Died On February 20th
Discover the most famous people who died on February 20. The list includes people like Frederick Douglass, Hunter S. Thompson, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Robert Peary. Famous personalities featured on this list, include journalists, political leaders, soldiers and actors and from other domains of life. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Canada & France and many more countries.
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Birthdate: February 14, 1818
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Talbot County, Maryland, United States
Died: 1895
Social reformer and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass was a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York. Born into slavery, he had a difficult early life. Eventually, he managed to escape and dedicated the rest of his life to promoting the cause of abolition. He was a great orator and writer.
Birthdate: July 18, 1937
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Died: 2005
Hunter S. Thompson was an American author and journalist. He is credited with creating his own subgenre of New Journalism called the gonzo journalism. The author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was later adapted into a film, Thompson was famous for his lifelong use of drugs and alcohol. His books have had a major impact on counterculture.
3
Dick York(Best Known for His Role ‘Darrin Stephens’ on the ABC Sitcom ‘Bewitched’)
Birthdate: September 4, 1928
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Died: 1992
Actor Dick York is best remembered for his role as Darrin Stephens in the ABC fantasy sitcom Bewitched. He began his career as a teenager by starring in a radio show. He became immensely popular as a radio actor and ventured into films and TV shows as well. In his later years, he founded a charity to help the homeless.
4
Sandra Dee(Actress and Model Best Known for Her Film ‘Until They Sail’)
Birthdate: April 23, 1942
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bayonne, New Jersey, United States
Died: 2005
Sandra Dee started her career as a child model and then became a teen idol with films such as Gidget and Imitation of Life. She won a Golden Globe for the film Until They Sail. She suffered from anorexia nervosa and eventually died of a kidney ailment at age 62.
Birthdate: April 28, 1916
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Renazzo di Cento, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Died: 1993
Born to a farmer, Ferruccio Lamborghini started fiddling with his father’s tractors and was soon able to make full tractors out of scratch. He gradually created an auto empire named after him that is world-renowned for its luxury sports cars and SUVs. He retired to devote himself to winemaking later.
6
Chester W. Nimitz(American Admiral Known for His Role as Commander in Chief of US Pacific Fleet in World War II)
Birthdate: February 24, 1885
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Fredericksburg, Texas, United States
Died: 1966
Chester W. Nimitz was part of the United States Navy where he served as a fleet admiral. He played a key role during World War II, commanding the US Pacific Fleet and the Allied air, sea, and land forces. He also played a crucial role in acquiring approval to develop USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine in the world.
Birthdate: February 12, 1884
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City
Died: 1980
Author and socialite Alice Roosevelt Longworth was the eldest child of American president Theodore Roosevelt, and his only child with his first wife, Alice Hathaway Lee. Though Alice was married to Republican leader Nicholas Longworth III, she had a child through an affair with Senator William Edgar Borah.
8
Gene Siskel
(Film critic. Journalist)
Birthdate: January 26, 1946
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: 1999
Birthdate: March 13, 1741
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: 1790
Joseph II reigned as the Holy Roman Emperor from 1765, and as the sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780, until 1790. Son of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I, and brother of Marie Antoinette, he laid down policies now known as Josephinism. He died without heirs.
Birthdate: May 9, 1907
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Johnson County, Missouri, United States
Died: 1976
Birthdate: December 2, 1924
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 2010
Birthdate: April 7, 1897
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: 1972
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
Birthdate: May 6, 1856
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cresson, Pennsylvania
Died: 1920
US naval officer Robert Peary is credited with discovering the North Pole, with explorer Matthew Henson as his attendant, though he was challenged by Frederick A. Cook, who claimed to have achieved the feat independently before him. Later, diary entries revealed Peary may have been 100km short of the pole.
Birthdate: September 6, 1879
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
Died: 1936
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
Birthdate: July 31, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Green River
Died: 2006
16
Yaroslav the Wise
(Prince)
Birthdate: 0978 AD
Birthplace: Ukraine
Died: 1054
17
Percy Grainger(Composer, Arranger and Pianist Known for His Folk-Dance Tune ‘Country Gardens’)
Birthdate: July 8, 1882
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brighton, Australia
Died: 1961
Born to an English father in Australia, Percy Grainger was raised by his mother after their parents’ split. Mostly homeschooled after being bullied by his batchmates, he developed a love for music and debuted as a pianist at 10. He revived English folk music and set up the Grainger Museum.
