Birthdays in History on July 20

  • July

Person of interestAlexander the Great

356 BC Alexander the Great, Macedonian king and military leader, born in Pella, Macedonia (modern Greece) (d. 323 BC)

Macedonian King and Conqueror of Persia Alexander the Great
Macedonian King and Conqueror of Persia
Alexander the Great
  • 1304 Francesco Petrarch, Italian poet (Italia Mia), born Arezzo, Tuscany (d. 1374)
  • 1513 Gaspar Schetz, Dutch treasurer-general, born in Antwerp (d. 1580)
  • 1519 Pope Innocent IX [Giovanni Antonio Facchinetti], 230th Catholic pope (1591), born in Bologna, Papal States (d. 1591)
  • 1537 Arnaud d'Ossat, French diplomat and writer , born in Larroque-Magnoac, France (d. 1604)
  • 1659 Hyacinthe Rigaud, French painter, born in Perpignan, France (d. 1743)
  • 1663 Pierre Drevet, French engraver, born in Loire-sur-Rhône, Lyon (d. 1738)
  • 1709 James Harris, English philosopher, born in Salisbury, Wiltshire (d. 1780)
  • 1754 Antoine Destutt de Tracy, French Enlightenment philosopher, born in Paris (d. 1836)
  • 1757 Garsevan Chavchavadze, Georgian diplomat and politician, born in Georgia (d. 1811)
  • 1766 Thomas Bruce, 7th earl of Elgin & Kincardine, British diplomat, born in Broomhall, Fife, Scotland (d. 1841)
  • 1774 Auguste Marmont, French marshal, born in Châtillon-sur-Seine, France (d. 1852)
  • 1785 Mahmud II, Sultan of Turkey (1808-39), born in Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Turkey (d. 1839)
  • 1797 Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, Polish explorer and geologist, born in Glausche, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1873)
  • 1804 Richard Owen, English zoologist (Dinosauria), born in Lancaster, England (d. 1892)
  • 1806 John Sterling, Scottish writer, born in Isle of Bute, United Kingdom (d. 1844)

  • 1811 James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin & Kincardine and Governor (Jamaica), born in London (d. 1863)
  • 1816 William Bowman, English anatomist, born in Nantwich, Cheshire (d. 1892)

Person of interestGregor Mendel

1822 Gregor Mendel, Austrian monk and geneticist (discoverer of laws of heredity), born in Heinzendorf, Austria (d. 1884)

Monk/Geneticist Gregor Mendel
Monk/Geneticist
Gregor Mendel
  • 1824 Alexander Schimmelfennig, Prussian-American political revolutionary and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Bromberg, Kingdom of Prussia (d. 1865)
  • 1836 Thomas Allbutt, English physiologist (Diseases of the Heart), born in Dewsbury, Yorkshire (d. 1925)
  • 1838 Augustin Daly, American playwright and theatrical manager, born in Plymouth, North Carolina (d. 1899)
  • 1838 George Otto Trevelyan, British statesman and biographer (d. 1928)
  • 1847 Max Liebermann, German impressionist painter
  • 1849 Robert Anderson Van Wyck, Mayor of New York City (d. 1918)
  • 1852 Theodorus Heemskerk Jzn, lawyer/Dutch premier (AR, 1908-13) [or 1/20]=
  • 1853 Geo[rge] Poggenbeek, Dutch water colors painter
  • 1858 Ivan Vucetic, Croatian anthropologist (d. 1925)
  • 1860 Johannes Walter, German geologist (Denudation of the Wilderness)
  • 1864 Erik Karlfeldt, Swedish poet (Nobel 1918-refused; 1931-posthumous)
  • 1868 Miron Cristea, 1st Patriarch of All Romania (d. 1939)
  • 1870 Vladimir D Nabokov, Russian jurist/minister of Justice (1918-19)
  • 1873 Alberto Santos-Dumont, Brazilian aviator (d. 1932)
  • 1876 Otto Blumenthal, German mathematician (d. 1944)
  • 1880 Hermann earl Keyserling, German philosopher/writer
  • 1881 Leon de Smet, Flemish painter
  • 1885 Gustave Charlier, Belgian literature historian/critic
  • 1887 Willem H Drucker, Dutch lawyer
  • 1890 George II, King of Greece (1922-1924, and 1935-1947), born in Tatoi, Greece (d. 1947)
  • 1893 Alexander, King of Greece (1917-20), born at Tatoi Palace, Greece (d. 1920)
  • 1893 Richard Billinger, Austria poet/writer (From Where I Came)

  • 1895 László Moholy-Nagy, Hungarian painter, photographer, and sculptor (d. 1946)
  • 1897 Tadeusz Reichstein, Swiss chemist (Nobel 1950)
  • 1900 Gottfried von Haberler, Austrian economist
  • 1900 Maurice Gilliams, Flemish writer/poet/essayist (Maria's Life)
  • 1901 Vehbi Koc, indistrialist/philanthropist
  • 1902 Dilys Powell, English writer (Descent from Parnassus)
  • 1903 Jef van de Wiele, Belgian politician
  • 1905 Molly Mary Nesta Keane, writer

Person of interestMad Dog Coll

1908 [Vincent] Mad Dog Coll, Irish-American mob hitman, born in Gweedore, Ireland (d. 1932)

