On This Day
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"Rebecca" actress Joan Fontaine (21) weds actor Brian Aherne (37); divorce in 1945

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress best known for her roles in Hollywood films during the...

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress best known for her roles in Hollywood films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Fontaine appeared in more than 45 films in a career that spanned five decades. She was the younger sister of actress Olivia de Havilland. Their rivalry was well documented in the media at the height of Fontaine's career.

Fontaine began her film career in 1935, signing a contract with RKO Pictures. Fontaine received her first major roles in The Man Who Found Himself (1937) and in Gunga Din (1939).

Historical Significance

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress best known for her roles in Hollywood films during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Key People

Joan Fontaine

actress

British actress

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Events Before

  1. First jazz concert is held at Carnegie Hall, performed by Benny Goodman and his band

    The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert by Benny Goodman, Columbia Records catalogue item SL-160, is a two-disc LP of swing and jazz music recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16,…

  2. World's first science fiction TV program is a broadcast of the play R.U.R. by Karel Čapek

    Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is the genre of speculative, science-based fiction that imagines advanced and futuristic scientific or technological progress.

  3. "Bringing Up Baby" film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, is released

    Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures.

  4. First public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV occurs in London

    First public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV occurs in London

  5. UK Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden resigns, stating Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain has appeased Nazi Germany

    Arthur Neville Chamberlain was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party from May 1937 to October 1940.

Events After

  1. American entertainer Danny Kaye (28) weds American songwriter Sylvia Fine (26) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, until his de

    American entertainer Danny Kaye (28) weds American songwriter Sylvia Fine (26) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, until his death in 1987

  2. "The Grapes of Wrath", directed by John Ford and based on John Steinbeck's novel of the same name, starring Henry Fonda

    "The Grapes of Wrath", directed by John Ford and based on John Steinbeck's novel of the same name, starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, is released

  3. American actress Lana Turner (19) weds American bandleader Artie Shaw (29) in a Las Vegas elopement; divorce after 4 mon

    American actress Lana Turner (19) weds American bandleader Artie Shaw (29) in a Las Vegas elopement; divorce after 4 months

  4. Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14 (radiocarbon dating) at the University of California Radiation Laboratory

    Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14 (radiocarbon dating) at the University of California Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley, California

  5. Hattie McDaniel becomes 1st African American woman to win an Oscar for "Gone With The Wind"

    Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893 – October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian.

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David McKee is born

David McKee, British writer and illustrator, known for british writer and illustrator, was born on 1935-01-02.

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Jim Bakker is born

Jim Bakker televangelist, known for american televangelist, was born on 1939-01-02. James Orsen Bakker is an American televangelist and convicted felon.

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Roger Miller is born

Roger Miller, American musician, known for american country musician, was born on 1936-01-02. Roger Dean Miller Sr.

Claus von Stauffenberg is promoted to Second Lieutenant

Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of...

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 20, 1939?
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress best known for her roles in Hollywood films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Fontaine appeared in more than 45 films in a career that spanned five decades. She was the younger sister of actress Olivia de Havilland.
Why is "Rebecca" actress Joan Fontaine (21) weds actor Brian Aherne (37); divorce in... significant?
Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress best known for her roles in Hollywood films during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Who was involved in "Rebecca" actress Joan Fontaine (21) weds actor Brian Aherne (37); divorce in...?
Key figures include Joan Fontaine (actress).

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August 20 in HistoryYear 1939