At A Glance

5 August 1942 at a glance

Day of the week
5 August 1942 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1942
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1942 was Bambi.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 August 1942 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 August 1942 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 5 August

  • 1926 Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping.
  • 1931 Judge and Nazi Party member Werner Best drafts the Boxheim Documents, which described a violent takeover of the government by the NSDAP.
  • 1940 World War II: The Soviet Union formally annexes Latvia.
  • 1944 World War II: Polish insurgents liberate a German labor camp (Gęsiówka) in Warsaw, freeing 348 Jewish prisoners.
  • 1957 American Bandstand, a show dedicated to the teenage "baby-boomers" by playing the songs and showing popular dances of the time, debuts on the ABC television network.

Famous people born on 5 August

  • James Gunn, American filmmaker (born 1966)
  • Wendell Berry, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist (1934–2026)
  • Angry Anderson, Australian singer and actor (1947–2026)
  • Neil Armstrong, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut, first man to walk on the Moon (1930–2012)

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.
More events of 1942 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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.

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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