I was in-between lives in 1940.  My parents hadn’t even met yet, so I wasn’t even a twinkle in my father’s eyes.  Many things began in 1940 that deeply and personally affected my life and the history of this world.  The Earth is a mirror of the cosmos, which reflects the current state of affairs of planet Earth from the past to this day.

The microcosm reflects the macrocosm of existence and all is reflected within and without. We are all of it. We focus on the current concept of self. That’s about all we can handle at any one time.  However, I experience bleed through memories, thoughts and ideas and access myself in various aspects of existence throughout all “time” and the continuum.

I suspect we all do this on some level, but most are not conscious.  I’ve become conscious of my eternal self and the multi-dimensionality of my existence. Sounds crazy, but it’s what is and everyday people contact me as they’re becoming aware of the grand illusion of this matrix.

Take the time to scroll down the lists of the years below if you dare. What’s included and what’s not says volumes about our lives and what gets recorded, remembered, and forgotten. The victors of wars survived to tell the tale. Who deemed these things important? How many billions of souls have made journeys into a form never to be thought of again?  Does the fabled Akashic Records (which stores everything that ever happened), actually exist? I certainly hope so. For those, I’ve known personally and have loved have not made any of these lists included below.  But to me and to them, their lives were every bit as important as those who were and are “famous”. 

So who decides what’s remembered?  If we read about what is remembered and recorded, the events that occurred in the years we traveled through, will those things jar our memories to remember our wee and unimportant lives? 

The microcosm reflects the macrocosm and vice versa.  I believe that all lives are important. All lives matter and that in the telling of the “small lives” in relationship to the bigger container we call “history”, that we will realize that the human story exists on all these levels and are of equal value. Juxtapose what humanity chooses to feature, and we’ll uncover our extraterrestrial origins. Following through on those leads, we uncover our soul’s journey all the way back to Source itself and the creation of the original polarity which some call “the big bang”, which is how we ended up here in the end.

My father was drafted early on and sent to the front.  He was 20 years old in 1940.  My mother was 18, just graduated high school in June.  I’m sure she was frightened that the world was about to go crazy. When the war finally happened, when they sent all those young men off to war, the best men to marry went away taking all those dreams of happiness with them. Only the best would go. Men who were unable to pass the physical or mentally incapacitated remained.  Women went off to work in in jobs formerly done by men. Who would all these young women marry? How would the next generation come to be? 

My mother lived with her mother and grandmother in a town called Avalon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They lived in the original farm house of the Orchard Avenue neighborhood which was built in the 1840s and purchased by my mother’s father somewhere between 1901 to 1910.  My grandfather Shook died in 1932 when my mother was 10 years old. My mother was hit by a double whammy, the loss of her father and primary family breadwinner and the Great Depression, which made life barely tolerable.

My mother didn’t have much to choose from and here she was 18, in her prime and ready to make love and make babies, raise a family. What did she do?   

World War II (WWII) was to shape the world that I would soon come down into physical form and be born into.  My parent’s trauma went into me, shaped my world and as I was forming in the womb, influenced how my body would form and the ideas, thoughts, energies, emotions that came into my fetus then after birth, influenced my thoughts and emotional well-being.  My environment was very toxic in the 1950s as Pittsburgh was still producing steel.  The air and waters were polluted, filthy, the air toxic. 

1940 was a huge year for the world.  When reading the lists below I found it shocking to see how while the war was escalating around the planet, the USA remained somewhat oblivious and still played baseball and listened to game shows on the radio. 

1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1940th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 940th year of the 2nd millennium, the 40th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1940s decade.

Events of 1940

Below, the events of World War II have the “WWII” prefix.

January 1940

• January 4 – WWII: Axis powers: Luftwaffe Colonel Hermann Göring assumes control of most war industries in Germany.
• January 6 – WWII: Winter War: General Semyon Timoshenko takes command of all Soviet forces.
• January 8
  • WWII: Winter War – Battle of Suomussalmi: The Soviet 44th Rifle Division is destroyed by Finnish forces.
  • WWII: Food rationing begins in Great Britain.
• January 9 – WWII: British submarine HMS Starfish is sunk.
• January 10 – WWII: Mechelen incident: A German plane carrying secret plans for the invasion of Western Europe makes a forced landing in Belgium, leading to mobilization of defense forces in the Low Countries.
• January 19 – The Three Stooges short subject comedy film You Nazty Spy! is released, the first Hollywood parody of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, with Moe Howard portraying “Moe Hailstone” as the Hitler-parody lead.
• January 27 – WWII: A peace resolution introduced in the Parliament of South Africa is defeated 81–59.

February 1940

• February 1 – WWII: Winter War – Soviet forces launch a major assault on Finnish troops occupying the Karelian Isthmus.
• February 2 – Vsevolod Meyerhold is executed in the Soviet Union on charges of treason and espionage. He is cleared of all charges 15 years later, in the first waves of de-Stalinization.
• February 7 – Disney’s Pinocchio is released in theaters everywhere.
• February 9 – Mae West & W. C. Fields join comedic forces for My Little Chickadee with tremendous success. The film becomes one of the highest-grossing of the year.
• February 10 – Tom and Jerry make their debut in Puss Gets the Boot. However, it is not until 1941 that their current names are adopted.
• February 16 – WWII: Altmark Incident: British destroyer HMS Cossack pursues German tanker Altmark into the neutral waters of Jøssingfjord in southwestern Norway, and frees the 290 British seamen held aboard.
• February 22 – In Tibet, province of Ando, 4-year-old Tenzin Gyatso has proclaimed the tulku (rebirth) of the 13th Dalai Lama.
• February 27 – Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14.
• February 29 – Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African-American to win an Academy Award.
•  

March 1940

• March 2 – Cartoon character Elmer Fudd makes his debut, in the animated short Elmer’s Candid Camera.
• March 5 – Katyn massacre: Members of the Soviet Politburo (Joseph Stalin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Lazar Kaganovich, Mikhail Kalinin, Kliment Voroshilov and Lavrentiy Beria) sign an order, prepared by Beria, for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs.
• March 11 – Ed Ricketts, John Steinbeck and six others leave Monterey, California for the Gulf of California, on a collecting expedition.
• 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. After being informed by Hitler that the Germans are ready to attack in the west, Mussolini agrees to bring Italy into the war in due course.
• March 21 – Édouard Daladier resigns as prime minister of France; Paul Reynaud succeeds him.
• March 23
  • Pakistan Movement: The Lahore Resolution, calling for greater autonomy for what will become Pakistan in British India, is drawn up by the All-India Muslim League, during a three-day general session at Iqbal Park, Lahore.
  • Truth or Consequences debuts on NBC Radio.
• March 30 – WWII: Former Kuomintang member and Chinese foreign minister, Wang Jingwei, announces the creation of the Reorganized National Government of the Republic of China in Nanjing.
• March 31 – WWII: Commerce raiding German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis leaves the Wadden Sea, for what will become the longest warship cruise of the war. (622 days without in-port replenishment or repair).^[1]

April 1940

• April – Robin the Boy Wonder, Batman‘s trusted sidekick, makes his debut in Detective Comics #38.
• April 3 – WWII: Operation Weserübung: German ships set out for the invasion of Norway.
• April 4 – Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in what proves to be a tragic misjudgment, 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 8 – WWII: Operation Wilfred: The British fleet lays naval mines off the coast of neutral Norway.
• April 9 – WWII: Germany invades the neutral countries of Denmark and Norway in Operation Weserübung, opening the Norwegian Campaign. The British Royal Navy attempts to attack elements of the German fleet off Norway. Vidkun Quisling proclaims a new collaborationist regime in Norway. The German invasion of Denmark lasts for about six hours, before that country capitulates.
• April 10 – WWII: First Naval Battle of Narvik: The British Royal Navy attacks the German fleet in the Ofotfjord. At Bergen, German cruiser Königsberg is sunk by British Fleet Air Arm Blackburn Skua dive bombers, flying from RNAS Hatston in Orkney.
• April 12
  • The Faroe Islands are occupied by British troops, following the German invasion of Denmark. This action is taken to avert a possible German occupation of the islands, with serious consequences for the course of the Battle of the Atlantic.
  • Opening day at Jamaica Race Course features the use of parimutuel betting equipment, a departure from bookmaking heretofore used exclusively throughout New York. Other tracks in the state follow suit later in 1940.
• April 13
  • WWII: Second Naval Battle of Narvik: The British Royal Navy causes all 8 defending German destroyers in the Ofotfjord to be sunk.
  • The New York Rangers win the 1940 Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey. It will be another 54 years before their next win in 1994.
• April 14 – Norwegian Campaign: The first British ground forces land in Norway, at Namsos and Harstad.
• April 16 – In American baseball, the Cleveland Indians, behind Bob Feller‘s Opening Day no-hitter, defeat the Chicago White Sox, 1-0.
• April 21 – Take It or Leave It makes its debut on CBS Radio in the United States, with Bob Hawk as host.
• April 23 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198.
•  

May 1940

• May 10 – WWII:
  • The Battle of France begins.
  • German forces invade the Low Countries.
    • The Battle of the Netherlands begins.
    • The Battle of Belgium begins.
    • The Invasion of Luxembourg begins.
  • The British invasion of Iceland begins.
  • With the resignation of Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

May 10: Winston Churchill

• May 13 – WWII:
  • Winston Churchill, in his first address as Prime Minister, tells the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, “I have nothing to offer you but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
  • German armies open a 60-mile (97 km) wide breach in the Maginot Line at Sedan, France.
• May 13–14 – Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her government are evacuated to London, using the British destroyer HMS Hereward.
• May 14 – WWII:
  • Rotterdam is subjected to savage terror bombing by the Luftwaffe; 980 are killed, and 20,000 buildings destroyed. General Henri Winkelman announces the surrender of the Dutch army (outside Zeeland) to German forces.
  • Recruitment begins in Britain for a home defence force: the Local Defence Volunteers, later known as the Home Guard.
• May 15
  • WWII: The Dutch Army formally signs a surrender document.
  • The very first McDonald’s restaurant opens in San Bernardino, California.
  • Women’s stockings made of nylon are first placed on sale across the United States. Almost five million pairs are bought on this day.^[2]
• May 16 – President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt, addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress, asks for an extraordinary credit of approximately $900 million, to finance construction of at least 50,000 airplanes per year.
• May 17 – WWII:
  • Brussels falls to German forces; the Belgian government flees to Ostend.
  • Zeeland is overrun by German forces, ending the Battle of the Netherlands and beginning full German occupation of the Netherlands (Noord-Beveland surrenders on May 18, and the remaining Dutch troops are withdrawn from Zeelandic Flanders on May 19).
• May 18 – Marshal Philippe Pétain is named vice-premier of France.
• May 19 – General Maxime Weygand replaces Maurice Gamelin as commander-in-chief of all French forces.
• May 20
  • WWII: German forces (2nd Panzer Division), under General Rudolf Veiel, reach Noyelles on the English Channel.
  • Holocaust: The Nazi concentration camp and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest of the German concentration camps, opens in occupied Poland, near the town of Oświęcim. From now until January 1945, around 1.1 million people will be killed here.
• May 22 – WWII: The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939, giving the government full control over all persons and property.
• May 24 – WWII:
  • The Anglo-French Supreme War Council decides to withdraw all forces under its control from Norway.
  • Hitler issues Der Halte Befehl, a stop order preventing his Panzer divisions advancing on Dunkirk.
• May 25 – The Crypt of Civilization time capsule is sealed shut, with a protected opening date of 8113 CE.
• May 26
  • WWII: The Dunkirk evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force begins.
  • The first free flight of Igor Sikorsky‘s Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 helicopter is made.
• May 27 – WWII: Le Paradis massacre: 97 retreating British soldiers of the Royal Norfolk Regiment are executed by German troops of 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf, after surrendering in France.
• May 28 – WWII:
  • King Leopold III of Belgium orders the Belgian forces to cease fighting, ending the 18-day Battle of Belgium. Leaders of the Belgian government on French territory declare Leopold deposed.
  • Land Battle of Narvik: German forces retire, giving the Allies their first victory on land in the war; however, the British have already decided to evacuate Narvik.
  • Winston Churchill warns the House of Commons of the United Kingdom to “prepare itself for hard and heavy tidings.”
• May 29 – The Vought XF4U-1, prototype of the F4U Corsair U.S. fighter later used in WWII, makes its first flight.

June 1940

• June 1 – WWII: Rear Admiral Sir W. Frederic Wake-Walker‘s flagship, the destroyer Keith, is sunk by Stukas at Dunkirk.^[3]
• June 3
  • WWII: Paris is bombed by the Luftwaffe for the first time.
  • The Holocaust: Franz Rademacher proposes the Madagascar Plan.
  • The Weather Bureau is transferred to the United States Department of Commerce.
• June 4 – WWII:
  • The Dunkirk evacuation ends: The British and French navies, together with large numbers of civilian vessels from various nations, complete evacuating 300,000 troops from Dunkirk, France to England.
  • Winston Churchill tells the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, “We shall not flag or fail. We shall fight on the beaches… on the landing grounds… in the fields and the streets…. We shall never surrender.”
• June 7
  • Cartoon character Daisy Duck debuts, in Mr. Duck Steps Out.

• King Haakon VII of Norway and his government are evacuated from Tromsø to London, on HMS Devonshire.^[4]
• June 9 – WWII: The British Commandos are created.
• June 10
  • WWII:
    • Italy declares war on France and the United Kingdom.
    • U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt denounces Italy’s actions with his “Stab in the Back”^{[permanent dead link]} speech during the graduation ceremonies of the University of Virginia.
    • Canada declares war on Italy.
    • The Norwegian Army surrenders to German forces.
    • The French government flees to Tours.
  • Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey dies of a stroke in London.
• June 11 – WWII: The Western Desert Campaign opens, with British forces crossing the Frontier Wire into Italian Libya.
• June 12 – WWII: 13,000 British and French troops surrender to Major-General Erwin Rommel‘s 7th Panzer Division, at Saint-Valery-en-Caux.
• June 13 – WWII: Paris is declared an open city.
• June 14 – WWII:
  • The French government flees to Bordeaux, and Paris falls under German occupation.
  • U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Naval Expansion Act into law, which aims to increase the United States Navy‘s tonnage by 11%.
  • A group of 728 Polish political prisoners from Tarnów become the first residents of the Auschwitz concentration camp.
• June 15 – WWII:
  • The Soviet Union occupies Lithuania.
  • Verdun falls to German forces.

• June 16
  • The Churchill war ministry in the United Kingdom offers a Franco-British Union to Paul Reynaud, Prime Minister of France, in the hope of preventing France from agreeing to an armistice with Germany, but Reynaud resigns when his own cabinet refuses to accept it.
  • The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is held for the first time, in Sturgis, South Dakota.
• June 17 – WWII:
  • Philippe Pétain becomes Prime Minister of France, and immediately asks Germany for peace terms.
  • Occupation of the Baltic states: The Soviet Union occupies Estonia and Latvia.
  • Operation Ariel begins: Allied troops start to evacuate France, following Germany’s takeover of Paris and most of the nation.
  • RMS Lancastria, serving as a troopship, is bombed and sunk by Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 88 aircraft, while evacuating British troops and nationals from Saint-Nazaire in France, with the loss of at least 4,000 lives, the largest single UK loss in any World War II event, immediate news of which is suppressed in the British press.^[5][6] Destroyer HMS Beagle (H30) rescues around 600.
• June 18 – WWII:
  • Winston Churchill tells the House of Commons of the United Kingdom: “The Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin.”
  • Appeal of 18 June: General Charles de Gaulle, de facto leader of the Free French Forces, makes his first broadcast appeal over Radio Londres from London, rallying the French Resistance, 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 20 – WWII: Evacuation of civilians from the Channel Islands to England begins.^[7]
• June 22
  • WWII: Second Armistice at Compiègne: The French Third Republic and Nazi Germany sign an armistice, ending the Battle of France in the Forest of Compiègne, in the same Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits railroad car used by Marshal Ferdinand Foch to conclude the Armistice with Germany in 1918. This divides France into a Zone occupée in the north and west, under the Military Administration in France (Nazi Germany), and a southern Zone libre, Vichy France.
  • Albert Einstein gives a public address in the “I’m An American” series, on becoming an American citizen.

