Today in History for January 1940

Months in 1940: February March April May June July August September October November December

Historical Events

Events 1 - 25 of 25

3rd - WPG-AM in Atlantic City NJ consolidates with WBIL & WOV as "new" WOV
5th - FCC hears 1st transmission of FM radio with clear, static-free signal
5th - Finnish offensive at Suomossalmi against Russia
5th - FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time.
6th - Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the city of Poznań, Warthegau.
8th - Britain's 1st WW II rationing (bacon, butter & sugar)
8th - World War II: Britain introduces food rationing.
9th - 2 German officers make emergency landing in Belgium
9th - J Thurber & E Nugent's "Male Animal," premieres in NYC
11th - Sergei Prokofiev's ballet Romeo & Juliet premieres in Leningrad
12th - World War II: Soviets bombs cities in Finland.
14th - Commissioner Kenesaw Landis gives free agency to 91 Detroit Tigers
14th - NFL Pro Bowl: Green Bay beats NFL All-Stars 16-7
15th - German U-Boot torpedoes Dutch trade ship Arendskerk (Eagle's Church)
21st - Foreign correspondents in Netherlands under censorship
22nd - 1st radio broadcast of "Road to Happiness" on CBS
23rd - Pianist Ignaz Paderewski becomes premier of Polish government in exile
25th - Nazi decrees establishment of Jewish ghetto in Lodz Poland
26th - Nazi's forbid Polish Jews to travel on trains
27th - -17°F (-27°C), CCC Camp F-16, Georgia (state record)
30th - Benjamin Britten's "Lesson Illuminations" premieres in London
30th - Cor Jongert wins 6th Dutch 11 Cities Skating Race
30th - Hassett's second 122 of the game for Vic can't stop a NSW win
31st - 40 U boats sunk this month (111,000 ton)
31st - C Turney & J Horwin's "My Dear Children," premieres in NYC

Famous Birthdays

Birthdays 1 - 58 of 58

1st - Frank Langella, Bayonne NJ, actor (Dracula, Diary of a Mad Housewife)
1st - Jack Kiefer, Columbia PA, PGA golfer (1994 Ralphs Senior Classic)
1st - Laszlo Sary, composer
1st - Richard Henry Orton, composer
2nd - S. R. S. Varadhan, Indian-American mathematician
3rd - Thelma Schoonmaker, actress/editor (Casino, Cape Fear, Good Fellas)
4th - Anthony Skooter Teague, Texas, actor (How to Succeed in Business)
4th - Brian Josephson, British physicist (Nobel 1973)
4th - Helmut Jahn, German architect
4th - Gao Xingjian, Chinese-born French novelist and dramatist, Nobel laureate
5th - Dany Saval, Oakland California, actress (Boeing Boeing, Moon Pilot)
5th - Michael O'Donoghue, American writer (d. 1994)
5th - Yuri Ershov, Russian mathematician
5th - Athol Guy, Australian singer, member of The Seekers
5th - General Sir Michael Rose, UK military officer, prominent in Bosnia
6th - Ed Zschau, (Rep-R-CA, 1983- )
6th - Van McCoy, American musician (d. 1979)
6th - Penny Lernoux, American journalist (d. 1989)
7th - William Elgin Swinton, child psychiatrist
8th - Anthony Gaurdine, (Little Anthony & Imperials-Goin Out of My Head)
8th - Cristy Lane, US, country/gospel singer
8th - Little Anthony [Gourdine], rocker (& Imperials)
9th - Barbara Buczek, composer
9th - Jimmy Boyd, McComb Mo, singer/actor (Howard-Bachelor Father)
9th - Al Downing, American singer (d. 2005)
9th - Ruth Dreifuss, Swiss politician
10th - Harry Gant, NASCAR driver
10th - Ntare VI of Ankole, Omugabe of Nkole
10th - Guy Chevrette, Quebec politician
11th - Mark DeVoto, composer
12th - Dick Motz, cricketer (1st NZer to take 100 Test wickets)
13th - Edmund White, American author
14th - Julian Bond, Nashville Tenn, (D-Ga) civil rights leader
17th - H Kipchoge "Kip" Keino, Kenya, 1500m runner (Olympic-gold-1968, 72)
17th - Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali, South African poet (Fireflames)
18th - Pedro Rodriguez, Mexican racing driver (d. 1971)
19th - Barend J du Plessis, South African minister of Finance (1984- )
19th - Mary Mills, LPGA golfer
19th - Paolo Borsellino, Italian magistrate (d. 1992)
19th - Mike Reid, English comedian (d. 2007)
20th - Carol Heiss Jenkins, NYC, figure skater (Oly-gold/silver-56, 60)
20th - Jorge Peixinho, composer
20th - Krishnam Raju, Indian actor and politician
Golfer Jack Nicklaus (21st) 21st - Jack Nicklaus, Columbus Ohio, golfer (Player of Yr 1967,72,73,75,76)
21st - Marquis of Tavistock, English large landowner/multi-millionaire
22nd - Addie "Micki" Harris, Passaic NJ, singer (Shirelles-Soldier Boy)
22nd - John Hurt, England, actor (Elephant Man, Alien, Midnight Express)
22nd - Tilo Medek, German composer
22nd - George Seifert, American football coach
23rd - Johnny Russell, country singer
24th - Flip Buurmeijer, Dutch MP (PvdA)
27th - Brian T O'Leary, Boston Mass, astronaut
28th - Carlos Slim Helú, Mexican businessman
29th - Katharine Ross, American actress
29th - Kunimitsu Takahashi, Japanese motorcycle racer and racing driver
30th - David Johnson, composer
31st - Jessica Walter, Bkln NY, actress (Play Misty For Me, Amy Prentiss)
31st - Stuart Margolin, Davenport Iowa, actor (Love American Style)

Famous Weddings

Weddings 1 - 1 of 1

26th - Actor Ronald Raegan (28) weds Academy Award-winning actress Jane Wyman (23) at the Wee Kirk o' the Heather church in Glendale, California

Famous Deaths

Deaths 1 - 10 of 10

1st - Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao, Indian writer and essayist (b. 1865)
4th - Conrad Weiss, German writer/poet (Heart of Words), dies at 59
5th - Tina Modotti, [Maria del Carmen], Ital/Mexican communist, dies at 46
5th - Humbert Wolfe, Italian-British poet (b. 1885)
12th - Erich R Jaensch, German psychologist (eidetiek), dies at 56
18th - Kazimierz P Tetmajer, Polish writer/poet (Young Poland), dies at 74
20th - Omar Bundy, U.S. army general (b. 1861)
24th - Emile van Bosch, revue/operetta-artist, dies at 52
25th - Elias Simojoki, Finnish clergyman and politician (b. 1899)
31st - René "Sascha" Schickele, German writer (Erbe am Rhein), dies at 56