1940

1940

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century 20th century 21st century
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
Years:	1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943

1940 in variouscalendars

Gregorian calendar	1940 MCMXL
Ab urbe condita	2693
Armenian calendar	1389 ԹՎ ՌՅՁԹ
Assyrian calendar	6690
Baháʼí calendar	96–97
Balinese saka calendar	1861–1862
Bengali calendar	1347
Berber calendar	2890
British Regnal year	4Geo. 6– 5Geo. 6
Buddhist calendar	2484
Burmese calendar	1302
Byzantine calendar	7448–7449
Chinese calendar	Kỷ mãoNiên (EarthRabbit) 4637 or 4430 — to — Canh thần niên (MetalDragon) 4638 or 4431
Coptic calendar	1656–1657
Discordian calendar	3106
Ethiopian calendar	1932–1933
Hebrew calendar	5700–5701
Hindu calendars
-Vikram Samvat	1996–1997
-Shaka Samvat	1861–1862
-Kali Yuga	5040–5041
Holocene calendar	11940
Igbo calendar	940–941
Iranian calendar	1318–1319
Islamic calendar	1358–1359
Japanese calendar	Shōwa15 ( chiêu hòa １５ niên )
Javanese calendar	1870–1871
Juche calendar	29
Julian calendar	Gregorian minus 13 days
Korean calendar	4273
Minguo calendar	ROC29 Dân quốc 29 niên
Nanakshahi calendar	472
Thai solar calendar	2482–2483
Tibetan calendar	Âm thổ thỏ niên (female Earth-Rabbit) 2066 or 1685 or 913 — to — Dương kim long niên (male Iron-Dragon) 2067 or 1686 or 914

1940(MCMXL) was aleap year starting on Mondayof theGregorian calendar,the 1940th year of theCommon Era(CE) andAnno Domini(AD) designations, the 940th year of the2nd millennium,the 40th year of the20th century,and the 1st year of the1940sdecade.

A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.

Events

Below, the events ofWorld War IIhave the "WWII" prefix.

January

Main article:January 1940

• January 4– WWII:LuftwaffeChief andGeneralfeldmarschallHermann Göringassumes control of most war industries inGermany,in his capacity as Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan.
• January 6– WWII:Winter War– GeneralSemyon Timoshenkotakes command of allSovietforces.
• January 7– WWII:Winter War:Battle of Raate Road– Outnumbered Finnish troops decisively defeat Soviet forces.
• January 8– WWII:
  • Winter War:Battle of Suomussalmi– Finnish forces destroy theSoviet 44th Rifle Division.
  • Foodrationing in the United Kingdombegins; it will remain in force until1954.
• January 9– WWII: British submarineHMSStarfishis sunk in theHeligoland Bight.
• January 10– WWII:Mechelen incident– A German plane carrying secret plans for the invasion of Western Europe makes a forced landing in Belgium, leading to mobilization of defense forces in theLow Countries.
• January 19–The Three Stooges'You Nazty Spy!,the first Hollywood anti-Nazi comedy film, is released.
• January 27– WWII: A peace resolution introduced in theParliament of South Africais defeated 81–59.
• January 29– Three gasoline-powered trains carrying factory workers crash and explode while approachingAjikawaguchi Station,Yumesaki Line(Nishinari Line),Osaka,Japan, killing at least 181 people and injuring at least 92.

February

Main article:February 1940

• February 2–11– Scheduled dates for the1940 Winter OlympicsinGarmisch-Partenkirchen,Germany, cancelled in November 1939 due to WWII (originally allocated toSapporo,Japan).
• February 1– WWII:Winter War– Soviet forces launch a major assault on Finnish troops occupying theKarelian Isthmus.
• February 2–Vsevolod Meyerholdis executed in the Soviet Union on charges of treason and espionage. He is cleared of all charges fifteen years later, in the first waves ofde-Stalinization.
• February 16– WWII:Altmarkincident– British destroyerHMSCossackpursuesGerman tankerAltmarkinto theneutral watersofJøssingfjordin southwesternNorwayand frees the 290 British seamen held aboard.
• February 22– InTibet,province ofAndo,4-year-oldTenzin Gyatsois proclaimed thetulku(rebirth) of the 13thDalai Lama.
• February 27– Theradioactiveisotopecarbon-14is discovered byMartin KamenandSam Rubenat theUniversity of California, Berkeley.
• February – The last mounted charge by a British cavalry regiment is made when theRoyal Scots Greysare called to quell Arab rioters inMandatory Palestine.

March

Main article:March 1940

• March 5–Katyn massacre:Members of the Soviet Politburo (Joseph Stalin,Vyacheslav Molotov,Lazar Kaganovich,Mikhail Kalinin,Kliment VoroshilovandLavrentiy Beria) sign an order, prepared by Beria, for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs.
• March 11–Ed Ricketts,John Steinbeckand six others leaveMonterey, California,United States, for theGulf of California,on a marine invertebrate collecting expedition.
• March 12–Moscow Peace Treaty:TheSoviet Unionand Finland sign a peace treaty in Moscow, ending theWinter War;Finns, along with the world at large, are shocked by the harsh terms.
• March 13– Indian nationalistUdham Singhassassinates SirMichael O'Dwyer(in revenge for the1919Jallianwala Bagh massacre) atCaxton HallinLondon,for which he is hanged on 31 July atHM Prison Pentonville.
• March 18– WWII:Axis powers–Adolf HitlerandBenito Mussolinimeet atBrenner Passin theAlps.After being informed by Hitler that the Germans are ready to attack in the west, Mussolini agrees to bring Italy into the war in due course.
• March 21–Édouard Daladierresigns as Prime Minister of France;Paul Reynaudsucceeds him.
• March 23–Pakistan Movement:TheLahore Resolution,calling for greater autonomy for what will becomePakistaninBritish India,is drawn up by theAll-India Muslim Leagueduring a three-day general session atIqbal Park,Lahore.
• March 30– WWII: FormerKuomintangmember and Chinese foreign minister,Wang Jingwei,announces the creation of theReorganized National Government of the Republic of ChinainNanjing.
• March 31– WWII:Commerce raidingGerman auxiliary cruiserAtlantisleaves theWadden Seafor what will become the longest warship cruise of the war (622 days without in-port replenishment or repair).

April

Main article:April 1940

• April 3– WWII:Operation Weserübung– German ships set out for theinvasion of Norway.
• April 4–Neville Chamberlain,UK Prime Minister,in what proves to be a tragic misjudgment, declares in a major public speech thatHitlerhas "missed the bus".
• April 7–Booker T. Washingtonbecomes the firstAfrican Americanto be depicted on a United Statespostage stamp.
• April 8– WWII:Operation Wilfred:The British fleet laysnaval minesoff the coast of neutral Norway.
• April 9– WWII: Germany invades theneutral countriesof Denmark and Norway inOperation Weserübung,opening theNorwegian Campaign.The BritishRoyal Navyattempts to attack elements of the German fleet off Norway.Vidkun Quislingproclaims a new collaborationistregimein Norway. TheGerman invasion of Denmarklasts for about six hours, before that country capitulates.
• April 10– WWII:First naval Battle of Narvik– The BritishRoyal Navyattacks the German fleet in theOfotfjord.AtBergen,German cruiserKönigsbergis sunk by BritishFleet Air ArmBlackburn Skuadive bombers,flying fromRNAS HatstoninOrkney.
• April 12
  • TheFaroe Islandsareoccupied by British troops,following the German invasion of Denmark. This action is taken to avert a possible German occupation of the islands, with serious consequences for the course of theBattle of the Atlantic.
  • Opening day atJamaica Race Coursefeatures the use ofparimutuel bettingequipment, a departure frombookmakingheretofore used exclusively throughout New York. Other tracks in the state follow suit later in 1940.
• April 13
  • WWII:Second naval Battle of Narvik– The BritishRoyal Navysinks all 8 defending German destroyers in theOfotfjord.
  • TheNew York Rangerswin the1940 Stanley Cup Finalsinice hockey.It will be another54 yearsbefore theirnext winin1994.
• April 14– WWII:Norwegian Campaign– The first British ground forces land in Norway, atNamsosandHarstad.
• April 16– In American baseball, theCleveland Indians,behindBob Feller'sOpening Dayno-hitter,defeat theChicago White Sox,1–0.
• April 23– TheRhythm Club fireat a dance hall inNatchez, Mississippi,United States, kills 198 people.
• April 27–Mandatory PalestineandLebanonplay anassociation football friendly;it is Lebanon's first official match, and Mandatory Palestine's last before they become Israel in 1948.

