Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

Famous People Born in January 1920

  • Jan 1 Osvaldo Cavandoli, Italian cartoonist and creator of "La Linea" animated cartoons, born in Maderno, Italy (d. 2007)
  • Jan 1 Roger Peacock, English writer (Thursday is Missing), born in Liverpool (d. 1996)
  • Jan 1 Virgilio Savona, Italian jazz singer and composer (Quartetto Cetra - "Un bacio a mezzanotte"; "Crapa pelada"), born in Palermo, Italy (d. 2009)
  • Jan 2 Andrew Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, English aristocrat (Chatsworth), politician, married Deborah Mitford, born in London, England (d. 2004)

Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

Jan 2 Russian-American scientist and sci-fi writer (I Robot; Foundation Trilogy), born in Petrovichi, Russia

  • Jan 2 Peter Harrison Swan, English-Australian WWII bomber pilot and stockbroker, born in London, England (d. 1995)
  • Jan 3 Renato Carosone, Italian canzone napoletana singer, pianist, songwriter ("Tu vuò fà l'americano" - "You Want to Be American"), and accordionist, born in Naples, Kingdom of Italy (d. 2001)
  • Jan 3 Siegfried Buback, German Federal Prosecutor, born in Wilsdruff, Saxony, Germany (d. 1977)
  • Jan 4 Harry Parkes, English soccer fullback (Aston Villa 320 games), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2009)
  • Jan 4 Rosalie Crutchley, British actress (Armchair Theatre: Black Limelight, Four Weddings and a Funeral), born in London, England (d. 1997)
  • Jan 4 William Colby, American CIA director (1973-76), born in St. Paul, Minnesota (d. 1996)
  • Jan 5 Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist, born in Brescia, Italy (d. 1995)
  • Jan 5 Mohammad Aslam Khokhar, Pakistani cricketer (Pak bat scored 16 & 18 in only test), born in Lahore, Pakistan (d. 2011)
  • Jan 6 Doris Stokes, British psychic medium, born in Grantham, United Kingdom (d. 1987)
  • Jan 6 Earl Kim, Korean-American composer, born in Dinuba, California (d. 1998)
  • Jan 6 Early Wynn, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (Cy Young Award 1959 Chicago WS; MLB wins leader 1954, 59; 9 x MLB All Star; Cleveland Indians), born in Hartford, Alabama (d. 1999)
  • Jan 6 John Maynard Smith, English biologist, born in London (d. 2004)
  • Jan 7 Albert Meltzer, British anarchist (Anarchist Black Flag), born in London, England (d. 1996)
  • Jan 7 Aubrey Brabazon, Irish jockey and horse trainer, born in The Curragh, Ireland (d. 1996)
  • Jan 7 Lionel Alexander Bethune [Alastair] Pilkington, British engineer/Industrialist (float glass), born in Calcutta, India (d. 1995)
  • Jan 7 Vincent Gardenia, Italian-American actor (Bang the Drum Slowly, Moonstruck, Little Shop of Horrors), born in Naples, Kingdom of Italy (d. 1992)
  • Jan 8 Abbey Simon, American concert pianist, and pedagogue, born in New York City (d. 2019)
  • Jan 8 Douglas Wilmer, British actor (Sherlock Holmes, Octopussy, El Cid), born in London (d. 2016)
  • Jan 9 Chan Canasta, Polish-British magician, born in Kraków, Poland (d. 1999)
  • Jan 9 Clive Dunn, British actor (Dad's Army, The Avengers), born in Brixton, London (d. 2012)
  • Jan 9 Hakim Mohammed Said, Pakistani scholar and medical researcher, born in New Delhi, India (d. 1998)
  • Jan 9 Stefan Żywotko, Polish soccer coach (JS Kabylie; 7 x Algerian league titles, African Cup Of Champions 1981, 90; Algerian Cup 1986), born in Lwów, Poland (d. 2022)
  • Jan 10 Georges Marchal, French actor (Evil Eden, Gina, Milky Way, La mort en ce jardin), born in Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France (d. 1997)
  • Jan 10 Max Patkin, American baseball player and clown, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1999)
  • Jan 12 James Farmer, American civil rights leader, born in Marshall, Texas (d. 1999)
  • Jan 12 Mac Speedie, American Pro Football HOF end (AAFC C'ship 1946-1949; NFL C'ship 1950; 6 × First-Team All-Pro; Pro Bowl 1950, 52; Cleveland Browns), born in Odell, Illinois (d. 1993)
  • Jan 12 Prof Jerzy Zubrzycki, Polish-born Australian sociologist, born in Kraków, Poland (d. 2009)
  • Jan 14 Bertus de Harder, Dutch soccer star (Bordeaux), born in The Hague, Netherlands (d. 1982)
  • Jan 14 Donald Beard, New Zealand cricketer (NZ pace bowler in the 1950's), born in Palmerston North, New Zealand (d. 1982)
  • Jan 14 George Herman, American journalist (CBS-TV), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2005)
  • Jan 15 John Junor, Scottish journalist (Sunday Express), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 1997)
  • Jan 15 John O'Connor, Roman Catholic Archbishop of NY, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2000)
  • Jan 15 Pamela Cundell, British stage and screen character actress (Dad's Army - "Mrs. Fox"), born in Croydon, Surrey, England (d. 2015)
  • Jan 15 Steve Gromek, American baseball player, born in Hamtramck, Michigan (d. 2002)
  • Jan 16 Edgeworth Blair "Elliott" Reid, American actor (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), born in New York City (d. 2013)
  • Jan 17 George Handy [Hendleman], American bebop jazz arranger, pianist and composer (Handyland, U.S.A.), born in New York City (d. 1997)
  • Jan 17 Nora Kaye, American prima ballerina, born in New York City (d. 1987)
  • Jan 18 Constance Moore, American singer and actress (Buck Rogers; Show Business; Atlantic City), born in Sioux City, Iowa (d. 2005)

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (1920-2020)

Jan 19 Peruvian diplomat, 5th Secretary-General of the United Nations (1982-91) and Prime Minister of Peru (2000-01), born in Lima, Peru

  • Jan 19 Luciano Chailly, Italian opera composer (L'Idiota) and artistic director (La Scala), born in Ferrara, Italy (d. 2002)
  • Jan 20 DeForest Kelley, American actor (Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy-Star Trek), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1999)
  • Jan 20 Ely Landau, American television and film producer (Play of the Week; Long Day's Journey into Night; King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis), born in New York City (d. 1993)

Federico Fellini (1920-1993)

Jan 20 Italian film director and scriptwriter (8 1/2, La Dolce Vita), born in Rimini, Italy

  • Jan 20 Michael Higgins, American actor (Angel Heart, 1918, Wanda, Black Stallion), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2008)
  • Jan 20 Peter Clemoes, British historian, born in Southend-on-Sea, United Kingdom (d. 1996)
  • Jan 20 Richard J. C. Atkinson, British archaeologist, born in Evershot, United Kingdom (d. 1994)
  • Jan 20 Sam Gibbons, American politician (Rep-D-FL, 1963-97), born in Tampa, Florida (d. 2012)
  • Jan 20 Thorleif Schjelderup, Norwegian author and ski jumper, born in Aker, Norway (d. 2006)
  • Jan 21 Donald Cuthbert Coleman, British economic historian (d. 1995)
  • Jan 21 Errol Barrow, first Prime Minister of Barbados (DLP) (1966-76, 1986-87), born in Saint Lucy, Barbados (d. 1987)
  • Jan 21 Torsten Nilsson, Swedish organist, choral director, composer (Out of the Night of the Earth; Septem improvisationes), and pedagogue, born in Höör, Sweden (d. 1999)
  • Jan 22 George Breakston, French-American producer, actor and director (Jungle Stampede, It Happened One Night), born in Paris, France (d. 1973)
  • Jan 22 William Warfield, American concert bass-baritone singer and actor (Show Boat), born in West Helena, Arkansas (d. 2002)
  • Jan 23 Gottfried Böhm, German architect (Pritzker Prize *1986), born in Offenbach am Main, Germany (d. 2021) [1]
  • Jan 24 Don Saddler, American choreographer & dancer (Holiday Hotel), born in Van Nuys, California (d. 2014)
  • Jan 24 Jerry Maren [Gerard Marenghi], American actor (The Wizard of Oz; Mayor McCheese), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 2018)
  • Jan 24 Jimmy Forrest, American jazz saxophonist (Night Train), born In St. Louis, Missouri (d. 1980)
  • Jan 26 Derek Bond, British actor (Nicholas Nickelby, Armchair Theatre), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2006)
  • Jan 26 John Logan Gorlay, British journalist and editor (d. 1994)
  • Jan 27 Helmut Zacharias, German violinist, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2002)
  • Jan 27 John Box, British Academy Award and BAFTA winning film production designer and art director (A Man for all Seasons; Oliver!), born in Highgate, London (d. 2005)
  • Jan 29 Alec Coppen, British pioneering psychiatrist (serotonin theory of depression), born in London, England (d. 2019)
  • Jan 29 José Luis de Villalonga, Spanish aristocrat (d. 2007)
  • Jan 30 Carwood Lipton, American WWII veteran, born in Huntingon, West Virginia (d. 2001)
  • Jan 30 George Skibine, Russian-American ballet dancer & choreographer (Tragedy in Verona), born in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia (d. 1981)
  • Jan 30 Patrick Heron, British abstract painter, born in Leeds, South Yorkshire (d. 1999)
  • Jan 31 Bert Williams, English soccer goalkeeper (24 caps; Wolverhampton Wanderers 381 games), born in Bradley, Staffordshire (d. 2014)
  • Jan 31 Robert Hersant, French newspaper baron, born in Vertou, France (d. 1996)
  • Jan 31 Stewart Udall, American politician (US Secretary of Interior 1961-69), born in St Johns, Arizona (d. 2010)

About January 1920

How Old? 104 years old
Generation: Greatest Generation
Leap Year: Yes

Chinese Zodiac: Goat/Sheep
Star Signs: Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19), Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)