About the day » Tuesday January 2, 1940Calender converter

• Jan Cornelis Simonsz Blok, EaZ († 1987)
• Corstiaantje Jacoba Wagter, Katwijk, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1944)
• Jacoba Catharina Wassenaar, 's-Gravenhage († 2003)
• Edward John Sparks († 1998)
• Jan, Cornelis, Simonsz Blok, EaZ († 1987)
• Bastiaan Pieter van der VINDE († 1965)
• Geert Gosink, Emmen († 1940)
• Aleidia Cornelia Noorlander, Krimpen aan de IJssel († 1997)
• Adrianus Franciscus Groenewegen, Delfgauw († 1963)
• Alfred Jacob - Fred van Zaanen, Amsterdam († 2024)

• aart de JONG (78), dordrecht
• Anna Elizabeth Mcmillan (80), Hughes Springs, Cass, Texas, United States
• * Martina den Besten (66), Nieuwland
• Anna Maria Hendrika Margaretha van Gendt (68), Olst
• Antonius Johannes Vredeveld (68), Nijmegen
• Eevers (0)
• Anthonie Gerardus Bernardus Beemsterboer (42), Alkmaar
• Albert Charles WALKER (66), 757 Adelaide Road, Leyton, Essex
• Antje van der Laan (79), Veendam
• Andreas Kamphuis (79), Groningen

• 1936 » Roger Miller, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor († 1992)
• 1938 » David Bailey, English photographer and painter
• 1938 » Lynn Conway, American computer scientist and electrical engineer
• 1938 » Robert Smithson, American sculptor and photographer († 1973)
• 1940 » Jim Bakker, American televangelist
• 1940 » Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Saudi Arabian economist and politician, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs († 2015)
• 1942 » Dennis Hastert, American educator and politician, 59th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
• 1942 » Thomas Hammarberg, Swedish lawyer and diplomat
• 1943 » Janet Akyüz Mattei, Turkish-American astronomer († 2004)
• 1944 » Charlie Davis, Trinidadian cricketer

• 1917 » Léon Flameng, French cyclist (b. 1877)
• 1920 » Paul Adam, French author (b. 1862)
• 1924 » Sabine Baring-Gould, English author and scholar (b. 1834)
• 1939 » Roman Dmowski, Polish politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)
• 1941 » Mischa Levitzki, Russian-American pianist and composer (b. 1898)
• 1946 » Joe Darling, Australian cricketer and politician (b. 1870)
• 1950 » James Dooley, Irish-Australian politician, 21st Premier of New South Wales (b. 1877)
• 1951 » William Campion, English colonel and politician, 21st Governor of Western Australia (b. 1870)
• 1953 » Guccio Gucci, Italian businessman and fashion designer, founder of Gucci (b. 1881)
• 1960 » Paul Sauvé, Canadian lawyer and politician, 17th Premier of Quebec (b. 1907)

• 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 7 » The second full-length animated Walt Disney film, Pinocchio, premieres.
• June 3 » World War II: The Luftwaffe bombs Paris.
• September 6 » King Carol II of Romania abdicates and is succeeded by his son Michael. General Ion Antonescu becomes the Conducător of Romania.
• November 11 » World War II: In the Battle of Taranto, the Royal Navy launches the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history.
• November 27 » In Romania, the ruling Iron Guard fascist party assassinates over 60 of arrested King Carol II of Romania's aides and other political dissidents.
• December 29 » World War II: In the Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombs London, England, killing almost 200 civilians.

The temperature on January 2, 1940 was between -11.2 °C and -4.8 °C and averaged -8.6 °C. There was 6.0 hours of sunshine (77%). The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the east-southeast.