• June 23 – WWII: German leader Adolf Hitler surveys newly defeated Paris, in now-occupied France.^[8]
• June 24
  • WWII: Vichy France signs armistice terms with Italy.
  • United States politics: The Republican Party begins its national convention in Philadelphia, and nominates Wendell Willkie as its candidate for president.
• June 25 – WWII: After the defeat of France, Hitler plans for an invasion of Switzerland, known as Operation Tannenbaum.
• June 26 – Soviet calendar: The Soviet Union reverts to a seven-day week for all purposes.
• June 28
  • General Charles de Gaulle is officially recognized by Britain as the “Leader of all Free Frenchmen, wherever they may be.”
  • Romania cedes Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, after an ultimatum.

• June 30
  • WWII: German forces land in Guernsey, marking the start of the 5-year Occupation of the Channel Islands.
  • Federal government of the United States reorganisation:
    • The Civil Aeronautics Administration is placed under the Department of Commerce.
    • The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is placed under the Federal Security Agency.
    • The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is placed under the Department of the Interior.

July

Main article: July 1940

• July 1 – The first Tacoma Narrows Bridge opens for business, built with an 8-foot (2.4 m) girder and 190 feet (58 m) above the water, as the third longest suspension bridge in the world.
• July 2 – WWII: British-owned SS Arandora Star, carrying civilian internees and POWs of Italian and German origin from Liverpool to Canada, is torpedoed and sunk by German submarine German submarine U-47 off northwest Ireland, with the loss of around 865 lives.
• July 3 – WWII: Attack on Mers-el-Kébir: British naval units sink or seize ships of the French fleet anchored in the Algerian ports of Mers-el-Kebir and Oran, to prevent them from falling into German hands. The following day, Vichy France breaks off diplomatic relations with Britain.
• July 6
  • Story Bridge opens in Brisbane.
  • WWII: British submarine HMS Shark is sunk.
• July 10 – WWII: The Battle of Britain begins.

• July 11
  • WWII: British destroyer HMS Escort is torpedoed and sunk by an Italian submarine.
  • WWII: Vichy France begins with a constitutional law which only 80 members of the parliament vote against. Philippe Pétain becomes Prime Minister of France.
• July 14 – WWII: Winston Churchill, in a worldwide broadcast, proclaims the intention of Great Britain to fight alone against Germany whatever the outcome: “We shall seek no terms. We shall tolerate no parley. We may show mercy. We shall ask none.”
• July 15 – U.S. politics: The Democratic Party begins its national convention in Chicago, and nominates Franklin D. Roosevelt for an unprecedented third term as president.

• July 19
  • WWII: Battle of Cape Spada: HMAS Sydney and five destroyers sink the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni.
  • WWII: Adolf Hitler makes a peace appeal to Britain, in an address to the Reichstag. BBC German-language broadcaster Sefton Delmer unofficially rejects it at once^[9] and Lord Halifax, the British foreign minister, flatly rejects peace terms in a broadcast reply on July 22.
• July 21
  • After rigged parliamentary elections in the three occupied countries on July 14–15, the parliaments proclaim the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republics.
  • The Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft enters service, so named as 1940 roughly corresponds to the year 2600 on the Japanese Imperial calendar.

• July 23 – Welles Declaration: United States Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles announces that the U.S. will not accord diplomatic recognition to the Soviet Union‘s occupation of the Baltic states.
• July 25 – General Henri Guisan addresses the officer corps of the Swiss army at Rütli, resolving to resist any invasion of the country.
• July 27 – Bugs Bunny makes his debut in the Oscar-nominated cartoon short, A Wild Hare. However, it is not until 1941 that his name is adopted.

August 1940

Main article: August 1940

• August 1 – WWII: British submarine HMS Spearfish is sunk in the English Channel, by what is much later discovered to be a mine.
• August 3 – The Lithuanian SSR is annexed into the Soviet Union, followed by the Latvian SSR on August 5 and the Estonian SSR August 6, just seven weeks after their occupation.
• August 3–19 – WWII: The Italian conquest of British Somaliland is completed.
• August 4 – Gen. John J. Pershing, in a nationwide radio broadcast, urges all-out aid to Britain in order to defend the Americas, while Charles Lindbergh speaks to an isolationist rally at Soldier Field in Chicago.
• August 8 – WWII: German general Wilhelm Keitel signs the “Aufbau Ost” directive, which eventually leads to the invasion of the Soviet Union.
• August 10 – WWII: British armed merchant cruiser HMS Transylvania is torpedoed off Malin Head, Ireland, by German submarine U-56.
• August 13 – WWII: The Adlertag (“Eagle Day”) strike on southern England occurs, starting the rapid escalation of the Battle of Britain air offensive of the Luftwaffe against RAF Fighter Command.
• August 15 – Italy, without having declared war on Greece, sinks the Greek boat Elli (Έλλη).
• August 18
  • WWII: “The Hardest Day” in the Battle of Britain: Both sides lose more aircraft combined on this day than at any other point during the campaign, without the Luftwaffe achieving dominance over RAF Fighter Command.
  • The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, is installed as Governor of the Bahamas.^[10]
• August 20
  • WWII: Winston Churchill pays tribute in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom to the Royal Air Force: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”
  • Leon Trotsky is attacked with an ice axe in his Mexico home by NKVD agent Ramón Mercader.
• August 21 – Leon Trotsky dies of the injuries he has sustained.
• August 24 – Howard Florey, and a team including Ernst Chain and Norman Heatley, at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, publish their laboratory results showing the in vivo bactericidal action of penicillin. They have also purified the drug.^[11][12]
• August 25 – WWII: The first Bombing of Berlin is carried out, by the British Royal Air Force.
• August 26 – WWII: Chad is the first French colony to proclaim its support for the Allies.
• August 30 – Second Vienna Award: Germany and Italy compel Romania to cede half of Transylvania to Hungary.

September

Main article: September 1940

• 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 WWII.
• September 2 – WWII: The Destroyers for Bases Agreement between the United States and Great Britain is announced, to the effect that 50 U.S. destroyers needed for escort work will be transferred to Great Britain. In return, the United States gains 99-year leases on British bases in the North Atlantic, West Indies and Bermuda.
• September 4 – WWII: In Berlin, Adolf Hitler declares in a speech that Nazi Germany will avenge all night air raids carried out by Great Britain.
• September 5 – WWII: Commerce raiding German auxiliary cruiser Komet enters the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait, after crossing the Arctic Ocean from the North Sea, with the help of Soviet icebreakers Lenin, Stalin, and Kaganovich.^[13]
• September 6 – King Carol II of Romania abdicates, and is succeeded by his son Michael.
• September 7
  • Treaty of Craiova: Romania loses Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria.
  • WWII: The Blitz – Nazi Germany begins to rain bombs on London (the first of 57 consecutive nights of strategic bombing).
• September 9–16 – WWII: The Italian invasion of Egypt commences from Libya, progressing only as far as Sidi Barrani.
• September 9
  • Treznea massacre: The Hungarian Army, supported by local Hungarians, kill 93 Romanian civilians in Treznea, Sălaj, a village in Northern Transylvania, as part of attempts at ethnic cleansing.
  • George Stibitz first demonstrates the remote operation of a computer, in the United States.
• September 12
  • In Lascaux, France, 17,000-year-old cave paintings 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 explodes, killing 55 people.
• September 14 – Ip massacre: The Hungarian Army, supported by local Hungarians, kill 158 Romanian civilians in Ip, Sălaj, a village in Northern Transylvania, as part of attempts at ethnic cleansing.
• 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 17 – WWII: Hitler postpones Operation Sea Lion (Unternehmen Seelöwe), the planned German invasion of Britain, indefinitely.^[14]
• September 17–18 – WWII: SS City of Benares is torpedoed by German submarine U-48 in the Atlantic, with the loss of 248 of the 406 on board, including child evacuees bound for Canada. This results in cancellation of the British Children’s Overseas Reception Board‘s plan to relocate children overseas.
• September 21 – 1940 Australian federal election: Robert Menzies‘ UAP/Country Coalition Government is re-elected as a minority government, narrowly defeating the Labor Party led by John Curtin. It is the last federal election to result in a minority government until 2010.
• September 22 – Japan enters French Indochina: An agreement is signed in which Japan promises to station no more than 6,000 troops there, and never have more than 25,000 transiting the colony. Rights are also given for 3 airfields.
• September 25 – Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany: German Reichskommissar Josef Terboven appoints a provisional council of state from the pro-Nazi Nasjonal Samling party, under Vidkun Quisling, as a puppet government for Norway.
• September 26 – A group of Japanese officers, in violation of an agreement signed 4 days earlier with French Indochina, take Đồng Đăng and Lam Sơn, with 40 Franco-Vietnamese troops killed and around 1,000 deserting. The same day 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.
• September 30 (night to October 1) – Arsonists from the Hitler Youth destroy the Great Synagogue of Strasbourg.

Main article: October 1940

• October 1 – The first section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the United States’ first long-distance controlled-access highway, is opened.
• October 11 – Portuguese-born performer Carmen Miranda makes her American film debut in Down Argentine Way, one of the first films produced to promote the Good Neighbor policy.
• October 14 – The Balham tube station disaster in London, England, occurs during the Nazi Luftwaffe air raids on Great Britain.
• October 15 – Charlie Chaplin releases his controversial wartime satire The Great Dictator, nine months after the Stooges’ You Nazty Spy!.
• October 16
  • The draft registration of approximately 16 million men begins in the United States.
  • Nazi Governor-General Hans Frank establishes the Warsaw Ghetto.
• October 18–19 – WWII: Thirty-two ships are sunk from Convoy SC 7 and Convoy HX 79 by the most effective “wolfpack” of the war, including U-boat aces Kretschmer, Prien and Schepke.
• October 26–28 – WWII: RMS Empress of Britain, serving as a troopship under the British flag, is bombed, torpedoed and sunk off the Donegal coast, with the loss of 45 lives. At 42,348 GRT, she is the war’s largest merchant ship loss.
• October 28 – WWII: Italian troops invade Greece, meeting strong resistance from Greek troops and civilians. This action signals the beginning of the Balkan Campaign.
• October 29 – The Selective Service System lottery is held in Washington, D.C..

Main article: November 1940

• November – In Cambodia, the Khmer Issarak is formed to overthrow the French Army within the nation.
• November 2–8 – WWII (Greco-Italian War): Battle of Elaia–Kalamas in Epirus: Outnumbered Greek forces repel the Italian Army.
• November 2 – German submarine U-69 is commissioned, the first Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany‘s Kriegsmarine, which will become its most numerous class, with 568 commissioned during the War.
• November 5 – 1940 United States presidential election: Democrat incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt defeats Republican challenger Wendell Willkie, and becomes the United States’ first and only third-term president.
• November 6 – Agatha Christie‘s mystery novel And Then There Were None is published in book form, in the United States.
• November 7 – In Tacoma, Washington, the 600-foot (180 m)-long center span of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (known as Galloping Gertie) collapses.
• November 8 – WWII: MS City of Rayville is sunk by a naval mine off Cape Otway, Australia (the first United States Merchant Marine loss of the war).
• November 9 – Joaquín Rodrigo‘s Concierto de Aranjuez premieres in Barcelona, Spain.
• November 10 – 1940 Vrancea earthquake: An earthquake in Romania kills 1,000.
• November 11
  • WWII: The British Royal Navy launches the first aircraft carrier strike in history, on the Italian battleship fleet anchored at Taranto Naval Base.
  • WWII: German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis captures top secret British mail intended for the British Far East Command from the SS Automedon, and sends it to Japan.
  • Armistice Day Blizzard: An unexpected blizzard kills 144 in the Midwestern United States.
• 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: Coventry Blitz: The city centre of Coventry, England is destroyed by 500 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 15 – Abbott and Costello make their film debut, in One Night in the Tropics.
• November 16
  • WWII: In response to Germany levelling Coventry 2 days before, the Royal Air Force begins to bomb Hamburg (by war’s end, 50,000 Hamburg residents will have died from Allied attacks).
  • An unexploded pipe bomb is found in the Consolidated Edison office building (only years later is the culprit, George Metesky, apprehended).
  • The Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers is founded.
• 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 25
  • Patria disaster: As British authorities attempt to deport Jewish refugees (originating from German-occupied Europe) from Mandatory Palestine to Mauritius, aboard the requisitioned emigrant liner SS Patria at Haifa, the Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah sinks the ship with a bomb, killing around 250 refugees and crew.
  • The de Havilland Mosquito and Martin B-26 Marauder military aircraft both make their first flights.
  • Woody Woodpecker makes his debut in the animated short, Knock Knock. It is not until 1941 that his current name is adopted.
• November 26–27 – Jilava Massacre: In Romania, coup leader General Ion Antonescu‘s Iron Guard arrests and executes over 60 of exiled King Carol II of Romania‘s aides, starting at a penitentiary near Bucharest. Among the dead is former minister and acclaimed historian Nicolae Iorga.
• November 27 – WWII: Battle of Cape Spartivento: The British Royal Navy and Italian Regia Marina battle to a draw.

December 1940

Main article: December 1940

• December – Timely Comics‘ Captain America Comics #1 (cover dated March 1941), first appearance of Captain America and Bucky, hits newsstands in the United States.
• December 1 – Manuel Ávila Camacho takes office, as President of Mexico.
• December 6 – British submarine HMS Regulus is sunk near Taranto.
• 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 9 – WWII: Operation Compass – British forces in North Africa begin their first major offensive, with an attack on Italian forces at Sidi Barrani, Egypt.
• December 12 and December 15 – WWII: Sheffield Blitz (“Operation Crucible”): The Yorkshire city of Sheffield is badly damaged by German air-raids.
• December 14
  • WWII British destroyers HMS Hereward and HMS Hyperion sink an Italian submarine off Bardia.
  • Royal Navy Fairey Swordfish based on Malta bomb Tripoli.
  • Plutonium is first synthesized in the laboratory, by a team led by Glenn T. Seaborg and Edwin McMillan, at the University of California, Berkeley.
• December 16 – WWII: Operation Abigail Rachel: The RAF bombs Mannheim.
• December 17 – President Roosevelt, at his regular press conference, first sets forth the outline of his plan to send aid to Great Britain, that will become known as Lend-Lease.
• December 23 – WWII: Winston Churchill, in a broadcast address to the people of Italy, blames Benito Mussolini for leading his nation to war against the British, contrary to Italy’s historic friendship with them: “One man has arrayed the trustees and inheritors of ancient Rome upon the side of the ferocious pagan barbarians.”
• December 24 – Mahatma Gandhi, Indian spiritual non-violence leader, writes his second letter to Adolf Hitler, addressing him as “My friend”, and requesting him to stop the war Germany had begun.
• 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“: The 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).
  • In Sweden, Victor Hasselblad forms the Victor Hasselblad AB Camera Company.

