The 1940s

1941 85 years ago

The Holocaust: Karl Fritzsch, deputy camp commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, experiments with the use of…

The Holocaust, known in Hebrew as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered ar…

The Holocaust: Karl Fritzsch, deputy camp commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, experiments with the use of…

1941 85 years ago

World War II: A German submarine makes the first attack of the war against a United States warship, the USS Greer.

USS Greer (DD–145) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy, the first ship named for Rear Admiral James A. Greer (1833–1904). In what became known as the "Greer inci…

World War II: A German submarine makes the first attack of the war against a United States warship, the USS Greer.

1941 85 years ago

World War II: German forces begin the Siege of Leningrad.

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, with many eng…

World War II: German forces begin the Siege of Leningrad.

1941 85 years ago

Ronald Isley, American singer-songwriter and producer

Ronald Isley is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Isley is the lead singer, a founding member, and last surviving original member of the family music group The I…

Ronald Isley, American singer-songwriter and producer

1941 85 years ago

Menzies Campbell, Scottish sprinter and politician (died 2025)

Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, Baron Campbell of Pittenweem, was a Scottish politician, advocate and athlete. A senior figure in the Liberal Democrats, he served as the Member of …

Menzies Campbell, Scottish sprinter and politician (died 2025)

1941 85 years ago

Zalman King, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2012)

Zalman King was an American film director, writer, actor and producer. His films are known for incorporating sexuality, and are often categorized as erotica.

Zalman King, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2012)

1941 85 years ago

Rod Thorn, American basketball player, coach, and executive

Rodney King Thorn is an American basketball executive and a former professional player, coach and Olympic Committee Chairman with a career spanning over 50 years. In 2018, Thorn wa…

Rod Thorn, American basketball player, coach, and executive

1941 85 years ago

Charles Lindbergh makes his Des Moines speech accusing the British, Jews and FDR's administration of conspiring for…

Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris, a distance of 3,600 m…

Charles Lindbergh makes his Des Moines speech accusing the British, Jews and FDR's administration of conspiring for…

1941 85 years ago

World War II: Soviet forces enter Tehran during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran, also known as the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia or the Allied invasion of Iran, was the joint invasion of the officially neutral Imperial State…

World War II: Soviet forces enter Tehran during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran.

1941 85 years ago

The Holocaust in Lithuania: Lithuanian Nazis and local police begin a mass execution of 403 Jews in Nemenčinė.

The Holocaust resulted in the near total eradication of Lithuanian (Litvaks) and Polish Jews[a] in Generalbezirk Litauen of the Reichskommissariat Ostland in the Nazi-controlled Li…

The Holocaust in Lithuania: Lithuanian Nazis and local police begin a mass execution of 403 Jews in Nemenčinė.

1941 85 years ago

David Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Oklahoma (died 2025)

David Lyle Boren was an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and three terms…

David Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Oklahoma (died 2025)

1941 85 years ago

Paavo Lipponen, Finnish journalist and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Finland

Paavo Tapio Lipponen is a Finnish politician and former reporter. He was prime minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003, and chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 19…

Paavo Lipponen, Finnish journalist and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Finland

1941 85 years ago

Patricia Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, English academic and politician (died 2018)

Patricia Lesley Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, PC, DL was a historian and a Labour member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom.

Patricia Hollis, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, English academic and politician (died 2018)

1941 85 years ago

Rudolf Adler, Czech filmmaker: 88

Rudolf Adler was a Czech film director, screenwriter and film educator.

Rudolf Adler, Czech filmmaker: 88

1941 85 years ago

Uta Frith, German developmental psychologist

Dame Uta Frith is a German-British developmental psychologist and emeritus professor in cognitive development at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College Londo…

Uta Frith, German developmental psychologist

1941 85 years ago

Vladimir Voronin, Moldovan economist and politician, 3rd President of Moldova

Vladimir Voronin is a Moldovan politician. He was the third President of Moldova from 2001 until 2009 and has been the leader of the Party of Communists of Moldova (PCRM) since 199…

Vladimir Voronin, Moldovan economist and politician, 3rd President of Moldova

1941 85 years ago

Richard Holbrooke, American journalist, banker, and diplomat, 22nd United States Ambassador to the United Nations (died

Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke was an American diplomat and author. He was the only person to have held the position of Assistant Secretary of State for two different regions of …

Richard Holbrooke, American journalist, banker, and diplomat, 22nd United States Ambassador to the United Nations (died

1941 85 years ago

Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian (died 2024)

Muhammed Fethullah Gülen was a Turkish Muslim scholar, preacher, and leader of the Gülen movement, which as of 2010 had 8-10 million of followers globally and had established a net…

Fethullah Gülen, Turkish preacher and theologian (died 2024)

1941 85 years ago

Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress, singer, and dancer

Ann-Margret Olsson, credited as Ann-Margret, is an American actress, dancer, and singer with a career spanning seven decades. Her many screen roles include Pocketful of Miracles (1…

Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress, singer, and dancer

1941 85 years ago

Max Merritt, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter (died 2020)

Maxwell James Merritt was an Australian-New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist who was renowned as an interpreter of soul music and R&B. As leader of Max Merritt & The Meteors…

Max Merritt, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter (died 2020)

1941 85 years ago

Jody Conradt, American basketball player and coach

Addie Jo "Jody" Conradt is an American retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin (UT). Her coaching career span…

Jody Conradt, American basketball player and coach

1941 85 years ago

David Cope, American composer and author

David Howell Cope was an American author, composer, scientist and Dickerson Professor of Music at UC Santa Cruz. His primary area of research involved artificial intelligence and m…

David Cope, American composer and author

1941 85 years ago

Aldrich Ames, American CIA officer and criminal (died 2026)

Aldrich Hazen Ames was an American counterintelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who was convicted of espionage on behalf of the Soviet Union and Russia in 1994.

Aldrich Ames, American CIA officer and criminal (died 2026)

1941 85 years ago

Jim Dobbin, Scottish microbiologist and politician (died 2014)

James Dobbin was a British politician and microbiologist who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Heywood and Middleton from 1997 until his death in 2014.

Jim Dobbin, Scottish microbiologist and politician (died 2014)