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1-50 of 188
- Actress
- Writer
Oliva R. Duffy was born on October 20, 1894, in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, the eldest of three children, with two younger brothers. Olive or Ollie, as she was known to family and friends, did not have much of a childhood. Life in industrial Pittsburgh (at the time, spelled "Pittsburg") was depressing and grim with its smoky factories and hard living. She married Bernard Krug Thomas at the age of 16 (which wasn't uncommon at the time), but the marriage wasn't happy, and they divorced two years later.
By that time, Olive had left Pittsburgh for New York, where she found work in a department store. On a lark, she entered a competition for the most beautiful girl in New York City and, unsurprisingly, won. With the ensuing publicity, she caught the eye of Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. and immediately joined his famed Follies. An outstanding addition, men went wild over her beauty. She also posed nude for the famed Peruvian artist Alberto Vargas. As a result of her sudden fame, she was signed to a contract with Triangle Pictures. Her first film was Beatrice Fairfax (1916). Later that year, she married Jack Pickford, brother of screen star Mary Pickford.
The relationship was a stormy one. In 1917, she starred in four more films: Madcap Madge (1917), A Girl Like That (1917), Broadway Arizona (1917), and Indiscreet Corinne (1917). With five films on her resume, Olive was the toast of Hollywood. She made three films in 1918 and six in 1919. By 1920, Olive was at the top of the film world. She continued to make good pictures, most notably, Youthful Folly (1920) and also The Flapper (1920), which was an overwhelming success. After finishing Everybody's Sweetheart (1920), Olive and Jack sailed to France for a much-needed vacation.
The couple finally seemed happy, which seems odd in light of what was to follow. Olive accidentally ingested bichloride of mercury from a French-labeled bottle in a darkened bathroom, believing it to be another medication. Found unconscious, she died five days later. The death made worldwide headlines. Olive was only 25 when she died.- Actor
- Art Department
- Cinematographer
Today screen actor Robert (Bobby) Harron is one of Hollywood's forgotten souls, although he was a huge celebrity in his time and graced some of the silent screen's most enduring masterpieces. A talented, charismatic star in his heyday, Bobby had everything going for him but died far too young to make the longstanding impression he certainly deserved.
Bobby was born one of nine children in New York City to an impoverished Irish-American family. In order to put food on the table, Bobby started out quite young looking for work. At age 13 he found a job working for the American Biograph Studio on East 14th Street as a messenger boy and was given a couple of film bits for added measure. Within the next year director D.W. Griffith had joined the company and the sensitive, highly photogenic Bobby caught the legendary director's eye almost immediately.
Bobby subsequently had leading roles in many of Griffith's classic silents, usually playing characters that were much younger and much more naive than in real life. He appeared opposite other legendary female stars who also played "young-ish" roles, notably Mae Marsh and Lillian Gish. Bobby made indelible impressions in The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916), An Old Fashioned Young Man (1917), Hearts of the World (1918), A Romance of Happy Valley (1919) and True Heart Susie (1919).
Bobby had become such a sensation that in 1920 he entertained thoughts about leaving the Griffith fold and forming his own company. A fatal, self-inflicted bullet wound to the left lung in September of 1920 ended those dreams before they ever got off the ground. Although it was listed as an "accidental" death, Hollywood rumor has it that a despondent Bobby killed himself in a New York hotel room on the eve of the premiere of Griffith's new film Way Down East (1920). It seems Bobby was devastated after being passed over by Griffith for the lead role in favor of the director's new protégé, Richard Barthelmess. Whatever the truth may be, Bobby's death remains a tragic mystery. Ironically, Bobby had two lesser known sibling actors who also died quite young. Tessie Harron (1896-1918) died at age 22 of Spanish influenza, and John Harron (1904-1939), nicknamed Johnnie, collapsed and died of spinal meningitis at age 35. Both appeared unbilled in Hearts of the World (1918) with Bobby.- Maren Pedersen was born on 9 March 1842 in Gærum, Sejlstrup, Denmark. She was an actress, known for Häxan (1922) and A Sacrilege of Witches. She was married to Carl Frederik Pedersen. She died on 22 December 1920 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA.
