National Look Alike Day on April 20 honors those who have a striking resemblance to another person. There is someone — or maybe two — out there who looks just like you. Give them the same haircut, and they might take your place at the dinner table without raising any alarm. Your doppelganger might not be famous, but sharing similar features with someone is still worth celebrating. National Look Alike Day is an opportunity to learn what other people who look like you are doing with their lives. Connect with them and scare your family and friends with the revelation.

History of Look Alike Day

In the 1980s, feature television reporter Jack Etzel established National Look Alike Day. Etzel contacted the Chase Calendar of Events team and declared the day. The idea was to celebrate the coincidence of someone sharing an uncanny resemblance with somebody else. It’s one thing to look like your father, mother, or another relative, but a resemblance shared with a total stranger is an entirely different ball game. Several conspiracy theories stem from the subject of look-alikes. Some believe doppelgangers are reincarnations and share mysterious spiritual connections.No matter what you believe, look-alikes are still amazing. Meeting yours emphasizes the truth behind how small our world is. It’s also great knowing you’re not in this alone — out there is someone who looks just like you and is probably dealing with the same issues as you.It is usually rare to find two random people that are spitting images of one another. Although, it has been known to happen. Meeting a doppelganger was once considered bad luck in Germany, but the meaning has evolved. People now respond more positively to the idea of meeting a stranger with similar features. By all means, get your hopes up — this might be the day the stars align and connect you with your clone. Imagine the havoc you could wreak. The list of pranks you could pull off with your clone are endless. You also get to make new friends and share your background and experiences and see if they’ve had a better go at life while using your face.

Look Alike Day timeline

1796
A Doppelganger is Used in a Novel

The first recorded use of a doppelganger is recorded in author Jean Paul’s “Siebenkäs as Doppeltgänger.”

1980
The Day is Born

Jack Etzel creates National Look Alike Day.

1848
The German Word is Popularized

Catherine Crowe's book “The Night Side of Nature” popularizes the German word.

2001
What are the Chances?

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1846 novel “The Double” portrays the doppelganger as a split personality who tries to take over the life of the protagonist.

Look Alike Day FAQs

How can I find my doppelganger?

You can use Google Lens or other reverse image search engines to perform reverse image searches.

Why is it satisfying to find a look-alike?

Homophily refers to the tendency for humans to associate with people who have similar backgrounds and perspectives on life. This could be due to a sense of comfort that is felt when seeing someone with similar characteristics.

Do siblings share the same D.N.A.?

Because of recombination, siblings only share about half of their D.N.A.

Look Alike Day Activities

  1. Meet your celebrity twin

    Visit some look-alike websites, upload a photo of yourself, and live vicariously through your much more famous double. Use the fun filters on Instagram to see who else is using your face.

  2. Dress up and have fun

    It's fun to play dress-up now and then, so put on your best celebrity impersonation and dress like your celebrity look-alike. Not all of us get doppelgangers, sometimes you have to make one.

  3. Wear matching outfits

    When it comes to the best things in life, pairs always have the upper hand. Plan a fun, matching outfit with a friend to make people look twice.

5 Fun Facts About Look-Alikes

  1. Coven

    There are at least seven people in the world who look exactly like you?

  2. Twinning

    For his I'm Not a Look-Alike initiative, Francois Brunelle has taken photographs of over 200 doppelganger pairs.

  3. Spooky traits

    According to folklore, doppelgangers do not cast shadows or reflections in water or mirrors.

  4. Doppelganger

    The German term ‘doppelgänger’ translates to ‘double goer’ or ‘double walker.’

  5. Zero odds

    The number of genetic variables makes it impossible to determine your odds of meeting a look-alike.

Why We Love Look Alike Day

  1. Self-love

    We all subscribe to some form of vanity. National Look Alike Day is an opportunity to appreciate your beauty and stroke your self-worth.

  2. Finding your people

    Life has its ups and downs. Knowing there’s someone out there who shares a special resemblance to you can be a very comforting feeling.

  3. Prankster paradise

    Who doesn’t like a good scare now and again? Nothing beats turning up to the house with a doppelganger in tow; give your dad's pacemaker something to worry about.

Look Alike Day dates

Year Date Day
2023 April 20 Thursday
2024 April 20 Saturday
2025 April 20 Sunday
2026 April 20 Monday
2027 April 20 Tuesday