Explore 3061 historical events from 1940–1949.
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany in the Nazi era, from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Par…
World War II: Six days before Adolf Hitler issues his Directive 16 to the combined Wehrmacht armed forces for…
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. World War II …
World War II: Vichy France regime is formally established. Philippe Pétain becomes Chief of the French State.
World War II, or the Second World War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated. World War II …
World War II: Battle of Cape Spada: The Royal Navy and the Regia Marina clash; the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo…
The 1940 field marshal ceremony was a promotion ceremony held at the Kroll Opera House in Berlin in which Adolf Hitler promoted twelve generals to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall …
Field Marshal Ceremony: First occasion in World War II that Adolf Hitler appoints field marshals due to military…
The League of Nations was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Pea…
Denmark leaves the League of Nations.
Eric Hilliard "Ricky" or “Rick” Nelson was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series The Adventures of Ozzi…
Ricky Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (died 1985)
Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille is an American singer-songwriter and keyboardist. A contralto, she is best known as one-half of the 1970s duo Captain & Tennille with her former …
Toni Tennille, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
William Bryan Jordan Jr. was an American art historian who facilitated acquisitions, curated exhibitions, and authored publications on Spanish artists and still life paintings, par…
William B
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter, and the founder of Gracie Films. He co-created the sitcoms The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, and The Simpso…
James L
California is a U.S. state in the Western United States that lies on the Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, and Nevada and Arizona to the east; it also shares an intern…
California opens its first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway.
Henri Guisan was a Swiss military officer who held the office of General of the Swiss Armed Forces during the Second World War. He was the fourth and the most recent person to be a…
General Henri Guisan orders the Swiss Army to resist German invasion and makes surrender illegal.
A Wild Hare is a 1940 American animated comedy short film directed by Tex Avery, produced by Leon Schlesinger, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures as part of the Merrie Melodi…
The animated short A Wild Hare is released, introducing the character of Bugs Bunny.
Joseph Leonard Goldstein ForMemRS is an American biochemist. He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1985, along with fellow University of Texas Southwestern resea…
Joseph L
Jacques Joseph Caron is a Canadian former ice hockey player and coach. He played 72 games in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Vancouver C…
Jacques Caron, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
Michael Joseph Copps is a former commissioner of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent agency of the United States government. He was sworn in on May 31,…
Michael Copps, American academic and politician
Arthur Alexander was an American country-soul songwriter and singer. Jason Ankeny, music critic for AllMusic, said Alexander was a "country-soul pioneer" and that, though largely u…
Arthur Alexander, American country-soul singer-songwriter (died 1993)
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter, composer, and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. He has been credited as one of the creators…
Norman Whitfield, American songwriter and producer (died 2008)
Charles Bruce Chatwin was an English travel writer, novelist and journalist. His first book, In Patagonia (1977), established Chatwin as a travel writer, although he considered him…
Bruce Chatwin, English author (died 1989)
Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Jones,, known as H. Jones, was a British Army officer and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC). He was awarded the VC after being killed in ac…
H
Alfredo James Pacino is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career s…
Al Pacino, American actor and director
Peter Arthur Diamond is an American economist known for his analysis of U.S. Social Security policy and his work as an advisor to the Advisory Council on Social Security in the lat…
Peter Diamond, American economist
Angela Olive Pearce, who published under the name Angela Carter, was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realist, and pic…
Angela Carter, English novelist and short story writer (died 1992)
Roger Eugene Ailes was an American television executive and media consultant. He was the chairman and CEO of Fox News, Fox Television Stations and 20th Television. Ailes was a medi…
Roger Ailes, American businessman (died 2017)
Lainie Kazan is an American actress, singer and classical composer. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for St. Elsewhere…
Lainie Kazan, American actress and singer