About the day » Sunday August 20, 1939Calender converter

• Elisabeth (Bep) Admiraal (Ammeraal), Schiedam, ZH, Nederland († 1989)
• Andrzej Paczek, Polska († 2011)
• Arnoldus Filippini, Helmond († 2002)
• Gust Verbraeken, Overpelt (B), België († 2010)
• Christina Maria Stokhof, Rotterdam
• Ingeborg Maria Louise Paardenkooper, Utrecht († 2016)
• Bart Versteegen, Groeningen, Noord-Brabant, Nederland († 1973)
• Hans Wiering († 2000)
• Gerardus Wilhelmus MOM, Renkum, Gelderland, Nederland († 1940)
• Cornelis Jan Versluis, Wissenkerke († 2003)

• Catharina Helena van der Linden (77), Lisse (Z-H), Nederland
• Aleida SCHUIMER (86), Baarn,, Utrecht, Nederland
• Anna Maria Vogelenzang (72), 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Antje Koops (78), Oosterwolde (F)
• Carolus Ludovicus Eeckhout (71), Erpe
• Albert Vos (69), Meppel, Drenthe, Netherlands
• Antje Thomasdr. Beeksma (74), Leeuwarden, Gem. Leeuwarden, Friesland, Nederland
• Aleida Schuimer (86), Baarn
• Ailte Vienna (96)
• Alberdina Donga (87), Rotterdam

• 1937 » Andrei Konchalovsky, Russian director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1937 » Sky Saxon, American singer-songwriter and bassist († 2009)
• 1937 » Stelvio Cipriani, Italian composer
• 1938 » Alain Vivien, French politician
• 1938 » Peter Day, English chemist and academic
• 1939 » Fernando Poe Jr., Filipino actor and politician († 2004)
• 1939 » Mike Velarde, Filipino televangelist and religious leader
• 1940 » Gus Macdonald, Scottish academic and politician, Minister for the Cabinet Office
• 1940 » Rex Sellers, Indian-Australian cricketer
• 1940 » Rubén Hinojosa, American businessman and politician

• 1915 » Paul Ehrlich, German physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1854)
• 1917 » Adolf von Baeyer, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1835)
• 1919 » Greg MacGregor, Scottish cricketer and rugby player (b. 1869)
• 1930 » Charles Bannerman, Australian cricketer and umpire (b. 1851)
• 1936 » Edward Weston, English-American chemist (b. 1850)
• 1939 » Agnes Giberne, Indian-English astronomer and author (b. 1845)
• 1942 » István Horthy, Hungarian admiral and pilot (b. 1904)
• 1943 » William Irvine, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of Victoria (b. 1858)
• 1951 » İzzettin Çalışlar, Turkish general (b. 1882)
• 1961 » Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1882)

1. Johannes
2. Jan
3. Cornelis
4. Hendrik
5. Willem
6. Pieter
7. Adrianus
8. Gerrit
9. Petrus
10. Robert
11. Jacobus
12. Jacob
13. Gerardus
14. Wilhelmus
15. Antonius
16. Arie

1. Maria
2. Johanna
3. Anna
4. Cornelia
5. Elisabeth
6. Wilhelmina
7. Hendrika
8. Catharina
9. Adriana
10. Petronella
11. Geertruida
12. Jacoba
13. Margaretha
14. Aaltje
15. Trijntje
16. Mary

• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from June 24, 1937 to July 25, 1939 the cabinet Colijn IV, with Dr. H. Colijn (ARP) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from July 25, 1939 to August 10, 1939 the cabinet Colijn V, with Dr. H. Colijn (ARP) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from August 10, 1939 to September 3, 1940 the cabinet De Geer II, with Jonkheer mr. D.J. de Geer (CHU) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 8.7 million citizens.
• April 30 » The 1939–40 New York World's Fair opens.
• July 28 » The Sutton Hoo helmet is discovered.
• August 15 » The Wizard of Oz premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California.
• August 15 » Twenty-six Junkers Ju 87 bombers commanded by Walter Sigel meet unexpected ground fog during a dive-bombing demonstration for Luftwaffe generals at Neuhammer. Thirteen of them crash and burn.
• September 30 » World War II: General Władysław Sikorski becomes prime minister of the Polish government-in-exile.
• November 4 » World War II: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt orders the United States Customs Service to implement the Neutrality Act of 1939, allowing cash-and-carry purchases of weapons by belligerents.

The temperature on August 20, 1939 was between 15.6 °C and 27.7 °C and averaged 21.0 °C. There was 0.1 mm of rain during 0.1 hours. There was 9.7 hours of sunshine (67%). The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east.