Historical Events
- Altmark Incident: Crew of the British destroyer "Cossack" board German "Altmark" in Jøssingfjord, Norway, releasing 299 British prisoners after hand-to-hand fighting with bayonets and the last recorded Royal Naval action with cutlass
Famous Birthdays
- Dennis Gamsy, South African cricket wicketkeeper (2 Tests, 5 dismissals; Natal), born in Glenwood, South Africa
- Gene Pitney, American vocalist and songwriter ("Town Without Pity"; "Hello Mary Lou"; "He's A Rebel"), born in Hartford, Connecticut (d. 2006)
- Vicente Fernández, Mexican Grammy Award-winning singer, known as "El Rey de la Música Ranchera" (The King of Ranchera Music), actor, and film producer, born in Huentitán El Alto, Jalisco, Mecico (d. 2021)
- Willi Holdorf, German athlete (Olympic gold, United Team of Germany, decathlon 1964), born in Blomesche Wildnis, Germany (d. 2020)
1940 Highlights
About February 17, 1940
Day of the Week: Saturday
How Long Ago? 82 years, 11 months and 18 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Dragon
Star Sign: Aquarius
