History of Today 20 August: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 20 August. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 20 August. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 20 August 2026, 01:01 AM

Important Events on 20 August in History

20 Aug 2020: Joe Biden gives his acceptance speech virtually for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Read more
20 Aug 2016: Fifty-four people are killed when a suicide bomber detonates himself at a Kurdish wedding party in Gaziantep, Turkey. Read more
20 Aug 2014: Seventy-two people are killed in Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture by a series of landslides caused by a month's worth of rain that fell in one day. Read more
20 Aug 2012: A prison riot in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, kills at least 20 people. Read more
20 Aug 2011: First Air Flight 6560 crashes 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Resolute Bay runway, killing 12 of the 15 aboard. Read more
20 Aug 2008: Spanair Flight 5022, from Madrid, Spain to Gran Canaria, skids off the runway and crashes at Barajas Airport. Of the 172 people on board, 146 die immediately, and eight more later die of injuries sustained in the crash. Read more
20 Aug 2007: China Airlines Flight 120 catches fire and explodes after landing at Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan. Read more
20 Aug 2006: Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil politician and former MP S. Sivamaharajah is shot dead at his home in Tellippalai. Read more
20 Aug 2002: A group of Iraqis opposed to the regime of Saddam Hussein take over the Iraqi embassy in Berlin, Germany for five hours before releasing their hostages and surrendering. Read more
20 Aug 1998: The Supreme Court of Canada rules that Quebec cannot legally secede from Canada without the federal government's approval. Read more
20 Aug 1998: U.S. embassy bombings: The United States launches cruise missile attacks against alleged al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical weapons plant in Sudan in retaliation for the August 7 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Read more
20 Aug 1997: Souhane massacre in Algeria; over 60 people are killed and 15 kidnapped. Read more
20 Aug 1995: The Firozabad rail disaster kills 358 people in Firozabad, India. Read more
20 Aug 1992: In India, Meitei language (officially known as Manipuri language) is included in the scheduled languages' list and made one of the official languages of the Indian Government. Read more
20 Aug 1991: Dissolution of the Soviet Union, August Coup: More than 100,000 people rally outside the Soviet Union's parliament building protesting the coup aiming to depose President Mikhail Gorbachev. Read more
20 Aug 1991: Estonia, occupied by and incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, issues a decision on the re-establishment of independence on the basis of legal continuity of its pre-occupation statehood. Read more
20 Aug 1989: The pleasure boat Marchioness sinks on the River Thames following a collision. Fifty-one people are killed. Read more
20 Aug 1988: "Black Saturday" of the Yellowstone fire in Yellowstone National Park. Read more
20 Aug 1988: Iran–Iraq War: A ceasefire is agreed after almost eight years of war. Read more
20 Aug 1988: The Troubles: Eight British soldiers are killed and 28 wounded when their bus is hit by an IRA roadside bomb in Ballygawley, County Tyrone. Read more
20 Aug 1986: In Edmond, Oklahoma, U.S. Postal employee Patrick Sherrill shoots and kills 14 of his co-workers and then commits suicide. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Voyager program: NASA launches the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Read more
20 Aug 1975: Viking program: NASA launches the Viking 1 planetary probe toward Mars. Read more
20 Aug 1975: ČSA Flight 540 crashes on approach to Damascus International Airport in Damascus, Syria, killing 126 people. Read more
20 Aug 1968: Cold War: Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia, crushing the Prague Spring. East German participation is limited to a few specialists due to memories of the recent war. Only Albania and Romania refuse to participate. Read more
20 Aug 1962: The NS Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered civilian ship, embarks on its maiden voyage. Read more
20 Aug 1960: Senegal breaks from the Mali Federation, declaring its independence. Read more
20 Aug 1955: Battle of Philippeville: In Morocco, a force of Berbers from the Atlas Mountains region of Algeria raid two rural settlements and kill 77 French nationals. Read more
20 Aug 1949: Hungary adopts the Hungarian Constitution of 1949 and becomes a People's Republic. Read more
20 Aug 1948: Soviet Consul General in New York, Jacob M. Lomakin is expelled by the United States, due to the Kasenkina Case. Read more
20 Aug 1944: World War II: One hundred sixty-eight captured allied airmen, including Phil Lamason, accused by the Gestapo of being "terror fliers", arrive at Buchenwald concentration camp. Read more
20 Aug 1944: World War II: The Battle of Romania begins with a major Soviet Union offensive. Read more
20 Aug 1940: In Mexico City, exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky is fatally wounded with an ice axe by Ramón Mercader. He dies the next day. Read more
20 Aug 1940: World War II: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes the fourth of his famous wartime speeches, containing the line "Never was so much owed by so many to so few". Read more
20 Aug 1940: World War II: The Eighth Route Army launches the Hundred Regiments Offensive, a successful campaign to disrupt Japanese war infrastructure and logistics in occupied northern China. Read more
20 Aug 1938: Lou Gehrig hits his 23rd career grand slam, a record that stood for 75 years until it was broken by Alex Rodriguez. Read more
20 Aug 1926: Japan's public broadcasting company, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (NHK) is established. Read more
20 Aug 1920: The first commercial radio station, 8MK (now WWJ), begins operations in Detroit. Read more
20 Aug 1920: The National Football League is organized as the American Professional Football Conference in Canton, Ohio. Read more
20 Aug 1914: World War I: Brussels is captured during the German invasion of Belgium. Read more
20 Aug 1910: Extreme fire weather in the Inland Northwest of the United States causes many small wildfires to coalesce into the Great Fire of 1910, burning approximately 3 million acres (12,000 km2) and killing 87 people. Read more
20 Aug 1905: Sun Yat-sen, Song Jiaoren, and others establish the Tongmenghui, a Republican, anti-Qing revolutionary organisation, in Tokyo, Japan. Read more
20 Aug 1882: Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture debuts in Moscow, Russia. Read more
20 Aug 1866: President Andrew Johnson formally declares the American Civil War over. Read more
20 Aug 1864: Bakumatsu: Kinmon incident: The Chōshū Domain attempts to expel the Satsuma and Aizu Domains from Japan's imperial court. Read more
20 Aug 1858: Charles Darwin first publishes his theory of evolution through natural selection in The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, alongside Alfred Russel Wallace's same theory. Read more
20 Aug 1852: Steamboat Atlantic sinks on Lake Erie after a collision, with the loss of at least 150 lives. Read more