Date Unknown[edit]

• 1940 Summer Olympics in Tokyo together with the Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, suspended because due World War II.
• In Korea, the Hunminjeongeum (1446) is discovered, explaining the basis of the Hangul alphabet.
• American historian Arthur Marder publishes The Anatomy of British Sea Power: a history of British naval policy in the pre-Dreadnought era, 1880-1905.
• Walter Knott begins construction of a California ghost town replica, which will soon evolve into Knott’s Berry Farm.

Births 1940

January

Brian Josephson

Jack Nicklaus

John Hurt

James Cromwell

Carlos Slim

• January 2
  • Masahiko Tsugawa, Japanese actor, director (d. 2018)
  • Jim Bakker, American televangelist, ex-husband of Tammy Faye
  • S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan, Indian-American mathematician
• January 3
  • Leo de Berardinis, Italian stage actor, theatre director (d. 2008)
  • Thelma Schoonmaker, Algerian-born American film editor
• January 4
  • Helmut Jahn, German-American architect
  • Brian Josephson, Welsh physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • Gao Xingjian, Chinese-born writer, Nobel Prize laureate
• January 6 – Penny Lernoux, American nun, author (d. 1989)
• January 9 – Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, Costa Rican politician, lawyer, economist, and businessman
• January 13 – Edmund White, American author
• January 14 – Julian Bond, African-American civil rights activist (d. 2015)
• January 16 – Franz Müntefering, German politician
• January 17
  • Kipchoge Keino, Kenyan athlete
  • Tabaré Vázquez, President of Uruguay
  • Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Armenian Catholic Patriarch of Cilicia (d. 2015)
• January 18
  • Tony Holland, British actor, television screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • Pedro Rodríguez, Mexican racing driver (d. 1971)
• January 19
  • Paolo Borsellino, Italian judge and magistrate (d. 1992)
  • Mike Reid, English actor (d. 2007)
  • Linda Sorenson, Canadian actress
• January 20
  • Carol Heiss, American figure skater
  • Krishnam Raju, Indian actor and politician
• January 21
  • Jeremy Jacobs, American businessman
  • Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
• January 22 – John Hurt, English actor (d. 2017)
• January 23 – Jimmy Castor, African-American funk, R&B, and soul saxophonist (d. 2012)
• January 24 – Joachim Gauck, German politician, 11th President of Germany
• January 27
  • James Cromwell, American actor
  • Petru Lucinschi, Moldovan politician, 2nd President of Moldova
• January 28 – Carlos Slim, Mexican businessman
• January 29
  • Katharine Ross, American actress
  • Kunimitsu Takahashi, Japanese motorcycle racer and racing driver
• January 31 – Stuart Margolin, American actor

February[edit]

George A. Romero

H. R. Giger

Willi Holdorf

Smokey Robinson

Peter Fonda

Mario Andretti

• February 1 – Ajmer Singh, Indian athlete, educator (d. 2010)
• February 2
  • Odell Brown, American jazz organist (d. 2011)
  • Sir David Jason, English actor
• February 3 – Fran Tarkenton, American football player
• February 4 – George A. Romero, American film writer, director (d. 2017)
• February 5 – H. R. Giger, Swiss artist (d. 2014)
• February 6
  • Tom Brokaw, American television journalist and author
  • Jimmy Tarbuck, English comedian
• February 7 – Tony Tan, 7th President of Singapore
• February 8
  • Thomas Rickman, American film director, screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • Ted Koppel, American journalist
• February 9
  • Brian Bennett, British drummer, songwriter (The Shadows)
  • J. M. Coetzee, South African writer, Nobel Prize laureate
  • Seamus Deane, Irish poet, novelist
• February 12
  • Ralph Bates, English film and television actor (d. 1991)
  • Richard Lynch, American actor (d. 2012)
  • Robert Saladrigas, Spanish writer, journalist and literary critic (d. 2018)
• February 15 – Hamzah Haz, Indonesian politician, 9th Vice President of Indonesia
• February 17
  • Matija Barl, Slovenian actor, producer and translator (d. 2018)
  • Willi Holdorf, German Olympic decathlete
  • Chris Newman, American sound mixer, director
  • Gene Pitney, American singer (d. 2006)
• February 18 – Fabrizio De André, Italian singer, songwriter (d. 1999)
• February 19 – Smokey Robinson, African-American musician
• February 20 – Jimmy Greaves, English footballer
• February 21
  • Peter Gethin, British racing driver (d. 2011)
  • Akihiko Kumashiro, Japanese politician
  • John Lewis, African-American politician, civil rights activist
• February 22
  • Aracy Balabanian, Brazilian actress
  • Judy Cornwell, English actress
  • Johnson Mlambo, South African politician
  • Billy Name (William G. Linich), American photographer, Warhol archivist (d. 2016)
• February 23 – Peter Fonda, American actor (Easy Rider) (d. 2019)
• February 24
  • Pete Duel, American actor (Alias Smith and Jones) (d. 1971)
  • Jimmy Ellis, African-American professional boxer (d. 2014)
  • Denis Law, Scottish football player
• February 25
  • Jesús López Cobos, Spanish-born conductor (d. 2018)
  • Ron Santo, American baseball player (d. 2010)
• February 27
  • Howard Hesseman, American actor (WKRP in Cincinnati)
  • Bill Hunter, Australian actor (d. 2011)
• February 28
  • Mario Andretti, American race car driver
  • Joe South, American singer, songwriter (Games People Play) (d. 2012)

March[edit]

Raul Julia

Chuck Norris

Al Jarreau

James Caan

Nancy Pelosi

• March 1
  • David Broome, Welsh Show Jumper
  • Nuala O’Faolain, Irish journalist, author (d. 2008)
• March 2 – Billy McNeill, Scottish football player and manager (d. 2019)
• March 3
  • Germán Castro Caycedo, Colombian writer, journalist
• March 4 – Vladimir Morosov, Soviet athlete
• March 6 – Willie Stargell, American baseball player (d. 2001)
• March 7
  • Rudi Dutschke, German radical student leader (d. 1979)
  • Viktor Savinykh, Soviet cosmonaut
  • Daniel J. Travanti, American actor
• March 9 – Raul Julia, Puerto Rican actor (d. 1994)
• March 10
  • Chuck Norris, American actor, martial artist
  • Dean Torrence, American singer (Jan and Dean)
• March 12 – Al Jarreau, African-American singer (d. 2017)
• March 13 – Candi Staton, American singer
• March 15 – Phil Lesh, American musician (Grateful Dead)
• March 16
  • Jan Pronk, Dutch politician, diplomat
  • James Wong Jim, Hong Kong composer (d. 2004)
• March 17 – Mark White, Governor of Texas (d. 2017)
• March 21 – Solomon Burke, African-American singer, songwriter (d. 2010)
• March 20 – Paul Neville, Australian politician (d. 2019)
• March 22 – Haing S. Ngor, Cambodian actor (The Killing Fields) (d. 1996)
• March 25
  • Anita Bryant, American entertainer
  • Mina, Italian singer
• March 26
  • James Caan, American actor
  • Nancy Pelosi, American politician; Speaker and Minority Leader (alternately) of the United States House of Representatives
• March 27 – Austin Pendleton, American actor, playwright, theatre director and instructor
• March 29
  • Ray Davis, African-American musician (P-Funk) (d. 2005)
  • Astrud Gilberto, Brazilian-born singer
• March 30 – Jerry Lucas, American professional basketball player
• March 31
  • Barney Frank, American politician
  • Patrick Leahy, American politician

April[edit]

Wangari Maathai

Julie Christie

Margrethe II of Denmark

Al Pacino

• April 1 – Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 2011)
• April 2
  • Mike Hailwood, English motorcycle racer (d. 1981)
  • Dame Penelope Keith, English actress
• April 4 – Robby Müller, Dutch cinematographer (d. 2018)
• April 6 – Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Mexican actor (d. 2011)
• April 8 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (d. 2019)
• April 12
  • John Hagee, American televangelist
  • Herbie Hancock, African-American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor
  • Michael Whitehall, English producer, talent agent and author
• April 13
  • Max Mosley, British motorsport boss
  • José Nápoles, Cuban-born Mexican boxer (d. 2019)
• April 14 – Julie Christie, English actress
• April 15
  • Willie Davis, American baseball player (d. 2010)
  • Faimalaga Luka, 6th Prime Minister of Tuvalu (d. 2005)
  • Robert Walker Jr., American actor
• April 16 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
• April 17 – Chuck Menville, American animator, writer (d. 1992)
• April 18
  • Ira von Furstenberg, European socialite and actress
  • Joseph L. Goldstein, American scientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
  • Ken Shellito, English footballer, manager (d. 2018)
• April 20
  • James Gammon, American actor (d. 2010)
  • Pilar Miró, Spanish screenwriter and film director (d. 1997)
• April 22
  • Ray Griff, Canadian country music singer, songwriter (d. 2016)
  • Marie-José Nat, French actress (d. 2019)
• April 23 – Danilo Astori, Uruguayan politician, 15th Vice President of Uruguay
• April 24
  • Sue Grafton, American detective novelist (d. 2017)
  • Michael Parks, American actor, singer (d. 2017)
• April 25
  • Al Pacino, American actor, film director
  • Tristram Powell, English television director, film director, writer and producer
• April 26 – Giorgio Moroder, Italian film composer
• April 28 – P. J. Bradley, Northern Irish politician (d. 2017)
• April 30 – Burt Young, American actor, author and painter

May 1940

David Koch

Lance Henriksen

Ricky Nelson

Toni Tennille

• May 1 – Elsa Peretti, Italian jewelry designer
• May 2
  • Manuel Esquivel, Belizean politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Belize
  • Hariton Pushwagner, Norwegian artist (d. 2018)
• May 3 – David Koch, American businessman (d. 2019)
• May 5 – Lance Henriksen, American actor
• May 7
  • Angela Carter, English author, editor (d. 1992)
  • Jim Connors, American radio personality (d. 1987)
• May 8
  • Peter Benchley, American author (Jaws) (d. 2006)
  • Ricky Nelson, American singer (d. 1985)
  • Toni Tennille, American pop singer
• May 9 – James L. Brooks, American film producer, writer
• May 11 – Juan Downey, Chilean-born video artist (d. 1993)
• May 13
  • Bruce Chatwin, British author (d. 1989)
  • Oliver Lozano, Filipino lawyer, politician (d. 2018)
• May 14 – ‘H’. Jones, British soldier (VC recipient) (d. 1982)
• May 15
  • Lainie Kazan, American actress, singer
  • Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach
• May 16 – Ole Ernst, Danish actor (d. 2013)
• May 17
  • Alan Kay, American computer scientist
  • Reynato Puno, Filipino Supreme Court Chief Justice
• May 18 – Lenny Lipton, American inventor
• May 19 – Jan Janssen, Dutch cyclist
• May 20
  • Shorty Long, African-American soul music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer (Here Comes The Judge) (d. 1969)
  • Stan Mikita, Slovakian-born Canadian hockey player (d. 2018)
  • Sadaharu Oh, Japanese baseball player
• May 21 – Tony Sheridan, British singer, songwriter, and musician (d. 2013)
• May 22 – Bernard Shaw, African-American journalist and television news reporter
• May 24 – Joseph Brodsky, Russian-born poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1996)
• May 26 – Levon Helm, American musician and actor (d. 2012)
• May 27 – Sotsha Dlamini, 5th Prime Minister of Swaziland (d. 2017)
• May 29 – Farooq Leghari, 8th President of Pakistan (d. 2010)

June[edit]

René Auberjonois

Constantine II of Greece

Tom Jones

Nancy Sinatra

John Mahoney

Wilma Rudolph

• June 1
  • René Auberjonois, American screen actor (Star Trek Deep Space Nine)
  • Kip Thorne, American gravitational physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
• June 2 – Constantine II of Greece
• June 4 – Ludwig Schwarz, Austrian prelate
• June 7
  • Monica Evans, British actress
  • Samuel Little, American serial killer
  • Tom Jones, Welsh singer
• June 8 – Nancy Sinatra, American singer
• June 11 – Wayne Kemp, American country music singer (d. 2015)
• June 13 – Bobby Freeman, American singer, songwriter (d. 2017)
• June 14 – Jack Bannon, American actor (d. 2017)
• June 16
  • Neil Goldschmidt, American politician, Governor of Oregon
  • Taylor Gun-Jin Wang, Chinese-American astronaut
  • Thea White, American voice actress
• June 17
  • George Akerlof, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • Alan Murray, Australian golfer
  • Ali Saibou, 3rd President of Niger (d. 2011)
• June 19 – Paul Shane, English-born actor (d. 2013)
• June 20
  • Eugen Drewermann, German theologian, activist and priest
  • John Mahoney, English-born American actor (d. 2018)
• June 21
  • Mariette Hartley, American actress
  • Michael Ruse, British-Canadian philosopher
• June 22
  • Egon Henninger, German swimmer
  • Abbas Kiarostami, Iranian film director, screenwriter and producer (d. 2016)
  • Dame Esther Rantzen, British broadcaster
• June 23
  • Adam Faith, English singer, actor (d. 2003)
  • Derry Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg, Lord Chancellor of England
  • Willie Wallace, Scottish football player, coach
  • Wilma Rudolph, American Olympic athlete (d. 1994)
  • Stuart Sutcliffe, English rock musician, painter (d. 1962)
• June 24
  • Hope Cooke, American socialite, Queen Consort of Sikkim
  • Augusto Fantozzi, Italian lawyer, tax expert, academic, businessman and politician
  • Murali Mohan, Indian film actor, producer, politician and business executive
  • Walter Ofonagoro, Nigerian scholar, politician and businessman
  • Ian Ross, Australian newsreader (d. 2014)
  • Vittorio Storaro, Italian cinematographer
• June 25
  • Thomas Köhler, East German luger
  • Mary Beth Peil, American actress and singer
  • A. J. Quinnell, English writer (d. 2005)
• June 26
  • Lucinda Childs, American actress, postmodern dancer and choreographer
  • Jerry Fujio, Japanese singer, actor, and tarento
• June 27
  • Eric Richard, English actor, presenter
  • Anil Karanjai, Indian painter of the Hungry generation movement (d. 2001)
• June 28
  • Karpal Singh, Malaysian politician, lawyer (d. 2014)
  • Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi founder of Grameen Bank, Nobel Prize laureate
• June 29 – Vyacheslav Artyomov, Russian composer
• June 30 – Neelo, Indian actress

July[edit]

