About the day » Wednesday May 8, 1940Calender converter

• Albert Bos († 2005)
• Lela Kathryne Hollingsworth, Knoxsville TX († 2013)
• Anneke DE VRIES, Ternaard (Westdongeradeel) Friesland Netherlands († 1970)
• Hein van der Post († 2000)
• Arie Veth, Papendrecht, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 2010)
• Joseph B Greis, Covington, Kenton, Kentucky, Verenigde Staten († 1977)
• Lammechien Bakker († 2022)
• Gerrit Schepers, Emmen, Nederland († 1948)
• Harald Metzer, Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Duitsland († 2005)
• LaVonne Elaine Bendt, Hardwick (Rock County) (Minnesota) († 2002)

• Alida Blommaert (83), Heemstede, Utrecht, Netherlands
• Abraham de Vries (66), Haarlem, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Sluiter, Christina Antoinetta (84), Rotterdam
• Albertus Wiltink (54), Erve de Nieuwe Achterhoek, Colmschate
• Adriana van der Linden (82), Houten
• Alexander Hirsch (67), Holocaust
• Alida Blommaert (83), Heemstede
• Bartha Mechelina van Grieken (59), Gorinchem
• Adriana van der Linden (82), Houten
• Huijsing (69)

• 1939 » Paul Drayton, American sprinter († 2010)
• 1940 » Emilio Delgado, Mexican-American actor, "Sesame Street"
• 1940 » Irwin Cotler, Canadian lawyer and politician, 47th Canadian Minister of Justice
• 1940 » James Blyth, Baron Blyth of Rowington, English businessman and academic
• 1940 » Peter Benchley, American author and screenwriter († 2006)
• 1940 » Ricky Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor († 1985)
• 1940 » Toni Tennille, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
• 1941 » Bill Lockyer, American academic and politician, 30th Attorney General of California
• 1941 » James Traficant, American lawyer and politician († 2014)
• 1941 » John Fred, American singer-songwriter († 2005)

• 1936 » Oswald Spengler, German historian and philosopher (b. 1880)
• 1941 » Natalie, queen consort of Serbia (b. 1859)
• 1941 » Tore Svennberg, Swedish actor and director (b. 1858)
• 1942 » Nikolai Reek, Estonian general and politician, 11th Estonian Minister of War (b. 1890)
• 1943 » Mordechai Anielewicz, Polish commander (b. 1919)
• 1944 » Themistoklis Diakidis, Greek high jumper (b. 1882)
• 1945 » Bernhard Rust, German lieutenant and politician (b. 1883)
• 1945 » Frank Bourne, British soldier, last survivor of the Battle of Rorke's Drift (b. 1854)
• 1945 » Josef Terboven, German lieutenant and politician (b. 1898)
• 1945 » Wilhelm Rediess, German SS officer (b. 1900)

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

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

• 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 August 10, 1939 to September 3, 1940 the cabinet De Geer II, with Jonkheer mr. D.J. de Geer (CHU) as prime minister.
• In The Netherlands , there was from September 3, 1940 to July 27, 1941 the cabinet Gerbrandy I, with Prof. dr. P.S. Gerbrandy (ARP) as prime minister.
• The Netherlands had about 8.8 million citizens.
• January 19 » You Nazty Spy!, the first Hollywood film of any kind to satirize Adolf Hitler and the Nazis premieres, starring The Three Stooges, with Moe Howard as the character "Moe Hailstone" satirizing Hitler.
• June 12 » World War II: Thirteen thousand British and French troops surrender to Major General Erwin Rommel at Saint-Valery-en-Caux.
• August 5 » World War II: The Soviet Union formally annexes Latvia.
• September 9 » George Stibitz pioneers the first remote operation of a computer.
• September 16 » World War II: Italian troops conquer Sidi Barrani.
• October 17 » The body of Communist propagandist Willi Münzenberg found in South France, starting a never-resolved mystery.

The temperature on May 8, 1940 was between 7.7 °C and 14.6 °C and averaged 10.9 °C. There was 5.4 hours of sunshine (35%). The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the north-northeast.