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US, 
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IrelandAt A Glance
17 December 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 17 December 1940 was a Tuesday.
- 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 17 December is Sagittarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 17 December 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 17 December 1940 was Waning Gibbous.
On this day: 17 December
- 1935 Douglas DC-3: The twin-engine airliner makes its maiden flight from Santa Monica.
- 1938 Otto Hahn discovers the nuclear fission of the heavy element uranium, the scientific and technological basis of nuclear energy.
- 1939 World War II: Battle of the River Plate: The Admiral Graf Spee is scuttled by Captain Hans Langsdorff outside Montevideo.
- 1943 All Chinese are again permitted to become citizens of the United States upon the repeal of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the Magnuson Act.
- 1945 Kurdistan flag day, the flag of Kurdistan is raised for the first time in Mahabad in eastern Kurdistan.
Famous people born on December 17
- Sarah Paulson, American actress (born 1974)
- Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (born 1975)
- Bill Pullman, American actor (born 1953)
- Pope Francis, Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church (1936–2025)
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
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Famous Faces Born in the 1940s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Dolly Parton19 January 1946Singer-songwriterView their day →Donald Trump14 June 1946President of the United StatesView their day →Sylvester Stallone6 July 1946Actor & filmmakerView their day →Robert De Niro17 August 1943ActorView their day →Mitch McConnell20 February 1942Politician & lawyerView their day →George W. Bush6 July 1946President of the United StatesView their day →Michael Douglas25 September 1944Actor & producerView their day →Arnold Schwarzenegger30 July 1947Actor & bodybuilderView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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