Jerzy Buzek

Nursultan Nazarbayev

Jeannie Seely

Ringo Starr

Patrick Stewart

James Brolin

Joe Torre

Hanako, Princess Hitachi

Alex Trebek

• July 1
  • Fukunohana Koichi, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • Craig Brown, Scottish former professional football player, manager
  • Abdul Razzak Ahmed, Iraqi football player
  • Wathiq Naji, Iraqi football manager
• July 2
  • Joshua Bryant, American actor, director, author and speaker
  • Ruriko Asaoka, Japanese actress
• July 3
  • Lamar Alexander, American politician
  • Fontella Bass, African-American soul singer (“Rescue Me“) (d. 2012)
  • Jerzy Buzek, Polish politician, 8th Prime Minister of Poland
  • Jose Alberto Laboy, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
  • Lance Larson, American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in four events
  • Chuck Sieminski, American football player
  • César Tovar, Venezuelan baseball player (d. 1994)
  • Mario Zanin, Italian cyclist
• July 4
  • Deidre Catt, English tennis player
  • Nasser Madani, Iranian fencer
  • Gene McDowell, American college football coach
  • Pat Stapleton, Canadian ice hockey player
• July 5 – Reiko Kusamura, Japanese actress
• July 6
  • Nursultan Nazarbayev, 1st President of Kazakhstan
  • Jeannie Seely, American singer, songwriter
• July 7
  • Lee Keun-hak, North Korean football player
  • Irène Sweyd, Belgian former swimmer
  • Ringo Starr, English musician, The Beatles‘ drummer
• July 9 – Herminia Roman, Filipino politician
• July 10
  • Gene Alley, American baseball player
  • Jim Cadile, American professional football offensive guard
  • Helen Donath, American soprano
  • Lofty Drews, Kenyan rally co-driver
  • Sir Tom Farmer, Scottish entrepreneur
  • Julie Payne, American actress (d. 2019)
  • David C. Schutter, American attorney (d. 2005)
  • Tommy Troelsen, Danish former football player, manager and television presenter
• July 11
  • Rufus Ada George, Nigerian politician
  • Anita Wall, Swedish actress
• July 13
  • Paul Prudhomme, American celebrity chef, cookbook author (d. 2015)
  • Sir Patrick Stewart, English actor (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• July 15 – Johnny Seay, American country music singer (d. 2016)
• July 16
  • Lofty Drews, Kenyan rally co-driver
  • Tom Metcalf, American baseball pitcher
• July 17
  • Verne Lundquist, American sportscaster
  • Tim Brooke-Taylor, English comedian
  • Francisco Toledo, Mexican painter, sculptor, and graphic artist (d. 2019)
• July 18
  • James Brolin, American actor, director
  • Joe Torre, American baseball player, manager
• July 19
  • Hanako, Princess Hitachi
  • Anzor Kavazashvili, Soviet former football goalkeeper
• July 22
  • Prince Sixtus Henry of Bourbon-Parma
  • Alex Trebek, Canadian game show host (Jeopardy!)
• July 24
  • Stanley Hauerwas, American theologian
  • Dan Hedaya, American actor
• July 26
  • Dobie Gray, African-American singer-songwriter (Drift Away) (d. 2011)
  • Mary Jo Kopechne, American aide to Ted Kennedy (d. 1969)
• July 27
  • Gary Kurtz, American filmmaker (d. 2018)
  • Pina Bausch, German choreographer (d. 2009)
  • Bharati Mukherjee, Indian-born novelist (d. 2017)
• July 28 – Philip Proctor, American actor
• July 29 – Bernard Lafayette, African-American civil rights activist
• July 30 – Clive Sinclair, English inventor
• July 31 – Roy Walker, Northern Irish comedian

August[edit]

Martin Sheen

Jean-Luc Dehaene

Stanley Johnson

Jack Thompson

• August 1 – Ram Loevy, Israeli screenwriter, director
• August 3 – Martin Sheen, American actor, father of Charlie Sheen
• August 7
  • Jean-Luc Dehaene, Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2014)
  • Thomas Barlow, American politician (d. 2017)
• August 8 – Dilip Sardesai, former Indian cricketer (d. 2007)
• August 10 – Bobby Hatfield, American singer (The Righteous Brothers) (d. 2003)
• August 13
  • Dirk Sager, German journalist (d. 2014)
  • Tony Cloninger, American baseball player (d. 2018)
• August 14
  • Galen Hall, American football coach
  • Max Schautzer, Austrian-born German radio, television presenter
• August 18 – Stanley Johnson, British politician, author
• August 19 – Jill St. John, American actress
• August 20
  • Musa Geshaev, Chechen poet, historian (d. 2014)
  • Rubén Hinojosa, American politician
• August 23
  • Tom Baker, American actor (d. 1982)
  • Maria Teresa Fontela Goulart, First Lady of Brazil
  • Thomas A. Steitz, American biochemist (d. 2018)
• August 25 – José van Dam, Belgian bass-baritone
• August 26
  • Don LaFontaine, American voice actor (d. 2008)
  • Michel Micombero, 1st President of Burundi (d. 1983)
• August 27
  • Fernest Arceneaux, American musician (d. 2008)
  • Sonny Sharrock, American jazz musician (d. 1994)
• August 29
  • Bennie Maupin, American musician
  • Johnny Paris, American musician (Johnny and the Hurricanes) (d. 2006)
  • Wim Ruska, Dutch wrestler, martial artist (d. 2015)
• August 31
  • Wilton Felder, American saxophonist, bassist (d. 2015)
  • Jack Thompson, Australian actor

September[edit]

Pauline Collins

Raquel Welch

Brian De Palma

Linda Gray

Óscar Arias

Michel Temer

• September 3
  • Pauline Collins, English actress
  • Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan writer (d. 2015)
  • Joseph C. Strasser, American admiral
  • Joseph Warioba, 5th Prime Minister of Tanzania
• September 5 – Raquel Welch, American actress
• September 6
  • Elwyn Berlekamp, American mathematician (d. 2019)
  • Jackie Trent, English singer-songwriter, actress (d. 2015)
• September 7
  • Dario Argento, Italian filmmaker
  • Abdurrahman Wahid, former President of Indonesia (d. 2009)
• September 10
  • Roy Ayers, African-American musician, songwriter
  • David Mann, American artist (d. 2004)
• September 11
  • Brian De Palma, American film director
  • Ajit Singh, Indian-born economist (d. 2015)
• September 12
  • Joachim Frank, German-born biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • Linda Gray, American model, actress (Dallas)
  • Skip Hinnant, American actor
  • Mickey Lolich, American baseball player
• September 13 – Óscar Arias, Costa Rican politician, twice President of Costa Rica, Nobel Peace Prize laureate
• September 14
  • Larry Brown, American basketball player, coach
  • Barbara Greenwood, Canadian educator, children’s books author
  • Ventseslav Konstantinov, Bulgarian writer, translator (d. 2019)
• September 15
  • Abu Hassan Omar, Malaysian politician (d. 2018)
  • Merlin Olsen, American football player, announcer, and actor (d. 2010)
• September 18 – Frankie Avalon, American singer, actor
• September 20 – Tarō Asō, 59th Prime Minister of Japan
• September 23
  • Mohammad-Reza Shajarian, Iranian traditional singer
  • Michel Temer, Brazilian politician, President of Brazil between 2016 and 2018.
• September 24 – Michiko Suganuma, Urushi Japanese lacquer artist
• September 25 – Roberto Del Giudice, Italian voice actor (d. 2007)

October[edit]

John Lennon

Cliff Richard

Michael Gambon

Pelé

• October 1 – Jean-Luc Bideau, Swiss actor
• October 3 – Alan O’Day, American singer, songwriter (d. 2013)
• October 4 – Ian Kiernan, Australian yachtsman (d. 2018)
• October 5 – Milena Dravić, Serbian actress (d. 2018)
• October 8 – Paul Hogan, Australian film actor (Crocodile Dundee)
• October 9 – John Lennon, English musician, singer (The Beatles) (d. 1980)
• October 11 – David McFadden, Canadian poet, fiction writer, and travel writer (d. 2018)
• October 13 – Pharoah Sanders, American saxophonist
• October 14 – Cliff Richard, British pop musician, actor and philanthropist
• October 15 – Peter C. Doherty, Australian immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• October 16
  • Barry Corbin, American actor
  • Ivan Della Mea, Italian singer-songwriter (d. 2009)
• October 17 – Peter Stringfellow, English businessman, nightclub owner (d. 2018)
• October 18 – Győző Kulcsár, Hungarian fencer (d. 2018)
• October 19 – Sir Michael Gambon, Irish actor
• October 20 – Robert Pinsky, American poet, essayist, literary critic, and translator United States Poet Laureate
• October 21
  • Geoffrey Boycott, English cricketer
  • Manfred Mann, South African rock musician
  • Marita Petersen, 8th Prime Minister of Faroe Islands (d. 2001)
• October 23 – Pelé, Brazilian footballer
• October 24 – Yossi Sarid, Israeli politician (d. 2015)
• October 25
  • Bob Knight, American basketball player and coach
  • Apolo Nsibambi, Ugandan politician, 8th Prime Minister of Uganda (d. 2019)
• October 27
  • John Gotti, American gangster (d. 2002)
  • Shahnaz Pahlavi, Iranian princess
• October 28 – Jack Shepherd, English actor
• October 29 – Frida Boccara, French singer (d. 1996)
• October 30 – Hidetoshi Nagasawa, Japanese sculptor, architect (d. 2018)

November[edit]

Qaboos bin Said al Said

Bruce Lee

• November 1
  • Rudolf Deng Majak, South Sudanese Roman Catholic prelate (d. 2017)
  • Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, Chief Justice of India
• November 2 – Carolin Reiber, German television presenter
• November 4 – Václav Halama, Czech footballer, coach (d. 2017)
• November 5 – Jaime Roldós Aguilera, 33rd President of Ecuador (1979-1981) (d. 1981)
• November 12 – Donald Wuerl, American archbishop
• November 15
  • Roberto Cavalli, Italian designer
  • Sam Waterston, American actor
• November 17 – Luke Kelly, Irish ballad singer (d. 1984)
• November 18 – Qaboos bin Said al Said, Sultan of Oman
• November 20 – Helma Sanders-Brahms, German film director (d. 2014)
• November 21
  • Gino Santercole, Italian singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2018)
  • Richard Marcinko, U.S. Navy SEAL team member, author
• November 22
  • Alberto Fouilloux, Chilean footballer (d. 2018)
  • Terry Gilliam, American-born British screenwriter, director and animator (Monty Python’s Flying Circus)
  • Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, Indian military officer (d. 2018)
  • Andrzej Żuławski, Polish film director, writer (d. 2016)
• November 23 – Rockin’ Robin Roberts, American rock and roll singer (d. 1967)
• November 25 – Joe Gibbs, American football coach
• November 26 – Gianni De Michelis, Italian politician (d. 2019)
• November 27 – Bruce Lee, Chinese-American martial artist, actor (d. 1973)
• November 29
  • Chuck Mangione, American flugelhorn player
  • Arturo “Zambo” Cavero, Afro-Peruvian singer (d. 2009)
• November 30 – José Pedro Pérez-Llorca, Spanish politician and diplomat (d. 2019)

December[edit]

Richard Pryor

Dionne Warwick

Frank Zappa

• December 1
  • Richard Pryor, African-American actor, comedian (d. 2005)
  • Nora Schimming-Chase, Namibian politician (d. 2018)
• December 4 – Gary Gilmore, American murderer (d. 1977)
• December 5 – Peter Pohl, Swedish writer
• December 7 – David Bamigboye, Nigerian military officer, politician (d. 2018)
• December 11
  • David Gates, American singer-songwriter (Bread)
  • Donna Mills, American actress
• December 12
  • Sharad Pawar, Indian politician
  • Dionne Warwick, African-American singer and actress
• December 18 – Ilario Castagner, Italian football manager
• December 19 – Phil Ochs, American protest singer (d. 1976)
• December 20 – Pat Chapman, English author
• December 21 – Frank Zappa, American musician, composer, and satirist (d. 1993)
• December 22 – Noel Jones, British ambassador to Kazakhstan (d. 1995)
• December 23
  • Mamnoon Hussain, 12th President of Pakistan
  • Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane)
• December 24 – Janet Carroll, American actress, singer (d. 2012)
• December 25 – Alija Behmen, Bosnian politician (d. 2018)
• December 26 – Edward C. Prescott, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
• December 29
  • Fred Hansen, American Olympic athlete
  • Brigitte Kronauer, German novelist (d. 2019)

Deaths[edit]

January[edit]

• January – Fusajiro Yamauchi, Japanese business executive (b. 1859)
• January 4 – Flora Finch, English-born actress, comedian (b. 1869)
• January 9 – Alex Bennett, Scottish footballer (b. 1881)
• January 18 – Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Polish poet, writer (b. 1865)
• January 20 – Omar Bundy, U.S. Army General (b. 1861)
• January 27 – Isaac Babel, Ukrainian writer (executed) (b. 1894)

February[edit]

Nikolai Yezhov

Gunnar Höckert

Michael Hainisch

• February – Zheng Pingru, Chinese spy (executed) (b. 1918)
• February 1 – Philip Francis Nowlan, American science fiction writer, creator of Buck Rogers (b. 1888)
• February 2
  • Carl Grünberg, German philosopher (b. 1861)
  • Mikhail Koltsov, Soviet journalist (executed) (b. 1898)
  • Vsevolod Meyerhold, Russian theatre practitioner (b. 1874)
• February 4
  • Samuel M. Vauclain, American engineer (b. 1856)
  • Nikolai Yezhov, Soviet politician and police chief, Great Purge Perpetrator (b. 1895)
• February 9 – William Edward Dodd, American historian, diplomat (b. 1869)
• February 11
  • John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Scottish-born novelist, Governor General of Canada (b. 1875)
  • Gunnar Höckert, Finnish Olympic athlete (b. 1910)
• February 26 – Michael Hainisch, 2nd President of Austria (b. 1858)
• February 27 – Peter Behrens, German architect, designer (b. 1868)
• February 29 – Edward Frederic Benson, English writer

March[edit]

Selma Lagerlöf

Spyridon Louis

• March 1 – Anton Hansen Tammsaare, Estonian writer (b. 1878)
• March 5
  • Maxine Elliott, American actress (b. 1868)
  • Cai Yuanpei, Chinese educator (b. 1868)
• March 10 – Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian writer (b. 1891)
• March 11 – John Monk Saunders, American writer (b. 1897)
• March 16 – Selma Lagerlöf, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1858)
• March 18 – Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston, British army general (b. 1864)
• March 20 – Alfred Ploetz, German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860)
• March 21 – Violet Ann Bland, English Suffragette (b. 1863)
• March 23 – Dimitar Stanchov, 15th Prime Minister of Bulgaria (b. 1863)
• March 26 – Spyridon Louis, Greek Olympic athlete (b. 1873)
• March 27
  • Madeleine Astor, American survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic (b. 1893)
  • Michael Joseph Savage, 23rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1872)
• March 30 – Sir George Egerton, British admiral (b. 1852)
• March 31 – Tinsley Lindley, English footballer (b. 1865)

April[edit]

Carl Bosch

• April 1 – John A. Hobson, English economist (b. 1858)
• April 8 – Joaquin Mir Trinxet, Spanish artist (b. 1873)
• April 21 – George Barnes, British Labour politician (b. 1859)
• April 26 – Carl Bosch, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
• April 28 – Luisa Tetrazzini, Italian opera singer (b. 1871)
• April 30 – Henryk Dobrzański, Polish soldier, sportsman, and resistance fighter (b. 1897)

May[edit]

Prince Wilhelm of Prussia

Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse

• May 7 – George Lansbury, British Labour politician (b. 1859)
• May 11 – Chujiro Hayashi, Japanese Reiki Master (b. 1880)
• May 14 – Emma Goldman, Lithuanian-born anarchist (b. 1869)
• May 15 – Menno ter Braak, Dutch writer (b. 1902)
• May 19 – Diego Mazquiarán, Spanish matador (b. 1895)
• May 20 – Verner von Heidenstam, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
• May 24 – Louis Fles, Dutch businessman, activist and author (b. 1872)
• May 25 – Joe De Grasse, Canadian film director (b. 1873)
• May 26 – Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (b. 1906)
• May 28
  • Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse (b. 1868)
  • Walter Connolly, American actor (b. 1887)
• May 29 – Mary Anderson, American stage actress (b. 1859)

June[edit]