Mob Hitman Mad Dog Coll
Mob Hitman
Mad Dog Coll
  • 1909 Jean Focas, Greco-French astronomer (d. 1969)
  • 1910 Cicely Veronica Wedgwood, British historian (William the Silent)
  • 1912 Frederick Ferrari, crazy Gang Member
  • 1912 John Dacie, hematologist
  • 1912 Thijmen Kuijt, resistance fighter/co-found newspaper (The Typhoon)
  • 1912 George Johnston, Australian journalist and novelist (d. 1970)

Person of interestEdmund Hillary

1919 Edmund Hillary, Explorer and Mountaineer (1st to scale Mt Everest with Tenzing Norgay), born in Auckland, New Zealand (d. 2008)

Mountaineer and Explorer Edmund Hillary
Mountaineer and Explorer
Edmund Hillary
  • 1920 Elliot L Richardson, Attorney General (1973)/Sec of Defense (1973)
  • 1920 Jack Harman, British general
  • 1920 Jeffrey Petersen, British diplomat
  • 1922 Alan Stephenson Boyd, American politician
  • 1923 Stanisław Albinowski, Polish economist and journalist (d. 2005)
  • 1924 Hans Lodeizen, [Johannes A Frederik], Dutch poet (Inner Self)
  • 1924 Thomas Berger, American novelist (Vital Parts, Little Big Man), born in Cincinnati, Ohio, (d. 2014)
  • 1925 Jacques Delors, French economist/chairman European Committee (1985-95)
  • 1925 Frantz Fanon, West Indian psychiatrist and philosopher (The Wretched of the Earth), born in Martinique, France (d. 1961)
  • 1927 Anthony Cavendish, British MI 6 agent/banker
  • 1927 Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Russian 'Grandmother of Russian Human Rights', born in Crimea, Russia (d. 2018)
  • 1928 Jan Meyers, (Rep-R-Kansas, 1985- )
  • 1928 Pavel Kohout, Czech and Austrian writer (Poor Murderer) and dissident, born in Prague
  • 1928 Charles David Ganao, Djambala, French Equatorial Africa, Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo (1996-1997), (d. 2012)
  • 1930 Arthur U Spronken, sculptor
  • 1930 Yuri Petrovich Artyukin, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 14)

Person of interestMarina Popovich

1931 Marina Popovich, Soviet Air Force colonel, engineer and test pilot (102 world records), born in Leonenki, Smolensk Oblast, USSR, birth date uncertain (d. 2017)

Pilot Marina Popovich
Pilot
Marina Popovich
  • 1932 Otto Schily, German politician
  • 1933 Cormac McCarthy, American author
  • 1934 Ralph C RInzler, folklorist (Greenbriar Boys)
  • 1934 Uwe Johnson, German writer
  • 1935 Lord Peter Palumbo, English real estate developer/multi-millionaire
  • 1936 Barbara A Mikulski, (Rep-D-MD, 1977-86/Sen-D-MD, 1986- )
  • 1938 Jo Ann Campbell, Lawrence Welk's champagne lady, born in Jacksonville, Florida
  • 1939 Judy Chicago [Judith Cohen], American artist (Dinner Party), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • 1939 Jeanne Bice, American entrepreneur (Quacker Factory clothes), born in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin (d. 2011)
  • 1940 Tony Oliva, ball player, batting champ (AL Rookie of Year 1964)
  • 1941 Vladimir Afanasiyevich Lyakhov, cosmonaut (Soyuz 32/34, T-9, TM-6)
  • 1942 Ron Bowden, Australian politician
  • 1944 Wim Van Drimmelen, Dutch sect Science Council of Government policy
  • 1945 Larry E Craig, (Rep-R-Idaho, 1981- )
  • 1945 Viscount Petersham, English large landowner
  • 1945 Paul Valéry [Ambroise Paul Toussaint Jules Valéry], French author, philosopher and poet (La Jeune Parque), born in Sète, Hérault (d. 1945)
  • 1947 Gerd Binnig, Frankfurt, physicist (tunneling microscope-Nobel 1986)
  • 1948 Richard H Lehman, (Rep-D-CA, 1983- )
  • 1953 Thomas Friedman, American journalist
  • 1956 Jim Prentice, Canadian politician
  • 1960 Katie Rabbet, Prince Andrew's former girlfriend, born in London, England
  • 1964 Terri Irwin, American naturalist; widow of Steve Irwin
  • 1966 Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico (2012-), born in Atlacomulco, State of Mexico
  • 1968 Robert Rodriguez, director (El Mariachi, Desperado)
  • 1971 DJ Screw, American hiphop DJ (d. 2000)
  • 1972 Erik Ullenhag, Swedish jurist and politician
  • 1973 Haakon Magnus, Crown Prince of Norway
  • 1974 Kevin Meadows, gay rights activist
  • 1975 Birgitta Ohlsson, Swedish politician
  • 1976 Erica Hill, American news anchor
  • 1981 Thorsten Engelmann, German rower
  • 1991 Scout Larue Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis & Demi Moore
  • 1999 Princess Alexandra of Hanover, daughter of Princess Caroline of Monaco

July in History