May

Main article:May 1940

• May 10– WWII:
  • TheBattle of Francebegins.
  • German forces invade theLow Countries:
    • TheBattle of the Netherlandsbegins.
    • TheBattle of Belgiumbegins.
    • TheInvasion of Luxembourgbegins.
  • The Britishinvasion of Icelandbegins.
  • With the resignation ofNeville Chamberlain,Winston ChurchillbecomesPrime Minister of the United Kingdom.
• May 13– WWII:
  • Winston Churchill,in his first address as Prime Minister, tells theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom,"I have nothing to offer you butblood, toil, tears and sweat."
  • German armies open a 60-mile (97 km) wide breach in theMaginot LineatSedan, France.
• May 13–14– QueenWilhelmina of the Netherlandsand her government are evacuated to London, using the British destroyerHMSHereward.
• May 14– WWII:
  • Rotterdamis subjected to savage terror bombing by theLuftwaffe;980 are killed, and 20,000 buildings destroyed.GeneralHenri Winkelmanannounces the surrender of theDutch army(outsideZeeland) to German forces.
  • Recruitment begins in Britain for a volunteer home defence force: theLocal Defence Volunteers,later known as the Home Guard.
• May 15
  • WWII: TheDutch Armyformally signs a surrender document.
  • Women'sstockingsmade ofnylonare first placed on sale across the United States. Almost five million pairs are bought on this day.
• May 16– President of the United StatesFranklin D. Roosevelt,addressing a joint session of theU.S. Congress,asks for an extraordinary credit of approximately $900,000,000 to finance construction of at least 50,000 airplanes per year.
• May 17– WWII:
  • Brusselsfalls to German forces; the Belgian government flees toOstend.
  • Zeelandis overrun by German forces, ending theBattle of the Netherlandsand beginning fullGerman occupation of the Netherlands(Noord-Bevelandsurrenders on May 18, and the remaining Dutch troops are withdrawn fromZeelandic Flanderson May 19).
• May 18– MarshalPhilippe Pétainis named vice-premier of France.
• May 19– GeneralMaxime WeygandreplacesMaurice Gamelinas commander-in-chief of all French forces.
• May 20
  • WWII: German forces (2ndPanzerDivision), under GeneralRudolf Veiel,reachNoyelleson theEnglish Channel.
  • The Holocaust:TheNazi concentration campandextermination campAuschwitz-Birkenau,the largest of the German concentration camps, opens inoccupied Poland,near the town ofOświęcim.From now on until January1945,around 1.1 million people will be killed here.
• May 22– WWII: TheParliament of the United Kingdompasses theEmergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939,giving the government full control over all persons and property.
• May 24– WWII:
  • TheAnglo-French Supreme War Councildecides to withdraw all forces under its control from Norway.
  • Hitler issuesDer Halte Befehl,a stop order preventing hisPanzer divisionsadvancing on Dunkirk.
• May 25– TheCrypt of Civilizationtime capsule atOglethorpe University,Brookhaven, Georgiain the United States, is sealed shut, with a projected opening date of 8113CE.
• May 26
  • WWII: TheDunkirk evacuationof theBritish Expeditionary Forcefrom France begins.
  • The first free flight ofIgor Sikorsky'sVought-Sikorsky VS-300helicopter is made in the United States.
• May 27– WWII:Le Paradis massacre:97 retreating British soldiers of theRoyal Norfolk Regimentare executed by German troops of3rd SS Panzer DivisionTotenkopfafter surrendering in France.
• May 28– WWII:
  • KingLeopold III of Belgiumorders the Belgian forces to cease fighting, ending the 18-dayBattle of Belgium.Leaders of the Belgian government on French territory declare Leopold deposed.
  • Land battle of Narvik:German forces retire, giving the Allies their first victory on land in the war; however, the British have already decided to evacuateNarvik.
  • Winston Churchillwarns theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdomto "prepare itself for hard and heavy tidings."
  • TheWormhoudt massacre(or Wormhout massacre) takes place with the mass murder of 80 British and French POWs by Waffen-SS soldiers from the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during the Battle of France.
• May 29– The Vought XF4U-1, prototype of theF4U CorsairU.S. fighter later used in WWII, makes its first flight.

June

Main article:June 1940

• June 1– WWII: Rear Admiral SirW. Frederic Wake-Walker's flagship, thedestroyerKeith,is sunk byStukasat Dunkirk.
• June 3
  • WWII:Parisis bombed by theLuftwaffefor the first time.
  • The Holocaust:Franz Rademacherproposes theMadagascar Plan.
  • TheWeather Bureauis transferred to theUnited States Department of Commerce.
• June 4– WWII:
  • TheDunkirk evacuationends: The British and French navies, together with large numbers of civilian vessels from various nations, complete evacuating 300,000 troops fromDunkirk,France to England.
  • Winston Churchilltells theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom,"We shall not flag or fail.We shall fight on the beaches... on the landing grounds... in the fields and the streets.... We shall never surrender. "
• June 7– KingHaakon VII of Norwayand his government are evacuated fromTromsøto London, onHMSDevonshire.
• June 10– WWII:
  • Italy declares war on France and the United Kingdom.
  • U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Rooseveltdenounces Italy's actions with his "Stab in the Back" speech during the graduation ceremonies of theUniversity of Virginia.
    • Canada declares war on Italy.
  • TheNorwegian Armysurrenders toGerman forces.
  • TheFrench governmentflees toTours.
• June 11– WWII: TheWestern Desert Campaignopens, with British forces crossing theFrontier WireintoItalian Libya.
• June 12– WWII: 13,000 British and French troops surrender toMajor-GeneralErwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division, atSaint-Valery-en-Caux.
• June 13– WWII: Paris is declared anopen city.
• June 14– WWII:
  • The French government flees toBordeaux,and Paris falls under German occupation.
  • U.S. PresidentFranklin D. Rooseveltsigns the Naval Expansion Act into law, which aims to increase theUnited States Navy's tonnage by 11%.
  • A group of 728 Polish political prisoners fromTarnówbecome the first residents of theAuschwitz concentration camp.
  • Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania:The Soviet Union demands that itsRed Armybe allowed to enter Lithuania and form a pro-Soviet puppet "People's Government of Lithuania".
• June 15– WWII:
  • Occupation of the Baltic states:The Soviet Union occupiesLithuania.
  • Verdunfalls to German forces.
• June 16
  • TheChurchill war ministryin the United Kingdom offers aFranco-British Union(inspired byJean Monnet) toPaul Reynaud,Prime Minister of France,in the hope of preventing France from agreeing to anarmistice with Germany,but Reynaud resigns when his own cabinet refuses to accept it.
  • TheSturgis Motorcycle Rallyis held for the first time, inSturgis, South Dakota.
• June 17– WWII:
  • Philippe PétainbecomesPrime Minister of France,and immediately asks Germany for peace terms.
  • Occupation of the Baltic states:The Soviet Union occupiesEstoniaandLatvia.
  • Operation Aerialbegins:Alliedtroops start to evacuate France, following Germany's takeover of Paris and most of the nation.
  • RMSLancastria,serving as atroopship,is bombed and sunk byLuftwaffeJunkers Ju 88aircraft, while evacuating British troops and nationals fromSaint-Nazairein France, with the loss of at least 4,000 lives, the largest single UK loss in any World War II event, immediate news of which is suppressed in the British press.DestroyerHMSBeagle(H30)rescues around 600.
• June 18– WWII:
  • Winston Churchilltells theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom:"TheBattle of Franceis over. TheBattle of Britainis about to begin... if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say,This was their finest hour."
  • Appeal of 18 June:GeneralCharles de Gaulle,de factoleader of theFree French Forces,makes his first broadcast appeal overRadio Londresfrom London, rallying theFrench Resistance,calling on all French people to continue the fight againstNazi Germany:"France has lost a battle. But France has not lost the war."
• June 20– WWII:Evacuation of civilians from the Channel Islandsto England begins.
• June 21– WWII: The unsuccessfulItalian invasion of Francebegins with an offensive in the Alps.
• June 22
  • WWII:Second Armistice at Compiègne:TheFrench Third RepublicandNazi Germanysign anarmistice,ending theBattle of Francein theForest of Compiègne,in the sameCompagnie Internationale des Wagons-Litsrailroad car used by MarshalFerdinand Fochto conclude theArmistice with Germanyin1918.This divides France into aZone occupéein the north and west, under theMilitary Administration in France (Nazi Germany),and a southernZone libre,Vichy France.
  • Albert Einsteingives a public address in the "I'm An American" series, on becoming an American citizen.
• June 23– WWII: German leaderAdolf Hitlersurveys newly defeated Paris, in now-occupied France.
• June 24
  • WWII:Vichy Francesigns armistice terms with Italy.
  • WWII:Operation Fish– British Royal Navy cruiserHMSEmeraldsails fromGreenock(Scotland) in convoy forHalifax, Nova Scotia(arriving July 1), carrying a large part of thegold reserves of the United Kingdomandsecuritiesfor safe keeping inCanada.
  • United States politics: TheRepublican Partybegins itsnational conventioninPhiladelphia,and nominatesWendell Willkieas its candidate for president.
• June 25– WWII: After the defeat ofFrance,Hitler plans for an invasion of Switzerland, known asOperation Tannenbaum.
• June 26–Soviet calendar:The Soviet Union reverts to a seven-day week for all purposes.
• June 28
  • GeneralCharles de Gaulleis officially recognized by Britain as the "Leader of allFree Frenchmen,wherever they may be. "
  • Romaniacedes Bessarabia and northern Bukovinato the Soviet Union, after an ultimatum.
• June 30
  • WWII: German forces land inGuernsey,marking the start of the 5-yearOccupation of the Channel Islands.
  • Federal government of the United Statesreorganisation:
    • TheCivil Aeronautics Administrationis placed under theDepartment of Commerce.
    • The U.S.Food and Drug Administrationis placed under theFederal Security Agency.
    • TheUnited States Fish and Wildlife Serviceis placed under theDepartment of the Interior.

