At A Glance

26 October 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
26 October 1940 was a Saturday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Star sign
The star sign for 26 October is Scorpio.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 October 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 October 1940 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 26 October

  • 1936 The first electric generator at Hoover Dam goes into full operation.
  • 1937 Nazi Germany begins expulsions of 18,000 Polish Jews.
  • 1942 World War II: In the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands during the Guadalcanal Campaign, one U.S. aircraft carrier is sunk and another carrier is heavily damaged, while two Japanese carriers and one cruiser are heavily damaged.
  • 1944 World War II: The Battle of Leyte Gulf ends with an overwhelming American victory.
  • 1947 Partition of India: The Maharaja of Kashmir and Jammu signs the Instrument of Accession with India, beginning the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948 and the Kashmir conflict.

Famous people born on 26 October

  • Seth MacFarlane, American voice actor, singer, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1973)
  • Hillary Clinton, American lawyer and politician, 67th United States Secretary of State and 44th First Lady of the United States (born 1947)
  • Jaclyn Smith, American actress and producer (born 1945)
  • Raveena Tandon, Indian actress, producer, and former model (born 1972)

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

Winston Churchill

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 →