1940 34708 225357877 2008-07-13T07:28:03Z Footballfan190 5962983 /* Births */ {{year nav|1940}} {{C20YearInTopicX}} Year '''1940''' ('''[[Roman numerals|MCMXL]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Monday]] (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the [[Gregorian calendar]]. {{C20YearTOCship}} == Events of 1940 == : ''(Below, many events of [[World War II]] have the "[[World War II|WWII]]" prefix.)'' <!-- Unsourced image removed:[[Image:Hermann Wilhelm Goering Offiziell.jpg|thumb|55px|right| [[January 4|Jan.4]] [[Hermann Goering|Goering]]]] --> ===January=== <!-- Link dates even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[January 4]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Axis powers]] - [[Luftwaffe]] General [[Hermann Goering]] assumes control of all war industries in [[Germany]]. * [[January 6]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Winter War]] - General [[Semyon Timoshenko]] takes command of all Russian forces. * [[January 8]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Winter War]] - Russian 44th Assault Division destroyed by Finnish forces in [[Battle of Suomussalmi]]. * [[January 26]] - [[Australia]] - Brisbane swelters through its hottest day ever, 43.2 degrees Celsius. * [[January 27]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[South Africa]] - A peace resolution introduced in [[Parliament of South Africa|Parliament]] is defeated by 81 votes to 59. * [[January 29]] - Three gasoline multiple units carrying factory workers crash and explode while approaching Ajikawaguchi station, [[Yumesaki Line]] ([[Nishinari]] Line), [[Osaka]], [[Japan]], killing at least 181 people and injuring at least 92. ===February=== * [[February 1]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Winter War]] - Russian forces launch major assault on Finnish troops which occupy the [[Karelian Isthmus]]. * [[February 7]] - [[RKO]] releases [[Walt Disney]]'s second full-length [[animated film]], ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]''. * [[February 16]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: In the [[Altmark Incident]] [[Armed Forces of the United Kingdom|British]] destroyer ''[[HMS Cossack|Cossack]]'' pursues [[Germany|German]] tanker ''[[German tanker Altmark|Altmark]]'' into [[Jøssingfjord]] in southwestern [[Norway]]. * [[February 27]] - [[Martin Kamen]] and [[Sam Ruben]] discovered [[carbon-14]] ===March=== * [[March 2]] - [[Elmer Fudd]] makes his debut in the short ''[[Elmer's Candid Camera]]''. * [[March 3]] - In Sweden, a [[Time bomb (explosive)|time bomb]] destroys the office of ''[[Norrskenflamman]]'' newspaper of [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[communism|communists]] - 5 dead. * [[March 5]]- Members of Soviet politburo: [[Stalin]], [[Molotov]], [[Lazar Kaganovich]], [[Mikhail Kalinin]], [[Kliment Voroshilov]] and [[Lavrenty Beria]], signed an order, prepared by Beria, for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs. The action is known as the [[Katyn massacre]]. * [[March 12]] - [[Soviet Union]] and [[Finland]] sign a peace treaty in [[Moscow]] ending the [[Winter War]]. Finns, along with the world at large, were shocked by the harsh terms. * [[March 18]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Axis powers]] - [[Adolf Hitler]] and [[Benito Mussolini]] meet at [[Brenner Pass]] in the [[Alps]] and agree to form an alliance against [[France]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. * [[March 21]] - [[Édouard Daladier]] resigns as prime minister of France. He is replaced by [[Paul Reynaud]]. * [[March 23]] - The ''[[Pakistan Resolution]]'' is rallied by the [[All-India Muslim League]]: [[Muslims]] from every corner of [[India]] meet up around [[Iqbal Park]], [[Lahore]] (now in modern-day [[Pakistan]]). ===April=== * [[April 5]] - [[Neville Chamberlain]], in what will prove to be a tragic lapse of judgment, declares in a major public speech that [[Hitler]] has "missed the bus". * [[April 7]] - [[Booker T. Washington]] becomes the first [[African American]] to be depicted on a [[United States]] [[postage stamp]]. * [[April 9]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Germany]] invades [[Denmark]] and [[Norway]] in operation ''[[Weserübung]].'' The [[British campaign in Norway]] is simultaneously commenced. * [[April 12]] - The [[Faroe Islands]] were occupied by British troops following the invasion of [[Denmark]] by [[Nazi Germany]]. This action was taken to avert a possible German occupation of the islands, which would have had very grave consequences for the course of the [[Battle of the Atlantic]]. * [[April 15]] - Opening day at Jamaica Racetrack features the use of pari-mutuel betting equipment, a departure from bookmaking heretofore used exclusively throughout New York state. Other NY tracks follow suit later in 1940. * [[April 21]] - ''[[Take It or Leave It]]'' makes it debut on [[CBS Radio]], with [[Bob Hawk]] as host. * [[April 23]] - Rhythm Night Club burns in [[Natchez, Mississippi]]: 