Famous Births on 20 August

20 Aug 2003: Prince Gabriel of Belgium Prince Gabriel of Belgium is the elder son and second child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. He is currently second in line to the throne of Belgium after his elder sister, Elisabeth. Read more
20 Aug 1998: Lieke Klaver, Dutch track and field athlete Lieke Klaver is a Dutch track and field athlete who competes in sprinting. She specializes in the 200 metres and in the 400 metres. In the 4 × 400 metres relay, she is the 2023 World Champion and the 2024 World Indoor Champion with the Dutch women's team and the 2024 Olympic Champion with the Dutch mixed team. Read more
20 Aug 1997: Kaho Minagawa, Japanese rhythmic gymnast Kaho Minagawa is a retired Japanese individual rhythmic gymnast. She is the 2017 Asian Championships All-around silver medalist. She trained in Novogorsk in Moscow, Russia. She is the first Japanese individual rhythmic gymnast to win a medal at the World Cup series. Read more
20 Aug 1997: Daniel Vladař, Czech ice hockey player Daniel Vladař is a Czech professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected by the Boston Bruins in the 2015 NHL entry draft, Vladař played several years in his native Czech Republic before moving to North America in 2015. After four seasons in the minor leagues he made his NHL debut with the Bruins during the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs. Read more
20 Aug 1996: Bunty Afoa, New Zealand rugby league player Iulio "Bunty" Afoa is a Samoan international rugby league footballer who plays for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL). Read more
20 Aug 1995: Liana Liberato, American actress Liana Daine Liberato is an American actress. She played the younger version of the female lead in the 2014 film The Best of Me and starred in the drama films The Last Sin Eater (2007) and Trust (2010), the thriller films Trespass (2011) and Erased (2012), and the horrors Haunt (2013) and The Beach House (2019). In 2017, she was part of the ensemble cast of the drama Novitiate and in 2018 she starred in the comedy Banana Split. Read more
20 Aug 1994: Mitchell Trubisky, American football player Mitchell David Trubisky is an American professional football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, receiving third-team All-ACC honors in 2016. Trubisky was selected second overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL draft. Read more
20 Aug 1993: Tonisha Rock-Yaw, Barbadian netball player Tonisha Rock-Yaw is a Barbadian netball player who represents Barbados internationally and plays in the positions of centre and wing defense. She made her maiden World Cup appearance representing Barbados at the 2019 Netball World Cup. She also represented Barbados at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which also marked her maiden Commonwealth Games appearance. Read more
20 Aug 1992: Matt Eisenhuth, Australian rugby league player Matt Eisenhuth is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who last played as a lock for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL. Read more
20 Aug 1992: Carolina Horta, Brazilian beach volleyball player Carolina Horta is a Brazilian beach volleyball player. Read more
20 Aug 1992: Demi Lovato, American singer-songwriter and actress Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series Barney & Friends (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series As the Bell Rings (2007–2008), and as the titular character on the sitcom Sonny with a Chance (2009–2011). Lovato rose to prominence for playing Mitchie Torres in the musical television film Camp Rock (2008) and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010). The former film's soundtrack featured "This Is Me", her debut single with Joe Jonas, peaking at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. Read more
20 Aug 1992: Alex Newell, American actor and singer Alex Eugene Newell is an American actor and singer. They are known for their role as Unique Adams on the Fox musical series Glee and Mo on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, Newell also starred as Asaka in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island at the Circle in the Square Theatre in 2018. For their role in Shucked, Newell won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Newell and J. Harrison Ghee were the first openly non-binary actors to be nominated for and win the Tony Award. Read more
20 Aug 1992: Deniss Rakels, Latvian footballer Deniss Rakeļs is a Latvian professional footballer who plays as a forward. Read more
20 Aug 1992: Callum Skinner, Scottish track cyclist Callum Skinner is a British former track cyclist. He won the silver medal in the individual sprint at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and was a member of the British team that won gold in the team sprint. Read more
20 Aug 1991: Marko Djokovic, Serbian tennis player Marko Djokovic is a Serbian former tennis player. He is the middle of the three children of Dijana and Srđan Đoković, younger brother of Novak and elder to Djordje Djokovic. Djokovic was included as a fifth player in a Serbian Davis Cup team for a quarterfinal tie against Croatia in the 2010 Davis Cup. Read more
20 Aug 1991: Jyrki Jokipakka, Finnish hockey player Jyrki Jokipakka is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman who is under contract to Adler Mannheim of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He was selected by the Dallas Stars in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL entry draft. Read more
20 Aug 1991: Cory Joseph, Canadian basketball player Cory Ephram Joseph is a Canadian professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the Greek Basketball League (GBL) and the EuroLeague. He plays the point guard position and was previously the captain of the Canadian national team. Read more
20 Aug 1990: Macauley Chrisantus, Nigerian footballer Macauley Chrisantus is a Nigerian professional footballer who last played as a striker for Lynx. Read more
20 Aug 1990: Culoe De Song, South African music producer and DJ Culolethu Zulu, known commonly by his stage name Culoe De Song, is a South African record producer, DJ and sangoma. His first name, "Culolethu", is an IsiZulu name meaning "our song", and he is known as "Culo" or "Culoe" meaning "song"; the name is pronounced with a clicking "C", not to be erroneously pronounced like the Spanish word "culo", which rhymes with "cool". He released his first album, A Giant Leap, in 2009. In 2011, he released his album Elevation with the help of Kindnes Khupe, a Zimbabwean-born tribal mix DJ. Later, he released Exodus (2013).
Culoe De Song recently won The Best Male Artist for the 2014 Metro FM Awards for his album Exodus, an album that was featured on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of 2013. He also participated in the 2008 Red Bull Music Academy in Barcelona, Spain. Read more
20 Aug 1990: Leigh Griffiths, Scottish footballer Leigh Griffiths is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Australian club Stirling Macedonia and recently played for Mandurah City, as well as being part of the coaching staff. Read more
20 Aug 1990: Bradley Klahn, American tennis player Bradley Klahn is an American former professional tennis player from Poway, California. Read more
20 Aug 1990: Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Dutch swimmer Ranomi Kromowidjojo is a retired Dutch swimmer of mixed Dutch-Javanese Surinamese origin who mainly specialises in sprint freestyle events. She is a triple Olympic champion, winning the gold medal in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympics, and in the 50 m freestyle and 100 m freestyle at the 2012 Olympics. Kromowidjojo holds the world record as part of the Dutch team in the 4×50 m freestyle relay. She formerly held world records in the 50 meter freestyle, and the 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m freestyle relays. She has won a total of 45 medals in FINA World Championship events. Read more
20 Aug 1989: Kirko Bangz, American rapper and producer Kirk Jerel Randle, better known by his stage name Kirko Bangz, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2011 single "Drank in My Cup", which peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His guest appearance on Meek Mill's 2012 single, "Young & Gettin' It", peaked at number 86. As his following releases have failed to chart, he has been regarded as a one-hit wonder. Read more
20 Aug 1989: Silas Kiplagat, Kenyan runner Silas Kiplagat is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specialises in the 1500 metres. He has a personal best of 3:27.64 minutes, which makes him the seventh fastest of all-time over the distance. Read more
20 Aug 1989: Slavcho Shokolarov, Bulgarian footballer Slavcho Petrov Shokolarov is a Bulgarian retired professional footballer who played as a midfielder and now a manager, currently leading Asenovets II. Read more
20 Aug 1989: Judd Trump, English snooker player Judd Trump is an English professional snooker player who is a former world champion and the current world number one. He is in fourth place on the list of all-time ranking event winners, having won 31 ranking titles. He has won five Triple Crown events. Read more
20 Aug 1989: Dean Winnard, English footballer Dean Winnard is an English footballer who last played for Marine in the Northern Premier League Division One West. His natural position is as a central defender. However, at Accrington Stanley, he was predominantly used as a left full-back. Read more
20 Aug 1988: Jerryd Bayless, American basketball player Jerryd Andrew Bayless is an American former professional basketball player. He played a year of college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats after playing high school basketball at St. Mary's High School in Phoenix. He was selected 11th overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers and was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. Read more
20 Aug 1988: Sarah R, Lotfi, American director, producer, and screenwriter Sarah R. Lotfi is an American filmmaker best known for her short film Menschen. Read more
20 Aug 1988: José Zamora, Spanish footballer José Zamora Girona is a Spanish former footballer who played as a winger. Read more
20 Aug 1987: Stefan Aigner, German footballer Stefan Aigner is a German former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Read more
20 Aug 1987: Gunther, Austrian wrestler Walter Hahn is an Austrian professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Gunther. He is a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, and the longest reigning WWE Intercontinental and NXT United Kingdom champion in company history. Read more
20 Aug 1987: Manny Jacinto, Canadian actor Manuel Luis Jacinto is a Canadian actor. After several small roles on television, his breakout role came as Jason Mendoza on the NBC sitcom The Good Place (2016–2020). Jacinto had minor roles in Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), and portrayed the Stranger/"Qimir" in the Star Wars series The Acolyte (2024). He also provided the voice of Scott Denoga in the Disney Channel animated series Hailey's On It! (2023–2024). In 2025, Jacinto starred in Disney's Freakier Friday alongside Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Read more
20 Aug 1987: Vedran Janjetović, Croatian-Australian footballer Vedran Janjetović is a Croatian-Australian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for National Premier Leagues NSW club St George FC. Read more
20 Aug 1987: Sido Jombati, Portuguese footballer Sido Coelho Jombati is a Portuguese footballer who most recently played as a right back or centre back for Salisbury. He has played in the English Football League for Cheltenham Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Oldham Athletic. Read more
20 Aug 1987: Egon Kaur, Estonian race car driver Egon Kaur is an Estonian rally driver. Read more
20 Aug 1986: Andrew Surman, South African-English footballer Andrew Ronald Edward Surman is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Read more
20 Aug 1986: Steven Zalewski, American ice hockey player Steven Zalewski is an American former professional ice hockey center. He most recently played with the Straubing Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). Zalewski was drafted 153rd overall in the 2004 NHL entry draft by the San Jose Sharks. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Brant Daugherty, American actor Brant David Daugherty is an American actor, known for his recurring role as Noel Kahn on the teen drama television series Pretty Little Liars. In 2013, he had a recurring role as Brian in the NBC daytime drama Days of Our Lives. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Glen Buttriss, Australian rugby league player Glen Buttriss is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League. Buttriss primarily played at the hooker and lock positions. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Blake DeWitt, American baseball player Blake Robert DeWitt is an American former professional baseball second baseman and third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Braves. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Thomas Domingo, French rugby player Thomas Domingo is a French rugby union player. He is of Portuguese descent. Domingo, who is a loosehead prop, plays his club rugby for ASM Clermont Auvergne. He made his debut for France against Wales on 27 February 2009. He played in the final as Clermont won the Top 14 title in 2009–10. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Matt Hague, American baseball player Matthew Donald Hague is an American professional baseball first baseman and coach. He is the hitting coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB). Read more
20 Aug 1985: Jack King, English footballer Jack Andrew King is an English former professional footballer who played as a defender and midfielder. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Álvaro Negredo, Spanish footballer Álvaro Negredo Sánchez is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Willie Ripia, New Zealand rugby player Willie Ripia is a rugby union player. He plays as a first five-eighth. He was born in Murupara, New Zealand. Ripia attended Rotorua Boys' High School. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Joe Vitale, American ice hockey player Joseph Dominic Vitale is an American former professional ice hockey player and the current radio and television color analyst for the St. Louis Blues. Vitale was drafted 195th overall in the 2005 NHL entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he made his NHL debut. He also played with the Arizona Coyotes. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Stephen Ward, Irish footballer Stephen Robert Ward is an Irish retired professional footballer who played as a left-back. He is currently Head of Football Development at UAE Third Division League club Dubai Irish. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Mark Washington, American football player Mark Terrell Washington II is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas State Bobcats. Read more
20 Aug 1984: Aílton José Almeida, Brazilian footballer Aílton José Almeida, simply known as Aílton, is a Brazilian former footballer who played as a forward. Read more
20 Aug 1984: Pavel Eismann, Czech footballer Pavel Eismann is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Read more
20 Aug 1984: Laura Georges, French footballer Laura Stéphanie Georges is a French retired footballer who is the Secretary General of the French Football Federation. She last played for German club Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga, and served as the first-choice captain of her club and played primarily as a central defender, but was also used as a defensive midfielder. Georges was also a France women's international having made her senior international debut in September 2001. She represented her nation at seven major international tournaments; the 2003, 2011 and 2015 editions of the FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2005, 2009, 2013 and 2017 editions of the UEFA Women's Championship. Read more
20 Aug 1984: Jamie Hoffmann, American baseball player Jamie Richard Hoffmann is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Read more
20 Aug 1984: Ingrid Lukas, Estonian-Swiss singer-songwriter and pianist Ingrid Lukas is an Estonian-Swiss singer-songwriter, pianist, and bandleader. She is known for blending Estonian folk music with modern electronic and pop elements, creating a unique soundscape that has gained recognition across Europe and beyond. Read more
20 Aug 1983: Hamza Abdullah, American football player Hamza Muhammad Abdullah is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL draft. He played college football for the Washington State Cougars. Read more
20 Aug 1983: Paulo André Cren Benini, Brazilian footballer Paulo André Cren Benini is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a central defender. Read more
20 Aug 1983: Andrew Garfield, American-English actor Andrew Russell Garfield is an English and American actor. He is known for his work across a variety of genres, from biographical dramas to action films, spanning both independent and blockbuster productions. His accolades include a Tony Award, two Critics' Choice Awards, a Golden Globe Award and a British Academy Television Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, three British Academy Film Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2022, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Read more
20 Aug 1983: Héctor Landazuri, Colombian footballer Héctor Fabio Landázuri is a Colombian football goalkeeper currently playing for Boyacá Chicó in the Categoría Primera A. Read more
20 Aug 1983: Brian Schaefering, American football player Brian Schaefering is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini and Lindenwood Lions. Read more