July

Main article:July 1940

• July 1– Thefirst Tacoma Narrows Bridgeopens for business, built with an 8-foot (2.4 m) girder and 190 feet (58 m) above the water, as the third-longestsuspension bridgein the world.
• July 2– WWII: British-ownedSSArandora Star,carryingcivilian interneesandPOWsof Italian and German origin fromLiverpoolto Canada, istorpedoedand sunk byGerman submarineU-47off northwest Ireland, with the loss of around 865 lives.
• July 3– WWII:Attack on Mers-el-Kébir:British naval units sink or seize ships of the French fleet anchored in theAlgerianports ofMers-el-KebirandOran,to prevent them from falling into German hands. The following day,Vichy Francebreaks off diplomatic relations with Britain.
• July 5– WWII:Operation Fish– A British convoy includingHMSBatorysails fromGreenock(Scotland) forHalifax, Nova Scotia,carryinggold barand other valuables worth $1.7 billion for safe keeping inCanada,the largest movement of wealth in history.
• July 6
  • Story Bridgeopens inBrisbane.
  • WWII: British submarineHMSSharkis sunk.
• July 10– WWII: TheBattle of Britainair offensive of the GermanLuftwaffeagainst the BritishRAF Fighter Commandbegins.
• July 11– WWII:
  • British destroyerHMSEscortis torpedoed and sunk by an Italian submarine.
  • Vichy Francebegins with a constitutional law which onlyeighty members of the parliamentvote against.Philippe PétainbecomesPrime Minister of France.
• July 14– WWII:Winston Churchill,in a worldwide broadcast, proclaims the intention of Great Britain to fight alone against Germany whatever the outcome: "We shall seek no terms. We shall tolerate no parley. We may show mercy. We shall ask none."
• July 15– U.S. politics: TheDemocratic Partybegins its national convention in Chicago, and nominatesFranklin D. Rooseveltfor an unprecedented third term as president.
• July 19– WWII:
  • Battle of Cape Spada:HMASSydneyand five destroyers sink theItalian cruiserBartolomeo Colleoni.2
  • Adolf Hitlermakes a peace appeal ( "appeal to reason" ) to Britain, in an address to theReichstag.BBC German-language broadcasterSefton Delmerunofficially rejects it at onceandLord Halifax,the British foreign minister, flatly rejects peace terms in a broadcast reply onJuly 22.
• July 20–August 4– Scheduled dates for the1940 Summer OlympicsinHelsinki,Finland, cancelled in November 1939 due to WWII (originally allocated toTokyo,Japan).
• July 21
  • After rigged parliamentary elections in the three occupied countries onJuly 14–15,the parliaments proclaim theEstonian,LatvianandLithuanian Soviet Socialist Republics.
  • TheMitsubishi A6M Zerofighter aircraft enters service, so named as 1940 roughly corresponds to the year 2600 on the Japanese Imperial calendar.
• July 23–Welles Declaration:United StatesUnder Secretary of StateSumner Wellesannounces that the U.S. will not accorddiplomatic recognitionto theSoviet Union'soccupation of the Baltic states.
• July 25– GeneralHenri Guisanaddresses the officer corps of theSwiss armyatRütli,resolving to resist any invasion of the country.
• July 27
  • Eleven British nationals, including Melville James Cox, are arrested on suspicion of spying for military intelligence by thesecret policeinJapan.Cox commits suicide inTokyoon July 29, according to a report by the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
  • Bugs Bunnymakes his debut in theOscar-nominated cartoon short,A Wild Hare.However, it is not until 1941 that his name is adopted.

August

Main article:August 1940

• August 1– WWII: British submarineHMSSpearfishis sunk in the English Channel, by what is much later discovered to be a mine.
• August 3– TheLithuanian SSRis annexed into theSoviet Union,followed by theLatvian SSRonAugust 5and theEstonian SSRAugust 6,just seven weeks after their occupation. Ethnic Germans will be deported to Germany.
• August 3–19– WWII: TheItalian conquest of British Somalilandis completed.
• August 4– U.S. Gen.John J. Pershing,in a nationwide radio broadcast, urges all-out aid to Britain in order to defend the Americas, whileCharles Lindberghspeaks to anisolationistrally atSoldier Fieldin Chicago.
• August 8– WWII: German generalWilhelm Keitelsigns theAufbau Ostdirective, which eventually leads to the invasion of theSoviet Union.
• August 10– WWII: British armed merchant cruiserHMSTransylvaniais torpedoed offMalin Head,Ireland, byGerman submarineU-56.
• August 13– WWII:LuftwaffeAdlertag( "Eagle Day" ) strike on southern England occurs, starting the rapid escalation of theBattle of Britain.
• August 15– Italy, without having declared war on Greece, sinks the Greek boatElli(Έλλη).
• August 18
  • WWII: "The Hardest Day"in theBattle of Britain:Both sides lose more aircraft combined on this day than at any other point during the campaign, without theLuftwaffeachieving dominance over RAF Fighter Command.
  • The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor,is installed asGovernor of the Bahamas.
• August 20
  • WWII:Winston Churchillpays tribute in theHouse of Commons of the United Kingdomto theRoyal Air Forcefighter pilots: "Never in the field of human conflict wasso much owed by so many to so few."
  • Leon Trotskyis attacked with anice axein his Mexico home byNKVDagentRamón Mercader.
• August 24–Howard Floreyand a team includingErnst ChainandNorman Heatleyat theSir William Dunn School of Pathology,University of Oxford,publish their laboratory results showing thein vivobactericidal action ofpenicillin.They have also purified the drug.
• August 25– WWII: The firstBombing of Berlinis carried out, by theBritishRoyal Air Force.
• August 26– WWII:Chadis the first French colony to proclaim its support for the Allies.
• August 30–Second Vienna Award:Germany and Italy compel Romania to cede half ofTransylvaniato Hungary.
• August 31
  • WWII:Texel Disaster:Two British Royal Navydestroyersare sunk by running into aminefieldoff the coast of the occupied Netherlands with the loss of around 400 men, 300 of them dead.
  • British film starsLaurence OlivierandVivien Leighare married at theSan Ysidro RanchinCalifornia.

September

Main article:September 1940

• September– TheU.S. Army 45th Infantry Division(previously a National Guard Division inArizona,Colorado,New Mexico,andOklahoma), is activated and ordered into federal service for one year, to engage in a training program inFt. SillandLouisiana,prior to serving in WWII.
• September 2– WWII: TheDestroyers for Bases Agreementbetween the United States and Great Britain is announced, to the effect that 50 U.S. destroyers needed for escort work will be transferred to Great Britain. In return, the United States gains 99-year leases on British bases in the North Atlantic,West IndiesandBermuda.
• September 4– WWII:Adolf Hitler'sWinterhilfespeech at theBerlin Sportpalastdeclares thatNazi Germanywill make retaliatory night air raids on British cities and threatens invasion.
• September 5– WWII:Commerce raidingGerman auxiliary cruiserKometenters the Pacific Ocean via theBering Strait,after crossing the Arctic Ocean from theNorth Sea,with the help of Soviet icebreakersLenin,StalinandKaganovich.
• September 6– KingCarol IIof Romania abdicates and is succeeded by his sonMichael.
• September 7
  • ThePresident of Paraguay,José Félix Estigarribia,dies in a plane crash.
  • Treaty of Craiova:RomanialosesSouthern DobrujatoBulgaria.
  • WWII:The Blitz–Nazi Germanybegins to rain bombs on London (the first of 57 consecutive nights ofstrategic bombing).
• September 9–16– WWII: TheItalian invasion of Egyptcommences from Libya, progressing only as far asSidi Barrani.
• September 9
  • Treznea massacre:The Hungarian Army, supported bylocal Hungarians,kill 93Romaniancivilians inTreznea, Sălaj,a village inNorthern Transylvania,as part of attempts atethnic cleansing.
  • George Stibitzfirst demonstrates the remote operation of a computer, in the United States.
• September 12
  • InLascaux,France, 17,000-year-oldcave paintingsare discovered by a group of young Frenchmen hiking through Southern France. The paintings depict animals, and date to theStone Age.
  • The Hercules Munitions Plant inSuccasunna-Kenvil, New Jerseyexplodes, killing 55 people.
• September 14–Ip massacre:The Hungarian Army, supported bylocal Hungarians,kill 158Romaniancivilians inIp, Sălaj,a village inNorthern Transylvania,as part of attempts atethnic cleansing.
• September 16– WWII: TheSelective Training and Service Act of 1940is signed into law byFranklin D. Roosevelt,creating the first peacetime draft in U.S. history.
• September 17– WWII:
  • Hitler postponesOperation Sea Lion(Unternehmen Seelöwe), the planned German invasion of Britain, indefinitely.
  • British planes fromHMSIllustrious,backed by battleshipHMSValiant,attack the port ofBenghaziin Libya. Four Italian ships are sunk in the harbour.
• September 17–18– WWII:SSCity of BenaresistorpedoedbyGerman submarineU-48in the Atlantic, with the loss of 248 of the 406 on board, including child evacuees bound for Canada. This results in cancellation of the BritishChildren's Overseas Reception Board's plan to relocate children overseas.
• September 20–22– WWII:Convoy HX 72,a North Atlantic convoy of 43 ships, is attacked by a German U-boat group (wolfpack), eleven ships of 73 tons are sunk, seven during the second night of the attack by theU-100under the command ofJoachim Schepke.
• September 21–1940 Australian federal election:Robert Menzies'UAP/CountryCoalitionGovernmentis re-elected as aminority government,narrowly defeating theLabor Partyled byJohn Curtin.It is the last federal election to result in a minority government until2010.
• September 22–French Indochina in World War II:Japan and the colonial Vichy government ofFrench Indochinasign an agreement permitting certain numbers of Japanese troops into the country (with rights for three airfields) to blockade China. There immediately follows aJapanese invasion of French Indochina,in which a group of Japanese officers takeĐồng ĐăngandLam Sơn,with 40 Franco-Vietnamese troops killed and around 1,000 deserting. Fighting dies down on September 26.
• September 23–25– WWII:Battle of Dakar– Naval forces ofFree Franceand Britain fail to take the port ofDakarinFrench West AfricafromVichy France.
• September 25–Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany:GermanReichskommissarJosef Terbovenappoints a provisional council of state from the pro-NaziNasjonal Samlingparty, underVidkun Quisling,as a puppet government for Norway.
• September 26– The U.S. government places anembargoon the exportation of scrap iron and steel to any country outside the Western Hemisphere excluding Britain, effective October 16.
• September 27– WWII: Germany, Italy and Japan sign theTripartite Pact.
• September 30(night toOctober 1) –Arsonistsfrom theHitler Youthdestroy theGreat Synagogue of Strasbourg.