- Spanish novelist Benito Perez Galdos was born in Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, in 1843 to a wealthy family. He was sent to an English school in the Canary Islands, and later he studied law at the University of Madrid. Although he graduated with a law degree, the practice of law never interested him, and upon graduation he became involved in the literary circles of Madrid, and eventually got a job as the literary and drama critic of the magazine "La Nacion". He had always wanted to be a playwright, and although he wrote and published numerous plays--many of which met with great success and some of which were turned into films--he soon realized that his greatest talent was as a novelist.
He continued writing plays and novels while on the staffs of various literary publications, such as "Las Cortes" and "La Revista de Espana" magazines, and eventually he secured a position as editor of "El Debate". After a visit to France, however, he undertook what is generally considered his greatest work--"Episodios Nacionales", a project that became four series of books of ten volumes each and one series of eight books. Each book came out an average of every three months, in addition to his "regular" novels.
A lifelong bachelor, he was a somewhat reclusive man, though he did travel extensively in France, England and Spain, and the general public knew very little about his private life. Towards the end of his life his eyesight began failing him, and by 1912 he was completely blind. That didn't stop him, however; he continued to write, although dictating his work to a secretary, until he died in Madrid in 1920. - James O'Neill was born on 15 November 1847 in Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. He was an actor, known for The Count of Monte Cristo (1913), West Is West (1920) and The Grain of Dust (1918). He was married to Ellen Quinlan. He died on 10 August 1920 in New London, Connecticut, USA.
- Ormer Locklear was born on 28 October 1891 in Greenville, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for The Great Air Robbery (1919), The Skywayman (1920) and Screen Snapshots, Series 1, No. 7 (1920). He was married to Ruby Graves. He died on 2 August 1920 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Clarine Seymour born to Albert and Florence Seymour in Brooklyn, New York in 1898. Her father ran a ribbon manufacturing business, in 1917 her father became so ill that he had no choice but to close his successful business and so Clarine secured work through the Thanhouser Film Company, which was located in New Rochelle, as a result of her work through that company , she obtained work through Pathe in a Pearl White serial and also in 1917 she appeared opposite Mollie King in 'Mystery of the Double Cross', followed in Toto the Clown comedies for the Robin Film Co and also appeared in many Al Christie comedies, she excepted an offer from D.W. Griffith who directed her in 'The Girl Who Stayed at Home' (1919) and 'True Heart Susie' (1919) opposite Lillian Gish and in Scarlet Days (1919). In 1920 Clarine became famous after starring in 'The Idol Dancer' the public loved her, shortly after that film's release she signed a four year contract, her next role was 'Way Down East' However, half way through production Clarine suddenly died unexpectedly from an intestinal ailment following an operation at Misericordia Hospital in New York at the age of 21. Mary Hay took over her role and the film was a box office success.
- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Hal Reid was born on 14 April 1862 in Cedarville, Ohio, USA. He was a writer and actor, known for The Deerslayer (1913), Prohibition (1915) and Cardinal Wolsey (1912). He was married to Marcella Frances Russell, Mrs. Hal Reid and Marylee (Mae) Withers. He died on 22 May 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Ned Finley was born on 10 July 1870 in Virginia, USA. He was an actor and director, known for O'Garry of the Royal Mounted (1915), The Leading Lady (1913) and The Gang (1914). He died on 27 September 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Harry Solter was born on 19 November 1873 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He was a director and actor, known for The Taming of the Shrew (1908), The Romance of a Photograph (1914) and Blind Man's Bluff (1916). He was married to Florence Lawrence. He died on 2 March 1920 in El Paso, Texas, USA.- Princess Margaret of Connaught was born on 15 January 1882 in Bagshot Park, Surrey, England, UK. She was married to King Gustaf VI Adolf. She died on 1 May 1920 in Stockholm, Sweden.
