UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
12 August 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 12 August 1940 was a Monday.
- Top Film of 1940
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 12 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 12 August 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 12 August 1940 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 12 August
- 1914 World War I: France, the United Kingdom and the British Empire declare war on Austria-Hungary.
- 1914 World War I: The Battle of Halen a.k.a. Battle of the Silver Helmets, a clash between large Belgian and German cavalry formations at Halen, Belgium.
- 1944 World War II: Alençon is liberated by General Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque, becoming the first city in France to be liberated from the Nazis by French forces.
- 1960 Echo 1A, NASA's first successful communications satellite, is launched.
- 1964 South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games due to the country's racist policies.
Famous people born on 12 August
- Porter Wagoner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (1927–2007)
- Peter Krause, American actor (born 1965)
- George IV (1762–1830)
- Casey Affleck, American actor (born 1975)
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.
Life in 1940
Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
Monarch
George VI
Pint of Beer
3p
Loaf of Bread
2p
Average House
£675
Weekly Wage
£3.50
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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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