Arthur Harden

Janusz Kusocinski

Paul Klee

• June 1 – Jan F. E. Celliers, South African poet, writer and dramatist (b. 1865)
• June 7
  • James Hall, American actor (b. 1900)
  • Hugh Rodman, American admiral (b. 1859)
• June 10
  • Marcus Garvey, Jamaican-born publisher, entrepreneur, and black nationalist (b. 1887)
  • Sir Thomas Hudson Beare, British engineer (b. 1859)
• June 11 – Alfred S. Alschuler, American architect (b. 1876)
• June 13 – George Fitzmaurice, American director (b. 1885)
• June 14 – Henry W. Antheil Jr., American diplomat (b. 1912)
• June 17 – Sir Arthur Harden, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)
• June 19 – Maurice Jaubert, French composer (b. 1900)
• June 20 – Charley Chase, American comedian (b. 1893)
• June 21
  • Édouard Vuillard, French painter (b. 1868)
  • Smedley Butler, U.S. general (b. 1881)
  • Janusz Kusociński, Polish athlete (killed in action) (b. 1907)
  • John T. Thompson, United States Army officer, inventor of the Thompson gun (b. 1860)
• June 22 – Walter Hasenclever, German poet, playwright (b. 1890)
• June 28 – Italo Balbo, Italian Fascist leader (b. 1896)
• June 29 – Paul Klee, Swiss artist (b. 1879)

July[edit]

• July 1 – Ben Turpin, American actor, comedian (b. 1869)
• July 9 – Józef Biniszkiewicz, Silesian politician (b. 1875)
• July 15 – Robert Wadlow, American citizen, tallest man ever (infection) (b. 1918)
• July 30 – Spencer S. Wood, United States Navy Rear Admiral (b. 1861)

August[edit]

Leon Trotsky

Paul Nipkow

J. J. Thomson

• August 3 – Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, Indian royal, Maharajah of Mysore (b. 1884)
• August 4 – Joaquina Maria Mercedes Barcelo Pages, Filipino Roman Catholic nun and venerable (b. 1857)
• August 5 – Frederick Albert Cook, American explorer (b. 1865)
• August 8 – Johnny Dodds, American jazz clarinetist (b. 1892)
• August 13
  • James Fairbairn, Australian pastoralist, aviator, and politician (b. 1897)
  • Sir Henry Gullett, Australian politician (b. 1878)
  • Geoffrey Street, Australian politician (b. 1894)
  • Sir Brudenell White, Australian general (b. 1876)
• August 18 – Walter Chrysler, American automobile pioneer (b. 1875)
• August 21
  • Hermann Obrecht, Swiss Federal Councillor (b. 1882)
  • Leon Trotsky, Russian communist revolutionary (assassinated) (b. 1879)
• August 22
  • Sir Oliver Lodge, British physicist (b. 1851)
  • Gerald Strickland, Maltese politician, 4th Prime Minister of Malta, 23rd Governor of New South Wales, 15th Governor of Western Australia and 9th Governor of Tasmania (b. 1861)
  • Mary Vaux Walcott, American artist, naturalist (b. 1860)
• August 24 – Paul Nipkow, German technician, inventor (b. 1860)
• August 28 – William Bowie, American geodetic engineer (b. 1872)
• August 30
  • Sir Thomas Snow, British army general (b. 1858)
  • J. J. Thomson, British physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1856)
• August 31 – Ernest Lundeen, American lawyer, politician (b. 1878)

September[edit]

Charles de Broqueville

• September 4 – George William de Carteret, Jerseiaise author (b. 1869)
• September 5 – Charles de Broqueville, 20th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1860)
• September 10 – Nikola Ivanov, Bulgarian general (b. 1861)
• September 20 – E. Rosa Sawtell, New Zealand artist (b.1865)
• September 23 – Hale Holden, American president of Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (1914–1918, 1920-1929) (b. 1869)
• September 25 – Marguerite Clark, American stage and silent film actress (b. 1883)
• September 26 – Walter Benjamin, German philosopher and cultural critic, suicide (b. 1892)
• September 27
  • Julián Besteiro, Spanish socialist politician (b. 1870)
  • Julius Wagner-Jauregg, Austrian neuroscientist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1857)

October[edit]

• October 5
  • Ballington Booth, American co-founder of Volunteers of America (b. 1857)
  • Lincoln Loy McCandless, Hawaiian politician, cattle rancher (b. 1859)
  • Silvestre Revueltas, Mexican composer (b. 1899)
• October 9 – Sir Wilfred Grenfell, English medical missionary to Newfoundland and Labrador (b. 1865)
• October 10 – Berton Churchill, Canadian actor (b. 1876)
• October 11 – Adolf von Trotha, German admiral (b. 1868)
• October 12 – Tom Mix, American actor (b. 1880)
• October 15 – Lluís Companys, President of the Generalitat of Catalonia (executed) (b. 1882)
• October 17 – George Davis, American baseball player, MLB Hall of Famer (b. 1870)
• October 20 – Gunnar Asplund, Swedish architect (b. 1885)
• October 22 – Sir Charles Harington, British general (b. 1872)

November[edit]

Neville Chamberlain

Nicolae Iorga

• November 3 – Manuel Azaña, 55th Prime Minister of Spain, 2nd President of Spain (b. 1880)
• November 5 – Otto Plath, American father of poet Sylvia Plath, entomologist (b. 1885)
• November 9
  • Neville Chamberlain, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1869)
  • John Henry Kirby, Texas legislator, American businessman (b. 1860)
• November 11 – Vladimir Vinnichevsky, Russian serial killer (b. 1923)
• November 17
  • Eric Gill, British sculptor, writer (b. 1882)
  • Raymond Pearl, American biologist (b. 1879)
• November 18 – Ion Inculeț, Moldavian politician, 1st President of Moldova (b. 1884)
• November 19 – Ralph W. Barnes, American journalist (b. 1899)
• November 26 – Gheorghe Argeșanu, Romanian general, politician, and 40th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1883)
• November 27
  • Nicolae Iorga, Romanian historian, politician and 34th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1871)
  • Jean Chiappe, French civil servant (b. 1878)
  • Henri Guillaumet, French aviator (b. 1902)

December[edit]

Kyosti Kallio

F. Scott Fitzgerald

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

Nobel Prizes[edit]

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

1940. The first year of the 1940s was filled with war-related news. The Germans opened the Auschwitz concentration camp, the Battle of Britain raged, with Nazi bombings of military bases and London, known as the Blitz. … Also in 1940, in a devastating setback, Britain had to retreat from France in the Dunkirk evacuation.

What happened in 1940 Major News Stories include Germany and Italy gain control of most of Western Europe, Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister and inspires British People With speaches including “We Shall Fight Them On The Beaches, Dunkirk evacuation of British Troops, Battle of Britain begins, Germany starts it’s Blitz on London, Race Riots in Chicago, Harlem, Los Angeles and Detroit, Popular Movies include Gone With the Wind and the Great Dictator, Nylon Stockings Go On Sale …..”,

1940 With the rearming of US forces the Great Depression was finally beginning to ease , and Americans were earning more and buying more so being able to buy goods and further fueling the economy . But outside of America things were not good as Germany invaded France which meant between Germany and Italy most of Western Europe was controlled by them except for England. In the US the feel good feeling of leaving the depression behind fueled the making of some great movies including “Gone With the Wind” and the “Great Dictator” , and Jazz sounds were the popular music of the day from the likes of Benny Goodman and Count Basie amongst others. The Nylon stockings invented the previous year were all the rage with women, FDR was elected for a third term but Americans were starting to believe they should help Britain in it’s fight for survival with Germany and the first peacetime draft occurred in September which had ominous overtones for the future. Britain was being bombed incessantly and many believed it may only be time before America would be involved. And a worker in the New Factories appearing can earn up to $1,250 per year
Jump To World Leaders — Calendar — Technology — Popular Culture — News and Events — Born This Year — Cost Of Living

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Cost of Living 1940

How Much things cost
Average Cost of new house $3,920.00
Average wages per year $1,725.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 11 cents
Average Cost for house rent $30.00 per month
Radio $16.95
Average Price for a new car $850.00
Battery for Torch 10 cents
Hoover $52.50
Campbells Tomato Soup 25 cents for 3 cans
Chewing Gum 12 cents for 3
Flour 25 cents 5 Pound bag
Fresh Chickens 55 cents per pound

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World War II 1940

France

• Dunkirk nine day evacuation begins on May 27th of British Expeditionary Force

More Information and Timeline for the Dunkirk Evacuation
1. Germany begins an invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg on May 10th.
2. Germany begins an invasion of Northern France on May 12th .
3. By May 15th, German forces break through the French defenses and begin moving towards the English Channel.
4. The British government begins to plan an evacuation of the British Expeditionary Forces that had been sent to help support French troops at the beginning of the war.
5. German troops keep moving towards the Allied defenses and surround the French and Allied troops in Dunkirk. The two sides battle each other until May 24th when German troops were ordered to halt their advance.
6. Beginning on May 26th Operation “Dynamo,” a plan to rescue British troops trapped in Dunkirk, is put into action.
7. The Allied troops had been able to fortify their defenses in the meantime and were more able to hold off attacks by May 27th, when the German advances resumed.
8. The German Luftwaffe continuously attacked the Allied troops on the beaches for the first few days of the evacuation, but the attacks did minimal damage as the sand of the beaches tempered the explosions.
9. The British Royal Air Force held off the majority of the Luftwaffe attacks and effectively defeats them during the battle.
10. It was expected that only 45,000 of the hundreds of thousands of troops could be rescued over a two day operation.
11. The British Admiralty called on British civilians to send their ships to help with the rescue and hundreds of small crafts volunteered to help in the evacuation.
12. The ships rescued soldiers from the beaches and what was left of the Port of Dunkirk.
13. British troops took priority at the beginning of the evacuation but near the end an equal effort was made to rescue French and Belgian troops as well.
14. The evacuation ended on June 4th with several thousand, mostly French, troops being left behind to be taken as prisoners of war by the Germans.
15. A total of 861 ships had been used to stage the evacuation and around 338,226 people were saved. Of those people rescued 198,000 were British troops and 140,000 were French and Belgian troops.
16. Paris fell to the Germans on June 14th.
17. The Battle of Dunkirk was a huge military loss for the Allies as they were clearly ready for defeat had the evacuation failed. Allied troops also lost large amounts of military gear like tanks and other resources as a result of the evacuation.
18. However, the evacuation, or “Miracle of Dunkirk” as it was called, was largely successful as thousands of people were saved who would have been killed or captured otherwise. It also made a statement to Germany that Britain would not fall easily and that the Allies would not be divided.

• Axis Powers win The Battle Of France and Take control of Paris on June 14th .
• Following the German invasion and occupation of France, Britain opened fire on the French fleet killing 1,200 French sailors

Finland 1940

• The USSR and Finland agree to end the Winter War.

More Information for the 1935 Neutrality Act.
The Winter War between the Soviet Union and Finland comes to an end in March . The conflict began in November of 1939 when a huge Soviet army attacked the heavily outnumbered Finnish forces. The Finns held off the Red Army through the winter with a strong defensive plan. Beginning in February the Soviets began a campaign of bombardments and broke through the Finnish defenses. Finland was unable to get help from France and England and surrendered to the Soviet Union, accepting their harsh terms to end the war. As part of the agreement Finland ceded portions of its land to the USSR and agreed to the construction of a Soviet base.

Germany

• Germany and Italy agree to form an alliance against France and the United Kingdom.

Denmark

• Germany invades Denmark and Norway

Netherlands

• German forces invade France on May 10th and later Luxembourg Belgium and Netherlands

France

• Axis Powers win The Battle Of France and Take control of Paris on June 14th.

More Information for the Battle of France.
During World War II, Germany began occupying the French capital of Paris in June . Germany had begun its invasion of France during the previous month with French troops being quickly overwhelmed by the German military, despite their continued efforts of resistance. After Paris was conquered the government of France fled. The country was divided into zones, occupied by Germany in the North, Vichy France (an authoritarian regime set-up to comply with German policies) in the South, and a very small portion in the Southeast by Italy. France remained under German control until 1944 when the Allies landed in Normandy. Paris was liberated in August of 1944 and most of the rest of the country was liberated by December of 1944.

United Kingdom

• Britain Creates The Home Guard to act as the first line of defence in case of invasion
• Great Britain begins food rationing during World War II.

More Information and Timeline for UK Food Rationing.
1. At the beginning of World War II Great Britain begins to ration food. Ration books that contained coupons for certain items are distributed to citizens and some of the items that are initially rationed include bacon, sugar, and butter.
2. It is not long until more items are added to the rations list. Some of these items include tea, jam, cereals, biscuits, eggs, milk, cheese, and canned fruit.
3. Rationing continues throughout the rest of the war and more food items and even non-food items are added to the list. These include meat, candy, gasoline, clothes, paper, and soap.
4. UK rationing continued after the end of World War II into the next decade and did not officially stop until 1954.

• Germany starts it’s Blitz on London on September 7th with 300 German bombers in the first of 57 consecutive nights of bombing.

More Information for the Blitz on London.
Nazi Germany begins the London blitzkrieg, also known as the Blitz, in September during World War II. German bombers would attack London, England for 57 consecutive days with consistent bombings during the day and night. Upset by Germany’s failure during the Battle of Britain, Hitler devised the Blitz with the hope that it would completely destabilize England, ruining the morale of the people while also destroying important infrastructure and making it harder for them to fight back. However, Germany had underestimated the British people, because despite the nearly constant and terrifying attacks, they were not broken by the Blitz.

• The battle of Britain begins on July 10th with the German Luftwaffe attempting gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF),
• Winston Churchill makes a number of speeches after becoming Prime Minister that inspire the British People “We Shall Fight Them On The Beaches…..”, and on August 20th “Never in the field of human conflict was so much…”
• The Queen Mary, The Mauritania and The Queen Elizabeth Ocean Liners are put into service as troop carriers.
• The bombing of cities in England including Coventry and London leads to the bombing of Hamburg and other cities in Germany

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Captain America comic book 1940

More Information for the Captain America Comic
The first Captain America comic book was published and went on sale in December with the cover featuring the titular character punching the real life World War II villain and Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The first issue originally sold for ten cents and was dated for March 1941 despite being available earlier. Envisioned by editor Joe Simon and made by famed comic creator Jack Kirby, it was released by publisher “Timely Comics,” the company that would eventually become “Marvel Comics.” Kirby was also known for his work on other popular comics such as Silver Surfer, The Hulk, and Thor, among others. The Captain America comics became quite popular during World War II but faded in popularity during the 1950’s, only to be revived during the 1960s.

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Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. becomes the first African-American General 1940

More Information and Timeline for Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.
1. Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. is born in 1877 and joined the United States Army in 1989 after being a volunteer during the Spanish-American War.
2. Davis rose steadily through the ranks of the army and served throughout the world.
3. He was also a teacher of military science at the Tuskegee Institute throughout the 1930’s.
4. While most of Davis’s duties were directly linked with the army avoiding putting him in charge of white troops, he was eventually promoted to brigadier general by FDR .
5. He was soon after sent to work for the Office of the Inspector General as well as being in charge of a special unit that was intended to monitor and improve race relations in the U.S. Army. As a part of his job he would often visit African-American troops stationed in Europe to help improve morale.
6. He retired from service after fifty years in 1948.
7. Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.’s son, Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was also a pioneer of racial integration and civil rights in the United States Military. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. was one of the very first African-American pilots in the forces, the commander of the all black Tuskegee Airman unit, and became the first African-American general in the United States Air Force.

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Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African-American actor to win an Academy Award

More Information for Hattie McDaniel.
1. In February Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African-American actor to win an Academy Award. She won the award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in the film “Gone with the Wind.”
2. McDaniel began her career in the early 1910s performing in minstrel shows and working as a vocalist for various bands and in 1925 she became the first African-American woman to sing on the radio in the United States.
3. In the 1930s she transitioned to film work and landed several small roles along side many of the well known actors of the time.
4. Unfortunately, Hollywood’s color barrier prevented McDaniel from fully realizing her movie career and she was often cast as servants and other stereotypical roles.
5. Due to the segregation in the South, she was not allowed to attend the Atlanta premiere of “Gone with the Wind” in 1939, the same film she won the Oscar for the next year.