20 Aug 1983: Yuri Zhirkov, Russian footballer Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov is a Russian football coach and a former player who played as a left-back and as a left-winger. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Cléber Luis Alberti, Brazilian footballer Cléber Luis Alberti or simply Cléber is a goalkeeper player from Brazil, who plays for Portuguese Liga de Honra side GD Estoril. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Aleksandr Amisulashvili, Georgian footballer Aleksandre Amisulashvili is a retired Georgian international footballer. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Monty Dumond, South African rugby player Godfried 'Monty' Dumond is a South African rugby union player for the Boland Cavaliers in the Currie Cup and the Rugby Challenge. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Youssouf Hersi, Ethiopian footballer Youssouf Hersi is a retired professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Born in Ethiopia, Hersi represented the Netherlands at youth international level. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Joshua Kennedy, Australian footballer Joshua Blake Kennedy is an Australian former professional soccer who played as a striker for the Australia national soccer team. At club level, he played mostly for soccer clubs in Germany and Japan. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Mijaín López, Cuban wrestler Mijaín López Núñez is a Cuban retired Greco-Roman wrestler. Widely considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, López is a five-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time World Champion, for a total of 10 world gold medals, and a five-time Pan American Games champion. He is the younger brother of Michel López Núñez, a Cuban amateur boxer. López was Cuba's flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics, and one of the country's flag bearers at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Meghan Ory, Canadian actress Meghan Ory is a Canadian-American television and film actress. She is known for her role as Red Riding Hood/Ruby on the ABC fantasy series Once Upon a Time and also starred in the short-lived CBS drama Intelligence as Riley Neal. Ory starred in the Hallmark family drama Chesapeake Shores as Abby O'Brien. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Richard Petiot, Canadian ice hockey player Richard Allan Petiot is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the 2001 NHL entry draft. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Barney Rogers, Zimbabwean cricketer Barney Guy Rogers is a Zimbabwean former international cricketer. He played four Test matches and 15 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for the Zimbabwe national cricket team between 2002 and 2005 and first-class cricket in Zimbabwean domestic competitions. He played as a left-handed batsman who bowled occasional off-spin. Rogers was good enough at field hockey to play at under-20 level for Zimbabwe. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Enyelbert Soto, Venezuelan-Japanese baseball player Enyelbert Soto is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chunichi Dragons and Yokohama DeNA BayStars from 2011 to 2014. Read more
20 Aug 1981: Ben Barnes, English actor Benjamin Thomas Barnes is an English actor and singer. He is best known for his roles as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia film series (2008–2010), Logan Delos in the HBO science fiction series Westworld (2016–2020), Billy Russo/Jigsaw in the Marvel series The Punisher (2017–2019), The Darkling in the Netflix series Shadow and Bone (2021–2023), and Tim Jamieson in the MGM+ supernatural series The Institute (2025). Read more
20 Aug 1981: Brett Finch, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster Brett John Finch is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. A New South Wales State of Origin representative half back, he played in the National Rugby League for Australian clubs the Canberra Raiders, Sydney Roosters, Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm. Finch also played in the Super League for English club the Wigan Warriors. Read more
20 Aug 1981: Artur Kotenko, Estonian footballer Artur Kotenko is a retired Estonian professional footballer who last played as a goalkeeper for FCI Levadia. Read more
20 Aug 1981: Bernard Mendy, French footballer Bernard Mendy is a French former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He was known for his blistering pace and constant overlapping runs. He most recently served as the assistant manager of Paris Saint-Germain Féminine. Read more
20 Aug 1981: Craig Ochs, American football player Craig Ochs is an American former football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills in the National Football League (NFL) and was also assigned to the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe in the 2006 season. Read more
20 Aug 1981: Byron Saxton, American wrestler, manager, and sportscaster Bryan Jesús Kelly, better known by the ring name Byron Saxton, is an American professional wrestling commentator, ring announcer, and former professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he works as a backstage interviewer on Raw, and also serves as a ring announcer for its live events. Read more
20 Aug 1979: Sarah Borwell, English tennis player Sarah Leah Borwell is an English former professional tennis player who enjoyed her greatest success in doubles. She was the British number one in doubles. Her career-high doubles ranking is 65, set on 9 August 2010, and her career-high singles ranking is 199, which she reached on 10 July 2006. Read more
20 Aug 1979: Jamie Cullum, English singer-songwriter and pianist Jamie Paul Joseph Cullum is an English jazz-pop singer, pianist, songwriter and radio presenter. Although primarily a vocalist and pianist, he also accompanies himself on other instruments, including guitar and drums. He has recorded nine studio albums, three compilation albums, one live album and twenty-four singles. Since April 2010, he has presented a weekly Tuesday evening jazz show on BBC Radio 2. Read more
20 Aug 1979: Cory Sullivan, American baseball player Cory Sullivan is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, and Houston Astros between 2005 and 2010. Read more
20 Aug 1978: Alberto Martín, Spanish tennis player Alberto Martín Magret is a retired tennis player from Spain. He won three singles titles and reached five Masters Series quarterfinals on clay. Read more
20 Aug 1978: Emir Mkademi, Tunisian footballer Emir Mkademi is a Tunisian former footballer who played as a defender. Read more
20 Aug 1978: Chris Schroder, American baseball player Christopher Keith Schroder is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He attended Oklahoma City University. Bob Carpenter coined him one of the 'er boys' along with Chris Booker and Ryan Wagner. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Paolo Bianco, Italian footballer Paolo Bianco is an Italian professional football coach and a former player who is the head coach of Serie B club Pisa. He played for several Serie A clubs as a defender. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Wayne Brown, English footballer Wayne Lawrence Brown is an English football coach and former player who was most recently manager of Colchester United. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Felipe Contepomi, Argentine rugby player, coach, and physician Felipe Contepomi is an Argentine professional rugby coach who is currently the head coach of the Argentine national side. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Manuel Contepomi, Argentine rugby player Manuel Contepomi is an Argentine rugby union footballer. He started playing rugby at his secondary school, Colegio Cardenal Newman, and currently plays for Club Newman in the Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires competition. He has also made numerous appearances for the Argentina national team. He is the twin brother of fellow Argentine rugby international Felipe Contepomi. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Stéphane Gillet, Luxembourgish footballer Stéphane Gillet was a Luxembourgish footballer. He played in goal twenty times for Luxembourg. He has played for clubs in several countries, including Jeunesse Esch and Racing FC Union Luxembourg in Luxembourg, Chester City in England, SV Elversberg in Germany, and FC Wil in Switzerland. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Aaron Hamill, Australian footballer and coach Aaron Hamill is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who is best known for his time at the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) when he briefly captained the club. He also played five seasons with Carlton. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Ívar Ingimarsson, Icelandic footballer Ívar Ingimarsson is an Icelandic former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Read more
20 Aug 1977: James Ormond, English cricketer James Ormond is an English former cricketer. He played two Test matches for the England cricket team and in total made 137 first-class appearances. Ormond was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler although he has also bowled off-spin in his second and final Test match against India in Mohali. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Josh Pearce, American baseball player Joshua Ray Pearce is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2002 to 2004. Read more
20 Aug 1977: Aaron Taylor, American baseball player Aaron Wade Taylor, nicknamed Big Country, is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. Read more
20 Aug 1976: Chris Drury, American ice hockey player Christopher Ellis Drury is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He has served as the president and general manager for the New York Rangers since May 5, 2021. He previously served as the general manager of the Rangers American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Read more
20 Aug 1976: Cornel Frăsineanu, Romanian footballer Cornel Dănuț Frăsineanu is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He was also a manager at Atletic Bradu in the Romanian Liga IV. Read more
20 Aug 1976: Tony Grant, Irish footballer Tony Grant is an Irish professional footballer who last played for Duleek. Read more
20 Aug 1976: Kristen Miller, American actress, producer, and screenwriter Kristen Miller is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Ashley Elliot on the sitcom USA High (1997–1999) and Deedra "D.D." Cummings on the action-adventure series She Spies (2002–2004). Read more
20 Aug 1976: Fabio Ulloa, Honduran footballer Fabio Renán Ulloa Castillo is a Honduran footballer. Read more
20 Aug 1975: Marcin Adamski, Polish footballer and manager Marcin Adamski is a Polish football executive, manager and former player. He is currently the chairman of III liga club Flota Świnoujście. Read more
20 Aug 1975: Marko Martin, Estonian pianist and educator Marko Martin is an Estonian pianist trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, teaching at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. He is a member of the Association of Estonian Professional Musicians and the Eduard Tubin Society. Read more
20 Aug 1975: Shaun Newton, English footballer Shaun O'Neill Newton is an English former professional footballer who played as a right midfielder for Charlton Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham United and Leicester City before ending his professional football career in 2008. Read more
20 Aug 1975: Elijah Williams, American football player and coach Elijah Elgebra Williams is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back and kick returner for four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Williams played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter he played in the NFL for the Falcons. Read more
20 Aug 1974: Amy Adams, American actress Amy Lou Adams is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades including two Golden Globes, and has been nominated for six Academy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Read more
20 Aug 1974: Misha Collins, American actor Dmitri "Misha" Collins is an American actor best known for his role as the angel Castiel on the CW television series Supernatural (2008–2020). Read more
20 Aug 1974: Szabolcs Sáfár, Hungarian footballer and coach Szabolcs Sáfár is a former Hungarian football goalkeeper. Read more
20 Aug 1974: Andy Strachan, Australian drummer and songwriter Andrew Douglas Strachan is an Australian rock musician. In 1994, after growing up in Adelaide, he relocated to Melbourne, and in 2000 he became the drummer of Sydney-based alternative rock group, Pollyanna. In 2002, he joined fellow alternative rockers, The Living End; they have issued four Top 5 albums on the ARIA Charts, Modern Artillery, State of Emergency, White Noise and The Ending Is Just the Beginning Repeating. Read more
20 Aug 1974: Maxim Vengerov, Russian-Israeli violinist and conductor Maxim Alexandrovich Vengerov is a Soviet-born Israeli violinist, violist, and conductor. Classic FM has called him "one of the greatest violinists in the world". Read more
20 Aug 1973: Alban Bushi, Albanian footballer Alban Bushi is an Albanian professional football coach and former player who is the manager of Albania under-21 and under-20 team. He is nicknamed "Loku". Read more
20 Aug 1973: Alexandre Finazzi, Brazilian footballer Alexandre Silveira Finazzi, known as Finazzi, is a Brazilian professional football coach and former player who played as a forward. He is the current head coach of Tapajós. Read more
20 Aug 1973: Scott Goodman, Australian swimmer Scott Linton Goodman is an Australian butterfly swimmer who competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, winning a bronze medal in the 200-metre butterfly. He was also an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder. Read more
20 Aug 1973: Todd Helton, American baseball player Todd Lynn Helton is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the Colorado Rockies. A five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Helton holds the Rockies' club records for hits (2,519), home runs (369), doubles (592), walks (1,335), runs scored (1,401), runs batted in, games played (2,247), and total bases (4,292), among others. Read more
20 Aug 1973: Cameron Mather, New Zealand rugby player and sportscaster Cameron George Mather is a rugby union footballer who plays in the back row. He won eleven caps for Scotland between 1999 and 2004. Read more
20 Aug 1973: José Paniagua, Dominican baseball player José Luis Paniagua Sánchez is a Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox from 1996 to 2003. Read more
20 Aug 1973: Donn Swaby, American actor and screenwriter Donn Swaby is an American actor. He is best known for playing the role of Chad Harris-Crane on the television soap opera Passions. Read more
20 Aug 1973: Juan Becerra Acosta, Mexican journalist Juan Alberto Becerra Acosta Aguilar de Quevedo is a Mexican journalist. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from the Universidad Latinoamericana (ULA). Read more
20 Aug 1972: Derrick Alston, American basketball player Derrick Samuel Alston Sr. is an American basketball coach and former player who serves as an assistant coach for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). Read more
20 Aug 1972: Melvin Booker, American basketball player Melvin Jermaine Booker is an American former professional basketball player. A 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 185 lb (84 kg) point guard, he played college basketball for the Missouri Tigers. He played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. Read more
20 Aug 1972: Chaney Kley, American actor (died 2007) Chaney Kley Minnis was an American actor. During his career he was best known for his recurring role as Officer Asher on the FX drama The Shield and as the lead in the horror movie Darkness Falls. Read more
20 Aug 1972: Scott Quinnell, Welsh rugby player and sportscaster Scott Quinnell is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He was a number eight for Wales, Llanelli RFC, Llanelli Scarlets, Richmond and the British & Irish Lions in rugby union. He won 52 caps for Wales and three for the Lions, and scored 11 international tries for Wales and one for the Lions. Read more
20 Aug 1972: Anna Umemiya, Japanese model and actress Anna Umemiya is a Japanese television personality and model. Born in Tokyo, she is the daughter of a Japanese father and an American mother, herself a former model. Her father, Tatsuo Umemiya, was an actor, and former original Iron Chef judge. Read more
20 Aug 1971: Nenad Bjelica, Croatian footballer and manager Nenad Bjelica is a Croatian professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb. Read more
20 Aug 1971: Matt Calland, English rugby player and coach Matthew Hugh Calland is an English former rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and coached in the 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for the Rochdale Hornets, Featherstone Rovers, the Bradford Bulls, Hull FC and the Huddersfield Giants, as a wing or centre, and coached at club level for Halifax. Read more
20 Aug 1971: Ke Huy Quan, Vietnamese-American actor Ke Huy Quan, also known as Jonathan Ke Quan, is an American actor. His accolades include an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, as well as a nomination for a BAFTA Award. Time magazine named Quan one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023. Read more
20 Aug 1971: Steve Stone, English footballer and coach Steven Brian Stone is an English professional football coach and former player. He is currently first team coach at Premier League club Nottingham Forest. Read more
20 Aug 1971: David Walliams, English comedian, actor, and author David Edward Williams, known professionally as David Walliams, is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television personality. He rose to prominence for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series Little Britain (2003–2006) and Come Fly with Me (2010–2011). From 2012 to 2022, Walliams was a judge on the television talent competition Britain's Got Talent. He is also a writer of children's books, having sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Read more
20 Aug 1970: Els Callens, Belgian tennis player and sportscaster Els Callens is a former professional female tennis player from Belgium. Read more
20 Aug 1970: Fred Durst, American singer-songwriter William Frederick Durst is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and filmmaker, best known as the frontman and lyricist of the nu metal band Limp Bizkit, formed in 1994, with whom he has released six studio albums. Read more
20 Aug 1969: Billy Gardell, American comedian, actor, and producer William Gardell Jr. is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Gardell played Chicago police officer Mike Biggs on Mike & Molly. He also had a recurring role as Billy Colivida on Yes, Dear, and appeared in a dozen episodes of My Name Is Earl as a police officer. Gardell voiced Santa in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas, as well as starring on Sullivan & Son in the recurring role of Lyle Winkler. From 2019 to 2024, Gardell played Bob Wheeler in the CBS sitcom series Bob Hearts Abishola. Read more
20 Aug 1969: Mark Holzemer, American baseball player and scout Mark Harold Holzemer is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California Angels, Seattle Mariners, Oakland Athletics, and Philadelphia Phillies, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yokohama BayStars. Read more
20 Aug 1969: Santeri Kinnunen, Finnish actor Santeri Karl-Henrik Kinnunen is a Finnish actor. Kinnunen, who spent most of his career at the Helsinki City Theatre, has acted in numerous film and television productions and worked as a voice actor. Read more
20 Aug 1968: Brett Angell, English footballer and coach Brett Ashley Mark Angell is an English football manager and former professional footballer. Read more
20 Aug 1968: Abdelatif Benazzi, Moroccan-French rugby player Abdelatif Benazzi is a French-Moroccan rugby union player who represented both Morocco and France. He played as a lock or back row forward. Read more
