UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
17 December 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 December 1940 was a Tuesday.
- Top Film of 1940
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 17 December is Sagittarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 December 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 December 1940 was Waning Gibbous.
On this day: 17 December
- 1935 Douglas DC-3: The twin-engine airliner makes its maiden flight from Santa Monica.
- 1938 Otto Hahn discovers the nuclear fission of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of nuclear energy.
- 1939 World War II: Battle of the River Plate: The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.
- 1943 All Chinese are again permitted to become citizens of the United States upon the repeal of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the Magnuson Act.
- 1945 Kurdistan flag day, the flag of Kurdistan is raised for the first time in Mahabad in eastern Kurdistan.
Famous people born on 17 December
- Sarah Paulson, American actress (born 1974)
- Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (born 1975)
- Bill Pullman, American actor (born 1953)
- Pope Francis, Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church (1936–2025)
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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