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Selective Training and Service Act signed into law

• Selective Training and Service Act signed into law as first peacetime military draft in United States history

More Information and Timeline for Selective Training and Service Act
1. The Selective Training and Service Act of 1940 became United States law on the 16th of September, . This draft had required men between the ages of 21 and 35 years old to be registered for the draft lottery.
2. By the end of October the draft lottery began in Washington, D.C. With President Roosevelt calling the first number, 158.
3. This became the first peacetime draft in United States history as the country had not yet come under attack from Japan and entered the second World War.
4. If chosen by the system they would be required to serve a twelve month term in the military. The length of the required term would be expanded as the United States edged closer to entering the war.
5. The draft was expanded soon to include men between the ages of 18 and 45. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 the draft was not thought of as unnecessary as millions of men volunteered to protect their country.
6. Around 45 million men were registered between 1940 and 1946 and about 10 million of them were selected through the Selective Service System.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt wins the election

• Franklin D. Roosevelt wins the election and becomes the United States’ first third-term president.

More Information and Timeline for the Roosevelt Election
1. Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected President of the United States in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression.
2. FDR used his New Deal programs to help stabilize the US economy and was re-elected in 1936.
3. He continued his New Deal programs after being re-elected.
4. He was chosen as the Democratic presidential candidate at the National Convention and would run for an unprecedented third term in office.
5. FDR won the Presidential election and had ran against Wendell L. Wilkie.
6. FDR had not planned to run for a third term but with the war in Europe and the USA’s impending involvement, he was the most experienced leader the nation could find in a time where crisis loomed.
7. The USA entered World War II at the end of 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor and Roosevelt took a stand as a strong leader when the US joined the Allies in Europe.
8. In 1944, Roosevelt was elected for a fourth term as US president, winning against Thomas E. Dewey, despite his failing health.
9. FDR died early in 1945, while in office, before he could witness the conclusion of World War II later that year.
10. The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution was proposed in 1947 as a direct response to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four term presidency. It limited elected Presidents to two terms in office and was ratified in February of 1951.

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An annular solar eclipse is observed in the United States

• An annular solar eclipse is observed in the United States.

More Information and Timeline for US Solar Eclipse.
On April 7 an Annular Solar Eclipse is seen for the first time in North America since 1930 and the sun was blocked completely out for 6 to 7 minutes by the moon with a narrow circle of brilliance around it’s rim. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the moon gets between the earth and the sun during it’s orbit, covering the center of the sun and creating a glowing ring around its outline. Austin, Texas had the closest to a full eclipse with 93% of the sun covered at 3:16 PM followed by Tallahassee in Florida at 6:22 PM.

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Leon Trotsky the Russian revolutionary is assassinated in Mexico

• Leon Trotsky the Russian revolutionary is assassinated in Mexico

More Information and Timeline for the Leon Trotsky
1. Leon Trotsky was born as Lev Davidovich Bronshtein in November of 1879 in Ukraine.
2. Trotsky discovered Marxism in 1896 while in school in Odessa.
3. He was arrested in 1898 for “revolutionary activity,” after which he spent nearly five years in prison and in Siberian exile.
4. In 1902 he escaped to London where he joined the Russian Social-Democrats and met Vladimir Lenin.
5. In a key moment of party division over membership rules, Trotsky sided with the Mensheviks (Minority) while Lenin sided with the Bolsheviks (Majority) at the Second Congress of the Russian Social-Democratic Worker’s Party.
6. He made his way back to Russia in 1905 to help organize revolutionary strikes, but was jailed in 1906 and sent into exile in Siberia again in 1907. He escaped for a second time.
7. He moved around in Europe during the early 1910’s and refused to participate in the first World War. He was expelled from both France and Spain during this time.
8. By January of 1917 he had moved to New York City.
9. The Russian Revolution began in February of 1917 and by May of that year Trotsky had gone to Petrograd to lead a Menshevik faction in their revolutionary efforts.
10. Trotsky was effectively forced to become a member of the Bolshevik faction after being jailed again. Soon after he assumed military leadership during the Revolution. When Lenin re-emerged as a leader, Trotsky made sure to team up with him, assuring a place in the new Communist government.
11. In 1918, he became the War Commissar of the Soviet government and was tasked with re-building the old Russian army into the Red Army, as an impending civil war loomed. His military leadership was highly criticized by rival party member Josef Stalin.
12. After the Russian civil war ended in 1920, Trotsky focused heavily on restructuring the country into a Communist economy. By then, he had established himself as Soviet Leader Lenin’s right-hand man.
13. Lenin began facing health issues in 1921, and Trotsky had seemed an obvious successor. However, rivalry and jealousy made other high-ranking Communist party members turn against him as a potential leader.
14. Lenin suffered an incapacitating stroke in 1923 and Trotsky’s rival, Stalin, had made quick work of consolidating his own hold on the leadership, quickly turning people against Trotsky.
15. Lenin died in 1924, after which Trotsky slowly lost power, leading to his eventual expulsion from the Communist part in 1926, his exile in 1928, and his banishment from the Soviet Union in 1929.
16. He continued to move around Europe again until he had no other choice but to seek asylum in Mexico in 1936.
17. An assassination attempt was made on his life in May , of which he escaped death. However, he was soon killed by another assassination attempt by a Spanish communist in August of that year. He died on August 21st, after being attacked with an ice axe.
18. Leon Trotsky was known as one of the most influential theorists and intellectuals to come out of the Russian revolution.

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Nylon Stockings go on sale

More Information and Timeline for the Nylon Stockings go on sale
1. The synthetic material called nylon was invented in 1935 by DuPont researcher Wallace Carothers.
2. The material was introduced to the world in 1939 at the New York World’s Fair.
3. Commercial production of the fabric began in the later months of 1939.
4. Nylon stockings were sold to the general public beginning and were instantly popular, with millions of units sold right away.
5. As the United States entered the second World War in late 1941, DuPont would have to devote their resources to the production of war materials. This meant that nylons would not be found for sale during the war years.
6. DuPont used the nylon material to help make parachutes, tents, and ropes during the war and nylon stockings became a scarce commodity. They were highly sought after by women and could be found being sold and traded on the black market.
7. At the end of the war in 1945, DuPont announced that it would once again be able to produce and sell nylon stockings. Unfortunately, they were unable to match the high demand right away.
8. In some cases, tens of thousands of women gathered to buy limited stock of nylons and riots broke out when customers were forced to compete for a small number of products.
9. The “Nylon Riots” ended by 1946 when full production was better able to meet the needs of the customers.
10. DuPont did keep a monopoly on the product until the early 1950s when they started to allow licenses to other companies to produce the material, leading many people to believe that they made the stockings scarce on purpose.

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Italy declares war on France and the United Kingdom 1940

• On June 10th Italy declares war on France and the United Kingdom.

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Lascaux prehistoric cave paintings

• The Lascaux prehistoric cave paintings are discovered in France

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40-hour working week 1940

• 40-hour working week goes into effect

Narrows Suspension Bridge Collapses

• The Narrows Suspension Bridge Collapses on November 7th at Tacoma, Washington

Armistice Day Blizzard

• Armistice Day Blizzard kills 154 in Midwest

Race Riots

• Race Riots in Chicago, Harlem, Los Angeles and Detroit

Life magazine

• Life magazine costs 10 cents

RMS Queen Elizabeth 1940

• RMS Queen Elizabeth – entered service

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Popular Culture

Popular Films

• Walt Disney’s animated film Pinocchio is released together with Fantasia
• The Great Dictator, starring Charlie Chaplin

Popular Music

• “Careless” Glenn Miller
• “I’ll Never Smile Again ” Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra
• “In the Mood ” Glenn Miller
• “Pennsylvania 6-5000 ” Glenn Miller
• “Only Forever” Bing Crosby

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Born This Year 1940

John Lennon October 9th
Manfred Mann October 21st
Percy Sledge November 25th
Richard Pryor December 1st
Jeffrey Archer April 15th — London, England
Mario Andretti February 28th — Motovun
Frankie Avalon September 18th — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Peter Fonda February 23rd — New York City, New York, U.S.
John Gotti October 27th — The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
John Hurt January 22nd — Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England
Tom Jones June 7th — Pontypridd, Wales, UK
Ted Koppel February 8th — Lancashire, England,
Bruce Lee November 27th — San Francisco, California, U.S.
Jack Nicklaus January 21st — Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Chuck Norris March 10th — Ryan, Oklahoma, United States
Al Pacino April 25th — East Harlem, Manhattan, U.S.
Nancy Pelosi March 26th — Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Gene Pitney February 17th — Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Cliff Richard October 14th — Lucknow, United Provinces, British India
Smokey Robinson February 19th — Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Martin Sheen August 3rd — Dayton, Ohio, USA
Nancy Sinatra June 8th — Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Clive Sinclair July 30th — Richmond, Surrey, UK
Ringo Starr July 7th — Dingle, Liverpool, England

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Major World Political Leaders

Australia — Prime Minister — Robert Menzies —
Brazil — President — Getúlio Vargas —
Canada — Prime Minister — William Lyon Mackenzie King —
Germany — Chancellor — Adolf Hitler —
Italy — Prime Minister — Benito Mussolini —
Japan — Prime Minister — Nobuyuki Abe — Till 16 January
Japan — Prime Minister — Mitsumasa Yonai — From 16 January
Japan — Prime Minister — Mitsumasa Yonai — Till 22 July
Japan — Prime Minister — Fumimaro Konoe — From 22 July
Mexico — President — Lázaro Cárdenas — Till 30 November
Mexico — President — Manuel Ávila Camacho — From 1 December
Russia / Soviet Union — General Secretary of the Central Committee — Joseph Stalin —
South Africa — Prime Minister — Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts —
United States — President — Franklin D. Roosevelt —
United Kingdom — Prime Minister — Neville Chamberlain — Till 10 May
United Kingdom — Prime Minister — Winston Churchill — From 10 May

Political Elections

Canadian Federal Election — — William Lyon Mackenzie King ( Liberal ) defeats Robert Manion( National Government ). —
United States Presidential Election — — Franklin D. Roosevelt (Democratic) Defeats Wendell Willkie (Republican) –

Events[edit]

• February 10 – Tom and Jerry make their debut in the animated cartoon Puss Gets the Boot.
• February 23 – Walt Disney‘s animated film Pinocchio is released, which is considered the greatest animated film of all time.
• March 21 – Alfred Hitchcock‘s first American film Rebecca is released, under the production of David O. Selznick. It would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture the following year.
• May 17 – My Favorite Wife is released.
• May – A reproduction of “America’s First Movie Studio”, Thomas Edison‘s Black Maria, is constructed.
• July 27 – Bugs Bunny makes his official debut in the animated cartoon A Wild Hare.
• October 15 – Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator, a satirical comedy starring him, is released.
• November 13 – World premiere of Walt Disney’s Fantasia at the Broadway Theatre in New York City, the first film to be released in a multi-channel sound format (see Fantasound). The film also marks the first use of the click track while recording the soundtrack, overdubbing of orchestral parts, simultaneous multitrack recording and is cited as a key chapter in the conception and development of the multi-channel surround system.
• December 5 – Release of The Thief of Bagdad, pioneering the use of chroma key effects.
• In the United Kingdom, the Crown Film Unit supersedes the GPO Film Unit in the production of documentary films.

Top-grossing films (U.S.)^[1][edit]

At the time, box office numbers were reported as a percentage of business for each theater in comparison to ‘normal’ business. For example, Boom Town performed at 232% and Pinocchio at 130%. This is why exact dollar grosses for films are unreliable at best.

Rank	Title	Studio	Gross
1.	Rebecca	United Artists	$6,000,000
2.	Boom Town	MGM	$5,000,000
3.	The Great Dictator	United Artists	$5,000,000
4.	Strike Up the Band	MGM	$3,494,000
5.	The Philadelphia Story	$3,259,000
6.	Northwest Passage	$3,150,000
7.	Andy Hardy Meets Debutante	$2,623,000
8.	New Moon	$2,527,000
9.	The Grapes of Wrath	20th Century Fox	$2,500,000
10.	Kitty Foyle	RKO	$2,385,000

* After theatrical reissues

Academy Awards[edit]

Main article: 13th Academy Awards

• Best Picture: Rebecca – David O. Selznick, United Artists
• Best Director: John Ford – The Grapes of Wrath
• Best Actor: James Stewart – The Philadelphia Story
• Best Actress: Ginger Rogers – Kitty Foyle
• Best Supporting Actor: Walter Brennan – The Westerner
• Best Supporting Actress: Jane Darwell – The Grapes of Wrath

HOW EVENTS IN 1940 SHAPED MY WORLD

We begin our story in 1940, which was perhaps the most important year in my life for it was the year in which my beloved husband, Sasha Alex Lessin, Ph. D. was born.  No single individual alive or dead has influenced me and my life quite like my current husband.  But 1940 was also an important year for many reasons. The world was about to enter WWII. My parents had not found one another yet.  They met because of WWII.  At the insistence of my mother’s best friend, Mary Jane, mom wrote to my father who was stationed in Italy the European front fighting against Mussolini.  Dad was one of the first to go and last to get out. He was a medic and not what you would call a warrior.  He was, more like Clark Kent, mild-mannered and quiet.  Before the war he played baseball and read a lot of books.  He got drafted.  He was amazed at the flotilla of ships that crossed the Atlantic. He never stopped talking about that. He suffered his whole life from PTSD. But despite all the hardships WWII created, if it were not for the war, I would probably not exist. 

Ringo Starr and John Lennon of the Beatles were born in 1940.  The Beatles shaped my world and formulated my concept of sexual attraction, which affected the choices I made regarding sexual and romantic relationships throughout the years. 

Foo fighters emerged in the skies, and American pilots faced a terror beyond all imagination.  While extraterrestrials have been with us all along, up until WWII, UFOs had not been so visual nor so bold. My grandmother’s younger half-brother (last name Whitbeck) faced them personally. While I never met him or talked with him, my older sister Louise spoke with grandmother, who was deeply affected by her UFO encounter which was verified when her younger brother shared his related experience. She was so excited that she had seen a craft plus her little brother did as well, that she felt it was important to tell us grandchildren despite the stigma her revelation might have caused. At 4’9” tall, my tiny grandma was the bravest, toughest, spunkiest woman I ever met.

I’ve interviewed hundreds going on thousands of contactees and experiencers. Based on what I’ve learned, I believe that grandma Ocean was describing an abduction experience. She had a sister who was only 21” tall and died at the age of 19 or she was 19” tall and died at the age of 21.  There’s a bit of confusion there and everyone’s dead so there’s no way to verify the stories.  She was a perfectly proportioned dwarf and if she was truly only 21’ tall, she was the shortest dwarf ever recorded.  Ocean also only reached 4’9”, so she also was a dwarf according to some charts. 

I have this thought, a “psychic hit” that one of the main reasons the extraterrestrials have chosen my family is because of our genetics, which runs in our family. I am only 5’2”, my sister is 4’11” and I have a short niece who is only 4’9”.  The men in my family are all on the short side with my nephew only reaching 5’2”. But this short aunt of mine, perhaps one of the shortest humans to ever live is the reason they picked up my grandmother.  She bore 6 sons, my father being the eldest. Her husband, my grandfather was 6’, so he was the tallest of us all.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_in_the_United_States

What happened in 1940 Major News Stories (http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/1940.html) include Germany and Italy gain control of most of Western Europe, Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister and inspires British People With speaches including “We Shall Fight Them On The Beaches, Dunkirk evacuation of British Troops, Battle of Britain begins, Germany starts it’s Blitz on London, Race Riots in Chicago, Harlem, Los Angeles and Detroit, Popular Movies include Gone With the Wind and the Great Dictator, Nylon Stockings Go On Sale”  With the rearming of US forces the Great Depression was finally beginning to ease , and Americans were earning more and buying more so being able to buy goods and further fueling the economy . But outside of America things were not good as Germany invaded France which meant between Germany and Italy most of Western Europe was controlled by them except for England.

