1920 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. January 9 - Britain announces it will build 100,000 homes for war veterans. January 10 - League of Nations holds its first meeting and ratifies the Treaty of Versailles ending World War I. January 15 - Prohibition goes into effect. January 16 - Allies demand that Netherlands extradite German Kaiser who has fled there. January 19 - The United States Senate votes against joining the League of Nations. January 23 - Netherlands refuses to extradite the German Kaiser. January 28 - The Spanish legion is founded and stationed in North Africa to fight rebels in Morocco. January 28 - Turkey gives up Ottoman empire and non-Turkish areas. February February 1 - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police begin operations. February 2 - Estonia declares its independence from Russia. February 2 - France occupies Memel. February 9 - League of Nations gives Spitzbergen to Norway. February 10 - Jozef Haller de Hallenburg performs symbolic engagement of Poland with the sea, celebrating restitution of Polish access to open sea. February 17 - Woman named Anna Anderson tries to commit suicide in Berlin and is taken to mental hospital, where she claims she is Anastasia. February 14 - The League of Women Voters is founded in Chicago, Illinois. February 22 - In Emeryville, California, the first dog race track to employ an imitation rabbit opens. February 24 - Adolf Hitler presents his national socialist program in Munich. March March - World's first peaceful establishment of a social democratic government takes place in Sweden. Hjalmar Branting takes over when Nils Edén resigns. March 1 - Hungarian Admiral and statesman Miklós Horthy becomes the Regent of Hungary March 1 - The United States Railroad Administration returns control of American railroads to its constituent railroad companies. March 13-March 17 - Wolfgang Kapp fails in his coup attempt in Germany due to public resistance and a general strike. March 15 ? Red Army of Ruhr, communist army 60.000 men strong, formed March 19 - US Congress refuses to ratify Versailles Treaty. March 23 - Admiral Horthy declares that Hungary is a monarchy without anyone on the throne. March 26 - German government asks France for permission to use its own troops against rebellious Ruhr Red Army in the French-occupied area. March 26 - The Black and Tans special constables arrive in Ireland March 29 - Sir William Robertson, who enlisted in 1877, becomes a field marshal in the British Army, the first man to rise to this rank from private March 31 - Government of Ireland Act 1920 is presented in British parliament. April-May April 2 - German army marches to Ruhr to fight Red Ruhr Army. April 4 - Jerusalem pogrom of April, 1920 ? Violence between Arabic and Jewish resident in Jerusalem ? governor declares the state of siege April 6 - French troops occupy Frankfurt. April 19 - Germany and Bolshevist Russia agree to the exchange of prisoners of war. April 23 - National council in Turkey denounces the government of sultan Mehmed VI and announces a temporary constitution. April 24 - Polish-Soviet War: Polish and Ukrainian troops attack Soviet army occupying Ukraine. May 7 - Polish-Soviet War: Polish troops occupy Kyiv. Ukrainian government returns to the city. May 16 - Referendum in Switzerland is favorable to joining League of Nations. May 16 - In Rome, Pope Benedict XV canonizes Joan of Arc as a saint. May 17 - French and Belgian troops leave the cities they have occupied in Germany. May 17 - First flight of KLM, Dutch air company, from Amsterdam to London. May 27 - Thomas Masaryk becomes president of Czechoslovakia. May 29 - Great Horncastle flood. 20 people killed. May 30 - Jeanne d'Arc is canonized. June-July June 4 - Treaty of Trianon, Treaty of Peace between The Allied and Hungary. June 12 - Polish-Soviet War: Red Army retakes Kyiv. June 15 - New border treaty between Germany and Denmark gives northern Schleswig to Denmark. June 22 - Greece attacks Turkish troops. July 1 ? Germany declares its neutrality in the war between Poland and Soviet Russia July 2 - Polish-Soviet War: Red Army continues offensive into Poland. July 10 - Arthur Meighen becomes Canada's ninth prime minister. July 12 - Bolshevist Russia recognizes independent Lithuania. July 13 - London County Council bars foreigners from council jobs. July 14 ? France declares that Faisal I of Syria is deposed and occupies Damascus and Aleppo July 22 - Polish-Soviet War: Poland sues for peace with Bolshevist Russia. July 25 - First transatlantic