1940 facts for kids
Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
---|---|
Centuries: | 19th century – 20th century – 21st century |
Decades: | 1910s 1920s 1930s – 1940s – 1950s 1960s 1970s |
Years: | 1937 1938 1939 – 1940 – 1941 1942 1943 |
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.
The year 1940 was a very important time, especially because World War II was happening. Many big changes took place around the world. Countries were fighting, new leaders stepped up, and life changed for many people. Even with the war, there were also new movies, popular songs, and famous people born.
Contents
Major Events of 1940
World War II Expands
- March 18 – Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy met in the Alps. They agreed to work together against France and the United Kingdom. This showed their strong alliance.
- April 9 – Germany started a big attack called Operation Weserübung. They invaded Denmark and Norway. This was a major step in the war.
- May 10 – Germany continued its attacks by invading the Netherlands and Belgium.
- May 10 – Winston Churchill became the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He was a very important leader during the war.
- May 10 – British troops landed on Iceland. This was to prevent Germany from taking control of the island.
- June 4 – A huge rescue mission happened at Dunkirk. British troops and many others were saved from the beaches of France after being surrounded by German forces.
Other Important Events
- March 5 – A terrible event known as the Katyn massacre took place. Over 25,000 Polish people, including many prisoners of war, were killed.
- March 12 – The Soviet Union and Finland signed a peace treaty in Moscow. This ended the Winter War, but the terms were very hard for Finland.
- March 21 – Édouard Daladier stepped down as prime minister of France. Paul Reynaud took his place.
- April 7 – Booker T. Washington became the first African American to be shown on a United States postage stamp. This was an important moment for civil rights.
- May 4 – Nazi Germany opened the Auschwitz concentration camp. This camp would become a place of great suffering during the war.
- August 20 – Leon Trotsky, a famous Russian revolutionary, was seriously hurt and died the next day.
- November 5 – Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States for a third time. This was a record for any U.S. president.
- December 30 – California opened its first freeway. This was a new type of road designed for faster travel.
Famous People Born in 1940
- January 2 - Jim Bakker, American televangelist
- January 4 - Gao Xingjian, Chinese-born French writer
- January 21 - Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
- January 22 - John Hurt, British actor
- January 24 - Joachim Gauck, President of Germany
- January 28 - Carlos Slim, Mexican businessman
- February 2 - David Jason, British actor
- February 6 - Tom Brokaw, American television journalist
- February 7 - Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of Singapore
- February 9 - J. M. Coetzee, South African writer
- February 10 - Kenny Rankin, pop and jazz singer and songwriter
- February 17 - Gene Pitney, American singer (d. 2006)
- February 19 - Smokey Robinson, American singer
- February 19 - Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan (d. 2006)
- February 20 - Jimmy Greaves, English footballer
- February 23 – Peter Fonda, American actor (d. 2019)
- February 27 - Bill Hunter, Australian actor (d. 2011)
- February 28 - Mario Andretti, Italian-born racing driver
- March 2 - Billy McNeill, Scottish footballer
- March 7 - Rudi Dutschke, German student leader (d. 1979)
- March 10 - Chuck Norris, American actor
- March 12 - Al Jarreau, American musician
- March 16 - Bernardo Bertolucci, Italian movie director
- March 24 – Bob Mackie, clothing designer
- March 26 - Nancy Pelosi, American politician
- March 26 - James Caan, American actor
- March 28 - Luis Cubilla, Uruguayan footballer (d. 2013)
- April 1 - Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmental and political activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner (d. 2011)
- April 12 - Herbie Hancock, American musician
- April 15 - Jeffrey Archer, British politician and writer
- April 16 – Margrethe II of Denmark, Queen of Denmark
- April 18 - Joseph L. Goldstein, American biochemist and geneticist
- April 20 - James Gammon, American actor (d. 2010)
- April 25 – Al Pacino, American actor
- April 26 - Giorgio Moroder, Italian composer
- May 8 - Peter Benchley, American writer (d. 2006)
- May 9 - James L. Brooks, American producer and writer
