Year 1940 Fun Facts, Trivia, and History Events

This quick read presents a collection of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1940. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, historic firsts, entertainment news, and much more.

Here is a sneak preview of what this article is all about:

1. History Facts and Events From the USA and the World
2. World War II Timeline

1. History Facts and Events From the USA and the World:

1. In 1940, President Roosevelt, World War II, and Adolf Hitler were all on center stage. SPAM and eggs were crowd-pleasers, and Robert and Betty were two of the most popular baby names. For a nickel, you could buy a bottle of Coke, a cup of coffee, a Hershey’s bar, a doughnut, or an ice cream cone. For a dollar, you could buy three dozen eggs, three pounds of sirloin steak, four movie tickets, five boxes of cereal, or about 5.5 gallons of gas.
2. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D-New York) was the president of the United States, and John Nance Garner (D-Texas) was the nation’s vice president.
3. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the United States in 1940 was 89.8% white, 9.8% Black, and 0.4% "other." Other racial groups included American Indians, Asians, Hispanics, and biracial individuals.
4. Farmers made up about 18% of the U.S. labor force. Nationwide, there were approximately six million farms that averaged 175 acres apiece. About 33% of U.S. farmers had electricity, 25% had telephones, and 58% had cars.
5. Consumer products introduced during 1940 included Donald Duck orange juice, Fanta soft drinks, Mike and Ike candies, Mountain Dew, Nair hair removal lotion, One A Day vitamins, the paint roller, and York peppermint patties.
6. January 30: The first Social Security benefits were paid to eligible Americans. The Social Security Administration tells us that the average monthly benefit for a retired person was $22.60 in 1940. By the end of the decade, the average monthly benefit grew slightly to $26.00, which was less than the inflation rate.
7. February 29: At the 12th Academy Awards, Gone with the Wind won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Color Cinematography, and Best Film Editing. On the other hand, The Wizard of Oz won two Oscars, including Best Original Score and Best Song (Over the Rainbow).
8. February 29: Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Academy Award. She received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.
9. May 15: Nylon stockings went on sale for the first time in the United States. From Philadelphia to San Francisco, the demand was so high that over five million pairs were sold on the first day alone.
10. May 15: Brothers Maurice and Richard McDonald opened the first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, California. The drive-in featured a hearty menu and carhop service.
11. June 22: Sherb Noble opened the first Dairy Queen in Joliet, Illinois. (Malts and shakes did not appear on the Dairy Queen menu until 1949, and you couldn't order a banana split at the DQ until 1951.)
12. September 4: Television station W2XAB, which is known today as WCBS-TV, began broadcasting in New York City.
13. September 16: President Roosevelt signed the Selective Training and Service Act into law, "which was another name for the draft. It required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft."
14. October 1: The Pennsylvania Turnpike, America's first superhighway and toll road, opened to vehicular traffic.
15. November 5: In the 1940 presidential election, incumbent President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was reelected to a third term by defeating Wendell Wilkie, the Republican candidate. Roosevelt carried 38 states and won 449 electoral votes, and Wilkie carried 10 states and won 82 electoral votes. Roosevelt was also the first U.S. president to win a third term.
16. In 1940, there were about 4,000 television receivers in the United States. On the other hand, over 28 million American households (82.8%) owned a radio. Massachusetts had the highest percentage of households (96.2%) reporting radio ownership.
17. How Green Was My Valley was a best-selling book, In the Mood was a popular song, and Fibber McGee & Molly was a beloved radio program.
18. Bugs Bunny made his debut as a cartoon character in the animated short, A Wild Hare. Likewise, Woody Woodpecker debuted as a cartoon character in the animated short, Knock Knock.
19. Famous people born in 1940 included Alex Trebek, Anthony Fauci, Bobby Knight, Dionne Warwick, Herbie Hancock, Jack Nicklaus, John Lennon, Nancy Pelosi, Ringo Starr, and Smokey Robinson.
20. The Chicago Bears were the NFL champs, the New York Rangers clinched the Stanley Cup, and the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series.

2. World War II Timeline:

1. January 8: The British began to ration bacon, butter, and sugar. The Imperial War Museum explains that the decision was made “to ensure fair shares for all at a time of national shortage."
2. Later in the year, the Dutch were forced to ration coffee, tea, eggs, cake, soap, and gasoline.
3. March 16: The Germans bombed the Scapa Flow naval base near Scotland. (During both World Wars, Scapa Flow functioned as the naval base for the British Royal Navy.)
4. April 9: The Nazis invaded Denmark and Norway.
5. May 10: The Nazis invaded France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
6. May 15: Holland surrendered to the Nazis. The port city of Rotterdam was "virtually leveled" after five days of fighting. Nearly 1,000 people were killed, and another 85,000 were left homeless as a result of the devastation.
7. May 26 to June 4: The evacuation of allied troops from the French port of Dunkirk took place.
8. May 28: Belgium surrendered to the Nazis.
9. June 3: The Germans bombed Paris.
10. June 10: Norway surrendered to the Nazis, and Italy declared war on Great Britain and France.
11. July 23: The Soviets took possession of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
12. August 13: The Germans began to bomb British airfields and factories.
13. August 17: The Germans began a blockade of the British Isles.
14. August 23-24: The first German air raids on central London began.
15. September 10: Buckingham Palace was struck by a German bomb.
16. September 15: The Germans conducted air raids on London, Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, Manchester, and Southampton.
17. September 27: Germany, Italy, and Japan signed a "formal alliance" and became known as the Axis Powers. Their goals included "territorial expansion at the expense of their neighbors" and "breaking the hegemony of the plutocratic Western powers." Eventually, five other European countries joined the Axis movement, including Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, and Romania.
18. December 29-30: The Germans conducted a massive air raid on London.

References:

1. https://www.historic-newspapers.com/en-gb/blogs/article/1940-timeline
2. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Golden-Age-of-American-radio
3. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRZlMhcYkA2Fhwg-NxJewUIgm01o9fzwB
4. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1940.html
5. https://www.moviefone.com/movies/1940/
6. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1940
7. https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/most-popular-recipes-1940s/
8. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1940
9. https://wwiifoundation.org/timeline-of-wwii/
10. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1940
11. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-journal-1940-food-prices-examp/131564175/
12. https://onetuberadio.com/2020/11/14/1940-grocery-prices/
13. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_in_the_United_States

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor