At A Glance

1 February 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
1 February 1940 was a Thursday.
Top Film of 1940
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1940 was Pinocchio.
Bestselling Novel of 1940
“How Green Was My Valley” by Richard Llewellyn was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1940.
Star sign
The star sign for 1 February is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 1 February 1940 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 1 February 1940 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 1 February

  • 1942 World War II: Josef Terboven, Reichskommissar of German-occupied Norway, appoints Vidkun Quisling the Minister President of the National Government.
  • 1942 World War II: U.S. Navy conducts Marshalls–Gilberts raids, the first offensive action by the United States against Japanese forces in the Pacific Theater.
  • 1942 Voice of America, the official external radio and television service of the United States government, begins broadcasting with programs aimed at areas controlled by the Axis powers.
  • 1942 Mao Zedong makes a speech on "Reform in Learning, the Party and Literature", which puts into motion the Yan'an Rectification Movement.
  • 1946 Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.

Famous people born on February 1

  • Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter and actress (1968–2023)
  • Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter and actor (born 1994)
  • Julia Garner, American actress (born 1994)
  • Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (1965–1993)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1940 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1940 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 7 – RKO release Walt Disney's second full-length animated film, Pinocchio.
  • February 10 – Tom and Jerry make their debut in Puss Gets the Boot.
  • May 15 – The very first McDonald's restaurant opens in San Bernardino, California.

Life in the US in 1940

President

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Gas (per gallon)

$0.18

Loaf of Bread

$0.08

Average House

$2,938

Weekly Wage

$25

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.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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