UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
17 February 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 February 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 February is Aquarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 February 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 February 1940 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 17 February
- 1919 The Ukrainian People's Republic asks the Entente and the United States for help fighting the Bolsheviks.
- 1944 World War II: The Battle of Eniwetok begins. The battle ends in an American victory on February 22.
- 1944 World War II: Operation Hailstone begins: U.S. naval air, surface and submarine attack against Truk Lagoon, Japan's main base in the central Pacific, in support of the Eniwetok invasion.
- 1949 Chaim Weizmann begins his term as the first President of Israel.
- 1959 Project Vanguard: Vanguard 2: The first weather satellite is launched to measure cloud-cover distribution.
Famous people born on 17 February
- Case Keenum, American football player (born 1988)
- Ed Sheeran, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1991)
- Michael Jordan, American basketball player, executive, and businessman (born 1963)
- Jensen Huang, Taiwanese-American businessman, co-founded Nvidia (born 1963)
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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