At A Glance

17 January 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
17 January 1940 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 January 1940 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 January 1940 was First Quarter.

On this day: 17 January

  • 1941 Franco-Thai War: Vichy French forces inflict a decisive defeat over the Royal Thai Navy.
  • 1943 World War II: Greek submarine Papanikolis captures the 200-ton sailing vessel Agios Stefanos and mans her with part of her crew.
  • 1945 World War II: The Vistula–Oder Offensive forces German troops out of Warsaw.
  • 1945 The SS-Totenkopfverbände begin the evacuation of the Auschwitz concentration camp as the Red Army closes in.
  • 1945 Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg is taken into Soviet custody while in Hungary; he is never publicly seen again.

Famous people born on 17 January

  • Jim Carrey, Canadian-American actor, comedian, and producer (born 1962)
  • Enzo Fernández, Argentinian footballer (born 2001)
  • Muhammad Ali, American boxer and activist (1942–2016)
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Jr., American environmental lawyer, writer, and conspiracy theorist (born 1954)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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

Neville Chamberlain

Monarch

George VI

Pint of Beer

3p

Loaf of Bread

2p

Average House

£675

Weekly Wage

£3.50

Or

Browse by Year

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)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →