About the day » Friday May 31, 1940Calender converter

• Agnes Adele Nilkens, Straelen, Deutschland († 2010)
• Carol Nap, Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Verenigde Staten († 2000)
• Mina van Ark, Harderwijk († 2006)
• Patrick James Benjamin Pool, Amsterdam Holland, The Netherlands († 1942)
• Pieter van Kooten, Ridderkerk, Nederland († 1986)
• Nancy Jeanette GRAY († 2009)
• Johannes Cornelis van den Aakster, Schagen († 2006)
• Geradus Mathilda Antonius (Gerrit) van der Mark, Heerlen Nederland († 2013)
• Anthony Roy (Tony) COOPER († 1993)
• Jerry Mac Emerson († 2019)

• Antonius KLOEK (77), Berendrecht, Antwerpen, Belgie
• Arthur Herbert Busch (57), Rangiora, Canterbury, New Zealand
• Antonia Adriana van Beek (85), Alkmaar
• Anskje de Boer (74), Sneek
• Andries LOUWERSE (73), Zoutelande
• Anna BOONSTRA (60), Niebert Groningen Netherlands
• Adrianus de Waard (18), Rotterdam
• Aletta Johanna De Villiers (71), Cape, South Africa
• Adriana Jacobs Gesink (54), Voorschoten
• Alexander Hendrik Cornelis Heijlen (32), 's-Gravenzande, Zuid-Holland, Nederland

• 1938 » John Prescott, British sailor and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• 1938 » Johnny Paycheck, American singer-songwriter and guitarist († 2003)
• 1938 » Peter Yarrow, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1939 » Terry Waite, English humanitarian and author
• 1940 » Anatoliy Bondarchuk, Ukrainian hammer thrower and coach
• 1940 » Augie Meyers, American musician and singer-songwriter
• 1940 » Gilbert Shelton, American illustrator
• 1941 » June Clark, Welsh nurse and educator
• 1941 » Louis Ignarro, American pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1941 » William Nordhaus, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

• 1931 » Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1866)
• 1931 » Willy Stöwer, German author and illustrator (b. 1864)
• 1945 » Odilo Globocnik, Italian-Austrian SS officer (b. 1904)
• 1954 » Antonis Benakis, Greek art collector and philanthropist, founded the Benaki Museum (b. 1873)
• 1957 » Leopold Staff, Polish poet and academic (b. 1878)
• 1957 » Stefanos Sarafis, Greek general and politician (b. 1890)
• 1960 » Walther Funk, German economist, journalist, and politician, German Minister of Economics (b. 1890)
• 1960 » Willem Elsschot, Flemish author and poet (b. 1882)
• 1962 » Henry F. Ashurst, American lawyer and politician (b. 1874)
• 1967 » Billy Strayhorn, American pianist and composer (b. 1915)

1. Jan
2. Johannes
3. Cornelis
4. Hendrik
5. Willem
6. Gerrit
7. Pieter
8. Jacob
9. Adrianus
10. Robert
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. Jacoba
13. Annie
14. Margaretha
15. Marie
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 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 29 » Finland initiates Winter War peace negotiations.
• June 17 » The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
• June 23 » Adolf Hitler goes on a three-hour tour of the architecture of Paris with architect Albert Speer and sculptor Arno Breker in his only visit to the city.
• July 19 » World War II: Army order 112 forms the Intelligence Corps of the British Army.
• October 7 » World War II: The McCollum memo proposes bringing the United States into the war in Europe by provoking the Japanese to attack the United States.
• November 14 » World War II: In England, Coventry is heavily bombed by German Luftwaffe bombers. Coventry Cathedral is almost completely destroyed.

The temperature on May 31, 1940 was between 6.7 °C and 17.7 °C and averaged 12.0 °C. There was 0.4 mm of rain during 0.3 hours. There was 3.3 hours of sunshine (20%). The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the northwest.