20 Aug 1968: Sandy Brondello, Australian basketball player and coach Sandra Anne Brondello is an Australian professional basketball coach and former professional basketball player. She is the head coach of the Australian women's national team and the inaugural head coach of the Toronto Tempo of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brondello played in Australia, Germany and the WNBA before retiring to become a coach. The 5’7” Brondello is one of Australia's all-time best shooting guards. She played on Australia's "Opals" national team at four Summer Olympics, has coached the team at two more, and won three medals as a player and one bronze medal as a coach. She attended the Australian Institute of Sport in 1986–1987, and was inducted to the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. Read more
20 Aug 1968: Klas Ingesson, Swedish footballer and manager (died 2014) Klas Inge "Klabbe" Ingesson was a Swedish professional footballer and manager. He spent most of his career as a midfielder in Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, England, Italy and France. Ingesson represented the Sweden national team on 57 occasions, including the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 1992 European Championship. He was the manager of IF Elfsborg from 2013 until his death in October 2014. Read more
20 Aug 1968: Yuri Shiratori, Japanese voice actress and singer Yuri Shiratori is a Japanese voice actress and singer. Read more
20 Aug 1968: Bai Yansong, Chinese host Bai Yansong is a Chinese news anchor and journalist for China Central Television (CCTV). Bai began his career at the China Broadcasting Newspaper before moving to CCTV, where he hosted programs including Focus Report, Oriental Horizon, and Tell It Like It Is. He was involved in the establishment of news commentary programs such as Timeline and News 1 + 1, the latter of which was the first live news commentary program in China. Read more
20 Aug 1967: Andy Benes, American baseball player Andrew Charles Benes is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most prominently as a member of the San Diego Padres, who selected Benes as the first overall pick in the 1988 MLB draft. With the Padres, he was named to the National League (NL) All-Star team in 1993 and led the league in strikeouts in 1994. He also played for the Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Read more
20 Aug 1966: Miguel Albaladejo, Spanish director and screenwriter Miguel Albaladejo is a Spanish screenwriter and film director. Read more
20 Aug 1966: Colin Cunningham, American actor Colin Alexander Cunningham is an American television and film actor. Cunningham is best known for his roles as John Pope in the TNT science fiction series Falling Skies and as Major/Lt.Col Paul Davis on Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. Read more
20 Aug 1966: Dimebag Darrell, American guitarist and songwriter (died 2004) Darrell Lance Abbott, known professionally as Dimebag Darrell, was an American musician. Abbott was the guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott is considered one of the greatest heavy metal guitarists of all time. Read more
20 Aug 1966: Enrico Letta, Italian lawyer and politician, 55th Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta is an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy from April 2013 to February 2014, leading a grand coalition of centre-left and centre-right parties. He later was the leader of the Democratic Party (PD) from March 2021 to March 2023. Read more
20 Aug 1966: Liu Chunyan, Chinese host and voice actress Liu Chunyan, better known by her stage name Jin Guizi, is a Chinese television host and voice actress. She won the Golden Mic Award in both 1999 and 2011, and received the Flying Apsaras Award for Best Female Voice Actress in 1989. Read more
20 Aug 1965: KRS-One, American rapper and producer Lawrence Parker, known professionally as KRS-One and Teacha, is an American rapper and singer from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions, which he formed with DJ Scott La Rock in the mid-1980s. KRS-One is known for his songs "Sound of da Police", "Love's Gonna Get'cha ", and "My Philosophy". Boogie Down Productions received numerous awards and critical acclaim in their early years. Following the release of the group's debut album, Criminal Minded, fellow artist Scott La Rock was shot and killed, but KRS-One continued the group, effectively as a solo project. He began releasing records under his own name in 1993. He is politically active, having started the "Stop the Violence Movement" after La Rock's death. He is also a vegan activist, expressed in songs such as "Beef". He is widely considered an influence on many hip-hop artists. Read more
20 Aug 1964: Azarias Ruberwa, Congolese lawyer and politician, Vice-President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Azarias Ruberwa Manywa is a Congolese politician, lawyer, and public figure. During the Second Congo War he was Secretary-General of the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD-G) rebel group. Following the war, he was one of the vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 2003 and 2006. He has also been the leader and president of RCD-G's political party since 2003. He is a member of the Banyamulenge community of South Kivu who belong to the Tutsi ethnic group. Read more
20 Aug 1963: Uwe Bialon, German footballer and manager Uwe Bialon is a German professional football manager and former player. He made his single Bundesliga appearance for VfB Stuttgart on 23 October 1982 in a 5–2 win over VfL Bochum. Read more
20 Aug 1963: Kal Daniels, American baseball player Kalvoski Daniels is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played seven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 1992 for the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs. Read more
20 Aug 1963: José Cecena, Mexican baseball player José Isabel (Lugo) Ceceña is a Mexican former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in 1988 with the Texas Rangers. Jose was signed as a non-drafted free agent by Philadelphia Phillies. Jose was selected by Texas Rangers from Philadelphia Phillies in the minor league draft. Read more
20 Aug 1962: James Marsters, American actor James Wesley Marsters is an American actor, musician and comic book writer. Read more
20 Aug 1961: Amanda Sonia Berry, English businesswoman Amanda Sonia Berry is an English businesswoman. She was CEO of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) from December 2000 to October 2022, as well as CEO of the Royal Foundation from June 2022 to February 2026. Read more
20 Aug 1960: Dom Duff, Breton singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer Dominique Le Duff is a Breton singer-songwriter. Read more
20 Aug 1960: Mark Langston, American baseball player Mark Edward Langston is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners (1984–1989), Montreal Expos (1989), California / Anaheim Angels (1990–1997), San Diego Padres (1998), and Cleveland Indians (1999). During a 16-year baseball career, Langston compiled 179 wins, 2,464 strikeouts, and a 3.97 earned run average (ERA). Read more
20 Aug 1958: Nigel Dodds, Northern Irish lawyer and politician Nigel Alexander Dodds, Baron Dodds of Duncairn,, is a Northern Irish unionist politician serving as Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the House of Lords since 2021. He previously served as deputy leader of the DUP from 2008 to 2021 and leader of the DUP in the House of Commons from 2010 to 2019. Read more
20 Aug 1958: Patricia Rozema, Canadian director and screenwriter Patricia Rozema is a Canadian film director, writer and producer. She was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in the 1980s from Toronto, Canada, known as the Toronto New Wave. Read more
20 Aug 1958: David O. Russell, American director and screenwriter David Owen Russell is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He has earned numerous accolades including two British Academy Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for five Academy Awards. Read more
20 Aug 1958: John Stehr, American journalist John Stehr is a former American television journalist. He is currently Mayor of Zionsville, Indiana. Stehr won the Republican party nomination in the primary election on May 2, 2023, and ran unopposed in the general election, winning on November 7, 2023. He took office as Zionsville's 4th Mayor on January 1, 2024. Read more
20 Aug 1957: Finlay Calder, Scottish rugby player Finlay Calder OBE is a Scotland international former rugby union player. Read more
20 Aug 1957: Jim Calder, Scottish rugby player James Hamilton Calder is a former Scotland international rugby union player. Read more
20 Aug 1957: Simon Donaldson, English mathematician and academic Sir Simon Kirwan Donaldson is an English mathematician known for his work on the topology of smooth (differentiable) four-dimensional manifolds, Donaldson–Thomas theory, and his contributions to Kähler geometry. He is currently a Professor in Pure Mathematics at Imperial College London. After being a member of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics (SCGP) for a decade, he holds Emeritus Professor status at the SCGP and Stony Brook University, in New York state. Read more
20 Aug 1957: Sorin Antohi, Romanian journalist and historian Sorin Antohi is a Romanian historian, essayist, and journalist. Read more
20 Aug 1957: Paul Johnson, American football coach Paul Clayton Johnson is an American former college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001, the United States Naval Academy from 2002 to 2007, and Georgia Tech, from 2008 to 2018, compiling a career college football coaching record of 189–100. Johnson's Georgia Southern Eagles won consecutive NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1999 and 2000. Noted for his use of the flexbone spread option offense, Johnson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023. Read more
20 Aug 1956: Joan Allen, American actress Joan Allen is an American actress. Known for her work on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards. Read more
20 Aug 1956: Alvin Greenidge, Barbadian cricketer Alvin Ethelbert Greenidge is a former West Indian cricketer who played in six Tests and one ODI from 1978 to 1979. Born in Barbados, he was an opening batsman who shares his name with, but is unrelated to, fellow opener Gordon Greenidge. He was selected to play for the West Indies when the side was depleted by the defection of players to the breakaway World Series Cricket. Their return after WSC ended, as well as his participation in the tour of South Africa in 1982–83 signified the end for Alvin's international career. His best score of 69 in Tests, and one of his two Test half-centuries, came against Australia in 1977–78. Read more
20 Aug 1956: Desmond Swayne, English soldier and politician, Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Sir Desmond Angus Swayne is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for New Forest West since 1997. Read more
20 Aug 1955: Agnes Chan, Hong Kong singer and author Agnes Miling Kaneko Chan is a Hong-Kong-born Japanese singer, television personality, university professor, essayist and novelist. Since 1998, Chan has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and supports the Japan Committee for UNICEF. In Japan she is professionally known as Agnes Chan (アグネス・チャン), Agnes being her Christian name. Read more
20 Aug 1955: Janet Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, English politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Janet Anne Royall, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, is a British Labour Co-operative Party politician. A former secretary and adviser to Neil Kinnock, Royall was appointed to the House of Lords in 2004 after having stood unsuccessfully to be MEP for The Cotswolds, and to be MP for Ipswich and Ogmore. She also stood to be a member of Gloucestershire County Council. Read more
20 Aug 1954: Quinn Buckner, American basketball player and coach William Quinn Buckner is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiate basketball for the Indiana University Hoosiers, and won a national championship in 1976. He was a captain of the last undefeated NCAA Division I basketball champion and of the 1976 Olympics gold medal team. Buckner was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 7th pick of the 1976 NBA draft. He had a ten-year NBA career for three teams: the Bucks, the Boston Celtics, and the Indiana Pacers. In 1984, he won an NBA title with the Celtics. Read more
20 Aug 1954: Tawn Mastrey, American radio host and producer (died 2007) Tawn Mastrey was an American disc jockey, music video producer, one of rock radio's top media personalities. She hosted a daily show on Sirius Satellite Radio's Hair Nation Channel 23, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pacific time. Read more
20 Aug 1954: Al Roker, American news anchor, television personality, and author Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. is an American weather presenter, journalist, television personality, and author. He is the weather anchor on NBC's Today, and occasionally co-hosts 3rd Hour Today. He has a lapsed American Meteorological Society (AMS) Television Seal of Approval (#238). Read more
20 Aug 1953: Gerry Bertier, American football player (died 1981) Gerry Bertier was a high school American football player and Paralympian. He became known for his participation on the 1971 Virginia State Champion football T. C. Williams High School team, and their portrayal in the Disney film Remember the Titans. Bertier was also the nephew of Howie Livingston. After the conclusion of the 1971 season, Bertier was involved in an automobile crash that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Despite this injury, Bertier attended Northern Virginia Community College and remained an active athlete, participating in the Paralympics. In 2006, Bertier's family started the "Bertier #42 Foundation", dedicated to raising money for research on spinal cord injuries. There is also a gymnasium at Alexandria City High School that bears his name. Read more
20 Aug 1953: Peter Horton, American actor and director Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played Professor Gary Shepherd on the television series Thirtysomething from 1987 until 1991. Read more
20 Aug 1953: Mike Jackson, American politician James Michael Jackson, known as Mike Jackson is a Republican former member of the Texas Senate representing the 11th District. He was also the President pro tempore of the Texas Senate, before running the United States House of Representatives in 2012. In this capacity, he was an acting governor of Texas while Governor Rick Perry campaigned for U.S. President and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst was on holiday or campaigned for Perry. Read more
20 Aug 1953: Jim Trenton, American radio host and actor James Trenton, nicknamed "the Poorman", is an American radio broadcaster. He is best known as the creator and host of Loveline on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles from 1983 to 1993. He currently hosts a morning radio program on KOCI 101.5 FM, a station located in south Orange County, California. "Poorman's Morning Rush" is also now in 4 markets. Three shows are taped daily M-F and KOCI is live five days a week. Read more
20 Aug 1953: Leroy Burgess, American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, recording artist, and record producer Leroy O'Neil Jackson Jr., known by his stage name Leroy Burgess, is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, recording artist, arranger and record producer. Read more
20 Aug 1952: John Emburey, English cricketer and coach John Ernest Emburey is a former English first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England. He was a part of the English squad which finished as runners-up at the 1987 Cricket World Cup. Read more
20 Aug 1952: Doug Fieger, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2010) Douglas Lars Fieger was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the rock band the Knack. He co-wrote "My Sharona," the biggest hit song of 1979 in the U.S., with lead guitarist Berton Averre. Read more
20 Aug 1952: John Hiatt, American singer-songwriter and guitarist John Robert Hiatt is an American singer-songwriter whose recordings have drawn on rock, country, blues, folk and new wave styles. Read more
20 Aug 1952: Ric Menello, American director and screenwriter (died 2013) Richard "Ric" Menello was an American filmmaker and screenwriter. Menello co-directed the landmark music video for the Beastie Boys' 1987 single, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right ". His contributions to music during the era led MTV to call him, "one of the most influential visionaries behind the emergence of commercial hip-hop in the 1980s." Read more
20 Aug 1951: Greg Bear, American author (died 2022) Gregory Dale Bear was an American science fiction writer. His work covered themes of conflict, consciousness, and accelerated evolution. The Forge of God and Anvil of Stars established his reputation. As time went on these works were rolled into lengthier trilogies and series. Along with Forge, popular series have included parallel universes in The Way and evolutionary themes in Darwin's Children. Read more
20 Aug 1951: DeForest Soaries, American minister and politician, 30th Secretary of State of New Jersey The Reverend DeForest Blake "Buster" Soaries, Jr. is a Baptist minister, author and public advocate, from Montclair, New Jersey. A member of the Republican Party, He is the former Secretary of State of New Jersey and former chairman of the federal Election Assistance Commission. An African-American, he was the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey, a position he had held since November 1990 until his retirement from the church in June 2021. Read more
20 Aug 1949: Nikolas Asimos, Greek singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1988) Nikolas Asimos was a Greek composer, singer and performance artist. His real surname was Asimopoulos (Ασημόπουλος). Asimos was a very special case of a counter-culture artist, mostly because of his lifestyle. His behavior and songs were often received as provocative by the general public. He was a person with strong political opinions. Ideologically, he could be categorized as an anarchist but he never accepted being put in a specific political ideology. Read more
20 Aug 1949: Phil Lynott, Irish singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (died 1986) Philip Parris Lynott was an Irish musician who was the co-founder, lead vocalist, bassist, and primary songwriter of the hard rock band Thin Lizzy. He was noted for his distinctive pick-based style on the bass and for his imaginative lyrics, including working-class tales and numerous characters drawn from personal influences and Celtic culture. Read more
