UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
17 August 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 August 1940 was a Saturday.
- Top Film of 1940
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 17 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 August 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 August 1940 was Full Moon.
On this day: 17 August
- 1942 World War II: U.S. Marines raid the Japanese-held Pacific island of Makin.
- 1943 World War II: The U.S. Seventh Army under General George S. Patton arrives in Messina, Italy, followed several hours later by the British 8th Army under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, thus completing the Allied conquest of Sicily.
- 1943 World War II: First Québec Conference of Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and William Lyon Mackenzie King begins.
- 1945 Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaim the independence of Indonesia, igniting the Indonesian National Revolution against the Dutch Empire.
- 1945 The novella Animal Farm by George Orwell is first published.
Famous people born on 17 August
- Robert De Niro, American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer (born 1943)
- Phoebe Bridgers, American singer/songwriter (born 1994)
- Sean Penn, American actor, director, and political activist (born 1960)
- Larry Ellison, American businessman, co-founded the Oracle Corporation (born 1944)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Events of 1940 in Australia
A selection from Wikipedia's '1940 in Australia'. Not a complete list.
- 28 February – The Australian 7th Division is formed.
- 16 March – A state election is held in Victoria. The Country Party led by Albert Dunstan is returned to government.
- 14 June – The Volunteer Defence Corps is formed, a militia force based on the British Home Guard.
Life in Australia in 1940
Prime Minister
Robert Menzies
Monarch
King George VI
Petrol (per litre)
$0.01
Loaf of Bread
$0.05
Average House
$1,200
Weekly Wage
$3.00
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Famous Faces Born in the 1940s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Olivia Newton-John26 September 1948SingerView their day →Angry Anderson5 August 1947Rock singerView their day →Rick Springfield23 August 1949Musician & singer-songwriterView their day →Bon Scott9 July 1946SingerView their day →Miriam Margolyes18 May 1941ActressView their day →John Farnham1 July 1949SingerView their day →Cassandra Harris15 December 1948ActressView their day →Helen Reddy25 October 1941Singer & actressView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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