About the day » Tuesday December 31, 1940Calender converter

• Leendert Pieter Tempelaar, Zwijndrecht, Zuid Holland, Nederland († 1996)
• Gloria D. JONES, Johnstown, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Verenigde Staten († 1973)
• James Goodwin Anspach, Flint, Genesee, Michigan, United States († 2020)
• Helena Hendrika Theodora Echtermeijer, Enschede († 2022)
• Johannes Rudolphus Bernardus Banus-, Onstwedde, Nederland († 1941)
• Evert Roel de Haan, Groningen († 2017)
• Nn Jonker, Hoogeveen († 1940)
• Emily Churchill Willis, Culpeper, Virginia († 1990)
• Anne Floryce Oostendorp, Michigan, Verenigde Staten († 2007)
• Jan van Vliet, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Nederland († 1941)

• (67), Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands
• Aaltje Koopman (78), Groningen
• Walschap (0), Bornem
• Adriana Hoogendoorn (57), Oudewater
• Aaltje Koopman (78), Groningen
• Anna Lindeman (77), Vreeswijk, Utrecht, Netherlands
• ALPHONSE Jean Joseph DE VOGHEL (75), Hal (Halle) (Brabant flamand-B)
• Anna Schipper (67), Warmenhuizen
• Anna Maria de Grijs (12), Hoogeveen
• Akke Reins de Boer (72), Woudsend (WYM), Wymbritseradiel, Friesland, Nederland

• 1937 » Anthony Hopkins, Welsh actor, director, and composer
• 1937 » Avram Hershko, Hungarian-Israeli biochemist and physician, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1937 » Barry Hughes, Welsh footballer and manager († 2019)
• 1938 » Atje Keulen-Deelstra, Dutch speed skater († 2013)
• 1938 » Rosalind Cash, American singer and actress († 1995)
• 1939 » Willye White, American sprinter and long jumper († 2007)
• 1940 » Mani Neumeier, German drummer
• 1941 » Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager
• 1941 » Sarah Miles, English actress
• 1942 » Andy Summers, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer

• 1921 » Boies Penrose, American lawyer and politician (b. 1860)
• 1936 » Miguel de Unamuno, Spanish philosopher, author, and poet (b. 1864)
• 1948 » Malcolm Campbell, English racing driver and journalist (b. 1885)
• 1949 » Rıza Tevfik Bölükbaşı, Turkish philosopher, poet, and politician (b. 1869)
• 1949 » Raimond Valgre, Estonian pianist and composer (b. 1913)
• 1950 » Charles Koechlin, French composer and educator (b. 1867)
• 1951 » Murtaza Hasan Chandpuri, Indian Muslim scholar (b. 1868)
• 1953 » Albert Plesman, Dutch businessman, founded KLM (b. 1889)
• 1964 » Ólafur Thors, Icelandic lawyer and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Iceland (b. 1892)
• 1964 » Bobby Byrne, American baseball and soccer player (b. 1884)

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.
• July 6 » Story Bridge, a major landmark in Brisbane, as well as Australia's longest cantilever bridge is formally opened.
• August 8 » The "Aufbau Ost" directive is signed by Wilhelm Keitel.
• August 19 » First flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber.
• August 20 » World War II: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill makes the fourth of his famous wartime speeches, containing the line "Never was so much owed by so many to so few".
• August 26 » Chad becomes the first French colony to join the Allies under the administration of Félix Éboué, France's first black colonial governor.
• September 6 » King Carol II of Romania abdicates and is succeeded by his son Michael. General Ion Antonescu becomes the Conducător of Romania.

The temperature on December 31, 1940 was between -2.0 °C and 2.4 °C and averaged 0.5 °C. There was 4.7 mm of rain during 5.3 hours. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the northeast.