At A Glance

20 July 1953 at a glance

Day of the week
20 July 1953 was a Monday.
Top Film of 1953
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1953 was Peter Pan.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 July is Cancer.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 July 1953 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 July 1953 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 20 July

  • 1949 The Israel–Syria Mixed Armistice Commission brokers the last of four ceasefire agreements to end the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
  • 1950 Cold War: In Philadelphia, Harry Gold pleads guilty to spying for the Soviet Union by passing secrets from atomic scientist Klaus Fuchs.
  • 1950 After a month-long campaign, the majority of North Korea's Air Force was destroyed by anti-communist forces.
  • 1954 Germany: Otto John, head of West Germany's secret service, defects to East Germany.
  • 1960 The Polaris missile is successfully launched from a submarine, the USS George Washington, for the first time.

Famous people born on 20 July

  • Haakon VIII (born 1973)
  • Chris Cornell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (1964–2017)
  • Julianne Hough, American singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer (born 1988)
  • Natalie Wood, American actress (1938–1981)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1953 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1953 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 18 January – The Sinn Féin party decided to contest all twelve constituencies in the next Westminster elections in Northern Ireland.
  • 15 March – Up to ten thousand civil servants marched on O'Connell Street in Dublin demanding a just wage.
  • 1 May – The first television transmitter in Ireland was brought into service by the BBC at Glencairn.

Life in Ireland in 1953

Taoiseach

Éamon de Valera

Petrol (per litre)

1s 10d/gal

Loaf of Bread

5½d

Average House

£1,500

Weekly Wage

£3 15s

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1950s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →