20 August

Across recorded history, 1,407 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 20 August. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Leon Trotsky

1879–1940

Russian Marxist revolutionary

Leon Trotsky was a Russian Marxist revolutionary who served as a key figure in the establishment of the Soviet Union.

Pius X

1835–1914

Pope of the Catholic Church from 1903 to 1914, saint

Pius X was a Pope of the Catholic Church who is recognized as a saint.

Pius VII

1742–1823

head of the Catholic Church, ruler of the Papal States from 1800 to 1823

Pius VII was the head of the Catholic Church and the ruler of the Papal States.

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling

1775–1854

German philosopher

Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling was a German philosopher who contributed to the development of idealism.

Paul Ehrlich

1854–1915

Jewish-German physician and scientist

Paul Ehrlich was an immunologist who conducted pioneering research in hematology, immunology, and chemotherapy.

Jerry Lewis

1926–2017

American comedian, actor and film director

Jerry Lewis was an American comedian and film director known for his work in cinema and television.

Adolf von Baeyer

1835–1917

German chemist

Adolf von Baeyer was a German chemist who conducted research on organic dyes and polyacetylenes.

Percy Williams Bridgman

1882–1961

American physicist

Percy Williams Bridgman was an American physicist who conducted research in the field of high-pressure physics.

Meles Zenawi

1955–2012

Ethiopian politician; Prime Minister of Ethiopia

Meles Zenawi was an Ethiopian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.

Fred Hoyle

1915–2001

British astronomer

Fred Hoyle was an astronomer who formulated the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis.

Hua Guofeng

1921–2008

2nd Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, 2nd Premier of the People's Republic of China

Hua Guofeng served as the Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party and Premier of the People's Republic of China.

Phyllis Diller

1917–2012

American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist

Phyllis Diller was an American stand-up comedian who also worked as an actress, author, musician, and visual artist.

Joe Dassin

1938–1980

French-American musician

Joe Dassin was a French-American musician who worked as a singer-songwriter.

Elmore Leonard

1925–2013

American novelist and screenwriter

Elmore Leonard was an American novelist and screenwriter known for his crime fiction and western stories.

William Booth

1829–1912

British Methodist preacher

William Booth was a Methodist preacher who founded the Salvation Army.

Hugo Pratt

1927–1995

Italian comic book creator

Hugo Pratt was an Italian comics artist known for creating the Corto Maltese series.

B. K. S. Iyengar

1918–2014

Indian yoga teacher and scholar

B. K. S. Iyengar was an Indian yoga teacher and scholar who developed a widely practiced style of yoga.

Dom Mintoff

1916–2012

Maltese politician

Dom Mintoff was a Maltese politician who served as the head of government.

Donald O. Hebb

1904–1985

Canadian neuroscientist

Donald O. Hebb was a Canadian neuroscientist who developed a theory regarding the neural basis of learning and memory.

Frank Caprio

1936–2025

American lawyer and politician

Frank Caprio was an American judge known for his television appearances presiding over municipal court cases.

Kim Stanley

1925–2001

American actress

Kim Stanley was an American actor who performed in film, television, and stage productions.

Friedrich Benjamin von Lütke

1797–1882

Baltic German admiral

Friedrich Benjamin von Lütke was an admiral and explorer who conducted extensive voyages and hydrographic surveys.

Kurt Schumacher

1895–1952

German politician

Kurt Schumacher was a politician who served as the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.

Uri Avnery

1923–2018

Israeli politician, journalist and author

Uri Avnery was a journalist and politician who advocated for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.