About the day » Sunday April 21, 1940Calender converter

• Gerald Lee Sturgeon, Los Angeles, California († 2005)
• Bruce A. Meehan († 2000)
• Jakob (Jaap) Dokter, Nieuw-Weerdinge Emmen Drenthe Nederland († 2021)
• Jannie Naaijer, Nieuwegein († 1997)
• Adrianus LODEWIJKX, Bergen op Zoom, Noord-Brabant, NEDERLAND († 1997)
• Claude Narcis Alphons Marie BOSMAN, Brussel († 1997)
• Jannie NAAIJER, Nieuwegein Utrecht Netherlands († 1997)
• Eleonore Anna van Dijk, Haarlem, Utrecht, Nederland († 1981)
• Elizabeth ROBINSON, Luton, Bedfordshire († 1991)
• Clement Erna, Stevoort, België († 2023)

• Augusta Henrica Wilhelmina Zeegers (71), Monster, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Berendje Stemerdink (85), Rheden
• Catharina Petronella Bisschop (55), Franeker
• Berendje Stemerdink (85), Rheden
• Arthur DUPONT (42), Cambrin, 62200, Pas de Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
• Alida Jacoba Doorman (89), 's Gravenhage
• Antje van der Deure (80), Zwaag
• Antje SINGER (74), Avenhorn, Koggenland, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Arij Troost (82), Ziest
• Agatha van der Kolk (23), Becerwijk

• 1936 » James Dobson, American evangelist, psychologist, and author, founded Focus on the Family
• 1937 » Ben Zinn, Israeli-born American academic and former international soccer player
• 1937 » Gary Peters, American baseball player
• 1939 » John McCabe, English pianist and composer († 2015)
• 1939 » Reni Santoni, American actor
• 1939 » Sister Helen Prejean, American nun, activist, and author
• 1940 » Jacques Caron, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1940 » Souleymane Cissé, Malian director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1941 » David L. Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Oklahoma
• 1942 » Geoffrey Palmer, New Zealand politician, 33rd Prime Minister of New Zealand

• 1924 » Eleonora Duse, Italian actress (b. 1858)
• 1930 » Robert Bridges, English poet and author (b. 1844)
• 1932 » Friedrich Gustav Piffl, Bohemian cardinal (b. 1864)
• 1938 » Muhammad Iqbal, Indian-Pakistani philosopher and poet (b. 1877)
• 1941 » Fritz Manteuffel, German gymnast (b. 1875)
• 1945 » Walter Model, German field marshal (b. 1891)
• 1946 » John Maynard Keynes, English economist and philosopher (b. 1883)
• 1948 » Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (b. 1887)
• 1952 » Leslie Banks, American actor, director and producer (b. 1890)
• 1954 » Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (b. 1897)

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. Arie

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. Jacoba
14. Annie
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.
• February 16 » World War II: Altmark incident: The German tanker Altmark is boarded by sailors from the British destroyer HMSCossack. 299 British prisoners are freed.
• April 9 » Vidkun Quisling seizes power in Norway.
• May 10 » World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland.
• June 17 » World War II: RMSLancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster.
• July 3 » World War II: The Royal Navy attacks the French naval squadron in Algeria, to ensure that it will not fall under German control. Of the four French battleships present, one is sunk, two are damaged, and one escapes back to France.
• August 6 » Estonia is illegally annexed by the Soviet Union.

The temperature on April 21, 1940 was between 7.4 °C and 19.3 °C and averaged 13.2 °C. There was 12.6 hours of sunshine (88%). The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the south-southwest.