About the day » Monday January 8, 1940Calender converter

• Derk Franciscus Johannus Groeliker, Doesburg, 6981, Nederland († 1945)
• Alewijn Verboon, Vlaardingen, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands († 1941)
• Gérard Verkroost, Eindhoven († 2010)
• Anna van der Laak, Baarn († 2016)
• Frances Gloria BELLMAN († 1990)
• Agnès C. M. Budo, Heers, België († 2014)
• George van HEUMEN († 2013)
• Cas Kersten, Grubbenvorst,, Limburg, Nederland († 2003)
• Jacoba Coby Hummel († 2007)
• Aletta Harberdina Sonneveld, Schiedam († 2006)

• Anna Maria Janssen (79), Helmond
• Anna Petronella van Ravenstein (93), Nijmegen
• Adrianus Leonardus Jacobus Ammerlaan (76), Delft
• Anna Aria Nijgh (1), Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Baukje Dingelum Hoogma (72), Heeg
• Alvina BOLT (20), South Dakota
• Aloysius Van Raemdonck (67), Bazel
• Adriana Constance Maria Mallens (0), Breda, Noord-Brabant, Nederland
• Aafje Duijvenbode (72), Katwijk aan Zee
• Aaltje Glijnis (56), De Rijp

• 1938 » Bob Eubanks, American game show host and producer
• 1938 » Yevgeny Nesterenko, Russian opera singer and educator
• 1939 » Alan Wilson, English mathematician and academic
• 1939 » Carolina Herrera, Venezuelan-American fashion designer
• 1939 » Ruth Maleczech, American actress († 2013)
• 1940 » Cristy Lane, American country and gospel singer
• 1940 » Mark Bretscher, English biologist and academic
• 1941 » Graham Chapman, English actor and screenwriter († 1989)
• 1942 » Junichirō Koizumi, Japanese politician, 56th Prime Minister of Japan
• 1942 » Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author († 2018)

• 1934 » Alexandre Stavisky, Ukrainian-French financier (b. 1886)
• 1934 » Andrei Bely, Russian novelist, poet, and critic (b. 1880)
• 1935 » Rauf Yekta, Turkish musicologist and author (b. 1871)
• 1938 » Johnny Gruelle, American author and illustrator (b. 1880)
• 1941 » Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, English general (b. 1857)
• 1942 » Joseph Franklin Rutherford, American lawyer and religious leader (b. 1869)
• 1943 » Andres Larka, Estonian general and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of War (b. 1879)
• 1943 » Richard Hillary, Australian pilot and author (b. 1919)
• 1944 » William Kissam Vanderbilt II, American lieutenant and sailor (b. 1878)
• 1945 » Karl Ernst Krafft, Swiss astrologer and author (b. 1900)

• 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 10 » Cartoon characters Tom and Jerry make their debut with Puss Gets the Boot.
• May 9 » World War II: The German submarine U-9 sinks the French coastal submarine Doris near Den Helder.
• May 15 » Richard and Maurice McDonald open the first McDonald's restaurant.
• July 20 » Denmark leaves the League of Nations.
• September 29 » Two Avro Ansons collide in mid-air over New South Wales, Australia, remain locked together, then land safely.
• October 15 » President Lluís Companys of Catalonia is executed by the Francoist government.

The temperature on January 8, 1940 was between -4.7 °C and 0.8 °C and averaged -0.8 °C. There was 2.2 mm of rain during 2.5 hours. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east.