1. On February 20, 1865, Confederate forces under General William Hardee abandoned Charleston, South Carolina, allowing Union forces under General William T. Sherman to occupy the city. This marked a significant turning point in the Civil War and helped secure the Union's ultimate victory.

2. February 20, 1878, marked the birth of Waddy W. Moore, an influential South Carolina lawyer and politician. Moore served as a U.S. congressman and later as a U.S. senator, where he played a key role in shaping and advancing the New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

3. In 1937, on February 20, the South Carolina General Assembly approved legislation creating the South Carolina State Ports Authority. The authority was established to promote and develop the state's port facilities and has since overseen major expansions and upgrades to the ports of Charleston and Georgetown.

4. On February 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn made history by becoming the first American to orbit the Earth. Glenn's spacecraft, Friendship 7, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and completed three full orbits before landing safely in the Atlantic Ocean.

5. In 1995, on February 20, legendary South Carolina football coach Robert "Bear" Bryant died. Bryant had a storied career, including six national championships and 13 conference championships, and is regarded as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time.