Famous Birthdays on December 20

Q: Who was born on December 20?

Famous people born on December 20 include: Oronce Finé, Joseph ha-Kohen, John III, John Sarkander, Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff.

Q: What is Judy LaMarsh known for?

Judy LaMarsh, Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 42nd Secretary of State for Canada (died 1980)

171 people 1494 – 2001

December 20 has seen 171 notable people enter the world across recorded history — from 1494 – 2001. Below are the most significant names born on this date.

By thisDay.info Editorial Team · December 20 — Wikipedia

1924 — Judy LaMarsh

Canadian soldier, lawyer, and politician, 42nd Secretary of State for Canada (died 1980)

Did you know

In 1963, she became the second woman to serve as a federal Cabinet minister

Did you know

She died a few days short of the 20th anniversary of her first political election victory, in 1980.

Did you know

Under Prime Minister Lester Pearson's minority governments of the middle and late 1960s, she helped push through the legislation that created the Canada Pension Plan and Medicare

Did you know

As Secretary of State, she was in charge of Canada's Centennial celebrations in 1967

Did you know

After leaving politics in 1968, she wrote three books, and had her own radio show on CBC Radio

Oronce Finé

French mathematician and cartographer (died 1555)

Oronce Fine was a French mathematician, cartographer, editor and book illustrator.

1494

Joseph ha-Kohen

historian and physician (died 1575)

Joseph ben Joshua ben Meïr ha-Kohen (1496–1575/80) was a Jewish physician, historian and Renaissance scholar.

1496

John III

king of Sweden (died 1592)

John III was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He attained the Swedish throne after a rebellion against his half-brother Erik XIV. He is mainly remembered for his attempts to close the gap between the newly…

1537

John Sarkander

Moravian priest and saint (died 1620)

Jan Sarkander was a Polish-Czech Roman Catholic priest. Sarkander was married for a short period of time before he became widowed and pursued a path to the priesthood where he became active in defence of Catholicism…

1576

Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff

German scholar and politician (died 1692)

Veit Ludwig von Seckendorff or Seckendorf, German statesman and scholar, was a member of the House of Seckendorff, a noble family which took its name from the village of Seckendorf between Nuremberg and Langenzenn. The…

1626

Pieter de Hooch

Dutch painter (died 1684)

Pieter Hendricksz. de Hooch, was a Dutch Golden Age painter famous for his genre works of quiet domestic scenes with an open doorway. He was a contemporary, in the Delft Guild of St. Luke, of Jan Vermeer with whom his…

1629

Urban Hjärne

Swedish chemist, geologist, and physician (died 1724)

Urban Hjärne was a Swedish chemist, geologist, physician and writer.

1641

Arthur Lee

American physician and diplomat (died 1792)

Arthur Lee was an American physician, diplomat and abolitionist who was born in the British colony of Virginia. He helped negotiate and signed the 1778 Treaty of Alliance with France, along with Benjamin Franklin and…

1740

Pietro Raimondi

Italian composer (died 1853)

Pietro Raimondi was an Italian composer, transitional between the Classical and Romantic eras. While he was famous at the time as a composer of operas and sacred music, he was also as an innovator in contrapuntal…

1786

Nicolas Toussaint Charlet

French painter and educator (died 1845)

Nicolas-Toussaint Charlet was a French painter and printmaker, more especially of military subjects.

1792

Martín Carrera

Mexican general and president (1855) (died 1871)

Antonio Martín Mariano Carrera Sabat was a Mexican general, senator, and interim president of the country for about a month in 1855. He was a moderate Liberal.

1806

Laura M. Hawley Thurston

American poet and educator (died 1842)

Laura M. Thurston was an American poet and educator. A prolific writer, most of her works were originally published in the Louisville Journal, and in William D. Gallagher's Hesperian. Among Indiana's early poets, she…

1812

Edwin Abbott Abbott

English theologian, author, and educator (died 1926)

Edwin Abbott Abbott was an English schoolmaster, theologian, and Anglican priest, best known as the author of the novella Flatland (1884).

1838

Ferdinand Buisson

French academic and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1932)

Ferdinand Édouard Buisson was a French educational public servant, pacifist, and Radical-Socialist politician. He presided over the League of Education from 1902 to 1906 and over the Human Rights League (LDH) from 1914…

1841

Knut Wicksell

Swedish economist (died 1926)

Johan Gustaf Knut Wicksell was a Swedish economist of the Stockholm school. He was professor at Uppsala University and Lund University.

1851

Ferdinand Bonn

German actor (died 1933)

Ferdinand Bonn was a German stage and film actor.

1861

Ivana Kobilca

Slovenian painter (died 1926)

Ivana Kobilca was a Slovene painter, and is considered the most prominent painter and a key figure of Slovene cultural identity. She was a realist painter who studied and worked in Vienna, Munich, Paris, Sarajevo,…

1861

Elsie de Wolfe

American actress and interior decorator (died 1950)

Elsie de Wolfe, Lady Mendl was an American actress who became a prominent interior designer and author. Born in New York City, de Wolfe was acutely sensitive to her surroundings from her earliest years and became one of…

1865

Harvey Samuel Firestone

American businessman, founded the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (died 1938)

Harvey Samuel Firestone Sr. was an American businessman, and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires.

1868

Charley Grapewin

American actor (died 1956)

Charles Ellsworth Grapewin was an American vaudeville and circus performer, writer, and stage and film actor.

1869

Henry Kimball Hadley

American composer and conductor (died 1937)

Henry Kimball Hadley was an American composer and conductor.

1871

Kan'ichi Asakawa

Japanese historian, author, and academic (died 1948)

Kan'ichi Asakawa was a Japanese academic, author, historian, curator and peace advocate. Asakawa was Japanese by birth and citizenship though he lived the majority of his life in the United States.

1873

Mehmet Akif Ersoy

Turkish poet, academic, and politician (died 1936)

Mehmet Akif Ersoy was a Turkish poet, writer, academic, politician, and the author of the Turkish National Anthem. Widely regarded as one of the premiere literary minds of his time, Ersoy is noted for his command of…

1873

Mary Ann Bevan

English nurse who, after developing acromegaly, toured the circus sideshow circuit as "the ugliest woman in the world" (died 1933)

Mary Ann Bevan was an English nurse, who, after developing acromegaly, toured the circus sideshow circuit as "the ugliest woman in the world".

1874

Branch Rickey

American baseball player and manager (died 1965)

Wesley Branch Rickey was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, sports executive, and team owner. He was instrumental in breaking the baseball color line by signing black player Jackie Robinson. He also…

1881

Ruhana Kuddus

Indonesian activist and journalist (died 1972)

Ruhana Kuddus, or Rohana Kudus was the first female Indonesian journalist, founder of the newspaper Soenting Melajoe, and an activist for women's emancipation.

1884

Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman

American tennis player and businessman (died 1974)

Hazel Virginia Hotchkiss Wightman, CBE was an American tennis player and founder of the Wightman Cup, an annual team competition for British and American women. She dominated American women's tennis before World War I…

1886

Yitzhak Baer

German-Israeli historian and academic (died 1980)

Yitzhak (Fritz) Baer was a German-Israeli historian and an expert on medieval Spanish Jewish history.

1888

Fred Merkle

American baseball player and manager (died 1956)

Carl Frederick Rudolf Merkle, nicknamed "Bonehead", was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1907 to 1926. Although he had a lengthy career, he is best remembered for a controversial base-running…

1888

Yvonne Arnaud

French pianist, actress and singer (died 1958)

Germaine Yvonne Arnaud was a French-born pianist, singer and actress, who was well known for her career in Britain, as well as her native land. After beginning a career as a concert pianist as a child, Arnaud acted in…

1890

Jaroslav Heyrovský

Czech chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1967)

Jaroslav Heyrovský was a Czech chemist and inventor who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1959 for his invention of polarography.

1890

Erik Almlöf

Swedish triple jumper (died 1971)

Erik Albin Almlöf was a Swedish athlete who specialized in the triple jump. He competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, where he won the bronze medal. Due to World War I no Olympics were held in 1916, but…

1891

Robert Menzies

Australian lawyer and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1978)

Sir Robert Gordon Menzies was an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 12th prime minister of Australia from 1939 to 1941 and from 1949 to 1966. He held office as the leader of the United Australia Party…

1894

Konstantinos Dovas

Greek general and politician, 156th Prime Minister of Greece (died 1973)

Konstantinos Dovas was a Greek general and interim Prime Minister.

1898

Irene Dunne

American actress and singer (died 1990)

Irene Dunne was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other genres.

