At A Glance

5 January 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
5 January 1940 was a Friday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 January 1940 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 January 1940 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 5 January

  • 1933 Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge begins in San Francisco Bay.
  • 1944 The Daily Mail becomes the first major London newspaper to be published on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
  • 1945 The Soviet Union recognizes the new pro-Soviet Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland.
  • 1949 In his State of the Union address, United States President Harry S. Truman unveils his Fair Deal program.
  • 1953 The play Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett receives its première in Paris.

Famous people born on 5 January

  • Suki Waterhouse, English actress, singer-songwriter, and model (born 1992)
  • Vinnie Jones, British footballer and actor (born 1965)
  • Diane Keaton, American actress, director, and businesswoman (1946–2025)
  • Bradley Cooper, American actor and producer (born 1975)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

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.
More events of 1940 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Or

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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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