About the day » Thursday February 8, 1940Calender converter

• Berend Boeve, Ermelo, Gelderland, Nederland († 1941)
• Charles Ferdinand Graf III († 1940)
• Fay Leanne Riphagen, Sioux County, Iowa († 2019)
• Gerald L. Coryea, Malone, Franklin County, New York, United States of America († 2018)
• Henriette Engelbosch, Sint-Truiden, België († 2024)
• Hendrika Johanna Wesseldijk, Santpoort, Velsen, Noord-Holland, Nederland († 2011)
• Bernardus Muitjens, Maastricht,Gemeente Maastricht,Limburg,Nederland († 1940)
• Hendrik Gerhard Flierman († 2001)
• Alfred Edouard Pierre van de WALLE de GHELCKE, Kortrijk, 34022, West-Vlaanderen, Belgique († 2021)
• Albertinus Theodorus Engelen, Rotterdam Zuid-Holland Nederland († 2000)

• Aletta Christina Van Schuppen (82), Delft
• Alida Regina Bakker (31), Nunspeet, Ermelos
• Andrew Romanas Reith (67), Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, Verenigde Staten
• Alfred Herbert Carls (50), Kings, New York, Verenigde Staten
• Albert Stokreef (64), Eefde
• Aaltje Snoeij (63), Nieuw-Helvoet
• Albertus Hogeweij (83), Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Nederland
• Aafje Wallinga-Krol (60)
• Amanda Maria Camilla SEGERS (32), Knesselare,9910,Flandre Orientale,Flandre,BELGIQUE
• Albertus Hogeweij (83), Apeldoorn

• 1937 » Harry Wu, Chinese human rights activist († 2016)
• 1937 » Joe Raposo, American pianist and composer († 1989)
• 1939 » Jose Maria Sison, Filipino activist and theorist
• 1940 » Sophie Lihau-Kanza, Congolese politician († 1999)
• 1940 » Ted Koppel, English-American journalist
• 1941 » Jagjit Singh, Indian singer-songwriter († 2011)
• 1941 » Nick Nolte, American actor and producer
• 1941 » Tom Rush, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
• 1942 » Robert Klein, American comedian, actor, and singer
• 1942 » Terry Melcher, American singer-songwriter and producer († 2004)

• 1921 » George Formby Sr, English actor and singer (b. 1876)
• 1921 » Peter Kropotkin, Russian zoologist, geographer, and philologist (b. 1842)
• 1928 » Theodor Curtius, German chemist (b. 1857)
• 1932 » Yordan Milanov, Bulgarian architect, designed the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi Church (b. 1867)
• 1935 » Eemil Nestor Setälä, Finnish linguist and politician, Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs (b. 1864)
• 1936 » Charles Curtis, American lawyer and politician, 31st Vice President of the United States (b. 1860)
• 1945 » Italo Santelli, Italian fencer and coach (b. 1866)
• 1956 » Connie Mack, American baseball player and manager (b. 1862)
• 1957 » John von Neumann, Hungarian-American mathematician and physicist (b. 1903)
• 1957 » Walther Bothe, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1891)

• 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.
• March 3 » Five people are killed in an arson attack on the offices of the communist newspaper Flamman in Luleå, Sweden.
• 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.
• May 10 » World War II: Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. On the same day, Germany invades France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom occupies Iceland.
• June 8 » World War II: The completion of Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of Allied forces from Narvik at the end of the Norwegian Campaign.
• August 3 » World War II: Italian forces begin the invasion of British Somaliland.
• November 20 » World War II: Hungary becomes a signatory of the Tripartite Pact, officially joining the Axis powers.

The temperature on February 8, 1940 was between -1.9 °C and 4.8 °C and averaged 1.4 °C. There was 0.9 mm of rain during 3.2 hours. The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the north-northeast.