1898

Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Welsh preacher and physician (died 1981)

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was a Welsh Congregationalist minister and medical doctor who was influential in the Calvinist wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the…

1899

Lissy Arna

German actress (died 1964)

Lissy Arna was a German film actress. She appeared in 63 films between 1918 and 1962. She starred in the 1931 film The Squeaker, which was directed by Martin Frič and Karel Lamač. She entered U.S. films in 1930 under…

1900

Gabby Hartnett

American baseball player and manager (died 1972)

Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett, also nicknamed "Old Tomato Face", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs,…

1900

Robert J. Van de Graaff

American physicist and academic, invented the Van de Graaff generator (died 1967)

Robert Jemison Van de Graaff was an American applied physicist and inventor. He is best known for developing the Van de Graaff generator, a high-voltage electrostatic machine that became a fundamental tool in nuclear…

1901

Prince George

Duke of Kent (died 1942)

Prince George, Duke of Kent, was a member of the British royal family, the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary, and a younger brother of Kings Edward VIII and George VI. He served in the Royal Navy during the…

1902

Sidney Hook

American philosopher and author (died 1989)

Sidney Hook was an American philosopher of pragmatism known for his contributions to the philosophy of history, the philosophy of education, political theory, and ethics. After embracing communism in his youth, Hook was…

1902

Spud Davis

American baseball player, coach, and manager (died 1984)

Virgil Lawrence "Spud" Davis was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds,…

1904

Yevgenia Ginzburg

Russian author (died 1977)

Yevgenia Solomonovna Ginzburg was a Soviet writer who served an 18-year sentence in the Kolyma Gulag. Her given name is often Latinized to Eugenia.

1904

Bill O'Reilly

Australian cricketer and sportscaster (died 1992)

William Joseph O'Reilly was an Australian cricketer, rated as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. Following his retirement from playing, he became a well-respected cricket writer and broadcaster.

1905

Paul Francis Webster

American soldier and songwriter (died 1984)

Paul Francis Webster was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and was nominated 16 times for the award.

1907

Dennis Morgan

American actor and singer (died 1994)

Dennis Morgan was an American actor-singer. He used the acting pseudonym Richard Stanley before adopting the name under which he gained his greatest fame.

1908

Vakkom Majeed

Indian journalist and politician (died 2000)

Vakkom Majeed was an Indian freedom fighter, politician and a former member of the Travancore-Cochin State Assembly. He was born into one of the most prominent aristocratic Muslim families in Travancore. Influenced by…

1909

Hortense Calisher

American author (died 2009)

Hortense Calisher was an American writer of fiction and the second female president of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

1911

Harry F. Byrd Jr.

American lieutenant, publisher, and politician (died 2013)

Harry Flood Byrd Jr. was an American newspaper publisher and politician. He served in the Senate of Virginia and then represented Virginia in the United States Senate, succeeding his father, Harry F. Byrd Sr. His public…

1914

Aziz Nesin

Turkish author and poet (died 1995)

Aziz Nesin was a Turkish writer, humorist and the author of more than 100 books. Born in a time when Turks did not have official surnames, he had to adopt one after the Surname Law of 1934 was passed. Although his…

1915

Michel Chartrand

Canadian trade union leader and activist (died 2010)

Michel Chartrand was a Canadian trade union leader from Quebec.

1916

David Bohm

American-English physicist, neuropsychologist, and philosopher (died 1992)

David Joseph Bohm was an American physicist who has been described as one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century and who contributed unorthodox ideas to quantum theory, neuropsychology and…

1917

Cahit Külebi

Turkish poet and author (died 1997)

Cahit Külebi was a leading Turkish poet and author. He has an important place in contemporary Turkish poetry due to his attachment to folk poetry traditions. His poetry is enriched with simple yet ironic language,…

1917

Audrey Totter

American actress (died 2013)

Audrey Mary Totter was an American radio, film, and television actor and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s.

1917

Jean Marchand

Canadian trade union leader and politician, 43rd Secretary of State for Canada (died 1988)

Jean Marchand was a Québécois public figure, trade unionist and politician in Quebec, Canada.

1918

Väinö Linna

Finnish author (died 1992)

Väinö Valtteri Linna was a Finnish author and a former soldier who fought in the Continuation War (1941–44). Linna gained literary fame with his third novel, Tuntematon sotilas, and consolidated his position with the…

1920

George Roy Hill

American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2002)

George Roy Hill was an American film director. His films include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973), both starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Both films also earned him nominations for…

1921

Beverly Pepper

American sculptor and painter (died 2020)

Beverly Pepper was an American sculptor known for her monumental works, site specific and land art. She remained independent from any particular art movement. She lived in Italy, primarily in Todi, since the 1950s.

1922

William Soeryadjaya

Chinese-Indonesian businessman and co-founder of Astra International (died 2010)

William Soeryadjaya, also known as Tjia Kian Liong, also known as Om (Uncle) William, born in Majalengka, was a Chinese Indonesian businessman who co-founded Astra International, Indonesia's largest conglomerate.

1922

Charlie Callas

American actor and comedian (died 2011)

Charlie Callas was an American actor and comedian. He was most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin, and his many stand-up appearances on television talk shows in the 1970s. He was…

1924

Benito Lorenzi

Italian footballer (died 2007)

Benito "Veleno" Lorenzi was an Italian footballer born in Borgo a Buggiano, province of Pistoia. He played as a striker.

1925

Marcel Douzima

Central African lawyer and politician (died 2012)

Marcel Douzima was a Central African politician and teacher who served in various ministerial positions under the David Dacko Presidency.

1926

Geoffrey Howe

Welsh lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (died 2015)

Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon,, known from 1970 to 1992 as Sir Geoffrey Howe, was a British barrister and politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1989 to 1990. A…

1926

Otto Graf Lambsdorff

German lawyer and politician, German Federal Minister of Economics (died 2009)

Otto Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, known as Otto Graf Lambsdorff, was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party (FDP). He was the German Federal Minister of Economics from 1977 to…

1926

Michael Beaumont

22nd Seigneur of Sark, English engineer and politician (died 2016)

Seigneur John Michael Beaumont was the 22nd Seigneur of Sark in the Channel Islands. He worked as a civil engineer before succeeding his paternal grandmother, Sibyl Hathaway, the 21st Dame of Sark, in 1974. During his…

1927

Jim Simpson

American sportscaster (died 2016)

James Shores Simpson was an American sportscaster, known for his smooth delivery as a play-by-play man and his versatility in covering many different sports. In 1997, he won the Sports Lifetime Achievement Award, and in…

1927

Kim Young-sam

South Korean soldier and politician, 7th President of South Korea (died 2015)

Kim Young-sam, also known by his initials YS, was a South Korean politician who served as the seventh president of South Korea from 1993 to 1998.

1927

John Menkes

Austrian-American pediatric and writer (died 2008)

John Hans Menkes was an Austrian-American pediatric neurologist and author of fictional novels and plays. He identified two inherited diseases: maple syrup urine disease which is a defect in amino acid metabolism, and a…

1928

Don Sunderlage

American basketball player (died 1961)

Don J. Sunderlage was an American basketball player.

1929

Mala Powers

American actress (died 2007)

Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers was an American actress.

1931

Hristina Obradović

Serbian hegumenia and abbess (died 2026)

Velika "Hristina Obradović was a Serbian hegumenia and abbess.

1931

Antoine Mbary-Daba

Central African politician, bureaucrat, and diplomat (died c. 1997).

Antoine Mbary-Daba was a Central African politician, bureaucrat, and diplomat.

1932

John Hillerman

American actor (died 2017)

John Benedict Hillerman was an American actor best known for his starring role as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III on the television series Magnum, P.I. that aired from 1980 to 1988. For his role as Higgins, Hillerman earned…

1932

Olavi Salonen

Finnish runner (died 2025)

Olavi Salonen was a Finnish athlete who was a world record holder of men's 1500-metre run.

1933

Rik Van Looy

Belgian cyclist (died 2024)

Henri "Rik" Van Looy was a Belgian professional cyclist of the post-war period. Nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals, he dominated the classic cycle races in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

1933

Khalid Ibadulla

Pakistani cricketer and sportscaster (died 2024)

Khalid "Billy" Ibadulla was a Pakistani-New Zealander cricketer, cricket coach and umpire who later worked as a cricket commentator for TVNZ. He represented Pakistan four times at Test match level between 1964 and 1967,…

1935

Kathryn Joosten

American actress (died 2012)

Kathryn Joosten was an American actress. Her best known roles include Delores Landingham on NBC's The West Wing from 1999 to 2002 and Karen McCluskey on ABC's Desperate Housewives from 2005 to 2012, for which she won…

1939

Kim Weston

American soul singer

Kim Weston is an American soul singer and Motown alumna. In the 1960s, she scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms ", and with her duet with Marvin Gaye, "It Takes Two".

