20 March

Across recorded history, 1,562 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 20 March. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

← March 19 March 21 →

Ferdinand Foch

1851–1929

French marchal and military theorist

Ferdinand Foch was a French military theorist and army officer who served as a marshal during the First World War.

Kenny Rogers

1938–2020

American country singer

Kenny Rogers was an American country singer known for his long career in music.

Polykarp Kusch

1911–1993

German-American physicist

Physicist Polykarp Kusch conducted research that led to the precise determination of the magnetic moment of the electron.

Juliana of the Netherlands

1909–2004

Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 to 1980

Juliana of the Netherlands served as the monarch of the Netherlands.

Lajos Kossuth

1802–1894

Hungarian politician

Lajos Kossuth was a Hungarian politician who served as a prominent leader during the Hungarian Revolution.

Ivan Shishkin

1831–1898

Russian landscape painter

Ivan Shishkin was a Russian landscape painter known for his detailed depictions of forests and nature.

Nadar

1820–1910

French photographer and balloonist

Nadar was a French photographer and balloonist who captured early aerial photographs.

George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston

1859–1925

Viceroy of India and British Foreign Secretary

George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston served as the Viceroy of India and the British Foreign Secretary.

Carl Theodor Dreyer

1889–1968

Danish film director

Carl Theodor Dreyer was a Danish film director known for his influential contributions to international cinema.

David Rockefeller

1915–2017

American banker and philanthropist

David Rockefeller was a banker and philanthropist who served as a long-time executive at Chase Manhattan Bank.

Maria I of Portugal

1734–1816

Portuguese monarch from 1777 to 1816

Maria I of Portugal was the monarch who reigned over the Portuguese Empire.

C. Wright Mills

1916–1962

American sociologist

C. Wright Mills was an American sociologist who studied the power structures of modern society.

Robert Mueller

1944–2026

American attorney and sixth director of the FBI

Robert Mueller was an American attorney who served as the sixth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Robert Mayer

1814–1878

German physicist

Robert Mayer was a physicist who formulated the principle of the conservation of energy.

Zillur Rahman

1929–2013

19th President of Bangladesh

Zillur Rahman was a politician who served as the President of Bangladesh.

Hermann Müller

1876–1931

German politician

Hermann Müller was a German politician who served as the head of government.

J. Michael Bishop

1936–2026

American immunologist and microbiologist who specialized in cancer research

J. Michael Bishop was an American oncologist who specialized in cancer research.

Malcolm Fraser

1930–2015

Australian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia

Malcolm Fraser was an Australian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Australia.

Girija Prasad Koirala

1924–2010

Nepalese politician (1924 - 2010)

Girija Prasad Koirala was a Nepalese politician who served as the Prime Minister of Nepal.

Louise of Sweden

1851–1926

Queen consort of Denmark; wife of Frederick VIII of Denmark

Louise of Sweden was a queen consort of Denmark who was married to King Frederick VIII of Denmark.

Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont

1858–1934

Queen consort of the Netherlands (r. 1879–1890)

Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont was a queen consort of the Netherlands who served as a patron of the arts.

Wilhelm Miklas

1872–1956

Austrian politician; President

Wilhelm Miklas was an Austrian politician who served as the President of Austria.

Hilderaldo Bellini

1930–2014

Brazilian footballer

Hilderaldo Bellini was a Brazilian footballer who served as the captain of the national team.

Anker Jørgensen

1922–2016

Danish politician

Anker Jørgensen was a Danish politician who served as the Prime Minister of Denmark.

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.