On This Day

Belgian government of Pierlot forms

The Belgian Government in London (Dutch: Belgische regering in Londen; French: Gouvernement belge à Londres), also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between...

The Belgian Government in London (Dutch: Belgische regering in Londen; French: Gouvernement belge à Londres), also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between October 1940 and September 1944 during World War II. The government was tripartite, involving ministers from the Catholic, Liberal and Labour Parties. After the invasion of Belgium by Nazi Germany in May 1940, the Belgian government, under Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot, fled first to Bordeaux in France and then to London, where it established itself as the only legitimate representation of Belgium to the Allies.

Despite no longer having authority in its own country, the government administered the Belgian Congo and held negotiations with other Allied powers about post-war reconstruction.

Historical Significance

The Belgian Government in London (Dutch: Belgische regering in Londen; French: Gouvernement belge à Londres), also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between October 1940 and September 1944 during World War II.

Events Before

  1. First jazz concert is held at Carnegie Hall, performed by Benny Goodman and his band

    The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert by Benny Goodman, Columbia Records catalogue item SL-160, is a two-disc LP of swing and jazz music recorded at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 16,…

  2. World's first science fiction TV program is a broadcast of the play R.U.R. by Karel Čapek

    Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is the genre of speculative, science-based fiction that imagines advanced and futuristic scientific or technological progress.

  3. "Bringing Up Baby" film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, is released

    Bringing Up Baby is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures.

  4. First public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV occurs in London

    First public experimental demonstration of Baird color TV occurs in London

  5. UK Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden resigns, stating Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain has appeased Nazi Germany

    Arthur Neville Chamberlain was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940 and Leader of the Conservative Party from May 1937 to October 1940.

Events After

  1. American entertainer Danny Kaye (28) weds American songwriter Sylvia Fine (26) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, until his de

    American entertainer Danny Kaye (28) weds American songwriter Sylvia Fine (26) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, until his death in 1987

  2. "The Grapes of Wrath", directed by John Ford and based on John Steinbeck's novel of the same name, starring Henry Fonda

    "The Grapes of Wrath", directed by John Ford and based on John Steinbeck's novel of the same name, starring Henry Fonda and Jane Darwell, is released

  3. American actress Lana Turner (19) weds American bandleader Artie Shaw (29) in a Las Vegas elopement; divorce after 4 mon

    American actress Lana Turner (19) weds American bandleader Artie Shaw (29) in a Las Vegas elopement; divorce after 4 months

  4. Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14 (radiocarbon dating) at the University of California Radiation Laboratory

    Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14 (radiocarbon dating) at the University of California Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley, California

  5. Hattie McDaniel becomes 1st African American woman to win an Oscar for "Gone With The Wind"

    Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893 – October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian.

More from the 1930s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 21, 1939?
The Belgian Government in London (Dutch: Belgische regering in Londen; French: Gouvernement belge à Londres), also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between October 1940 and September 1944 during World War II. The government was tripartite, involving ministers from the Catholic, Liberal and Labour Parties. After the invasion of Belgium by Nazi Germany in May 1940, the Belgian government, under Prime Minister Hubert Pierlot, fled first to Bordeaux in France and then to London, where it established itself as the only legitimate representation of Belgium to the Allies.
Why is Belgian government of Pierlot forms significant?
The Belgian Government in London (Dutch: Belgische regering in Londen; French: Gouvernement belge à Londres), also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between October 1940 and September 1944 during World War II.

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