Historical Events in August 1940

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Aug 2 Clermont-Ferrand sentences General Charles de Gaulle to death

French President Charles de Gaulle
French President
Charles de Gaulle
  • Aug 2 KL-House of saxon & commandos focus on Gross Rosen, Silesia
  • Aug 3 German occupiers forbid ritual slaughters & English & French movies
  • Aug 3 Italian troops invade British Somalia
  • Aug 3 Lithuanian SSR is accepted into USSR
  • Aug 3 Seaplane Clare makes 1st British passenger flight to the US
  • Aug 5 "Acquaintance" blows-up Zandvoortse synagouge
  • Aug 5 St Louis Brown's pitcher John Whitehead no-hits Detroit Tigers, 4-0 in 6 innings (rain shortened)
  • Aug 6 Estonia is annexed into Soviet empire
  • Aug 7 Churchill recognizes De Gaulle's French government in exile
  • Aug 7 Largest amount paid for a stamp ($45,000 for 1 1856 British Guiana)
  • Aug 7 Alsace Lorraine is annexed by the Third Reich (Germany) during World War II
  • Aug 8 31 German aircraft shot down over England

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Aug 8 The "Aufbau Ost" directive is signed by Wilhelm Keitel.

German WWII General Wilhelm Keitel
German WWII General
Wilhelm Keitel
  • Aug 10 Prince Bernhard Fund forms
  • Aug 11 38 German aircraft shot down over England

  • Aug 11 German air raid on British ports Portland and Weymouth
  • Aug 12 Luftwaffe bombs British radar stations, loses 31 aircraft
  • Aug 12 Netherlands starts rationing textiles

BattleBattle of Interest

Aug 13 Hermann Goering's "Adler Tag" (Eagle day); 45-48 German aircraft shot down over Southern England (Battle of Britain)

Nazi Politician Hermann Goering
Nazi Politician
Hermann Goering
  • Aug 14 Dutch Premier De Geer vacations in Switzerland
  • Aug 15 1st edition of Jewish Weekly newspaper in Amsterdam (under Nazis)
  • Aug 15 Heavy dogfights above England: 75 German aircraft damaged
  • Aug 16 45 German aircrafts shot down over England

AgreementAgreement of Interest

Aug 17 FDR & Canadian PM William M King agree to joint defense commission

32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt
32nd US President
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Aug 17 Adolf Hitler orders a total blockade of Great Britain

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler
Dictator of Nazi Germany
Adolf Hitler
  • Aug 18 Battle of Britain - 'The hardest day" Luftwaffe lose 69 aircraft, the RAF 68 in largest ever air battle
  • Aug 20 1st Polish squadrons fight along allies in the Battle of Britain

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Aug 20 British PM Churchill says of Royal Air Force, "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"

Soldier, Author and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Soldier, Author and British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill

MurderMurder of Interest

Aug 20 Louis Buchalter is indicted on murder charges in Los Angeles for the killing of Harry Greenberg, a mob associate of casino owner Meyer Lansky and mobster Bugsy Siegel

Mobster Louis Buchalter
Mobster
Louis Buchalter
Mobster Meyer Lansky
Mobster
Meyer Lansky
Mobster Bugsy Siegel
Mobster
Bugsy Siegel
  • Aug 23 German Luftwaffe begins night bombing on London
  • Aug 23 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands dismisses premier De Geer
  • Aug 24 Luftwaffe bombs London

Event of interestEvent of Interest

Aug 24 Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams pitches the last 2 innings in a 12-1 loss to Detroit Tigers, Williams allows 3 hits & 1 run

Baseball Player Ted Williams
Baseball Player
Ted Williams
  • Aug 25 First British night bombing of Germany (Berlin)
  • Aug 25 Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia incorporated into Soviet Union
  • Aug 26 RKC soccer team forms in Waalwijk
  • Aug 26 Chad is the first French colony to join the Allies under the administration of Félix Éboué, France's first black colonial governor.
  • Aug 27 Caproni-Campini CC-2, experimental jet plane, maiden flight (Milan)
  • Aug 28 French colonies Cameroon/Congo-Brazzaville support Gen De Gaulle
  • Aug 29 7th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Green Bay 45, All-Stars 28 (84,567)
  • Aug 31 1st edition of illegal opposition newspaper Free Netherlands
  • Aug 31 RAF Fighter Command loses 39 aircraft against Luftwaffe's 41
  • Aug 31 German occupiers in Netherlands begin soap rationing
  • Aug 31 US National Guard assembles