About the day » Saturday August 17, 1940Calender converter

• Nn Dohmen, Kerkrade, Gemeente Kerkrade, Limburg, Nederland († 1940)
• Hubertus Adrianus Maria van Ostaden, Goirle († 2012)
• Ali van der Zwaag († 1975)
• Antje Jenema, Urk († 1998)
• Nn Wevers, Losser († 1940)
• Niesjen Johanna Bakker († 2003)
• Hermina Gerritdina Kiers, Dalen, Drenthe, Nederland († 1992)
• Enrique Bustamantes
• Firmin Lambert Menten, Hoeselt, België († 1997)
• Karel Johannes Cornelis Tabak, Hilversum(NH) († 2005)

• Adriaantje Lodder (82), Pernis
• Anna Christina Margaretha Lepelaars (47), Tilburg
• Cornelia VAN 'T WESTENDE (57), Goes, Zeeland, Nederland
• Adriana Petronella SMITH (92), Maassluis, Zuid Holland, Netherlands
• Albert Berend Brouwer (67), Deventer
• Cornelia Hendrica van Gaal (79), Wanroij
• Anna Christina Margaretha Lepelaers (47), Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Catharina Poortvliet (75), 's-Gravenpolder
• Alle Hylkes Tadema (57), Kooten, Achtkarspelen, Friesland, Nederland
• Berend van de Hel (82), Apeldoorn,, Gelderland, Nederland

• 1938 » Theodoros Pangalos, Greek lawyer and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Greece
• 1939 » Luther Allison, American blues guitarist and singer († 1997)
• 1940 » Barry Sheerman, English academic and politician
• 1940 » Eduardo Mignogna, Argentinian director and screenwriter († 2006)
• 1941 » Jean Pierre Lefebvre, Canadian director and screenwriter
• 1941 » Lothar Bisky, German businessman and politician († 2013)
• 1942 » Shane Porteous, Australian actor, animator, and screenwriter
• 1943 » Edward Cowie, English composer, painter, and author
• 1943 » John Humphrys, Welsh journalist and author
• 1943 » Robert De Niro, American actor, entrepreneur, director, and producer

• 1920 » Ray Chapman, American baseball player (b. 1891)
• 1924 » Tom Kendall, English-Australian cricketer and journalist (b. 1851)
• 1925 » Ioan Slavici, Romanian journalist and author (b. 1848)
• 1935 » Adam Gunn, American decathlete (b. 1872)
• 1935 » Charlotte Perkins Gilman, American sociologist and author (b. 1860)
• 1936 » José María of Manila, Spanish-Filipino priest and martyr (b. 1880)
• 1940 » Billy Fiske, American soldier and pilot (b. 1911)
• 1945 » Reidar Haaland, Norwegian police officer and soldier (b. 1919)
• 1949 » Gregorio Perfecto, Filipino journalist, jurist, and politician (b. 1891)
• 1958 » Arthur Fox, English-American fencer (b. 1878)

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.
• January 7 » Winter War: Battle of Raate Road - The Finnish 9th Division finally defeat the numerically superior Soviet forces on the Raate-Suomussalmi road.
• March 5 » Six high-ranking members of Soviet politburo, including Joseph Stalin, sign an order for the execution of 25,700 Polish intelligentsia, including 14,700 Polish POWs, in what will become known as the Katyn massacre.
• June 24 » World War II: Operation Collar, the first British Commando raid on occupied France, by No11 Independent Company.
• July 23 » The United States' Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles issues a declaration on the U.S. non-recognition policy of the Soviet annexation and incorporation of three Baltic states: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
• August 25 » World War II: The first Bombing of Berlin by the British Royal Air Force.
• September 27 » World War II: The Tripartite Pact is signed in Berlin by Germany, Japan and Italy.

The temperature on August 17, 1940 was between 8.6 °C and 19.4 °C and averaged 14.7 °C. There was 1.3 hours of sunshine (9%). The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the west.