Famous Birthdays on April 20

Q: Who was born on April 20?

Famous people born on April 20 include: Johannes Agricola, Renata of Lorraine, Rose of Lima, Geoffrey Shakerley, Emperor Go-Kōmyō of Japan (died 1654).

Q: What is Viacheslav Fetisov known for?

Viacheslav Fetisov, Russian ice hockey player and coach

161 people 1494 – 2005

April 20 has seen 161 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1494 – 2005. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · April 20 — Wikipedia

1958 — Viacheslav Fetisov

Russian ice hockey player and coach

Did you know

With the Wings, he won back-to-back Stanley Cups and was part of the team's Russian Five unit

Did you know

After retiring from his playing career, he became the assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils

Did you know

In addition to that, he won two Olympic gold medals and seven world championships

Did you know

He played for HC CSKA Moscow for 13 seasons before joining the National Hockey League (NHL), where he played with the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings

Did you know

Viacheslav Alexandrovich "Slava" Fetisov MP is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman, coach, politician and sports official

Johannes Agricola

German theologian and reformer (died 1566)

Johann or Johannes Agricola was a German Protestant Reformer during the Protestant Reformation. He was a follower and friend of Martin Luther, who became his antagonist in the matter of the binding obligation of the law…

1494

Renata of Lorraine

Duchess consort of Bavaria (died 1602)

Renata of Lorraine was a noblewoman of the House of Lorraine who became a Duchess of Bavaria by her marriage to Duke William V.

1544

Rose of Lima

Peruvian mystic and saint (died 1617)

Rose of Lima, TOSD, was a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic in Lima, Peru, Spanish Empire, who became known for both her life of severe penance and her care of the poverty stricken of the city through her own…

1586

Geoffrey Shakerley

English politician (died 1696)

Geoffrey Shakerley was an English politician who sat as MP for Wigan in 1661. He is the father of Peter Shakerley, who also sat as MP for Wigan.

1619

Emperor Go-Kōmyō of Japan (died 1654)

Tsuguhito , posthumously honored as Emperor Go-Kōmyō , was the 110th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.

1633

Charles Plumier

French botanist and author (died 1704)

Charles Plumier was a French botanist after whom the frangipani genus Plumeria is named. Plumier is considered one of the most important of the botanical explorers of his time. He made three botanizing expeditions to…

1646

William Bedloe

English spy (died 1680)

William Bedloe was an English fraudster and Popish Plot informer.

1650

David Brainerd

American missionary (died 1747)

David Brainerd was an American Presbyterian minister and missionary to the Native Americans among the Delaware Indians of New Jersey. Missionaries such as William Carey and Jim Elliot, and Brainerd's cousin, the Second…

1718

Cornelius Harnett

American merchant, farmer, and politician (died 1781)

Cornelius Harnett was an American Founding Father, politician, merchant, plantation owner, and slaveholder from Wilmington, North Carolina. He was a leading American Revolutionary statesman in the Cape Fear region, and…

1723

Florimond Claude

Comte de Mercy-Argenteau, Belgian-Austrian minister and diplomat (died 1794)

Florimond Claude, comte de Mercy-Argenteau was an Austrian diplomat, statesman of French noble ancestry, in the service of the Holy Roman Empire.

1727

Philippe Pinel

French physician and psychiatrist (died 1826)

Philippe Pinel was a French physician, precursor of psychiatry and incidentally a zoologist. He was instrumental in the development of a more humane psychological approach to the custody and care of psychiatric…

1745

Georg Michael Telemann

German composer and theologian (died 1831)

Georg Michael Telemann was a German composer and theologian.

1748

Napoleon III

French politician, 1st President of France, Emperor of French Second Empire (died 1873)

Napoleon III was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last monarch of France. He created the Second…

1808

Bogoslav Šulek

Croatian philologist, historian, and lexicographer (died 1895)

Bogoslav Šulek was a Croatian philologist, historian and lexicographer. He was very influential in creating Croatian terminology in the areas of social and natural sciences, technology and civilization.

1816

Heinrich Göbel

German-American mechanic and engineer (died 1893)

Heinrich Göbel was a German-born American precision mechanic and inventor also known by his anglicized name Henry Goebel. In 1848 he immigrated to New York City, where he resided until his death. He received American…

1818

Dinah Craik

English author and poet (died 1887)

Dinah Maria Craik was an English novelist and poet. She wrote the novel, John Halifax, Gentleman, which presents the mid-Victorian ideals of English middle-class life.

