Explore 5072 historical events from 1940–1949.
Shlomo Riskin is an Orthodox rabbi, and the founding rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York City, which he led for 20 years; founding chief rabbi of t…
Shlomo Riskin, American rabbi and academic, founded the Lincoln Square Synagogue
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll…
Levon Helm, American singer-songwriter, drummer, producer, and actor (died 2012)
Taihō Kōki was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler. He became the 48th yokozuna in 1961 at the age of 21, the youngest ever at the time.
Taihō Kōki, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 48th Yokozuna (died 2013)
Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari was a Pakistani politician who served as the eighth president of Pakistan from 1993 until his resignation in 1997. He, prior to his presidency, also serve…
Farooq Leghari, Pakistani politician, 8th President of Pakistan (died 2010)
Jagmohan Dalmiya was an Indian cricket administrator and businessman from the city of Kolkata. He was the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India as well as the Cric…
Jagmohan Dalmiya, Indian cricket administrator (died 2015)
Joseph Hector Gilles Villemure is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks in the 1960s and 1970s.
Gilles Villemure, Canadian-American ice hockey player
Anatoliy Pavlovych Bondarchuk was a Ukrainian hammer thrower who competed for the Soviet Union. An Olympic gold medallist, he is regarded as one of the most accomplished hammer thr…
Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Ukrainian hammer thrower and coach (died 2025)
August Edmond George Meyer Jr., known professionally as Augie Meyers, was an American musician, songwriter, studio musician, record producer and record label owner. He is perhaps b…
Augie Meyers, American musician and singer-songwriter
Gilbert Shelton is an American cartoonist and a key member of the underground comix movement. He is the creator of the iconic underground characters The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothe…
Gilbert Shelton, American illustrator
René Marie Murat Auberjonois was an American actor. He was a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winner, and a three-time Emmy Award nominee, among other accolades.
René Auberjonois, American actor (died 2019)
Katerina Gogou was a Greek poet, author and actress.
Katerina Gogou, Greek writer and actress (died 1993)
Kip Stephen Thorne is an American astrophysicist and author. He shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics with Rainer Weiss and Barry C. Barish "for decisive contributions to the LIGO…
Kip Thorne, American physicist, astronomer, and academic
Constantine II was the last King of Greece, reigning from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973.
Constantine II of Greece (died 2023)
Ludwig Schwarz, S.D.B. was the Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Linz, Austria from 2005–2015.
Ludwig Schwarz, Slovak-Austrian bishop
Sir Thomas Jones Woodward is a Welsh singer. His career began with a string of top 10 hits in the 1960s and he has since toured regularly, with appearances in Las Vegas from 1967 t…
Tom Jones, Welsh singer and actor
William James McBride, better known as Willie John McBride, is a former rugby union footballer from Northern Ireland who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lion…
Willie John McBride, Northern Irish rugby player who toured with the British Lions five times
Ronald Alfred Pickup was an English actor. He was active in television, film, and theatre, beginning with a 1964 appearance in Doctor Who. Theatre critic Michael Billington describ…
Ronald Pickup, English actor (died 2021)
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer, actress, film producer, and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra and is known for her 1966 signature hit…
Nancy Sinatra, American singer and actress
André Vallerand is a Canadian administrator, entrepreneur, and former politician. Vallerand served in the National Assembly of Quebec from 1985 to 1994 and was a cabinet minister i…
André Vallerand, Canadian businessman and politician
August Henry "Augie" Auer Jr was an American-born atmospheric scientist and meteorologist in New Zealand.
Augie Auer, American-New Zealand meteorologist (died 2007)
John William Stevens was an English drummer, and a founding member of the Spontaneous Music Ensemble.
John Stevens, English drummer (died 1994)
Jacques Brassard is a former Quebec politician and Cabinet Minister. He was the National Assembly of Quebec for Lac-Saint-Jean from 1976 to 2002 and occupied several portfolios as …
Jacques Brassard, Canadian educator and politician
Robert Thomas Freeman was an American rock, soul and R&B singer, songwriter and record producer from San Francisco, best known for his two top ten hits, the first in 1958 on Josie …
Bobby Freeman, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (died 2017)
Dallas Crutcher Long was an American track and field athlete, who mostly competed in the shot put. Between 1959 and 1964 he set six official and five unofficial world records.
Dallas Long, American shot putter and medical doctor (died 2024)