Thursday, 20th November 1947 in London
Welcome to your daily snapshot of London! It's Universal Children's Day and World Children's Day and Transgender Day of Remembrance. Explore 49 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 4°C and 14°C. Tonight's moon is in its waning gibbous phase, and the zodiac sign of the day is Scorpio. If you're curious about the history of a day — this page brings together everything worth knowing about this Thursday, 20th November in London, GB.
On Thursday, 20th November 1947, Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten in Westminster Abbey, a moment that would define the British monarchy for decades to come. The ceremony followed two years of public anticipation and marked a significant occasion in post-war Britain. However, this date carries historical weight beyond the royal wedding, as it coincides with other pivotal moments throughout history that have shaped European and global events.
Two centuries earlier, the Nuremberg trials began on this same date in 1945, marking the start of one of history's most significant legal proceedings. The trials involved 24 leading Nazis accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes during the Second World War, establishing precedents for international justice that remain relevant today. The proceedings took place in Nuremberg, Germany, a city chosen deliberately to symbolise the defeat of the Nazi regime in its heartland. Just four years before the trials, in 1941, a Ukrainian-born serial killer named Andrei Chikatilo was arrested in Novocherkassk, an event that would later reveal the extent of Soviet criminal history when details finally emerged during the glasnost period of the late 1980s.
London, where the royal wedding took place, served as the epicentre of global attention on this historic day. The capital city, a centre of political and cultural influence, embodied the resilience of Britain in the immediate post-war period. On this particular Thursday, the weather in London remained cloudy, whilst the moon was in a waning gibbous phase. The zodiac sign for the date was Scorpio, a sign traditionally associated with transformation and renewal. DayAtlas provides detailed historical context for any date and location, displaying weather conditions, significant events, and notable births and deaths, allowing users to explore how history and atmospheric conditions intersected on days that changed the world.
Find out what's happening today in London.
What the Weather Had in Store for London on 20th November 1947
November whispers what September shouted in haste.
Fortune of the Day
20th November in the Stars – Star Sign Pisces
Personality Profile
Personality Those born on November 20th blend Scorpio's intensity with Neptune's spiritual depth. They're profoundly introspective, drawn to hidden truths and psychological mysteries. This combination creates enigmatic individuals guided by inner vision rather than surface appearances.
Strengths & Weaknesses Their strengths include unwavering loyalty, psychological insight, and transformative power. Weaknesses emerge through controlling tendencies and emotional guardedness that can strain relationships. Numerology four grounds them in stability but can foster rigidity.
Love In relationships, these natives seek soul-deep connection and emotional intensity. Trust is non-negotiable; superficial bonds hold no appeal. Their devotion runs absolute, yet they demand complete authenticity from partners in return.
Caree & Finance Professionally, they thrive in psychology, spirituality, research, or transformational fields. Financial security flows from strategic thinking and relentless determination. They pursue ambitious goals methodically and with unwavering persistence.
Health Mental and emotional wellbeing are paramount; they need space for inner work and meditation. Their tendency toward rumination requires healthy outlets like journaling or therapy. Physical wellness improves through calm, spiritually-grounded activities.
That night, the moon was in its waning gibbous phase.
Chinese year of the Pig (Fire).
Fun Facts About 20th November
Name Days in Your Language: Edmond, Edmonda, Edmund, Edmunda, Octavio
Someone born on this day in 1947 would be 78 years old today — just 28,636 days into life, which is roughly 687,273 hours, 41,236,438 minutes, or 2,474,186,292 seconds spent on Earth so far.
It's the 324. day of the year.
There are 41 days still to come.
We’re currently in Week 47 — the year marches on.
Famous Birthdays on 20th November
- Jacqueline Gourault, French politician (1950)
- Gary Green, British musician (1950)
- Jeff Dowd, American film producer and activist (1949)
- Thelma Drake, American politician (1949)
- Ulf Lundell, Swedish writer and composer (1949)
- Juha Mieto, Finnish cross-country skier (1949)
- Nené, Portuguese footballer (1949)
- John R. Bolton, American lawyer and diplomat, 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (1948)
- Park Chul-soo, South Korean director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2013) (1948)
- Barbara Hendricks, American-Swedish soprano and actress (1948)
Lives Remembered on 20th November
- Francesco Cilea, Italian composer (born 1866) (1950)
- Wolfgang Borchert, German author and playwright (born 1921) (1947)
- I Gusti Ngurah Rai, Indonesian officer (born 1917) (1946)
- Francis William Aston, English chemist and physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1877) (1945)
- Maria Jacobini, Italian actress (born 1892) (1944)
Celebrations & Special Days Worldwide on 20th November
- 20-N (Spain)
- Africa Industrialization Day (international)
- Black Awareness Day (Brazil)
- Children's Day (World Children's Day)
- Christian feast day: Agapius
- Christian feast day: Ambrose Traversari
- Christian feast day: Ampelus and Caius
- Christian feast day: Blessed Anacleto González Flores, José Sánchez del Río, and companions (Martyrs of Cristero War)
- Christian feast day: Bernward of Hildesheim
- Christian feast day: Dasius of Durostorum
- Christian feast day: Edmund the Martyr
- Christian feast day: Felec (or Felix) of Cornwall
- Christian feast day: Gregory of Dekapolis
- Christian feast day: Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
- Christian feast day: Solutor, Octavius, and Adventor
- Christian feast day: Theonestus of Vercelli
- Christian feast day: November 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Earliest day on which the Feast of Christ the King can fall, while November 26 is the latest; celebrated on the last Sunday before Advent. (Roman Catholic Church)
- National Sovereignty Day (Argentina)
- Day of the Mexican Revolution (Mexico)
- Royal Thai Navy Day (Thailand)
- Saint Verhaegen (Brussels)
- Teachers' Day or Ngày nhà giáo Việt Nam (Vietnam)
- Transgender Day of Remembrance (LGBTQ community)
What Happened on 20th November?
- The Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen) marries Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, who becomes the Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London. (1947)
- Indonesian National Revolution: 96 Indonesian including I Gusti Ngurah Rai were killed during the Battle of Margarana with Dutch forces. (1946)
- Nuremberg trials: Trials against 24 Nazi war criminals start at the Palace of Justice at Nuremberg. (1945)
- World War II: Battle of Tarawa (Operation Galvanic) begins: United States Marines land on Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands and suffer heavy fire from Japanese shore guns and machine guns. (1943)
- World War II: Hungary becomes a signatory of the Tripartite Pact, officially joining the Axis powers. (1940)