Year 1940 in History

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

"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

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

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

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.

Comedian Oliver Hardy (48) marries film assistant Virginia Lucille Jones (30)

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler meet at Brenner Pass, where the Italian dictator agrees to join Germany's impending wa

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler meet at Brenner Pass, where the Italian dictator agrees to join Germany's impending war effort in the west

"Rebecca" based on the book by Daphne du Maurier, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Laurence Olivier and Joan F

"Rebecca" based on the book by Daphne du Maurier, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine premieres in Miami, Florida (Oscar - Best Picture 1941)

First radio broadcast of "Truth or Consequences" on CBS

Truth or Consequences is an American game show originally hosted on NBC radio by Ralph Edwards (1940–57) and later on television by Edwards (1950–54), Jack Bailey (1954–56), Bob Barker (1956–75),…

Broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite weds Mary Elizabeth Maxwell at the Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

Glenn Miller records the song "Pennsylvania 6-5000" in NYC; tune is named after phone number of the Hotel Pennsylvania i

Glenn Miller records the song "Pennsylvania 6-5000" in NYC; tune is named after phone number of the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan

Winston Churchill succeeds Neville Chamberlain as British Prime Minister at the head of a coalition government

Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) 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…

Nazi blitzkrieg and conquest of France begins with German forces crossing the Muese River

Winston Churchill says "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" in his first speech as Prime Minister

Winston Churchill says "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat" in his first speech as Prime Minister to the British House of Commons

Richard and Maurice McDonald open the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California

Richard James McDonald (February 16, 1909 – July 14, 1998) and Maurice James "Mac" McDonald (November 26, 1902 – December 11, 1971), known as the McDonald brothers, were American entrepreneurs who…

British and Allied forces begin the evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) during World War II

In the Dunkirk evacuation, codenamed Operation Dynamo and also known as the Miracle of Dunkirk, or just Dunkirk, more than 338,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated during the Second World War from the…

British complete the "Miracle of Dunkirk" by evacuating 338,226 Allied troops from France via a flotilla of over 800 ves

British complete the "Miracle of Dunkirk" by evacuating 338,226 Allied troops from France via a flotilla of over 800 vessels, including Royal Navy destroyers, merchant marine boats, fishing boats, pleasure craft, and even lifeboats

Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp opens in Nazi controlled Poland with Polish POWs, later expanded to inclu

Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp opens in Nazi controlled Poland with Polish POWs, later expanded to include civilian Jews, Roman Catholics, Gypsies and Soviet POWs (at least 1.1 million would die within its walls)

German troops occupy Paris as French resistance to the German invasion crumbles

Winston Churchill gives his "This was their finest hour" speech to the House of Commons, urging perseverance in the war

Winston Churchill gives his "This was their finest hour" speech to the House of Commons, urging perseverance in the war after the Dunkirk evacuation and the fall of France

British actress Gertrude Lawrence weds American theater producer Richard Aldrich (37) on her 42nd birthday, until her de

British actress Gertrude Lawrence weds American theater producer Richard Aldrich (37) on her 42nd birthday, until her death in 1952; second marriage for both

Battle of Britain begins as Nazi forces attack shipping convoys in the English Channel

The Battle of Britain (German: Luftschlacht um England, lit. 'air battle for England') was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA)...

Adolf Hitler orders preparations for the invasion of Britain (Operation Sealion)

Jacqueline Kennedy's parents John Vernou "Black Jack" Bouvier III and Janet (Norton Lee) divorce

Bugs Bunny, Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Tex Avery and Bob Givens for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

Bugs Bunny, Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Tex Avery and Bob Givens for the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series, debuts in "A Wild Hare"

Billboard publishes its first singles record chart; "I'll Never Smile Again" by Tommy Dorsey, with vocals by Frank Sinat

Billboard publishes its first singles record chart; "I'll Never Smile Again" by Tommy Dorsey, with vocals by Frank Sinatra, is ranked #1

American actress Loretta Young (27) weds second husband, American advertising executive Tom Lewis at the chapel of St. P

American actress Loretta Young (27) weds second husband, American advertising executive Tom Lewis at the chapel of St. Paul's Church in Westwood; divorce in 1969

PGA golfer Sam Snead (28) weds high school sweetheart Audrey Karnes

Battle of Britain: Air battle known as "The Hardest Day" occurs; the Luftwaffe loses approximately 69 aircraft and the R

Battle of Britain: Air battle known as "The Hardest Day" occurs; the Luftwaffe loses approximately 69 aircraft and the RAF 68 in one of the largest ever air battles

American CBS news correspondent Mike Wallace (22) weds Norma Kaphan in Brookline, Massachusetts; divorce in 1948

