About the day » Thursday December 21, 1939Calender converter

• Albertus Kleine, Hoogeveen, Drenthe, Nederland († 1979)
• Arie Hofman († 2005)
• Cornelis Govers, Chaam († 1948)
• Branca van West, Amsterdam,, Noord-Holland, Nederland († 1944)
• Melvin L. Bishop, Michigan († 2009)
• Anna Andrea Jacoba Mathea Schouwenberg, Tegelen († 1992)
• Ludovic Marcel Cecile Van Passel, Antwerpen († 2008)
• Joannes Gerardus Dassen, Stein, Limburg, Nederland († 1997)
• Jannetje Kuijt, Katwijk († 2018)
• Jerome Henry Koetting, St Louis, Missouri, Verenigde Staten († 2007)

• "Hendrika" Hendrien Hendrien (94), Den Dungen, NL
• Aaltjen Kreijenvelt (59), Enschede, Overijssel, Nederland
• Agatha Maria Catharina Wouterlood (87), Schiedam, Nederland
• Aaltje Kaandorp (90), Heiloo, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Aleida Gezina Bouwmeester (16), Hardenberg
• Akke Tsjitskes Rijpkema (84), Sint Nicolaasga
• Baukje Roels de Wilde (73), Eestrum, Tietjerksteradeel, Frslnd, Nthr
• Akke Tjitskes Rypkema (84), Doniawerstal
• Albert Cornelisen de Boer (80), Vollenhove, Nederland
• Akke Tsjitskes Rypkema (Rijpkema) (84), Sint Nicolaasga

• 1935 » Edward Schreyer, Canadian academic and politician, 22nd Governor General of Canada
• 1935 » John G. Avildsen, American director, producer, and cinematographer († 2017)
• 1935 » Lorenzo Bandini, Italian racing driver († 1967)
• 1935 » Phil Donahue, American talk show host and producer
• 1935 » Stela Popescu, Romanian actress († 2017)
• 1937 » Jane Fonda, American actress, producer, and activist
• 1939 » Lloyd Axworthy, Canadian academic and politician, 2nd Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 1939 » Wafic Saïd, Syrian-Saudi Arabian financier, businessman and philanthropist
• 1940 » Frank Zappa, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer († 1993)
• 1942 » Hu Jintao, Chinese engineer and politician, 5th Paramount leader of China

• 1929 » I. L. Patterson, American politician, 18th Governor of Oregon (b. 1859)
• 1933 » Knud Rasmussen, Greenlandic anthropologist and explorer (b. 1879)
• 1935 » Kurt Tucholsky, German-Swedish journalist and author (b. 1890)
• 1935 » Ted Birnie, English footballer and manager (b. 1878)
• 1937 » Frank B. Kellogg, American lawyer and politician, 45th United States Secretary of State, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1856)
• 1937 » Ted Healy, American comedian and actor (b. 1896)
• 1937 » Violette Neatley Anderson, American judge (b. 1882)
• 1940 » F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1896)
• 1945 » George S. Patton, American general (b. 1885)
• 1948 » Władysław Witwicki, Polish psychologist, philosopher, translator, historian (of philosophy and art) and artist (b. 1878)

1. Johannes
2. Jan
3. Cornelis
4. Hendrik
5. Willem
6. Pieter
7. Adrianus
8. Gerrit
9. Petrus
10. Robert
11. Jacobus
12. Jacob
13. Gerardus
14. Wilhelmus
15. Antonius
16. Arie

1. Maria
2. Johanna
3. Anna
4. Cornelia
5. Elisabeth
6. Wilhelmina
7. Hendrika
8. Catharina
9. Adriana
10. Petronella
11. Geertruida
12. Jacoba
13. Margaretha
14. Aaltje
15. Trijntje
16. Helena

• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from June 24, 1937 to July 25, 1939 the cabinet Colijn IV, with Dr. H. Colijn (ARP) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from July 25, 1939 to August 10, 1939 the cabinet Colijn V, with Dr. H. Colijn (ARP) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from August 10, 1939 to September 3, 1940 the cabinet De Geer II, with Jonkheer mr. D.J. de Geer (CHU) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 8.7 million citizens.
• March 1 » An Imperial Japanese Army ammunition dump explodes at Hirakata, Osaka, Japan, killing 94.
• May 23 » The U.S. Navy submarine USS Squalus sinks off the coast of New Hampshire during a test dive, causing the death of 24 sailors and two civilian technicians. The remaining 32 sailors and one civilian naval architect are rescued the following day.
• June 12 » Shooting begins on Paramount Pictures' Dr. Cyclops, the first horror film photographed in three-strip Technicolor.
• August 15 » Twenty-six Junkers Ju 87 bombers commanded by Walter Sigel meet unexpected ground fog during a dive-bombing demonstration for Luftwaffe generals at Neuhammer. Thirteen of them crash and burn.
• September 30 » NBC broadcasts the first televised American football game.
• October 8 » World War II: Germany annexes western Poland.

The temperature on December 21, 1939 was between -9.2 °C and -0.9 °C and averaged -4.7 °C. There was 0.1 mm of rain. There was 5.2 hours of sunshine (67%). The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the east-southeast.