TIMELINER

History's most surprising connections

Who Was Alive in 1920

97 of 328 historical figures were alive in 1920

John D. Rockefeller
John D. RockefellerAge 81
1839–1937 · Business & Industry
Oil tycoon, richest American ever
Claude Monet
Claude MonetAge 80
1840–1926 · Art
Water Lilies, father of Impressionism
Thomas Edison
Thomas EdisonAge 73
1847–1931 · Science & Invention
Light bulb, phonograph, 1000+ patents
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham BellAge 73
1847–1922 · Science & Invention
Invented the telephone
Antoni Gaudí
Antoni GaudíAge 68
1852–1926 · Art
Sagrada Família architect
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund FreudAge 64
1856–1939 · Philosophy & Thought
Father of psychoanalysis
Nikola Tesla
Nikola TeslaAge 64
1856–1943 · Science & Invention
AC electricity, visionary inventor
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow WilsonAge 64
1856–1924 · Politics & Leadership
28th US President, League of Nations
Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline PankhurstAge 62
1858–1928 · Activism & Social Change
British suffragette leader
Max Planck
Max PlanckAge 62
1858–1947 · Science & Invention
Father of quantum theory
Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan DoyleAge 61
1859–1930 · Literature
Creator of Sherlock Holmes
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath TagoreAge 59
1861–1941 · Literature
First non-European Nobel laureate in Literature
Henry Ford
Henry FordAge 57
1863–1947 · Business & Industry
Assembly line, Model T automobile
Edvard Munch
Edvard MunchAge 57
1863–1944 · Art
The Scream
H.G. Wells
H.G. WellsAge 54
1866–1946 · Literature
The War of the Worlds, science fiction pioneer
Sun Yat-sen
Sun Yat-senAge 54
1866–1925 · Politics & Leadership
Father of the Republic of China
Marie Curie
Marie CurieAge 53
1867–1934 · Science & Invention
Radioactivity, first woman Nobel laureate
Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma GandhiAge 51
1869–1948 · Politics & Leadership
Nonviolent independence leader of India
Marcel Proust
Marcel ProustAge 49
1871–1922 · Literature
In Search of Lost Time
Orville Wright
Orville WrightAge 49
1871–1948 · Science & Invention
Co-inventor of the airplane
Roald Amundsen
Roald AmundsenAge 48
1872–1928 · Exploration
First to reach the South Pole
Ernest Shackleton
Ernest ShackletonAge 46
1874–1922 · Exploration
Heroic Antarctic explorer, Endurance expedition
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo MarconiAge 46
1874–1937 · Science & Invention
Pioneer of long-distance radio
Winston Churchill
Winston ChurchillAge 46
1874–1965 · Politics & Leadership
British PM who led WWII effort
Harry Houdini
Harry HoudiniAge 46
1874–1926 · Film & Entertainment
Legendary escape artist & illusionist
Carl Jung
Carl JungAge 45
1875–1961 · Philosophy & Thought
Analytical psychology, archetypes
Pancho Villa
Pancho VillaAge 42
1878–1923 · Politics & Leadership
Mexican revolutionary general
Lise Meitner
Lise MeitnerAge 42
1878–1968 · Science & Invention
Discovered nuclear fission, overlooked for Nobel
Albert Einstein
Albert EinsteinAge 41
1879–1955 · Science & Invention
Theory of relativity, E=mc²
Pablo Picasso
Pablo PicassoAge 39
1881–1973 · Art
Cubism, Guernica, most prolific artist
Alexander Fleming
Alexander FlemingAge 39
1881–1955 · Science & Invention
Discovered penicillin
Virginia Woolf
Virginia WoolfAge 38
1882–1941 · Literature
Mrs Dalloway, modernist pioneer
James Joyce
James JoyceAge 38
1882–1941 · Literature
Ulysses, literary revolutionary
Igor Stravinsky
Igor StravinskyAge 38
1882–1971 · Music
The Rite of Spring, modern classical
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. RooseveltAge 38
1882–1945 · Politics & Leadership
32nd US President, New Deal, WWII leader
Coco Chanel
Coco ChanelAge 37
1883–1971 · Business & Industry
Fashion icon, Chanel No. 5
Franz Kafka
Franz KafkaAge 37
1883–1924 · Literature
The Metamorphosis, surreal fiction
Niels Bohr
Niels BohrAge 35
1885–1962 · Science & Invention
Atomic model, quantum mechanics pioneer
Diego Rivera
Diego RiveraAge 34
1886–1957 · Art
Mexican muralist, political artist
Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin SchrödingerAge 33
1887–1961 · Science & Invention
Schrödinger's cat, wave equation
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'KeeffeAge 33
1887–1986 · Art
Mother of American modernism
Charlie Chaplin
Charlie ChaplinAge 31
1889–1977 · Film & Entertainment
The Tramp, silent film legend
Ho Chi Minh
Ho Chi MinhAge 30
1890–1969 · Politics & Leadership
Revolutionary leader of Vietnam
Agatha Christie
Agatha ChristieAge 30
1890–1976 · Literature
Best-selling mystery novelist ever
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. EisenhowerAge 30
1890–1969 · Politics & Leadership
WWII Supreme Commander, 34th US President
Charles de Gaulle
Charles de GaulleAge 30
1890–1970 · Politics & Leadership
Leader of Free France, French President
Haile Selassie
Haile SelassieAge 28
1892–1975 · Politics & Leadership
Emperor of Ethiopia, Rastafari symbol
J.R.R. Tolkien
J.R.R. TolkienAge 28
1892–1973 · Literature
The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth
Mao Zedong
Mao ZedongAge 27
1893–1976 · Politics & Leadership
