Explore 3967 historical events from 1940–1949.
Hannu Olavi Mikkola was a Finnish champion world rally driver. He was a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times.
Hannu Mikkola, Finnish race car driver (died 2021)
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its Axis allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalin…
World War II: Beginning of the Battle of Stalingrad.
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: The Battle of the Eastern Solomons. Japanese aircraft carrier Ryūjō is sunk, with the loss of seven…
The naval Battle of the Eastern Solomons took place on 24–25 August 1942 and was the third carrier battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II and the second major engagement fo…
World War II: Second day of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons; a Japanese naval transport convoy headed towards…
The Battle of Milne Bay, also known as Operation RE or the Battle of Rabi (ラビの戦い) by the Japanese, was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese naval infantry, kn…
World War II: Battle of Milne Bay: Japanese marines assault Allied airfields at Milne Bay, New Guinea, initiating the…
The Holocaust saw the systematic mass murder of Jews in the Reichskommissariat Ukraine, the General Government, the Crimean General Government and some areas which were located to …
The Holocaust in Ukraine: At Chortkiv, the Ukrainian police and German Schutzpolizei deport two thousand Jews to…
Ichirō Ozawa is a Japanese politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1969 to 2026, representing Iwate Prefecture.. He is often dubbed the "Shadow Shōg…
Ichirō Ozawa, Japanese lawyer and politician, Japanese Minister of Home Affairs
Leroy David "Lee" Baca is a former American law enforcement officer and convicted felon who served as the 30th Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California from 1998 to 2014. In 2017,…
Lee Baca, American police officer
Piers Raymond Courage was a British racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1967 to 1970.
Piers Courage, English racing driver (died 1970)
Roger Norman Freeman, Baron Freeman, PC was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the Cabinet of Prime Mini…
Roger Freeman, Baron Freeman, English accountant and politician, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest profess…
Robert Christgau, American journalist and critic
Alan Price is an English musician who first found prominence as the original keyboardist of the English rock band the Animals. He left the band in 1965 to form the Alan Price Set; …
Alan Price, English keyboard player, singer, and composer
Giorgio Agamben is an Italian philosopher whose work spans political theory, ontology, aesthetics, and literature. He is best known for developing the concepts of the state of exce…
Giorgio Agamben, Italian philosopher and academic
Věra Čáslavská was a Czechoslovak artistic gymnast and Czech sports official. She won a total of 22 international titles between 1959 and 1968 including seven Olympic gold medals, …
Věra Čáslavská, Czech gymnast and coach (died 2016)
Tammy Wynette was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bri…
Tammy Wynette, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 1998)
Robin Michael Widdows is a British former racing driver from England. He participated in Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Three and sportscars including Le Mans.
Robin Widdows, English racing driver
Pierre Bourque is a Canadian businessman and politician in Quebec. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001.
Pierre Bourque, Canadian businessman and politician, 40th Mayor of Montreal
Kevin Brian Conway was an American actor and film director.
Kevin Conway, American actor and director (died 2020)
John Warren Gladwin is a retired Anglican bishop. From 2004 to 2009, he was the Bishop of Chelmsford in the Church of England. He stands in the open evangelical tradition.
John Gladwin, English bishop
Carole Stone, CBE is a British author and freelance radio and television broadcaster. Stone spent 27 years at the BBC beginning as a newsroom secretary and eventually becoming the …
Carole Stone, English journalist and author
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the Gentle Genius, he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and …
Curtis Mayfield, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 1999)
John David Ashcroft is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and former politician who served as the 79th United States attorney general under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. A…
John Ashcroft, American lawyer and politician, 79th United States Attorney General
David Richmond Gergen was an American political commentator and longtime presidential adviser who served during the administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, an…
David Gergen, American political consultant (died 2025)
James A. Calhoun is an American former college basketball coach. He is best known for his tenure as head coach of the University of Connecticut (UConn) men's basketball team. His t…
Jim Calhoun, American basketball player and coach