1940
Year 1940 (MCMXL ) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar .
Events
(Below, many events of World War II have the "WWII " prefix.)
January
February
March
March 2 - Cartoon character Elmer Fudd makes his debut in the animated short Elmer's Candid Camera .
March 3 - In Sweden, a time bomb destroys the office of Norrskenflamman (a Swedish communist newspaper), killing 5.
March 5 - Katyn massacre : Members of the Soviet Politburo (Stalin , Molotov , Lazar Kaganovich , Mikhail Kalinin , Kliment Voroshilov and Lavrenty Beria ) sign an order, prepared by Beria, for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs.
March 12 - The Soviet Union and Finland sign a peace treaty in Moscow ending the Winter War ; Finns, along with the world at large, are shocked by the harsh terms.
March 18 - 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; Paul Reynaud succeeds him.
March 23 - The Pakistan Resolution is rallied around by the All-India Muslim League ; Muslims from every corner of India meet up around Iqbal Park , Lahore (now in modern-day Pakistan ).
April
May
.
June
July
August
September
September - The U.S. Army 45th Infantry Division (previously a National Guard Division in Arizona , Colorado , New Mexico , and Oklahoma ), is activated and ordered into federal service for 1 year, to engage in a training program in Ft. Sill and Louisiana , prior to serving in World War II .
September 2 - WWII : An agreement between America 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, America gains 99-year leases on British bases in the North Atlantic , West Indies and Bermuda .
September 7
September 12
September 16 - WWII : The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 is signed into law by Franklin D. Roosevelt , creating the first peacetime draft in U.S. history.
September 26 - WWII : The United States imposes a total embargo on all scrap metal shipments to Japan .
September 27 - WWII : Germany , Italy and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact .
October
November
November 5 - U.S. presidential election, 1940 : Democrat incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt defeats Republican challenger Wendell Willkie and becomes the United States ' first third-term president.
November 7 - In Tacoma, Washington , the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (known as Galloping Gertie) collapses in a 42-mile per hour wind storm, causing the center span of the bridge to sway. When it collapses, a 600 foot-long design of the center span falls 190 feet above the water, killing Tubby , a black male cocker spaniel dog .
November 9 - Joaquin Rodrigo 's Concierto de Aranjuez premieres in Barcelona , Spain .
November 10 - An Earthquake in Bucharest , Romania kills 1,000.
November 11 - WWII :
November 13 - Walt Disney 's Fantasia is released. It is the first box office failure for Disney, though it eventually recoups its cost years later, and becomes one of the most highly regarded of Disney's films.
November 14 - WWII : The city of Coventry , England is destroyed by 500 German Luftwaffe bombers (150,000 fire bombs , 503 tons of high explosives, and 130 parachute mines level 60,000 of the city's 75,000 buildings; 568 people are killed).
November 16
November 18 - WWII : German leader Adolf Hitler and Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano meet to discuss Benito Mussolini 's disastrous invasion of Greece .
November 20 - WWII : Hungary , Romania and Slovakia join the Axis Powers .
November 27
December
December 1 - Manuel Ávila Camacho takes office as President of Mexico .
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 - WWII - "Sheffield Blitz ": The City of Sheffield is badly damaged by German air-raids.
December 14 - Plutonium is 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 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."
WWII - "Second Great Fire of London": Luftwaffe carries out a massive incendiary bombing raid, starting 1,500 fires. Many famous buildings, including the Guildhall and Trinity House, are either damaged or destroyed.
December 30 - California 's first modern freeway , the future State Route 110 , opens to traffic in Pasadena, California , as the Arroyo Seco Parkway (now the Pasadena Freeway).
