1940
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Philip Nicholson, known by his pen name A. J. Quinnell, was an English novelist. He is best known for his novel Man on Fire, which has been adapted to film twice and a television s…
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The 1940s
Explore 5072 historical events from 1940–1949.
1940
Ian Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
Ian Bruce Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, PC DL is a British Conservative Party politician and Life Peer who served as the Member of Parliament for Galloway, and then Galloway and Upp…
Ian Lang, Baron Lang of Monkton, Scottish politician, Secretary of State for Scotland
1940
Karpal Singh, Malaysian lawyer and politician (died 2014)
Karpal Singh s/o Ram Singh Deo was an Indian Malaysian politician and lawyer. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Bukit Gelugor in the state of Penang from 200…
Karpal Singh, Malaysian lawyer and politician (died 2014)
1940
Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist and statesman. Yunus pioneered the modern concept of microcredit and microfinance, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.…
Muhammad Yunus, Bangladeshi economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
1940
Mary Beth Peil, American actress and singer
Mary Beth Peil is an American actress and soprano. She began her career as an opera singer in 1962 with the Goldovsky Opera Theater. In 1964 she won two major singing competitions,…
Mary Beth Peil, American actress and singer
1940
Vyacheslav Artyomov, Russian composer
Vyacheslav Petrovich Artyomov is a Russian composer.
Vyacheslav Artyomov, Russian composer
1940
John Dawes, Welsh rugby player and coach (died 2021)
Sydney John Dawes was a Welsh rugby union player, playing at centre, and later coach. He captained London Welsh, Wales, the 1971 British Lions and the Barbarians. He is credited w…
John Dawes, Welsh rugby player and coach (died 2021)
1940
Mark Spoelstra, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2007)
Mark Warren Spoelstra was an American singer-songwriter and folk and blues guitarist.
Mark Spoelstra, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2007)
1940
Craig Brown, Scottish footballer and manager (died 2023)
James Craig Brown was a Scottish professional football player and manager. After his playing career with Rangers, Dundee and Falkirk was curtailed by a series of knee injuries, Bro…
Craig Brown, Scottish footballer and manager (died 2023)
1940
Ela Gandhi, South African activist and politician
Ela Gandhi, is a South African peace activist and former politician. She served as a Member of Parliament in South Africa from 1994 to 2004, where she aligned with the African Nati…
Ela Gandhi, South African activist and politician
1940
Cahit Zarifoğlu, Turkish poet and author (died 1987)
Abdurrahman Cahit Zarifoğlu was a Turkish poet and writer.
Cahit Zarifoğlu, Turkish poet and author (died 1987)
1940
Georgi Ivanov, Bulgarian military officer, cosmonaut and politician
Major general Georgi Ivanov Kakalov is a Bulgarian former military officer who was the first Bulgarian cosmonaut. He was a member of the National Assembly of Bulgaria in 1990.
Georgi Ivanov, Bulgarian military officer, cosmonaut and politician
1940
Jerzy Buzek, Polish engineer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Poland
Jerzy Karol Buzek is a Polish politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland from 1997 to 2001. Since being elected to the European Parliament in 2004, he served as President of…
Jerzy Buzek, Polish engineer and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Poland
1940
Michael Cole, American actor (died 2024)
Michael Cole was an American actor best known for his role as Pete Cochran on the television crime drama The Mod Squad (1968–1973).
Michael Cole, American actor (died 2024)
1940
Lance Larson, American swimmer (died 2024)
Lance Melvin Larson was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and world record-holder in four events.
Lance Larson, American swimmer (died 2024)
1940
César Tovar, Venezuelan baseball player (died 1994)
César Leonardo Tovar, nicknamed "Pepito" and "Mr. Versatility", was a Venezuelan professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1965 to 1976,…
César Tovar, Venezuelan baseball player (died 1994)
1940
Kenneth Clarke, English politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
Kenneth Harry Clarke, Baron Clarke of Nottingham is a British politician who served as Home Secretary from 1992 to 1993 and Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1993 to 1997. A member …
Kenneth Clarke, English politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
1940
Lamar Alexander, American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Education
Andrew Lamar Alexander Jr. is an American politician, academic administrator, and attorney who served as a U.S. senator from Tennessee from 2003 to 2021. A member of the Republican…
Lamar Alexander, American lawyer and politician, 5th United States Secretary of Education
1940
Pat Stapleton, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2020)
Patrick James "Whitey" Stapleton was a Canadian ice hockey player. A defenceman, Stapleton played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and the World Hockey Association (W…
Pat Stapleton, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2020)
1940
Chuck Close, American painter and photographer (died 2021)
Charles Thomas Close was an American painter, visual artist, and photographer who made massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraits of himself and others. Close also created p…
Chuck Close, American painter and photographer (died 2021)
1940
Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakh politician, 1st President of Kazakhstan
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev is a Kazakh politician who served as the first president of Kazakhstan from 1991 to 2019. He also held the special title of Elbasy from 2010 to 2022 a…
Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakh politician, 1st President of Kazakhstan
1940
Jeannie Seely, Grammy Award-winning country music singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry member (died 2025)
Marilyn Jeanne Seely was an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and author. Primarily identified with country music, Seely found success with the Grammy Award-winning son…
Jeannie Seely, Grammy Award-winning country music singer-songwriter and Grand Ole Opry member (died 2025)
1940
Siti Norma Yaakob, Malaysian lawyer and judge
Tan Sri Dato' Seri Siti Norma binti Yaakob was a Malaysian lawyer and judge, noted for being the first woman to become Chief Judge of Malaya. After completing her legal studies in …
Siti Norma Yaakob, Malaysian lawyer and judge
1940
Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, American psychoanalyst and theorist (died 2010)
Eugene Victor Wolfenstein was an American social theorist, practicing psychoanalyst, and a professor of political science at University of California, Los Angeles.
Eugene Victor Wolfenstein, American psychoanalyst and theorist (died 2010)