October

Main article:October 1940

• October 1– The first section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the United States' first long-distancecontrolled-access highway,is opened.
• October 11– Portuguese-born performerCarmen Mirandamakes her American film debut inDown Argentine Way,one of the first films produced to promote theGood Neighbor policy.
• October 14– WWII: At least 66 people are killed when aLuftwaffebomb penetratesBalham stationon theLondon Undergroundwhich is in use as anair-raid shelterduringThe Blitzon England.
• October 15–Charlie Chaplin'sThe Great Dictator,a satirical anti-fascist comedy film, premieres in New York City. Written, directed, produced by and starring Chaplin as his first true sound film, it is a critical and commercial success and goes on to become Chaplin's most financially successful work. Filming began in September 1939.
• October 16
  • The draft registration of approximately 16 million men begins in the United States.
  • Nazi Governor-GeneralHans Frankestablishes theWarsaw Ghetto.
• October 18–19– WWII: Thirty-two ships are sunk fromConvoy SC 7andConvoy HX 79by the most effective "wolfpack"of the war, includingOtto Kretschmer,Günther PrienandJoachim Schepke.
• October 26–28– WWII:RMSEmpress of Britain,serving as atroopshipunder the British flag, is bombed, torpedoed and sunk off theDonegalcoast, with the loss of 45 lives. At 42,348GRT,she is the war's largest merchant ship loss.
• October 28– WWII:Greco-Italian Warbegins when Italian troops invade Greece, meeting strong resistance from Greek troops and civilians. This action signals the start of theBalkan Campaign.
• October 29– TheSelective Service Systemlottery is held in Washington, D.C..

November

Main article:November 1940

• November– InCambodia,theKhmer Issarakis formed to overthrow theFrench Armywithin the country.
• November 2–8– WWII:Greco-Italian War–Battle of Elaia–KalamasinEpirus:OutnumberedGreekforces repel theItalian Army.
• November 2–German submarineU-69is commissioned, the firstType VIICU-boatofNazi Germany'sKriegsmarine,which will become its most numerous class, with 568 commissioned during the War.
• November 5
  • 1940 United States presidential election:DemocratincumbentFranklin D. Rooseveltdecisively defeatsRepublicanchallengerWendell Willkie,and becomes the United States' first and only third-term president.
  • WWII: AlliedConvoy HX 84is attacked byGerman cruiserAdmiral Scheerin the North Atlantic; the sacrifice of escorting Britisharmed merchant cruiserHMSJervis Bayunder Capt.Edward FegenandSSBeaverfordenables a majority of the ships (including tankerMVSan Demetrio) to escape.
• November 6–Agatha Christie's mystery novelAnd Then There Were Noneis published in book form, in the United States.
• November 7– InTacoma, Washington,the 600-foot (180 m)-long center span of theTacoma Narrows Bridge(known as Galloping Gertie) collapses.
• November 8– WWII:MSCity of Rayvilleis sunk by a naval mine offCape Otway,Australia (the firstUnited States Merchant Marineloss of the war).
• November 9–Joaquín Rodrigo'sConcierto de Aranjuezfor classical guitar and orchestra premieres inBarcelona,Spain.
• November 10–1940 Vrancea earthquake:An earthquake inRomaniakills 1,000.
• November 11
  • WWII: The BritishRoyal Navylaunches the firstaircraft carrierstrike in history, on the Italianbattleshipfleet anchored atTarantoNaval Base.
  • WWII:German auxiliary cruiserAtlantiscapturestop secretBritish mail intended for theBritish Far East Commandfrom theSSAutomedon,and sends it to Japan.
  • Armistice Day Blizzard:An unexpected blizzard kills 144 in theMidwestern United States.
• November 13– TheWalt Disneyanimated filmFantasia,the first commercial film shown instereophonic sound,has its world premiere at theBroadway Theatrein New York City. It is the first box office failure for Disney, though it recoups its cost years later and becomes one of the most highly regarded of Disney's films.
• November 14– WWII:Coventry Blitz– The city centre ofCoventry,England is destroyed by 500Luftwaffebombers; 150,000fire bombs,503 tons of high explosives and 130 parachute mines level 60,000 of the city's 75,000 buildings; 568 people are killed. The city's cathedral is gutted.
• November 15–Abbott and Costellomake their film debut, inOne Night in the Tropics.
• November 16
  • WWII: In response to Germany levellingCoventry2 days before, theRoyal Air Forcebegins to bombHamburg(by war's end, 50,000 Hamburg residents will have died fromAlliedattacks).
  • An unexplodedpipe bombis found in theConsolidated Edisonoffice building (only in 1957 later is the culprit, former employeeGeorge Metesky,apprehended).
  • TheJamaica Association of Local Government Officersis founded.
• November 17– TheTartu Art Museumis established inTartu,Estonia.
• November 18– WWII: German leaderAdolf Hitlerand Italian Foreign MinisterGaleazzo Cianomeet to discussBenito Mussolini's disastrous invasion of Greece.
• November 20–24– WWII:Hungary,RomaniaandSlovakiajoin theAxis powers.
• November 25
  • Patriadisaster:As British authorities attempt to deportJewish refugees(originating fromGerman-occupied Europe) fromMandatory PalestinetoMauritius,aboard the requisitioned emigrant linerSSPatriaatHaifa,the Jewish paramilitary organizationHaganahsinks the ship with a bomb, killing around 250 refugees and crew.
  • Thede Havilland MosquitoandMartin B-26 Maraudermilitary aircraft both make their first flights.
  • Woody Woodpeckermakes his debut in the animated short,Knock Knock.It is not until 1941 that his current name is adopted.
• November 26–27–Jilava Massacre:InRomania,coup leader GeneralIon Antonescu'sIron Guardarrests and executes over 60 of exiled KingCarol II of Romania's aides, starting at a penitentiary nearBucharest.Among the dead is former minister and acclaimed historianNicolae Iorga.
• November 27– WWII:Battle of Cape Spartivento:The BritishRoyal Navyand ItalianRegia Marinabattle to a draw.
• November 30– TheBattle of South Guangxi(Second Sino-Japanese War) concludes after a year with the Japanese retiring having attained their strategic objectives; however, theCentral Hubei Operationconcludes after five days leaving many Japanese dead.

December

Main article:December 1940

• December–Timely Comics'Captain America Comics#1 (cover dated March 1941),first appearanceofCaptain AmericaandBucky,hits newsstands in the United States.
• December 1–Manuel Ávila Camachotakes office asPresident of Mexico.
• December 6– British submarineHMSRegulusis sunk nearTaranto.
• December 8– TheChicago Bears,in what will become the most one-sided victory inNational Football Leaguehistory, defeat theWashington Redskins73–0 in the 1940 NFL Championship Game.
• December 9– WWII:Operation Compass– British forces in North Africa begin their first major offensive, with an attack on Italian forces atSidi Barrani,Egypt.
• December 12andDecember 15– WWII:Sheffield Blitz( "Operation Crucible" ) – TheYorkshiresteelmaking city ofSheffieldin England is badly damaged by German air-raids.
• December 14– WWII:
  • British destroyersHMSHerewardandHMSHyperionsink an Italian submarine offBardia.
  • Royal NavyFairey Swordfishbased onMaltabombTripoli.
  • Plutoniumis first synthesized in the laboratory, by a team led byGlenn T. SeaborgandEdwin McMillan,at theUniversity of California, Berkeley.
• December 16– WWII:Operation Abigail Rachel– TheRAFbombsMannheim.
• December 17– President Roosevelt, at his regular press conference, first sets forth the outline of his plan to send aid to Great Britain, which will become known asLend-Lease.
• December 23– WWII:Winston Churchill,in a broadcast address to the people of Italy, blamesBenito Mussolinifor leading his nation to war against the British, contrary to Italy's historic friendship with them: "One man has arrayed the trustees and inheritors of ancient Rome upon the side of the ferocious pagan barbarians."
• December 24–Mahatma Gandhi,Indian spiritual non-violence leader, writes his second letter toAdolf Hitler,addressing him as "My friend", and requesting him to stop the war Germany had begun.
• December 25– The German cruiserAdmiral Hipperattacks a British shipping convoy (WS 5A) en route toSierra Leone700 miles (1,100 km) west ofCape FinisterreinSpain.Admiral Hippersinks one ship but has to withdraw with engine trouble.
• December 27– WWII: German auxiliary cruiserKometshells and heavily damages the phosphate production facilities on the Pacific island ofNauru(under Australian protection at this time) while flying the Japanese flag. The bombardment lasts an hour and causes the loss of 13,000 tons of oil.
• December 29
  • Franklin D. Roosevelt,in afireside chatto the nation, declares that the United States must become "the great arsenal of democracy."
  • WWII: "Second Great Fire of London"– TheLuftwaffecarries out a massive incendiary bombing raid, starting 1,500 fires. Many famous buildings, including theGuildhalland Trinity House, are either damaged or destroyed.

