Explore 6096 historical events from 1940–1949.
Lemuel Jackson Barney is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback and return specialist for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from…
Lem Barney, American football player
Kelly Groucutt was an English musician best known as the bassist and secondary vocalist for the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) between 1974 and 1982.
Kelly Groucutt, English bass player (died 2009)
Ronald Charles McKernan, known as Pigpen, was an American musician. He was a founding member of the San Francisco band the Grateful Dead and played in the group from 1965 to 1972.
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (died 1973)
Vinko Puljić is a Bosnian Croat prelate of the Catholic Church who has been a cardinal since 1994. He was the archbishop of Vrhbosna from 1991 to 2022.
Vinko Puljić, Croatian cardinal
Rogatien Rosaire Vachon is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 16 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Boston Br…
Rogie Vachon, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Antonius Maria van Heugten was a Dutch sidecarcross rider and the 1981 World Champion in the sport, together with his passenger Frits Kiggen.
Ton van Heugten, Dutch motocross racer (died 2008)
Dione LaRue, known professionally as Dee Dee Sharp, is an American R&B singer. She was one of the first Black female teenage pop stars to achieve mainstream national success in the…
Dee Dee Sharp, American singer
Douglas Lloyd Ingle was an American musician, best known as the founder, organist, primary composer and lead vocalist for the band Iron Butterfly. He wrote the band's hit song "In-…
Doug Ingle, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player (died 2024)
José Montserrate Feliciano García is a Puerto Rican musician. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christm…
José Feliciano, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and guitarist
Gerard Henderson is an Australian author, columnist and political commentator noted for his right-wing Catholic and conservative views. He founded and is the executive director of …
Gerard Henderson, Australian journalist and author
Richard Michael Mullane is an engineer and weapon systems officer, a retired USAF officer, and a former NASA astronaut. During his career, he flew as a mission specialist on STS-41…
Mike Mullane, American colonel and astronaut
Franz Anton Beckenbauer was a German professional football player, manager, and official. Nicknamed der Kaiser, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential pl…
Franz Beckenbauer, German footballer and manager (died 2024)
Gianluigi Gelmetti OMRI, was an Italian-Monégasque conductor and composer.
Gianluigi Gelmetti, Italian composer and conductor (died 2021)
Leo Kottke is an American acoustic guitarist. He is known for a fingerpicking style that draws on blues, jazz, and folk music, and for syncopated, polyphonic melodies. He has overc…
Leo Kottke, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
Russell James Liberman was an American funny car drag racer, nicknamed "Jungle Jim." In 2001, he was named #17 on the list of the Top 50 NHRA drivers of all time. Liberman was know…
Russell "Jungle Jim" Liberman, American drag racer (died 1977)
Maurilio Manara, known professionally as Milo Manara, is an Italian comic book writer and artist.
Milo Manara, Italian author and illustrator
John Francis Mauceri is an American conductor, composer, author, and educator whose work has focused on orchestral music, opera, Broadway, and film-related repertoire. A graduate o…
John Mauceri, American conductor and producer
Noël Godin, nicknamed L’Entarteur and Georges le Gloupier was a Belgian anarchist comedian, writer, critic, actor and notorious pie thrower or entarteur.
Noël Godin, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter
Andres Küng was a Swedish journalist, writer, entrepreneur and politician of Estonian origin. He was born in Ockelbo in Gävleborg County to a family of refugees from Soviet occupie…
Andres Küng, Swedish journalist and politician (died 2002)
Martin Tyler is an English football commentator and coach. He worked as a commentator for Sky Sports from 1990 to 2023, covering the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, as we…
Martin Tyler, English sportscaster
María del Carmen García Maura is a Spanish actress. In a career that has spanned seven decades, she has starred in films such as Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, ¡Ay Carm…
Carmen Maura, Spanish actress
Jessye Mae Norman was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but did not limit herself to that voice type. A commanding presence o…
Jessye Norman, American soprano (died 2019)
Hans-Gert Pöttering is a German lawyer, historian and conservative politician, who served as President of the European Parliament from January 2007 to July 2009 and as Chairman of …
Hans-Gert Pöttering, German lawyer and politician, 23rd President of the European Parliament
Ronald Wayne Shelton is an American film director and screenwriter and former minor league baseball infielder. Shelton is known for the many films he has made about sports. His 198…
Ron Shelton, American director, producer, and screenwriter