At A Glance

13 January 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
13 January 1940 was a Saturday.
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 13 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 13 January 1940 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 13 January 1940 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 13 January

  • 1935 A plebiscite in Saarland shows that 90.3% of those voting wish to no more being a "region occupied and governed by the United Kingdom and France".
  • 1942 Henry Ford patents a soybean car, which is 30% lighter than a regular car.
  • 1942 World War II: First use of an aircraft ejection seat by a German test pilot in a Heinkel He 280 jet fighter.
  • 1950 Finland forms diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.
  • 1951 First Indochina War: The Battle of Vĩnh Yên begins.

Famous people born on January 13

  • Orlando Bloom, English actor (born 1977)
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, American actress, comedian, and producer (born 1961)
  • Liam Hemsworth, Australian actor (born 1990)
  • Patrick Dempsey, American actor and race car driver (born 1966)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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

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 →