Date unknown

• Ansul Fire Schoolis founded inMarinette, Wisconsin.
• In Korea, theHunminjeongeum(1446) is discovered, explaining the basis of theHangulalphabet.
• Walter Knottbegins construction of a Californiaghost townreplica, which soon evolves intoKnott's Berry Farm.

Births

January

Brian Josephson

Jack Nicklaus

John Hurt

Carlos Slim

• January 2
  • Jim Bakker,American televangelist, ex-husband ofTammy Faye
  • S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan,Indian-American mathematician
• January 3–Thelma Schoonmaker,Algerian-born American film editor
• January 4
  • Helmut Jahn,German-American architect (d.2021)
  • Brian Josephson,Welsh physicist,Nobel Prizelaureate
  • Gao Xingjian,Chinese-born writer,Nobel Prizelaureate
• January 9–Miguel Ángel Rodríguez,Costa Rican politician, lawyer, economist and businessman
• January 14–Julian Bond,African-American civil rights activist (d.2015)
• January 16–Franz Müntefering,German politician
• January 17
  • Kipchoge Keino,Kenyan athlete
  • Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni,Armenian Catholic Patriarch ofCilicia(d.2015)
  • Mircea Snegur,1stPresident of Moldova(d.2023)
  • Tabaré Vázquez,President of Uruguay(d.2020)
• January 18–Pedro Rodríguez,Mexican racing driver (d.1971)
• January 19–Paolo Borsellino,Italian judge and magistrate (d.1992)
• January 20
  • Carol Heiss,American figure skater
  • Krishnam Raju,Indian actor and politician
  • Tay Eng Soon,Singaporean politician (d.1993)
• January 21–Jack Nicklaus,American golfer
• January 22–John Hurt,English actor (d.2017)
• January 24–Joachim Gauck,German politician, 11thPresident of Germany
• January 27
  • Brian O'Leary,American scientist, author and NASA astronaut (d.2011)
  • James Cromwell,American actor
  • Petru Lucinschi,Moldovan politician, 2ndPresident of Moldova
• January 28–Carlos Slim,Mexican businessman
• January 29
  • Katharine Ross,American actress
  • Kunimitsu Takahashi,Japanese motorcycle racer and racing driver (d.2022)

February

H. R. Giger

Smokey Robinson

Peter Fonda

Mario Andretti

• February 2
  • Odell Brown,American jazz organist (d.2011)
  • SirDavid Jason,English actor
• February 4–George A. Romero,American film writer, director (d.2017)
• February 5–H. R. Giger,Swiss artist (d.2014)
• February 6–Tom Brokaw,American television journalist and author
• February 7–Tony Tan,7th President of Singapore
• February 9
  • J. M. Coetzee,South African writer,Nobel Prizelaureate
  • Seamus Deane,Irish poet and novelist (d.2021)
• February 12–Robert Saladrigas,Spanish writer, journalist and literary critic (d.2018)
• February 15–Hamzah Haz,Indonesian politician, 9thVice President of Indonesia
• February 17
  • Vicente Fernández,Mexican actor and singer (d.2021)
  • Willi Holdorf,German Olympic decathlete (d.2020)
  • Gene Pitney,American singer (d.2006)
• February 18–Fabrizio De André,Italian singer, songwriter (d.1999)
• February 19–Smokey Robinson,African-American musician
• February 20–Jimmy Greaves,English footballer (d.2021)
• February 21–John Lewis,African-American politician, civil rights activist (d.2020)
• February 23–Peter Fonda,American actor (Easy Rider) (d.2019)
• February 24
  • Pete Duel,American actor (Alias Smith and Jones) (d.1971)
  • Jimmy Ellis,African-American professional boxer (d.2014)
  • Denis Law,Scottish footballer
• February 25–Jesús López Cobos,Spanish-born conductor (d.2018)
• February 27–Bill Hunter,Australian actor (d.2011)
• February 28
  • Mario Andretti,Italian-born American racing driver
  • Joe South,American singer-songwriter (d.2012)

March

Chuck Norris

James Caan

Nancy Pelosi

• March 1
  • David Broome,Welsh show jumping champion
  • Nuala O'Faolain,Irish journalist, author (d.2008)
• March 2–Billy McNeill,Scottish football player and manager (d.2019)
• March 3
  • Germán Castro Caycedo,Colombian writer, journalist
• March 4–Vladimir Morosov,Soviet athlete
• March 5–Anton Fliegerbauer,West German police officer (d.1972)
• March 7
  • Rudi Dutschke,German radical student leader (d.1979)
  • Viktor Savinykh,Soviet cosmonaut
• March 9–Raul Julia,Puerto Rican actor (d.1994)
• March 10–Chuck Norris,American actor, martial artist
• March 12–Al Jarreau,African-American singer (d.2017)
• March 13–Candi Staton,American singer
• March 16
  • Jan Pronk,Dutch politician, diplomat
  • James Wong Jim,Hong Kong composer (d.2004)
• March 19–Billy Beasley,American politician who has served in theAlabama Legislaturesince 1998
• March 20–Paul Neville,Australian politician (d.2019)
• March 21–Solomon Burke,African-American singer, songwriter (d.2010)
• March 22–Haing S. Ngor,Cambodian actor (The Killing Fields) (d.1996)
• March 25
  • Anita Bryant,American entertainer
  • Mina,Italian-Swiss singer
• March 26
  • James Caan,American actor (d.2022)
  • Nancy Pelosi,American politician; Speaker and Minority Leader (alternately) of the United States House of Representatives
• March 27–Marie Jepsen,Danish politician (d.2018)
• March 29
  • Ray Davis,African-American musician (P-Funk) (d.2005)
  • Astrud Gilberto,Brazilian-born singer (d.2023)
• March 30–Jerry Lucas,American professional basketball player
• March 31–Patrick Leahy,American politician

April

Wangari Maathai

Julie Christie

Margrethe II of Denmark

Al Pacino

• April 1–Wangari Maathai,Kenyan environmentalist, recipient of theNobel Peace Prize(d.2011)
• April 2
  • Mike Hailwood,English motorcycle racer (d.1981)
  • DamePenelope Keith,English actress
• April 4–Robby Müller,Dutch cinematographer (d.2018)
• April 6–Pedro Armendáriz Jr.,Mexican actor (d.2011)
• April 8–John Havlicek,American basketball player (d.2019)
• April 12–Herbie Hancock,African-American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor
• April 13
  • J. M. G. Le Clézio,French writer and professor
  • Max Mosley,British motorsport boss (d.2021)
  • José Nápoles,Cuban-born Mexican boxer (d.2019)
• April 14
  • Julie Christie,English actress
  • Countess Marie Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau(d.2021)
• April 15
  • Faimalaga Luka,6th Prime Minister of Tuvalu (d.2005)
  • Robert Walker,American actor (d.2019)
  • Yossef Romano,Israeli weightlifter (d.1972)
• April 16
  • David Holford,Barbadian cricketer (d.2022)
  • QueenMargrethe II of Denmark
• April 17–John McCririck,English horse racing pundit (d.2019)
• April 18
  • Ira von Furstenberg,European socialite and actress
  • Joseph L. Goldstein,American scientist, recipient of theNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
  • Ken Shellito,English footballer, manager (d.2018)
• April 19–Reinhard Bonnke,German Pentecostal evangelist (d.2019)
• April 20–Pilar Miró,Spanish screenwriter and film director (d.1997)
• April 22–Marie-José Nat,French actress (d.2019)
• April 23–Danilo Astori,Uruguayan politician, 15thVice President of Uruguay
• April 24–Sue Grafton,American detective novelist (d.2017)
• April 25–Al Pacino,American actor, film director
• April 26
  • Tan Cheng Bock,Singaporean politician
  • Giorgio Moroder,Italian film composer
• April 30–Ermindo Onega,Argentine footballer (d.1979)

May

Ricky Nelson

Toni Tennille

Don Nelson

• May 1–Elsa Peretti,Italian jewelry designer (d.2021)
• May 2
  • Manuel Esquivel,Belizean politician, 2ndPrime Minister of Belize(d.2022)
  • Hariton Pushwagner,Norwegian artist (d.2018)
• May 3
  • David Koch,American businessman (d.2019)
  • Oemarsono,Indonesian civil servant and politician (d.2022)
• May 5–Lance Henriksen,American actor
• May 7–Angela Carter,English author, editor (d.1992)
• May 8
  • Peter Benchley,American author (Jaws) (d.2006)
  • Emilio Delgado,American actor (Sesame Street), singer and activist (d.2022)
  • Ricky Nelson,American singer (d.1985)
  • Toni Tennille,American pop singer
• May 9–James L. Brooks,American film producer, writer
• May 11–Juan Downey,Chilean-born American video artist (d.1993)
• May 13
  • Bruce Chatwin,British author (d.1989)
  • Oliver Lozano,Filipino lawyer, politician (d.2018)
• May 15
  • Lainie Kazan,American actress, singer
  • Don Nelson,American basketball player and coach
• May 16–Ole Ernst,Danish actor (d.2013)
• May 17
  • Adel Emam,Egyptian actor and comedian
  • Alan Kay,American computer scientist
  • Reynato Puno,FilipinoSupreme CourtChief Justice
• May 19–Jan Janssen,Dutch cyclist
• May 20
  • Shorty Long,African-Americansoul musicsinger, songwriter, musician and record producer (Here Comes The Judge) (d.1969)
  • Stan Mikita,Slovakian-born Canadian hockey player (d.2018)
  • Sadaharu Oh,Japanese baseball player
• May 22–Bernard Shaw,African-American journalist and television news reporter (d.2022)
• May 24–Joseph Brodsky,Russian-born poet,Nobel Prizelaureate (d.1996)
• May 26–Levon Helm,American musician and actor (d.2012)
• May 27–Sotsha Dlamini,5th Prime Minister of Swaziland (d.2017)
• May 29–Farooq Leghari,8thPresident of Pakistan(d.2010)

