On this day · Leo

August 20 birthdays

318 notable historical figures were born on August 20, and 175 died on this day. Everyone born on August 20 is a Leo.

21% of August 20 birthdays work in Literature, more than any other field. More come from United States (61) than any other country.

Born on August 20

• Demi Lovato (born 1992. American singer and actress (born 1992))
• Andrew Garfield (born 1983. English and American actor (born 1983))
• H. P. Lovecraft (1890 to 1937. American writer (1890–1937))
• Amy Adams (born 1974. American actress (born 1974))
• Rajiv Gandhi (1944 to 1991. Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989)
• Robert Plant (born 1948. English singer (born 1948))
• Ron Paul (born 1935. American author, activist and politician (born 1935))
• Benjamin Harrison (1833 to 1901. President of the United States from 1889 to 1893)
• Slobodan Milošević (1941 to 2006. Yugoslav and Serbian politician (1941–2006))
• Ke Huy Quan (born 1971. American actor (born 1970/1971))
• Gunther (wrestler) (born 1987. Austrian professional wrestler (born 1987))
• Isaac Hayes (1942 to 2008. American musician and actor (1942–2008))
• Farrukhsiyar (1685 to 1719. Mughal emperor from 1713 to 1719)
• Eero Saarinen (1910 to 1961. American architect (1910–1961))
• Bernardo O'Higgins (1778 to 1842. Chilean independence leader (1778–1842))
• Jamie Cullum (born 1979. English jazz-pop singer (born 1979))
• Paul Tillich (1886 to 1965. German and American theologian and philosopher (1886–1965))
• Raymond Poincaré (1860 to 1934. President of France from 1913 to 1920)
• S. L. Bhyrappa (1931 to 2025. Indian novelist, philosopher and screenwriter (1931–2025))
• Enrico Letta (born 1966. Italian politician (born 1966))
• Shah Rukh (1377 to 1447. Ruler of the Timurid Empire from 1405 to 1447)
• Prince Gabriel of Belgium (born 2003. Belgian prince (born 2003))
• Greg Egan (born 1961. Australian science fiction author and mathematician)
• Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1779 to 1848. Swedish chemist (1779–1848))
• Jacqueline Susann (1918 to 1974. American novelist and actress (1918–1974))
• Nizam-ul-Mulk, Asaf Jah I (1671 to 1748. Nizam of Hyderabad from 1724 to 1748)
• Greg Bear (1951 to 2022. American writer and illustrator (1951–2022))
• Eliel Saarinen (1873 to 1950. Finnish and American architect (1873–1950))
• Bolesław III Wrymouth (1086 to 1138. Duke of Poland from 1107 to 1138)
• Tôn Đức Thắng (1888 to 1980. Vietnamese politician (1888–1980))
• Rudolf Bultmann (1884 to 1976. German theologian (1884–1976))
• Laurent Fabius (born 1946. Prime Minister of France from 1984 to 1986)
• Abbas Mirza (1789 to 1833. Crown prince of Iran)
• Graig Nettles (born 1944. American professional baseball player, third baseman, coach (born 1944))
• Manuel Merino (born 1961. President of Peru in 2020)
• Israel Gelfand (1913 to 2009. Soviet mathematician (1913–2009))
• Salvatore Quasimodo (1901 to 1968. Italian poet and translator (1901–1968))
• Simon Donaldson (born 1957. English mathematician (born 1957))
• Roger Wolcott Sperry (1913 to 1994. American neuropsychologist, neurobiologist and Nobel laureate)
• Princess Friederike of Hesse-Darmstadt (1752 to 1782. Duchess Charles of Mecklenburg-Strelitz)
• Rita Chowdhury (born 1960. Indian writer)
• Yuri Zhdanov (1919 to 2006. Russian chemist (1919–2006))
• Shiv Kumar Sarin (born 1952. Indian gastroenterologist and hepatologist)
• Sam Panopoulos (1934 to 2017. Canadian cook and businessman (1934–2017))
• Francis Asbury (1745 to 1816. Methodist minister and bishop in America (1745–1816))
• Edgar A. Guest (1881 to 1959. British-born American writer and poet (1881–1959))
• Jacopo Peri (1561 to 1633. Italian composer and singer (1561–1633))
• Vasily Aksyonov (1932 to 2009. Soviet and Russian novelist (1932–2009))
• Ion I. C. Brătianu (1864 to 1927. Romanian politician (1864–1927))
• Alexander Radishchev (1749 to 1802. Russian author (1749–1802))
• Agnes Chan (born 1955. Hong Kong-born singer and activist)
• Jan Olszewski (1930 to 2019. 42nd Prime Minister of Poland from 1991 to 1992)
• Shaul Tchernichovsky (1875 to 1943. Ukrainian-born Hebrew poet (1875–1943))
• Jerry Kyd (born 1967. Royal Navy Vice-Admiral (born 1967))
• Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud (1798 to 1854. Marshal of France and Minister of War (1798–1854))
• Bogdan Bogdanović (architect) (1922 to 2010. Serbian architect, urbanist and essayist (1922–2010))
• Farag Foda (1945 to 1992. Egyptian writer, professor, and human rights activist)
• Vilhelm Moberg (1898 to 1973. Swedish journalist, author, playwright, historian, and debater)
• Metin Gürak (born 1960. Turkish general and politician)
• Bernardo Reyes (1849 to 1913. Mexican general and politician (1850-1913))

