On this day

October 20, 1950

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from October 20, 1950

Notable Births

Tom Petty

1950Tom Petty, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 2017)[†]

Thomas Earl Petty was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was the leader and frontman of the rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. He was also a successful solo artist.

William Russ

1950William Russ, American actor and director[†]

William Russ is an American actor and television director. He played Alan Matthews on the sitcom Boy Meets World (1993–2000) and appeared in the television series Wiseguy, the soap operas Another World and The Young and the Restless and the feature films The Right Stuff (1983), Pastime (1990) and American History X (1998).

Chris Cannon

1950Chris Cannon, American politician (died 2024)[†]

Christopher Black Cannon was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, for the Republican Party, representing the third district of Utah from 1997 to 2009.

Notable Deaths

Henry L. Stimson

1950Henry L. Stimson, American colonel, lawyer, and politician, 46th United States Secretary of State (born 1867)[†]

Henry Lewis Stimson was an American statesman, lawyer, and Republican Party politician. Over his long career, he emerged as a leading figure in U.S. foreign policy by serving in both Republican and Democratic administrations. He served as Secretary of War (1911–1913) under President William Howard Taft, Secretary of State (1929–1933) under President Herbert Hoover, and again Secretary of War (1940–1945) under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, overseeing American military efforts during World War II.

Historical Context for October 20, 1950

In 1950, the world population was approximately 2,499,322,157 people[†]