20 Aug 1948: John Noble, Australian actor and director John Noble is an Australian actor. He is best known for his roles as Denethor in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003), and Dr. Walter Bishop in the Fox science fiction series Fringe (2008–2013). His other television credits include the supernatural drama Sleepy Hollow (2013–2017) and the police procedural Elementary (2015–2019). Noble has also lent his distinctively deep voice to animated and video game projects, most notably as Leland Monroe in Rockstar Games' L.A. Noire (2011), Unicron in the animated series Transformers: Prime (2010–2013), and Scarecrow in the DC Comics game Batman: Arkham Knight (2015). Read more
20 Aug 1948: Robert Plant, English singer-songwriter Robert Anthony Plant is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin from its founding in 1968 until their break-up in 1980. Since then, he has had a successful solo career, sometimes collaborating with other artists such as Alison Krauss. Regarded by many as one of the greatest singers in rock music, he is known for his raw stage performances and his powerful, wide-ranging voice. Read more
20 Aug 1947: Alan Lee, English painter and illustrator Alan Lee is an English book illustrator and film conceptual designer. He is best known for his artwork inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novels, and for his work on the concept design of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film series. Read more
20 Aug 1947: James Pankow, American musician James Carter Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter, and a founding member of the rock band Chicago. Read more
20 Aug 1947: Ray Wise, American actor Raymond Herbert Wise is an American actor best known for his role as Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks and its prequel film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992). He has appeared in films such as Swamp Thing (1982), The Journey of Natty Gann (1985), RoboCop (1987), Bob Roberts (1992), Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), Dead End (2003), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), X-Men: First Class (2011) and God's Not Dead 2 (2016). Read more
20 Aug 1946: Mufaddal Saifuddin, 53rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of Fatimid Caliphate Mufaddal Saifuddin is the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq and leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community, a Tayyibi, Musta'li, Ismaili, Shia Muslim denomination. He succeeded his father, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, upon the latter’s death in January 2014. Read more
20 Aug 1946: Henryk Broder, Polish-German journalist and author Henryk Marcin Broder, self-designation Henryk Modest Broder, is a Polish-born German journalist, author, and television personality. He was born into a Jewish family in Katowice, Poland. Read more
20 Aug 1946: Connie Chung, American journalist Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich is an American journalist who has been a news anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S. representative Gary Condit, whom Chung interviewed first after the Chandra Levy disappearance, and basketball legend Magic Johnson after he went public about being HIV-positive. In 1993, she became the second woman to co-anchor a network newscast, as part of CBS Evening News. Read more
20 Aug 1946: Laurent Fabius, French politician, 158th Prime Minister of France Laurent Pierre Emmanuel Fabius is a French politician who has served in a number of capacities, most recently as president of the Constitutional Council from 2016 to 2025. A member of the Socialist Party, he previously served as Prime Minister of France from 17 July 1984 to 20 March 1986. Fabius was 37 years old when he was appointed and is, after Gabriel Attal, the second youngest prime minister of the Fifth Republic. Read more
20 Aug 1946: Ralf Hütter, German singer and keyboard player Ralf Hütter is a German musician and composer best known as the lead singer and keyboardist of Kraftwerk, which he founded with Florian Schneider in 1970, and became the only consistent member of the band, and the only one to have appeared on every single one of the band's albums. On 12 May 2021, Kraftwerk was announced as one of the inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Read more
20 Aug 1946: N. R. Narayana Murthy, Indian businessman, co-founded Infosys Nagavara Ramarao Narayana Murthy is an Indian billionaire businessman. He is the founder of Infosys, and was the chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), president and chief mentor of the company before retiring and becoming chairman emeritus. As of January 2025, his net worth was estimated at US$5.0 billion, according to Forbes. Read more
20 Aug 1945: Roy Gardner, English businessman Sir Roy Alan Gardner is a British businessman. He is a former director of English football clubs Manchester United and Plymouth Argyle. While at Manchester United, he was involved in the sale of the club to American businessman Malcolm Glazer before resigning in protest at the sale. His time as chairman of Plymouth Argyle resulted in the club entering administration with debts of over £17 million and accusations of financial mismanagement. Read more
20 Aug 1944: Rajiv Gandhi, Indian lawyer and politician, 6th Prime Minister of India (died 1991) Rajiv Ratna Gandhi was an Indian aircraft pilot, technocrat and statesman who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989 for two terms. He took office after the assassination of his mother, then–prime minister Indira Gandhi, to become the youngest Indian prime minister at the age of 40. He served until his defeat at the 1989 election, and then became Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, resigning in December 1990, six months before his own assassination. Read more
20 Aug 1944: Graig Nettles, American baseball player and manager Graig Nettles, nicknamed "Puff", is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins (1967–1969), Cleveland Indians (1970–1972), New York Yankees (1973–1983), San Diego Padres (1984–1986), Atlanta Braves (1987), and Montreal Expos (1988). Read more
20 Aug 1944: José Wilker, Brazilian actor and director (died 2014) José Wilker Almeida was a Brazilian film, stage, and television actor and director. He gained fame in telenovelas such as Roque Santeiro (1985), but became internationally known for his role as Vadinho, the husband who returns from the dead to tempt Sônia Braga's character in the film Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands (1976). Read more
20 Aug 1943: Roger Gale, English journalist and politician Sir Roger James Gale is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Herne Bay and Sandwich, previously North Thanet, since 1983. He had a career in journalism and broadcasting from 1964, around the same time as he joined the Conservative Party, until 1983. Read more
20 Aug 1943: Sylvester McCoy, Scottish actor Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith, known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he portrayed the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who from 1987 to 1989—the final Doctor of the classic series—and reprised the role in the televised stories Dimensions in Time (1993), Doctor Who (1996) and "The Power of the Doctor" (2022). He is also known for portraying the wizard Radagast in The Hobbit film series (2012–2014). Read more
20 Aug 1942: Isaac Hayes, American singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and actor (died 2008) Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwriter with his partner David Porter,
as well as a session musician and record producer. Hayes and Porter were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of writing scores of songs for themselves, the duo Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and others. In 2002, Hayes was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Read more
20 Aug 1942: Fred Norman, American baseball player Fredie Hubert Norman is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1962 through 1980, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won four division titles, two National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1973 and 1977. He also played for the Kansas City Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Padres and the Montreal Expos. Read more
20 Aug 1941: Dave Brock, English singer-songwriter and guitarist David Anthony Brock is an English musician and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the founder, the sole constant member and the musical focus of the space rock group Hawkwind. Brock was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the annual Progressive Music Awards in 2013. Read more
20 Aug 1941: Rich Brooks, American football player and coach Richard Llewellyn Brooks is an American retired football coach and former player. He was the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994, the St. Louis Rams from 1995 to 1996, and the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009. Read more
20 Aug 1941: Anne Evans, English soprano and actress Dame Anne Elizabeth Jane Evans, is an international British operatic soprano. Read more
20 Aug 1941: William H. Gray, American lawyer and politician (died 2013) William Herbert Gray III was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who represented Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district from 1979 to 1991. He also served as chairman of the House Committee on the Budget from 1985 to 1989 and House Majority Whip from 1989 to 1991. He resigned from Congress in September of that year to become president and chief executive officer of the United Negro College Fund, a position he held until 2004. Read more
20 Aug 1941: Slobodan Milošević, Serbian lawyer and politician, 1st President of Serbia (died 2006) Slobodan Milošević was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the president of Serbia between 1989 and 1997 and president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 until his overthrow in 2000. Milošević played a major role in the Yugoslav Wars and became the first sitting head of state charged with war crimes, as well as the first former head of state charged with crimes against humanity and genocide. Read more
20 Aug 1941: Robin Oakley, English journalist and author Robert Francis Leigh Oakley is a British journalist and writer. From 1992 to 2000 he was political editor at the BBC and from 2000 to 2008 he was European political editor at CNN International. Read more
20 Aug 1941: Jo Ramírez, Mexican race car driver and manager Joaquín Ramírez Fernández is a Mexican author and retired employee of several sports car racing teams. From 1984 to 2001, Ramírez was coordinator of the McLaren Formula One team, including during the infamous Prost–Senna rivalry of the late-1980s. Read more
20 Aug 1940: Rubén Hinojosa, American businessman and politician Rubén Eloy Hinojosa is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 15th congressional district, from 1997 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district stretched from Seguin, to McAllen on the Mexican border. Much of the region was rural although Hidalgo County is part of the third-fastest-growing metropolitan statistical area in the country. Hinojosa served on the Financial Services and Education committees. Read more
20 Aug 1940: Gus Macdonald, Scottish academic and politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office Angus John Macdonald, Baron Macdonald of Tradeston, is a Scottish television executive, life peer and former Labour politician. Read more
20 Aug 1940: Rex Sellers, Indian-Australian cricketer Reginald Hugh Durning Sellers is a former Test cricketer. He was the second Indian-born cricketer to have played a Test match for Australia and the first of Anglo-Indian descent. Read more
20 Aug 1939: Fernando Poe Jr., Filipino actor and politician (died 2004) Ronald Allan Kelley Poe, known professionally as Fernando Poe Jr., was a Filipino actor, director and screenwriter. Nicknamed "Da King" and often referred to by his initials FPJ, he has been described as a cultural icon, having dominated the Philippine box-office from the 1960s to 1990s through his leading roles in action films. For his career that spanned nearly five decades, he has received numerous honors including the Order of National Artists of the Philippines in 2006 and the CCP Centennial Honors for the Arts in 1999. Read more
20 Aug 1939: Mike Velarde, Filipino televangelist and religious leader Mariano Zuniega "Bro. Mike" Velarde is a Filipino televangelist and founder of El Shaddai, a Catholic charismatic movement in the Philippines. The movement reportedly has a following estimated between three and seven million members. Read more
20 Aug 1938: Jean-Loup Chrétien, French military officer and astronaut Jean-Loup Jacques Marie Chrétien is a French retired Général de Brigade in the Armée de l'Air, and a former CNES spationaut. He flew on two Franco-Soviet space missions and a NASA Space Shuttle mission. Chrétien was the first Frenchman and the first western European in space. Read more
20 Aug 1938: Peter Day, English chemist and academic (died 2020) Peter Day, FRS, FRSC, FInstP was a British inorganic chemist and Professor of Chemistry at Oxford University and later at University College London (UCL). Read more
20 Aug 1938: Alain Vivien, French politician Alain Vivien is a French Socialist Party (PS) politician, best known for chairing (1998–2002) the French Mission Interministérielle pour la Lutte contre les Sectes, MILS, a ministerial organization designed to observe the activities of various religious organizations defined as "Sectes" (cults). Read more
20 Aug 1937: Stelvio Cipriani, Italian composer (died 2018) Stelvio Cipriani, also known as Viostel, was an Italian composer, mostly of motion picture soundtracks, conductor and pianist. Read more
20 Aug 1937: Andrei Konchalovsky, Russian director, producer, and screenwriter Andrei Sergeyevich Konchalovsky is a Russian film and theatre director, screenwriter, and producer. His filmmaking career spans over 60 years in Soviet, Hollywood, and contemporary Russian cinema. Early in his career, he was a screenwriting collaborator of Andrei Tarkovsky. His film credits include Uncle Vanya (1970), Siberiade (1979), House of Fools (2002), The Postman's White Nights (2014), Paradise (2016), and Dear Comrades! (2020). During the 1980's, he resided in the United States, where he directed films such as Maria's Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), Shy People (1987), and Tango & Cash (1989). He also directed the 1997 miniseries adaptation of the ancient Greek narrative The Odyssey. Read more
20 Aug 1937: Sky Saxon, American singer-songwriter and bassist (died 2009) Sky "Sunlight" Saxon was an American rock and roll musician best known as the leader and singer of the 1960s Los Angeles psychedelic garage rock band The Seeds. Read more
20 Aug 1936: Hideki Shirakawa, Japanese chemist, engineer, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Hideki Shirakawa is a Japanese chemist, engineer, and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tsukuba and Zhejiang University. He is best known for his discovery of conductive polymers. He was co-recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Chemistry jointly with Alan MacDiarmid and Alan Heeger. Read more
20 Aug 1935: Ron Paul, American captain, physician, and politician Ronald Ernest Paul is an American author, activist, medical doctor, and former politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977, and again from 1979 to 1985, as well as for Texas's 14th congressional district from 1997 to 2013. On three occasions, he sought the presidency of the United States, first as the Libertarian Party nominee in 1988, and then as a candidate for the Republican Party in 2008 and 2012. Read more
20 Aug 1934: Sneaky Pete Kleinow, American country-rock pedal-steel guitarist and songwriter (died 2007) Peter E. "Sneaky Pete" Kleinow was an American country-rock musician and animator. He was a member of the band the Flying Burrito Brothers, and worked extensively as a session musician, playing pedal steel guitar for Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, The Byrds, Leonard Cohen, Joe Cocker, Rita Coolidge, Eagles, The Everly Brothers, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, The Steve Miller Band, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Spencer Davis, Little Richard, Linda Ronstadt, Jimmie Spheeris and many others. He is a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame. Read more
20 Aug 1934: Tom Mangold, German-English journalist and author Thomas Cornelius Mangold is a British broadcaster, journalist and author. For 26 years he was an investigative journalist with the BBC Panorama current affairs television programme. Read more
20 Aug 1933: Ted Donaldson, American actor (died 2023) Ted Donaldson was an American actor. Read more
20 Aug 1933: George J. Mitchell, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician George John Mitchell Jr. is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer. A leading member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States senator from Maine from 1980 to 1995, and as Senate Majority Leader from 1989 to 1995. After retiring from the Senate, Mitchell played a leading role in negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland and the Middle East. He was appointed United States Special Envoy for Northern Ireland (1995–2001) by President Clinton and as United States Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (2009–2011) by President Barack Obama. Read more
20 Aug 1932: Anthony Ainley, English actor (died 2004) Anthony Ainley was a British actor. He is best known for portraying the Master in the BBC television series Doctor Who from 1981 to 1989. Read more
20 Aug 1932: Vasily Aksyonov, Russian physician, author, and academic (died 2009) Vasily Pavlovich Aksyonov was a Soviet and Russian novelist. He became known in the West as the author of The Burn and of Generations of Winter, a family saga following three generations of the Gradov family between 1925 and 1953. Read more
20 Aug 1932: Atholl McKinnon, South African cricketer (died 1983) Atholl Henry McKinnon was a South African cricketer who played in eight Tests from 1960 to 1966. Read more
20 Aug 1931: Don King, American boxing promoter Donald King is an American boxing promoter, known for his flamboyant and charismatic style, who was involved in some of the most famous boxing matches in history. Read more
20 Aug 1930: Mario Bernardi, Canadian pianist and conductor (died 2013) Mario Bernardi, was a Canadian conductor and pianist. He conducted 75 different operas and over 450 other works with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Read more
20 Aug 1930: Peter Randall, English sergeant and recipient of the Victoria Cross (died 2007) Peter John Randall, was a British Army soldier and a recipient of the George Medal, and the RSPCA's Margaret Wheatley Cross, for his actions on 8 October 1954 where he saved the life of a fellow soldier and a military dog from a burning truck. Read more
20 Aug 1929: Kevin Heffernan, Irish footballer and manager (died 2013) Kevin Heffernan was an Irish Gaelic footballer and manager who played as a left corner-forward at senior level for the Dublin county team. Read more
