Explore 3967 historical events from 1940–1949.
Chris Cord was an American racing driver and investment banker. He won the Group 5 SP class at the 1978 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 1987 IMSA GT Championship in the GTO class.
Chris Cord, American racing driver (died 2022)
Denis Héroux, was a Canadian film director and producer.
Denis Héroux, Canadian director and producer (died 2015)
Ronald Gene Simmons Sr. was an American spree killer and former military serviceman who murdered 16 people, including 14 members of his own family, over a week in December 1987 in …
Ronald Gene Simmons, American sergeant and convicted murderer (died 1990)
Robert Maurice Lipson Winston, Baron Winston is a British professor, medical doctor, scientist, television presenter, and Labour peer.
Robert Winston, English surgeon, academic, and politician
Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor was an English actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of The Goodies.
Tim Brooke-Taylor, English actor and screenwriter (died 2020)
Merton Laverne Lundquist Jr. is an American former sportscaster known for his long career with CBS Sports.
Verne Lundquist, American sportscaster
James Brolin is an American actor. He has appeared in over 140 film and television productions since his debut in 1961 and is the recipient of two Golden Globe Awards and a Primeti…
James Brolin, American actor
Joseph Paul Torre Jr. is an American professional baseball executive and former player, manager, and television color commentator. He has served as a special assistant to the commi…
Joe Torre, American baseball player, manager, and executive
Tony Oladipo Allen was a Nigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter. Allen was the drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti's band Africa '70 from 1968 to 1979, and was one of the…
Tony Allen, Nigerian drummer who pioneered Afrobeat sound (died 2020)
Denis John Menke was an American professional baseball infielder and coach. He played all or parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1974. He played for the Milwa…
Denis Menke, American baseball player and coach (died 2020)
Judith Walzer Leavitt is an American historian.
Judith Walzer Leavitt, American historian and academic
George Alexander Trebek was a Canadian and American game show host and television personality. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he was best known for hosting the syndicated quiz sho…
Alex Trebek, Canadian-American game show host and producer (died 2020)
Danielle Collobert was a French author, poet and journalist.
Danielle Collobert, French author, poet, and journalist (died 1978)
John Donald Imus Jr., also known as Imus, was an American radio personality, television show host, recording artist, and author. His radio show Imus in the Morning was aired on var…
Don Imus, American radio host (died 2019)
John Treadwell Nichols was an American novelist. He wrote the New Mexico Trilogy - The Milagro Beanfield War (1974), The Magic Journey (1978), and The Nirvana Blues (1981) - as wel…
John Nichols, American novelist (died 2023)
Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, OMRI was an Italian banker and economist who served as Italy's Minister of Economy and Finance from 2006 to 2008. He previously served as a member of the Ex…
Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Italian economist and politician, Italian Minister of Finance (died 2010)
Daniel G. "Dan" Hedaya is an American actor best-known for his supporting roles in films such as Blood Simple, The Addams Family, Clueless, The Usual Suspects, A Night at the Roxbu…
Dan Hedaya, American actor
Richard Ballantine was a cycling writer, journalist and cycling advocate. Born in America, the son of Ian and Betty Ballantine of Ballantine Books, and educated at the Browning Sch…
Richard Ballantine, American-English journalist and author (died 2013)
Dobie Gray was an American singer and songwriter. Gray's music spanned multiple genres, including soul, country, pop, and musical theater. His hit songs included "The 'In' Crowd" i…
Dobie Gray, American singer-songwriter and producer (died 2011)
Brian Stanley Mawhinney, Baron Mawhinney, was a British Conservative Party politician. He was a member of the Cabinet from 1994 to 1997 and a member of Parliament (MP) from 1979 to…
Brian Mawhinney, Baron Mawhinney, Northern Irish-British academic and politician, Secretary of State for Transport…
Joseph Jean-Paul Robert Rousseau was a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1960 to 1974, most notably for the Montreal…
Bobby Rousseau, Canadian ice hockey player (died 2025)
Philippine "Pina" Bausch was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as Tanztheater. Bausch's approach …
Pina Bausch, German dancer and choreographer (died 2009)
Betty Wright Harris is an American chemist. She is known for her work on the chemistry of explosives completed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She patented a spot test for detec…
Betty Harris, American chemist
Bernard Lafayette Jr. was an American civil rights activist, organizer and Baptist minister, who was a leader in the civil rights movement. He played a leading role in early organi…
Bernard Lafayette, American civil rights movement activist (died 2026)