British "Wuthering Heights" actor Laurence Olivier (33) weds British"Gone With The Wind" actress Vivien Leigh (26), at t

British "Wuthering Heights" actor Laurence Olivier (33) weds British"Gone With The Wind" actress Vivien Leigh (26), at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California; second marriage for both end in divorce in 1960

Beginning of the Blitz as the German Luftwaffe bombs London for the first of 57 consecutive nights, losing 41 bombers as

Beginning of the Blitz as the German Luftwaffe bombs London for the first of 57 consecutive nights, losing 41 bombers as the Nazis prepare to invade Britain [1]

Four teenagers follow their dog down a hole near Lascaux, France, and discover 17,000-year-old drawings now known as the

Four teenagers follow their dog down a hole near Lascaux, France, and discover 17,000-year-old drawings now known as the Lascaux Cave Paintings

Battle of Britain Day: Royal Air Force repulses a major Luftwaffe attack, losing 29 aircraft to the Germans' 57-61 as th

Battle of Britain Day: Royal Air Force repulses a major Luftwaffe attack, losing 29 aircraft to the Germans' 57-61 as the tide begins to turn

Adolf Hitler indefinitely postpones Operation Sealion, the planned German invasion of Great Britain

Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (German: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for their planned invasion of the United Kingdom.

American "Adventures of Superman" actor George Reeves (26) weds Ellanora Needles at the Church of Our Savior in San Gabr

American "Adventures of Superman" actor George Reeves (26) weds Ellanora Needles at the Church of Our Savior in San Gabriel, California; divorce in 1950

"One Night in the Tropics," the film debut of the comedians Abbott and Costello, premieres in Paterson, New Jersey

One Night in the Tropics is a 1940 musical film notable as the film debut of Abbott and Costello.

Theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer (36) weds biologist Katherine Harrison Puening

American "A Farewell to Arms" novelist Ernest Hemingway (41) divorces 2nd wife American journalist Pauline Pfeiffer (44)

American "A Farewell to Arms" novelist Ernest Hemingway (41) divorces 2nd wife American journalist Pauline Pfeiffer (44) divorce after 13 years of marriage

American "A Farewell to Arms" novelist Ernest Hemingway (41) weds for a third time, to American novelist and war corresp

American "A Farewell to Arms" novelist Ernest Hemingway (41) weds for a third time, to American novelist and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn (31); divorce in 1945

Walt Disney's animated film "Fantasia," starring Leopold Stokowski, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mickey Mouse, and ballet

Walt Disney's animated film "Fantasia," starring Leopold Stokowski, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Mickey Mouse, and ballet-dancing hippopotamuses, premieres at the Broadway Theatre, NYC

Film director David Lean (32) weds actress Kay Walsh (29)

"I Love Lucy" actress Lucille Ball (28) weds Cuban actor and singer Desi Arnaz (23) in Greenwich, Connecticut; divorce i

"I Love Lucy" actress Lucille Ball (28) weds Cuban actor and singer Desi Arnaz (23) in Greenwich, Connecticut; divorce in 1960

French author and future Nobel laureate Albert Camus (27) weds French pianist and mathematician Francine Faure (25) in L

French author and future Nobel laureate Albert Camus (27) weds French pianist and mathematician Francine Faure (25) in Lyon, France

Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo remarry in San Francisco (divorced 1939)

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico.

Film "The Philadelphia Story," directed by George Cukor and based on the Broadway play of the same name, starring Cary G

Film "The Philadelphia Story," directed by George Cukor and based on the Broadway play of the same name, starring Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart, is released (James Stewart wins the Academy Award for Best Actor)

Actress Bette Davis (32) weds New England innkeeper Arthur Farnsworth at 15,000-acre ranch in Lake Montezuma, Arizona

Winter War: The Finish 9th Division defeats the Soviet forces on the Raate-Suomussalmi road despite being significantly

Winter War: The Finish 9th Division defeats the Soviet forces on the Raate-Suomussalmi road despite being significantly outnumbered

Britain's first World War II rationing includes bacon, butter, and sugar

The United Kingdom took part in World War II from 3 September 1939 until 15 August 1945. At the beginning of the war in 1939, London was the largest city in the world, with 8.2 million inhabitants.

2 German officers make emergency landing in Belgium

The German invasion of the Netherlands (Dutch: Duitse aanval op Nederland), otherwise known as the Battle of the Netherlands (Dutch: Slag om Nederland), was a military campaign, part of Case Yellow...

World War II: Soviets bombs cities in Finland.

Finland participated in the Second World War initially in a defensive war against the Soviet Union, followed by another, this time offensive, war against the Soviet Union acting in concert with Nazi...

MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis gives free agency to 91 Detroit Tigers minor league players

The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division.

German U-Boot torpedoes Dutch merchant ship Arendskerk (Eagle's Church)

LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Helen Hicks wins by 1 stroke ahead of Helen Dettweiler

Foreign correspondents in the Netherlands subjected to censorship

First radio broadcast of "Road to Happiness" on CBS

Nazi decrees establishment of Jewish ghetto in Lodz Poland

The Łódź Ghetto, or Litzmannstadt Ghetto (after the Nazi German name for Łódź), was a Nazi ghetto established by the German authorities for Polish Jews and Roma following the Invasion of Poland.

Nazis forbid Polish Jews to travel on trains

-17°F (-27°C), CCC Camp F-16, Georgia (state record)

Chicago's Les Cunningham scores 5 points in one period to set an NHL record that stands until 1978; records 2 goals & 3

Chicago's Les Cunningham scores 5 points in one period to set an NHL record that stands until 1978; records 2 goals & 3 assists in a 10:04 span during the 3d period of an 8-1 win over Montreal

C Turney & J Horwin's "My Dear Children" premieres in NYC

NBC performs the first inter-city television broadcast from its station in New York City to another in Schenectady, New

NBC performs the first inter-city television broadcast from its station in New York City to another in Schenectady, New York by General Electric relay antennas.

General Winckelman replaces Gen Reijnders as Dutch supreme commander

Lewis & Hamilton's musical "Two for the Show" premieres in NYC

Bradman scores 209* in 161 minutes for South Australia at the WACA

British merchant vessel fleet is armed

British search plane finds German supply ship Altmark, used to accommodate allied sailors from vessels sunk by the Graf

British search plane finds German supply ship Altmark, used to accommodate allied sailors from vessels sunk by the Graf Spee off Norway

Altmark Incident: Crew of the British destroyer "Cossack" board German "Altmark" in Jøssingfjord, Norway, releasing 299

Altmark Incident: Crew of the British destroyer "Cossack" board German "Altmark" in Jøssingfjord, Norway, releasing 299 British prisoners after hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets and the last recorded Royal Naval action with cutlass

Larry Clinton & his Orchestra record "Limehouse Blues"

Finnish troops vacate Koivisto island

Russian troops conquer Lasi Island

Frances Langford records "When You Wish Upon a Star"

First televised ice hockey game in US - New York Rangers defeat visiting Montreal Canadiens 6-2 at Madison Square Garden

First televised ice hockey game in US - New York Rangers defeat visiting Montreal Canadiens 6-2 at Madison Square Garden; W2XBS broadcasts to up to 300 receivers in NYC

US Air Defense Command forms at Mitchel Field, LI, NY

First televised basketball game (University of Pittsburgh beats Fordham University 50-37)

Richard Wright's novel "Native Son" is published

Richard Nathaniel Wright (1908–1960), also known as Nathan Paul, was an American author of novels, short stories, poems, and non-fiction.

Beaten by a nose in both the 1937 and 1938 Santa Anita Handicaps, Seabiscuit finally wins the Big 'Cap in his final race

Beaten by a nose in both the 1937 and 1938 Santa Anita Handicaps, Seabiscuit finally wins the Big 'Cap in his final race; retires the leading money-winning horse in the world

American bandleader Artie Shaw records "Frenesi" on RCA Victor label

Artie Shaw was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led one of the United States'...

1st US telecast from an airplane, NYC

Montreal Canadiens lose record tying NHL 15th straight game at home

The Montreal Canadiens (French: Canadiens de Montréal, lit. 'Canadians of Montreal'), officially Club de hockey Canadien (lit. 'Canadian hockey club') and colloquially known as the Habs, are a...

1st US opera telecast, W2XBS, NYC: Ruggero Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci"

Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty in Moscow, surrendering to Russia and ceding 11% of their pre-WWII territory, endi

Finland signs the Moscow Peace Treaty in Moscow, surrendering to Russia and ceding 11% of their pre-WWII territory, ending the "Winter War"

Finland-Russian cease fire signed, the Winter War ends. Finland gives up Karelische

German air raid on British fleet base Scapa Flow

Scapa Flow (from Old Norse Skalpaflói 'bay of the long isthmus') is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy.

Failed British air raid on German base at Sylt

Paul Reynoud becomes French premier

Construction begins of the exhibition center to host the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair

Karelo-Finnish SSR becomes 12th Soviet republic (until 1956)

German battle cruisers sink British aircraft carrier Glorious

German cruiser Blucher torpedoed and capsizes in Oslofjord, 1,000 die

Blücher was the second of five Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine (lit. 'War Navy'), built after the rise of the Nazi Party and the repudiation of the Treaty of...

