Sunday, 20th March 1949 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! It's International Day of Happiness and World Sparrow Day and World Storytelling Day. Explore 48 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 drizzly with temperatures between -3°C and 7°C. Tonight's moon is in its waxing crescent phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Pisces. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Sunday, 20th March in London, GB.
On this date in history, several significant events unfolded across different continents and centuries. In 1890, Emperor Wilhelm II dismissed Otto von Bismarck as chancellor of the German Empire, marking a pivotal moment in European politics that would reshape the continent's future trajectory. More than a century later, in 2010, Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano began a series of volcanic eruptions that would have far-reaching consequences across the continent, eventually disrupting air travel and affecting millions of passengers throughout Europe for weeks.
London, the capital of England and the United Kingdom, is situated on the River Thames in the southeast of the country. As a major global city, London serves as the centre of government, finance and culture for the nation, with its history spanning nearly two thousand years from its establishment by Roman settlers.
On this particular Sunday in March, conditions in London were drizzly, with intermittent rainfall affecting the area throughout the day. The zodiac sign for this date falls under Pisces, the twelfth sign of the zodiac. The moon was in its waxing crescent phase, gradually growing larger as it moved towards the full moon.
DayAtlas provides users with a comprehensive resource for exploring historical information tied to specific dates and locations. The platform displays weather conditions for any given day, significant historical events, and records of famous births and deaths. This makes it possible to gain detailed insight into what happened on any date throughout recorded history.
Find out what's happening today in London.
What the Weather Had in Store for London on 20th March 1949
Tides reveal what stillness conceals.
Fortune of the Day
20th March in the Stars – Star Sign Pisces
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on March 20 blend Neptune's spiritual depth with lunar emotional sensitivity and intuitive wisdom. They navigate between dreams and reality, driven by the number 5's thirst for change and freedom. Their boundless imagination makes them captivating companions with an almost magnetic presence.
Strengths & Weaknesses March 20 Pisces possess extraordinary creativity, empathy, and artistic gifts that inspire others profoundly. However, they struggle with scattered focus, emotional overwhelm, and difficulty staying grounded in the material world. Their yearning to escape can lead to avoidance if they don't actively anchor themselves.
Love Those born on this day love intensely and unconditionally, seeking emotional depth over surface connection. They tend to idealize partners and lose themselves in relationships, needing grounding influences. With stable, understanding partners, they find beautiful balance between dreams and mutual care.
Caree & Finance Their talents flourish in creative, artistic, or helping fields—music, design, therapy, spirituality, counseling. Financial discipline doesn't come naturally; practical guidance helps them manage money wisely. Structure prevents their visionary ideas from remaining perpetually unrealized.
Health Sensitive systems make these individuals vulnerable to psychological stress and physical symptoms tied to emotions. Meditation, creative expression, and consistent movement stabilize their emotional equilibrium effectively. Setting boundaries with others protects their permeable nature from depletion.
That night, the moon was in its waxing crescent phase.
Chinese year of the Ox (Earth).
Fun Facts About 20th March
Name Days in Your Language: Dillan, Dillion, Dillon, Drew, Dru, Dylan, Dylon
Someone born on this day in 1949 would be 77 years old today — just 28,182 days into life, which is roughly 676,376 hours, 40,582,590 minutes, or 2,434,955,454 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 79. day of the year.
There are 286 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 11 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 20th March
- Geoff Brabham, Australian race car driver (1952)
- David Greenaway, English economist and academic (1952)
- Richard Dowden, English journalist and educator (1949)
- John de Lancie, American actor (1948)
- Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer-songwriter and producer (died 2011) (1948)
- John Boswell, American historian, philologist, and academic (died 1994) (1947)
- Douglas B. Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (1946)
- Malcolm Simmons, English motorcycle racer (died 2014) (1946)
Lives Remembered on 20th March
- Hjalmar Väre, Finnish cyclist (born 1892) (1952)
- Sigurd Wallén, Swedish actor and director (born 1884) (1947)
- Amadeus William Grabau, American-Chinese geologist, paleontologist, and academic (born 1870) (1946)
- Dorothy Campbell, Scottish-American golfer (born 1883) (1945)
- Maria Lacerda de Moura, Brazilian teacher and anarcha-feminist (born 1887) (1945)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 20th March
- Christian feast day: Alexandra
- Christian feast day: Blessed John of Parma
- Christian feast day: Clement of Ireland
- Christian feast day: Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
- Christian feast day: Herbert of Derwentwater
- Christian feast day: John of Nepomuk
- Christian feast day: Józef Bilczewski
- Christian feast day: María Josefa Sancho de Guerra
- Christian feast day: Martin of Braga
- Christian feast day: Michele Carcano
- Christian feast day: Wulfram
- Christian feast day: March 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Great American MeatOut (United States)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Tunisia from France in 1956.
- International Day of Happiness (United Nations)
- International Francophonie Day (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie), and its related observances: UN French Language Day (United Nations)
- National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
- World Sparrow Day
What Happened on 20th March?
- La Plume noire, an anarchist bookstore in Lyon, is targeted by an attack of the far-right, provoking a shock in Lyon's far-left circles. (2021)
- Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is sworn in as acting president of Kazakhstan, following the resignation of long-time president Nursultan Nazarbayev. (2019)
- A solar eclipse, equinox, and a supermoon all occur on the same day. (2015)
- Syrian civil war: The Siege of Kobanî is broken by the People's Protection Units (YPG) and Free Syrian Army (FSA), marking a turning point in the Rojava–Islamist conflict. (2015)
- Four suspected Taliban members attack the Kabul Serena Hotel, killing at least nine people. (2014)
- At least 52 people are killed and more than 250 injured in a wave of terror attacks across ten cities in Iraq. (2012)
- Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland begins eruptions that would last for three months, heavily disrupting air travel in Europe. (2010)
- Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Déby. (2006)
- Iraq War: The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland begin an invasion of Iraq. (2003)
- Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther once known as H. Rap Brown, is captured after murdering Georgia sheriff's deputy Ricky Kinchen and critically wounding Deputy Aldranon English. (2000)