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Mario Caserini was born on 26 February 1874 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was a director and actor, known for The Last Days of Pompeii (1913), Capitan Fracassa (1919) and Romeo and Juliet (1908). He was married to Maria Caserini. He died on 17 November 1920 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.- Carolyn Lee was born in 1858 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Anne of Green Gables (1919), The Flight of the Duchess (1916) and It May Be Your Daughter (1916). She died on 1 January 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Gabrielle Réjane was born on 6 June 1856 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Madame Sans-Gêne (1911), Madame Sans-Gêne (1900) and Miarka, the Child of the Bear (1920). She was married to Paul Porel. She died on 14 June 1920 in Paris, France.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gaby Deslys was born Marie-Elise-Gabrielle Caire on November 4, 1881 in Marseille, France. Gaby was one of five children but sadly three of her siblings died when they were young. Although her mother encouraged her love of dancing her strict father did not. He sent her to a religious school called called the College of the Dames St. Maur. At the age of twenty she began her career dancing in Paris. Her curvy figure and flirtatious manner made her a hit with audiences. She performed at the Moulin Rouge in 1908. The following year she was introduced to the King of Portugal. They began a passionate affair and he gave her a $70,000 necklace. In 1911 she was signed by the Shubert Brothers and came to New York City. Gaby appeared in the hit musical Vera Violetta with Al Jolson. The show introduced the "Gaby Glide" which would become her theme song. Then she toured with the revue The Social Whirl and starred on Broadway The Honeymoon Express. She was known for her extravagant and often revealing costumes. At the peak of her fame she was earning $4000 a week.
Gaby became close friends with her dancing partner Harry Pilcer. The press reported they were married but it wasn't true because Harry was gay. Unfortunately her health began to decline after she had a throat operation in 1914. She was offered a contract by Famous Players and starred in the 1915 film My Triumph. Then she returned to Broadway to appear in Stop! Look! Listen!. Gaby purchased a lavish home in the South of France. It was decorated with paintings by Botticelli and a gilded hand carved bed. She started dating Gordon Selfridge, a wealthy London businessman. There were also rumors she worked as a French spy during World War 1. In 1918 she costarred with Harry Pilcer in the French film Infatuation. She contracted Spanish Influenza in the Fall of 1919. Doctors discovered a tumor in her throat that required several painful surgeries. Gaby refused to let surgeons cut the outside of her neck because she did not want a scar. Tragically on February 11, 1920 she died from a throat infection at the young age of thirty-eight. She was buried at Cimetière Saint-Pierre in Marseille, France.- Gilda Langer was born in Oderfurt (now Privoz). Not much is known about her background, but around 1915 she met screenwriter Carl Mayer in Vienna. It seems he fell in love with her and took her to Berlin, where she was engaged at the Residenz-Theater in 1917.
In the same year she played in the movie "Das Rätsel von Bangalor", next to the young Conrad Veidt. In 1919 she was contracted by Decla film, where Fritz Lang was also under contract. She played in his movies "Halbblut" (1919) and "Der Herr der Liebe" (1919).
Decla bought the script of "Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari", written by her friends Carl Mayer and Hans Janowitz, but the female parts in that movie went to Lil Dagover and Carola Toelle. Still Decla had big plans with her and her breakthrough seemed only a matter of time.
In the beginning of 1920 she became engaged with director Paul Czinner, but at the end of January she sadly died of a lung infection. However, not everybody believed it went just like that. Janowitz said that her own sudden engagement had put her under severe mental stress, adding to her unexpected demise and Herbert G. Luft claimed she overdosed on drugs. Certain is that Paul Czinner moved on to marry Elisabeth Bergner in later years.
On 4 Feb 1920 Gilda Langer was buried at the then fashionable cemetery at Stahnsdorf, Berlin. In 1995 her gravestone was rediscovered in an unkempt part of the very large cemetery by movie historian Olaf Brill. The headstone had come down but was still there. Carl Mayer was the one who had erected it there after her death and apart from her name, notes from the theme of lovers from Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" were engraved upon it.
