Explore 3967 historical events from 1940–1949.
Dominick Roy Harrod was a British journalist and broadcaster. He was the BBC's economic correspondent in the 1970s and 1980s.
Dominick Harrod, English journalist, historian, and author (died 2013)
Endre Szemerédi is a Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist, working in the field of combinatorics and theoretical computer science. He is the State of New Jersey …
Endre Szemerédi, Hungarian-American mathematician and computer scientist
William Paul McCartney was an American college football coach who was the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes for 13 seasons (1982–1994). He compiled a 93–55–5 (.624) record, and …
Bill McCartney, American football player and coach (died 2025)
Galen Avery Rowell was an American wilderness photographer, adventure photojournalist and mountaineer. Born in Oakland, California, he became a full-time photographer in 1972.
Galen Rowell, American mountaineer and photographer (died 2002)
Richard Sanders is a retired American actor and screenwriter. He played quirky news anchorman Les Nessman on the CBS sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982). Most of his acting caree…
Richard Sanders, American actor and screenwriter
Duncan Madsen Pirie is a British researcher and author. He is a co-founder and current president of the Adam Smith Institute, a UK neoliberal think tank which has been in operation…
Madsen Pirie, British academic, President and co-founder of the Adam Smith Institute
Francine Lalonde was a Canadian politician who served on both the provincial and federal levels. Prior to being elected, she was a lecturer, teacher, and unionist.
Francine Lalonde, Canadian educator and politician (died 2014)
Keith Frederick Savage is a former England international rugby union player.
Keith Savage, English rugby player
Norbert Grupe, better known outside Germany by his stage name Wilhelm von Homburg, was a German boxer, actor, and professional wrestler known for his villainous supporting roles in…
Wilhelm von Homburg, German boxer and actor (died 2004)
Michael Roger Lewis Cockerell is a British broadcaster and journalist. He is the BBC's most established political documentary maker, with a long, Emmy award-winning career of polit…
Michael Cockerell, English journalist
Donald LeRoy LaFontaine was an American voice actor who recorded more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video…
Don LaFontaine, American voice actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 2008)
Nicholas Robert Turner was an English musician best known as a member of space rock pioneers Hawkwind. Turner played saxophone and flute, as well as being a vocalist and composer. …
Nik Turner, English musician and songwriter (died 2022)
Fernest Arceneaux was a French-speaking Creole Zydeco accordionist and singer from Louisiana. He was known as "The New Prince of Accordion" for his virtuosity.
Fernest Arceneaux, American singer and accordion player (died 2008)
Warren Harding "Sonny" Sharrock was an American jazz guitarist. His first wife was singer Linda Sharrock, with whom he recorded and performed.
Sonny Sharrock, American guitarist (died 1994)
William Sebastian Cohen is an American attorney, author, and politician. A member of the Republican Party, Cohen also served as a member of the United States House of Representativ…
William Cohen, American lawyer and politician, 20th United States Secretary of Defense
Roger Pingeon was a French professional road bicycle racer.
Roger Pingeon, French cyclist (died 2017)
Tony D'Arcy was an Irish Republican militant and activist. A senior leader in the Irish Republican Army (IRA), he died on 16 April 1940 after a 52-day hunger strike, at the age o…
Tony D'Arcy, Irish Republican died while on hunger strike (born 1908)
Jack McNeela was an Irish republican and a senior member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) from Ballycroy, County Mayo, Ireland. McNeela was one of 22 Irish republicans who died o…
Jack McNeela, Irish Republican Army, died on hunger strike
Carl Bosch was a German chemist and engineer and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. He was a pioneer in the field of high-pressure industrial chemistry and founder of IG Farben, at one p…
Carl Bosch, German chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1874)
George Lansbury was a British politician and social reformer who led the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935. Apart from a brief period of ministerial office during the Labour governmen…
George Lansbury, English journalist and politician (born 1859)
Emma Goldman was a Russian-born anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North Ame…
Emma Goldman, Lithuanian author and activist (born 1869)
Ernest Edward Mills Joyce AM was a Royal Naval seaman and explorer who participated in four Antarctic expeditions during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, in the early 20th …
Ernest Joyce, English explorer (born 1875)
Menno ter Braak was a Dutch modernist writer, critic, essayist, and journalist.
Menno ter Braak, Dutch author (born 1902)
Carl Gustaf Verner von Heidenstam was a Swedish poet, novelist and laureate of the 1916 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was a member of the Swedish Academy from 1912. His poems and p…
Verner von Heidenstam, Swedish author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1859)