1826

Carol I of Romania

King of Romania (died 1914)

Carol I or Charles I of Romania, nicknamed the King of Independence ; was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (Domnitor) from 1866 to 1881, and as King from 1881 to 1914. He was…

1839

Odilon Redon

French painter and illustrator (died 1916)

Odilon Redon was a French Symbolist draftsman, printmaker, and painter.

1840

Daniel Chester French

American sculptor, designed the Lincoln statue (died 1931)

Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His works include The Minute Man, an 1874 statue in Concord, Massachusetts, and his 1920 monumental statue of Abraham Lincoln at…

1850

Alexander Dianin

Russian chemist (died 1918)

Aleksandr Pavlovich Dianin was a Russian chemist from Saint Petersburg. He carried out studies on phenols and discovered a phenol derivative now known as bisphenol A and the accordingly named Dianin's compound. He was…

1851

Siegmund Lubin

Polish-American businessman, founded the Lubin Manufacturing Company (died 1923)

Siegmund Lubin was an American motion picture pioneer who founded the Lubin Manufacturing Company (1902–1917) of Philadelphia.

1851

Justinien de Clary

French target shooter (died 1933)

Count Clary was a French sport shooter who competed in the late 19th century and early 20th century in trap shooting. He participated in Shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won the bronze medal in the trap…

1860

Sydney Chapman

English economist and civil servant (died 1951)

Sir Sydney John Chapman KCB CBE was an English economist and civil servant. He was Chief Economic Adviser to HM Government from 1927 to 1932.

1871

James Harcourt

English character actor (died 1951)

James Harcourt was an English character actor.

1873

Vladimir Vidrić

Croatian poet and lawyer (died 1909)

Vladimir Vidrić was a Croatian poet, and is considered one of the major figures of Croatian secessionist poetry.

1875

Paul Poiret

French fashion designer (died 1944)

Alexandre Paul Poiret was a French fashion designer, a master couturier during the first two decades of the 20th century. He was the founder of his namesake haute couture house.

1879

Holland Smith

American general (died 1967)

Holland McTyeire "Howlin' Mad" Smith, KCB was a general in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He is sometimes called the "father" of modern U.S. amphibious warfare. His nickname, "Howlin' Mad" Smith,…

1882

Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (died 1966)

Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a member of the British royal family, a male-line granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She later married into the Spanish royal family, and was the wife of Prince Alfonso de…

1884

Oliver Kirk

American boxer (died 1960)

Oliver Leonard Kirk was an American bantamweight and featherweight professional boxer who won two gold medals in Boxing at the 1904 Summer Olympics. He was born in Beatrice, Nebraska and died in St. Louis, Missouri.

1884

Daniel Varoujan

Armenian poet and educator (died 1915)

Daniel Varoujan was an Armenian poet of the early 20th century. At the age of 31, when he was reaching international stature, he was deported and murdered by the Young Turk government, as part of the officially planned…

1884

Albert Jean Amateau

Turkish rabbi, lawyer, and activist (died 1996)

Albert Jean Amateau was a Turkish rabbi, businessman, lawyer, social activist, and denier of the Armenian genocide.

1889

Prince Erik

Duke of Västmanland (died 1918)

Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland was a Swedish and Norwegian prince. He was the third and youngest son of King Gustav V of Sweden and Victoria of Baden and was known to be disabled.

1889

Marie-Antoinette de Geuser

French mystic (died 1918)

Marie-Antoinette de Geuser was a French nun. Being in close contact with the Carmelites, her state of health and the events of World War I did not allow her to take her vows.

1889

Adolf Hitler

Austrian-born German politician, Führer of Nazi Germany (died 1945)

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Germany during the Nazi era from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor of…

1889

Tonny Kessler

Dutch footballer (died 1960)

Hermann Anton Joseph "Tonny" Kessler was a Dutch footballer. Kessler, along with brother Dé and cousins Boeli and Dolf, played club football for amateur side HVV Den Haag. Kessler won three caps for the Netherlands…

1889

Maurice Duplessis

Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Premier of Quebec (died 1959)

Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis,, popularly known as "Le Chef", was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 16th premier of Quebec. A conservative, nationalist, populist, anti-communist, anti-unionist and fervent…

1890

Adolf Schärf

Austrian soldier and politician, 6th President of Austria (died 1965)

Adolf Schärf was an Austrian politician of the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ). He served as the vice-chancellor from 1945 to 1957 and as the president of Austria from 1957 until his death.