Thanks to Mr. Brill's careful notes the gravestone could be located again in 2004. After rubbing off a lot of mud it turned out to be still readable. - Born into a wealthy cattle-ranching family, Venustiano Carranza followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Mexican army. He became a supporter of Francisco I. Madero in Madero's efforts to overthrow the corrupt dictatorship of Gen. Porfirio Díaz. When this proved successful, Madero appointed Carranza as Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy. However, soon after assuming power Madero was assassinated in a coup masterminded by Gen. Victoriano Huerta, forcing Carranza to flee. He organized an army to fight against Huerta, and allied his forces with those of rebels (and former bandits) Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. The combined rebel army encircled Mexico City--Huerta's base--and fought their way to the city's gates. They soon took the city, forcing Huerta to flee, and Carranza, Villa and Zapata took over the government. Soon, however, Carranza and Villa locked horns and in the ensuing power struggle, Villa was driven from Mexico City and retreated back to his headquarters in Durango. In 1915 Carranza assumed the presidency of Mexico and set about to make many needed reforms. He introduced an independent judiciary, instituted land reform, decentralized government power and called for a Constitutional convention, which was convened in 1917. A new constitution was written--which is still used today--and he was elected as the first president under this constitution.
However, many forces were arrayed against him, including his former allies Villa and Zapata, who thought his reforms didn't go far enough, and many wealthy landowners and the Catholic Church, who thought that his reforms were too radical. Carranza placed a bounty on Zapata's head, which eventually resulted in his assassination, and Carranza's army hunted down Villa in northern Mexico. As his presidential term drew to a close, however, he offended several powerful military and political leaders by picking a man they did not approve of to succeed him. In 1920 an alliance of these leaders, headed by Gen. Álvaro Obregón, led a rebellion against Carranza. His forces were defeated and he fled Mexico City. He headed toward Vera Cruz to reorganize, but on 5/21/20, he stopped in a house in the town of Tlaxacalantongo to spend the night. Obregon's spies learned of his whereabouts, and later that night the house was attacked by Obregon's men and Carranza was shot and killed. - Director
- Actor
- Writer
Walter Edwards was born on 8 January 1870 in Michigan, USA. He was a director and actor, known for The Power of the Street (1915), Who Cares? (1919) and A Girl Named Mary (1919). He died on 12 April 1920 in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, USA.- Gladys Field was born in 1889 in San Francisco, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920), The Bad Man's Christmas Gift (1910) and The Railroad and the Widow (1912). She was married to John M. O'Brien. She died on 13 August 1920 in Mount Vernon, New York, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
Hazel Neason was born on 16 August 1891 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for The Garden of Fate (1910), Ida's Christmas (1912) and The Lair of the Wolf (1912). She was married to Albert E. Smith. She died on 24 January 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.- Max Weber was born on 21 April 1864 in Erfurt, Kingdom of Prussia [now Thuringia, Germany]. He died on 14 June 1920 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.
- Director
- Producer
- Cinematographer
Enrique Rosas was born on 8 April 1875 in Puebla, Puebla, Mexico. He was a director and producer, known for The Grey Automobile (1919), La soñadora (1917) and La tigresa (1917). He was married to Guadalupe Priego Durán. He died on 9 August 1920 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico.- Eleanor H. Porter was born on 19 December 1868 in Littleton, New Hampshire, USA. She was a writer, known for Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952), Dawn (1919) and Pollyanna (1920). She died on 21 May 1920 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
- Leo Delaney was born on 15 March 1885 in Swanton, Vermont, USA. He was an actor, known for As You Like It (1912), The Great Victory, Wilson or the Kaiser? The Fall of the Hohenzollerns (1919) and A Tin-Type Romance (1910). He died on 4 February 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Mrs. John Douglas was born on 19 April 1852 in Westminster, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for In Another Girl's Shoes (1917). She was married to John Douglass (playwright, producer). She died on 5 November 1920 in Hammersmith, London, England, UK.
- Charles Butler was born in 1846. He was an actor, known for Are You a Mason? (1915), Zaza (1915) and His Picture in the Papers (1916). He died on 17 September 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on 22 December 1887 in Erode, Madras Presidency, British India [now Tamil Nadu, India]. He died on 26 April 1920 in Kumbakonam, Madras Presidency, British India [now Tamil Nadu, India].