June

René Auberjonois

Kip Thorne

Constantine II of Greece

SirTom Jones

Nancy Sinatra

Wilma Rudolph

• June 1
  • René Auberjonois,American screen actor (d.2019)
  • Kip Thorne,American gravitational physicist,Nobel Prizelaureate
• June 2–Constantine II of Greece(d.2023)
• June 4–Ludwig Schwarz,Austrian prelate
• June 7
  • Samuel Little,American serial killer (d.2020)
  • SirTom Jones,Welsh singer
  • Ronald Pickup,English actor (d.2021)
• June 8–Nancy Sinatra,American singer
• June 9–Barry McDonald,Papua New Guinea-Australian rugby union player (d.2020)
• June 13–Bobby Freeman,American singer, songwriter (d.2017)
• June 14–Jack Bannon,American actor (d.2017)
• June 16
  • Neil Goldschmidt,American politician, Governor of Oregon (d.2024)
  • Taylor Gun-Jin Wang,Chinese-American astronaut
  • Thea White,American voice actress (d.2021)
• June 17
  • George Akerlof,American economist,Nobel Prizelaureate
  • Ali Saibou,3rd President of Niger (d.2011)
• June 18–Phillip E. Johnson,American lawyer and author (d.2019)
• June 20
  • Eugen Drewermann,German theologian, activist and priest
  • John Mahoney,English-born American actor (d.2018)
• June 21–Michael Ruse,British-Canadian philosopher
• June 22
  • Egon Henninger,German swimmer
  • Abbas Kiarostami,Iranian film director, screenwriter and producer (d.2016)
  • DameEsther Rantzen,British broadcaster
• June 23
  • Willie Wallace,Scottish football player, coach
  • Wilma Rudolph,American Olympic athlete (d.1994)
• June 24
  • Hope Cooke,American socialite, Queen Consort of Sikkim
  • Murali Mohan,Indian film actor, producer, politician and business executive
  • Walter Ofonagoro,Nigerian scholar, politician and businessman
  • Ian Ross,Australian newsreader (d.2014)
  • Vittorio Storaro,Italian cinematographer
• June 25
  • Thomas Köhler,East German luger
  • Mary Beth Peil,American actress and singer
• June 26–Jerry Fujio,Japanese singer, actor and tarento
• June 27–Anil Karanjai,Indian painter of theHungry generationmovement (d.2001)
• June 28
  • Karpal Singh,Malaysian politician, lawyer (d.2014)
  • Muhammad Yunus,Bangladeshi founder ofGrameen Bank,Nobel Prizelaureate
• June 29–Vyacheslav Artyomov,Russian composer
• June 30–Neelo,Indian actress

July

Jerzy Buzek

Nursultan Nazarbayev

SirRingo Starr

SirPatrick Stewart

Fontella Bass

Hanako, Princess Hitachi

• July 1
  • Fukunohana Koichi,Japanese sumo wrestler
  • Craig Brown,Scottish footballer, manager
  • Abdul Razzak Ahmed,Iraqi football player
  • Wathiq Naji,Iraqi football manager
• July 2
  • Joshua Bryant,American actor, director, author and speaker
  • Ruriko Asaoka,Japanese actress
• July 3
  • Lamar Alexander,American politician
  • Fontella Bass,African-American soul singer ( "Rescue Me") (d.2012)
  • Jerzy Buzek,Polish politician, 8thPrime Minister of Poland
  • Jose Alberto Laboy,Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
  • Lance Larson,American competition swimmer, Olympic champion and world record-holder in four events
  • Chuck Sieminski,American football player
  • César Tovar,Venezuelan baseball player (d.1994)
  • Mario Zanin,Italian cyclist
• July 4
  • Deidre Catt,English tennis player
  • Nasser Madani, Iranian fencer
  • Gene McDowell,American college football coach
  • Pat Stapleton,Canadian ice hockey player
• July 5–Reiko Kusamura,Japanese actress
• July 6
  • Nursultan Nazarbayev,1stPresident of Kazakhstan
  • Siti Norma Yaakob,Malaysian lawyer and judge
• July 7
  • Lee Keun-hak,North Korean football player
  • SirRingo Starr,English musician, singer, songwriter and actor (The Beatles)
  • Irène Sweyd,Belgian swimmer
• July 9–Herminia Roman,Filipino politician
• July 10
  • Julie Payne,American actress (d.2019)
  • Tommy Troelsen,Danish footballer, manager and television presenter (d.2021)
• July 13
  • Paul Prudhomme,American celebrity chef, cookbook author (d.2015)
  • SirPatrick Stewart,English actor (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• July 15–Johnny Seay,American country music singer (d.2016)
• July 17–Francisco Toledo,Mexican painter, sculptor and graphic artist (d.2019)
• July 18
  • James Brolin,American actor, director
  • Peter Mutharika,5thPresident of Malawi
• July 19
  • Hanako, Princess Hitachi
  • Vikki Carr,American singer
  • Anzor Kavazashvili,Soviet football goalkeeper
• July 22
  • Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma
  • Alex Trebek,Canadian game show host (Jeopardy!) (d.2020)
• July 26–Mary Jo Kopechne,American aide toTed Kennedy(d.1969)
• July 27
  • Pina Bausch,German choreographer (d.2009)
  • Bharati Mukherjee,Indian-born novelist (d.2017)
• July 30–Clive Sinclair,English inventor (d.2021)

August

Martin Sheen

Jean-Luc Dehaene

Jack Thompson

• August 1–Ram Loevy,Israeli screenwriter, director
• August 3–Martin Sheen,American actor, father ofCharlie Sheen
• August 7
  • Jean-Luc Dehaene,Prime Minister of Belgium(d.2014)
  • Thomas Barlow,American politician (d.2017)
• August 8–Dilip Sardesai,Indian cricketer (d.2007)
• August 10–Bobby Hatfield,American singer (The Righteous Brothers) (d.2003)
• August 12–Tony Allen,Nigerian Afrobeat drummer (d.2020)
• August 13
  • Dirk Sager,German journalist (d.2014)
  • Tony Cloninger,American baseball player (d.2018)
• August 14
  • Galen Hall,American football coach
  • Max Schautzer,Austrian-born German radio, television presenter
• August 17–Joseph Pairin Kitingan,Malaysian politician, Chief Minister OfSabah
• August 19
  • Johnny Nash,American singer-songwriter (d.2020)
  • Jill St. John,American actress
• August 20
  • Musa Geshaev,Chechen poet, historian (d.2014)
  • Rajendra K. Pachauri,Indian scientist (d.2020)
  • John Waller,Englishhistorical European martial arts(HEMA) revival pioneer andfight director(d. 2018)
• August 23
  • Tom Baker,American actor (d.1982)
  • Maria Teresa Fontela Goulart,First Lady of Brazil
  • Thomas A. Steitz,American biochemist (d.2018)
• August 25–José van Dam,Belgian bass-baritone
• August 26–Michel Micombero,1st President of Burundi (d.1983)
• August 27–Sonny Sharrock,American jazz musician (d.1994)
• August 28–Joseph Shabalala,South African choral director (Ladysmith Black Mambazo) (d.2020)
• August 29–Wim Ruska,Dutch wrestler, martial artist (d.2015)
• August 31–Jack Thompson,Australian actor

September

Raquel Welch

Brian De Palma

Linda Gray

Óscar Arias

Frankie Avalon

Michel Temer

• September 1
  • Yaşar Büyükanıt,Turkish military officer (d.2019)
  • Annie Ernaux,French author,Nobel Prizelaureate
• September 3
  • Eduardo Galeano,Uruguayan writer (d.2015)
  • Joseph Warioba,5th Prime Minister of Tanzania
• September 5–Raquel Welch,American actress (d.2023)
• September 6
  • Elwyn Berlekamp,American mathematician (d.2019)
  • Jackie Trent,English singer-songwriter, actress (d.2015)
• September 7
  • Dario Argento,Italian filmmaker
  • Abdurrahman Wahid,4th President of Indonesia (d.2009)
• September 10
  • Roy Ayers,African-American musician, songwriter
  • David Mann,American artist (d.2004)
  • Kim En Jong,Korean dominican monk and painter
• September 11
  • Brian De Palma,American film director
  • Ajit Singh,Indian-born economist (d.2015)
• September 12
  • Joachim Frank,German-born biophysicist,Nobel Prizelaureate
  • Linda Gray,American model, actress (Dallas)
  • Skip Hinnant,American actor
  • Mickey Lolich,American baseball player
• September 13–Óscar Arias,Costa Rican politician, twicePresident of Costa Rica,Nobel Peace Prizelaureate
• September 14
  • Larry Brown,American basketball player, coach
  • Barbara Greenwood,Canadian educator and children's author
• September 18–Frankie Avalon,American singer and actor
• September 19–Paul Williams,American songwriter, singer and actor
• September 20–Tarō Asō,59thPrime Minister of Japan
• September 22–Anna Karina,Danish-French actress (d.2019)
• September 23
  • Mohammad-Reza Shajarian,Iranian traditional singer (d.2020)
  • Michel Temer,Brazilian politician,President of Brazilbetween 2016 and 2018.
• September 24–Michiko Suganuma,UrushiJapanese lacquerartist
• September 27–Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah,emir of Kuwait

October

John Lennon

SirMichael Gambon

Pelé

• October 1
  • Chris Pattikawa,Indonesian film director and producer (d.2020)
  • Jean-Luc Bideau,Swiss actor
• October 3–Mike Troy,American swimmer (d.2019)
• October 4–Ian Kiernan,Australian yachtsman (d.2018)
• October 5–Milena Dravić,Serbian actress (d.2018)
• October 6–John Warnock,American computer scientist, co-foundedAdobe Inc.(d.2023)
• October 9–John Lennon,English musician, singer-songwriter (The Beatles) (d.1980)
• October 13–Pharoah Sanders,American saxophonist (d.2022)
• October 14–Cliff Richard,British pop musician, actor and philanthropist
• October 15–Peter Doherty,Australian immunologist, recipient of theNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• October 16
  • Barry Corbin,American actor
  • Dave DeBusschere,American basketball player and coach, baseball player (d.2003)
• October 17–Peter Stringfellow,English businessman, nightclub owner (d.2018)
• October 18–Győző Kulcsár,Hungarian fencer (d.2018)
• October 19–Sir Michael Gambon,British-Irish actor (d.2023)
• October 20–Robert Pinsky,American poet, essayist, literary critic and translator,United States Poet Laureate
• October 21
  • Geoffrey Boycott,English cricketer
  • Manfred Mann,South African rock musician
  • Marita Petersen,8th Prime Minister of Faroe Islands (d.2001)
• October 23–Pelé,Brazilian footballer (d.2022)
• October 24–Yossi Sarid,Israeli politician (d.2015)
• October 25
  • Bob Knight,American basketball player and coach (d.2023)
  • Apolo Nsibambi,Ugandan politician, 8thPrime Minister of Uganda(d.2019)
• October 27–John Gotti,American gangster (d.2002)
• October 28–Jack Shepherd,English actor
• October 29
  • Frida Boccara,French singer (d.1996)
  • Princess Lalla Nuzha,princess of Morocco (d.1977)
• October 30–Hidetoshi Nagasawa,Japanese sculptor, architect (d.2018)

November

Qaboos bin Said

Bruce Lee

• November 5–Jaime Roldós Aguilera,33rdPresident of Ecuador(1979-1981) (d.1981)
• November 12–Donald Wuerl,American archbishop
• November 15
  • Wolf Biermann,German singer, songwriter and East German dissident
  • Roberto Cavalli,Italian designer (d.2024)
  • Sam Waterston,American actor
• November 17–Luke Kelly,Irish ballad singer (d.1984)
• November 18–Qaboos bin Said,Sultan of Oman(d.2020)
• November 20–Helma Sanders-Brahms,German film director (d.2014)
• November 21–Richard Marcinko,U.S. Navy SEAL team member, author (d.2021)
• November 22
  • Alberto Fouilloux,Chilean footballer (d.2018)
  • Terry Gilliam,American-born British screenwriter, director and animator (Monty Python's Flying Circus)
  • Andrzej Żuławski,Polish film director, writer (d.2016)
• November 25–Joe Gibbs,American football coach
• November 27–Bruce Lee,Chinese-American martial artist, actor (d.1973)
• November 29–Chuck Mangione,American flugelhorn player

December

Richard Pryor

Dionne Warwick

Frank Zappa

• December 1
  • Richard Pryor,American stand-up comedian, actor and writer (d.2005)
  • Mário da Graça Machungo,1st Prime Minister of Mozambique(d.2020)
• December 2–Connie Booth,British actress
• December 4–Gary Gilmore,American murderer (d.1977)
• December 11
  • David Gates,American singer-songwriter (Bread)
  • Donna Mills,American actress
• December 12
  • Sharad Pawar,Indian politician
  • Dionne Warwick,African-American singer and actress
• December 19–Phil Ochs,Americanprotest singer(d.1976)
• December 21–Frank Zappa,American musician, composer and satirist (d.1993)
• December 23
  • Mamnoon Hussain,12th President of Pakistan (d.2021)
  • Jorma Kaukonen,American musician (Jefferson Airplane)
• December 24
  • Janet Carroll,American actress, singer (d.2012)
  • Anthony S. Fauci,American immunologist
  • Jan Stráský,20thPrime Minister of Czechoslovakia(d.2019)
• December 25–Alija Behmen,Bosnian politician (d.2018)
• December 26–Edward C. Prescott,American economist,Nobel Prizelaureate (d.2022)
• December 28–Don Francisco,Chilean-American television host
• December 29
  • Fred Hansen,American Olympic athlete
  • Brigitte Kronauer,German novelist (d.2019)
• December 30
  • James Burrows,American television director
  • Philippe Cousteau,French diver and cinematographer (d.1979)

Deaths

January

• January 1–Fusajiro Yamauchi,Japanese business executive (b.1868)
• January 4–Flora Finch,English-born actress, comedian (b.1867)
• January 9–Alex Bennett,Scottish footballer (b.1881)
• January 15–Kallirhoe Parren,founder of the Greek women's movement (b.1861)
• January 18–Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer,Polish poet, writer (b.1865)
• January 20–Omar Bundy,U.S. Army general (b.1861)
• January 22–Edwin Carewe,Native American director (b.1883)
• January 27–Isaac Babel,Ukrainian writer (executed) (b.1894)
• January 29–Nedo Nadi,Italian fencer (b.1894)

February

Gunnar Höckert

Michael Hainisch

• February–Zheng Pingru,Chinese spy (executed) (b.1918)
• February 2
  • Mikhail Koltsov,Soviet journalist (executed) (b.1898)
  • Vsevolod Meyerhold,Russian theatre practitioner (b.1874)
• February 4
  • Samuel M. Vauclain,American engineer (b.1856)
  • Nikolai Yezhov,Soviet politician and police chief, Great Purge Perpetrator (b.1895)
• February 9–William Dodd,American historian, diplomat (b.1869)
• February 11
  • John Buchan,1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Scottish-born novelist,Governor General of Canada(b.1875)
  • Gunnar Höckert,Finnish Olympic athlete (b.1910)
• February 15–R. E. B. Crompton,British electrical engineer, industrialist and inventor (b.1845)
• February 16–Louis Dartige du Fournet,French admiral (b.1856)
• February 26–Michael Hainisch,2ndPresident of Austria(b.1858)
• February 27–Peter Behrens,German architect, designer (b.1868)
• February 29
  • E. F. Benson,English writer (b.1867)
  • Josef Swickard,German actor (b.1866)

March

Selma Lagerlöf

Spyridon Louis

• March 1–A. H. Tammsaare,Estonian writer (b.1878)
• March 5
  • Maxine Elliott,American actress (b.1868)
  • Cai Yuanpei,Chinese educator, philosopher, politician and Esperantist and the president of Peking University (b.1868)
• March 10–Mikhail Bulgakov,Russian writer (b.1891)
• March 16
  • Selma Lagerlöf,Swedish writer,Nobel Prizelaureate (b.1858)
  • Samuel Untermyer,American lawyer (b.1858)
• March 18–Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston,British army general (b.1864)
• March 20–Alfred Ploetz,German physician, biologist and eugenicist (b.1860)
• March 23–Dimitar Stanchov,15thPrime Minister of Bulgaria(b.1863)
• March 24–Thomas Adams,British urban planner (b.1871)
• March 26–Spyridon Louis,Greek Olympic athlete (b.1873)
• March 27
  • Madeleine Astor,American survivor of thesinking of the RMSTitanic(b.1893)
  • Michael Joseph Savage,23rdPrime Minister of New Zealand(b.1872)
• March 30–Sir George Egerton,British admiral (b.1852)
• March 31–Tinsley Lindley,English footballer (b.1865)

April

Carl Bosch

• April 1–J. A. Hobson,English economist (b.1858)
• April 5
  • Robert Maillart,Swiss civil engineer (b.1872)
  • Song Zheyuan,Chinese general of theNorthwestern Army(b.1885)
• April 7–William Faversham,English actor (b.1868)
• April 8–Joaquin Mir Trinxet,Spanish artist (b.1873)
• April 9
  • Mrs. Patrick Campbell,English theatre actress, producer (b.1865)
  • Henryk Minkiewicz,Polish general and politician (executed) (b.1880)
• April 10–Bernard Warburton-Lee,British naval officer,Victoria Crossrecipient (killed in action) (b.1895)
• April 18–Florrie Forde,Australian-born music hall singer (b.1875)
• April 21–George Barnes,British Labour politician (b.1859)
• April 26–Carl Bosch,German chemist,Nobel Prizelaureate (b.1874)
• April 28–Luisa Tetrazzini,Italian opera singer (b.1871)
• April 30–Henryk Dobrzański,Polish soldier, sportsman and resistance fighter (b.1897)

