At A Glance

26 May 1942 at a glance

Day of the week
26 May 1942 was a Tuesday.
Top Film of 1942
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1942 was Bambi.
Star sign
The star sign for 26 May is Gemini.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 May 1942 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 May 1942 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 26 May

  • 1937 Walter Reuther and members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) clash with Ford Motor Company security guards at the River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan, during the Battle of the Overpass.
  • 1938 In the United States, the House Un-American Activities Committee begins its first session.
  • 1940 World War II: Operation Dynamo: In northern France, Allied forces begin a massive evacuation from Dunkirk, France. The Battle of Dunkirk begins simultaneously as Allied defenders fight to slow down the German offensive.
  • 1940 World War II: The Siege of Calais ends with the surrender of the British and French garrison.
  • 1942 World War II: The Battle of Gazala begins, in present-day Libya.

Famous people born on 26 May

  • Stevie Nicks, American singer-songwriter (born 1948)
  • Helena Bonham Carter, English actress (born 1966)
  • John Wayne, American actor, director, and producer (1907–1979)
  • Lenny Kravitz, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor (born 1964)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1942 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1942 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 29 January – radio programme Desert Island Discs first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme, presented by Roy Plomley; Austrian-born revue performer Vic Oliver (the Prime Minister's son-in-law) is the first castaway. The programme will still be running 80 years later.
  • 15 February – World War II: General Arthur Percival's forces surrender to the Japanese in the event known as the Fall of Singapore.
  • 10 July – the patriotic Academy Award-winning drama film Mrs. Miniver, starring Greer Garson, is released in London.

Life in 1942

Prime Minister

Winston Churchill

Monarch

George VI

Pint of Beer

3p

Loaf of Bread

2p

Average House

£650

Weekly Wage

£4.10

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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