Italy annexes Albania

American athlete Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam, using a bamboo pole, becomes 1st man to pole vault 15 ft, at University of

American athlete Cornelius "Dutch" Warmerdam, using a bamboo pole, becomes 1st man to pole vault 15 ft, at University of California, Berkeley

Allied troops land in Norway

The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung.

British troops land at Narvik, Norway

The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940, as a naval battle in Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian town of Narvik, as part of the...

"Lake Shore Ltd" derails speed killing 34 near Little Falls, New York

1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [1]

1st $64 Question, "Take It or Leave It," on CBS Radio

Rear Admiral Joseph Taussig testifies before US Senate Naval Affairs Committee that war with Japan is inevitable

Joseph Knefler Taussig (30 August 1877 – 29 October 1947) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy.

Dance hall fires kills 198 in Natchez, Mississippi

German Nazi official Josef Terboven (41) is appointed Reichskommissar for the Occupied Norwegian Territories; holds the

German Nazi official Josef Terboven (41) is appointed Reichskommissar for the Occupied Norwegian Territories; holds the position until his suicide at the end of the war

1st radio broadcast of "Young Dr Malone" on CBS

Air New Zealand then known as TEAL makes its inaugural flight with a flight from Auckland to Sydney. Later becomes 1st a

Air New Zealand then known as TEAL makes its inaugural flight with a flight from Auckland to Sydney. Later becomes 1st airline in the world to boil hot water in-flight to offer customers hot tea and coffee.

Summer Olympics (scheduled for Helsinki) are cancelled by the Finnish OC because of WWII

21 "non-neutral" Nazis and Communists are arrested in the Netherlands

Portugal was officially neutral during World War II and the period of the Holocaust in German-occupied Europe.

Norwegian government-in-exile forms in London

The government in exile of Poland was formed in the aftermath of the September 1939 invasion and subsequent occupation of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and the Slovak Republic, which brought...

British House of Commons begins its Norway Debate on the conduct of the war after Germany invades Norway, leads to Winst

British House of Commons begins its Norway Debate on the conduct of the war after Germany invades Norway, leads to Winston Churchill becoming Prime Minister

Dutch-Indies Governor Van Starkenborch proclaims end to state of siege

NY World's Fair reopens

The 1964 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair) was an international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, United States.

French marines occupy St Maarten

Aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky pilots first untethered test flight of his VS-300 helicopter in Stratford, Connecticut [1

Aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky pilots first untethered test flight of his VS-300 helicopter in Stratford, Connecticut [1]

Admiral Johannes Furstner, Royal Dutch Navy, departs to England

German armoured division moves into Northern France

The Battle of France (French: bataille de France; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium,...

Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium and begins invasion of France

WWII: German troops conquer Antwerp, Belgium

For most of its history, what is today Belgium was either a part of a larger territory, such as the medieval Carolingian Empire, or was divided into a number of smaller states.

Amsterdam time becomes MET (Middle European Time)

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (IATA: AMS, ICAO: EHAM), known informally as Schiphol Airport ˈsxɪp (ɦ)ɔl; sxɪpˈɦɔl]), is the main international airport of the Netherlands, and is one of the major hubs...

AVRO chairman Willem Vogt fires all Jewish employees

Dutch Premier De Geer begins working with Nazis

1st great dogfight between Spitfires and Luftwaffe

1st night game at St Louis Sportsman Park (Indians 3, Browns 2)

German troops conquer Boulogne

Belgium surrenders to Germany, King Leopold III gives himself up

Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951.

Adolf Kiefer swims world record 100 yards backstroke (58.8 sec)

Coffee & tea rationed in Holland

Major General Bernard Montgomery returns to London

1st night baseball game at Forbes Field in Pittsbugh, Pennsylvania, Pirates win 14-2 over the Boston Braves

A synthetic rubber tire is exhibited in Akron, Ohio, by Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

British/French troops evacuate Narvik

The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April to 8 June 1940, as a naval battle in Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian town of Narvik, as part of the...

Discovery of element 93, neptunium, is announced

Canada declares war on Italy

Italy entered World War II on 10 June 1940 by invading France, joining the German offensive already in progress.

British Premier Winston Churchill flies to Orleans

Paris evacuates before German advance

The city of Paris started mobilizing for war in September 1939, when Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union attacked Poland, but the war seemed far away until 10 May 1940, when the Germans attacked France...

38 Italian Fiat bombers bomb Luc-en-Province

Communist government installed in Lithuania

The Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Lithuania before midnight of 14 June 1940.

France asks Germany for terms of surrender in World War II

This is a timeline of World War II events that took place in 1940, the first full year of the second global war of the 20th century.

