What Happened in December 1940

Historical Events

Event of Interest

Dec 11 Russian general Georgy Zhukov warns of German assault

Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov — Marshal of the Soviet Union
Georgy Zhukov

Dec 12 British troops conquer Sidi el-Barrani
Dec 16 British air raid on Mannheim

Boxing Title Fight

Dec 16 Joe Louis KOs Al McCoy in 6 for heavyweight boxing title in Chicago

Boxer and World Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis — Boxer and World Heavyweight Champion
Joe Louis

Dec 17 British troops occupy Sollum, Egypt

Event of Interest

Dec 20 Connie Mack acquires controlling interest in the Athletics for $42,000

Baseball Legend Connie Mack — Baseball Legend
Connie Mack

Dec 22 World War II: Himarë is captured by the Greek army.
Dec 23 John Van Druten's "Old Acquaintance" premieres in NYC

Event of Interest

Dec 25 Bradman out 1st ball for South Australia v Victoria before 6213

Cricket Legend Donald Bradman — Cricket Legend
Donald Bradman

Dec 25 Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Harts "Pal Joey" premieres in NYC
Dec 26 1st-class cricket debut of Arthur Morris, who scores 148
Dec 26 JA Fields/J Chodorov's "My Sister Eileen," premieres in NYC

Film Release

Dec 26 "The Philadelphia Story" film directed by George Cukor, based on the Broadway play of the same name and starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, is released (Academy Awards Best Actor 1941)

Actress Katharine Hepburn — Actress
Katharine Hepburn

Dec 28 Cricketer Arthur Morris scores 111 in 2nd innings of 1st game after 148
Dec 29 Germany drops its 1st incendiary bombs on London during the Blitz
Dec 29 NFL Pro Bowl: Chicago Bears beats NFL All-Stars 28-14
Dec 30 California's 1st freeway, (Arroyo Seco Parkway), opens

Famous Birthdays

Dec 1 Matthias Habich, actor (Straight to the Heart, A Corps Perdu)
Dec 1 Mike Denness, cricketer (England batsman & captain mid-70s), (d. 2013)

Richard Pryor

Dec 1 Richard Pryor, American comedian and actor (Lady Sings the Blues, Stir Crazy), born in Peoria, Illinois (d. 2005)

Dec 1 Ron Finn, NHL linesman, born in Toronto, Ontario
Dec 2 Gerry Cheevers, NHL goalie (Bruin, longest undefeated streak-32 games)
Dec 2 Willie Brown, NFL defensive back (Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders)
Dec 2 Constance "Connie" Booth, American writer, actress, comedienne and psychotherapist (Fawlty Towers, Monty Python and the Holy Grail), born in Indianapolis, Indiana
Dec 3 Jeffrey R. Holland, American religious leader
Dec 4 Freddy Cannon, American rocker (Palisades Park), born in Revere, Massachusetts
Dec 4 Gary Gilmore, American murderer, born in McCamey, Texas (d. 1977)
Dec 5 Boris Ignatyev, Russian footballer and manager, born in Moscow
Dec 5 Peter Pohl, Swedish writer, born in Hamburg, Germany
Dec 5 Adrian Street, Welsh professional wrestler, born in Brynmawr, Brecknockshire, Wales
Dec 6 Steve Alaimo, rocker (Mashed Potatoes), born in Rochester, New York
Dec 6 Lawrence Bergman, Quebec politician
Dec 7 Kumar Shahani, Indian writer and director (Kasbam Tarang, Maya Darpan), born in Larkana, Sindh
Dec 7 Stan Boardman, English comedian, born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Dec 8 Jenny Linden, English actress (Hedda, Dr Who & the Daleks)
Dec 8 Brant Alyea, American baseball player
Dec 9 Sammy Strain, US singer (Imperials-Hurt So Bad)
Dec 10 William Fred Dempster, crew member (Biosphere 2), born in Berkeley, California
Dec 11 Donna Mills, American actress (Knots Landing, Incident), born in Chicago, Illinois
Dec 12 Dionne Warwick, singer (Solid Gold, Way to San Jose), born in East Orange, New Jersey
Dec 12 Shirley Englehorn, LPGA golfer
Dec 12 Sharad Pawar, Indian politician
Dec 13 Edith Clever, Wuppertal Germany, actress (Parsifal, L'Adolescente)
Dec 13 Steve Harmon, American actor (Ens Pulver-Mr Roberts), born in Brooklyn, New York
Dec 14 Lex Gold, Scottish football administrator
Dec 15 Nick Buoniconti, NFL linebacker (Miami Dolphins)/sportscaster (NBC)
Dec 16 Dimitri van Toren, Dutch vocalist/composer
Dec 17 Kåre Valebrokk, Norwegian journalist
Dec 18 Arnold Long, cricketer (prolific wicketkeeper for Surrey & Sussex)
Dec 18 Bramwell Morrison, member of Sharon, Lois & Bram
Dec 19 Phil Ochs, anti-war folk singer (Joe Hill, War is Over), born in El Paso, Texas
Dec 20 Larry Willis, rock keyboardist (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
Dec 21 Frank Zappa, American rocker, composer, activist and filmmaker (Mothers of Invention, Catholic Girls), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 1993)
Dec 21 Paul, [Ray Hildebrand], Tx, singer (Hey Paula)
Dec 23 Eugene Record, US singer (Chi Lites-Give it Away)
Dec 23 Jorma Kaukonen, rock guitarist (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna), born in Washington, D.C.
Dec 23 Robert Labine, French-Canadian politician
Dec 24 Anthony Fauci, US health official
Dec 24 Paul Tagliabue, NFL commissioner (1989- )
Dec 24 Sharon Farrell, Sioux City, Iowa, American actress (Lori-Hawaii 5-0, Young & Restless)
Dec 25 Frans Moor, Dutch politician (PvdA)
Dec 25 Peter Brown, rocker, born in Chicago, Illinois
Dec 25 Pete Brown, English musician and songwriter (Cream), born in Ashtead, Surrey
Dec 26 Harmen Siezen, Dutch TV-journal host
Dec 26 Edward C. Prescott, American economist, Nobel laureate
Dec 26 Ray Sadecki, American MLB player (St. Louis Cardinals), born in Kansas City, KS, (d. 2014)
Dec 27 Jerry Lambert, jockey (rode Native Diver)
Dec 28 Alvin Singleton, American composer, born in New York City
Dec 28 Lonnie Liston Smith, US jazz performer (Cosmic Echoes, Magic Lady)
Dec 29 Brigitte Kronauer, German author (The Scheik of Aachen), born in Essen, Germany
Dec 29 Peter Koelewijn, Dutch writer/vocalist (Come off that Roof)
Dec 30 Fred Hansen, American pole vaulter (Olympic gold 1964), born in Cuero, Texas
Dec 30 James Burrows, TV producer and director (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers)
Dec 31 Oleg Anatolyevich Yakovlev, Russian cosmonaut
Dec 31 Mani Neumeier, German musician (Guru Guru), born in Munich, Germany