In the US the feel good feeling of leaving the depression behind fueled the making of some great movies including “Gone With the Wind” and the “Great Dictator”, and Jazz sounds were the popular music of the day from the likes of Benny Goodman and Count Basie amongst others. The Nylon stockings invented the previous year were all the rage with women, FDR was elected for a third term but Americans were starting to believe they should help Britain in it’s fight for survival with Germany and the first peacetime draft occurred in September which had ominous overtones for the future. Britain was being bombed incessantly and many believed it may only be time before America would be involved. And a worker in the New Factories appearing can earn up to $1,250 per year

Incumbents[edit]

Federal Government 1940

• President: Franklin D. Roosevelt (D–New York)
• Vice President: John Nance Garner (D–Texas)
• Chief Justice: Charles Evans Hughes (New York)
• Speaker of the House of Representatives: William B. Bankhead (D–Alabama) (until September 15), Sam Rayburn (D–Texas) (starting September 16)
• Senate Majority Leader: Alben W. Barkley (D–Kentucky)
• Congress: 76th

Events

January–March 1940

• February 7 – RKO release Walt Disney‘s second full-length animated film, Pinocchio.
• February 20 – Tom and Jerry make their debut in Puss Gets the Boot.
• February 27 – Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben discover carbon-14.
• March – Truth or Consequences debuts on NBC Radio.
• March 2 – Cartoon character Elmer Fudd makes his debut in the animated short Elmer’s Candid Camera.

April–June 1940

May 15: The first McDonald’s restaurant

June 27: “100 Water Colors” show by Federal Arts Project opens in New York City

• April – Dick Grayson (AKA as Robin, the Boy Wonder) first appears with Batman.
• April 1 – April Fools’ Day is also the census date for the 16th U.S. Census.
• April 7 – Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to be depicted on a United States [postage stamp].
• April 12 – 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 – A fire at the Rhythm Night Club in Natchez, Mississippi kills 209.
• May 15
  • The very first McDonald’s restaurant opens in San Bernardino, California.
  • Women’s stockings made of nylon are first placed on sale across the U.S. Almost five million pairs are bought on this day.^[1]
• May 16 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, addressing a joint session of Congress, asks for an extraordinary credit of approximately $900 million to finance construction of at least 50,000 airplanes per year.
• May 18 – The 6.9 M_w  El Centro earthquake affects California’s Imperial Valley with a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), causing nine deaths and twenty injuries. Financial losses are around $6 million. Significant damage also occurs in Mexicali, Mexico.
• May 25 – The Crypt of Civilization at Oglethorpe University is sealed.
• May 29 – The Vought XF4U-1, prototype of the F4U Corsair U.S. fighter later used in WWII, makes its first flight.
• June 10 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt denounces Italy’s actions with his “Stab in the Back”^{[permanent dead link]} speech during the graduation ceremonies of the University of Virginia.
• June 14 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Naval Expansion Act into law, which aims to increase the United States Navy‘s tonnage by 11%.
• June 16 – The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is held for the first time in Sturgis, South Dakota.
• June 24 – U.S. politics: The Republican Party begins its national convention in Philadelphia and nominates Wendell Willkie as its candidate for president.

July–September 1940

• July 1 – The doomed first Tacoma Narrows Bridge opens for business, built with an 8-foot (2.4 m) girder and 190 feet (58 m) above the water, as the third longest suspension bridge in the world.
• July 15 – U.S. politics: The Democratic Party begins its national convention in Chicago and nominates Franklin D. Roosevelt for an unprecedented third term as president.
• July 20 – The Arroyo Seco Parkway, one of the first freeways built in the U.S., opens to traffic, connecting downtown Los Angeles with Pasadena, California.
• July 27 – Bugs Bunny makes his debut in the Oscar-nominated cartoon short, A Wild Hare.
• August 4 – Gen. John J. Pershing, in a nationwide radio broadcast, urges all-out aid to Britain in order to defend the Americas, while Charles Lindbergh speaks to an isolationist rally at Soldier Field in Chicago.
• 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 12 – The Hercules Munitions Plant in Succasunna-Kenvil, New Jersey explodes, killing 55 people.
• 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.

October–December 1940

November 5: FDR becomes the first and only President elected to a third term.

• October 1 – The first section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the country’s first long-distance controlled-access highway, is opened between Irwin and Carlisle.
• October 16 – The draft registration of approximately 16 million men begins in the United States.
• October 29 – The Selective Service System lottery is held in Washington, D.C..
• November 5 – U.S. presidential election, 1940: Democrat incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt defeats Republican challenger Wendell Willkie and becomes the nation’s first and only third-term president.
• November 7 – In Tacoma, Washington, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (nicknamed the “Galloping Gertie”) collapses in a 42-mile-per-hour (68 km/h) wind storm, causing the center span of the bridge to sway. When it collapses, a 600-foot-long (180 m) design of the center span falls 190 feet above the water, killing Tubby, a black male cocker spaniel dog.
• November 11 – Armistice Day Blizzard: An unexpected blizzard kills 144 in U.S. Midwest.
• November 12 – Case of Hansberry v. Lee, 311 U.S. 32 (1940), decided, allowing a racially restrictive covenant to be lifted.
• November 13 – Walt Disney‘s Fantasia is released. It is the first box office failure for Disney, though it recoups its cost years later and becomes one of the most highly regarded of Disney’s films.
• November 16 – An unexploded pipe bomb is found in the Consolidated Edison office building (only years later is the culprit, George Metesky, apprehended).
• 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 17 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt, at his regular press conference, first sets forth the outline of his plan to send aid to Great Britain that will become known as Lend-Lease.
• December 29 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, in a fireside chat to the nation, declares that the United States must become “the great arsenal of democracy.”
• December 20 – The 5.3 M_w  New Hampshire earthquake shakes New England with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII (Very strong). This first event in a doublet earthquake is followed four days later by a 5.6 M_w  shock. Total damage from the events is light.
• 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).

Births1940

January

• January 2 – Jim Bakker, American televangelist, sometime husband of Tammy Faye
• January 4 – Helmut Jahn, German-American architect
• January 6 – Penny Lernoux, American journalist and author (d. 1989)
• January 14 – Julian Bond, African-American civil rights activist (d. 2015)
• January 20 – Carol Heiss, American figure skater
  January 21 – Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
• January 22 – John Hurt, English actor (Elephant Man, Alien, Midnight Express) (d. 2017)
• January 23 – Jimmy Castor, African-American funk, R&B, and soul saxophonist (d. 2012)
• January 27 – James Cromwell, American actor
• January 29 – Katharine Ross, American actress

February 1940

• February 2 – Odell Brown, American jazz organist (d. 2011)
• February 3 – Fran Tarkenton, American football player
• February 4 – George A. Romero, American film writer and director (d. 2017)
• February 6 – Tom Brokaw, American television news reporter
• February 8
  • Ted Koppel, American journalist
  • Richard Lynch, American actor (d. 2012)
  • Joe South, American country singer-songwriter
  • Donald W. Stewart, American politician
• February 12 – Hank Brown, American politician
• February 17
  • Chris Newman, American sound mixer, director
  • Gene Pitney, American pop singer (d. 2006)
• February 19 – Smokey Robinson, African-American musician
• February 21 – John Lewis, African-American politician, civil rights leader
• February 22 – Billy Name, born William G. Linich, photographer and Warhol archivist
• February 23 – Peter Fonda, American actor (d. 2019)
• February 24
  • Pete Duel, American actor (d. 1971)
  • Jimmy Ellis, African-American professional boxer (d. 2014)
• February 25 – Ron Santo, American baseball player (d. 2010)
• February 27 – Howard Hesseman, American actor
• February 28
  • Mario Andretti, American race car driver
  • Joe South, American singer, songwriter (d. 2012)

March 1940

• March 6 – Willie Stargell, African American baseball player (d. 2001)
• March 10
  • Chuck Norris, American actor and martial artist
  • Dean Torrence, American singer
• March 12 – Al Jarreau, African-American singer (d. 2017)
• March 13 – Candi Staton, American singer
• March 15 – Phil Lesh, American rock guitarist (Grateful Dead)
• March 17 – Mark White, American politician (d. 2017)
• March 18 – Mark Medoff, American playwright and screenwriter (d. 2019)
• March 20 – Mary Ellen Mark, American photographer (d. 2015)
• March 21 – Solomon Burke, African-American singer, songwriter (d. 2010)
• March 25 – Anita Bryant, American entertainer
• March 26
  • James Caan, American actor
  • Nancy Pelosi, American politician
• March 27 – Cale Yarborough, American race car driver
• March 29 – Ray Davis, American bass musician (P-Funk) (d. 2005)
• March 31
  • Barney Frank, American politician
  • Patrick Leahy, American politician

April 1940

• April 8 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (d. 2019)
• April 12
  • John Hagee, American televangelist
  • Herbie Hancock, African-American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor
• April 15 – Willie Davis, American baseball player (d. 2010)
• April 17 – Chuck Menville, American animator, writer (d. 1992)
• April 18 – Joseph L. Goldstein, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• April 24
  • Sue Grafton, American detective novelist (d. 2017)
  • Michael Parks, American actor, singer (d. 2017)
• April 25 – Al Pacino, American actor and film director
• April 30 – Burt Young, American actor, author and painter

May 1940

• May 3 – David Koch, American billionaire businessman, philanthropist and political activist (d. 2019)
• May 5 – Lance Henriksen, American actor
• May 7 – Jim Connors, American radio personality (d. 1987)
• May 8
  • Peter Benchley, American author (Jaws) (d. 2006)
  • Ricky Nelson, American singer (d. 1985)
  • Toni Tennille, American pop singer
• May 9 – James L. Brooks, American film producer, writer
• May 10 – Wayne A. Downing, American U.S. general (d. 2007)
• May 15
  • Lainie Kazan, American actress, singer
  • Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach
• May 17 – Alan Kay, American computer scientist
• May 18 – Lenny Lipton, American inventor
• May 20 – Shorty Long, African-American soul music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer (Here Comes The Judge) (d. 1969)
• May 22 – Bernard Shaw, African-American journalist and television news reporter

June 1940

• June 1
  • René Auberjonois, American actor (Star Trek)
  • Kip Thorne, American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate
• June 3 – Connie Saylor, American race car driver (d. 1993)
• June 7
  • Samuel Little, American serial killer
  • Evi Nemeth, American author and engineer (d. 2013)
• June 8
  • Arthur Elgort, American photographer
  • Nancy Sinatra, American singer
  • Jim Wickwire, American lawyer and mountaineer
• June 11 – Wayne Kemp, American country music singer (d. 2015)
• June 13 – Bobby Freeman, American singer, songwriter (d. 2017)
• June 16
  • Neil Goldschmidt, American politician
  • Thea White, American actress
• June 19 – Shirley Muldowney, American race car driver
• June 21 – Mariette Hartley, American actress
• June 23 – Wilma Rudolph, American track & field athlete and 3-time Olympic winner (d. 1994)
• June 24 – Hope Cooke, American socialite, Queen Consort of Sikkim
• June 26 – Lucinda Childs, American actress, postmodern dancer and choreographer

July 1940

• July 2 – Joshua Bryant, American actor, director, author and speaker
• July 3
  • Fontella Bass, African-American soul singer (“Rescue Me“) (d. 2012)
  • Lance Larson, American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in four events
  • Chuck Sieminski, American football player
  • Lamar Alexander, American politician
• July 4 – Gene McDowell, American college football coach
• July 6 – Jeannie Seely, American singer, songwriter
• July 7 – Ringo Starr, English drummer (The Beatles)
• July 9 – Sasha Alex Lessin, Author, Researcher, Radio Host, husband to Janet Kira Lessin
• July 10
  • Gene Alley, American baseball player
  • Jim Cadile, American professional football offensive guard
  • Helen Donath, American soprano
  • Julie Payne, American actress (d. 2019)
• July 13 – Paul Prudhomme, Louisiana Creole cuisine American chef (d. 2015)
• July 13 – Patrick Stewart, English actor (Star Trek)
• July 15 – Johnny Seay, American country music singer (d. 2016)
• July 16 – Tom Metcalf, American baseball pitcher
• July 17 – Verne Lundquist, American sportscaster
• July 18
  • James Brolin, American actor, director
  • Joe Torre, American baseball player, manager
• July 24
  • Stanley Hauerwas, American theologian
  • Dan Hedaya, American actor
• July 26
  • Dobie Gray, African-American singer-songwriter (Drift Away) (d. 2011)
  • Mary Jo Kopechne, American aide to Ted Kennedy (d. 1969)
• July 27 – Gary Kurtz, American filmmaker (d. 2018)
• July 28 – Philip Proctor, American actor
• July 29 – Bernard Lafayette, African-American civil rights activist

August 1940

• August 3 – Martin Sheen, American actor
• August 7 – Thomas Barlow, American politician (d. 2017)
• August 10 – Bobby Hatfield, American singer (The Righteous Brothers) (d. 2003)
• August 13 – Tony Cloninger, American baseball player (d. 2018)
• August 14 – Galen Hall, American football coach
• August 19 – Jill St. John, American actress
• August 20 – Rubén Hinojosa, American politician
• August 23 – Thomas A. Steitz, American biochemist (d. 2018)
• August 27 – Fernest Arceneaux, Zydeco accordionist (d. 2008)
• August 28 – William Cohen, American politician
• August 29 – James Brady, American politician, 17th White House Press Secretary (d. 2014)
• August 31 – Wilton Felder, African American jazz saxophonist (d. 2015)

September 1940

• September 3 – Joseph C. Strasser, American admiral
• September 5 – Raquel Welch, American actress
• September 10 – David Mann, American artist (d. 2004
• September 11 – Brian De Palma, American film director
• September 12
  • Linda Gray, American model and screen actress
  • Skip Hinnant, American film actor and comedian
  • Mickey Lolich, American baseball player
• September 14 – Larry Brown, American basketball player and coach
• September 15 – Merlin Olsen, American football player, announcer, and actor (d. 2010)
• September 18 – Frankie Avalon, American pop singer and actor

October 1940

• October 3 – Alan O’Day, American singer, songwriter (d. 2013)
• October 6 – Wyche Fowler, American politician
• October 9 – Gordon J. Humphrey, American politician
• October 9 – John Lennon, English singer-songwriter and musician (The Beatles) (shot 1980)
• October 13 – Pharoah Sanders, American saxophonist
• October 16 – Barry Corbin, American actor
• October 20 – Robert Pinsky, American poet, essayist, literary critic, and translator
• October 25 – Bob Knight, American basketball player and coach
• October 27 – John Gotti, American gangster (d. 2002)
• October 29 – Connie Mack III, American politician

November 1940

• November 11 – Barbara Boxer, American politician
• November 12 – Donald Wuerl, American archbishop
• November 15 – Sam Waterston, American actor
• November 21 – Richard Marcinko, U.S. Navy SEAL team member, author
• November 22 – Terry Gilliam, American-born British screenwriter, director and animator
• November 23 – Rockin’ Robin Roberts, American rock and roll singer (d. 1967)
• November 25
  • Joe Gibbs, American football coach, and NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner
  • Percy Sledge, African-American singer (d. 2015)
• November 27 – Bruce Lee, Chinese-American martial artist, actor (d. 1973)
• November 29 – Chuck Mangione, American flugelhorn player