German occupiers disband Dutch States-General/Council of State

1st Dairy Queen restaurant opens in Joliet, Illinois

France signs an armistice with Italy during WW II

Vichy France (French: Régime de Vichy, lit. 'Vichy regime'; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), also known as the Pétainist regime (French: Régime pétainiste) and Pétainist France, officially the French...

End of USSR experimental calendar; Gregorian readopted 6/27

Soviet Army attacks Romania

Between 28 June and 3 July 1940, the Soviet Union occupied Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, following an ultimatum made to Romania on 26 June 1940 that threatened the use of force.

"Quiz Kids?" premieres on radio

Anjer (Carnation) Day-anniversary of Prince Bernhard

"Brenda Starr, Reporter", 1st cartoon strip by a woman, Dale [Dalia] Messick, begins as a comic-book supplement to Chica

"Brenda Starr, Reporter", 1st cartoon strip by a woman, Dale [Dalia] Messick, begins as a comic-book supplement to Chicago's Sunday Tribune

Australia refuses entry to Dutch Jewish refugees

ARP-leader and Former Dutch PM Hendrikus Colijn argues cooperation with Germany

WWII: British Navy bombards neutral French battle fleet at Mers El Kébir, near Oran, French Algeria to prevent Axis powe

WWII: British Navy bombards neutral French battle fleet at Mers El Kébir, near Oran, French Algeria to prevent Axis powers from taking the ships; 1267 French serviceman die, one ship sunk and 5 more damaged

Diplomatic relations broken between Britain and Vichy government in France

German Evangelist Church protests against euthanasia pogroms

British and German dogfight above Lyme Bay

Frederick McKinley Jones receives a patent for an air conditioning unit for trucks, helping to change long-haul carriage

Frederick McKinley Jones receives a patent for an air conditioning unit for trucks, helping to change long-haul carriage of food and blood

Due to beanball wars, Spalding advertises batting helmets with earflaps

Nazi occupiers seize library of IISG Amsterdam

Dutch Nazi collaborator Meinoud Rost of Tonningen appointed as liquidation commissar for all Marxist organizations

Soviet Union annexes Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Also known as the Latvian SSR, or Soviet Latvia) was a de facto constituent republic of the Soviet Union covering the occupied and annexed territory of Latvia...

First illegal "Newsletter of Pieter It Hen" is published in Netherlands

American John Sigmund begins what will be the longest solo swim of all time, swimming for 89 hours and 46 minutes from S

American John Sigmund begins what will be the longest solo swim of all time, swimming for 89 hours and 46 minutes from St. Louis to Caruthersville, Missouri, in the Mississippi River, covering 292 miles

Billboard magazine begins publishing bestseller charts

Radio Orange begins broadcasting from London

London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of 9.1 million people in 2024.

SV Urk Dutch soccer team forms

Nazi Reichskommissar of the Netherlands Arthur Seyss-Inquart bans homosexuals

German occupiers in France impose censorship rules on films, requiring approval prior to exhibition and forbidding the d

German occupiers in France impose censorship rules on films, requiring approval prior to exhibition and forbidding the depiction of German losses in WWI

Nazi collaborators blow up Jewish synagogue in Zandvoort, Netherlands

St. Louis Browns pitcher John Whitehead no-hits the Detroit Tigers 4-0 in six innings (rain-shortened)

Estonia is annexed by the Soviet Union

Seventeen days after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, which marked the beginning of the Second World War, the Soviet Union entered the eastern regions of Poland (known as the Kresy) and annexed...

Alsace-Lorraine is annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II

The Military Administration in France was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zone in areas of northern and western France.

31 German aircraft are shot down over England

The Battle of Britain (German: Luftschlacht um England) was an effort by the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) during the summer and autumn of 1940 to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF)...

Dutch Prince Bernhard Fund forms

38 German aircraft are shot down over England

Luftwaffe bombs British radar stations and loses 31 aircraft

First edition of the Jewish Weekly newspaper in Amsterdam under Nazi occupation

Forty-five German aircraft are shot down over England

German Luftwaffe begins night bombing of London

World War II (1939–1945) involved sustained strategic bombing of railways, harbours, cities, workers' and civilian housing, and industrial districts in enemy territory.

First British night bombing of Germany in Berlin

Berlin, the capital of Germany, was subject to 363 air raids during the Second World War.

Chad is the first French colony to join the Allies under the administration of Félix Éboué, France's first black colonia

Chad is the first French colony to join the Allies under the administration of Félix Éboué, France's first black colonial governor

Experimental jet plane Caproni-Campini CC-2 makes its maiden flight in Milan

French colonies Cameroon and Congo-Brazzaville support Gen. de Gaulle

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany and Vichy France in World War II and...