Famous Weddings

Wedding of Interest

Dec 3 Nobel Prize winning author Albert Camus (27) weds pianist and mathematician Francine Faure (25) in Lyon, France

Wedding of Interest

Dec 7 Mexican painters Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo remarry in San Francisco (divorced 1939)

Painter Diego Rivera — Painter
Diego Rivera

Painter Frida Kahlo — Painter
Frida Kahlo

Wedding of Interest

Dec 31 Actress Bette Davis (32) weds New England innkeeper Arthur Farnsworth at 15,000-acre ranch in Lake Montezuma, Arizona

Famous Deaths

Dec 5 Jan Kubelik, Czech composer, dies at 60
Dec 5 Mordechai Frizis, Jewish Greek military officer (b. 1893)
Dec 5 Wilfred Lucas, Canadian actor (Pardon Us, Chump at Oxford), dies at 69
Dec 6 Charlie Hime, cricketer (one Test for South Africa 1895), dies
Dec 8 George Exton Lloyd, Anglican Bishop and theologian (b. 1861)
Dec 9 Maletti, Italian general, dies in battle
Dec 13 Dusty Tapscott, cricket (bro of Doodles, 4&1 in only S Af Test), dies
Dec 13 George Macaulay, cricketer (took 24 wkts in 8 Tests, Eng 22-33), dies
Dec 13 Jacques-Arsène d'Arsonval, French physicist and inventor of the moving-coil D'Arsonval galvanometer, dies at 89
Dec 13 George Regas, Greek actor (The Mark of Zorro), dies at 50
Dec 16 M Eugene F T Dubois, geologist/paleontologist (Wadjakmens), dies
Dec 16 William Wallace, Scottish composer, dies at 80
Dec 16 Billy Hamilton, American baseball player (b. 1866)
Dec 17 Alicia Boole Stott, Irish mathematician, dies at 80

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Dec 21 F. Scott Fitzgerald, American author (Great Gatsby, Zelda), dies of a heart attack at 44

Dec 22 Nathanael West, [Weinstein], American writer (Cool Million), dies at 37
Dec 25 Agnes Ayres [Hinkle], American actress (Sheik, Souls at Sea), dies at 42
Dec 30 Fritz Volbach, composer, dies at 79

1939
On This Day
1941