198 dead. ===May=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[May 10]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: **[[Battle of France]] begins - [[Germany|German]] forces invade [[Low Countries]]. **[[Invasion of Iceland]] by the [[United Kingdom]]. **With the resignation of [[Neville Chamberlain]], [[Winston Churchill]] becomes [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]]. [[Image:Churchill portrait NYP 45063.jpg|thumb|right|[[May 10]]:Winston Churchill]]. * [[May 13]] **[[Winston Churchill]], in his first address as Prime Minister, tells the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], "I have nothing to offer you but blood, toil, tears, and sweat." **[[World War II|WWII]]: German armies open 60-mile wide breach in [[Maginot Line]] at [[Sedan, France|Sedan]]. * [[May 14]] **[[Queen Wilhelmina]] of the [[Netherlands]] and her government flee to [[London]]; [[Rotterdam]] subjected to savage terror bombing by the [[Luftwaffe]] - 980 killed, 20,000 buildings destroyed. **Recruitment begins in [[United Kingdom|Britain]] for a home defence force - the [[Local Defence Volunteers]], later known as the Home Guard. * [[May 15]] **[[World War II|WWII]]: [[Royal Netherlands Army|Dutch army]] surrenders. * [[May 16]] - U.S. President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], addressing a joint session of [[United States Congress|Congress]], asks for an extraordinary credit of approximately $900 million to finance construction of at least 50,000 airplanes per year. * [[May 17]] - [[Brussels]] falls to [[Germany|German]] forces; [[Belgium|Belgian]] government flees to [[Ostend]]. * [[May 18]] - Marshal [[Henri Petain]] named vice-premier of [[France]]. * [[May 19]] - General [[Maxime Weygand]] replaces [[Maurice Gamelin]] as commander-in-chief of all [[France|French]] forces. * [[May 20]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Germany|German]] forces, under General [[Erwin Rommel]], reach the [[English Channel]]. [[Holocaust]]: concentration and death camp, [[Auschwitz-Birkenau]] opens in [[Poland]]. * [[May 22]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British Parliament]] passes Emergency Powers Act giving the government full control over all persons and property. * [[May 26]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Dunkirk evacuation]] of [[British Expeditionary Force]] starts. * [[May 28]] **[[World War II|WWII]]: [[King Leopold III]] orders the [[Belgium|Belgian]] forces to cease fighting. Leaders of the Belgian government on French territory declare Leopold deposed. **[[Winston Churchill]] warns the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] to, "... prepare itself for hard and heavy tidings." * [[May 29]] - First flight of the Vought XF4U-1, the prototype of the [[F4U Corsair]] U.S. fighter later used in [[World War II|WWII]]. ===June=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[June 3]] ** [[Holocaust]]: [[Franz Rademacher]] proposes the [[Madagascar Plan]]. ** [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Paris]] is bombed by the [[Luftwaffe]] for the first time. * [[June 4]] **[[Dunkirk evacuation]] ends - [[United Kingdom|British]] forces complete evacuating 300,000 troops from [[Dunkirk, France|Dunkirk]] in [[France]]. **[[Winston Churchill]] tells the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], "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 9]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: The [[British Commandos]] are created. * [[June 10]] - [[World War II|WWII]] **[[Italy]] declares war on [[France]] and the [[United Kingdom]]. **U.S. President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] denounces Italy's actions with [ftp://webstorage2.mcpa.virginia.edu/library/nara/fdr/audiovisual/speeches/fdr_1940_0610.mp3 "Stab in the Back"] speech from the graduation ceremonies of the [[University of Virginia]]. **[[Canada]] declares war on [[Italy]]. **[[Norway]] surrenders to [[Germany|German]] forces. **French government flees to [[Tours]]. * [[June 12]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: 13,000 [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[France|French]] troops surrender to [[Field Marshal]] [[Erwin Rommel]] at [[St. Valery-en-Caux]]. * [[June 13]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Paris]] is declared an [[open city]]. * [[June 14]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: **French government flees to [[Bordeaux]]. **[[Paris]] falls under [[Germany|German]] occupation. **U.S. President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|Franklin D. Roosevelt]] signs the [[Naval Expansion Act]] into law which aims to increase the [[United States Navy]]'s tonnage by 11 %. **[[Holocaust]]: A group of 728 [[Poland|Polish]] political prisoners from [[Tarnów]] become the first residents of the [[Auschwitz concentration camp]]. * [[June 15]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Verdun]] falls to [[Germany|German]] forces. * [[June 