At A Glance

12 April 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
12 April 1940 was a Friday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Star sign
The star sign for 12 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 12 April 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 12 April 1940 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 12 April

  • 1928 The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, takes off for the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
  • 1934 The strongest surface wind gust in the world at the time of 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It has since been surpassed.
  • 1934 The U.S. Auto-Lite strike begins, culminating in a five-day melee between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.
  • 1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.
  • 1945 World War II: The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reaches Tangermünde—only 80 kilometres from Berlin.

Famous people born on 12 April

  • Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress (born 1994)
  • Claire Danes, American actress (born 1979)
  • Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer (1971–2024)
  • Ed O'Neill, American actor and comedian (born 1946)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1940 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1940 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 3–9 March – RMS Queen Elizabeth makes her maiden voyage from Clydebank to New York.
  • 9 April – British campaign in Norway commences following Operation Weserübung, the German invasion of neutral Denmark and Norway.
  • 26 May – 4 June – The Dunkirk evacuation of British Expeditionary Force takes place. 300,000 troops are evacuated from France to England.
More events of 1940 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1940

Prime Minister

Neville Chamberlain

Monarch

George VI

Pint of Beer

3p

Loaf of Bread

2p

Average House

£675

Weekly Wage

£3.50

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.

Tim Curry19 April 1946ActorView their day →Charles III14 November 1948King of the United KingdomView their day →Freddie Mercury5 September 1946Singer & songwriterView their day →Paul McCartney18 June 1942Musician & member of the BeatlesView their day →David Bowie8 January 1947Musician & actorView their day →John Lennon9 October 1940MusicianView their day →Jeffrey Archer15 April 1940Author & politicianView their day →George Harrison25 February 1943Musician & member of the BeatlesView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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