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IrelandAt A Glance
8 May 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 8 May 1940 was a Wednesday.
- Top Film of 1940
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 8 May is Taurus.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 8 May 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for May is Emerald.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 8 May 1940 was New Moon.
On this day: 8 May
- 1942 World War II: The German 11th Army begins Operation Trappenjagd (Bustard Hunt) and destroys the bridgehead of the three Soviet armies defending the Kerch Peninsula.
- 1942 World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea comes to an end with Imperial Japanese Navy aircraft carrier aircraft attacking and sinking the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Lexington.
- 1945 World War II: The German Instrument of Surrender signed at Berlin-Karlshorst comes into effect. This is commemorated as Victory in Europe Day.
- 1945 End of the Prague uprising, celebrated now as a national holiday in the Czech Republic.
- 1946 Estonian schoolgirls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial which preceded the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn.
Famous people born on 8 May
- David Attenborough, English environmentalist and television host (born 1926)
- Harry S. Truman, American colonel and politician, 33rd President of the United States (1884–1972)
- Fulton J. Sheen, American archbishop (1895–1979)
- Enrique Iglesias, Spanish-American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (born 1975)
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
Neville Chamberlain
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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