16]] : The [[Sturgis Motorcycle Rally]] is held for the first time in [[Sturgis, South Dakota]]. * [[June 17]] **[[Philippe Petain]] becomes [[Prime Minister]] of [[France]] and immediately asks [[Germany]] for peace terms. **Soviet Army enters [[Baltic state]]s of [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]]. **[[Operation Ariel]] begins - [[Allies|Allied]] troops start to evacuate [[France]], following [[Germany]]'s takeover of [[Paris]] and most of the nation. **[[Luftwaffe]] [[Junkers 88]] bomber sinks British ship ''[[RMS Lancastria]]'', that was evacuating troops from near [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[France]]. Death toll is over 2500. Wartime censorship prevents the story going public. * [[June 18]] **[[Winston Churchill]] speaks to the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]: "... the [[Battle of France]] is over. The [[Battle of Britain]] is about to begin." **General [[Charles de Gaulle]] broadcasts from [[London]], calling on all French people to continue the fight against [[Nazi]] [[Germany]]: "France has lost a battle. But France has not lost the war." * [[June 21]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Vichy France]] and Germany sign armistice at [[Compiegne]] in the same wagon-lit railroad car used by Marshal [[Ferdinand Foch]] to accept the surrender of Germany in [[1918]]. * [[June 23]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Germany|German]] leader [[Adolf Hitler]] surveys newly defeated [[Paris]] in now occupied [[France]].[http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/blhitler38.htm] * [[June 24]] **U.S. politics: [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] begins its national convention in [[Philadelphia]] and nominates [[Wendell Willkie]] as its candidate for president. **[[World War II|WWII]]: [[Vichy France]] signs armistice terms with [[Italy]]. * [[June 28]] - General [[Charles DeGaulle]] is officially recognized by [[United Kingdom|Britain]] as "Leader of all [[Free French]]men, wherever they may be." * [[June 30]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Germany|German]] forces land in [[Guernsey]] marking the start of the 5-year [[Occupation of the Channel Islands]]. ===July=== <!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:bugsbunnyashelooksindebut.jpg|250px|thumb|left| On July 27 Bugs Bunny was introduced to the public]] --> * [[July 3]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: British naval units sink or seize ships of the French fleet anchored in the [[Algeria]]n ports of [[Oran]] and Mers-el-Kebir. The following day, [[Vichy France]] breaks off diplomatic relations with [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. * [[July 10]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Vichy France]] begins with a constitutional law where only [[The Vichy 80|80 members of the parliament]] voted against. * [[July 15]] - U.S. politics: [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] begins its national convention in [[Chicago]] and nominates [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] for an unprecedented third term as president. * [[July 19]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Adolf Hitler]] makes peace appeal to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in an address to the [[Reichstag (institution)|Reichstag]]. [[Lord Halifax]], British foreign minister, flatly rejects peace terms in a broadcast reply on [[July 22]]. * [[July 21]] - [[Estonian SSR]], [[Latvian SSR]] and [[Lithuanian SSR]] are proclaimed. ===August=== * [[August 3]] - [[Lithuanian SSR]], [[Latvian SSR]] ([[August 5]]) and [[Estonian SSR]] ([[August 6]]) are incorporated into the [[Soviet Union]]. * [[August 4]] - Gen. [[John J. Pershing]], in a nationwide radio broadcast, urges all-out aid to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in order to defend the Americas, while [[Charles Lindbergh]] speaks to an [[isolationist]] rally at [[Soldier Field]] in [[Chicago]]. * [[August 8]] - [[Wilhelm Keitel]] signs the "[[Aufbau Ost (1940)|Aufbau Ost]]" directive. * [[August 20]] **[[Winston Churchill]] pays tribute in the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] to the [[Royal Air Force]]: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." **[[Leon Trotsky]] assassinated in [[Mexico]] by [[Ramón Mercader]], a Soviet agent, with an [[ice axe]]. * [[August 26]] - [[Chad]] is the first French colony to proclaim its support for the Allies. ===September=== * September - [[45th Infantry Division (United States)|U.S. Army 45th Infantry Division]] (previously a [[National Guard Division]] in [[Arizona]], [[Colorado]], [[New Mexico]], and [[Oklahoma]]), activated and ordered into federal service for one year to engage in a training program in [[Ft. Sill]] and [[Louisiana]] prior to serving in [[World War II]]. * [[September 2]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: Agreement between [[United States|America]] and [[United Kingdom|Great