1939

Rana Bhagwandas

Pakistani lawyer and judge, Chief Justice of Pakistan (died 2015)

Rana Bhagwandas was a Pakistani jurist who served as a judge and acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (CJP). He enjoyed extremely high reputation as a judge. He remained the acting CJP during the 2007…

1942

Bob Hayes

American sprinter and football player (died 2002)

Robert Lee Hayes, nicknamed "Bullet Bob", was an American sprinter and professional football player. After winning gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics, he played as a split end in the National Football League (NFL)…

1942

Jean-Claude Trichet

French banker and economist

Jean-Claude Anne-Marie Louis Trichet is a French economist and senior official who was President of the European Central Bank (ECB) from 2004 to 2011. Previous to his assumption of the presidency he was Governor of the…

1942

Roger Woodward

Australian classical pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and human rights activist.

Roger Robert Woodward is an Australian classical pianist, composer, conductor, teacher and human rights activist. He is widely regarded as a leading advocate of contemporary music.

1942

Ray Martin

Australian television host and journalist

Raymond George Martin AM is an Australian television journalist and entertainment personality. Having won the Gold Logie five times, he is the most awarded star of Australian television, along with Graham Kennedy.

1944

Peter Criss

American singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer

George Peter John Criscuola, better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is an American musician, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and a vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established the Catman…

1945

Sivakant Tiwari

Indian-Singaporean lawyer and author (died 2010)

Sivakant Tiwari, P.P.A.(E.), P.B.S., P.P.A.(E.)(L.), P.J.G., known professionally as S. Tiwari, was a senior legal officer of the Singapore Legal Service. He was educated at the University of Singapore, graduating in…

1945

Uri Geller

Israeli-English magician and psychic

Uri Geller is an Israeli-British illusionist, magician, television personality, and self-proclaimed psychic. He is known for his trademark television performances of spoon bending and other illusions. Geller uses…

1946

Bill Hosket Jr.

American basketball player

Wilmer Frederick Hosket is an American former professional basketball player. He played five seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and played college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

1946

Sonny Perdue

American politician, 31st United States Secretary of Agriculture, 81st Governor of Georgia

George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III is an American politician, veterinarian, and businessman who served as the 31st United States secretary of agriculture from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously…

1946

Dick Wolf

American director, producer, and screenwriter

Richard Anthony Wolf is an American television producer, best known for his Law & Order franchise. Since 1990, the franchise has included six police/courtroom dramas and four international spin-offs. He is also…

1946

Gigliola Cinquetti

Italian singer-songwriter

Gigliola Cinquetti is an Italian singer, songwriter and television presenter.

1947

Alan Parsons

English keyboard player and producer

Alan Parsons is an English audio engineer, songwriter, musician, singer and record producer.

1948

Mitsuko Uchida

Japanese pianist

Dame Mitsuko Uchida, is a Japanese-English classical pianist and conductor. Born in Japan and naturalised in England, she is particularly notable for her interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.

1948

Soumaïla Cissé

Malian engineer and politician (died 2020)

Soumaïla Cissé was a Malian politician who served in the government of Mali as Minister of Finance from 1993 to 2000.

1949

Cecil Cooper

American baseball player and manager

Cecil Celester Cooper is an American former professional baseball player, coach, manager and sports agent. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1971 to 1987 for the Boston Red Sox and the…

1949

Arturo Márquez

Mexican-American composer

Arturo Márquez Navarro is a Mexican composer of orchestral music who uses musical forms and styles of his native Mexico and incorporates them into his compositions. His best known work is Danzón No. 2.

1950

Nuala O'Loan

Baroness O'Loan, Northern Irish academic and police ombudsman

Nuala Patricia O'Loan, Baroness O'Loan,, is a public figure in Northern Ireland. From 1999 to 2007, she was the first Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. In July 2009, it was announced that she was to be appointed to…

1951

Marta Russell

American author and activist (died 2013)

Marta Russell was an American writer and disability rights activist. Her book, Beyond Ramps: Disability at the End of the Social Contract published in 1998 by Common Courage Press analyzes the relationship between…

1951

Jenny Agutter

English actress

Jennifer Ann Agutter is an English actress. She began her career as a child actress in 1964, appearing in East of Sudan, Star!, and two adaptations of The Railway Children: the BBC's 1968 television serial and the 1970…

1952

Michael Badalucco

American actor

Michael Badalucco is an American actor. He made his screen debut in the film Raging Bull (1980) and subsequently appeared in many films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Miller's Crossing (1990), Jungle Fever…

1954

Sandra Cisneros

American author and poet

Sandra Cisneros is an American writer. She is best known for her first novel, The House on Mango Street (1984), and her subsequent short story collection, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories (1991). Her work…

1954

Martin Schulz

German politician

Martin Schulz is a German politician who was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Germany from 1994 to 2017 and a Member of the Bundestag (MdB) from 2017 to 2021. During his tenure he was Leader of the…

1955

Binali Yıldırım

Turkish lawyer and politician, Turkish Minister of Transport

Binali Yıldırım is a Turkish politician who served as the 27th and last prime minister of Turkey from 2016 to 2018 and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly from 2018 to 2019. He was leader of the Justice and…

1955

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz

Mauritanian general and politician, President of Mauritania

Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is a retired Mauritanian military officer and politician who served as the 8th President of Mauritania from 2009 to 2019.

