Thursday, 20th August 1981 in Paris
Welcome to your daily snapshot of Paris! It's World Mosquito Day. Explore 61 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in Paris. From remarkable moments in local and world history to the people who left their mark — find out what makes today special. Today's weather in Paris brings rainy with temperatures between 13°C and 18°C. Tonight's moon is in its waxing crescent phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Leo. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Thursday, 20th August in Paris, FR.
On Thursday, 20th August 1981, Paris experienced rainy conditions as the city settled into late summer. The French capital, situated along the Seine in north-central France, serves as the country's political, cultural and economic centre. The weather that day reflected the unpredictable nature of late August in the region, with persistent rainfall affecting the city's streets and landmarks. Those born on this date fell under the zodiac sign of Leo, whilst the moon was in its waxing crescent phase, gradually increasing in visibility as it moved through its lunar cycle.
Throughout history, 20th August has marked several significant events across different continents and centuries. In 1989, the pleasure boat Marchioness collided with the dredger Bowbelle on the River Thames in London and sank in thirty seconds, resulting in 51 deaths in one of the worst maritime disasters in British waters. More recently, in 2018, Silent Sam, a Confederate monument situated on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was toppled by protestors during demonstrations regarding historical monuments and their place in contemporary society.
Among notable figures, Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer credited with the official discovery of Pluto in 1930, represents one of the significant names associated with astronomical advancement during the twentieth century. His work built upon earlier observations and photographs, including one taken at the Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin in 1909, which had captured the distant celestial body twenty-one years before its formal recognition.
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Find out what's happening today in Paris.
What the Weather Had in Store for Paris on 20th August 1981
Silence teaches what noise cannot conceal.
Fortune of the Day
20th August in the Stars – Star Sign Leo
Personality Profile
Personality People born on 20 August blend classic Leo boldness with Jupiter's expansive wisdom. They pursue grand visions and inspire others through infectious enthusiasm. An optimistic outlook and drive for personal growth deeply shape their character.
Strengths & Weaknesses Strengths include creativity, generosity, and natural leadership abilities. Jupiter's influence enhances intellectual curiosity and philosophical depth. Weaknesses emerge through overconfidence or attempting everything on a massive scale.
Love These natives seek partners who share their passion and ambitions. They love intensely and dramatically, yet crave intellectual substance too. Loyalty and admiration are essential for them to feel truly fulfilled.
Caree & Finance Well-suited to leadership roles, creative ventures, and entrepreneurship. Their expansive nature draws them toward influential projects and big-picture thinking. Financial generosity is a strength but requires conscious management.
Health Natural vitality and abundant energy characterize their physical constitution. Regular movement and creative expression keep them balanced. Channeling their intensity and avoiding burnout remain important priorities.
That night, the moon was in its waxing crescent phase.
Chinese year of the Rooster (Metal).
Fun Facts About 20th August
Name Days in Your Language: Barnard, Bernard, Bernardo, Filbert, Philbert, Rey, Reyna, Reynalda, Reynaldo, Reynold
Someone born on this day in 1981 would be 44 years old today — just 16,312 days into life, which is roughly 391,499 hours, 23,489,968 minutes, or 1,409,398,135 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 232. day of the year.
There are 133 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 34 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 20th August
- Aílton José Almeida, Brazilian footballer (1984)
- Pavel Eismann, Czech footballer (1984)
- Laura Georges, French footballer (1984)
- Jamie Hoffmann, American baseball player (1984)
- Ingrid Lukas, Estonian-Swiss singer-songwriter and pianist (1984)
- Hamza Abdullah, American football player (1983)
- Paulo André Cren Benini, Brazilian footballer (1983)
- Andrew Garfield, American-English actor (1983)
- Héctor Landazuri, Colombian footballer (1983)
- Brian Schaefering, American football player (1983)
Lives Remembered on 20th August
- Ulla Jacobsson, Swedish actress (born 1929) (1982)
- Michael Devine, Irish Republican hunger striker (1981)
- Joe Dassin, American-French singer-songwriter (born 1938) (1980)
- Christian Dotremont, Belgian painter and poet (born 1922) (1979)
- Vera Lutz, British economist (born 1912) (1976)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 20th August
- Christian feast day: Amadour
- Christian feast day: Bernard of Clairvaux
- Christian feast day: Blessed Georg Häfner
- Christian feast day: Heliodorus of Bet Zabdai
- Christian feast day: Maria De Mattias
- Christian feast day: Oswine of Deira
- Christian feast day: Philibert of Jumièges
- Christian feast day: Samuel (prophet)
- Christian feast day: William and Catherine Booth (Church of England)
- Christian feast day: August 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Feast of Asmá’ (Baháʼí Faith, only if Baháʼí Naw-Rúz falls on March 21)
- Indian Akshay Urja Day (India)
- Independence Restoration Day (Estonia), re-declaration of the independence of Estonia from the Soviet Union in 1991.
- Meitei Language Day, also known as Manipuri Language Day, the day on which Meitei (Manipuri) was included in the scheduled languages' list and made one of the official languages of India.
- Revolution of the King and the People (Morocco)
- Saint Stephen's Day (Hungary)
- World Mosquito Day
What Happened on 20th August?
- Joe Biden gives his acceptance speech virtually for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. (2020)
- Fifty-four people are killed when a suicide bomber detonates himself at a Kurdish wedding party in Gaziantep, Turkey. (2016)
- Seventy-two people are killed in Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture by a series of landslides caused by a month's worth of rain that fell in one day. (2014)
- A prison riot in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, kills at least 20 people. (2012)
- First Air Flight 6560 crashes 1 mile from the Resolute Bay runway, killing 12 of the 15 aboard. (2011)
- Spanair Flight 5022, from Madrid, Spain to Gran Canaria, skids off the runway and crashes at Barajas Airport. Of the 172 people on board, 146 die immediately, and eight more later die of injuries sustained in the crash. (2008)
- China Airlines Flight 120 catches fire and explodes after landing at Naha Airport in Okinawa, Japan. (2007)
- Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil politician and former MP S. Sivamaharajah is shot dead at his home in Tellippalai. (2006)
- A group of Iraqis opposed to the regime of Saddam Hussein take over the Iraqi embassy in Berlin, Germany for five hours before releasing their hostages and surrendering. (2002)
- The Supreme Court of Canada rules that Quebec cannot legally secede from Canada without the federal government's approval. (1998)