May

Prince Wilhelm of Prussia

Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse

• May 2–Ernest Joyce,English explorer (b. 1875)
• May 7–George Lansbury,British Labour politician (b. 1859)
• May 11–Chujiro Hayashi,Japanese Reiki Master (b. 1880)
• May 14–Emma Goldman,Lithuanian-born anarchist (b.1869)
• May 15–Menno ter Braak,Dutch writer (b.1902)
• May 16–Zhang Zizhong,general of the ChineseNational Revolutionary Army(b.1891)
• May 20–Verner von Heidenstam,Swedish writer,Nobel Prizelaureate (b.1859)
• May 24–Louis Fles,Dutch businessman, activist and author (b.1872)
• May 25–Joe De Grasse,Canadian film director (b.1873)
• May 26–Prince Wilhelm of Prussia(b.1906)
• May 27–Bolesław Roja,Polish general (executed) (b.1876)
• May 28
  • Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse(b.1868)
  • Walter Connolly,American actor (b.1887)
• May 29–Mary Anderson,American stage actress (b.1859)

June

Arthur Harden

Janusz Kusocinski

Paul Klee

• June 7
  • James Hall,American actor (b.1900)
  • Hugh Rodman,American admiral (b.1859)
• June 10
  • Marcus Garvey,Jamaican-born publisher, entrepreneur and black nationalist (b.1887)
  • Sir Thomas Hudson Beare,British engineer (b.1859)
• June 11–Alfred S. Alschuler,Americanarchitect(b.1876)
• June 13–George Fitzmaurice,American director (b.1885)
• June 12–William Lashly,English sailor (b.1867)
• June 14–Henry W. Antheil Jr.,American diplomat (b.1912)
• June 17–Sir Arthur Harden,English chemist,Nobel Prizelaureate (b.1865)
• June 19–Maurice Jaubert,French composer (b.1900)
• June 20–Charley Chase,American comedian (b.1893)
• June 21
  • Smedley Butler,U.S. general (b.1881)
  • Janusz Kusociński,Polish athlete (killed in action) (b.1907)
  • John T. Thompson,United States Army officer, inventor of theThompson gun(b.1860)
  • Édouard Vuillard,French painter (b.1868)
• June 22
  • Walter Hasenclever,German poet and playwright (b.1890)
  • Wladimir Köppen,Russian-born German geographer and climatologist (b.1846)
• June 15–J. B. Johnson,American attorney and politician (b.1868)
• June 28–Italo Balbo,Italian Fascist leader (b.1896)
• June 29–Paul Klee,Swiss artist (b.1879)

July

• July 1–Ben Turpin,American actor, comedian (b.1869)
• July 9–Józef Biniszkiewicz,Silesian politician (b.1875)
• July 10–Pietro Frugoni,Italian general (b.1851)
• July 15–Robert Wadlow,American citizen, tallest man ever (infection) (b.1918)
• July 28–David W. Taylor,American naval architect (b.1864)
• July 30–Spencer S. Wood,United States Navy Rear Admiral (b.1861)

August

Leon Trotsky

Paul Nipkow

J. J. Thomson

• August 1–Temulji Bhicaji Nariman,Indian physician andobstetrician(b.1848)
• August 3
  • Ze'ev Jabotinsky,Russian Zionist philosopher and intellectual (b.1880)
  • Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV,Indian royal, Maharajah of Mysore (b.1884)
• August 4–Joaquina Maria Mercedes Barcelo Pages,FilipinoRoman Catholicnun and venerable (b.1857)
• August 5–Frederick Cook,American explorer (b.1865)
• August 8–Johnny Dodds,American jazz clarinetist (b.1892)
• August 13
  • James Fairbairn,Australian pastoralist, aviator and politician (b.1897)
  • SirHenry Gullett,Australian politician (b.1878)
  • Geoffrey Street,Australian politician (b.1894)
  • SirBrudenell White,Australian general (b.1876)
• August 16–Henri Desgrange,French racing cyclist and founder of theTour de France(b.1865)
• August 18–Walter Chrysler,American automobile pioneer (b.1875)
• August 21–Leon Trotsky,Russian communist revolutionary (assassinated) (b.1879)
• August 22
  • SirOliver Lodge,British physicist (b.1851)
  • Gerald Strickland, 1st Baron Strickland,Maltese politician, 4thPrime Minister of Malta,23rd Governor of New South Wales, 15th Governor of Western Australia and 9th Governor of Tasmania (b.1861)
  • Mary Vaux Walcott,American artist, naturalist (b.1860)
• August 24–Paul Gottlieb Nipkow,German technician and inventor (b.1860)
• August 28–William Bowie,American geodetic engineer (b.1872)
• August 30
  • Sir Thomas Snow,British army general (b.1858)
  • J. J. Thomson,British physicist,Nobel Prizelaureate (b.1856)
• August 31
  • Ernest Lundeen,American lawyer, politician (b.1878)
  • DeLancey W. Gill,American landscape painter, photographer (b.1859)

September

Charles de Broqueville

• September 4–George William de Carteret,Jerseiaise author (b.1869)
• September 5–Charles de Broqueville,20thPrime Minister of Belgium(b.1860)
• September 7–José Félix Estigarribia,34thPresident of Paraguay(b.1888)
• September 9–Percy Abbott,Australian politician (b.1869)
• September 10
  • Nikola Ivanov,Bulgarian general (b.1861)
  • Yamaya Tanin,Japanese admiral (b.1866)
• September 20–E. Rosa Sawtell,New Zealand artist (b.1865)
• September 23
  • Robert Hichens,RMSTitanicquartermaster, man at the wheel whenTitanichit the iceberg (b.1882)
  • Hale Holden,American president ofChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad(1914–1918, 1920–1929) (b.1869)
• September 25–Marguerite Clark,American stage and silent film actress (b.1883)
• September 26–Walter Benjamin,German philosopher and cultural critic, suicide (b.1892)
• September 27
  • Julián Besteiro,Spanish socialist politician (b.1870)
  • Julius Wagner-Jauregg,Austrian neuroscientist, recipient of theNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine(b.1857)

October

• October 5
  • Ballington Booth,American co-founder of Volunteers of America (b.1857)
  • Lincoln Loy McCandless,Hawaiian politician, cattle rancher (b.1859)
  • Silvestre Revueltas,Mexican composer (b.1899)
• October 6–Michitarō Komatsubara,Japanese general (b.1885)
• October 8
  • Robert Emden,Swiss astrophysicist and meteorologist (b.1862)
  • Sir Henry Head,English neurologist (b.1861)
• October 9–Sir Wilfred Grenfell,English medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador (b.1865)
• October 10–Berton Churchill,Canadian actor (b.1876)
• October 12–Tom Mix,American actor (b.1880)
• October 15–Lluís Companys,President of theGeneralitat of Catalonia(executed) (b.1882)
• October 17–George Davis,American baseball player,MLB Hall of Famer(b.1870)
• October 20–Gunnar Asplund,Swedish architect (b.1885)
• October 22–Sir Charles Harington,British general (b.1872)

November

Nicolae Iorga

• November 3–Manuel Azaña,55thPrime Minister of Spain,2ndPresident of Spain(b.1880)
• November 9–Neville Chamberlain,Prime Minister of the United Kingdom(b.1869)
• November 17
  • Eric Gill,English sculptor, lettering designer and writer (b.1882)
  • Raymond Pearl,American biologist (b.1879)
• November 18–Ion Inculeț,Moldavian politician, 1stPresident of Moldova(b.1884)
• November 24–Saionji Kinmochi,Japanese prince and prime minister (b.1849)
• November 26– assassinations
  • Gheorghe Argeșanu,Romanian general and politician, 40thPrime Minister of Romania(b.1883)
  • Ioan Bengliu,Romanian general (b.1881)
  • Victor Iamandi,Romanian politician (b.1891)
  • Mihail Moruzov,Romanian intelligence chief (b.1887)
• November 27
  • Henri Guillaumet,French aviator (b.1902)
  • Nicolae Iorga,Romanian historian and politician, 34thPrime Minister of Romania(assassinated) (b.1871)

December

Kyosti Kallio

F. Scott Fitzgerald

• December 2–Nikolai Koltsov,Russian biologist, genetist (b.1872)
• December 5–Jan Kubelík,Czech violinist (b.1880)
• December 13–Wilfred Lucas,Canadian-born American actor (b.1871)
• December 14–Anton Korošec,Slovenian political leader (b.1872)
• December 15–Billy Hamilton,American baseball player,MLB Hall of Famer(b.1866)
• December 16–Eugène Dubois,Dutch paleoanthropologist, geologist (b.1858)
• December 19–Kyösti Kallio,Finnish farmerman, banker, 8thPrime Minister of Finlandand 4thPresident of Finland(b.1873)
• December 21–F. Scott Fitzgerald,American writer (b.1896)
• December 22–Nathanael West,American writer (b.1903)
• December 23–Eddie August Schneider,American aviator (b.1911)
• December 25–Agnes Ayres,American actress (b.1898)
• December 26–Daniel Frohman,American theater producer (b.1851)

Nobel Prizes

• Physics– not awarded
• Chemistry– not awarded
• Physiology or Medicine– not awarded
• Literature– not awarded
• Peace– not awarded

Further reading

• Bloch, Leon Bryce and Lamar Middleton, ed.The World Over in 1940(1941) detailed coverage of world eventsonline free;914pp

External links

• 1940 WWII Timeline
• The 1930s Timeline: 1940– from American Studies Programs at The University of Virginia
• The 1940s | 1940-1949 | History Fashion Movies MusicArchivedJune 20, 2011, at theWayback Machine