1956

Guy Babylon

American keyboard player and songwriter (died 2009)

Guy Babylon was an American keyboardist/composer, most noted for his work with Elton John.

1956

Blanche Baker

American actress and screenwriter

Blanche Baker is an American actress. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress for her work in the television miniseries Holocaust. Baker is known for her role as Ginny…

1956

Junji Hirata

Japanese wrestler

Junji Hirata is a Japanese retired professional wrestler currently working as a trainer for the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, known primarily by his ring name Super Strong Machine .

1956

Andrew Mackenzie

Scottish geologist and businessman

Sir Andrew Stewart Mackenzie is a Scottish businessman, who is the chairman of Shell plc and UK Research and Innovation, and formerly CEO of BHP, the world's largest mining company. He succeeded Marius Kloppers, on 10…

1956

Anita Ward

American disco/R&B singer

Anita Ward (sources differ) is an American singer and musician from Memphis, Tennessee. Beginning her professional music career in the late 1970s, Ward is best known for her 1979 million-selling chart-topper R&B/Disco…

1956

Billy Bragg

English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Stephen William Bragg is an English singer, songwriter, musician, author and political activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic…

1957

Anna Vissi

Cypriot singer-songwriter and actress

Anna Vissi is a Greek-speaking Cypriot singer. She studied music at conservatories and performed locally before moving to the professional scene in Athens, in 1973, where she signed with Minos and simultaneously…

1957

Mike Watt

American singer-songwriter and bass player

Michael David Watt is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo career…

1957

Doug Nordquist

American high jumper

Douglas Nordquist is a retired male high jumper from the United States, who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics where he ended up in fifth place with a jump of 2.29 metres, one place behind distant cousin Dwight…

1958

James Thomson

American biologist and academic

James Alexander Thomson is an American developmental biologist best known for deriving the first human embryonic stem cell line in 1998 and for deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) in 2007.

1958

George Coupland

Scottish scientist

George Michael Coupland FRS is a Scottish plant scientist, and Research Scientist and Director of the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research.

1959

Hildegard Körner

German runner

Hildegard Körner, née Hildegard Ullrich, is a retired East German middle distance runner who specialized in the 800 metres.

1959

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz

Polish physicist and politician, 12th Prime Minister of Poland

Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz is a Polish conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from 31 October 2005 to 14 July 2006. He was a member of the Law and Justice party.

1959

Nalo Hopkinson

Jamaican-Canadian author and educator

Nalo Hopkinson is a Jamaican-born Canadian speculative fiction writer and editor. Her novels – Brown Girl in the Ring (1998), Midnight Robber (2000), The Salt Roads (2003), The New Moon's Arms (2007) – and short stories…

1960

Kim Ki-duk

South Korean director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2020)

Kim Ki-duk was a South Korean filmmaker, noted for his idiosyncratic art-house cinematic works. His films have received many distinctions in the festival circuit, rendering him one of the most important contemporary…

1960

Mohammad Fouad

Egyptian singer-songwriter and actor

Mohamed Fouad Abd El Hamid Hassan is an Egyptian singer, actor and songwriter.

1961

Joel Gretsch

American actor

Joel Gretsch is an American actor. His credits include The 4400 (2004–2007), Taken (2002), V (2009–2011), Friends (1995), Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1994), JAG (1999), Silk Stalkings, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Burn…

1963

Veronica Pershina

Russian-American figure skater and coach

Veronica Petrovna Pershina or Voyk is a former competitive pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union. With Marat Akbarov, she is the 1985 European bronze medalist and 1979 World Junior champion.

1966

Chris Robinson

American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Christopher Mark Robinson is an American musician. He founded the rock band The Black Crowes, then known as Mr. Crowe's Garden, with his brother Rich Robinson in 1984. Chris is the lead singer of The Black Crowes, and…

1966

Karl Wendlinger

Austrian racing driver

Karl Wendlinger is an Austrian professional racing and former Formula One driver.

