At A Glance

1 April 1942 at a glance

Day of the week
1 April 1942 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1942
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1942 was Bambi.
Bestselling Novel of 1942
“The Song of Bernadette” by Franz Werfel was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1942.
Star sign
The star sign for 1 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 1 April 1942 fell in the Year of the Horse.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 1 April 1942 was Full Moon.

On this day: 1 April

  • 1939 Spanish Civil War: Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Republican forces surrender.
  • 1941 A military coup in Iraq overthrows the regime of 'Abd al-Ilah and installs Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister.
  • 1945 World War II: The Tenth United States Army attacks the Thirty-Second Japanese Army on Okinawa.
  • 1946 The Malayan Union is established. Protests from locals led to the establishment of the Federation of Malaya two years later.
  • 1947 The only mutiny in the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy begins.

Famous people born on April 1

  • Debbie Reynolds, American actress, singer, and dancer (1932–2016)
  • Bijou Phillips, American actress and model (born 1980)
  • Susan Boyle, Scottish singer (born 1961)
  • Otto von Bismarck, German lawyer and politician, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire (1815–1898)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1942 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1942 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 2 – WWII: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order directing the internment of Italian, German, and Japanese Americans and orders the seizure of their properties.
  • March 27 – Capitol Records, the first record label on the United States' West Coast of note, is founded by Jonny Mercer, Buddy DeSylvia, and Glenn E. Wallichis.
  • June 4–7 – WWII: Battle of Midway – The United States Navy defeats an Imperial Japanese Navy attack against Midway Atoll.

Life in the US in 1942

President

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Gas (per gallon)

$0.20

Loaf of Bread

$0.09

Average House

$3,200

Weekly Wage

$31

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 →