UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
17 May 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 May 1940 was a Friday.
- Top Film of 1940
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 17 May is Taurus.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 May 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for May is Emerald.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 May 1940 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 17 May
- 1933 Vidkun Quisling and Johan Bernhard Hjort form Nasjonal Samling — the national-socialist party of Norway.
- 1937 Spanish Civil War: The Largo Caballero government resigns in the wake of the Barcelona May Days, leading Juan Negrín to form a government, without the anarcho-syndicalist CNT, in its stead.
- 1939 The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States' first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City.
- 1940 World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium.
- 1943 World War II: Dambuster Raids commence by No. 617 Squadron RAF.
Famous people born on 17 May
- Josh Homme, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1973)
- Bill Paxton, American actor and director (1955–2017)
- Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (1936–2010)
- Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host (1956–2022)
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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