Britain]] announced. Fifty U.S. destroyers needed for escort work transferred to Great Britain. In return, America gains 99-year leases on British bases in the [[North Atlantic]], [[West Indies]] and [[Bermuda]]. * [[September 7]] **[[Treaty of Craiova]]: [[Romania]] loses [[Southern Dobrudja]] to [[Bulgaria]]. **[[World War II|WWII]]: [[The Blitz]] - [[Nazi Germany]] begins to rain bombs on [[London]]. This will be the first of 57 consecutive nights of [[strategic bombing]]. * [[September 12]] **[[Lascaux]], [[France]] - 17,000-year-old [[cave painting]]s are discovered by a group of young Frenchmen hiking through Southern France. The paintings depict animals and date to the [[Stone Age]]. **The [[Hercules Munitions Plant]] in [[Succasunna-Kenvil, New Jersey|Kenvil, New Jersey]] explodes, killing 55 people. * [[September 16]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Selective Training and Service Act of 1940]] signed into law by [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], creating the first peacetime draft in [[U.S.]] history. * [[September 26]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[United States|U.S.]] imposes a total [[embargo]] on all shipments of scrap metal to [[Japan]]. * [[September 27]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Germany]], [[Italy]] and [[Japan]] sign [[Tripartite Pact]]. ===October=== * [[October 16]] - Draft registration of approximately 16 million men begins in the [[United States]]. * [[October 28]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Italy|Italian]] troops invaded [[Greece]] meeting strong resistance from Greek troops and civilians. This action signals the beginning of the [[Balkans Campaign]]. * [[October 29]] - [[Selective Service System]] lottery held in [[Washington, D.C.]]. ===November=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[November 5]] - [[U.S. presidential election, 1940]]: [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] incumbent [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|Franklin D. Roosevelt]] defeats [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] challenger [[Wendell Willkie]] and becomes the [[United States]]' first third-term president. * [[November 7]] - In [[Washington]], the middle section of the [[Tacoma Narrows Bridge]] collapses in a windstorm, a mere four months after the bridge's completion (it opened to traffic on [[July 1]], 1940 as the third-longest [[suspension bridge]] in the world). * [[November 9]] - Premiere of [[Joaquin Rodrigo]]'s ''[[Concierto de Aranjuez]]'' in [[Barcelona]], [[Spain]]. * [[November 10]] - [[Earthquake]] in [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]] - 1,000 dead. * [[November 11]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: **[[Battle of Taranto]] - The [[Royal Navy]] launches the first [[aircraft carrier]] strike in history, on the [[Italy|Italian]] fleet at [[Taranto]]. **The [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Cruiser (warship)|Hilfskreuzer]] (cruiser) ''[[Atlantis auxiliary cruiser|Atlantis]]'' captures [[top secret]] [[United Kingdom|British]] mail, and sends it to [[Japan]]. **[[Armistice Day Blizzard]]: An unexpected [[blizzard]] kills 144 in [[U.S. Midwest]]. * [[November 13]] - [[Walt Disney]]'s ''[[Fantasia (film)|Fantasia]]'' is released. It is the first box office failure for Disney, though it will eventually recoup its cost years later, and become one of the most highly regarded of Disney's films. * [[November 14]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: In [[England]], the city of [[Coventry]] is destroyed by 500 [[Germany|German]] [[Luftwaffe]] bombers (150,000 [[fire bomb]]s, 503 tons of high explosives, 130 parachute mines leveled 60,000 of the city's 75,000 buildings; 568 people were killed). * [[November 16]] **[[World War II|WWII]]: In response to [[Germany]] leveling [[Coventry]] two days before, the [[Royal Air Force]] begins to bomb [[Hamburg]] (by war's end, 50,000 Hamburg residents died from [[Allied]] attacks). **Unexploded [[pipe bomb]] found in [[Consolidated Edison]] office building. (Only years later is the culprit, [[George Metesky]], apprehended.) **The [[Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers]] is founded. * [[November 18]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Germany|German]] leader [[Adolf Hitler]] and [[Italy|Italian]] Foreign Minister [[Galeazzo Ciano]] meet to discuss [[Benito Mussolini]]'s disastrous invasion of [[Greece]]. * [[November 20]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: [[Hungary]], [[Romania]] and [[Slovakia]] join the [[Axis Powers]]. * [[November 27]] **In [[Romania]], coup leader General [[Ion Antonescu]]'s Iron Guard arrests and executes over 60 of exiled king [[Carol II of Romania]]'s aides. Among the dead is former minister and acclaimed historian [[Nicolae Iorga]]. **[[World War II|WWII]]: [[Royal Navy]] and [[Regia Marina]] fight the [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]]. ===December=== *[[December 