- Suzanne Grandais was born on 14 June 1893 in Paris, France. She was an actress, known for Graziella, the Gypsy (1912), L'essor (1921) and Suzanne (1916). She died on 28 August 1920 in Vaudoy-en-Brie, Seine-et-Marne, France.
- Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to a theatrical family that comprised in part the troupe known as the Crawford-Hunter Party, Clifton Crawford spent most of his childhood traveling throughout Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. When his father realized Clifton had musical talent and perhaps a need for some greater stability than he was getting on the road, Clifton was apprenticed to a Presbyterian Church in Scotland to learn the trade of a church organist. He did well in that profession until the pastor overheard him practicing dance music on the church organ and summarily dismissed him. Without much in the way of viable prospects for his skills in Great Britain, he sailed for America where he had a sister and a chance at performing in vaudeville. He lasted two weeks at Keith's Theatre before parlaying his Scottish roots into a gig as a golf instructor. It seems that in some circles the Scottish were viewed as golf naturals and Clifton, true to form, was able to learn the game quickly and demonstrate reputable and marketable skill in the game at several golf clubs in New England. His true passion, however, was still the stage and, while not on the links, entertained club members with his musical abilities. Robert Barnet saw one of Clifton's performances and invited him to apply his musical skills to writing music for a show Mr. Barnet was then putting together for a group of amateur performers, a musical troupe formed from a voluntary Boston militia know as the First Corps of Cadets or, simply, the Boston Cadets. The show was "Miss Simplicity" and was eventually produced professionally on Broadway at the Casino Theatre in 1902, wherein Clifton also garnered a role as part of the chorus. This role lead to other Broadway works: e.g. "Foxy Grandpa" (his first speaking role in the 1902 production at Haverly's 14th Street Theatre), "The Three Twins" (his breakout role in 1908 at the Hearld Square Theatre where he wowed the audience with a recitation of Rudyard Kipling's "Gunga Din"), and "The Quaker Girl" (his first starring role occurring at the Park Theatre). There are only two entries in his resume for work in front of a camera: Animated Weekly, No. 43 (1913) (a newsreel wherein he portrays himself as a stage star) and The Galloper (1915) (based on the 1906 Broadway production of the same name, a play that revolves around the Greco-Turkish war in 1897). Clifton's last Broadway play was the 1920 Harry Frazee production of "My Lady Friends" (Mr. Frazee, you might recall, was also the owner of the Boston Red Sox, the man who sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for, among other reasons, the revenue to finance the production of "My Lady Friends"). The play was well received and slated for a good run until Clifton set off for England to fulfill a previous commitment on the London stage. He was due back 1 July 1920 to resume his role in "My Lady Friends." But on 3 June 1920 he fell from his 4th floor hotel room to his death. The death was ruled accidental; he was apparently under the influence of sedatives presumably to relax from a rather tense, hectic schedule. "My Lady Friends" closed permanently, but returned to the stage in 1925 as a musical titled "No, No, Nanette." It, too, was produced by Harry Frazee and had a much better outcome.
- Jean Guitry was born on 5 March 1884 in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was an actor, known for Pour don Carlos (1921). He died on 11 September 1920 in Trouville, Calvados, France.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Max Bruch was born on 6 January 1838 in Cologne, Prussia [now North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany]. He was a composer, known for Kinsey (2004), Knight of Cups (2015) and The Jazz Singer (1927). He was married to Clara Tuczek. He died on 2 October 1920 in Berlin-Friedenau, Germany.- Marcia Moore was born on 12 December 1891 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was an actress, known for The Land of Oz (1910), Dorothy and the Scarecrow in Oz (1910) and The Second in Command (1915). She was married to John Thomas Davis Jr and Joseph Swerling aka Joe Siverling. She died on 28 June 1920 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- J.L. Franck was born on 31 July 1852 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He was an actor, known for Ramona (1916) and Her Moment (1918). He died on 22 October 1920 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Frank Carter was born on 22 March 1889 in Fairbury, Nebraska, USA. He was an actor, known for The Curse of the Great Southwest (1913). He was married to Marilyn Miller. He died on 9 May 1920 in Grantville, Maryland, USA.