December

• December 1 – Richard Pryor, African-American actor, comedian (d. 2005)
• December 4
  • Freddy Cannon, American singer
  • Gary Gilmore, American murderer (d. 1977)
• December 11
  • David Gates, American singer-songwriter
  • Donna Mills, American actress
• December 12 – Dionne Warwick, African-American singer and actress
• December 19 – Phil Ochs, American singer and songwriter (d. 1976)
• December 21
  • Kelly Cherry, American poet and author
  • Frank Zappa, American musician, songwriter, composer, guitarist, record producer, actor and filmmaker (d. 1993)
• December 23 – Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane)
• December 24 – Janet Carroll, American actress, singer (d. 2012)
• December 26 – Edward C. Prescott, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
• December 29 – Fred Hansen, American Olympic athlete

Deaths[edit]

• January 4 – Flora Finch, silent film actress and comedian (born 1869 in the United Kingdom)
• January 19 – William Borah, U.S. Senator from Idaho from 1907 to 1940 (born 1865)
• February 1 – Philip Francis Nowlan, science fiction writer, creator of Buck Rogers (born 1888)
• February 4 – Samuel M. Vauclain, steam locomotive engineer (born 1856)
• February 9 – William Edward Dodd, diplomat and historian (born 1869)
• March 11 – John Monk Saunders, screenwriter (born 1897)
• July 1 – Ben Turpin, comic silent film actor (born 1869)
• July 15 – Robert Wadlow, tallest man ever (born 1918)
• July 30 – Spencer S. Wood, U.S. Navy rear admiral (born 1861)
• September 1 – Lillian Wald, nurse and humanitarian (born 1867)
• December 21 – F. Scott Fitzgerald, fiction writer, author of the novel The Great Gatsby (born 1896)
• December 22 – Nathanael West, fiction writer (born 1903)
• December 23 – Eddie August Schneider, aviator (born 1911)
• December 25 – Agnes Ayres, silent film actress (born 1898)
• December 26 – Daniel Frohman, theater producer (born 1851)
• December 31 – John T. Thompson, U.S. Army officer, inventor of the Thompson submachine gun (born 1860)

Births 1940

April 8 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (d. 2019)
April 12 – John Hagee, American televangelist
April 12 – Herbie Hancock, African-American pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, composer and actor
April 15 – Willie Davis, American baseball player (d. 2010)
April 17 – Chuck Menville, American animator, writer (d. 1992)
April 18 – Joseph L. Goldstein, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology
April 24 – Sue Grafton, American detective novelist (d. 2017)
Michael Parks, American actor, singer (d. 2017)
April 25 – Al Pacino, American actor and film director
April 30 – Burt Young, American actor, author and painter
May 3 – David Koch, American billionaire businessman, philanthropist and political activist (d. 2019)
May 5 – Lance Henriksen, American actor
May 7 – Jim Connors, American radio personality (d. 1987)
May 8 – Peter Benchley, American author (Jaws) (d. 2006)
May 8 – Ricky Nelson, American singer (d. 1985), Toni Tennille, American pop singer
May 9 – James L. Brooks, American film producer, writer
May 10 – Wayne A. Downing, American U.S. general (d. 2007)
May 15 – Lainie Kazan, American actress, singer, Don Nelson, American basketball player and coach
May 17 – Alan Kay, American computer scientist
May 18 – Lenny Lipton, American inventor
May 20 – Shorty Long, African-American soul music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer (Here Comes The Judge) (d. 1969)
May 22 – Bernard Shaw, African-American journalist and television news reporter
June 1 – René Auberjonois, American actor (Star Trek)
June 1 – Kip Thorne, American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate
June 3 – Connie Saylor, American race car driver (d. 1993)
June 7 – Samuel Little, American serial killer, Evi Nemeth, American author and engineer (d. 2013)
June 8 – Arthur Elgort, American photographer & Nancy Sinatra, American singer
June 8 – Jim Wickwire, American lawyer and mountaineer
June 11 – Wayne Kemp, American country music singer (d. 2015)
June 13 – Bobby Freeman, American singer, songwriter (d. 2017)
June 16 – Neil Goldschmidt, American politician, Thea White, American actress
June 19 – Shirley Muldowney, American race car driver
June 21 – Mariette Hartley, American actress
June 23 – Wilma Rudolph, American track & field athlete and 3-time Olympic winner (d. 1994)
June 24 – Hope Cooke, American socialite, Queen Consort of Sikkim
June 26 – Lucinda Childs, American actress, postmodern dancer and choreographer
July 2 – Joshua Bryant, American actor, director, author and speaker
July 3 – Fontella Bass, African-American soul singer (“Rescue Me“) (d. 2012)
July 3 – Lance Larson, American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in four events
July 3 – Chuck Sieminski, American football player, Lamar Alexander, American politician
July 4 – Gene McDowell, American college football coach
July 6 – Jeannie Seely, American singer, songwriter
July 7 – Ringo Starr, English drummer (The Beatles)
July 9 – Sasha Alex Lessin, Author, Researcher, Radio Host, husband to Janet Kira Lessin
July 13 – Patrick Stewart, English actor (Star Trek)
July 10 – Gene Alley, American baseball player
July 10 – Jim Cadile, American professional football offensive guard
July 10 – Helen Donath, American soprano, Julie Payne, American actress (d. 2019)
July 13 – Paul Prudhomme, Louisiana Creole cuisine American chef (d. 2015)
July 15 – Johnny Seay, American country music singer (d. 2016)
July 16 – Tom Metcalf, American baseball pitcher
July 17 – Verne Lundquist, American sportscaster
July 18 – James Brolin, American actor, director, Joe Torre, American baseball player, manager
July 24 – Stanley Hauerwas, American theologian, Dan Hedaya, American actor
July 26 – Dobie Gray, African-American singer-songwriter (Drift Away) (d. 2011)
July 26 – Mary Jo Kopechne, American aide to Ted Kennedy (d. 1969)
July 27 – Gary Kurtz, American filmmaker (d. 2018)
July 28 – Philip Proctor, American actor
July 29 – Bernard Lafayette, African-American civil rights activist
August 3 – Martin Sheen, American actor
August 7 – Thomas Barlow, American politician (d. 2017)
August 10 – Bobby Hatfield, American singer (The Righteous Brothers) (d. 2003)
August 13 – Tony Cloninger, American baseball player (d. 2018)
August 14 – Galen Hall, American football coach
August 19 – Jill St. John, American actress
August 20 – Rubén Hinojosa, American politician
August 23 – Thomas A. Steitz, American biochemist (d. 2018)
August 27 – Fernest Arceneaux, Zydeco accordionist (d. 2008)
August 28 – William Cohen, American politician
August 29 – James Brady, American politician, 17th White House Press Secretary (d. 2014)
August 31 – Wilton Felder, African American jazz saxophonist (d. 2015)
September 3 – Joseph C. Strasser, American admiral
September 5 – Raquel Welch, American actress
September 10 – David Mann, American artist (d. 2004
September 11 – Brian De Palma, American film director
September 12 – Linda Gray, American model and screen actress
September 12 – Skip Hinnant, American film actor and comedian
September 12 – Mickey Lolich, American baseball player
September 14 – Larry Brown, American basketball player and coach
September 15 – Merlin Olsen, American football player, announcer, and actor (d. 2010)
September 18 – Frankie Avalon, American pop singer and actor
October 3 – Alan O’Day, American singer, songwriter (d. 2013)
October 6 – Wyche Fowler, American politician
October 9 – John Lennon, English singer-songwriter and musician (The Beatles) (shot 1980)
October 13 – Pharoah Sanders, American saxophonist
October 16 – Barry Corbin, American actor
October 20 – Robert Pinsky, American poet, essayist, literary critic, and translator
October 25 – Bob Knight, American basketball player and coach
October 27 – John Gotti, American gangster (d. 2002)
October 29 – Connie Mack III, American politician
November 11 – Barbara Boxer, American politician
November 12 – Donald Wuerl, American archbishop
November 15 – Sam Waterston, American actor
November 21 – Richard Marcinko, U.S. Navy SEAL team member, author
November 22 – Terry Gilliam, American-born British screenwriter, director and animator
November 23 – Rockin’ Robin Roberts, American rock and roll singer (d. 1967)
November 25 – Joe Gibbs, American football coach, and NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner
Percy Sledge, African-American singer (d. 2015)
November 27 – Bruce Lee, Chinese-American martial artist, actor (d. 1973)
November 29 – Chuck Mangione, American flugelhorn player
December 1 – Richard Pryor, African-American actor, comedian (d. 2005)
December 4 – Freddy Cannon, American singer
Gary Gilmore, American murderer (d. 1977)
December 11 – David Gates, American singer-songwriter
Donna Mills, American actress
December 12 – Dionne Warwick, African-American singer and actress
December 19 – Phil Ochs, American singer and songwriter (d. 1976)
December 21 – Kelly Cherry, American poet and author
Frank Zappa, American musician, songwriter, composer, guitarist, record producer, actor and filmmaker (d. 1993)
December 23 – Jorma Kaukonen, American musician (Jefferson Airplane)
December 24 – Janet Carroll, American actress, singer (d. 2012)
December 26 – Edward C. Prescott, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate
December 29 – Fred Hansen, American Olympic athlete

Deaths 1940

January 4 – Flora Finch, silent film actress and comedian (born 1869 in the United Kingdom)January 19 – William Borah, U.S. Senator from Idaho from 1907 to 1940 (born 1865)February 1 – Philip Francis Nowlan, science fiction writer, creator of Buck Rogers (born 1888)February 4 – Samuel M. Vauclain, steam locomotive engineer (born 1856)February 9 – William Edward Dodd, diplomat and historian (born 1869)March 11 – John Monk Saunders, screenwriter (born 1897)July 1 – Ben Turpin, comic silent film actor (born 1869)July 15 – Robert Wadlow, tallest man ever (born 1918)July 30 – Spencer S. Wood, U.S. Navy rear admiral (born 1861)September 1 – Lillian Wald, nurse and humanitarian (born 1867)December 21 – F. Scott Fitzgerald, fiction writer, author of the novel The Great Gatsby (born 1896)December 22 – Nathanael West, fiction writer (born 1903)December 23 – Eddie August Schneider, aviator (born 1911)December 25 – Agnes Ayres, silent film actress (born 1898
December 26 – Daniel Frohman, theater producer (born 1851)December 31 – John T. Thompson, U.S. Army officer, inventor of the Thompson submachine gun (born 1860)

Movies 1940

The Great Dictator (1940) | 125 min | Comedy, Drama, War.
Gaslight (1940) Not Rated | 84 min | Thriller.
Rebecca (1940)
The Westerner (1940)
Pinocchio (1940)
Too Many Girls (1940)
Fantasia (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)

Music Styles, Bands and Artists During the 1940’s  http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/40smusic.html

Music during the 1940s was built around the jazz and big band styles that were popular. Artists like Rosemary Clooney, Count Basie, and Artie Shaw helped to define the musical era with their unique brand of entertaining crowds through their music. This was also the era of World War II, and many musical acts strived to reflect the pain that the country was going through while still remaining upbeat and positive about the impending future. The 1940s was a time for many breakthrough artists who made their mark in the history of music and several of them are still recognized as innovators in their day. Advancements like the invention of the solid body electric guitar by Les Paul in 1941 also influenced the styles that were popular.

UFOs in 1940

1940s

Foo fighters

Over World War II theaters

Small metallic spheres and colorful balls of light repeatedly spotted and occasionally photographed worldwide by bomber crews during World War II.

I include incidents that happened before I was born in this book because these things were critical events that laid the foundation for the world in which I was born and the people who would most influence my life.  Many important people were born in 1940.  Most important is my beloved husband, Sasha Alex Lessin, who was born in the Bronx in New York City at 12:01 AM on July 9^th, 1940.  Coincidentally Nichola Tesla was born on July 10, 1856 at 12:01 AM. For some reason I feel deep in my heart that’s not a coincidence. Sasha is my genius, brilliant with a giant heart and I admire Tesla like no other.

I was greatly influenced by The Beatles.  Ringo Starr came into this world on July 7, 1940.  John Lennon was born October 9, 1940.  Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart was born July 13^th.  René Auberjonois was born June 1^st.

UFOs – In the Pacific and European theatres during World War II, “foo fighters” (metallic spheres, balls of light and other shapes that followed aircraft) were reported and on occasion photographed by Allied and Axis pilots. Some proposed Allied explanations at the time included St. Elmo’s fire, the planet Venus, hallucinations from oxygen deprivation, or German secret weapons.

My grandmother Ocean Thompson’s younger step-brother witnessed these “foo fighters”.  What did he think about these craft?

What Were the Mysterious “Foo Fighters” Sighted by WWII Night Flyers?
Something strange was following the Beaufighter crews of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron.
https://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/what-were-mysterious-foo-fighters-sighted-ww2-night-flyers-180959847/

Toward the end of World War 2, mission updates from the 415th Night Fighter Squadron took a mysterious turn. Along with details of dogfights over the German-occupied Rhine Valley, pilots began reporting inexplicable lights following their aircraft.

One night in November 1944, a Bristol Beaufighter crew—pilot Edward Schlueter, radar observer Donald J. Meiers, and intelligence officer Fred Ringwald—was flying along the Rhine north of Strasbourg. They described seeing “eight to 10 bright orange lights off the left wing…flying through the air at high speed.” Neither the airborne radar nor ground control registered anything nearby. “Schlueter turned toward the lights and they disappeared,” the report continued. “Later they appeared farther away. The display continued for several minutes and then disappeared.” Meiers gave these objects a name, taking a nonsense word used by characters in the popular “Smokey Stover” firefighter cartoon: “foo fighters.”

Reports kept coming in. The objects flew alongside aircraft at 200 mph; they were red, or orange, or green; they appeared singly or with as many as 10 others in formation; and they often out-maneuvered the airplanes they were chasing. They never showed up on radar.

Richard Ziebart, historian for the nearby 417th Night Fighter Squadron, heard many of the stories directly from the 415th crew members: “The pilots were very professional. They gave the report, talked about the lights, but didn’t speculate about them.” Still, the pilots found the sightings unnerving. “Scared shitless” was how a 415th pilot described feeling to Keith Chester, author of Strange Company: Military Encounters With UFO’s in World War II.

At the end of the year, an Associated Press war correspondent, Robert C. Wilson, celebrated New Year’s Eve with the 415th. The next day, his story on the foo fighters was featured on the front page of newspapers across the country. Other squadrons had seen them, but it was the number, consistency, and impact on the 415th crews—and the fact that a reporter listened to the airmen—that finally prompted investigations into the sightings.

Amateur psychologists, military aviation buffs, and conspiracy theorists offered explanations, but none that the airmen found credible. They didn’t believe they were hallucinating because of battle fatigue. And because the lights caused no damage, the pilots doubted they came from remote-controlled German secret weapons. St. Elmo’s fire, a discharge of light from sharp objects in electrical fields, seemed unlikely, since the foo fighters exhibited such extreme maneuverability.

Eventually the Army Air Command sent officers to investigate, but their research was lost after the war, Chester reported. In 1953, the CIA convened a panel of six top scientists familiar with experimental aviation technology to determine if the lights constituted a national security threat. The Robertson Panel, named for its chair, Caltech physicist Howard P. Robertson, offered no official conclusion.

Ziebart, the historian, offered no explanation either, only an insight. “I think the foo fighters didn’t show up on radar because they were plain light,” he said. “Radar had to have a solid object. If there was any bogey out there, the pilots would absolutely be able to tell.”

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