1890

Dave Bancroft

American baseball player and manager (died 1972)

David James Bancroft was an American professional baseball player and manager. A shortstop, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Giants, Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins…

1891

Harold Lloyd

American actor, comedian, and producer (died 1971)

Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.

1893

Joan Miró

Spanish painter and sculptor (died 1983)

Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Catalan painter, sculptor and ceramist from Spain. A museum dedicated to his work, the Fundació Joan Miró, was established in his native city of Barcelona in 1975, and another, the Fundació Pilar…

1893

Henry de Montherlant

French essayist, novelist, and dramatist (died 1972)

Henry Marie Joseph Frédéric Expedite Millon de Montherlant was a French essayist, novelist, and dramatist. He was elected to the Académie française in 1960.

1895

Alan Arnett McLeod

Canadian lieutenant, Victoria Cross recipient (died 1918)

Alan Arnett McLeod, VC was a Canadian soldier, aviator, and a 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. McLeod…

1899

Bruce Cabot

American actor (died 1972)

Bruce Cabot was an American film actor, best remembered as Jack Driscoll in King Kong (1933) and for his roles in films such as The Last of the Mohicans (1936), Fritz Lang's Fury (1936), and the Western Dodge City…

1904

Miran Bakhsh

Pakistani cricketer (died 1991)

Malik Miran Bakhsh, also known as Miran Bux, was a Pakistani international cricketer who played in two Test matches in 1955.

1907

Augoustinos Kantiotes

Greek bishop (died 2010)

Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotes of Florina was a bishop of the Greek Orthodox Church. He was born in Paros in village of Piso Livadi.

1907

Lionel Hampton

American vibraphone player, pianist, bandleader, and actor (died 2002)

Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Quincy Jones.…

1908

Fatin Rüştü Zorlu

Turkish diplomat and politician (died 1961)

Fatin Rüştü Zorlu was a Turkish diplomat and politician. He was executed by hanging after the coup d'état in 1960 along with two other politicians.

1910

Mimis Fotopoulos

Greek actor and poet (died 1986)

Dimitris "Mimis" Fotopoulos was a Greek actor, writer, poet, and artist.

1913

Willi Hennig

German biologist and entomologist (died 1976)

Emil Hans Willi Hennig was a German biologist and zoologist who is considered the founder of phylogenetic systematics, otherwise known as cladistics. In 1945 as a prisoner of war, Hennig began work on his theory of…

1913

Betty Lou Gerson

American actress (died 1999)

Betty Lou Gerson was an American actress, predominantly active in radio but also in film and television and as a voice actress. She is best known as the voice of Cruella de Vil in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)…

1914

Joseph Wolpe

South African psychotherapist and physician (died 1997)

Joseph Wolpe was a South African psychiatrist and one of the most influential figures in behavior therapy.

1915

Yoko Matsuoka

Japanese writer (died 1979)

Yoko Matsuoka was a Japanese writer, literary agent, translator, and anti-war and women's rights activist. She was born in Tokyo and was educated in Japan and Korea before being sent to study in the United States in…

1916

Nasiba Zeynalova

Azerbaijani actress (died 2004)

Nasiba Jahangir gizi Zeynalova was a Soviet and Azerbaijani actress. People's Artist of Azerbaijan SSR (1967).

1916

Kai Siegbahn

Swedish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2007)

Kai Manne Börje Siegbahn was a Swedish physicist who shared the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics.

1918

Richard Hillary

Australian lieutenant and pilot (died 1943)

Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary was an Anglo-Australian Royal Air Force fighter pilot during the Second World War. He wrote the book The Last Enemy about his experiences during the Battle of Britain.

1919

Frances Ames

South African neurologist, psychiatrist, and human rights activist (died 2002)

Frances Rix Ames was a South African neurologist, psychiatrist, and human rights activist, best known for leading the medical ethics inquiry into the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who died from medical…

1920

Clement Isong

Nigerian banker and politician, Governor of Cross River State (died 2000)

Clement Nyong Isong ; 20 April 1920 – 29 May 2000) was a Nigerian banker and politician who was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 1967 to 1975 during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. He was later…

1920

John Paul Stevens

American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (died 2019)

John Paul Stevens was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1975 to 2010. He was the second-oldest and third-longest-serving justice in U.S.…

1920

Katarína Kolníková

Slovak actress (died 2006)

Katarína Kolníková was a Slovak stage actress.

