January 8
January 8
Mussolini questions Hitler’s plans
A message from Benito Mussolini is forwarded to Adolf Hitler. In the missive, the Duce cautions the Fuhrer against waging war against Britain. Mussolini asked if it was truly necessary…
A Year In History: 1940
This Year in History:
1940
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
February 23
February 23
Woody Guthrie writes “This Land Is Your Land”
Folk singer Woody Guthrie writes one of his best‑known songs, “This Land is Your Land.” It would become one of America’s most famous folk songs. Born in Okemah, Oklahoma, in…
February 25
February 25
NHL game televised in US for first time
On February 25, 1940, the first telecast of a National Hockey League game is transmitted over New York’s W2XBS—the National Broadcasting Company’s experimental station used to test TV technology. A viewing…
February 28
February 28
Racing legend Mario Andretti born
Mario Andretti, whose name will become synonymous with American auto racing, is born in Montona, Italy, on February 28, 1940. In a career that spanned five decades, Andretti was known…
February 29
February 29
Hattie McDaniel becomes first African American actress to win Oscar
On February 29, 1940, Gone with the Wind is honored with eight Oscars by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. An epic Southern romance set during the…
March 10
March 10
Sumner Welles makes a “peace proposal”
On this day, U.S. Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles, after a meeting with Adolf Hitler in Berlin, visits London to discuss a peacemaking proposal with Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to…
March 17
March 17
Todt named Reich Minister for Weapons and Munitions
Dr. Fritz Todt, an engineer and master road builder, is appointed Minister for Weapons and Munitions, ushering in a new era in the efficient use of German industry and forced…
March 30
March 30
Japanese set up puppet regime at Nanking
On this day, Japan establishes its own government in conquered Nanking, the former capital of Nationalist China. In 1937, Japan drummed up a rationale for war against Chiang Kai‑shek’s Nationalist…
March 31
March 31
Germany’s Atlantis launches
On this day, the German auxiliary cruiser Atlantis sets off on a mission to catch and sink Allied merchant ships. By the time the Atlantis set sail from Germany, the…
April 9
April 9
Germany invades Norway and Denmark
On April 9, 1940, German warships enter major Norwegian ports, from Narvik to Oslo, deploying thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. At the same time, German forces occupy Copenhagen,…
April 9
April 9
Nazi Germany invades neutral Norway
During World War II, Nazi Germany invades neutral Norway, surprising the Norwegian and British defenders of the country and capturing several strategic points along the Norwegian coast. During the invasion’s…
April 15
April 15
English author and politician Jeffrey Archer is born
Jeffrey Archer, bestselling novelist and politician, is born in Somerset, England. Archer attended Oxford and later studied in the U.S. In 1969, he was elected to the House of Commons,…
April 16
April 16
Bob Feller throws no‑hitter
On April 16, 1940, the Cleveland Indians’ Bob Feller pitches his first no‑hitter. He went on to throw two more no‑hitters in his career; only two other pitchers in baseball…
April 24
April 24
Mystery novelist Sue Grafton is born
Bestselling mystery novelist Sue Grafton, creator of tough, divorced private eye Kinsey Millhone, was born on this day in 1940. Starting with A Is for Alibi in 1982, Grafton reached Y…
May 3
May 3
FDR addresses thousands of Democratic women
On this day in 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt welcomes approximately 4,000 women attending a women’s division meeting of the Democratic National Committee to Washington D.C. He and his wife…
May 6
May 6
John Steinbeck wins a Pulitzer for “The Grapes of Wrath”
On May 6, 1940, John Steinbeck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath. The book traces the fictional Joad family of Oklahoma as they lose…
May 10
May 10
Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of Britain
Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, is called to replace Neville Chamberlain as British prime minister following the latter’s resignation after losing a confidence vote in the House of…
May 10
May 10
As Germany invades Holland and Belgium, Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of Great Britain
On this day in 1940, Hitler begins his Western offensive with the radio code word “Danzig,” sending his forces into Holland and Belgium. On this same day, having lost the…
May 13
May 13
Churchill announces: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat”
On May 13, 1940, as Winston Churchill takes the helm as Great Britain’s new prime minister, he assures Parliament that his new policy will consist of nothing less than “to…
May 20
May 20
Germans break through to English Channel at Abbeville, France
On May 20, 1940, the German army in northern France reaches the English Channel. In reaching Abbeville, German armored columns, led by General Heinz Guderian (a tank expert), severed all…
