1940

Centuries: Year in Review 20th Century (19th century - 20th century - 21st century)

Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s

Years: 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 - 1940 - 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945

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Births

• October 9 - John Lennon
• October 14 - [Cliff Richard]?, English rock singer

Deaths

• February 11 - [John Buchan]?, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir, Governor-General of Canada (1935-1940).
• Leon Trotsky, Russian revolutionary

Events

• The Complex Number Calculator, a calculator for complex arithmetic based on relays, was completed. (see History of computing).
• The first transposons are discovered in corn (zea mays) by [Barbara McClintock]?.
• March 6 - Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union ends. Finland loses 10% territory.
• WWII: Germany invades France in May, which surrenders in June and [Vichy France]? is established. The British evacuate thousands of troops from Dunkirk.
• Germany begins a bombing campaign against Britain in preparation for an invasion, in what becomes known as the Battle of Britain.

Nobel Prizes

• Physics - not awarded
• Chemistry - not awarded
• Medicine - not awarded
• Literature - not awarded
• Peace - not awarded