Seventh NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Green Bay 45, All-Stars 28 (84,567 attendees)

1st edition of illegal opposition newspaper Free Netherlands

World War II in the Netherlands can be broken down into four periods: September 1939 to May 1940: After the war broke out, the Netherlands declared neutrality.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park dedicated

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a national park of the United States in the southeast, with parts in North Carolina and Tennessee.

39.4 cm of rainfall in Sapulpa, Oklahoma (state record)

CBS begins broadcasting TV as station W2XAB in New York City

CBS was founded as a radio network in 1927 and then expanded to television in the 1940s.

Crown Prince Michael succeeds Carol II as King of Romania

Carol II (15 October 1893 [O.S. 3 October 1893] – 4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 following a coup that deposed his son until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940.

28 German aircraft are shot down over England

A list of strategic bombing over the United Kingdom in World War II includes the towns and cities that received significant aerial destruction from 1940 to 1942 in the United Kingdom.

Buckingham Palace in London is hit during the German Blitz bombing campaign

The United Kingdom took part in World War II from 3 September 1939 until 15 August 1945. At the beginning of the war in 1939, London was the largest city in the world, with 8.2 million inhabitants.

Anton Mussert establishes the Dutch SS

Buckingham Palace damaged by German bombs

Buckingham Palace (UK: ) is the official residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom in London.

US Congress passes 1st peace-time conscription bill authorizing military draft

In the United States, military conscription, commonly known as "the draft", has been employed by the U.S.

3rd American Football League plays 1st game (Milw 14, Columbus 2)

19 German aircraft shot down above England

Nazi decree forbids gentile woman to work in Jewish homes

Japanese troops attack French Indo China

The Japanese invasion of French Indochina (仏印進駐, Futsu-in shinchū) (French: Invasion japonaise de l'Indochine) was a short undeclared military confrontation between Japan and Vichy France in northern...

55 German aircraft are shot down over England

MLB Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher Floyd Giebell throws a 2-0 shutout over Cleveland Indians' Bob Feller to clinch the AL

MLB Detroit Tigers rookie pitcher Floyd Giebell throws a 2-0 shutout over Cleveland Indians' Bob Feller to clinch the AL pennant at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio

Bud Brennan, a fan at Memorial Stadium, races out of the stands and attempts to tackle Tom Harmon at the 3-yard line; Ha

Bud Brennan, a fan at Memorial Stadium, races out of the stands and attempts to tackle Tom Harmon at the 3-yard line; Harmon easily evades

Michigan's Tom Harmon runs 72, 86, and 94 yard touchdowns

"Double or Nothing," a radio quiz show, is first heard on Mutual Radio Net

47 German aircraft shot down above England

Pennsylvania Turnpike, pioneering toll thruway, opens

17 German aircraft shot down over England

France's Vichy government proclaims an end to Jewish status

The Government of Vichy France was the collaborationist ruling regime or government in Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War.

12 German aircraft shot down above England

Zoological Gardens open at Sloat and Skyline Boulevards in San Francisco, California

World War II: The McCollum memo proposes bringing the U.S. into the war in Europe by provoking Japan to attack the Unite

World War II: The McCollum memo proposes bringing the U.S. into the war in Europe by provoking Japan to attack the United States

German troops occupy Romania

The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (German: Unternehmen Marita), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II.

Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. is promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African American to become a general in t

Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. is promoted to brigadier general, becoming the first African American to become a general in the US military

German occupiers issue identity cards

The military occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany lasted for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until liberation on 9 May 1945.

Kaufman & Hart's "George Washington Slept Here" premieres in New York City

Cheese rationed in the Netherlands

RAF drops first anti-Nazi pamphlets on Netherlands

Benjamin O Davis Sr. becomes 1st African American general in US Army

Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. (July 1, 1877 – November 26, 1970) was a career officer in the United States Army.

RMS Empress is disabled by a German bomb off Ireland's west coast - sunk two days later allowing most passengers to surv

RMS Empress is disabled by a German bomb off Ireland's west coast - sunk two days later allowing most passengers to survive

Empress of Britain sunk by a German U-boat two days after it was bombed off the west coast of Ireland with the lost of 4

Empress of Britain sunk by a German U-boat two days after it was bombed off the west coast of Ireland with the lost of 49 lives, making it the largest Allied ship sunk in WWII [1]

Secretary of War Henry L Stimson draws the first number, #158, in the first peacetime military draft in US history

1st US air raid shelter, Fleetwood, Pa

Eggs & cake rationed in Netherlands

Allied convoy of 38 ships encounters German cruiser Admiral Scheer in the north Atlantic, its escort HMS Jervis Bay sacr