1968

Alain de Botton

Swiss-English philosopher and author

Alain de Botton is a Swiss-born British author and public speaker. His books discuss various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life. He published Essays in Love (1993),…

1969

Zahra Ouaziz

Moroccan runner

Zahra Ouaziz is a Moroccan retired long-distance runner. She was the African record holder at 3000 metres and 5000 metres.

1969

Nicole de Boer

Canadian actress

Nicole de Boer is a Canadian actress. She is best known for starring in the cult film Cube as Joan Leaven, playing Ezri Dax on the final season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1998–1999), and as Sarah Bannerman on the…

1970

Grant Flower

Zimbabwean cricketer and coach

Grant William Flower is a Zimbabwean cricket coach and former cricketer. He has been the batting coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team, Pakistan cricket team, and Sussex.

1970

Jörg Schmidt

German footballer

Jörg Schmidt is a German former professional footballer who played as a right midfielder.

1970

Jan Čaloun

Czech ice hockey player

Jan Čaloun is a Czech former professional hockey player. He is 180 cm tall, 80 kg (180 lb) in weight. He shoots right and plays right wing. He was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the fourth round, 75th overall in the…

1972

Anders Odden

Norwegian guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Anders Odden is a Norwegian musician.

1972

Die

Japanese guitarist, songwriter, and producer

Dir En Grey is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of vocalist Kyo, guitarists Kaoru and Die, bassist Toshiya,…

1974

Bartosz Bosacki

Polish footballer

Bartosz Bosacki is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

1975

Nenad Vučković

Croatian footballer

Nenad Vučković is a Croatian retired footballer.

1976

Yoon Kye-sang

South Korean singer

Yoon Kye-sang is a South Korean actor and singer. He began his career in 1999 as part of the K-pop boy band g.o.d, then left the group in 2004 and pursued an acting career. He made his acting debut in the film Flying…

1978

Andrei Markov

Russian-Canadian ice hockey player

Andrei Viktorovich Markov is a Russian–Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Nicknamed "the General", Markov played as a defenceman from 2000 to 2017 with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League…

1978

Geremi Njitap

Cameroon footballer

Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso, known simply as Geremi, is a Cameroonian former professional footballer. He was a versatile player able to play at right-back, right midfield or defensive midfielder, known for his power,…

1978

Bouabdellah Tahri

French runner

Bouabdellah Tahri, also known as Bob Tahri, is a retired middle-distance and long-distance French runner, who was born in Metz. He competed mainly in the 3000 m steeplechase distance. He also competes in the 2000 m…

1978

Michael Rogers

Australian cyclist

Michael Rogers is an Australian retired professional road bicycle racer who competed professionally between 1999 and 2016, for the Mapei–Quick-Step, Quick-Step–Innergetic, Team HTC–Columbia, Team Sky and Tinkoff teams.…

1979

Israel Castro

Mexican footballer

Israel Castro Macías is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

1980

Ashley Cole

English footballer

Ashley Cole is an English football coach and former player, who is currently the head coach of Serie B club Cesena. As a player, he played as a left-back, most notably for Arsenal and Chelsea. Cole is considered by many…

1980

Anthony da Silva

French-Portuguese footballer

Anthony da Silva, commonly known as Tony, is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back.

1980

Martín Demichelis

Argentine footballer

Martín Gastón Demichelis is an Argentine football manager and former player who is the head coach of La Liga club Mallorca.

1980

Royal Ivey

American basketball player and coach

Royal Terence Ivey is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is also the head coach of the South…

1981

James Shields

American baseball player

James Anthony Shields, nicknamed "Big Game James", is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006 through 2012, the Kansas City…

1981

Mohammad Asif

Pakistani cricketer

Mohammad Asif is a Pakistani former cricketer who played for the Pakistani national cricket team between 2005 and 2010.

1982

David Cook

American singer-songwriter

David Roland Cook is an American rock singer-songwriter. Cook rose to fame after winning the seventh season of American Idol in 2008.

1982

Kasper Klausen

Danish footballer

Kasper Klausen is a Danish professional football midfielder, who currently is playing for Hvidovre IF.