two-way radio broadcast. August-September August 2 - British parliament passes bill to restore order in Ireland, suspending jury trials. August 3 - Catholics riot in Belfast. August 10 - Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI's representatives signs the Treaty of Sevres. August 11 - Bolshevik Russia recognizes independent Estonia and Latvia. August 13 - August 25 - Polish-Soviet War: The Red Army is defeated in the Battle of Warsaw. August 15 - Town Hall of Templemore, Ireland, is burned down during the riots. August 18 - 19th Amendment to US constitution is passed, guaranteeing women's suffrage. August 20 - The first commercial radio station in the United States, 8MK (WWJ), begins operations in Detroit, Michigan. September 8 - Gabriele D'Annunzio declares Fiume a free state. September 16 - The Wall Street Explosion: a bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J.P.Morgan building in New York City - 39 dead, 400 injured September 22 - Flying Squad formed in London Metropolitan Police. September 29 - First domestic radio sets come to stores in USA – Westinghouse radio costs $10. September 29 - Adolf Hitler's makes first public political speech, in Austria. October-November October 9 ? Polish troops take Vilnius October 10 - The outwitted Carinthian Plebiscite, where Slovenia loses a larger part of Carinthia province. October 12 - Polish-Soviet War After Polish army captures Tarnopol, Dubno, Minsk, and Dryssa, the ceasefire is enforced. October 18 ? Thousands of unemployed demonstrate in London ? 50 injured November 2 - Warren G. Harding defeats James M. Cox in the U.S. presidential election, the first national U.S. election in which women have the right to vote. November 2 - In the United States, KDKA AM of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (owned by Westinghouse) starts broadcasting as a commercial radio station. The first broadcast was the results of the U.S. presidential election, 1920. November 11 - Unknown Soldier buried in Westminster Abbey. November 15 - In Geneva, the first assembly of the League of Nations is held. November 17 - Council of League of Nations accepts the constitution of Danzig free state. November 21 - Bloody Sunday - British forces open fire on spectators and players during a Football match in Dublin's Croke Park, following the assassinations of 12 British agents. December December 1 ? Alvaro Obregon becomes a president of Mexico December 5 - Referendum in Greece is favorable to reinstatement of monarchy. December 11 - Martial law in Ireland. December 16 - Finland joins the League of Nations. December 16 - 8.6 Richter scale Earthquake causes landslide in Gansu province, China - 180.000 dead. December 23 - United Kingdom and France ratify the border between French-held Syria and British-held Palestine. Undated Number of US Americans move to Paris to escape the Prohibition France prohibits selling of contraceptives. Roman Ungern von Sternberg conquers Urga and declares himself as a ruler of Mongolia. Kurd rebellion in Turkey begins. Johnny Torrio invites Al Capone to Chicago from New York. Births January January 1 - Virgilio Savona, Italian singer and songwriter (Quartetto Cetra) January 2 - Isaac Asimov, author (d. 1992) January 3 - Renato Carosone, Italian musician and singer (d. 2001) January 5 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Italian pianist (d. 1995) January 6 - Early Wynn, Baseball Hall of Famer (d. 1999) January 6 - Sun Myung Moon, evangelist January 19 - Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, United Nations Secretary General January 20 - Federico Fellini, Italian film director (d. 1993) January 20 - DeForest Kelley, actor (d. 1999) January 20 - John O'Connor, Cardinal of New York City (d. 2000) January 23 - Ray Abrams, tenor saxophonist January 23 - Gottfried Böhm, architect January 27 - Frankie Albert, US football star (d. 2002) January 30 - Delbert Mann, director January 31 - Paul Warnke, diplomat (d. 2001) February-March February 7 - An Wang, computer pioneer (d. 1990) February 8 - Lana Turner, actress (d. 1995) February 11 - Billy Halop, actor. February 11 - Daniel Francis Galouye, US science fiction author February 11 - Farouk I, last King of Egypt (1936-1952) (d. 1965) February 11 - Paul Peter Piech, artist (d. 1996) February 12 - William Roscoe Estep, Baptist historian and professor of Church history emeritus at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (d. 2000) February 17 - Ivo Caprino, Norwegian animated film director (d. 2001) February 18 - Bill Cullen, game show