Wednesday, 20th July 1955 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! It's International Moon Day and World Chess Day. Explore 68 historical events, birthdays, deaths, and milestones that shaped this day in London. 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 London brings cloudy with temperatures between 10°C and 20°C. Tonight's moon is in its waxing gibbous phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Cancer. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Wednesday, 20th July in London, GB.
London, the capital of England and a major global financial centre, experienced cloudy conditions on this Wednesday in July. The city sits on the Thames in south-east England and has served as a significant historical landmark for centuries.
On 20 July 1969, the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle landed on the Sea of Tranquillity, marking humanity's first successful moon landing. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the lunar surface just six and a half hours after the spacecraft touched down. This achievement represented the culmination of the Space Race and remains one of the most significant scientific accomplishments of the twentieth century. In a separate historical moment on the same date, Italian anti-globalist Carlo Giuliani, aged twenty-three, was shot dead by a police officer during protests outside the G8 summit held in Genoa, Italy in 2001. Giuliani's death highlighted tensions between protest movements and state security forces at major international gatherings.
The weather on 20 July 1955 was recorded as cloudy, whilst the moon was in its waxing gibbous phase. The zodiac sign for this date fell under Cancer. These atmospheric and celestial conditions provided the backdrop for events occurring on this calendar day across different years and locations.
DayAtlas provides comprehensive information about weather conditions, historical events, and notable births and deaths for any specified date and location worldwide. Users can explore how specific days have shaped history whilst understanding the environmental conditions that prevailed at particular moments in time.
Find out what's happening today in London.
What the Weather Had in Store for London on 20th July 1955
Cycles ending are simply beginnings wearing different clothes.
Fortune of the Day
20th July in the Stars – Star Sign Pisces
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on 20 July embody a fascinating blend of gentle emotionality and hidden depths. The Pluto influence grants them a transformative power extending beyond typical Cancerian sensitivity. They are intuitive, protective, and possess a magnetic presence.
Strengths & Weaknesses These individuals are deeply empathetic, loyal, and excel at creating emotional safety for others. Their intuition and resilience are powerful assets. However, they may tend toward controlling behaviours and can become emotionally overwhelming when boundaries are crossed.
Love In relationships, those born on this day seek profound, transformative connections. They love intensely and expect unwavering loyalty. Partners who understand and honour their emotional complexity win their hearts permanently.
Caree & Finance These natives excel in roles requiring empathy: psychology, healthcare, finance, or management. Their ability to detect hidden patterns makes them valuable strategists. Financial security holds genuine importance for them.
Health Those born on 20 July should prioritise emotional wellbeing and release stress through creative or spiritual practices. Water-based activities and regular introspection serve them well. Mindful nutrition supports their sensitive nature.
That night, the moon was in its waxing gibbous phase.
Chinese year of the Goat (Wood).
Fun Facts About 20th July
Name Days in Your Language: Edna, Edwin, Edwina, Elias, Elijah, Ellice, Elliot, Elliott, Ellis, Ellison, Neal, Neala, Neil, Neila, Nelson, Niall, Nigel, Niles
Someone born on this day in 1955 would be 70 years old today — just 25,839 days into life, which is roughly 620,144 hours, 37,208,688 minutes, or 2,232,521,308 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 201. day of the year.
There are 164 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 29 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 20th July
- Mick MacNeil, Scottish keyboard player and songwriter (1958)
- Billy Mays, American salesman (died 2009) (1958)
- Paul Cook, English drummer (1956)
- Thomas N'Kono, Cameroonian footballer (1956)
- Jim Prentice, Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Premier of Alberta (died 2016) (1956)
- Desmond Douglas, Jamaican-English table tennis player (1955)
- René-Daniel Dubois, Canadian actor and playwright (1955)
- Jem Finer, English banjo player and songwriter (1955)
- Moira Harris, American actress (1954)
- Jay Jay French, American guitarist and producer (1954)
Lives Remembered on 20th July
- James Alexander Calder, Canadian educator and politician, Canadian Minister of Militia and Defence (born 1868) (1956)
- Calouste Gulbenkian, Armenian businessman and philanthropist (born 1869) (1955)
- Dumarsais Estimé, Haitian lawyer and politician, 33rd President of Haiti (born 1900) (1953)
- Jan Struther, English author and hymn-writer (born 1901) (1953)
- Abdullah I, king of Jordan (born 1882) (1951)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 20th July
- Birthday of Crown Prince Haakon Magnus (Norway)
- Christian feast day: Ansegisus
- Christian feast day: Apollinaris of Ravenna
- Christian feast day: Aurelius
- Christian feast day: Ealhswith (or Elswith)
- Christian feast day: Elijah
- Christian feast day: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Ross Tubman (Episcopal Church (USA))
- Christian feast day: Giuseppe Beotti
- Christian feast day: John Baptist Yi (one of The Korean Martyrs)
- Christian feast day: Margaret the Virgin
- Christian feast day: Thorlac (relic translation)
- Christian feast day: Wilgefortis
- Christian feast day: July 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Día del Amigo (Argentina, Brazil)
- Engineer's Day (Costa Rica)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence declaration of Colombia from Spain in 1810.
- International Chess Day
- Lempira Day (Honduras)
What Happened on 20th July?
- Germany: Otto John, head of West Germany's secret service, defects to East Germany. (1954)
- King Abdullah I of Jordan is assassinated by a Palestinian while attending Friday prayers in Jerusalem. (1951)
- Cold War: In Philadelphia, Harry Gold pleads guilty to spying for the Soviet Union by passing secrets from atomic scientist Klaus Fuchs. (1950)
- After a month-long campaign, the majority of North Korea's Air Force was destroyed by anti-communist forces. (1950)
- The Israel–Syria Mixed Armistice Commission brokers the last of four ceasefire agreements to end the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. (1949)