1921

Mother Angelica

American nun and broadcaster, founded Eternal Word Television Network (died 2016)

Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, commonly referred to as "Mother Angelica", was an American Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration.

1923

Irene Lieblich

Polish-American painter and illustrator (died 2008)

Irene Lieblich was a Polish-born artist and Holocaust survivor noted for illustrating the books of Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer and for her paintings highlighting Jewish life and culture. She is also a distant…

1923

Tito Puente

American drummer and producer (died 2000)

Ernest Anthony Puente Jr., commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, timbalero, vibraphonist and record producer. He composed dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz music. He was also…

1923

Nina Foch

Dutch-American actress (died 2008)

Nina Foch was an American actress who later became a drama instructor. Her career spanned 6 decades, consisting of over 50 feature films and over 100 television credits. She was the recipient of numerous accolades,…

1924

Leslie Phillips

English actor and producer (died 2022)

Leslie Samuel Phillips was an English actor. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. He appeared in the Carry On and Doctor in the…

1924

Guy Rocher

Canadian sociologist and academic (died 2025)

Guy Arthur Auguste Rocher was a Canadian academic and sociologist.

1924

Ernie Stautner

German-American football player and coach (died 2006)

Ernest Alfred Stautner was a German-American professional football player and coach. He played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also served as a coach for the…

1925

Elena Verdugo

American actress (died 2017)

Elena Angela Verdugo was an American actress, who began in films at the age of five in Cavalier of the West (1931). Her career in radio, television, and film spanned six decades.

1925

Bud Cullen

Canadian judge and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Employment and Immigration (died 2005)

Jack Sydney George "Bud" Cullen, was a Canadian Federal Court judge and politician.

1927

Phil Hill

American race car driver (died 2008)

Philip Toll Hill Jr. was an American racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1958 to 1966. Hill won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1961 with Ferrari, and won three Grands Prix across eight…

1927

K. Alex Müller

Swiss physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2023)

Karl Alexander Müller was a Swiss physicist and Nobel laureate. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1987 with Georg Bednorz for their work in superconductivity in ceramic materials.

1927

Robert Byrne

American chess player and author (died 2013)

Robert Eugene Byrne was an American chess player and chess author who held the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM). He won the U.S. Championship in 1972, and was a World Chess Championship Candidate in 1974. Byrne…

1928

Johnny Gavin

Irish international footballer (died 2007)

John Thomas Gavin was an Irish footballer who spent most of his career in England. He played for Janesboro United, Limerick, Ireland, Norwich City, Watford, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Cambridge City, Newmarket…

1928

Dwight Gustafson

American composer and conductor (died 2014)

Dwight Leonard Gustafson was an American composer, conductor, and dean of the School of Fine Arts at Bob Jones University.

1930

Antony Jay

English director and screenwriter (died 2016)

Sir Antony Rupert Jay was an English writer and broadcaster. With Jonathan Lynn, he co-wrote the British political-satirical comedies Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister (1980–88). He also wrote The Householder's Guide…

1930

Michael Allenby

3rd Viscount Allenby, English lieutenant and politician (died 2014)

Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Jaffray Hynman Allenby, 3rd Viscount Allenby was a British politician, hereditary peer, and horse welfare advocate.

1931

John Eccles

2nd Viscount Eccles, English businessman and politician

John Dawson Eccles, 2nd Viscount Eccles,, is a British hereditary peer and businessman. He was one of the ninety-two hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords after the passing of the House of Lords Act…

1931

Myriam Bru

French actress

Myriam Bru is a French retired actress and the wife of German actor Horst Buchholz, to whom she was married from 1958 until his death in 2003. She appeared in 16 films between 1952 and her marriage in 1958, when she…

1932

Pauli Ellefsen

Faroese technician, surveyor, and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (died 2012)

Joen Pauli Højgaard Ellefsen was a Faroese politician and member of the Union Party. He was Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands from 1981 to 1985.

1936

Pat Roberts

American captain, journalist, and politician

Charles Patrick Roberts is a retired American politician and journalist who served as a United States senator from Kansas from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, Roberts served 8 terms in the U.S. House of…

1936

Jiří Dienstbier

Czech journalist and politician, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs (died 2011)

Jiří Dienstbier was a Czech politician and journalist.