8]] - The [[Chicago Bears]], in what will become the most one-sided victory in [[National Football League]] history, defeat the [[Washington Redskins]] 73-0 in the 1940 NFL Championship Game. *[[December 12]] & [[December 15]] - [[World War II|WWII]]: The "[[Sheffield Blitz]]". The [[Sheffield|City of Sheffield]] is badly damaged by German air-raids. * [[December 14]] - [[Plutonium]] first isolated chemically in the laboratory. * [[December 23]] - [[Winston Churchill]], in a broadcast address to the people of [[Italy]], squarely blames [[Benito Mussolini]] for leading his nation to war against the British contrary to Italy's historic friendship with them. * [[December 26]] - The film version of ''[[The Philadelphia Story]]'', starring [[Katharine Hepburn]], [[Cary Grant]], [[James Stewart (actor)|James Stewart]] and [[Ruth Hussey]], premieres at [[Radio City Music Hall]] in [[New York City]]. * [[December 29]] **[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], in a [[fireside chat]] to the nation, declares that the [[United States]] must become, "... the great arsenal of democracy." **[[World War II|WWII]]: "Second Great Fire of London"; [[Luftwaffe]] carries out massive incendiary bombing raid starting 1500 fires. Many famous buildings, including the [[Guildhall]] and Trinity House, are either damaged or destroyed. * [[December 30]] - [[California]]'s first modern [[freeway]], the future [[California State Route 110|State Route 110]], is opened to traffic in [[Pasadena, California]], as the [[Arroyo Seco Parkway]]. It is now called the Pasadena Freeway. ===Undated=== * [[Guilin]], [[China]], acquires the current name. * [[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]], province of [[Amdo]]: five-year-old [[Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama|Tenzin Gyatso]] was proclaimed the ''[[tulku]]'' ([[rebirth]]) of the thirteenth [[Dalai Lama]]. * [[Korea]] ''The Hunmin Jeong-eum Haerye'' (1446) was discovered, explaining the basis of Hangul. * ''[[Truth or Consequences]]'' debuts on [[NBC]] Radio. ===Ongoing=== * [[Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)|Sino-Japanese War]] ([[1937]]-[[1945]]) *[[World War II]] ([[1939]] - [[1945]]). == Births == {{Year in other calendars|japanese=[[Shōwa]] 15}} ===January-February=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[January 4]]- [[Brian David Josephson]], Welsh physicist, [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel Prize]] laureate -[[Gao Xingjian]], Chinese-born writer, [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Prize]] laureate *[[January 6]] - [[Penny Lernoux]], American journalist and author (d. [[1989]]) *[[January 9]] - [[Miguel Ángel Rodríguez]], a Costa Rican politician, lawyer, economist, and businessman. *[[January 14]] - [[Julian Bond]], American civil rights activist *[[January 19]] - [[Mike Reid]], English actor (d. [[2007]]) *[[January 20]] - [[Carol Heiss]], American figure skater *[[January 21]] - [[Jack Nicklaus]], American golfer *[[January 22]] - [[John Hurt]], English actor *[[January 27]] - [[James Cromwell]], American actor *[[January 31]] - [[Kitch Christie]], South African rugby coach (d. [[1998]]) *[[February 2]] - [[David Jason]], English actor *[[February 3]] - [[Fran Tarkenton]], American football player *[[February 4]] - [[George Romero]], American film writer, producer, and director *[[February 5]] - [[H.R. Giger]], Swiss artist *[[February 6]] **[[Tom Brokaw]], American television news reporter **[[Jimmy Tarbuck]], English comedian *[[February 8]] **[[Ted Koppel]], American journalist **[[Joe South]], American singer and songwriter *[[February 9]] - [[J. M. Coetzee]], South African writer, [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Prize]] laureate *[[February 12]] - [[Richard Lynch]], American actor *[[February 17]] - [[Gene Pitney]], American singer (d. [[2006]]) *[[February 19]] - [[Smokey Robinson]], American musician *[[February 20]] - [[Jimmy Greaves]], English footballer *[[February 21]] - [[Wong Jim|James Wong]], Hong Kong composer (d. [[2004]]) *[[February 22]] **[[Johnson Mlambo]], South African politician **[[Billy Name]], American photographer and [[Warhol]] archivist *[[February 23]] - [[Peter Fonda]], American actor *[[February 24]] - [[Denis Law]], Scottish footballer *[[February 25]] - [[Ron Santo]], American baseball player *[[February 28]] - [[Mario Andretti]], American race car driver *[[February 29]] - [[Edward Frederic Benson]], American writer ===March-April=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[March 3]] - [[Germán Castro Caycedo]], Colombian writer and journalist *[[March 3]] - [[Owen Spencer-Thomas]], English broadcaster, journalist and clergyman *[[March 6]] - [[Willie Stargell]], baseball player (d. [[2001]]) *[[March 7]] - [[Rudi Dutschke]], German student leader (d. [[1979]]) *[[March 9]] - [[Raúl Juliá]], Puerto Rican actor (d. [[1994]]) *[[March 10]] - [[Chuck Norris]], American actor and martial artist *[[March 12]] - [[Al