20 December

Across recorded history, 1,602 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 20 December. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← December 19 December 21 →

John Steinbeck

1902–1968

American writer

John Steinbeck was an American novelist known for his works depicting the experiences of working-class people.

Carl Sagan

1934–1996

American astrophysicist, cosmologist and author

Carl Sagan was an astronomer who popularized science through his work as a television presenter and author.

Léopold Sédar Senghor

1906–2001

first president of Senegal, poet, and cultural theorist

Léopold Sédar Senghor was a politician who served as the first president of Senegal and was a noted poet and cultural theorist.

Erich Ludendorff

1865–1937

German Army officer

Erich Ludendorff was a German military leader who served as a high-ranking officer during the First World War.

Arthur Rubinstein

1887–1982

Polish-American classical pianist

Arthur Rubinstein was a Polish-American classical pianist recognized for his extensive career as a recording artist and performer.

Brittany Murphy

1977–2009

American actress and singer

Brittany Murphy was an American actress and singer who appeared in numerous film and television productions.

Alan Lloyd Hodgkin

1914–1998

physiologist and biophysicist

Alan Lloyd Hodgkin was a physiologist who conducted research on the electrical impulses of nerve cells.

Max Brod

1884–1968

Bohemian-Israeli author, composer, and journalist

Max Brod was a Bohemian-Israeli writer who is primarily recognized for preserving and publishing the literary works of Franz Kafka.

Émile Loubet

1838–1929

8th president of France

Émile Loubet was a French politician who served as the president of France.

Shigeyoshi Suzuki

1902–1971

Japanese association football player and manager

Shigeyoshi Suzuki was a Japanese association football player and manager.

Dmitriy Ustinov

1908–1984

Soviet military commander and politician

Dmitriy Ustinov was a Soviet politician who served as the Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union.

Michèle Morgan

1920–2016

French actress

Michèle Morgan was a French actress who appeared in numerous films throughout her career.

Stanley Milgram

1933–1984

American social psychologist

Stanley Milgram was a social psychologist known for conducting experiments on obedience to authority.

Nikolai Marr

1864–1934

Georgian ethnologist and linguist

Nikolai Marr was a linguist who developed the Japhetic theory regarding the origin and development of languages.

Bobby Darin

1936–1973

American singer and actor

Bobby Darin was an American singer and actor known for his contributions to popular music and film.

Luis Carrero Blanco

1904–1973

Spanish admiral and politician

Luis Carrero Blanco was a Spanish admiral and politician who served as the head of government.

Julius Richard Petri

1852–1921

German microbiologist

Julius Richard Petri was a German microbiologist who invented the standard laboratory culture dish used for cultivating microorganisms.

Earle Page

1880–1961

Australian politician, 11th Prime Minister of Australia

Earle Page was an Australian politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Australia.

Dean Rusk

1909–1994

United States Secretary of State

Dean Rusk was a United States Secretary of State who served during the Cold War.

Roy O. Disney

1893–1971

American businessman and producer, co-founder of The Walt Disney Company

Roy O. Disney was a businessman and producer who co-founded The Walt Disney Company.

James Hilton

1900–1954

British novelist and screenwriter

James Hilton was a British novelist and screenwriter known for his literary contributions to fiction.

Emil Artin

1898–1962

Austrian-Armenian mathematician

Emil Artin was a mathematician who contributed to the development of algebraic number theory.

W. Edwards Deming

1900–1993

American professor, author, and consultant

W. Edwards Deming was a statistician who worked as a consultant to improve industrial quality and management systems.

Hussein-Ali Montazeri

1922–2009

cleric and Deputy Supreme Leader of Iran from 1985 to 1989

Hussein-Ali Montazeri was an Iranian cleric who served as the Deputy Supreme Leader of Iran.

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.