Died on August 20

• Jerry Lewis (1926 to 2017. American comedian, actor and filmmaker (1926–2017))
• Pius X (1835 to 1914. Head of the Catholic Church from 1903 to 1914)
• Phyllis Diller (1917 to 2012. American comedian and actress (1917–2012))
• Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 to 1153. Burgundian saint, abbot and theologian (1090–1153))
• Pius VII (1742 to 1823. Head of the Catholic Church from 1800 to 1823)
• Empress Myeongseong (1851 to 1895. Korean empress (1851–1895))
• Paul Ehrlich (1854 to 1915. German physician and scientist (1854–1915))
• Darya Dugina (1992 to 2022. Russian journalist and activist (1992–2022))
• Meles Zenawi (1955 to 2012. Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 to 2012)
• Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling (1775 to 1854. German philosopher (1775–1854))
• Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (1703 to 1762. Indian Muslim scholar (1703–1762))
• Miguel López de Legazpi (1502 to 1572. Spanish conquistador, navigator, and colonial administrator (1502–1572))
• John XIV (1000 to ?. Head of the Catholic Church from 983 to 984)
• Prince Alfred of Great Britain (1780 to 1782. British prince (1780–1782))
• Muhammad bin Saud (1679 to 1765. Founder of the Emirate of Diriyah and the Al Saud dynasty (1687–1765))
• Adolf von Baeyer (1835 to 1917. German chemist (1835–1917))
• Dom Mintoff (1916 to 2012. Maltese politician (1916–2012))
• Walter Krueger (1881 to 1967. United States Army general (1881–1967))
• Ibn Tumart (1080 to 1130. Founder of the Almohad movement (c.1080–c.1128/30))
• Brian Murray (1937 to 2018. South African actor (1937–2018))
• Percy Williams Bridgman (1882 to 1961. American physicist (1882–1961))
• William, Duke of Nassau (1792 to 1839. Duke of Nassau from 1816 to 1839)
• Yaqut al-Hamawi (1178 to 1229. Arab bibliographer and geographer (1179–1229))
• Vojtech Tuka (1880 to 1946. Slovak politician)
• Ram Sharan Sharma (1919 to 2011. Indian historian and Indologist (1919–2011))
• Albert Azzo II of Milan (1009 to 1097. Margrave of Milan (1009–1097))
• Al-Juwayni (1028 to 1085. Muslim scholar and theologian (1028–1085))
• Jeremi Wiśniowiecki (1612 to 1651. Polish politician (1612–1651))
• Józef Kowalczyk (1938 to 2025. Polish Catholic prelate, lawyer and diplomat)
• Émile Ollivier (1825 to 1913. French statesman (1825–1913))

Explore the day before or after: August 19 · August 21. Or find who shares your exact birthday.