Jarreau]], American singer *[[March 15]] - [[Phil Lesh]], American musician ([[Grateful Dead]]) *[[March 16]] **[[Bernardo Bertolucci]], Italian writer and film director **[[Jan Pronk]], Dutch politician and diplomat *[[March 17]] - [[Mark White]], Governor of Texas *[[March 22]] - [[Haing S. Ngor]], Cambodian actor (d. [[1996]]) *[[March 25]] - [[Anita Bryant]], American entertainer *[[March 26]] - **[[James Caan]], American actor **[[Nancy Pelosi]], Speaker of the United States House of Representatives *[[March 27]] **[[Austin Pendleton]], American actor **[[Cale Yarborough]], American race car driver *[[March 29]] - [[Ray Davis (musician)|Ray Davis]], American musician ([[P-Funk]]) *[[March 30]] - [[Astrud Gilberto]], Brazilian-born singer *[[April 1]] - [[Wangari Maathai]], Kenyan environmentalist, recipient of the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] *[[April 2]] - [[Penelope Keith]], English actress *[[April 12]] **[[Herbie Hancock]], American musician **[[John Hagee]], American [[televangelist]] *[[April 16]] - Queen [[Margrethe II of Denmark]] *[[April 18]] - [[Joseph L. Goldstein]], American scientist, recipient of the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] *[[April 25]] - [[Al Pacino]], American actor *[[April 26]] - [[Giorgio Moroder]], Italian film composer ===May-June=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[May 1]] - [[Elsa Peretti]], Italian jewelry designer *[[May 7]] - [[Jim Connors]], Legendary Radio personality (d. [[1987]]) *[[May 8]] **[[Peter Benchley]], American author (d. [[2006]]) **[[Angela Carter]], English author and editor (d. [[1992]]) **[[Ricky Nelson]], American singer (d. [[1985]]) *[[May 8]] - [[Toni Tennille]], American singer *[[May 9]] - [[James L. Brooks]], American film producer and writer *[[May 11]] - [[Juan Downey]], Chilean-born video artist (d. [[1993]]) *[[May 14]] - [['H'. Jones]], British soldier (VC recipient) (d. [[1982]]) *[[May 15]] - [[Don Nelson]], American basketball player and coach *[[May 17]] ** [[Alan Kay]], American computer scientist ** [[Reynato Puno]], Filipino [[Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court]] Chief Justice *[[May 18]] - [[Lenny Lipton]], American inventor *[[May 20]] **[[Stan Mikita]], Slovakian-born hockey player **[[Sadaharu Oh]], Japanese baseball player *[[May 22]] - [[Bernard Shaw (journalist)|Bernard Shaw]], American journalist and television news reporter *[[May 24]] - [[Joseph Brodsky]], Russian-born poet, [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Prize]] laureate (d. [[1996]]) *[[May 29]] - [[Farooq Leghari]], [[President of Pakistan]] *[[June 1]] - [[Rene Auberjonois (actor)|René Auberjonois]], American actor *[[June 2]] - King [[Constantine II of Greece]] *[[June 4]] - [[Ludwig Schwarz]], Austrian bishop *[[June 6]] - [[Richard Paul]], American actor (d. [[1998]]) *[[June 7]] - [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]], Welsh singer *[[June 8]] - [[Carole Ann Ford]], British actress *[[June 8]] - [[Nancy Sinatra]], American singer *[[June 16]] - [[Neil Goldschmidt]], Governor of Oregon *[[June 17]] - [[George Akerlof]], American economist, [[Nobel Prize in Economics|Nobel Prize]] laureate *[[June 20]] - [[John Mahoney]], English-born actor *[[June 21]] - [[Mariette Hartley]], American actress *[[June 22]] **[[Abbas Kiarostami]], Iranian film director, screenwriter, and film producer **[[Esther Rantzen]], British broadcaster *[[June 23]] **[[Adam Faith]], English singer and actor (d. [[2003]]) **[[Lord Irvine of Lairg]], [[Lord Chancellor|Lord Chancellor of England]] **[[Wilma Rudolph]], American athlete (d. [[1994]]) *[[June 25]] - [[A.J. Quinnell]], English writer (d. [[2005]]) *[[June 29]] - [[Vyacheslav Artyomov]], Russian composer ===July-August=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[July 3]] - [[César Tovar]], Venezuelan [[Major League Baseball]] player (d. [[1994]]) *[[July 7]] - [[Ringo Starr]], British drummer ([[The Beatles]]) *[[July 10]] **[[Gene Alley]], baseball player **[[Tom Farmer]], Scottish entrepreneur **[[Helen Donath]], American soprano *[[July 13]] - [[Patrick Stewart]], English actor *[[July 17]] **[[Tim Brooke-Taylor]], English comedian **[[Verne Lundquist]], American sportscaster *[[July 18]] **[[Joe Torre]], baseball player and manager **[[James Brolin]], American actor and director *[[July 22]] **[[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]], American musician **[[Alex Trebek]], Canadian game show host *[[July 24]] - [[Stanley Hauerwas]], American theologian *[[July 26]] - [[Mary Jo Kopechne]], American aide to [[Ted Kennedy]] (d. [[1969]]) *[[July 27]] - [[Bharati Mukherjee]], Indian-born novelist *[[July 31]] - [[Roy Walker]], comedian and TV presenter of ITV's Catchphrase (1986-1999) *[[August 3]] - [[Martin Sheen]], American actor *[[August 7]] - [[Jean-Luc Dehaene]], [[Prime Minister of Belgium]] *[[August 8]] - [[Dilip Sardesai]], former Indian Test cricketer (d. [[2007]]) *[[August 9]] - [[Beverlee