- Thomas Commerford was born on 1 August 1855 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for The Ex-Convict (1913), Frauds (1915) and The Hobo's Rest Cure (1912). He died on 17 February 1920 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- Aleksandr Kolchak, a Czarist admiral who led the military resistance to the Bolshevik government in Russia after the 1917 revolution, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1874. His family had a long history of military service (his father was an artillery officer who fought the British in the Battle of Sevastopol in the Crimean War, scene of the famous "Charge of the Light Brigade"), and Kolchak graduated from the Russian Naval Academy in 1894. He was soon posted to the wilds of Vladivostok, spending four years there before returning to Russia and being stationed at the huge Kronstadt naval base. He took part in two expeditions to Russia's Arctic regions, for which he picked up the nickname "Polar Bear". During the 1905 Russo-Japanese War Kolchak was posted to a cruiser at Port Arthur, and his ship was responsible for sinking a Japanese heavy cruiser. He was then transferred to shore duty at an artillery battery during the Japanese siege of the city. He was seriously wounded and captured by the victorious Japanese forces, but the severity of his wounds resulted in his being returned to Russia by the Japanese shortly before the end of the war.
Recuperating from his injuries, he was assigned the task of helping to remake and improve the Russian navy, which had been virtually destroyed by the Japanese during the war. He was posted to the Baltic Fleet upon the outbreak of World War I with the job of planning an attack on the German naval bases at Kiel and Danzig, a task he handled so well that he was promoted to Vice-Admiral and given command of the Black Sea Fleet, which was operating against Turkish forces. Kolchak noticed that there were no railroads between the coal mines in eastern Turkey and the capital, meaning that the country's entire coal supply had to reach the capital by ship. He devised a plan to attack and sink as many Turkish coal ships as possible, and his effectiveness at that task severely damaged the Turkish war effort.
Russia's overall military and political situation was deteriorating rapidly, however. Several staggering military defeats, resulting in enormous casualties (100,000+ dead at the Battle of Tannenberg alone), demoralized the Russian army, spawning mutinies, mass desertions and open revolt. The czar was overthrown in 1917 and a new government, headed by Aleksandr Kerensky, took power. Kolchak was sent to Great Britain and the US as an "observer", although many thought it was to remove him as a potential rival to Kerensky. After a tour of Britain and a short visit to the US, Kolchak returned to Russia via Japan. He was in Manchuria in 1917 when the Bolsheviks overthrew Kerensky and seized power. Kolchak joined the opposition to the Bolsheviks, commonly called the "Whites" (the Bolsheviks were commonly called the "Reds"). After a series of coups and countercoups wracked the White government, Kolchak was eventually offered the position of "Supreme Ruler", which he accepted. He was supported by the Allied powers, which wanted Russia to stay in the war against the Germans. Kolchak consolidated his power through some very repressive means, including mass arrests and executions of opponents.
