prule 67. He won a total of 18 domestic trophies. He has won the elite EHF Champions League in 1992 and 1993, both times with Zagreb. He is one of very few handball players who represented three different countries at the Summer Olympics, winning bronze with Yugoslavia in 1988 and gold with Croatia in 1996. In 2009, he was named the best overall player in the history of Slovenian handball. After his death an award named in his honour was introduced and is awarded annually to the most promising young handball players in Slovenia and Croatia, given alternately one year to Slovenian and another year to Croatian player.

Historical Events

Libyan crisis (2011–present)

2011Libyan Crisis: Rebel forces capture Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and his son Mutassim in his hometown of Sirte and kill him shortly thereafter, ending the first Libyan civil war.[†]

The Libyan crisis is the current humanitarian crisis and political-military instability occurring in Libya, beginning with the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which led to two civil wars, foreign military intervention, and the ousting and killing of Muammar Gaddafi. The first civil war's aftermath and proliferation of armed groups led to violence and instability across the country, which erupted into renewed civil war in 2014. The second war lasted until October 23, 2020, when all parties agreed to a permanent ceasefire and negotiations.

Historical Context for October 20, 2011

In 2011, the world population was approximately 7,110,923,765 people[†]