20 Aug 1927: John Boardman, English archaeologist and historian (died 2024) Sir John Boardman, was a British classical archaeologist and art historian of ancient Greek art. Educated at Chigwell School in Essex and at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Boardman worked as assistant director of the British School at Athens between 1952 and 1955 before taking up a position as an assistant keeper at the Ashmolean Museum, part of the University of Oxford. He succeeded John Beazley as Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art at the university in 1978, remaining in post until his retirement in 1994. Read more
20 Aug 1927: Yootha Joyce, English actress (died 1980) Yootha Joyce Needham, known as Yootha Joyce, was a British actress best known for playing Mildred Roper opposite Brian Murphy in the sitcom Man About the House (1973–1976) and its spin-off George and Mildred (1976–1979). She had a large number of film and television credits to her name, and also made many appearances on stage. Read more
20 Aug 1927: Fred Kavli, Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist, founded The Kavli Foundation (died 2013) Fred Kavli was a Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist born on a small farm in Eresfjord, Norway. He founded the Kavlico Corporation in Moorpark, California. Under his leadership, Kavlico became one of the world's largest suppliers of sensors for aeronautic, automotive, and industrial applications supplying General Electric and the Ford Motor Company. Read more
20 Aug 1927: Peter Oakley, English soldier and blogger (died 2014) Peter Oakley was an English pensioner and Internet personality, who posted YouTube videos under the Internet pseudonym geriatric1927. With his YouTube debut in August 2006 with Telling it all, a series of five-to-ten-minute autobiographical videos, Oakley gained popularity with a wide section of the YouTube community. Amongst the autobiographical details revealed in his videos are that he served as a radar mechanic during World War II, that he had a lifelong love of motorcycles, and that he lived alone as a widower and pensioner. Read more
20 Aug 1926: Frank Rosolino, American jazz trombonist (died 1978) Frank Rosolino was an American jazz trombonist. Read more
20 Aug 1926: Nobby Wirkowski, American-Canadian football player and coach (died 2014) Norbert "Nobby" Wirkowski was an American and Canadian football player and coach. He is best known as quarterback of the Toronto Argonauts. The touchdown he engineered in the 1952 Grey Cup turned out to be the last offensive touchdown by the Argonauts in a Grey Cup for 30 years. Read more
20 Aug 1924: George Zuverink, American baseball player (died 2014) George Zuverink was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of eight Major League Baseball seasons with the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Redlegs, Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles. For his career, he compiled a 32–36 record in 265 appearances, mostly as a relief pitcher, with a 3.54 earned run average and 223 strikeouts. Read more
20 Aug 1923: Jim Reeves, American singer-songwriter (died 1964) James Travis Reeves was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. One of the earliest pioneers and practitioners of the Nashville sound, he played a central role in the sonic development of country music in the 1960s. Known as "Gentleman Jim", his songs continued to chart for years after his death in a plane crash. He is a member of both the Country Music and Texas Country Music Halls of Fame. Read more
20 Aug 1921: Keith Froome, Australian rugby league player (died 1978) George Keith Froome (1920–1978) was an Australian rugby league player. He was a halfback for the Australian national team. He played in eight Tests between 1948 and 1949 as captain on two occasions. Read more
20 Aug 1921: Jack Wilson, Australian cricketer (died 1985) John William Wilson was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test match in 1956. Read more
20 Aug 1920: H. R. Van Dongen, American illustrator (died 2010) Henry Richard Van Dongen, often professionally known as H.R. Van Dongen, was an American artist best known for his science fiction magazine and book covers. Read more
20 Aug 1919: Walter Bernstein, American screenwriter and producer (died 2021) Walter Bernstein was an American screenwriter and film producer who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s because of his views on communism. Some of his notable works included The Front (1976), Yanks (1979), and Little Miss Marker (1980). He was a recipient of Writers Guild of America Awards including the Ian McLellan Hunter Award and the Evelyn F. Burkey Award. Read more
20 Aug 1919: Adamantios Androutsopoulos, Greek lawyer, educator and politician, Prime Minister of Greece (died 2000) Adamantios Androutsopoulos was a lawyer and professor. He held various ministerial posts under the Greek military junta of 1967–1974 and was finally appointed interim Prime Minister of Greece from 1973 to 1974 by junta strongman Dimitrios Ioannides. He was the last Prime Minister appointed under the junta before the 1974 general election that marked a return to civilian rule. Read more
20 Aug 1918: Jacqueline Susann, American actress and author (died 1974) Jacqueline Susann was an American novelist and actress. Her novel Valley of the Dolls (1966) is one of the best-selling books in publishing history. With her two subsequent works, The Love Machine (1969) and Once Is Not Enough (1973), Susann became the first author to have three novels top The New York Times Best Seller list consecutively. Read more
20 Aug 1917: Terry Sanford, 65th governor of North Carolina (died 1998) James Terry Sanford was an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford served as the 65th governor of North Carolina from 1961 to 1965, was a two-time U.S. presidential candidate in the 1970s, and served as a U.S. senator from 1986 to 1993. He was a strong proponent of public education and introduced several reforms and new programs in North Carolina's schools and institutions of higher education as the state's governor. From 1970 to 1985, Sanford served as the president of Duke University. Read more
20 Aug 1916: Paul Felix Schmidt, Estonian–German chess player and chemist (died 1984) Paul Felix Schmidt was an Estonian and German chess player, writer and chemist. Read more
20 Aug 1915: Ivo Rojnica, Croatian-Argentine war crimes suspect, businessman, diplomat, and intelligence agent (died 2007) Ivo Rojnica was a Croatian Ustaše official and intelligence agent who was active in the World War II Axis puppet state known as the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) from 1941 to 1945. After the war, he escaped to Argentina, where he reinvented himself as a businessman and diplomat. Read more
20 Aug 1913: Roger Wolcott Sperry, American neuropsychologist and neurobiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1994) Roger Wolcott Sperry was an American neuropsychologist, neurobiologist, cognitive neuroscientist, who, together with David H. Hubel and Torsten Nils Wiesel, won the 1981 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work with split-brain research. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Sperry as the 44th most cited psychologist of the 20th century. Read more
20 Aug 1912: John H. Michaelis, American general (died 1985) John Hersey Michaelis was a United States Army four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, United Nations Command/Commander, United States Forces Korea/Commanding General, Eighth United States Army from 1969 to 1972. Read more
20 Aug 1910: Eero Saarinen, Finnish-American architect and furniture designer, designed the Gateway Arch (died 1961) Eero Saarinen was a Finnish-American architect and industrial designer. Saarinen's work includes the General Motors Technical Center, the Dulles International Airport Main Terminal, the TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center, the Gateway Arch, and the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. During his career, Saarinen was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and served on the National Institute of Arts and Letters. Read more
20 Aug 1909: André Morell, English actor (died 1978) Cecil André Mesritz, known professionally as André Morell, was an English actor. He appeared frequently in theatre, film and on television from the 1930s to the 1970s. His best known screen roles were as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the BBC Television serial Quatermass and the Pit (1958–59), and as Doctor Watson in the Hammer Film Productions version of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959). Read more
20 Aug 1909: Alby Roberts, New Zealand cricketer and rugby player (died 1978) Albert William Roberts was a New Zealand Test cricketer who played in five Test matches between 1930 and 1937. Read more
20 Aug 1908: Al López, American baseball player and manager (died 2005) Alfonso Ramón López was a Spanish-American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Brooklyn Robins / Dodgers, Boston Bees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cleveland Indians between 1928 and 1947, and was the manager for the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox from 1951 to 1965 and during portions of the 1968 and 1969 seasons. Due to his Spanish ancestry and "gentlemanly" nature, he was nicknamed "El Señor". Read more
20 Aug 1906: Vidrik Rootare, Estonian chess player (died 1981) Vidrik "Frits" Rootare was an Estonian chess player. His wife, Salme Rootare, was also an Estonian chess player, 15-time Estonian Champion and a Women's International Master (WIM). Read more
20 Aug 1905: Jean Gebser, German linguist, poet, and philosopher (died 1973) Jean Gebser was a Swiss philosopher, linguist, and poet who described the structures of human consciousness. Read more
20 Aug 1905: Mikio Naruse, Japanese director and screenwriter (died 1969) Mikio Naruse was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed 89 films spanning the period 1930 to 1967. Read more
20 Aug 1905: Jack Teagarden, American singer-songwriter and trombonist (died 1964) Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden was an American jazz trombonist and singer. He led both of his bands himself and was a sideman for Paul Whiteman's orchestra. From 1946 to 1951, he played in Louis Armstrong's All-Stars. Read more
20 Aug 1901: Salvatore Quasimodo, Italian novelist and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1968) Salvatore Quasimodo was an Italian poet and translator, awarded the 1959 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his lyrical poetry, which with classical fire expresses the tragic experience of life in our own times". Along with Giuseppe Ungaretti and Eugenio Montale, he was one of the foremost Italian poets of the 20th century. Read more
20 Aug 1898: Vilhelm Moberg, Swedish historian, journalist, author, and playwright (died 1973) Karl Artur Vilhelm Moberg was a Swedish journalist, author, playwright, historian, and debater. His literary career, spanning more than 45 years, is associated with his four‑volume series The Emigrants. The novels, published between 1949 and 1959, deal with the Swedish emigration to the United States in the 19th century. They have been adapted for a total of three movies, and a musical. Read more
20 Aug 1897: Tarjei Vesaas, Norwegian author and poet (died 1970) Tarjei Vesaas was a Norwegian poet and novelist. Vesaas is widely considered to be one of Norway's greatest writers of the twentieth century and perhaps its most important since World War II. Read more
20 Aug 1896: Gostha Pal, Indian footballer (died 1976) Gostha Behari Pal was an Indian footballer who played primarily as a defender. Nicknamed "the Chinese wall", Pal was the captain of the India national team, who played during the 1920s and 30s. Read more
20 Aug 1890: H. P. Lovecraft, American short story writer, editor, novelist (died 1937) Howard Phillips Lovecraft was an American writer of weird, horror, fantasy, and science fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos, but his legacy is also apparent in terms like "Lovecraftian horror" and an enduring fandom. Read more
20 Aug 1888: Tôn Đức Thắng, Vietnamese politician, 2nd President of Vietnam (died 1980) Tôn Đức Thắng was the second President of Vietnam under the leadership of Communist Party General Secretary Lê Duẩn. The position of president is ceremonial and Tôn was never a major policymaker or even a member of the Politburo, Vietnam's ruling council. He served as president, initially of Democratic Republic of Vietnam from September 2, 1969, and later of a united Vietnam, until his death in 1980. Read more
20 Aug 1887: Phan Khôi, Vietnamese journalist and scholar (died 1959) Phan Khôi was an intellectual leader who inspired a North Vietnamese variety of the Chinese Hundred Flowers Campaign, in which scholars were permitted to criticize the government, but for which he himself was ultimately persecuted by the Worker's Party of Vietnam. Read more
20 Aug 1886: Paul Tillich, German-American philosopher and theologian (died 1965) Paul Johannes Tillich was a German and American Christian existentialist philosopher, religious socialist, and Lutheran theologian who was one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century. Tillich taught at German universities before migrating to the United States in 1933, where he taught at Union Theological Seminary, Harvard University, and the University of Chicago. Read more
20 Aug 1885: Dino Campana, Italian poet and author (died 1932) Dino Campana was an Italian visionary poet. His fame rests on his only published book of poetry, the Canti Orfici, as well as his wild and erratic personality, including his ill-fated love affair with Sibilla Aleramo. He is often seen as an Italian example of a poète maudit. Read more
20 Aug 1884: Rudolf Bultmann, German Lutheran theologian and professor of New Testament at the University of Marburg (died 1976) Rudolf Karl Bultmann was a German Lutheran theologian and professor of the New Testament at the University of Marburg. He was one of the major figures of early 20th-century biblical studies. A prominent critic of liberal theology, Bultmann instead argued for an existentialist interpretation of the New Testament. His hermeneutical approach to the New Testament led him to be a proponent of dialectical theology. Read more
20 Aug 1881: Edgar Guest, English-American poet and author (died 1959) Edgar Albert Guest was a British-born American poet who became known as the People's Poet. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life. Read more
20 Aug 1881: Aleksander Hellat, Estonian politician, 6th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 1943) Aleksander Hellat was an Estonian politician and a Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia. He was a member of the Estonian Social Democratic Workers' Party. After Estonia had been annexed by the Soviet Union, Hellat was arrested in 1940 by the NKVD and deported to a prison camp in Siberia, where he died three years later. Read more
20 Aug 1873: Eliel Saarinen, Finnish architect and academic, co-designed the National Museum of Finland (died 1950) Gottlieb Eliel Saarinen was a Finnish and American architect, designer, and urban planner. Saarinen worked in a diverse range of styles in his native Finland and, after emigrating in 1923, the United States. He was the father of architect Eero Saarinen and designer Pipsan Saarinen Swanson. Through his rejected 1922 design of the Chicago Tribune building he indirectly played a significant role in the influence and development of Art Deco architecture. Read more
20 Aug 1868: Ellen Roosevelt, American tennis player (died 1954) Ellen Crosby Roosevelt was an American tennis player. Roosevelt was a daughter of John Aspinwall Roosevelt, an estate proprietor, and Ellen Murray Crosby. She started playing tennis with her sister Grace in 1879 when her father installed a tennis court at their mansion. Read more
20 Aug 1865: Bernard Tancred, South African cricketer and lawyer (died 1911) Augustus Bernard Tancred was a 19th-century South African Test cricketer. His brothers, Vincent and Louis, also played Test cricket for South Africa. Read more
20 Aug 1860: Raymond Poincaré, French lawyer and politician, 10th President of France (died 1934) Raymond Nicolas Landry Poincaré was a French statesman who served as President of France from 1913 to 1920, and three times as Prime Minister of France. He was a conservative leader, primarily committed to political and social stability. Read more
20 Aug 1857: George Griffith, British writer (died 1906) George Chetwynd Griffith-Jones was a British writer. He was active mainly in the science fiction genre—or as it was known at the time, scientific romance—in particular writing many future-war stories and playing a significant role in shaping that emerging subgenre. For a short period of time, he was the leading science fiction author in his home country both in terms of popularity and commercial success. Read more
20 Aug 1856: Jakub Bart-Ćišinski, German poet and playwright (died 1909) Jakub Bart-Ćišinski, also known as Łužičan, Jakub Bart Kukowski, was a Sorbian poet, writer and playwright, translator of Czech, Polish, Italian and German literature. He produced his works in Upper Sorbian. He is also an inventor of modern Upper Sorbian poetic language. He has been described as "the classical writer of Sorbian literature." Read more
20 Aug 1847: Andrew Greenwood, English cricketer (died 1889) Andrew Greenwood was an English professional cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1869 to 1880. He was born and died in Huddersfield, West Riding of Yorkshire. He was a member of the England team which played in the first two Test matches, retrospectively recognised. Read more
20 Aug 1847: Bolesław Prus, Polish journalist and author (died 1912) Aleksander Głowacki, better known by his pen name Bolesław Prus, was a Polish journalist, novelist, a leading figure in the history of Polish literature and philosophy, and a distinctive voice in world literature. Read more
20 Aug 1845: Albert Chmielowski, Polish saint, founded the Albertine Brothers (died 1916) Albert Chmielowski – born Adam Hilary Bernard Chmielowski – was a Polish Franciscan tertiary, painter, and disabled veteran of the Uprising of 1863. He was founder of both the Albertine Brothers and Albertine Sisters who are servants of the homeless and destitute. Read more
20 Aug 1833: Benjamin Harrison, American general, lawyer, and politician, 23rd President of the United States (died 1901) Benjamin Harrison was the 23rd president of the United States, serving from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia—a grandson of the ninth president, William Henry Harrison, and a great-grandson of Benjamin Harrison V, a Founding Father. A Union army veteran and a Republican, he defeated Democratic Party incumbent Grover Cleveland to win the presidency in the 1888 United States presidential election by winning the Electoral College while losing the popular vote. He was defeated by Cleveland in the 1892 United States presidential election, becoming the first president to be succeeded in office by his predecessor. Read more