1937

Harvey Quaytman

American painter and educator (died 2002)

Harvey Quaytman was a geometric abstraction painter best known for large modernist canvases with powerful monochromatic tones, in layered compositions, often with hard edges - inspired by Malevich and Mondrian. He had…

1937

George Takei

American actor

George Takei is an American actor, author, and activist. He is known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the USS Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise.

1937

Betty Cuthbert

Australian sprinter (died 2017)

Elizabeth Alyse Cuthbert, was an Australian athlete and a four-time Olympic champion. She was nicknamed Australia's "Golden Girl". During her career, she set world records for 60 metres, 100 yards, 200 metres, 220 yards…

1938

Manfred Kinder

German runner

Manfred Kinder is a West German former sprinter. He won a silver and a bronze medal in the 4 × 400 m relay at the 1960 and 1968 Summer Olympics, respectively, and finished in fifth place in 1964. Individually, he…

1938

Eszter Tamási

Hungarian actress (died 1991)

Eszter Tamási was a Hungarian actress and TV announcer.

1938

Johnny Tillotson

American singer-songwriter (died 2025)

Johnny Tillotson was an American singer-songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored nine top-ten hits on the pop, country, and adult contemporary Billboard charts, including "Poetry in…

1938

Peter S. Beagle

American author and screenwriter

Peter Soyer Beagle is an American novelist and screenwriter, especially of fantasy fiction. His best-known work is The Last Unicorn (1968) which Locus subscribers voted the number five "All-Time Best Fantasy Novel" in…

1939

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Norwegian physician and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Norway–

Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian former physician and politician of the Labour Party, who served three terms as the prime minister of Norway, as the leader of her party from 1981 to 1992, and as the director-general…

1939

James Gammon

American actor (died 2010)

James Richard Gammon was an American actor, known for playing grizzled "good ol' boy" types in numerous films and television series. Gammon portrayed Lou Brown, the manager of fictionalized versions of the Cleveland…

1940

Ryan O'Neal

American actor (died 2023)

Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal was an American actor. Born in Los Angeles, he trained as an amateur boxer before beginning a career in acting in 1960.

1941

Alan Beith

English academic and politician

Alan James Beith, Baron Beith, is a British Liberal Democrat politician who represented Berwick-upon-Tweed as its Member of Parliament (MP) from 1973 to 2015.

1943

John Eliot Gardiner

English conductor and director

Sir John Eliot Gardiner is an English conductor, particularly known for his performances of the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, especially the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage of 2000, performing Bach's church cantatas in…

1943

Edie Sedgwick

American model and actress (died 1971)

Edith Minturn Sedgwick Post was an American actress, model, and socialite. Best known as a Warhol superstar, she gained widespread recognition as a style icon; in 1965, Vogue magazine named her a "Youthquaker,"…

1943

Toivo Aare

Estonian journalist and author (died 1999)

Toivo Aare was an Estonian journalist.

1944

Michael Brandon

American actor and director

Michael Brandon is an American actor. He is known for his role as James Dempsey on the British drama series Dempsey and Makepeace (1985–86) and narrating the American dub of the children's television series Thomas &…

1945

Olga Karlatos

Greek actress and Bermudian lawyer

Olga Karlatos is a retired Greek actress and Bermudian lawyer, known primarily for performing in Italian horror cinema.

1945

Thein Sein

Burmese general and politician, 8th President of Burma

Thein Sein is a Burmese politician and retired army general who served as the eighth president of Myanmar from 2011 to 2016. He previously served as 11th prime minister from 2007 to 2010, and was considered by many in…

1945

Naftali Temu

Kenyan runner (died 2003)

Nabiba Naftali Temu was a Kenyan long-distance runner. He became Kenya's first gold medalist when he won the 10,000 metres race at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

1945

Steve Spurrier

American football player and coach

Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American retired football coach and player, who is also commonly referred to by his nicknames, the Head Ball Coach or the ol' Ball Coach. Spurrier was a college football quarterback with the…

1945

Sandro Chia

Italian painter and sculptor

Sandro Chia is an Italian painter and sculptor. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he was, with Francesco Clemente, Enzo Cucchi, Nicola De Maria, and Mimmo Paladino, a principal member of the Italian Neo-Expressionist…

1946

Rita Dionne-Marsolais

Canadian economist and politician

Rita Dionne-Marsolais is a former Quebec politician and economist. She was the Member of National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Rosemont in the Montreal region and represented the Parti Québécois from 1994 to…

1947

Viktor Suvorov

Russian intelligence officer, historian, and author

Vladimir Bogdanovich Rezun, known by his pseudonym of Viktor Suvorov, is a former Soviet GRU officer who is the author of non-fiction books about World War II, the GRU and the Soviet Army, as well as fictional books…

1947

Niko Lekishvili

Georgian politician (died 2025)

Nikoloz "Niko" Lekishvili was a Georgian politician who was a state minister, Mayor of Tbilisi, and a member of the Parliament of Georgia.

