At A Glance

20 August 1949 at a glance

Day of the week
20 August 1949 was a Saturday.
Top Film of 1949
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1949 was Samson and Delilah.
Bestselling Novel of 1949
“The Egyptian” by Mika Waltari was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1949.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 August 1949 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 August 1949 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 20 August

  • 1940 World War II: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes the fourth of his famous wartime speeches, containing the line "Never was so much owed by so many to so few".
  • 1940 World War II: The Eighth Route Army launches the Hundred Regiments Offensive, a successful campaign to disrupt Japanese war infrastructure and logistics in occupied northern China.
  • 1944 World War II: The Battle of Romania begins with a major Soviet Union offensive.
  • 1948 Soviet Consul General in New York, Jacob M. Lomakin is expelled by the United States, due to the Kasenkina Case.
  • 1949 Hungary adopts the Hungarian Constitution of 1949 and becomes a People's Republic.

Famous people born on August 20

  • Andrew Garfield, American-English actor (born 1983)
  • Amy Adams, American actress (born 1974)
  • Demi Lovato, American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1992)
  • Ke Huy Quan, Vietnamese-American actor (born 1971)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1949 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1949 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 25 – The first Emmy Awards are presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club.
  • March 24 – The 21st Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Robert Montgomery, is held at the Academy Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
  • April 4 – The North Atlantic Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., creating the NATO defense alliance.

Life in the US in 1949

President

Harry S. Truman

Gas (per gallon)

$0.27

Loaf of Bread

$0.14

Average House

$5,700

Weekly Wage

$52

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 →