UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
5 August 1940 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 5 August 1940 was a Monday.
- 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 5 August is Leo.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 5 August 1940 fell in the Year of the Dragon.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for August is Peridot.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 5 August 1940 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 5 August
- 1925 Plaid Cymru is formed with the aim of disseminating knowledge of the Welsh language that is at the time in danger of dying out.
- 1926 Harry Houdini performs his greatest feat, spending 91 minutes underwater in a sealed tank before escaping.
- 1931 Judge and Nazi Party member Werner Best drafts the Boxheim Documents, which described a violent takeover of the government by the NSDAP.
- 1940 World War II: The Soviet Union formally annexes Latvia.
- 1944 World War II: Polish insurgents liberate a German labor camp (Gęsiówka) in Warsaw, freeing 348 Jewish prisoners.
Famous people born on August 5
- James Gunn, American filmmaker (born 1966)
- Wendell Berry, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist (1934–2026)
- Angry Anderson, Australian singer and actor (1947–2026)
- Neil Armstrong, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut, first man to walk on the Moon (1930–2012)
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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