About the day » Saturday January 20, 1940Calender converter

• Helena Johanna Carolina (Lenie) van Os, Zwartemeer (Emmen) († 1971)
• Colleen Faye Brunsting, Sheldon, O'Brien County, Iowa († 2007)
• Gerrit Jan van Londen, Ophemert († 2000)
• Christianus Bartholomeus Rovers, Breda, Noord-Brabant, Nederland († 2000)
• Albert Rademaker, Annen († 2003)
• Cornelia Ida Leautaud, Geldrop († 1940)
• Gesina Aafke Spoelder
• Geert Mathijssen († 1992)
• Hendrik Westhuis († 2019)
• Cornelis Reinier Joannes Maria de Wit, Vlijmen († 1979)

• Alfred Jackson (64), Fonda, Pocahontas, Iowa, Verenigde Staten
• Aagje Willemsdr Barendregt (99), Leiderdorp, Nederland
• Alice E. Arnold (48), Rockcastle County, Kentucky, Verenigde Staten
• Aaron Tooze (86), Tiverton, Devon, England
• Anthonius Franciscus van Doorn (28)
• Aart van Geijtenbeek (43), Leersum
• Adrianus Bernardus Marie Elling (34), den Helder, Noord-Holland, Nederland
• Akke Symens Nieuwenhuis (70), Bergum
• Alijdus Johannes Kloek (81), Vianen, Utrecht, NL
• * Antonia Klappers (65), Helvoirt

• 1937 » Bailey Howell, American basketball player
• 1938 » Derek Dougan, Irish-English footballer and journalist († 2007)
• 1939 » Chandra Wickramasinghe, Sri Lankan-English mathematician, astronomer, and biologist
• 1939 » Paul Coverdell, American captain and politician († 2000)
• 1940 » Carol Heiss, American figure skater and actress
• 1940 » Krishnam Raju, Indian actor and politician
• 1940 » Mandé Sidibé, Malian economist and politician, Prime Minister of Mali († 2009)
• 1942 » Linda Moulton Howe, American journalist and producer
• 1944 » Farhad Mehrad, Iranian singer-songwriter and guitarist († 2002)
• 1944 » José Luis Garci, Spanish director and producer

• 1921 » Mary Watson Whitney, American astronomer and academic (b. 1847)
• 1924 » Henry "Ivo" Crapp, Australian footballer and umpire (b. 1872)
• 1936 » George V of the United Kingdom (b. 1865)
• 1940 » Omar Bundy, American general (b. 1861)
• 1944 » James McKeen Cattell, American psychologist and academic (b. 1860)
• 1947 » Andrew Volstead, American member of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1860)
• 1947 » Josh Gibson, American baseball player (b. 1911)
• 1954 » Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (b. 1890)
• 1954 » Warren Bardsley, Australian cricketer (b. 1882)
• 1955 » Robert P. T. Coffin, American author and poet (b. 1892)

• 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 28 » Basketball is televised for the first time (Fordham University vs. the University of Pittsburgh in Madison Square Garden).
• May 6 » John Steinbeck is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Grapes of Wrath.
• June 23 » Henry Larsen begins the first successful west-to-east navigation of Northwest Passage from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
• July 20 » California opens its first freeway, the Arroyo Seco Parkway.
• October 25 » Benjamin O. Davis Sr. is named the first African American general in the United States Army.
• October 28 » Second World War: Greece rejects Italy's ultimatum. Italy invades Greece through Albania a few hours later.

The temperature on January 20, 1940 was between -16.2 °C and -3.9 °C and averaged -8.1 °C. There was 1.0 mm of rain during 5.6 hours. The average windspeed was 4 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the north-northeast.