About the day » Friday October 20, 1939Calender converter

• Engeltje Kappenburg, Groningen, Groningen, Nederland († 2001)
• Frans Konings, Tilburg,, Noord-Brabant, Nederland († 1969)
• Johannes Gruppen († 2014)
• Frans van Hoeflaken († 1995)
• Anna Elisabeth Bakker, Texel († 2003)
• Frans van Hoeflaken, Ede, Gelderland, Nederland († 1995)
• Frans Van Bael, Houtvenne, België († 2018)
• Jacob Korf, Urk († 2023)
• Jan Kleinschmidt, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1950)
• Ben Deenen († 2007)

• Arend de Ruyter (88), Enschede, Nederland
• Benedito Martins de Moraes (29), São Roque, São Paulo, Brasil
• Anna Maria Aloysia van Kraay (86), Nuenen, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Anna Maria Aloijsia VAN KRAAIJ (86), Nuenen
• Adrianus Schilperoort (83)
• Antonius Catharinus Linders (50), Nijmegen
• Balthazar Geleijn (42), Vlissingen, Walcheren, Zeeland, Nederland
• Baukje van der Veer (83), Apeldoorn
• Adrianus van Kessel (62), Eindhoven
• Andreas Sprankenis (45), Budel

• 1937 » Cancio Garcia, Filipino lawyer and jurist († 2013)
• 1937 » Emma Tennant, English author († 2017)
• 1937 » Juan Marichal, Dominican baseball player and sportscaster
• 1937 » Wanda Jackson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1938 » Emidio Greco, Italian director and screenwriter († 2012)
• 1938 » Iain Macmillan, Scottish photographer and educator († 2006)
• 1939 » Patrick Hughes, English painter, illustrator, and photographer
• 1940 » Jean-Pierre Dikongué Pipa, Cameroonian filmmaker
• 1940 » Kathy Kirby, English singer († 2011)
• 1940 » Robert Pinsky, American poet and critic

• 1926 » Eugene V. Debs, American union leader and politician (b. 1855)
• 1928 » Jack Peddie, Scottish footballer (b. 1876)
• 1935 » Arthur Henderson, Scottish-English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1863)
• 1936 » Anne Sullivan, American educator (b. 1866)
• 1940 » Gunnar Asplund, Swedish architect and academic, co-designed Skogskyrkogården (b. 1885)
• 1941 » Ken Farnes, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1911)
• 1950 » Henry L. Stimson, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 46th United States Secretary of State (b. 1867)
• 1953 » Werner Baumbach, German colonel and pilot (b. 1916)
• 1956 » Lawrence Dale Bell, American industrialist and founder of Bell Aircraft Corporation (b. 1894)
• 1957 » Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American javelin thrower and football player (b. 1890)

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. Trijntje
15. Aaltje
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.
• March 22 » Germany takes Memel from Lithuania.
• September 3 » World War II: The United Kingdom and France begin a naval blockade of Germany that lasts until the end of the war. This also marks the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic.
• September 14 » World War II: The Estonian military boards the Polish submarine ORPOrzeł in Tallinn, sparking a diplomatic incident that the Soviet Union will later use to justify the annexation of Estonia.
• October 15 » The New York Municipal Airport (later renamed LaGuardia Airport) is dedicated.
• December 15 » Gone with the Wind (highest inflation adjusted grossing film) receives its premiere at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
• December 27 » Winter War: Finland holds off a Soviet attack in the Battle of Kelja.

The temperature on October 20, 1939 was between 4.7 °C and 9.7 °C and averaged 7.6 °C. There was 10.5 mm of rain during 9.3 hours. There was 1.5 hours of sunshine (14%). The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the north.