1920: The Year in People

The Greatest Generation · Year of the Monkey 🐒 · Born in 1920 turn 106 in 2026

The year in numbers

Median home

$3,395

US population

1.86B

US president

Woodrow Wilson

Top song

"Swanee" — Al Jolson

Top film

Way Down East

In the news: Women gain the right to vote in the US

What happened in 1920

1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar and a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar, the 1920th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 920th year of the 2nd millennium, the 20th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1920s decade. As of the start of 1920, the Gregorian calendar was 13 days ahead of the Julian calendar, which remained in localized use until 1923.

Summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Born in 1920

103 people in our data · most viewed first

Charles Bukowski

1920–1994 · August 16

American writer

Bella Abzug

1920–1998 · July 24

American politician

Charlie Parker

1920–1955 · August 29

American jazz saxophonist

Federico Fellini

1920–1993 · January 20

Italian filmmaker

DeForest Kelley

1920–1999 · January 20

American actor

Dave Brubeck

1920–2012 · December 6

American jazz pianist and composer

Jack Webb

1920–1982 · April 2

American filmmaker and actor

Leona Helmsley

1920–2007 · July 4

American businesswoman

Anders Lassen

1920–1945 · September 22

Danish military officer

Clifton James

1920–2017 · May 29

American actor

Buster Merryfield

1920–1999 · November 27

English actor

Captain Tom Moore

1920–2021 · April 30

British Army officer and fundraiser

Annie Glenn

1920–2020 · February 17

American advocate

C. Z. Guest

1920–2003 · February 19

American actress, author, horsewoman, designer and socialite

Alf Ramsey

1920–1999 · January 22

English footballer

Beah Richards

1920–2000 · July 12

American actor and writer

Janet Waldo

1920–2016 · February 4

American actress (1919/1920–2016)

Christopher Soames

1920–1987 · October 12

British politician

Arthur Hailey

1920–2004 · April 5

British Canadian writer

Carlo Azeglio Ciampi

1920–2016 · December 9

President of Italy from 1999 to 2006

Anthony Storr

1920–2001 · May 18

English psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and author

Alberto Sordi

1920–2003 · June 15

Italian actor

David Brinkley

1920–2003 · July 10

American journalist

Carmen McRae

1920–1994 · April 8

American jazz singer

Died in 1920

Amedeo Modigliani1884–1920 · Italian painter and sculptor
Alexander Kolchak1874–1920 · Russian admiral and White movement leader
Eugénie de Montijo1826–1920 · Empress of the French from 1853 to 1870
Alexander of Greece1893–1920 · King of Greece from 1917 to 1920
Big Jim Colosimo1878–1920 · American mobster
Edmund Barton1849–1920 · Prime Minister of Australia from 1901 to 1903
Anders Zorn1860–1920 · Swedish painter and engraver
Alexius Meinong1853–1920 · Austrian philosopher
Charles Tomlinson Griffes1884–1920 · American composer
Alexandru Macedonski1854–1920 · Romanian poet, novelist, dramatist and literary critic
Horatio Caro1862–1920 · British chess player
Alphonse Desjardins (co-operator)1854–1920 · Canadian businessman