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On This Day
Discover events that happened On This Day including famous birthdays and notable deaths. Each day we highlight famous people, past and present, who have impacted our world. Browse sections by selecting the links below or click the calendar to view events on another day.
December 20
Events on This Day
-
1946
67 years ago
The Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life premieres in New York City. The film is directed by Frank Capra and stars Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.
-
1957
56 years ago
Elvis Presley is drafted into the U.S. Army at the peak of his career.
-
1967
46 years ago
Folk singer and activist Joan Baez is sentenced to 45 days in jail for her involvement in an antiwar demonstration.
-
1989
24 years ago
Roger & Me opens in theaters. The documentary by Michael Moore follows a Michigan town terribly affected by the closing of General Motors plants.
December 20
Born on This Day
-
Sandra Cisneros
- In these groups:
- Hispanic Writers
- Notable Hispanic Women
- Famous Sagittarians
Sandra Cisneros
Author / 1954 -
Sandra Cisneros is a Latina American novelist who wrote the bestselling novel "The House on Mango Street."
Born: December 20, 1954
Age: 58 years old
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Occupation: Author -
Coleen RowleyColeen Rowley
Political Leader / 1954 -
After September 11, FBI agent Coleen Rowley made the FBI director aware of D.C. headquarters' failure to respond to information regarding a suspected terrorist.1954 | 58 years old
Political Leader -
Billy Bragg
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Named Billy
- Famous People Born in 1957
Billy Bragg
Musician / 1957 -
Billy Bragg is best known for his progressive folk rock music, making several hit albums in Britain.
1957 | 55 years old
Musician -
Harvey Firestone
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Born in 1868
- Famous Self-Made Millionaires
Harvey Firestone
Entrepreneur / 1868 - 1938
Harvey Firestone is best known for the development of automobile tire manufacturing company, Firestone Tire and Rubber Co.
Born: December 20, 1868
Birthplace: Columbiana, Ohio, United States
Occupation: Entrepreneur -
Branch Rickey
- In these groups:
- Famous Lookalikes
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Civil Rights Activists
Branch Rickey
Civil Rights Activist, Business Leader / 1881 - 1965
Branch Rickey was an innovative baseball executive known for his groundbreaking 1945 decision to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues, thereby breaking the color barrier.
1881 | 83 years old
Civil Rights Activist, Business Leader -
Dick Wolf
- In these groups:
- People with Animal Names
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous People Named Dick
Dick Wolf
Television Producer / 1946 -
Dick Wolf is an Emmy-winning television producer who brought the Law & Order franchise to the small screen.
1946 | 66 years old
Television Producer
December 20
Died on This Day
-
Brittany Murphy
- In these groups:
- USO Entertainers
- Famous Scorpios
- Famous Actresses
Brittany Murphy
Film Actress / 1977 - 2009
Brittany Murphy was an actress who appeared in a string of critically acclaimed films, including Girl, Interrupted (1999) and 8 Mile (2002).
Died: December 20, 2009
Age: 32 years old
Place: Los Angeles, California , United States
Occupation: Film Actress -
Carl Sagan
- In these groups:
- Famous Scorpios
- Famous Astronomers
- Famous Scientists
Carl Sagan
Astronomer / 1934 - 1996
Carl Sagan was one of the most well-known scientists during the 1970s and ‘80s. He studied extraterrestrial intelligence and advocated for nuclear disarmament.1996 | 62 years old
Astronomer -
John Steinbeck
- In these groups:
- Famous Pisceans
- Famous People Named John
- Famous Fiction Authors
John Steinbeck
Author / 1902 - 1968
John Steinbeck was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist whose book The Grapes of Wrath portrayed the plight of migrant workers during the Depression.
1968 | 66 years old
Author
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Play Nowprofile name: Sandra Cisneros profile occupation: Author
profile id: 241172
profile name: Coleen Rowley profile occupation: Political Leader
profile id: 9223748
profile name: Billy Bragg profile occupation: Musician
profile id: 9295496
profile name: Harvey Firestone profile occupation: Entrepreneur
profile id: 9458118
profile name: Branch Rickey profile occupation: Civil Rights Activist, Business Leader
profile id: 9542277
profile name: Dick Wolf profile occupation: Television Producer
profile id: 524050
profile name: Brittany Murphy profile occupation: Film Actress
profile id: 9469191
profile name: Carl Sagan profile occupation: Astronomer
profile id: 9493358
profile name: John Steinbeck profile occupation: Author
profile id: 9494773
profile name: Jimmy Stewart profile occupation: Theater Actor
profile id: 9446466
profile name: Elvis Presley profile occupation: Singer
profile id: 9195061
profile name: Joan Baez profile occupation: Anti-War Activist
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profile name: Michael Moore profile occupation: Television Personality
profile id: 9343481
profile name: Bob Hope profile occupation: Television Personality
profile id: 342932
profile name: Donny Osmond profile occupation: Singer
profile id: 37714
profile name: Manuel Noriega profile occupation: Murderer
profile id: 9286165
profile name: Queen Elizabeth II profile occupation: Queen
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profile name: Maud Gonne profile occupation: Activist
profile id: 39094
profile name: Victoriano Huerta profile occupation: Dictator
profile id: 39656
profile name: Robert Bly profile occupation: Poet
profile id: 37350
profile name: Baby Dodds profile occupation: Drummer
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Upcoming Birthdays
-
Maud Gonne
- In these groups:
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Activists
- Famous People Born in 1866
Maud Gonne
Activist / 1866 - 1953
Maud Gonne was an Irish revolutionary, a romantic muse for William Butler Yeats, and mother to Nobel Peace Prize-winner, Sean MacBride.
December 21, 1866
Activist -
Victoriano Huerta
- In these groups:
- Famous Lookalikes
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Military Leaders
Victoriano Huerta
General, Dictator / 1850 - 1916
Victoriano Huerta was dictatorial president of Mexico, whose regime united disparate revolutionary forces in common opposition to him.
December 22, 1850
Dictator -
Robert Bly
- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Antiwar Activists
- Famous Activists
Robert Bly
Anti-War Activist, Journalist, Author, Poet / 1926 -
American poet and activist Robert Bly is best known for writing Iron John: A Book About Men which is credited for starting the Mythopoetic men's movement.
December 23, 1926
Poet -
Baby Dodds
- In these groups:
- Famous Capricorns
- Famous Drummers
- Famous People Born in 1898
Baby Dodds
Drummer / 1898 - 1959
Jazz drummer Baby Dodds was one of the first major jazz drummers on record, playing with Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Bunk Johnson.
December 24, 1898
Drummer
Famous Sagittarians
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Kara Walker
- In these groups:
- Famous Black Artists
- Famous Sagittarians
- Famous Painters
Kara Walker
Painter / 1969 -
Kara Walker is an African-American artist who rose to fame for her use of large paper silhouettes to explore social issues surrounding gender, race and black history.
November 26, 1969
Painter -
Noam Chomsky
- In these groups:
- Famous Academics
- Famous Linguists
- Famous Sagittarians
Noam Chomsky
Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist / 1928 -
Famed scholar Noam Chomsky is known for both his groundbreaking contributions to linguistics and his penetrating critiques of political systems.
December 7, 1928
Linguist, Anti-War Activist, Academic Author, Journalist