1982

David Wright

American baseball player

David Allen Wright is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 14-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Mets. Chosen by the Mets in the 2001 MLB draft, he made his…

1982

Jonah Hill

American actor, producer, and screenwriter

Jonah Hill is an American actor and filmmaker. Hill ranked 28th on Forbes's list of highest-paid actors from June 2014 to June 2015, at $16 million. Among his accolades are nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA…

1983

Bob Morley

Australian actor

Robert Alfred Morley is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as Bellamy Blake in The CW's The 100 (2014–2020).

1984

David Tavaré

Spanish singer and DJ

David Tavaré is a Spanish singer and house music DJ.

1984

Chay Genoway

Canadian ice hockey player

Charles "Chay" Genoway is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing with EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL). He was selected and played for the Canadian men's ice hockey…

1986

Malcolm Jenkins

American football player

Malcolm Jenkins is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning consensus…

1987

JoJo

American singer and actress

Joanna Noëlle "JoJo" Levesque is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She began performing in singing competitions and local talent shows as a child. In 2003, record producer Vincent Herbert noticed her after…

1990

Marta Xargay

Spanish basketball player

Marta Xargay Casademont is a retired Spanish professional basketball player. She played for Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, and for several European teams in Czech Republic, Russia and Spain. She played for the Spain…

1990

Rachael Boyle

Scottish footballer

Rachael Boyle is a Scottish international footballer who currently plays as midfielder for Hibernian in the Scottish Women's Premier League.

1991

Jorginho

Brazilian footballer

Jorge Luiz Frello Filho, known as Jorginho, is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Flamengo. Born in Brazil, he represented the Italy national team.

1991

Jillian Rose Reed

American actress

Jillian Rose Reed is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Tamara Kaplan in MTV's TV series Awkward.

1991

Fabian Schär

Swiss footballer

Fabian Lukas Schär is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Newcastle United. He is known for his powerful free kicks, long shots and long passes.

1991

Ksenia Makarova

Russian-American figure skater

Ksenia Olegovna Makarova is a retired Russian, later an American, figure skater. She is the 2010 Skate Canada International silver medalist, 2009 Cup of Nice champion, and 2010 Russian national champion. She represented…

1992

Andrea Belotti

Italian footballer

Andrea Belotti is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cagliari.

1993

Robeisy Ramírez

Cuban boxer

Robeisy Eloy Ramírez Carrazana is a Cuban professional boxer who held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) featherweight title in 2023. As an amateur, Ramírez won gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

1993

Calvin Ridley

American football player

Calvin Orin Ridley is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was a part of the…

1994

Anžejs Pasečņiks

Latvian basketball player

Anžejs Pasečņiks is a Latvian professional basketball player for the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).

1995

Jarrod Bowen

English football player

Jarrod Bowen is an English professional footballer who plays as a right winger or forward for Premier League club West Ham United, whom he captains, and the England national team. He has previously played for Hereford…

1996

De'Aaron Fox

American basketball player

De'Aaron Martez Fox, nicknamed "Swipa", is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before…

1997

Suzuka Nakamoto

Japanese singer

Suzuka Nakamoto , better known by her stage name Su-metal, is a Japanese singer. She is best known as a member of the kawaii metal band Babymetal and was formerly a member of the idol groups Karen Girl's and Sakura…

1997

Kylian Mbappé

French footballer

Kylian Mbappé Lottin is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for La Liga club Real Madrid and captains the France national team. He is known for his pace, dribbling, and clinical finishing, and is…

1998

Gaboro

Assyrian Swedish rapper and songwriter (died 2024)

Ninos Moses Khouri, better known as Gaboro, was a Swedish rapper and songwriter.

2000

Facundo Pellistri

Uruguayan footballer

Facundo Pellistri Rebollo is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a winger for Greek Super League club Panathinaikos and the Uruguay national team.

2001

Famous birthdays

Who was born on December 20?

Judy LaMarsh — Canadian broadcaster, writer, lawyer and politician (1924–1980)

FeaturedJudy LaMarsh

Birth year1924

Known forIn 1963, she became the second woman to serve as a federal Cabinet minister

Birthdays on this date171 (1494 – 2001)

Explore December 20

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

Events on December 20 Birthdays on December 20 Deaths on December 20 December 20 quiz

Also on December 20 in History

2024

Six people are killed and over 200 are injured when an anti-Islam activist drives a car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany. Wikipedia →

2024

A mass stabbing occurs in a primary school in Zagreb, Croatia, in which a 7-year-old pupil is killed and six more are injured by a knife-wielding 19-year-old male. Wikipedia →

2022

A Vega C rocket carrying two Pléiades Neo satellites fails after liftoff. Wikipedia →

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1924 — Judy LaMarsh

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