Undated
Ongoing
Births
January
January 4
January 6 - Penny Lernoux , American journalist and author (d. 1989 )
January 9 - Miguel Ángel Rodríguez , 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 (1984 )
January 27 - James Cromwell , American actor
January 31 - Kitch Christie , South African rugby coach (d. 1998 )
February
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
February 8
Ted Koppel , American journalist (ABC News Nightline )
Joe South , American singer and songwriter (Games People Play )
February 9 - J. M. Coetzee , South African writer, Nobel Prize laureate
February 12 - Richard Lynch , American actor
February 17 - Gene Pitney , American singer (d. 2006 )
February 19 - Smokey Robinson , African-American musician (Tracks of My Tears )
February 20 - Jimmy Greaves , English footballer
February 21 - James Wong , Hong Kong composer (d. 2004 )
February 22
February 23 - Peter Fonda , American actor (Easy Rider )
February 24 - Denis Law , Scottish footballer
February 25 - Ron Santo , American baseball player
February 28 - Mario Andretti , American race car driver
March
March 3 - Germán Castro Caycedo , Colombian writer and journalist
March 3 - Owen Spencer-Thomas , English broadcaster, journalist and clergyman
March 6 - Willie Stargell , Afrian-American baseball player (d. 2001 )
March 7 - Rudi Dutschke , German radical student leader (d. 1979 )
March 9 - Raúl Juliá , Puerto Rican actor (Addams Family Values ) (d. 1994 )
March 10 - Chuck Norris , American actor and martial artist (Walker: Texas Ranger )
March 12 - Al Jarreau , African-American singer (We're In This Love Together )
March 15 - Phil Lesh , American musician (Grateful Dead )
March 16
March 17 - Mark White , Governor of Texas
March 22 - Haing S. Ngor , Cambodian actor (The Killing Fields ) (d. 1996 )
March 25 - Anita Bryant , American entertainer
March 26
March 27
March 29 - Ray Davis , American musician (P-Funk )
March 30 - Astrud Gilberto , Brazilian-born singer
April
May
May 1 - Elsa Peretti , Italian jewelry designer
May 7 - Jim Connors , American radio personality (d. 1987 )
May 8
May 8 - Toni Tennille , American singer (Do That To Me One More Time )
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
May 18 - Lenny Lipton , American inventor
May 20
May 22 - Bernard Shaw , American journalist and television news reporter (CNN )
May 24 - Joseph Brodsky , Russian-born poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996 )
May 29 - Farooq Leghari , President of Pakistan
June
June 1 - René Auberjonois , American actor (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine )
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 , Welsh singer (It's Not Unusual )
June 8 - Carole Ann Ford , British actress
June 8 - Nancy Sinatra , American singer (These Boots Are Made For Walkin)
June 16 - Neil Goldschmidt , Governor of Oregon
June 16 - Taylor Gun-Jin Wang , Chinese-American stronaut
June 17 - George Akerlof , American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
June 20 - John Mahoney , English-born actor
June 21 - Mariette Hartley , American actress
June 22
June 23
June 25 - A.J. Quinnell , English writer (d. 2005 )
June 29 - Vyacheslav Artyomov , Russian composer
July
July 3 - César Tovar , Venezuelan Major League Baseball player (d. 1994 )
July 7 - Ringo Starr , British drummer (The Beatles )
July 10
July 13 - Patrick Stewart , English actor (Star Trek: The Next Generation )
July 17
July 18
Joe Torre , American baseball player and manager
James Brolin , American actor and director (Marcus Welby, M.D. )
July 22
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 , Northern Irish comedian (ITV's Catchphrase ) (1986-1999)
August
August 3 - Martin Sheen , American actor (Apocalypse Now )
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 14 - Galen Hall , American football coach
August 19 - Jill St. John , American actress
August 20
August 22 - Valerie Harper , American actress (Rhoda )
August 25 - José Van Dam , Belgian bass-baritone
August 28 - Tom Baker , American actor (d. 1982 )
August 29
September-October
September 5 - Raquel Welch , American actress (Fantastic Voyage )
September 10 - David Mann , American artist (d. 2004 )
September 12
September 13 - Óscar Arias , Costa Rican politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize
September 14 - Larry Brown , American basketball coach
September 23 - Mohammad-Reza Shajarian , Iranian traditional singer
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
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 (Law and Order )
November 15 - Roberto Cavalli , Italian designer
November 17 - Luke Kelly , Irish ballad singer (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 (The Green Hornet ) (d. 1973 )
November 29 - Chuck Mangione , famous American flugelhorn player
December 1 - Richard Pryor , African-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
December 21 - Frank Zappa , American musician, composer, and satirist (Mothers of Invention ) (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 the old city of Gatineau, Quebec
December 26 - Edward C. Prescott , American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
Unknown dates
Deaths
January - March
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 (b. 1859 )
February 1 - Philip Francis Nowlan , science fiction writer, creator of Buck Rogers (b. 1888 )
February 11 - John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir , Governor General of Canada (b. 1875 )
February 26 - Michael Hainisch , 2nd President of Austria (b. 1858 )
February 29 - Edward Frederic Benson , English writer
March 5 - Cai Yuanpei , Chinese educator (b. 1868 )
March 10 - Mikhaïl Boulgakov , Russian writer (b. 1891 )
March 16 - Selma Lagerlöf , Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1858 )
March 20 - Alfred Ploetz , German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860 )
March 26 - Spiridon Louis , Greek runner (b. 1873 )
March 27 - Michael Joseph Savage , Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1872 )
March 31 - Tinsley Lindley , English footballer (b. 1865 )
April-July
April 1 - John A. Hobson , English economist (b. 1858 ).
April 26 - Carl Bosch , German chemist, 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 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 laureate (b. 1865 )
June 21 - Smedley Butler , U.S. general (b. 1881 )
June 29 - Paul Klee , Swiss artist (b. 1879 )
July 15 - Robert Pershing Wadlow , tallest man ever (infection) (b. 1918 )
August-November
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 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 )
December
Nobel prizes
Ship events
Notes
External links
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