- May 20 – Stan Mikita, Retired Slovakian-Canadian professional ice hockey player
- May 20 - Sadaharu Oh, Japanese baseball player
- May 21 - Tony Sheridan, English musician (d. 2013)
- May 24 - Joseph Brodsky, Russian writer (d. 1996)
- May 26 - Levon Helm, American musician and actor (d. 2012)
- May 28 - Maeve Binchy, Irish writer (d. 2012)
- May 29 - Farooq Leghari, President of Pakistan (d. 2010)
- June 7 – Tom Jones, Welsh singer
- June 8 - Nancy Sinatra, American singer
- June 23 - Adam Faith, British singer (d. 2003)
- June 28 - Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi Nobel Peace Prize winner
- July 2 - Kenneth Clarke, British politician
- July 3 – Jerzy Buzek, Polish politician
- July 3 - Fontella Bass, American singer (d. 2012)
- July 7 – Ringo Starr, British musician, actor
- July 13 - Patrick Stewart, British actor
- July 15 - Robert Winstone, British scientist
- July 27 - Pina Bausch, German choreographer (d. 2009)
- August 3 - Martin Sheen, American actor
- August 26 - Don LaFontaine, American actor (d. 2008)
- September 5 - Raquel Welch, American actress
- September 7 - Abdurrahman Wahid, President of Indonesia (d. 2009)
- September 20 - Taro Aso, former Prime Minister of Japan
- September 29 – John Miszuk, retired Polish professional ice hockey player
- October 9 – John Lennon, British musician (died 1980)
- October 14 - Cliff Richard, British singer
- October 19 - Michael Gambon, British actor
- October 21 - Manfred Mann, musician
- October 23 - Pele, Brazilian footballer
- November 5 - Anthony Rolfe Johnson, British tenor (d. 2010)
- November 10 - Screaming Lord Sutch, British musician and politician (d. 1999)
- November 15 - Sam Waterston, American actor
- November 18 - Qaboos, Sultan of Oman (d. 2020)
- November 21 - Doctor John, American musician
- November 22 – Terry Gilliam, American-born British animator, movie maker
- November 27 - Bruce Lee, American actor and martial artist (d. 1973)
- December 1 – Richard Pryor, American actor and comedian (d. 2005)
- December 12 – Dionne Warwick, American singer
- December 21 - Frank Zappa, American musician (d. 1993)
- December 26 – Phil Spector, music producer
- December 28 - Don Francisco, Chilean television host
Notable People Who Died in 1940
- January 4 – Flora Finch, English-born actress and comedienne (b. 1869)
- January 18 – Kazimierz Tetmajer, Polish poet and writer (b. 1865)
- January 27 – Isaac Babel, Ukrainian writer (b. 1894)
- February 11 – John Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Governor General of Canada (b. 1875)
- March 10 – Mikhaïl Boulgakov, Russian writer (b. 1891)
- March 16 – Selma Lagerlöf, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1858)
- March 20 – Alfred Ploetz, German physician and biologist (b. 1860)
- March 31 – Tinsley Lindley, English footballer (b. 1865)
- April 26 – Carl Bosch, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1874)
- May 15 – Menno ter Braak, Dutch writer (b. 1902)
- May 20 – Verner von Heidenstam, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
- May 25 – Joe De Grasse, Canadian movie director (b. 1873)
- May 28 – Prince Frederick Charles of Hesse (b. 1868)
- June 10 – Marcus Garvey, Jamaican-born publisher and black nationalist (b. 1887)
- June 17 – Arthur Harden, English chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1865)
- June 21 – Smedley Butler, U.S. general (b. 1881)
- June 29 – Paul Klee, Swiss artist (b. 1879)
- July 15 – Robert Pershing Wadlow, tallest man in the world (b. 1918)
- August 8 – Johnny Dodds, American jazz clarinettist (b. 1892)
- August 18 – Walter Chrysler, American automobile pioneer (b. 1875)
- August 21 – Leon Trotsky, Russian revolutionary (b. 1879)
- August 22 – Mary Vaux Walcott, American artist and naturalist (b. 1860)
- August 30 – J.J. Thomson, English physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1856)
- October 10 – Berton Churchill, Canadian actor (b. 1876)
- November 9 – Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1869)
- December 5 – Jan Kubelík, Czech violinist (b. 1880)
- December 19 – Kyösti Kallio, President of Finland (b. 1873)
- December 21 – F. Scott Fitzgerald, American writer (b. 1896)
- December 25 – Agnes Ayres, American actress (b. 1898)
Movies and Music of 1940
Popular Movies
- Pinocchio – This classic animated movie was released in 1940.
Hit Songs
- "When You Wish Upon A Star" – This song was from the movie Pinocchio. It won an Academy Award for best song.
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: 1940 para niños
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