2020 in Belgium

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2020 List of years in Belgium

Events of the year 2020 in Belgium.

Incumbents

Alexander De Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium from 1 October 2020

• Monarch: Philippe ^[1]
• Prime Minister: Sophie Wilmès (to 1 October); Alexander De Croo (from 1 October) ^[2]

Events

• 1 January — Two Belgian soldiers serving with UN forces in Mali injured by an improvised explosive device. ^[3]
• 19 January – First international sleeper train service to leave Belgium since 2003 launched. ^[4]
• 4 February – First confirmed case in the 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Belgium, carried by a Belgian repatriated from China three days previously. ^[5]
• 23 February – Under international media scrutiny, the Carnival of Aalst features groups costumed as caricatures of Jews, with participants insisting that their intent was satirical rather than anti-semitic. ^[6]
• 4 March – Archaeological discovery of a Roman ironworks in Ninove publicised: the only such find so far in Belgium. ^{[7] [8]}
• 17 March – Prime Minister broadcasts stricter social distancing measures in response to the 2020 coronavirus outbreak in Belgium, with non-essential travel prohibited, non-essential shops to close, gatherings banned, and penalties to force companies and individuals to abide by the rules coming into effect at noon the following day. ^[9]
• 7 June – About 10,000 people demonstrate in Brussels in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against all forms of police brutality and racial discrimination. ^[10]
• 30 July – Public prosecutors in Limburg conclude the judicial investigation into Belgium's first recorded death by hazing, recommending charges of negligent homicide, degrading treatment, and premeditated administration of dangerous substances against 18 former members of dissolved student fraternity Reuzegom. ^[11]
• 30 August – Tim Merlier wins 2020 Brussels Cycling Classic.
• 1 September – Former NATO headquarters in Evere (1968–2018) formally returned to the Belgian state. ^[12]
• 1 October – Swearing in of the new Belgian government, a seven-party coalition formed after almost 500 days of negotiations in the wake of the 2019 Belgian federal election. ^[13]
• 3 October – Ghent University Museum opens. ^[14]
• 13 October – Eliane Tillieux sworn in as the first woman to preside over the Chamber of Representatives. ^[15]
• 30 October – Government announces second lockdown in response to rapidly rising COVID-19 infection rates, to begin on 2 November. ^[16]

Art and architecture

• Iris Tower in Brussels completed.

Deaths

January

• 3 January – Gérard de Sélys, journalist (b. 1944) ^[17]
• 6 January – Michel Didisheim, aristocrat and royal secretary (b. 1930) ^[18]
• 9 January – Marc Morgan, singer-songwriter (b. 1962) ^[19]
• 19 January – Leon van de Velde ("Pirana"), cartoonist (b. 1947) ^[20]
• 27 January – Bernard de Give, Trappist monk (b. 1913) ^[21]

February

• 3 February – Jacques Delelienne, Olympic athlete (b. 1928) ^[22]
• 9 February – Délizia, singer (b. 1952) ^[23]
• 11 February – Jean-Pierre Gallet, journalist (b. 1943) ^[24]

March

• 14 March – René Follet, illustrator, comics writer and artist (b. 1931) ^[25]
• 17 March
  • Patrick Nothomb, diplomat (b. 1936)
  • Johny Voners, actor (b. 1945) ^[26]
• 31 March – Valeer Peirsman, sculptor (b. 1932) ^[27]

April

• 12 April – Jacques De Decker, writer (b. 1945)
• 25 April – Henri Kichka, Holocaust survivor (b. 1926)
• 30 April – Tom Hautekiet, graphic designer (b. 1970)

May

• 21 May – Hugo Ryckeboer, dialectologist (b. 1935)
• 22 May – Francine Holley, painter (b. 1919)

June

• 18 June – Georges Octors, conductor (b. 1923)
• 29 June – Paula Marckx, pilot (b. 1925)

July

• 24 July – Jan Verroken, politician (b. 1917)

August

• 4 August – Ilse Uyttersprot, politician (b. 1967)
• 11 August
  • Gaspard Hons, poet (b. 1937)
  • Michel Van Aerde, cyclist (b. 1933)
• 17 August – Claude Laverdure, writer (b. 1947)
• 18 August – Richard Biefnot, politician (b. 1949)
• 19 August – François van Hoobrouck d'Aspre, politician (b. 1934)
• 24 August – Robbe De Hert, film director (b. 1942)
• 26 August – André-Paul Duchâteau, writer (b. 1925)
• 27 August – Claude De Bruyn, road safety advocate (b. 1943)
• 28 August – Antoinette Spaak, politician (b. 1928)

September

• 4 September – Annie Cordy, performer (b. 1928)
• 9 September – Patrick Davin, conductor (b. 1962)
• 22 September – Frie Leysen, festival director (b. 1950)
• 23 September – Yvette Alloo, paralympian (b. 1930)
• 26 September – Jacques Beurlet, footballer (b. 1944)
• 28 September – Frédéric Devreese, composer (b. 1929)

