Explore 1392 historical events from 1940–1949.
Johan De Muynck is a former Belgian professional road racing cyclist who raced from 1971 to 1983. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1978 Giro d'Italia. Other G…
Johan De Muynck, Belgian former professional road racing cyclist
David Thorpe is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Footscray and Richmond in the VFL.
David Thorpe, Australian rules footballer
Svetlana Alexandrovna Alexievich is a Belarusian investigative journalist, essayist and oral historian who writes in Russian. She was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature "fo…
Svetlana Alexievich, Belarusian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate
John Henry Bonham was an English musician who was the drummer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and fe…
John Bonham, English musician, songwriter and drummer (died 1980)
James Martin Hannett, was an English record producer, musician, and an original partner and director at Tony Wilson's Factory Records. He was also a co-founder of the musicians' co…
Martin Hannett, English bass player, guitarist, and record producer (died 1991)
Duncan Lee Hunter is a retired American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009.
Duncan Hunter, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician
Powers Allen Boothe was an American actor known for his commanding character actor roles on film and television. He received a Primetime Emmy Award and nominations for two Screen A…
Powers Boothe, American actor (died 2017)
Tomáš Halík, born 1 June 1948, is a Czech Catholic priest, philosopher, and theologian. He is a professor of sociology at the Charles University in Prague, pastor of the Academic P…
Tomáš Halík, Czech Roman Catholic priest, philosopher, theologian and scholar
Michel Pierre Plasse was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League from 1970 to 1982. He was selected first overall in the 1968 NHL Ama…
Michel Plasse, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2006)
Gerald Patrick Mathers is an American former actor best known for his role in the television sitcom Leave It to Beaver, originally broadcast from 1957 to 1963. He played the protag…
Jerry Mathers, American actor
Jan Reker is a Dutch football manager and director.
Jan Reker, Dutch footballer and manager
Robert Champion is an English former jump jockey, who won the 1981 Grand National on Aldaniti. His triumph, while recovering from cancer, was made into the 1984 film Champions, wit…
Bob Champion, English jockey
Sandra Post, is a retired professional golfer, the first Canadian to play on the LPGA Tour. In 1968 at age 20 in her rookie professional year, she won a women's major – the LPGA Ch…
Sandra Post, Canadian golfer and sportscaster
Jürgen Sparwasser is a retired German football player and, later, briefly a football manager.
Jürgen Sparwasser, German footballer and manager
Baron Kantarō Suzuki was a Japanese politician and admiral who served as prime minister of Japan from 7 April to 17 August 1945, during World War II. He was prime minister at the …
Kantarō Suzuki, Japanese admiral and politician, 42nd Prime Minister of Japan (born 1868)
Aldo Leopold was an American writer, philosopher, naturalist, scientist, ecologist, forester, professor, conservationist, and environmentalist. He taught at the University of Wisco…
Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (born 1887)
Jāzeps Vītols was a Latvian composer, pedagogue and music critic. He is considered one of the fathers of Latvian classical music.
Jāzeps Vītols, Latvian composer (born 1863)
Knut Ernst Robert Tandefelt was a Swedish-speaking Finnish nobleman.
Ernst Tandefelt, Finnish assassin of Heikki Ritavuori (born 1876)
U Saw, also known as Galon U Saw, was a leading Burmese politician who served as Prime Minister of British Burma during the colonial era before the Second World War. He is also kno…
U Saw, Burmese politician, Prime Minister of Burma (born 1900)
Hans Waldemar Wessolowski was a German-American artist best known under the pseudonym "Wesso" for his many cover illustrations for pulp magazines in the 1930s and early 1940s.
Hans Waldemar Wessolowski, German-American illustrator (born 1894)
Kathleen Agnes Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington, also known as "Kick" Kennedy, was an American socialite. She was the second daughter of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and Rose Fitzgera…
Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington (born 1920)
Edward Joseph Flanagan was an Irish-born priest of the Catholic Church in the United States who served for decades in Nebraska. After serving as a parish priest in the Diocese of O…
Edward J
Festus Claudius "Claude" McKay was a Jamaican-American writer and poet. He was a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance.
Claude McKay, Jamaican writer and poet (born 1889)
Jacques Feyder was a Belgian film director, screenwriter and actor who worked principally in France, but also in the US, Britain and Germany. He was a director of silent films duri…
Jacques Feyder, Belgian actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1885)