Founder of the People's Republic of China
Babe Ruth
Babe RuthAge 25
1895–1948 · Sports
Baseball's Sultan of Swat
Buster Keaton
Buster KeatonAge 25
1895–1966 · Film & Entertainment
Silent film comedian, The General
F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott FitzgeraldAge 24
1896–1940 · Literature
The Great Gatsby
Amelia Earhart
Amelia EarhartAge 23
1897–1937 · Exploration
First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic
Golda Meir
Golda MeirAge 22
1898–1978 · Politics & Leadership
Fourth Prime Minister of Israel
Duke Ellington
Duke EllingtonAge 21
1899–1974 · Music
Jazz legend, big band pioneer
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest HemingwayAge 21
1899–1961 · Literature
The Old Man and the Sea, Nobel laureate
Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis BorgesAge 21
1899–1986 · Literature
Labyrinths, master of magical realism
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred HitchcockAge 21
1899–1980 · Film & Entertainment
Master of Suspense — Psycho, Vertigo
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey BogartAge 21
1899–1957 · Film & Entertainment
Casablanca, Hollywood icon
Werner Heisenberg
Werner HeisenbergAge 19
1901–1976 · Science & Invention
Uncertainty principle, quantum mechanics pioneer
Louis Armstrong
Louis ArmstrongAge 19
1901–1971 · Music
What a Wonderful World, jazz trumpet
Walt Disney
Walt DisneyAge 19
1901–1966 · Film & Entertainment
Created Mickey Mouse, Disney empire
Enrico Fermi
Enrico FermiAge 19
1901–1954 · Science & Invention
Father of the nuclear age, first nuclear reactor
Hirohito
HirohitoAge 19
1901–1989 · Politics & Leadership
Emperor of Japan during WWII
George Orwell
George OrwellAge 17
1903–1950 · Literature
1984, Animal Farm
Bob Hope
Bob HopeAge 17
1903–2003 · Film & Entertainment
Comedian, entertainer for 80+ years
Robert Oppenheimer
Robert OppenheimerAge 16
1904–1967 · Science & Invention
Father of the atomic bomb
Salvador Dalí
Salvador DalíAge 16
1904–1989 · Art
The Persistence of Memory, surrealist
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul SartreAge 15
1905–1980 · Philosophy & Thought
Existentialism, declined the Nobel Prize
Hannah Arendt
Hannah ArendtAge 14
1906–1975 · Philosophy & Thought
The Banality of Evil, political theorist
Frida Kahlo
Frida KahloAge 13
1907–1954 · Art
Self-portraits, Mexican cultural icon
Rachel Carson
Rachel CarsonAge 13
1907–1964 · Activism & Social Change
Silent Spring, environmental movement
Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de BeauvoirAge 12
1908–1986 · Philosophy & Thought
The Second Sex, feminist existentialist
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame NkrumahAge 11
1909–1972 · Politics & Leadership
First President of Ghana
Dorothy Hodgkin
Dorothy HodgkinAge 10
1910–1994 · Science & Invention
Nobel Prize for X-ray crystallography of biochemical substances
Mother Teresa
Mother TeresaAge 10
1910–1997 · Activism & Social Change
Missionary of Charity in Calcutta
Akira Kurosawa
Akira KurosawaAge 10
1910–1998 · Film & Entertainment
Seven Samurai, master filmmaker
Jacques Cousteau
Jacques CousteauAge 10
1910–1997 · Exploration
Ocean explorer, pioneered scuba diving
Alan Turing
Alan TuringAge 8
1912–1954 · Science & Invention
Father of computer science, codebreaker
Jackson Pollock
Jackson PollockAge 8
1912–1956 · Art
Action painting, abstract expressionism
Rosa Parks
Rosa ParksAge 7
1913–2005 · Activism & Social Change
Mother of the civil rights movement
Jesse Owens
Jesse OwensAge 7
1913–1980 · Sports
4 gold medals at 1936 Berlin Olympics
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy LamarrAge 6
1914–2000 · Science & Invention
Hollywood star who co-invented frequency hopping
Orson Welles
Orson WellesAge 5
1915–1985 · Film & Entertainment
Citizen Kane, War of the Worlds broadcast
Frank Sinatra
Frank SinatraAge 5
1915–1998 · Music
My Way, Ol' Blue Eyes
Billie Holiday
Billie HolidayAge 5
1915–1959 · Music
Strange Fruit, jazz vocal legend
Roald Dahl
Roald DahlAge 4
1916–1990 · Literature
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
John F. Kennedy
John F. KennedyAge 3
1917–1963 · Politics & Leadership
35th US President, Space Race
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella FitzgeraldAge 3
1917–1996 · Music
First Lady of Song, jazz icon
Indira Gandhi
Indira GandhiAge 3
1917–1984 · Politics & Leadership
First female Prime Minister of India
Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar BergmanAge 2
1918–2007 · Film & Entertainment
The Seventh Seal, master of art cinema
Nelson Mandela
Nelson MandelaAge 2
1918–2013 · Politics & Leadership
Anti-apartheid hero, South African President
Richard Feynman
Richard FeynmanAge 2
1918–1988 · Science & Invention
Quantum electrodynamics, bongo-playing physicist
Eva Perón
Eva PerónAge 1
1919–1952 · Politics & Leadership
Argentina's beloved Evita
Edmund Hillary
Edmund HillaryAge 1
1919–2008 · Exploration
First to summit Mount Everest
Jackie Robinson
Jackie RobinsonAge 1
1919–1972 · Sports
Broke baseball's color barrier
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind FranklinAge 0
1920–1958 · Science & Invention
Key to discovering DNA's structure

Notable World Events in 1920

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