At A Glance

20 January 2008 at a glance

Day of the week
20 January 2008 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Low” by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain.
Top Film of 2008
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 2008 was The Dark Knight.
Bestselling Novel of 2008
“The Appeal” by John Grisham was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 2008.
Top-Rated TV Show
“American Idol” (FOX) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 2008–09 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 January 2008 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 January 2008 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 20 January

  • 1990 Protests in Azerbaijan, part of the Dissolution of the Soviet Union.
  • 1991 Sudan's government imposes Islamic law nationwide, worsening the civil war between the country's Muslim north and Christian south.
  • 2001 President of the Philippines Joseph Estrada is ousted in a nonviolent four-day revolution, and is succeeded by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
  • 2009 A protest movement in Iceland culminates as the 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests start.
  • 2018 Syrian civil war: The Government of Turkey announces the initiation of the Afrin offensive and begins shelling Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) positions in Afrin Region.

Famous people born on January 20

  • J. J. McCarthy, American football player (born 2003)
  • David Lynch, American director, producer, and screenwriter (1946–2025)
  • Evan Peters, American actor (born 1987)
  • Sid Wilson, American musician (born 1977)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 2008 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '2008 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 24 – The 80th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, take place at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, with the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men winning four awards out of eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
  • May 2 – Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau, is released by Marvel Studios as the first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the first film of its "Phase One" slate.
  • June 13 – The Incredible Hulk, directed by Louis Leterrier, is released as the second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Life in the US in 2008

President

George W. Bush

Gas (per gallon)

$3.25

Loaf of Bread

$1.37

Average House

$292,600

Weekly Wage

$695

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 2000s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →