At A Glance

2 October 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
2 October 1940 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Star sign
The star sign for 2 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 October 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 October 1940 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 2 October

  • 1919 Seven days after suffering a "physical collapse" following a speech in Pueblo, Colorado, U.S. president Woodrow Wilson has a catastrophic stroke at the White House, leaving him physically and mentally incapacitated for the remainder of his presidency.
  • 1920 Ukrainian War of Independence: Mikhail Frunze orders the Red Army to immediately cease hostilities with the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine.
  • 1928 The "Prelature of the Holy Cross and the Work of God", commonly known as Opus Dei, is founded.
  • 1944 World War II: German troops end the Warsaw Uprising.
  • 1958 Guinea declares its independence from France.

Famous people born on 2 October

  • Mahatma Gandhi, Indian freedom fighter, activist and philosopher (1869–1948)
  • Sting, English singer-songwriter and actor (born 1951)
  • Freddie Jackson, American soul singer (1956–2026)
  • Richard III of England (1452–1485)

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.
More events of 1940 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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.

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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