Allied convoy of 38 ships encounters German cruiser Admiral Scheer in the north Atlantic, its escort HMS Jervis Bay sacrifices itself with the loss of 190 lives, five other convoy ships sunk

Former baseball player for the Washington Senators, Walter Johnson loses Maryland congressional race (R)

Stravinsky's Symfonie in C premieres in Chicago

RAF bombs Munich, Adolf Hitler promises "an attack on the capital of the Nazi movement would not go unpunished"

Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles play one of only 4 penalty free games in NFL history; Steelers win 7-3 at Fo

Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles play one of only 4 penalty free games in NFL history; Steelers win 7-3 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh

Blizzard strikes midwestern US killing over 100

Blizzard strikes North American midwest, 154 die, including 69 on boat asail in the Great Lakes

During WW II, German planes destroy most of Coventry, England

World War II (1939–1945) involved sustained strategic bombing of railways, harbours, cities, workers' and civilian housing, and industrial districts in enemy territory.

1st 75,000 men called to armed forces duty during peacetime

George Metesky, New York City's "Mad Bomber" places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated E

George Metesky, New York City's "Mad Bomber" places his first bomb at a Manhattan office building used by Consolidated Edison

Green Bay Packers become the first NFL team to travel by plane

Belgian King Leopold III visits Adolf Hitler

Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951.

World War II: Hungary, Romania and Slovakia join the Axis Powers

The Axis powers, originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis and also Rome–Berlin–Tokyo Axis, was the military coalition which initiated World War II and fought against the Allies.

Nazi occupiers forbid building schools in Netherlands

students in Delft demonstrate against Nazis

1st edition of illegal "The Truth" publishes

First flights of the de Havilland Mosquito and Martin B-26 Marauder

The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II.

Football team University of Michigan retires Tom Harmon's #98

The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.

Leidse students strike

Four sets of brothers play in one NHL game as the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the New York Rangers 4-1: Lynn and Muzz Patr

Four sets of brothers play in one NHL game as the Chicago Blackhawks defeat the New York Rangers 4-1: Lynn and Muzz Patrick, and Neil and Mac Colville (Rangers); Max and Doug Bentley, and Bob and Bill Carse (Chicago)

Gestapo arrest German resistance fighter/poster artist Helen Ernst

North Africa: British counter offensive under general O'Connor

British assault on Benghazi, Libya: first major allied offensive in North Africa

NFL Draft: Tom Harmon from University of Michigan first pick by Chicago Bears

Thomas Dudley Harmon (September 28, 1919 – March 15, 1990), nicknamed "Old 98", was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster. Harmon played college football as a...

British troops conquer Sidi el-Barrani

British troops occupy Sollum, Egypt

The Italian invasion of Egypt (Operazione E) was an offensive in the Second World War from Italian Libya, against British, Commonwealth and Free French in the neutral Kingdom of Egypt.

World War II: Himarë is captured by the Greek army.

The Greco-Italian War, also called the Italo-Greek War, took place between Italy and Greece from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941.

John Van Druten's play "Old Acquaintance" premieres on Broadway in NYC

California's 1st freeway, (Arroyo Seco Parkway), opens

Famous Births

Mary Mills is born

Jack Nicklaus is born

Jack Nicklaus, American athlete, known for american professional golfer, was born on 1940-01-21.

Carlos Slim is born

Carlos Slim, Mexican business oligarch, known for mexican business oligarch, was born on 1940-01-28. Carlos Slim Helú is a Mexican business oligarch, investor and philanthropist.

George A. Romero is born

George A. Romero, American filmmaker, known for american filmmaker, was born on 1940-02-04.

Tom Brokaw is born

Tom Brokaw, American broadcast journalist and author, known for american broadcast journalist and author, was born on 1940-02-06.

Smokey Robinson is born

Smokey Robinson musician, known for american singer, was born on 1940-02-19. William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, and record producer.

John Lewis is born

John Lewis, American politician and civil rights leader, known for american politician and civil rights leader, was born on 1940-02-21.

Willie Stargell is born

Willie Stargell, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1940-03-06.

Johnny Ventura is born

Johnny Ventura, Dominican musician, known for dominican singer, was born on 1940-03-08.

Robin Knox-Johnston is born

Robin Knox-Johnston, British athlete, known for british yacht racer, was born on 1940-03-17. Sir William Robert Patrick Knox-Johnston CBE RD* is a British sailor.

Wangari Maathai is born

Wangari Maathai, Kenyan kenyan environmental activist, known for kenyan environmental activist, was born on 1940-04-01.

Ali MacGraw is born

Ali MacGraw, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1940-04-01. Elizabeth Alice MacGraw is an American actress.

