Wednesday, 20th May 2009 in Paris
Welcome to your daily snapshot of Paris! It's World Bee Day and World Metrology 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 drizzly with temperatures between 9°C and 21°C. Tonight's moon is in its waxing gibbous phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Taurus. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Wednesday, 20th May in Paris, FR.
On this day in history, several significant events shaped the course of European and international affairs. In 1875, representatives from seventeen countries signed the Metre Convention, establishing an institute dedicated to coordinating international metrology and advancing the development of the metric system across nations. More recently, in 2012, Northern Italy experienced a major earthquake that claimed seven lives, demonstrating the region's ongoing seismic vulnerability. King Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, through the Treaty of Jeddah in 1927, achieved formal recognition of his sovereignty over Hejaz and Nejd, territories that would eventually merge to form modern Saudi Arabia.
Paris, the capital of France, remains one of Europe's most significant cultural and political centres. The city straddles the Seine River and has served as a focal point for European history, art and diplomacy for centuries. On the date in question, Wednesday, 20th May 2009, the city experienced drizzly weather, typical of spring conditions in northern France. Astrologically, this day falls under the sign of Taurus, while the moon occupied the waxing gibbous phase, approaching fullness in the night sky.
DayAtlas provides comprehensive information for any date and location, displaying weather conditions from that day, notable historical events, and records of famous births and deaths. Users can explore how specific dates shaped history whilst understanding the atmospheric and celestial conditions of those moments in time.
Find out what's happening today in Paris.
What the Weather Had in Store for Paris on 20th May 2009
Ordinary questions seldom yield extraordinary answers.
Fortune of the Day
20th May in the Stars – Star Sign Pisces
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on 20 May blend Taurus steadiness with Mercurial intellect, creating thoughtful communicators grounded in practicality. They navigate life with deliberation, appreciating both sensory pleasures and mental stimulation. This combination generates quiet confidence and genuine interest in others.
Strengths & Weaknesses Strengths include patience, clear thinking, and natural charm from Venus influence. Weaknesses involve occasional stubbornness, overthinking through Mercury, and resistance to change. Finding balance between analytical mind and intuitive body requires awareness.
Love These natives seek sensual, lasting partnerships with genuine conversation. They value both physical intimacy and intellectual engagement equally. Loyalty is non-negotiable—they expect commitment and offer unwavering dedication in return.
Caree & Finance Professionally, they excel where communication meets patience: teaching, negotiation, craftsmanship, writing. Financially shrewd and methodical, they steadily build security. Analytical nature prevents impulsive decisions but may cause missed opportunities.
Health Moderate, consistent movement suits their bodies best. Mental peace matters as much as physical exercise—overthinking disrupts nervous system balance. Enjoying food mindfully, combined with gentle routine, sustains long-term wellbeing.
That night, the moon was in its waxing gibbous phase.
Chinese year of the Ox (Earth).
Fun Facts About 20th May
Name Days in Your Language: Bernadette, Bernardina, Bernardine, Bernetta, Bernita
Someone born on this day in 2009 would be 16 years old today — just 6,168 days into life, which is roughly 148,053 hours, 8,883,211 minutes, or 532,992,701 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 140. day of the year.
There are 225 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 21 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 20th May
- Doug the Pug, American celebrity dog (2012)
- Jamie Chadwick, English race car driver (1998)
- Nam Nguyen, Canadian figure skater (1998)
- Kaoru Mitoma, Japanese footballer (1997)
- Brian Kelly, Australian rugby league player (1996)
- Ramy Rabia, Egyptian footballer (1993)
- Caroline Zhang, American figure skater (1993)
- Cate Campbell, Malawian-Australian swimmer (1992)
- Jack Gleeson, Irish actor (1992)
- Enes Kanter, Turkish basketball player (1992)
Lives Remembered on 20th May
- Leela Dube, Indian anthropologist and scholar (born 1923) (2012)
- Robin Gibb, Manx-English singer-songwriter and producer (born 1949) (2012)
- David Littman, English-Swiss historian, author, and academic (born 1933) (2012)
- Ken Lyons, American bass guitarist (born 1953) (2012)
- Eugene Polley, American engineer, invented the remote control (born 1915) (2012)
- Andrew B. Steinberg, American lawyer (born 1958) (2012)
- Randy Savage, American wrestler and actor (born 1952) (2011)
- Arthur Erickson, Canadian architect and urban planner, designed Roy Thomson Hall (born 1924) (2009)
- Lucy Gordon, American actress and model (born 1980) (2009)
- Pierre Gamarra, French author, poet, and critic (born 1919) (2009)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 20th May
- Christian feast day: Abercius and Helena
- Christian feast day: Alcuin of York
- Christian feast day: Aurea of Ostia
- Christian feast day: Austregisilus
- Christian feast day: Baudilus
- Christian feast day: Bernardino of Siena
- Christian feast day: Ivo of Chartres
- Christian feast day: Lucifer of Cagliari
- Christian feast day: Sanctan
- Christian feast day: May 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Day of Remembrance (Cambodia)
- Emancipation Day (Florida)
- European Maritime Day (European Council)
- Independence Restoration Day, celebrates the independence of East Timor from Indonesia in 2002.
- Josephine Baker Day (NAACP)
- National Awakening Day (Indonesia), and its related observances: Indonesian Doctor Day (Indonesia)
- National Day (Cameroon)
- World Bee Day
- World Metrology Day
- Doug the Pug Day (Nashville, Tennessee)
What Happened on 20th May?
- Russo-Ukrainian war: Russia claims full control of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol after a nearly three-month siege. (2022)
- The International System of Units (SI): The base units are redefined, making the international prototype of the kilogram obsolete. (2019)
- The government of Singapore authorised the controversial execution of convicted murderer Kho Jabing for the murder of a Chinese construction worker despite the international pleas for clemency, notably from Amnesty International and the United Nations. (2016)
- An EF5 tornado strikes the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, killing 24 people and injuring 377 others. (2013)
- At least 27 people are killed and 50 others injured when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Italy. (2012)
- Mamata Banerjee is sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the first woman to hold this post. (2011)
- An Indonesian Air Force Lockheed L-100 Hercules crashes in Magetan Regency, killing 99. (2009)
- The independence of East Timor is recognized by Portugal, formally ending 23 years of Indonesian rule and three years of provisional UN administration (Portugal itself is the former colonizer of East Timor until 1976). (2002)
- Civil rights: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in Romer v. Evans against a law that would have prevented any city, town or county in the state of Colorado from taking any legislative, executive, or judicial action to protect the rights of gays and lesbians. (1996)
- The first post-Communist presidential and parliamentary elections are held in Romania. (1990)