1947

Matthias Kuhle

German geographer and academic (died 2015)

Matthias Kuhle was a German geographer and professor at the University of Göttingen. He edited the book series Geography International published by Shaker Verlag.

1948

Veronica Cartwright

English-American actress

Veronica Cartwright is an English actress based in Los Angeles, California. She appeared in science fiction and horror films, and has three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Her younger sister is actress Angela…

1949

Toller Cranston

Canadian-Mexican figure skater and painter (died 2015)

Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston was a Canadian figure skater and painter. He won the 1971–1976 Canadian national championships, the 1974 World bronze medal and the 1976 Olympic bronze medal. Despite never winning at…

1949

Massimo D'Alema

Italian journalist and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Italy

Massimo D'Alema is an Italian politician and journalist who was the 53rd prime minister of Italy from 1998 to 2000. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2008.…

1949

Jessica Lange

American actress

Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress and photographer. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles on stage and screen. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe…

1949

Alexander Lebed

Russian general and politician (died 2002)

Lieutenant General Alexander Ivanovich Lebed was a Soviet and Russian military officer and politician who held senior positions in the Airborne Forces before running for president in the 1996 Russian presidential…

1950

N. Chandrababu Naidu

Indian politician, 13th Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

Nara Chandrababu Naidu, commonly known as CBN, is an Indian politician who is currently serving as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh since 2024. He holds the record of longest-serving Chief Minister in the political…

1950

Luther Vandross

American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2005)

Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. was an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer. Over his career, he achieved eleven consecutive RIAA-certified platinum albums and sold over 25 million records…

1951

Louka Katseli

Greek economist and politician

Louka Katseli is a Greek politician and economist. She is Professor Emerita at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She served as chair of the National Bank of Greece from 2015 to 2016, as Minister for…

1952

Sebastian Faulks

English journalist and author

Sebastian Charles Faulks is a British novelist, journalist and broadcaster. He is most notable for his historical novels set in France – The Girl at the Lion d'Or, Birdsong and Charlotte Gray.

1953

James Chance

American musician (died 2024)

James Chance, also known as James White, was an American saxophonist, keyboard player, and singer.

1953

Olivia Dahl (died 1962)

daughter of Roald Dahl and Patricia Neal

Olivia Twenty Dahl was the oldest child of the author Roald Dahl and the American actress Patricia Neal. She died at the age of seven from encephalitis caused by measles, before a vaccine against the disease had been…

1955

Donald Pettit

American engineer and astronaut

Donald Roy Pettit is an American astronaut and chemical engineer best known for his orbital astrophotography and in-space inventions such as the Space Cup, which received the first ever patent for an object invented in…

1955

Svante Pääbo

Swedish geneticist and Nobel Laureate

Svante Pääbo is a Swedish geneticist and Nobel Laureate who specialises in the field of evolutionary genetics. As one of the founders of paleogenetics, he has worked extensively on the Neanderthal genome. In 1997, he…

1955

Beatrice Ask

Swedish politician, Swedish Minister for Justice

Eva Carin Beatrice Ask is a Swedish politician and a member of the Moderate Party. She served as Governor of Södermanland County from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2025.

1956

Peter Chelsom

English film director, writer, and actor

Peter Chelsom is a British film director, writer, and actor. He has directed such films as Hector and the Search for Happiness, Serendipity, and Shall We Dance? Peter Chelsom is a member of the British Academy, the…

1956

Kakha Bendukidze

Georgian economist and politician (died 2014)

Kakha Bendukidze was a Georgian statesman, businessman and philanthropist, founder of the Knowledge Foundation and head of the supervisory board of Agricultural and Free Universities.

1956

Perry Haddock

Australian rugby league player

Perry Haddock is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s.

