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IrelandAt A Glance
18 August 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 18 August 1940 was a Sunday.
- Top Film of 1940
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 18 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 18 August 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 18 August 1940 was Full Moon.
On this day: 18 August
- 1933 The Volksempfänger is first presented to the German public at a radio exhibition; the presiding Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, delivers an accompanying speech heralding the radio as the 'eighth great power'.
- 1938 The Thousand Islands Bridge, connecting New York, United States, with Ontario, Canada, over the Saint Lawrence River, is dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- 1940 World War II: The Hardest Day air battle, part of the Battle of Britain, takes place. At that point, it is the largest aerial engagement in history with heavy losses sustained on both sides.
- 1945 Sukarno takes office as the first president of Indonesia, following the country's declaration of independence the previous day.
- 1945 Soviet-Japanese War: Battle of Shumshu: Soviet forces land at Takeda Beach on Shumshu Island and launch the Battle of Shumshu; the Soviet Union's Invasion of the Kuril Islands commences.
Famous people born on 18 August
- Robert Redford, American actor, director, and producer (1936–2025)
- Patrick Swayze, American actor and dancer (1952–2009)
- Edward Norton, American actor (born 1969)
- Kaitlin Olson, American actress and comedian (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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