At A Glance

4 May 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
4 May 1940 was a Saturday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Star sign
The star sign for 4 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 4 May 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 4 May 1940 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 4 May

  • 1932 Having been incarcerated at the Cook County Jail since his sentencing on October 24, 1931, mobster Al Capone is transferred to the federal penitentiary in Atlanta after the U.S. Supreme Court denies his appeal for conviction of tax evasion.
  • 1942 World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before.
  • 1945 World War II: Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg is liberated by the British Army.
  • 1945 World War II: The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath is signed, coming into effect the following day. It encompasses all Wehrmacht units in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany.
  • 1953 Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.

Famous people born on 4 May

  • Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-British actress and humanitarian (1929–1993)
  • Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family (born 1930)
  • Will Arnett, Canadian actor and producer (born 1970)
  • Cesc Fàbregas, Spanish footballer and manager (born 1987)

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

Neville Chamberlain

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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