24 historically significant individuals born on April 20. April 20 marks the birth date of several notable figures in history, such as French Emperor Napoleon III (1808), Spanish painter Joan Miró (1893), and Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland (1939). Nobel Prize-winning physicist Kai Siegbahn (1918) and German dictator Adolf Hitler (1889) were also born on this day. These individuals come from politics, science, and art, showing the range of contributions from people born on this spring day.
Total Born
24
Countries
15
Top Century
20th· 11
Top Field
politician
5 individuals
Headline Figures
scientist
K. Alex Müller
1927 – 2023Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1987)
scientist
Paul R. Milgrom
1948 – PresentNobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2020)
politician
Napoleon III
1808 – 1873Emperor of the Second French Empire from 1852 to 1870 who modernized Paris and France's infrastructure before being defeated in the Franco-Prussian War.
Birth Distribution by Century
20th (11)
19th (7)
18th (4)
17th C.20th C.
20th Century
11Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
K. Alex Müller
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Physics (1987)
Paul R. Milgrom
scientist
Nobel laureate: Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences (2020)
Miguel Díaz-Canel
engineerlecturer
Cuban engineer and politician who has served as President of Cuba since 2019 and First Secretary of the Communist Party since 2021. He represents the first leader of post-revolutionary Cuba not from the Castro family.
Miranda Kerr
model
Supermodel and entrepreneur who became the first Australian Victoria's Secret Angel and founded the organic skincare company KORA Organics.
Kai Siegbahn
physicistuniversity teacher
Swedish physicist who won the 1981 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions to the development of high-resolution electron spectroscopy.
Dragan Đokanović
artistic gymnastpolitician
Former artistic gymnast who competed for Yugoslavia at the Olympics before transitioning to politics as a Bosnian Serb representative in post-war Bosnia.
Svante Pääbo
biologistevolutionary biologist
Swedish evolutionary geneticist who won the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering research in paleogenomics, including sequencing the Neanderthal genome.
Miguel Gordillo
association football player
Cameroonian midfielder who plays professionally in European leagues and has represented Cameroon at international level.
Ricardo Maduro
businesspersoneconomist
Economist and businessman who served as president of Honduras from 2002-2006, implementing tough anti-crime policies. He previously worked as a bank executive and was born in Panama.
Gro Harlem Brundtland
diplomatphysician
Norwegian physician and politician who served three terms as Prime Minister and later became Director-General of the World Health Organization.
Thein Sein
military personnelpolitician
Former military general who served as Myanmar's President from 2011-2016, overseeing the country's transition from military rule to civilian government.
19th Century
7Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Napoleon III
politicianwriter
Emperor of the Second French Empire from 1852 to 1870 who modernized Paris and France's infrastructure before being defeated in the Franco-Prussian War.
Adolf Hitler
Holocaust perpetratorpolitician
Austrian-born dictator who led Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 and orchestrated the Holocaust, resulting in the systematic murder of six million Jews and millions of others.
José Maria da Silva Paranhos Júnior
diplomatgeographer
Brazilian politician and academic (1845-1912)
Georg Ossian Sars
carcinologistfreshwater biologist
Norwegian marine and freshwater biologist (1837–1927)
Aureliano Tavares Bastos
journalistpolitician
Brazilian journalist and author (1839-1875)
Mečislovas Davainis-Silvestraitis
journalistpoet
Lithuanian writer
Joan Miró
carpets designercollagist
Catalan artist known for his surrealist paintings and sculptures featuring biomorphic forms, bold colors, and playful abstract imagery.
18th Century
4Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Marc Seguin
engineerentrepreneur
French engineer
William Bartram
botanical collectorbotanist
American naturalist (1739-1823)
Andrew Talcott
civil engineerengineer
American civil engineer (1797-1883)
Robert Hoddle
landscape painterpainter
Surveyor (1794-1881)
17th Century
2Figure
Lifespan
Notes
Origin
Charles Plumier
biologistbotanical collector
French botanist (1646-1704)
Francisco de Artiga
architectastronomer
Spanish artist
Explore More for April 20
Discover historical events and other data for this day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the most famous person born on April 20?
Adolf Hitler, born on April 20, 1889, is likely the most internationally recognized individual born on this date. He was the Austrian-born German politician who led Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945. Other notable figures with this birthdate include French Emperor Napoleon III and Spanish surrealist artist Joan Miró.
What historical leaders were born on April 20?
Two major political leaders were born on April 20: Napoleon III, Emperor of France, born in 1808, and Adolf Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany, born in 1889. In addition, Norwegian politician Gro Harlem Brundtland, who was Prime Minister of Norway and later Director-General of the World Health Organization, was born on this date in 1939.
Are there any famous artists born on April 20?
Spanish surrealist painter Joan Miró was born on April 20, 1893. Miró became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, known for his colorful abstract works and sculptures that contributed to the Surrealist movement.