McKinsey]], American actress *[[August 10]] - [[Bobby Hatfield]], American singer ([[Righteous Brothers]]) (d. [[2003]]) *[[August 19]] - [[Jill St. John]], American actress *[[August 20]] **[[Musa Geshaev]], Chechen poet and historian **[[Rubén Hinojosa]], American politician *[[August 22]] - [[Valerie Harper]], American actress *[[August 25]] - [[José Van Dam]], Belgian bass-baritone *[[August 28]] - [[Tom Baker (American actor)|Tom Baker]], American actor (d. [[1982]]) *[[August 29]] **[[Johnny Paris]], American musician ([[Johnny and the Hurricanes]]) (d. [[2006]]) **[[Bennie Maupin]], American musician ===September-October=== *[[September 5]] - [[Raquel Welch]], American actress *[[September 10]] - [[David Mann (painter)|David Mann]], American artist (d. [[2004]]) *[[September 12]] **[[Skip Hinnant]], American actor **[[Mickey Lolich]], baseball player *[[September 13]] - [[Óscar Arias]], Costa Rican politician, recipient of the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] *[[September 14]] - [[Larry Brown (basketball)|Larry Brown]], American basketball coach *[[September 23]] - [[Mohammad-Reza Shajarian]], Iranian traditional singer and undisputed Master *[[September 24]] - [[Michiko Suganuma]], [[Urushi]] [[japanese lacquer]] artist *[[October 9]] - [[John Lennon]], British musician and singer ([[The Beatles]]) (d. [[1980]]) *[[October 13]] - [[Pharoah Sanders]], American saxophonist *[[October 14]] - [[Cliff Richard]], English singer *[[October 15]] - [[Peter Doherty]], Australian immunologist, recipient of the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] *[[October 19]] - [[Michael Gambon]], Irish actor *[[October 20]] - [[Robert Pinsky]], [[Poet Laureate of the United States]] *[[October 21]] **Manfred Mann ([[Manfred Lubowitz]]), South African musician ([[Manfred Mann]] bands) **[[Geoffrey Boycott]], English cricketer *[[October 23]] - [[Pelé]], Brazilian footballer *[[October 25]] - [[Bobby Knight]], American basketball coach *[[October 27]] - [[John Gotti]], American gangster (d. [[2002]]) ===November-December=== *[[November 1]] - [[Ramesh Chandra Lahoti]], [[Chief Justice of India]] *[[November 15]] - [[Sam Waterston]], American actor *[[November 17]] - [[Luke Kelly]],Irish Ballad Singer from The Dubliners *[[November 21]] - [[Richard Marcinko]], U.S. Navy SEAL team member and author *[[November 25]] - [[Joe Gibbs]], American football coach *[[November 27]] - [[Bruce Lee]], Chinese American martial artist and actor (d. [[1973]]) *[[November 29]] - [[Chuck Mangione]], famous American [[flugelhorn]] player *[[December 1]] - [[Richard Pryor]], American actor and comedian (d. [[2005]]) *[[December 4]] - [[Freddy Cannon]], American singer *[[December 4]] - [[Gary Gilmore]], American murderer (d. [[1977]]) *[[December 5]] - [[Peter Pohl]], Swedish writer *[[December 12]] **[[Sharad Pawar]], Indian politician **[[Dionne Warwick]], American singer *[[December 21]] - [[Frank Zappa]], American musician, composer, and satirist (d. [[1993]]) *[[December 22]] - [[Noel Jones]], British ambassador to Kazakhstan (d. [[1995]]) *[[December 23]] - [[Jorma Kaukonen]], American musician ([[Jefferson Airplane]], [[Hot Tuna]]) *[[December 23]] - [[Robert Labine]], former mayor of old city of [[Gatineau, Quebec]] *[[December 26]] - [[Edward C. Prescott]], American economist, [[Nobel Prize in Economics|Nobel Prize]] laureate ===Unknown dates=== *[[Seamus Deane]], Irish poet and novelist * [[António Roseiro]] Founder and President of [[VITAE]] ==Deaths== ===January - June=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[January 4]] - [[Flora Finch]], English-born actress and comedian (b. [[1869]]) *[[January 18]] - [[Kazimierz Tetmajer]], Polish poet and writer (b. [[1865]]) *[[January 27]] - [[Isaac Babel]], Ukrainian writer (b. [[1894]]) *[[Fusajiro Yamauchi]], Japanese business executive *[[February 11]] - [[John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir]], [[Governor General of Canada]] (b. [[1875]]) *[[February 26]] - [[Michael Hainisch]], second [[President of Austria]] (b. [[1858]]) *[[March 5]] - [[Cai Yuanpei]], Chinese edjaucator (b. [[1868]]) *[[March 10]] - [[Mikhaïl Boulgakov]], Russian writer (b. [[1891]]) *[[March 16]] - [[Selma Lagerlöf]], Swedish writer, [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Prize]] laureate (b. [[1858]]) *[[March 20]] - [[Alfred Ploetz]], German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. [[1860]]) *[[March 26]] - [[Spiridon Louis]], Greek runner *[[March 31]] - [[Tinsley Lindley]], English footballer (b. [[1865]]) *[[April 26]] - [[Carl Bosch]], German chemist, [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry|Nobel Prize]] laureate (b. [[1874]]) *[[May 14]] - [[Emma Goldman]], Lithuanian-born anarchist (b. [[1869]]) *[[May 15]] - [[Menno ter Braak]], Dutch writer (b. [[1902]]) *[[May 20]] - [[Verner von Heidenstam]], Swedish writer, [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Prize]] laureate (b. [[1859]]) *[[May 25]] - [[Joe De Grasse]], Canadian film director (b. [[1873]]) *[[May 28]] - [[Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse]] (b. [[1868]]) *[[June 10]] - [[Marcus Garvey]], Jamaican-born publisher, entrepreneur, and black nationalist (b. [[1887]]) *[[June 11]] - [[Alfred S. Alschuler]], American [[architect]] (b. [[1876]]) *[[June 17]] - [[Arthur Harden]], English chemist, [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry|Nobel Prize]] laureate (b. [[1865]]) *[[June 21]] - [[Smedley Butler]], U.S. general (b. [[1881]]) *[[June 29]] - [[Paul Klee]], Swiss artist (b. [[1879]]) ===July - December=== <!