At A Glance

14 May 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
14 May 1940 was a Tuesday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Star sign
The star sign for 14 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 14 May 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 14 May 1940 was First Quarter.

On this day: 14 May

  • 1935 The Constitution of the Philippines is ratified by a popular vote.
  • 1939 Lina Medina becomes the youngest confirmed mother in medical history at the age of five.
  • 1943 World War II: A Japanese submarine sinks AHS Centaur off the coast of Queensland.
  • 1948 Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
  • 1951 Trains run on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales for the first time since preservation, making it the first railway in the world to be operated by volunteers.

Famous people born on 14 May

  • Mark Zuckerberg, American computer programmer and businessman, co-founder of Facebook (born 1984)
  • George Lucas, American director, producer, and screenwriter, founded Lucasfilm (born 1944)
  • Cate Blanchett, Australian actress (born 1969)
  • Rob Gronkowski, American football player (born 1989)

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

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.

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

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