1959

Debbie Flintoff-King

Australian hurdler and coach

Debra ("Debbie") Lee Flintoff-King, (OAM), née Flintoff, is a retired Australian athlete, and winner of the women's 400 m hurdles event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

1960

Don Mattingly

American baseball player, coach, and manager

Donald Arthur Mattingly, nicknamed "Donnie Baseball" and "the Hit Man", is an American former first baseman, manager and coach who currently serves as the interim manager for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League…

1961

Konstantin Lavronenko

Russian actor

Konstantin Nikolaevich Lavronenko is a Soviet and Russian actor known for his role as the mysterious father of two boys in 2003 film Vozvrashcheniye. Lavronenko won the Best Actor prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival…

1961

Sanjaasürengiin Zorig

Mongolian Politician, (died 1998)

Sanjaasürengiin Zorig was a Mongolian politician who played a prominent role in leading the country's 1990 Democratic Revolution. His supporters called him the "Golden Swallow of Democracy". He served as the chairman of…

1962

Rachel Whiteread

English sculptor

Dame Rachel Whiteread is an English artist who primarily produces sculptures, which typically take the form of casts. She was the first woman to win the annual Turner Prize in 1993.

1963

John Carney

American football player

John Michael Carney is an American former professional football player who was a kicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was signed by the…

1964

Crispin Glover

American actor and filmmaker

Crispin Hellion Glover is an American actor, filmmaker, author, and artist. He is known for portraying eccentric character roles on screen. His breakout role was as George McFly in Back to the Future (1985), which he…

1964

Andy Serkis

English actor and director

Andrew Clement Serkis is an English actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his motion capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation and voice work for computer-generated characters such as Gollum in The…

1964

Rosalynn Sumners

American figure skater

Rosalynn Diane Sumners is an American former competitive figure skater. She was the World Junior champion in 1980, the U.S. National champion in 1982, 1983 and 1984, World champion in 1983, and won a silver medal at the…

1964

Kostis Chatzidakis

Greek politician, Ministry of Economy, Infrastructure, Shipping and Tourism

Konstantinos (Kostis) Hatzidakis is a Greek politician who currently serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State in the Second Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He also serves as Vice President of New Democracy,…

1965

Léa Fazer

Swiss film director, screenwriter and actress

Léa Fazer is a Swiss film director, screenwriter and actress. She studied film at the University Paris Diderot. Her film Bienvenue en Suisse was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

1965

Mark Mallia

Maltese painter and sculptor (died 2024)

Mark Mallia was a Maltese self-taught outsider artist who worked with abstract and portrait paintings on a variety of mixed media and ceramic sculptures, who worked in Malta, Monaco, the United Kingdom and the United…

1965

David Chalmers

Australian philosopher and academic

David John Chalmers is an Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist, specializing in philosophy of mind and philosophy of language. He is a professor of philosophy and neural science at New York University (NYU),…

1966

David Filo

American businessman, co-founded Yahoo!

David Robert Filo is an American billionaire businessman and the co-founder of Yahoo! with classmate Jerry Yang. His Filo Server Program, written in the C programming language, was the server-side software used to…

1966

Lara Jill Miller

American actress

Lara Jill Miller is an American actress. She has played Samantha "Sam" Kanisky in the 1980s sitcom Gimme a Break! and Kathy on The Amanda Show.

1967

Mike Portnoy

American drummer and songwriter

Michael Stephen Portnoy is an American musician best known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.

1967

Julia Morris

Australian entertainer

Julia Carolyn Margaret Morris is an Australian comedian, television presenter, and actress. She has worked extensively in Australian television and radio, touring the country with her solo comedy shows. She relocated to…

1968

Felix Baumgartner

Austrian daredevil (died 2025)

Felix Baumgartner was an Austrian skydiver, extreme sportsman, and BASE jumper. He was widely known for jumping to Earth from a helium balloon in the stratosphere on 14 October 2012 and landing in New Mexico, United…

1969

Will Hodgman

Australian politician, 45th Premier of Tasmania

William Edward Felix Hodgman is a former Australian politician and diplomat. He was the premier of Tasmania from 2014 to 2020 and state leader of the Liberal Party from 2006 to 2020. He later served as High Commissioner…

1969

Shemar Moore

American actor

Shemar Franklin Moore is an American actor. His notable roles include Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless, Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds (2005–17), and the lead role of Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson on…

1970

Allan Houston

American basketball player

Allan Wade Houston Jr. is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1993 to 2005. A shooting guard, Houston played nine seasons for the New York…

1971

Mikey Welsh

American bassist and painter (died 2011)

Michael Edward Welsh was an American artist and musician who played bass for several bands, including the rock band Weezer. During Weezer's hiatus, he played with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo in the band Homie, during…

1971

Carmen Electra

American model and actress

Carmen Electra is an American actress, model, media personality and singer. Often spotlighted for her looks, she has been considered a sex symbol and pop culture icon since the late 1990s.