Birthdate: 1563 AD
Birthplace: London, England
Died: 1626
Birthdate: November 14, 1948
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: 2005
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
20
Troy Jackson
(Basketball player)
Birthdate: January 11, 1973
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Died: 2011
Height: 6'10" (208 cm)
21
John Raitt
(Actor and singer)
Birthdate: January 29, 1917
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Santa Ana, California
Died: 2005
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
22
Habibullah Khan
(Emir of Afghanistan from 1901 to 1919)
Birthdate: June 3, 1872
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Died: 1919
Habibullah Khan reigned as the Emir of Afghanistan from 1 October 1901 until his demise on 20 February 1919. A reform-minded ruler, Habibullah aimed at modernizing his country and worked towards bringing modern medicine and technology into Afghanistan. He also founded a military academy and the Habibia School in 1903.
Birthdate: June 28, 1906
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Katowice, Poland
Died: 1972
24
Solomon Asch
(Psychologist)
Birthdate: September 14, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Died: 1996
Polish-American Gestalt psychologist Solomon Asch, a pioneer in social psychology, is known for his seminal work in social psychology, including social influence, impression formation, conformity and prestige suggestion. He is noted for the Asch conformity experiments or the Asch paradigm, a series of studies in which he demonstrated the influence of group pressure on opinions.
25
Washakie
(American Saints)
Birthdate: 1808 AD
Birthplace: United States
Died: 1900
Washakie was an influential leader of the Shoshone people, a Native American tribe. He was recognized as the head of the Eastern Shoshones for a major part of his life by the representatives of the US government. He was inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners in 1979.
26
Muhammad Asad
(For English Translation of Quran, 'The Message of The Qur'an")
Birthdate: July 2, 1900
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lviv, Ukraine
Died: 1992
Austro-Hungarian journalist Leopold Weiss was a descendant of rabbis and ran away from home in his teens, taking up odd jobs, before finally becoming a journalist in Germany. His work took him to the Middle East, where he converted to Islam and adopted the name Muhammad Asad.
27
Paul Marcinkus
(American Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church)
Birthdate: January 15, 1922
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cicero, Illinois, United States
Died: 2006
Paul Marcinkus was an American religious leader best remembered for his service as the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church. From 1971 to 1989, he also served as the president of the Vatican Bank. One of the most controversial archbishops of the 20th century, Marcinkus' life and career inspired many film characters, including Archbishop Gilday in The Godfather Part III.
28
Robert Bolt
(Playwright and a two-time Oscar-winning screenwriter)
Birthdate: August 15, 1924
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sale, Cheshire, England
Died: 1995
29
Laura Bassi
(Italian Physicist)
Birthdate: October 29, 1711
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bologna, Italy
Died: 1778
Known as Bolognese Minerva, Laura Bassi became the first woman physics professor to have taught at a European university, when she started teaching at the University of Bologna. A child prodigy, she excelled in Latin and math at age 5. She was also the first lady with a doctorate in science.
30
Oswald Avery
(Biologist, Physician, Geneticist)
Birthdate: October 21, 1877
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada
Died: 1955
A pioneer of molecular biology, Oswald Avery revolutionized science with his research on the chemical processes involved in immunology. The Canadian-American bacteriologist initially aspired to be a musician. He later proved that DNA was the basis of heredity. Though nominated for the Nobel Prize multiple times, he never won it.
31
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
(Duke)
Birthdate: April 27, 1701
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Turin, Italy
Died: 1773
Birthdate: October 8, 1930
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan
Died: 1996
Birthdate: September 28, 1852
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris
Died: 1907
Henri Moissan was a French chemist and pharmacist. He is best known for his work in isolating fluorine from its compounds, an achievement that earned him the 1906 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was one of the original members of the International Atomic Weights Committee. He also made significant contributions to the production of artificial diamonds.