--DEATHS--> *[[July 4]] - [[Robert Pershing Wadlow]], tallest man ever (infection) (b. [[1918]]) *[[August 8]] - [[Johnny Dodds]], American jazz clarinetist (b. [[1892]]) *[[August 18]] - [[Walter Chrysler]], American automobile pioneer (b. [[1875]]) *[[August 21]] - [[Leon Trotsky]], Russian revolutionary (b. [[1879]]) *[[August 21]] - [[Hermann Obrecht]], Swiss Federal Councillor (b. [[1882]]) *[[August 22]] - [[Mary Vaux Walcott]], American artist and naturalist (b. [[1860]]) *[[August 30]] - [[J.J. Thomson]], English physicist, [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Nobel Prize]] laureate (b. [[1856]]) *[[September 5]] - [[Charles de Broqueville]], [[Prime Minister of Belgium]] (b. [[1860]]) *[[September 27]] - [[Julius Wagner-Jauregg]], Austrian neuroscientist, recipient of the [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] (b. [[1857]]) {{C20YearTOCright}} *[[October 5]] - [[Ballington Booth]], American co-founder of Volunteers of America (b. [[1857]]) *[[October 9]] - [[Wilfred Grenfell]], English medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador (b. [[1865]]) *[[October 10]] - [[Berton Churchill]], Canadian actor (b. [[1876]]) *[[November 9]] - [[Neville Chamberlain]], [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] (b. [[1869]]) *[[November 9]] - [[John Henry Kirby]], Texas legislator and American businessman (b. [[1860]]) *[[November 17]] - [[Eric Gill]], British sculptor and writer (b. [[1882]]) *[[November 17]] - [[Raymond Pearl]], American biologist (b. [[1879]]) *[[December 5]] - [[Jan Kubelík]], Czech violinist (b. [[1880]]) *[[December 15]] or [[December 16]] - [[Billy Hamilton (baseball player)|Billy Hamilton]], Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder (b. [[1866]]) *[[December 19]] - [[Kyösti Kallio]], [[President of Finland]] (b. [[1873]]) *[[December 21]] - [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]], American writer (b. [[1896]]) *[[December 25]] - [[Agnes Ayres]], American actress (b. [[1898]]) ==Nobel prizes== * [[Nobel Prize/Physics|Physics]] - not awarded * [[Nobel Prize/Chemistry|Chemistry]] - not awarded * [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Physiology or Medicine]] - not awarded * [[Nobel Prize in literature|Literature]] - not awarded * [[Nobel Prize/Peace|Peace]] - not awarded ==Ship events== * [[List of ship launches in 1940]] * [[List of ship commissionings in 1940]] * [[List of ship decommissionings in 1940]] * [[List of shipwrecks in 1940]] ==Notes== <references/> ==External links== *[http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s2/Time/1940/1940fr.html The 1930s Timeline: 1940] &mdash; from American Studies Programs at The University of Virginia *[http://www.coinpage.com/1940-pictures.html 1940 Coin Pictures] {{commonscat_left|1940}} [[Category:1940| ]] [[af:1940]] [[am:1940 እ.ኤ.አ.]] [[ar:1940]] [[an:1940]] [[frp:1940]] [[ast:1940]] [[av:1940]] [[az:1940]] [[bn:১৯৪০]] [[zh-min-nan:1940 nî]] [[map-bms:1940]] [[be:1940]] [[be-x-old:1940]] [[bh:१९४०]] [[bs:1940]] [[br:1940]] [[bg:1940]] [[ca:1940]] [[cv:1940]] [[cs:1940]] [[co:1940]] [[cy:1940]] [[da:1940]] [[de:1940]] [[et:1940]] [[el:1940]] [[es:1940]] [[eo:1940]] [[eu:1940]] [[fa:۱۹۴۰ (میلادی)]] [[fo:1940]] [[hif:1940]] [[fr:1940]] [[fy:1940]] [[ga:1940]] [[gan:1940年]] [[gv:1940]] [[gd:1940]] [[gl:1940]] [[ko:1940년]] [[hy:1940]] [[hi:1940]] [[hr:1940.]] [[io:1940]] [[ilo:1940]] [[bpy:মারি ১৯৪০]] [[id:1940]] [[ia:1940]] [[os:1940]] [[is:1940]] [[it:1940]] [[he:1940]] [[jv:1940]] [[pam:1940]] [[kn:೧೯೪೦]] [[ka:1940]] [[csb:1940]] [[kk:1940]] [[kw:1940]] [[sw:1940]] [[ht:1940 (almanak gregoryen)]] [[ku:1940]] [[la:1940]] [[lb:1940]] [[lt:1940 m.]] [[lij:1940]] [[li:1940]] [[lmo:1940]] [[hu:1940]] [[mk:1940]] [[mi:1940]] [[mr:इ.स. १९४०]] [[ms:1940]] [[nah:1940]] [[nl:1940]] [[new:ई सं १९४०]] [[ja:1940年]] [[nap:1940]] [[no:1940]] [[nn:1940]] [[nrm:1940]] [[nov:1940]] [[oc:1940]] [[uz:1940]] [[pi:१९४०]] [[nds:1940]] [[pl:1940]] [[pt:1940]] [[ty:1940]] [[ksh:Joohr 1940]] [[ro:1940]] [[qu:1940]] [[ru:1940 год]] [[se:1940]] [[sq:1940]] [[scn:1940]] [[simple:1940]] [[sk:1940]] [[sl:1940]] [[so:1940]] [[sr:1940]] [[sh:1940]] [[su:1940]] [[fi:1940]] [[sv:1940]] [[tl:1940]] [[ta:1940]] [[tt:1940]] [[te:1940]] [[tet:1940]] [[th:พ.ศ. 2483]] [[vi:1940]] [[tr:1940]] [[tk:1940]] [[uk:1940]] [[vec:1940]] [[wa:1940]] [[vls:1940]] [[yo:1940]] [[zh-yue:1940年]] [[cbk-zam:1940]] [[bat-smg:1940]] [[zh:1940年]]