Kolchak's forces achieved several impressive victories against the Bolshevik armies in the country's Siberian region, partly due to the money, arms and other supplies he received from the British. In addition, the Red Army's brutal treatment of the population under its control--including rapes, looting, tortures and executions--brought about a series of local uprisings against them. All this resulted in the Reds retreating and Kolchak's forces taking control of a territory of almost 300,000 square miles. Unfortunately for them, they couldn't hold it for very long. Running out of supplies by spring, they were attacked by fresh Red Army forces and pushed back. Also, the authoritarian and somewhat arrogant Kolchak had alienated his political and military allies (he had several thousand Czech and Polish troops in addition to his own forces), as did the widespread corruption in his government and the brutal treatment of civilians by some units in his army, and the British and American governments refused to give him any more aid. The Red Army broke through the White lines in the Ural Mountains and took several important cities. By the end of the year the White forces, hammered by bad weather, running out of supplies and suffering many casualties, retreated towards their Siberian bases in disarray. The Reds attacked and captured the important White city of Omsk, a major setback for the White government, which lost a huge amount of much-needed ammunition and 50,000 of its troops taken prisoner. The Whites' situation continued to deteriorate, and there were several coup attempts against Kolchak by opponents who perceived him as weakened. In 1920 new leadership took over the White government and dismissed him. He was promised safe passage to the British embassy in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, but instead he was handed over to the Red army, which quickly tried him and sentenced him to death. He was shot by a firing squad on Feb. 7, 1920. - Music Department
- Soundtrack
Giovanni Capurro was born on 5 February 1859 in Naples, Campania, Italy. Giovanni is known for The Hangover (2009), Grumpier Old Men (1995) and The Addams Family (1991). Giovanni died on 18 January 1920 in Naples, Campania, Italy.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Aurelio Sidney was born on 17 April 1880 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor and director, known for Mátame (1920), El león (1920) and Ultus, the Man from the Dead (1915). He died on 15 May 1920 in Sitges, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Patrick Foy was born in 1855 in Ireland. He was an actor, known for T'Other Dear Charmer (1918), Sally in Our Alley (1916) and The Little Duchess (1917). He was married to Mary Foy. He died on 4 September 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Lilian Webster was born in 1894. She was an actress, known for Everybody's Doing It (1916), The Eye of Envy (1917) and The Electric Alarm (1915). She died on 6 July 1920 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Milton 'Skeets' Elliott was born on 24 April 1894 in Gadsden, Alabama, USA. He is known for The Skywayman (1920). He died on 2 August 1920 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Hildur Carlberg was born on 20 December 1843 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. She was an actress, known for The Parson's Widow (1920), Ingmarssönerna (1919) and The Outlaw and His Wife (1918). She died on 27 August 1920 in Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden.
- Lena Christ was born on 30 October 1881 in Glonn, Bavaria, Germany. She was a writer, known for Madame Bäurin (1993), Die Rumplhanni (1981) and Der Fall Lena Christ (1970). She was married to Peter Benedix and Anton Leix. She died on 30 June 1920 in Munich, Germany.
- John Reed was born on 22 October 1887 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He was a writer, known for October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1927), Reed: Insurgent Mexico (1972) and Red Bells (1982). He was married to Louise Bryant. He died on 17 October 1920 in Russia.
- Roland Osborne was born in 1875 in Fulton, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Mortmain (1915), The Confession of Madame Barastoff (1915) and The Mystery of the Empty Room (1915). He died on 19 April 1920 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Cyrus Brady, an Episcopal minister, was a successful author, with over 100 books to his credit, and went to work for Vitagraph in 1914 as a screenwriter. He wrote everything from romances to action pictures, and even took on the serial genre. His brother, Jasper Ewing Brady, was also a screenwriter, first for Vitagraph and then for Metro. Cyrus died in Yonkers, NY, in 1920.
- Edgena De Lespine was born in February 1882 in Galveston, Texas, USA. She was an actress, known for London Assurance (1913), Poor Finney (1912) and Love Knows No Laws (1912). She died on 30 January 1920 in New York, New York, USA.
- S. Ansky was born in 1863 in Chashniki, Vitebsk Governorate, Russian Empire [now Vitebsk Oblast, Belarus]. He was a writer, known for The Dybbuk (1937), The Dybbuk or: Between Two Worlds and The Dybbuk of the Holy Apple Field (1997). He died on 8 November 1920 in Otwock, Poland.
- Antal Nyáray was born on 13 April 1868 in Nagyenyed, Hungary [now Aiud, Romania]. He was an actor, known for Az utolsó bohém (1913), Az aranyásó (1914) and Mágia (1917). He was married to Anna Bíró. He died on 27 February 1920 in Budapest, Hungary.
- Federigo Tozzi was born on 1 January 1883 in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Federigo was a writer, known for Con gli occhi chiusi (1994). Federigo died on 27 March 1920 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.