October

• 15 October – Alfons Verplaetse, national banker (b. 1930)
• 17 October – Lucien De Brauwere, cyclist (b. 1951)
• 18 October – Gérard Sulon, footballer (b. 1938)
• 24 October – Maurice Bodson, politician (b. 1944)
• 26 October – Marcel Hendrickx, politician (b. 1935)
• 27 October – Serge Noël, poet (b. 1956)
• 28 October – Joseph Moureau, fighter pilot (b. 1921)
• 30 October – Paul-Baudouin Michel, musicologist (b. 1930)

November

• 5 November – Joseph Reynaerts, singer (b. 1955)
• 7 November – Janine de Greef, Resister (b. 1925)
• 8 November – Herman Daled, art collector (b. 1930)
• 13 November – Rik Boel, judge (b. 1931)
• 17 November
  • Paul Sobol, Holocaust survivor (b. 1926)
  • Willy Kuijpers, politician (b. 1937)
• 24 November – Yves Vander Cruysen, historian (b. 1963)

December

• 11 December: Malik, comics artist (Archie Cash, Cupidon ) (b. 1948). ^[28]
• 28 December: Arthur Berckmans, comics artist ( Sammy ) (b. 1929). ^[29]

References

1. "Philippe, king of Belgium". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
2. "Alexander De Croo named prime minister of new federal government". The Bulletin . 30 September 2020.
3. Gabriela Galindo (2 January 2020). "Two Belgian soldiers injured by makeshift explosive in Mali". The Brussels Times .
4. Alan Hope (19 January 2020). "Belgium's first night train since 2003 leaves Vienna tonight". The Brussels Times .
5. Gabriela Galindo (4 February 2020). "First case of coronavirus confirmed in Belgium". The Brussels Times .
6. Rutger Lievens (23 February 2020). "De eerste 'Joden' gespot op Aalst carnaval". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch).
7. Alan Hope (4 March 2020). "Archaeologists discover Roman iron smelting works at Ninove". The Brussels Times .
8. Manon Dupont (4 March 2020). "Archeologen ontdekken uniek Romeins ambacht in Ninove". VRT News .
9. "Coronavirus: reinforced measures". belgium.be. Belgian Federal Government. 17 March 2020.
10. "In Photos: 10,000 Black Lives Matter protesters in Brussels". The Brussels Times . 8 June 2020.
11. Cedric Lagast; Pieter Huyberechts (30 July 2020). "Parket wil 18 Reuzegommers voor rechter na dood Sanda Dia: "Onterende behandeling van student"". Het Nieuwsblad .
12. "Nato hands former Evere HQ back to Belgian state". The Bulletin . 2 September 2020.
13. Alan Hope (1 October 2020). "New Belgian government is sworn in by the king". The Brussels Times .
14. Lisa Bradshaw (7 October 2020). "How flies solve murders and other fascinating tales from Flanders' newest museum". Flanders Today .
15. "Eliane Tillieux, discrète et bosseuse, devient présidente de la Chambre". La Libre Belgique (in French). 14 October 2020.
16. Camille Gijs (30 October 2020). "Belgium announces second coronavirus lockdown". politico.eu.
17. "Notre ancien collègue Gérard de Selys est décédé" [Our former colleague Gérard de Selys has died] (in French). 3 January 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
18. "Le comte Michel Didisheim est décédé à 89 ans: "Sans son engagement, la Fondation Roi Baudouin ne serait pas ce qu'elle est aujourd'hui"" [Count Michel Didisheim died at 89: "Without his commitment, the King Baudouin Foundation would not be what it is today"] (in French). 6 January 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
19. "Marc Morgan est décédé" [Marc Morgan died] (in French). 10 January 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
20. "Pirana".
21. "Décès du père Bernard de Give" [Father Bernard de Give dies] (in French). 27 January 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
22. "Jacques DELELIENNE" . Retrieved 7 March 2020.
23. "Salvatore Adamo en deuil: sa soeur Delizia est décédée" [Salvatore Adamo in mourning: his sister Delizia has died] (in French). 10 February 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
24. "Jean-Pierre Gallet, ancien présentateur du JT nous a quittés" [Jean-Pierre Gallet, former presenter of the news has left us] (in French). 11 February 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
25. "Décès de l'illustrateur et dessinateur René Follet" [Illustrator and designer René Follet dies] (in French). 14 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
26. Lucas Vancloosterdi (17 March 2020). "Johny Voners overleden". vrt.be. VRT Nieuws.
27. Pieters, Kristof (31 March 2020). "Beeldhouwer Valeer Peirsman overlijdt net voor 88ste verjaardag: "Temse is één groot openluchtmuseum met zijn werk"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 November 2023.
28. "Malik". Lambiek.net. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
29. "Berck". Lambiek.net. Retrieved 28 December 2020.

Links

• Media related to 2020 in Belgium at Wikimedia Commons