At A Glance

21 February 1940 at a glance

Day of the week
21 February 1940 was a Wednesday.
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 21 February is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 21 February 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 21 February 1940 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 21 February

  • 1937 The League of Nations bans foreign national "volunteers" in the Spanish Civil War.
  • 1945 World War II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Japanese kamikaze planes sink the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea and damage the USS Saratoga.
  • 1945 World War II: the Brazilian Expeditionary Force defeat the German forces in the Battle of Monte Castello on the Italian front.
  • 1947 In New York City, Edwin Land demonstrates the first "instant camera", the Polaroid Land Camera, to a meeting of the Optical Society of America.
  • 1948 NASCAR is incorporated.

Famous people born on February 21

  • Harald V, King of Norway (1937–2026)
  • Elliot Page, Canadian actor (born 1987)
  • Sophie Turner, English actress (born 1996)
  • Alan Rickman, English actor and director (1946–2016)

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.
More events of 1940 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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.

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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