JoAnne Carner is born

Francis Ford Coppola is born

Francis Ford Coppola, American filmmaker, known for american filmmaker, was born on 1940-04-07. Francis Ford Coppola ( KOH-pə-lə; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker.

John Havlicek is born

John Havlicek, American athlete, known for american basketball player, was born on 1940-04-08.

Alan Ayckbourn is born

Alan Ayckbourn, British playwright, known for english playwright, was born on 1940-04-12. Sir Alan Ayckbourn is a prolific British playwright and director.

Willie Davis is born

Willie Davis athlete, known for american football player, was born on 1940-04-15. Ernest R.

Ali Hosseini Khamenei is born

David Koch is born

David Koch, American businessman and philanthropist, known for american businessman and philanthropist, was born on 1940-05-03.

Ricky Nelson is born

Ricky Nelson, American musician and actor, known for american musician and actor, was born on 1940-05-08.

Stan Mikita is born

Stan Mikita, Canadian athlete, known for slovak-canadian ice hockey player, was born on 1940-05-20.

Ian McKellen is born

Ian McKellen, English actor, known for english actor, was born on 1940-05-25. Sir Ian Murray McKellen is an English actor.

Joe Clark is born

Jackie Stewart is born

Jackie Stewart, British racing driver, known for british racing driver, was born on 1940-06-11.

Ada E. Yonath is born

Ada E. Yonath chemist, known for israeli chemist, was born on 1940-06-22. Ada E. Yonath is an Israeli crystallographer and Nobel laureate in Chemistry, best known for her pioneering work on the…

Wilma Rudolph is born

Wilma Rudolph, American athlete, known for american athlete, was born on 1940-06-23.

Alex Trebek is born

Alex Trebek, American canadian-american tv personality, known for canadian-american tv personality, was born on 1940-07-22.

John Howard is born

Carl Yastrzemski is born

Carl Yastrzemski athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1940-08-22. Carl Michael Yastrzemski Sr.

Thomas A. Steitz is born

Thomas A. Steitz, American biochemist, known for american biochemist, was born on 1940-08-23.

Jorge Paulo Lemann is born

Raquel Welch is born

Raquel Welch, American actress and model, known for american actress and model, was born on 1940-09-05. Jo Raquel Welch was an American actress.

John Lennon is born

John Lennon, English musician, known for english musician and activist, was born on 1940-10-09. John Winston Ono Lennon was an English musician and activist.

Ralph Lauren is born

Ralph Lauren, American fashion designer and executive, known for american fashion designer and executive, was born on 1940-10-14.

Dave DeBusschere is born

Dave DeBusschere, American athlete, known for american athlete, was born on 1940-10-16.

Mike Ditka is born

Mike Ditka, American athlete, known for american football player, coach, and commentator, was born on 1940-10-18.

Pele is born

Pele, Brazilian athlete, known for brazilian footballer, was born on 1940-10-23. Edson Arantes do Nascimentosõ(w) aˈɾɐ̃tʃiz du nasiˈmẽtu]; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his…

F. Murray Abraham is born

F. Murray Abraham actor, known for american actor, was born on 1940-10-24. F. Murray Abraham is an American actor.

John Gotti is born

John Gotti mobster, known for american mobster, was born on 1940-10-27. John Joseph Gotti Jr. was an American mafioso and boss of the Gambino crime family in New York City.

John Cleese is born

John Cleese, English comedian and actor, known for english comedian and actor, was born on 1940-10-27.

Margaret Atwood is born

Margaret Atwood, Canadian writer, known for canadian writer, was born on 1940-11-18. Margaret Eleanor Atwood is a Canadian novelist, poet, literary critic, and inventor.

Richard Pryor is born

Richard Pryor, American comedian and actor, known for american comedian and actor, was born on 1940-12-01.

Lee Trevino is born

James Caan is born

James Caan, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1940-03-26. James Edmund Caan ( KAHN; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor.

Notable Deaths

Selma Lagerlöf dies

Selma Lagerlöf, Swedish author, known for swedish author, died on 1940-03-16. Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf was a Swedish writer. She published her first novel, Gösta Berling's Saga, at the age of 33.

Emma Goldman dies

Emma Goldman, Russian russian-born anarchist, known for russian-born anarchist, died on 1940-05-14.

Marcus Garvey dies

Marcus Garvey jamaican activist and orator, known for jamaican activist and orator, died on 1940-06-10. Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr. (17 August 1887 – 10 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist.

Leon Trotsky dies

Leon Trotsky soviet politician and revolutionary, known for soviet politician and revolutionary, died on 1940-08-21. Lev Davidovich Trotsky (né Bronstein; 7 November [O.S.