34
Henry Percy, 1st earl of Northumberland
(Admirals)
Birthdate: November 10, 1341
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Northumberland, England
Died: 1408
35
Damdin Sükhbaatar
(Army Leader)
Birthdate: February 2, 1893
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Khuree, Qing Empire, Mongolia
Died: 1923
Birthdate: November 20, 1946
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Laventille, Trinidad and Tobago
Died: 2012
37
Chelo Alonso
(Cuban Actress & Sex Symbol)
Birthdate: April 10, 1933
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Camagüey, Cuba
Died: 2019
38
Christopher Nolan
(Author)
Birthdate: September 6, 1965
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Mullingar, Ireland
Died: 2009
Birthdate: October 5, 1887
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bayonne
Died: 1976
René Cassin was a French jurist best known for co-authoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. For this contribution, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968. The same year, he also received one of the UN General Assembly's Human Rights Prizes. The René Cassin Award is named in his honor.
40
René Dubos
(French-American Experimental Pathologist, Microbiologist, Humanist, Environmentalist, and Writer)
Birthdate: February 20, 1901
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt, France
Died: 1982
René Dubos was a French-American experimental pathologist, microbiologist, humanist, environmentalist, and writer. He is best remembered for his literary work, So Human An Animal, which earned him the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction. René Dubos is credited with popularizing the phrase, Think globally, act locally.
41
Matilde Hidalgo
(The First Ecuadorian Woman to Exercise Suffrage)
Birthdate: September 29, 1889
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Loja, Ecuador
Died: 1974
Matilde Hidalgo was an Ecuadorian poet, physician, and activist. The first Ecuadorian woman to exercise suffrage, Hidalgo fought for women's rights throughout her life. Today, Matilde Hidalgo is recognized as one of the most prominent women in Ecuadorian history.
42
Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa
(Monarch)
Birthdate: February 6, 1872
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Muharraq, Bahrain
Died: 1942
Birthdate: January 26, 1369
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Genazzano, Italy
Died: 1431
44
Waldo R. Tobler
(American-Swiss Cartographer and Geographer)
Birthdate: November 16, 1930
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Portland, Oregon, United States
Died: 2018
Waldo R. Tobler was an American-Swiss cartographer and geographer. He is best remembered for proposing the first and the second law of geography. Waldo R. Tobler is also remembered for his association with the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, where he was a senior scientist and one of the main investigators.
45
Ferenc Fricsay
(Conductor)
Birthdate: August 9, 1914
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
Died: 1963
Over his illustrious career of almost 2 decades, Hungarian conductor Ferenc Fricsay became one of the greatest conductors of his time. After studying scores of instruments such as the piano, violin, and clarinet, he had started conducting at age 15. Mozart’s The Magic Flute remains his best-known recording.
46
Kobayashi Takiji
(Japanese Writer of Proletarian Literature)
Birthdate: October 13, 1903
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Odate, Akita, Japan
Died: 1933
Kobayashi Takiji was a Japanese author best remembered for his short novel Crab Cannery Ship, which narrates the hardship faced by seamen, fishermen, and cannery workers aboard a cannery ship. Many of his works have been translated into several languages, including English, Spanish, and French among other languages. His death helped throw light on the brutality of the Tokkō police.
47
Maurice Blanchot
(Former writer, philosopher, and literary theorist)
Birthdate: September 22, 1907
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Devrouze, Saône-et-Loire, France
Died: 2003
48
Ernest Ansermet
(Swiss Conductor)
Birthdate: November 11, 1883
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Vevey, Switzerland
Died: 1969
Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet, who founded the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, is remembered chiefly because of his renditions of various French and Russian composers of the 20th century. Unknown to many, he initially taught math at the University of Lausanne. He has also penned books on music.
49
Nicholas Bacon
(Politician)
Birthdate: October 13, 1509
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: London, England
Died: 1579
50
Klas Pontus Arnoldson
(Politician, Journalist, Writer, Non-fiction writer)
Birthdate: October 27, 1844
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Gothenburg
Died: 1916
Klas Pontus Arnoldson was a Swedish politician, author, journalist, and pacifist. He is best remembered for winning the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Fredrik Bajer in 1908. He is credited with founding the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, a non-governmental organization dedicated to peace, democratization, and disarmament.