UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
31 December 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 31 December 1940 was a Tuesday.
- Top Film of 1940
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 31 December 1940 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 31 December
- 1942 USS Essex, first aircraft carrier of a 24-ship class, is commissioned.
- 1942 World War II: The Royal Navy defeats the Kriegsmarine at the Battle of the Barents Sea. This leads to the resignation of Grand Admiral Erich Raeder a month later.
- 1944 World War II: Operation Nordwind, the last major Wehrmacht offensive on the Western Front, begins.
- 1946 President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II.
- 1951 Cold War: The Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Western Europe.
Famous people born on 31 December
- Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
- Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
- Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
- Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)
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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