At A Glance

31 August 1943 at a glance

Day of the week
31 August 1943 was a Tuesday.
Top Film of 1943
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1943 was For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 August is Virgo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 August 1943 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 August 1943 was New Moon.

On this day: 31 August

  • 1936 Radio Prague, now the official international broadcasting station of the Czech Republic, goes on the air.
  • 1939 Nazi Germany mounts a false flag attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day, thus starting World War II in Europe.
  • 1941 World War II: Serbian paramilitary forces defeat Germans in the Battle of Loznica.
  • 1943 USS Harmon, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after a black person, is commissioned.
  • 1949 The retreat of the Democratic Army of Greece into Albania after its defeat on Gramos mountain marks the end of the Greek Civil War.

Famous people born on 31 August

  • Richard Gere, American actor and producer (born 1949)
  • Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (born 1985)
  • Jalen Brunson, American basketball player (born 1996)
  • Caligula, Roman emperor (born 12)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1943 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1943 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 13 February – Nuffield Foundation established by William Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield.
  • 5 March – the Gloster Meteor, the first operational military jet aircraft for the Allies, has its first test flight, at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
  • 13 April – release of the Ministry of Information film Desert Victory, which will win this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Life in 1943

Prime Minister

Winston Churchill

Monarch

George VI

Pint of Beer

4p

Loaf of Bread

2p

Average House

£625

Weekly Wage

£4.40

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 →