Notable Deaths on 20 August

20 Aug 2024: Al Attles, American basketball player and coach (born 1936) Alvin Austin Attles Jr. was an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive who spent his entire career with the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Destroyer", he played the point guard position. Read more
20 Aug 2022: Darya Dugina, Russian journalist (born 1992) Darya Aleksandrovna Dugina, also known under the pen name Daria Platonova, was a Russian journalist, political scientist, and activist. She was the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, a far-right political philosopher, whose political views and support for Vladimir Putin she shared. Read more
20 Aug 2021: Igor Vovkovinskiy, Ukrainian-American law student and actor, American tallest person (born 1982) Igor Vovkovinskiy was a Ukrainian-American law student, actor and tallest living person in the United States, at 7 feet 8+1⁄3 inches (234.5 cm), briefly taking the record from George Bell. Read more
20 Aug 2018: Uri Avnery, Israeli writer, politician and peace activist (born 1923) Uri Avnery was an Israeli writer, journalist, politician, and activist, who founded the Gush Shalom peace movement. A member of the Irgun as a teenager and a veteran of the 1948 Palestine war, Avnery was a member of the Knesset for two spells from 1965 to 1974 and from 1979 to 1981. He was also the owner and editor of the news magazine HaOlam HaZeh from 1950 until its closure in 1993. Read more
20 Aug 2018: Jennifer Ramírez Rivero, Venezuelan model (born 1978) Jennifer Ramírez Rivero was a Venezuelan model and owner of the clothing and accessories brands Mac River and Jen River. She was murdered in 2018 in Cúcuta, Colombia. Read more
20 Aug 2017: Jerry Lewis, American actor and comedian (born 1926) Jerry Lewis was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. Across his seven-decade career, Lewis was regarded as one of the greatest comedians of the 20th century. He is nicknamed the "King of Comedy". Read more
20 Aug 2015: Egon Bahr, German journalist and politician, Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany (born 1922) Egon Karl-Heinz Bahr was a German SPD politician. Read more
20 Aug 2015: Paul Kibblewhite, New Zealand chemist and engineer (born 1941) Robert Paul Kibblewhite was a New Zealand scientist noted for his research into the properties of wood fibre, particularly in relation to the pulp and paper industry. Read more
20 Aug 2015: Frank Wilkes, Australian soldier and politician (born 1922) Frank Noel Wilkes was an Australian politician who served as the Leader of the Labor Opposition in Victoria from 1977 to 1981. Read more
20 Aug 2014: Anton Buslov, Russian astrophysicist and journalist (born 1983) Anton Sergeevich Buslov was an astrophysicist, top Russian blogger, columnist at The New Times magazine, and expert on transportation systems. He is also known as a founder of non-governmental organization "Voronezh Citizens for Trams Committee" and both co-chair and co-founder of inter-regional non-governmental organization "City and Transportation". Anton Buslov was highly involved in social activity and acted as a transport expert for urbanist organization "City 4 People". Read more
20 Aug 2014: Lois Mai Chan, Taiwanese-American librarian, author, and academic (born 1934) Lois Mai Chan was a Taiwanese-American library scientist, author, and professor at the University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science until 2011. Her publications on cataloging, library classification, and subject indexing were recognized with various awards. Read more
20 Aug 2014: Boris Dubin, Russian sociologist and academic (born 1946) Boris Vladimirovich Dubin was a Russian sociologist, and a translator for English, French, Spanish, Latin American and Polish literature. Dubin was the head of department of sociopolitical researches at the Levada Center and the assistant to Lev Gudkov, editor-in-chief of the sociological journal Russian Public Opinion Herald published by the center. Additionally he was a lecturer of sociology of culture at the Russian State University for the Humanities and the Moscow School for the Social and Economic Sciences. Read more
20 Aug 2014: B. K. S. Iyengar, Indian yoga instructor and author, founded Iyengar Yoga (born 1918) Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar was an Indian teacher of yoga and author. He is the founder of the style of yoga as exercise called "Iyengar Yoga", and was considered one of the foremost yoga gurus in the world. He was the author of many books on yoga practice and philosophy including Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and Light on Life. Iyengar was one of the earliest students of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who is often called "the father of modern yoga". He has been credited with popularizing yoga, first in India and then around the world. Read more
20 Aug 2014: Buddy MacMaster, Canadian singer-songwriter and fiddler (born 1924) Hugh Alan "Buddy" MacMaster was a Canadian fiddler. He performed and recorded both locally and internationally, and was regarded as an expert on the tradition and lore of Cape Breton fiddle music. Read more
20 Aug 2014: Sava Stojkov, Serbian painter and educator (born 1925) Sava Stojkov was a Serbian naive art painter, known for his environment depictions, as well as for his pre-photorealistic tendencies. Read more
20 Aug 2014: Edmund Szoka, American cardinal (born 1927) Edmund Casimir Szoka was an American Catholic prelate who served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and as president of the Governorate of Vatican City State from 1997 to 2006. He previously served as bishop of Gaylord in Michigan from 1971 to 1981 and archbishop of Detroit in Michigan from 1981 to 1990. Szoka was elevated to the cardinalate in 1988. Read more
20 Aug 2013: Sathima Bea Benjamin, South African singer-songwriter (born 1936) Beatrice "Sathima Bea" Benjamin was a South African vocalist and composer based in New York City for nearly 45 years. Read more
20 Aug 2013: Narendra Dabholkar, Indian author and activist (born 1945) Narendra Achyut Dabholkar was an Indian physician, social activist, rationalist, and author from Maharashtra, India. In 1989, he founded and became president of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti. Triggered by his assassination in 2013, the pending Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Ordinance was promulgated in the state of Maharashtra, four days later. In 2014, he was posthumously awarded the Padma Shri for social work. Read more
20 Aug 2013: Don Hassler, American saxophonist and composer (born 1929) Don Hassler was an American composer, musician, and A&R representative. He is known for his membership and performances in jazz bands and symphonic orchestras, in which he played the saxophone and bassoon. He also served in military bands for seventeen years, including as the commander of the 63rd Infantry Division Band. Read more
20 Aug 2013: Elmore Leonard, American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter (born 1925) Elmore John Leonard Jr. was an American novelist, short story author and screenwriter. He was, according to British journalist Anthony Lane, "hailed as one of the best crime writers in the land". His earliest novels, published in the 1950s, were Westerns, but he went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, many of which have been adapted into motion pictures. Among his best-known works are Hombre, Swag, City Primeval, LaBrava, Glitz, Freaky Deaky, Get Shorty, Rum Punch, Out of Sight and Tishomingo Blues. Read more
20 Aug 2013: Marian McPartland, English-American pianist and composer (born 1918) Margaret Marian McPartland OBE, was an English and American jazz pianist, composer, and writer. She was the host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio from 1978 to 2011. Read more
20 Aug 2013: John W. Morris, American general (born 1921) John Woodland Morris was an American lieutenant general who became Chief of Engineers. Read more
20 Aug 2013: Ted Post, American director and screenwriter (born 1918) Theodore Ian Post was an American film, television, and theatre director. He directed numerous episodes of well-known television series during the 1950s and '60s, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and two Directors Guild of America Awards for his work. His feature film directing credits included the Clint Eastwood films Hang 'Em High (1968) and Magnum Force (1973), the Planet of the Apes film Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), the Vietnam War film Go Tell the Spartans (1978), and the Chuck Norris action picture Good Guys Wear Black. Read more
20 Aug 2012: Phyllis Diller, American actress and comedian (born 1917) Phyllis Ada Diller was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician and visual artist, noted for her eccentric stage persona, characterized by her self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and exaggerated, cackling laugh. Read more
20 Aug 2012: Daryl Hine, Canadian-American poet and academic (born 1936) William Daryl Hine was a Canadian poet and translator. A MacArthur Fellow for the class of 1986, Hine was the editor of Poetry from 1968 to 1978. He graduated from McGill University in 1958 and then studied in Europe, as a Canada Council scholar. He earned a PhD. in comparative literature at the University of Chicago (UChicago) in 1967. During his career, Hine taught at UChicago, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Northwestern University. Read more
20 Aug 2012: Dom Mintoff, Maltese journalist and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Malta (born 1916) Dominic Mintoff was a Maltese socialist politician, architect, and civil engineer who was leader of the Labour Party from 1949 to 1984, and was Prime Minister of Malta from 1955 to 1958, when Malta was still a British colony, and again, following independence, from 1971 to 1984. His tenure as Prime Minister saw the creation of a comprehensive welfare state, nationalisation of large corporations, a substantial increase in the general standard of living and the establishment of the Maltese republic, but was later on marred by a stagnant economy, a rise in authoritarianism and outbreaks of political violence. Read more
20 Aug 2012: Len Quested, English footballer and manager (born 1925) Wilfred Leonard Quested was an English footballer. Quested played one match for England B as well as being selected as a travelling reserve for a Full International for England. In 1957 he moved to Australia where he played for the Sydney clubs Auburn and Hakoah. He also played in an unofficial match for Australia. Read more
20 Aug 2012: Mika Yamamoto, Japanese journalist (born 1967) Mika Yamamoto was a Japanese video and photojournalist for the news agency Japan Press. Yamamoto was killed on 20 August 2012 while covering the Syrian Civil War in Aleppo, Syria. She was the first Japanese and fourth foreign journalist killed in the Syrian Civil War that began in March 2011. She was the fifteenth journalist killed in Syria in 2012. Yamamoto was a recipient of the Vaughn-Uyeda Memorial Prize of the Japanese Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association for her reporting of international affairs in 2004. Read more
20 Aug 2012: Meles Zenawi, Ethiopian soldier and politician, Prime Minister of Ethiopia (born 1955) Meles Zenawi Asres, born Legesse Zenawi Asres was an Ethiopian politician and former rebel militant commander who served as president of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995 and as prime minister from 1995 until his death in 2012. Read more
20 Aug 2011: Ram Sharan Sharma, Indian historian and academic (born 1919) Ram Sharan Sharma was a Marxist historian and Indologist who specialised in the history of Ancient and early Medieval India. He taught at Patna University and Delhi University (1973–85) and was visiting faculty at University of Toronto (1965–1966). He also was a senior fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He was a University Grants Commission National Fellow (1958–81) and the president of Indian History Congress in 1975. It was during his tenure as the dean of Delhi University's History Department that major expansion of the department took place in the 1970s. The creation of most of the positions in the department were the results of his efforts. He was the founding Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and a historian of international repute. Read more
20 Aug 2010: Đặng Phong, Vietnamese economist and historian (born 1937) Đặng Phong (1937–2010) was a Vietnamese economic historian. Read more
20 Aug 2009: Larry Knechtel, American keyboardist and bass player (born 1940) Lawrence William Knechtel was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles–based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon & Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, the Beach Boys, the Mamas & the Papas, the Monkees, the Partridge Family, Billy Joel, the Doors, the Byrds, the Grass Roots, Jerry Garcia, and Elvis Presley. He also was a member of the 1970s band Bread. Read more
20 Aug 2009: Karla Kuskin, American author and illustrator (born 1932) Karla Kuskin was a prolific American author, poet, illustrator, and reviewer of children's literature. Kuskin was known for her poetic, alliterative style. Read more
20 Aug 2008: Ed Freeman, American soldier and pilot, Medal of Honor recipient (born 1927) Ed W. "Too Tall" Freeman was a United States Army helicopter pilot who received the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in the Battle of Ia Drang during the Vietnam War. During the battle, he flew through machine gunfire 14 times, bringing supplies to a trapped American battalion and flying dozens of wounded soldiers to safety. Freeman was a wingman for Major Bruce Crandall, who also received the Medal of Honor for the same missions. Read more
20 Aug 2008: Hua Guofeng, Chinese politician, 2nd Premier of the People's Republic of China (born 1921) Hua Guofeng was a Chinese politician who served as chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and the premier of China. As the successor of Mao Zedong, Hua held the top offices of the government, party, and the military after the deaths of Mao and Premier Zhou Enlai, but was gradually forced out of power between December 1978 and June 1981, and subsequently retreated from the political limelight, though still remaining a member of the Central Committee until 2002. Read more
20 Aug 2008: Stephanie Tubbs Jones, American lawyer and politician (born 1949) Stephanie Tubbs Jones was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Ohio's 11th congressional district from 1999 until her death in 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, her district encompassed most of Downtown and Eastern Cleveland and many of the eastern suburbs in Cuyahoga County, including Euclid, Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights. She was the first African American woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio. Read more
20 Aug 2008: Gene Upshaw, American football player (born 1945) Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr. was an American professional football guard who played for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Football League (NFL). He later served as the executive director of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA). Upshaw was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and is also the only player in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl with the same team in three different decades. Read more
20 Aug 2007: Leona Helmsley, American businesswoman (born 1920) Leona Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman. After allegations of non-payment were made by contractors hired to improve Helmsley's Connecticut home, she was investigated and convicted of federal income tax evasion and other crimes in 1989. Although having initially received a sentence of 4 years, she was required to serve only 19 months in prison and two months under house arrest. During the trial, a former housekeeper testified that she had heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes". This quote was identified with her for the rest of her life. Helmsley's flamboyant personality and reputation for tyrannical behavior, especially towards her employees, earned her the nickname Queen of Mean. Read more
20 Aug 2006: Bryan Budd, Northern Ireland-born English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (born 1977) Bryan James Budd, was a British Army soldier and a Northern Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Read more
20 Aug 2006: Joe Rosenthal, American photographer and journalist (born 1911) Joseph John Rosenthal was an American photographer who received the Pulitzer Prize for his iconic World War II photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, taken during the 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima. His picture became one of the best-known photographs of the war, and was replicated as the United States Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington County, Virginia. Read more
20 Aug 2006: S. Sivamaharajah, Sri Lankan Tamil newspaper publisher and politician (born 1938) Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah was a Sri Lankan Tamil newspaper publisher, politician and Member of Parliament. Read more
20 Aug 2005: Thomas Herrion, American football player (born 1981) Thomas Lovell Herrion was an American football offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He also was a member of the Hamburg Sea Devils in NFL Europe. He played college football at the University of Utah. Read more
20 Aug 2005: Krzysztof Raczkowski, Polish drummer and songwriter (born 1970) Krzysztof Raczkowski, also known as Docent or Doc, was a Polish drummer, best known as a member of Polish death metal bands Vader (1988–2005) and Dies Irae. He also appeared as a guest or temporary musician in Sweet Noise, Hunter, Slashing Death, Unborn, Moon, and Overdub Trio. Read more
20 Aug 2001: Fred Hoyle, English astronomer and author (born 1915) Sir Fred Hoyle (24 June 1915 – 20 August 2001) was an English astronomer. With Margaret and Geoffrey Burbidge and William Alfred Fowler, he formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis in the influential B2FH paper. Read more
20 Aug 2001: Kim Stanley, American actress (born 1925) Kim Stanley was an American actress who was primarily active in television and theatre but also had occasional film performances. Read more
20 Aug 1998: Vũ Văn Mẫu, 10th and final Prime Minister of South Vietnam (born 1914) Vũ Văn Mẫu was a South Vietnamese diplomat and politician, who was the last Prime Minister of South Vietnam, serving under President Dương Văn Minh's leadership in 1975. He held the position for only two days before the collapse and surrender of South Vietnam on 30 April 1975. Read more
20 Aug 1997: Norris Bradbury, American soldier, physicist, and academic (born 1909) Norris Edwin Bradbury was an American physicist who served as director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory for 25 years from 1945 to 1970. He succeeded Robert Oppenheimer, who personally chose Bradbury for the position of director after working closely with him on the Manhattan Project during World War II. Bradbury was in charge of the final assembly of "the Gadget", detonated in July 1945 for the Trinity test. Read more
20 Aug 1997: Léon Dion, Canadian political scientist and academic (born 1922) Léon Dion was a Canadian political scientist. Read more
20 Aug 1996: Rio Reiser, German singer-songwriter (born 1950) Ralph Christian Möbius, known professionally as Rio Reiser, was a German musician and from 1970 to 1985 the lead singer and main lyric-writer for the rock group Ton Steine Scherben. After that band broke up, he worked as a solo artist. Among his best known songs are Macht kaputt, was euch kaputt macht, Keine Macht für Niemand, and the Rauch-Haus-Song with the Ton Steine Scherben. As a solo artist, his best known songs are König von Deutschland, Alles Lüge, and Junimond. Reiser supported squatting in the early 1970s and later the green political party Die Grünen. After the German reunification, he joined the Party of Democratic Socialism. Read more
20 Aug 1995: Hugo Pratt, Italian author and illustrator (born 1927) Ugo Eugenio Prat, better known as Hugo Pratt, was an Italian comic book creator who was known for combining strong storytelling with extensive historical research on works such as Corto Maltese. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2005, and was awarded the 15th anniversary special Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême at the Angoulême Festival. In 1946 Hugo Pratt became part of the so-called Group of Venice with Fernando Carcupino, Dino Battaglia and Damiano Damiani. Read more
20 Aug 1993: Bernard Delfgaauw, Dutch philosopher and academic (born 1912) Bernardus Maria Ignatius "Bernard" Delfgaauw was a Dutch philosopher. He studied Dutch language and (thomistic) philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. In 1947 he earned his doctoral degree on the French metaphysician Louis Lavelle. In 1961 he became a professor in philosophy at the University of Groningen. Read more
20 Aug 1987: Walenty Kłyszejko, Estonian–Polish basketball player and coach (born 1909) Walenty Kłyszejko was an Estonian–Polish basketball coach and player. He was also a professor of physical education at the Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw. Read more
20 Aug 1986: Milton Acorn, Canadian poet and playwright (born 1923) Milton James Rhode Acorn, nicknamed The People's Poet by his peers, was a Canadian poet, writer, and playwright. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Donald O. Hebb, Canadian psychologist and academic (born 1904) Donald Olding Hebb was a Canadian psychologist who was influential in the area of neuropsychology, where he sought to understand how the function of neurons contributed to psychological processes such as learning. He is best known for his theory of Hebbian learning, which he introduced in his classic 1949 work The Organization of Behavior. He has been described as the father of neuropsychology and neural networks. A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Hebb as the 19th most cited psychologist of the 20th century. His views on learning described behavior and thought in terms of brain function, explaining cognitive processes in terms of connections between neuron assemblies. Read more
20 Aug 1985: Wilhelm Meendsen-Bohlken, German admiral (born 1897) Wilhelm Meendsen-Bohlken was a Vizeadmiral with the Kriegsmarine during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. From July 1944 to May 1945 he served as the final fleet commander of the Kriegsmarine. Read more
20 Aug 1982: Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress (born 1929) Ulla Jacobsson was a Swedish actress. She had the lead role in One Summer of Happiness (1951) and played the only female speaking role in the film Zulu (1964). Read more
20 Aug 1981: Michael Devine, Irish Republican, died on hunger strike (born 1954) Michael James Devine was an Irish militant and Republican activist. He was a volunteer in the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), and the last hunger striker to die during the 1981 Irish hunger strike. Read more
20 Aug 1980: Joe Dassin, American-French singer-songwriter (born 1938) Joseph Ira Dassin was an American singer-songwriter. He sang in multiple languages but found his greatest successes in France and the French-speaking world. In total, he sold nearly 25 million records worldwide. Read more
20 Aug 1979: Christian Dotremont, Belgian painter and poet (born 1922) Christian Dotremont,, was a Belgian painter and poet who was born in Tervuren, Belgium. He was a founding member of the Revolutionary Surrealist Group (1946) and he also founded COBRA together with Danish artist Asger Jorn. In this capacity he was responsible for bringing Henri Lefebvre's Critique de la vie quotidienne (1946) to the group's attention. He later became well known for his painted poems, which he called logograms. Read more
20 Aug 1976: Vera Lutz, British economist (born 1912) Vera Constance Lutz,, was a British economist. She was married to the German economist Friedrich Lutz. Read more
20 Aug 1971: Rashid Minhas, Pakistani lieutenant and pilot (born 1951) Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas NH was a Pakistani fighter pilot and the fifth recipient of Pakistan's highest military award, the Nishan-e-Haider. Minhas was the first and only officer from the Pakistan Air Force to receive the Nishan-e-Haider, and was also the youngest person and the shortest-serving officer to have received the award. During a routine training mission in August 1971, Minhas attempted to gain control of his jet trainer when his superior officer Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman BS took control of the plane to join the Bangladesh War of Independence, but Minhas resisted his efforts to control the aircraft and crashed it in Sujawal District in Pakistan. Read more
20 Aug 1965: Jonathan Daniels, American seminarian and civil rights activist (born 1939) Jonathan Myrick Daniels was an Episcopal seminarian and civil rights activist. In 1965, he was killed by Tom Coleman, a highway worker and part-time deputy sheriff, in Hayneville, Alabama, while in the act of shielding 17-year-old Ruby Sales from a racist attack. He saved the life of the young Black civil rights activist. They were both working in the nonviolent civil rights movement in Lowndes County to integrate public places and register Black voters after passage of the Voting Rights Act that summer. Daniels' death generated further support for the civil rights movement. Read more
20 Aug 1963: Joan Voûte, Dutch astronomer (born 1879) Joan George Erardus Gijsbertus Voûte was a Dutch astronomer. Read more
20 Aug 1961: Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1882) Percy Williams Bridgman was an American physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1946 for his work on the physics of high pressures. He also wrote extensively on the scientific method and on other aspects of the philosophy of science. The Bridgman effect, the Bridgman–Stockbarger technique, and the high-pressure mineral bridgmanite are named after him. Read more
20 Aug 1951: İzzettin Çalışlar, Turkish general (born 1882) İzzettin Çalışlar was an officer of the Ottoman Army and a general of the Turkish Army. He is known for his achievements in the Gallipoli campaign of World War I. He later joined the forces of Mustafa Kemal and fought in the Turkish War of Independence. He also served as a politician and was a prominent member of the Kemalist movement. Read more
20 Aug 1949: Ragnhild Kaarbø, Norwegian painter (born 1889) Ragnhild Kaarbø was a Norwegian painter. Influenced by Fauvism, she painted expressionistic portraits. She was also influenced by Cubism, but as her cubistic paintings were criticized by the press, she eventually focused on impressionistic landscape paintings. Read more
20 Aug 1943: William Irvine, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of Victoria (born 1858) Sir William Hill Irvine was an Australian politician and judge. He served as Premier of Victoria (1902–1904), Attorney-General of Australia (1913–1914), and Chief Justice of Victoria (1918–1935). Read more
20 Aug 1942: István Horthy, Hungarian admiral and pilot (born 1904) István Horthy de Nagybánya was a Hungarian politician and fighter pilot during World War II. He was briefly Vice-Regent of Hungary in 1942, and was the eldest son of Hungarian regent Miklós Horthy. Read more
20 Aug 1939: Agnes Giberne, Indian-English astronomer and author (born 1845) Agnes Giberne was a British novelist and scientific writer. Her fiction was typical of Victorian evangelical fiction with moral or religious themes for children. She also wrote books on science for young people, a handful of historical novels, and one well-regarded biography. Read more
20 Aug 1936: Edward Weston, English-American chemist (born 1850) Edward Henry Weston was an American photographer. He has been called "one of the most innovative and influential American photographers" and "one of the masters of 20th century photography." Over the course of his 40-year career Weston photographed an increasingly expansive set of subjects, including landscapes, still lifes, nudes, portraits, genre scenes, and even whimsical parodies. It is said that he developed a
"quintessentially American, and especially Californian, approach to modern photography" because of his focus on the people and places of the American West. In 1937 Weston was the first photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship, and over the next two years he produced nearly 1,400 negatives using his 8 × 10 view camera. Some of his most famous
photographs were taken of the trees and rocks at Point Lobos, California, near where he lived for many years. Read more
20 Aug 1930: Charles Bannerman, Australian cricketer and umpire (born 1851) Charles Bannerman was an English-born Australian cricketer. A right-handed batsman, he represented Australia in three Test matches between 1877 and 1879. At the domestic level, he played for the New South Wales cricket team. Later, he became an umpire. Read more
20 Aug 1919: Greg MacGregor, Scottish cricketer and rugby player (born 1869) Gregor MacGregor was a former Scotland international cricketer and Scotland international rugby union player. He also played for the England international cricket team. Read more
20 Aug 1917: Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1835) Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Adolf von Baeyer was a German chemist who synthesized indigo and developed a nomenclature for cyclic compounds. He was ennobled in the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1885 and was the 1905 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Read more
20 Aug 1915: Paul Ehrlich, German physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1854) Paul Ehrlich was a German physician and scientist who worked in the fields of hematology, immunology and antimicrobial chemotherapy. He shared the 1908 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Élie Metchnikoff "in recognition of their work on immunity". Among his foremost achievements were finding a cure for syphilis in 1909 and inventing an important modification of the technique for Gram staining bacteria. The methods he developed for staining tissue made it possible to distinguish between different types of blood cells, which led to the ability to diagnose numerous blood diseases. Read more
20 Aug 1914: Pope Pius X (born 1835) Pope Pius X was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 until his death in August 1914. He opposed modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, and promoted liturgical reforms and Thomist scholastic theology. He initiated the preparation of the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the first comprehensive and systemic work of its kind, which was ultimately promulgated by his successor. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Read more
20 Aug 1912: William Booth, English preacher, co-founded The Salvation Army (born 1829) William Booth was an English Methodist preacher who, along with his wife, Catherine, founded the Salvation Army and became its first General (1878–1912). This Christian movement, founded in 1865, has a quasi-military structure and government and has spread from London to many parts of the world. It is one of the largest distributors of humanitarian aid. Read more
20 Aug 1897: Charles Lilley, English-Australian politician, 4th Premier of Queensland (born 1827) Sir Charles Lilley was a Premier and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He had a significant influence on the form and spirit of state education in colonial Queensland which lasted well into the 20th century. Read more
20 Aug 1893: Alexander Wassilko von Serecki, Austrian lawyer and politician (born 1827) Freiherr Alexander Wassilko von Serecki was an Austro-Hungarian ethnic Romanian statesman, Landeshauptmann of the Duchy of Bukovina and member of the Herrenhaus, the Upper House of the Imperial Council of Austria. Read more
20 Aug 1887: Jules Laforgue, French poet and author (born 1860) Jules Laforgue was a Franco-Uruguayan poet, often referred to as a Symbolist poet. Critics and commentators have also pointed to Impressionism as a direct influence and his poetry has been called "part-symbolist, part-impressionist". Laforgue was a model for Pierre-Auguste Renoir, including for Renoir's 1881 painting Luncheon of the Boating Party. Read more
20 Aug 1882: James Whyte, Scottish-Australian politician, 6th Premier of Tasmania (born 1820) James Whyte was a Scottish-born Australian politician who served as the sixth Premier of Tasmania, from 20 January 1863 to 24 November 1866. Before moving to Tasmania, Whyte was a pioneering sheep-farmer in western Victoria. He and his brothers perpetrated the Fighting Hills massacre of 40–80 Aboriginal people in Victoria while recovering stolen sheep. Read more
20 Aug 1859: Juan Bautista Ceballos, former president of Mexico (born 1811) Juan Bautista Loreto Mucio Francisco José de Asís de la Santísima Trinidad Ceballos Gómez Sañudo (1811–1859) was a Mexican politician who served in congress and in the supreme court before being briefly made president after the resignation of President Mariano Arista during a revolution known as the Plan of Jalisco in 1853. He failed to come to any sort of arrangements with the insurgents and resigned after only about a month of serving and went back to his seat on the supreme court. After being removed from the court by the restored Santa Anna, he left the country and died in Paris in 1859. Read more
20 Aug 1854: Shiranui Dakuemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 8th Yokozuna (born 1801) Shiranui Dakuemon was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Uto, Higo Province. He was the sport's 8th yokozuna, and is the only yokozuna in history to have been demoted. Read more
20 Aug 1835: Agnes Bulmer, English merchant and poet (born 1775) Agnes Bulmer was an English poet. Her work Messiah's Kingdom is thought to be the longest epic poem ever written by a woman, and took over nine years to complete. Read more
20 Aug 1825: William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, English admiral and politician, Governor of Newfoundland (born 1753) Admiral of the Red William Waldegrave, 1st Baron Radstock, GCB was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Newfoundland. Read more
20 Aug 1823: Pope Pius VII (born 1740) Pope Pius VII was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He was the leader of the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again from 1814 to his death. Chiaramonti was also a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict in addition to being a well-known theologian and bishop. Read more

Why is 20 August Important in History?

20 August is important because many political, cultural, scientific, educational and social events took place on this date. These facts are useful for students, exam aspirants and readers interested in daily history and general knowledge.

History of Today 20 August for Competitive Exams

Questions based on today in history, famous personalities, historical events and important dates are often asked in UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, Defence and State PSC examinations.

👉 View complete History of Today archive

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on 20 August in history?

On 20 August, many important historical events, famous births and notable deaths occurred across the world.

Why is History of Today important for exams?

History of Today helps students remember important dates, events and personalities for competitive exams like UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway and PSC.

Where can I read daily history facts?

You can read daily history facts on this History of Today section, updated regularly with important events, births and deaths.