1972

Stephen Marley

Jamaican-American musician

Stephen Robert Nesta Marley is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley, Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brother…

1972

Julie Powell

American food writer and memoirist (died 2022)

Julie Anne Powell was an American author known for her 2005 book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen which was based on her blog, the Julie/Julia Project. A film adaptation based on her book…

1973

Randy Fine

American politician and former gambling industry executive

Randall Adam Fine is an American politician and former gambling industry executive serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 6th congressional district since April 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he…

1974

Killer Mike

American rapper

Michael Santiago Render, known professionally as Killer Mike, is an American rapper, singer, actor, and activist. He made his recording debut on Outkast's fourth album Stankonia (2000), and guest appeared on the duo's…

1975

Carl Greenidge

English cricketer

Carl Gary Greenidge is an English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, the son of Gordon Greenidge.

1978

Emma Husar

Australian politician

Emma Husar is a former Australian Labor Party (ALP) member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Lindsay, which she represented from 2016 to 2019. During an internal investigation and media…

1980

Miranda Kerr

Australian model

Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model. She rose to prominence in 2007 as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. Kerr was the first Australian Victoria's Secret model and also represented the Australian department store…

1983

Harris Wittels

American comedian (died 2015)

Harris Lee Wittels was an American comedian. He was a writer for The Sarah Silverman Program, a writer and executive producer for Parks and Recreation, and a recurring guest on Comedy Bang! Bang! He coined the word…

1984

Jorge Pinto

Portuguese politician

Eduardo Jorge Costa Pinto is a Portuguese environmental engineer, politician and member of the Assembly of the Republic, the national legislature of Portugal. A member of the LIVRE party, he has represented Porto since…

1987

Brandon Belt

American baseball player

Brandon Kyle Belt, nicknamed "Baby Giraffe", "Sparky", and "Captain", is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants and…

1988

Vannesa Rosales

Venezuelan activist and teacher

Vannesa Rosales-Gautier is a Venezuelan activist and teacher from Mérida state.

1989

Kyle Higashioka

American baseball player

Kyle Harris "Higgy" Higashioka is an American professional baseball catcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. He also…

1990

Jason Behrendorff

Australian cricketer

Jason Paul Behrendorff is an Australian cricketer who played One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals for Australia and first-class and List A cricket for Western Australia, but has now retired from those…

1990

Luke Kuechly

American football player

Luke August Kuechly is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Kuechly played college football for the Boston…

1991

Alexander Zverev

German tennis player

Alexander "Sascha" Zverev is a German professional tennis player and the current world No. 3. He has been ranked as high as world No. 2 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), achieved in June…

1997

Tallyn Da Silva

Australian rugby league player

Tallyn Da Silva is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a hooker for the Parramatta Eels in the National Rugby League.

2005

April 20 in the Blog

HMS Beagle Voyage — April 20, 1834

The HMS Beagle set sail from Plymouth, England, on April 20, 1834, marking the beginning of a historic voyage that would last almost five years and cove...

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Famous birthdays

Who was born on April 20?

Viacheslav Fetisov — Russian ice hockey player (born 1958)

FeaturedViacheslav Fetisov

Birth year1958

Known forHe played for HC CSKA Moscow for 13 seasons before joining the National Hockey League (NHL), where he played with the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings

Birthdays on this date161 (1494 – 2005)

Explore April 20

Jump between the main pages for this date to compare events, people, and the daily quiz.

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Also on April 20 in History

2023

SpaceX's Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, launches for the first time. It explodes four minutes into flight. Wikipedia →

2021

State of Minnesota v. Derek Michael Chauvin: Derek Chauvin is found guilty of all charges in the murder of George Floyd by the Fourth Judicial District Court of Minnesota. Wikipedia →

2020

For the first time in history, oil prices drop below zero, an effect of the 2020 Russia-Saudi Arabia oil price war. Wikipedia →

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1958 — Viacheslav Fetisov

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