host (d. 1990) February 18 - Jack Palance, actor February 18 – Eddie Slovik, private, U.S. Army (d. 1945) February 26 - Tony Randall, actor (The Odd Couple) (d. 2004) February 29 - Howard Nemerov, winner of the Pulitzer Prize (d. 1991) March 3 - Ronald Searle, illustrator March 3 - James Doohan, actor March 14 - Hank Ketcham, cartoonist (Dennis the Menace) (d. 2001) March 15 - Lawrence Sanders, novelist (d. 1998) March 16 - Leo McKern, actor (d. 2002) March 17 - Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh (d. 1975) March 19 - Kjell Aukrust, Norwegian author (d. 2002) March 25 - Arthur Wint, Jamaican runner (d. 1992) April-July April 1 - Toshirô Mifune, actor (d. 1997) April 2 - Jack Webb, actor, director, producer (d. 1982) April 5 - Arthur Hailey, writer (d. 2004) April 7 - Ravi Shankar, musician April 11 - Peter O'Donnell, creator of Modesty Blaise April 15 - Thomas Stephen Szasz, A professor of psychiatry, Writer of the book "The Myth of Mental Illness" April 13 - Liam Cosgrave, fifth Taoiseach of Ireland April 27 - Guido Cantelli, conductor (d. 1956) April 29 - Harold Shapero, composer May 2 - Jean-Marie Auberson, Swiss conductor (d. 2004) May 6 - Ross Hunter, producer (d. 1996) May 6 - Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, first Prime Minister and later President of Fiji (d. 2004) May 9 - Richard Adams, author May 18 - Karol Wojtyla, future pope John Paul II May 18 - Lucia Mannucci, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra) May 23 - Helen O'Connell, singer (d. 1993) May 26 - Peggy Lee, singer (d. 2002) May 30 - Franklin Schaffner, film director (d. 1989) June 12 - Dave Berg, cartoonist for Mad Magazine (d. 2002) July 20 - Juan Antonio Samaranch, Spanish sports official and IOC president July 21 - Isaac Stern, Ukranian violinist (d. 2001) August-December August 8 - Leo Chiosso, Italian lyricist August 16 - Charles Bukowski, US writer (d. 1994) August 22 - Ray Bradbury, US science fiction writer August 29 - Charlie Parker, jazz musician (d. 1955) September 10 - Fabio Taglioni, automotive engineer (d. 2001) September 22 - William H. Riker, political scientist (d. 1993) October 1 - Walter Matthau, US actor (d. 2000) October 1 - Charles Daudelin, Canadian sculptor (d. 2001) October 9 - Jens Bjørneboe, Norwegian author (d. 1976) October 15 - Mario Puzo, author (The Godfather) (d. 1999) October 31 - Fritz Walter, football player (d. 2002) November 21 - Stan Musial, Baseball Hall of Famer November 23 - Paul Celan, Romanian born German language poet November 25 - Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, later Raja of Perlis and 3rd Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (d. 2000) December 6 - Dave Brubeck, jazz musician Deaths January 7 - Edmund Barton, first Prime Minister of Australia January 7 - Kolcak, Russian White general (executed) January 24 - Amedeo Modigliani, painter, sculptor January 26 - Jeanne Hébuterne, painter, partner of Modigliani February 15 - Joseph Burton Sumner, founder and first mayor of Sumner, Mississippi, USA February 20 - Robert Peary, explorer March 1 - John H. Bankhead, United States Senator (b. 1842) March 1 - Joseph Trumpeldor, early Zionist activist (b. 1880) March 11 - Julio Garavito Armero, Colombian astronomer (b. 1865) March 20 - Paul Bachmann, mathematician April 20 - Tony Jackson, jazz musician (b. 1876) April 26 - Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician (b. 1887) May 9 - Susan Agnes Bernard-Macdonald, First Lady of Canada May 11 - William Dean Howells, writer (b. 1837) May 30 - George Ernest Morrison, Australian adventurer, journalist June 14 - Max Weber father of the science of sociology July 10 - Jackie Fisher, First Sea Lord (b. 1841) July 22 - William Kissam Vanderbilt, railway magnate August 1 - Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Indian political activist October 20 - Max Bruch, composer October 24 - Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, (The Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha), only daughter of Emperor Alexander II of Russia Nobel Prizes Physics - Charles Edouard Guillaume Chemistry - Walther Nernst Medicine - Schack August Steenberg Krogh Literature - Knut Hamsun Peace - Léon Victor Auguste Bourgeois ast:1920 FAVORITE ARTICLES: History of the World    History of the United States    History of Europe    Ancient History    History    Military History    World War I    Bombing of Dresden    California    US Constitution    Frank Sinatra    Boston    Marbury v. 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