At A Glance

14 January 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
14 January 1940 was a Sunday.
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 14 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 14 January 1940 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 14 January 1940 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 14 January

  • 1939 Norway claims Queen Maud Land in Antarctica.
  • 1943 World War II: Japan begins Operation Ke, the successful operation to evacuate its forces from Guadalcanal during the Guadalcanal campaign.
  • 1943 World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill begin the Casablanca Conference to discuss strategy and study the next phase of the war.
  • 1952 NBC's long-running morning news program Today debuts, with host Dave Garroway.
  • 1953 Josip Broz Tito is elected the first President of Yugoslavia.

Famous people born on January 14

  • Holland Taylor, American actress and playwright (born 1943)
  • Dave Grohl, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and drummer (born 1969)
  • Jason Bateman, American actor, director, and producer (born 1969)
  • LL Cool J, American rapper and actor (born 1968)

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 →