At A Glance

20 April 1945 at a glance

Day of the week
20 April 1945 was a Friday.
Top Film of 1945
One of the highest-grossing films worldwide released in 1945 was The Bells of St. Mary's.
Bestselling Novel of 1945
“Forever Amber” by Kathleen Winsor was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1945.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 April is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 April 1945 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 April 1945 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 20 April

  • 1945 World War II: U.S. troops capture Leipzig, Germany, only to later cede the city to the Soviet Union.
  • 1945 World War II: Führerbunker: On his 56th birthday Adolf Hitler makes his last trip to the surface to award Iron Crosses to boy soldiers of the Hitler Youth.
  • 1946 The League of Nations officially dissolves, giving most of its power to the United Nations.
  • 1949 Amethyst incident: The People's Liberation Army attacks HMS Amethyst (F116) travelling to the British embassy in Nanjing during the Chinese Civil War.
  • 1961 Cold War: Failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion of US-backed Cuban exiles against Cuba.

Famous people born on April 20

  • Alexander Zverev, German tennis player (born 1997)
  • Jessica Lange, American actress (born 1949)
  • Andy Serkis, English actor and director (born 1964)
  • Napoleon III, French politician, 1st President of France, Emperor of French Second Empire (1808–1873)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1945 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1945 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 23 – Battle of Iwo Jima: A group of United States Marines reach the top of Mount Suribachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag.
  • March 1 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives what will be his last address to a joint session of Congress, reporting on the Yalta Conference.
  • April 25 – Founding negotiations for the United Nations begin in San Francisco.

Life in the US in 1945

President

Harry S. Truman

Gas (per gallon)

$0.21

Loaf of Bread

$0.09

Average House

$3,700

Weekly Wage

$40

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

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 →