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In the year 1940
444 Notable deaths
Leon Trotsky
Russian marxist revolutionary (1879–1940).
Born November 7th, 1879 in Bereslavka. [ref]
Died August 21st, 1940 at 60 years old in Coyoacán (cerebral hemorrhage). [ref]
Robert Wadlow
American who was the tallest recorded person in history.
Born February 22nd, 1918 in Alton.
Died July 15th, 1940 at 22 years old in Manistee (sepsis).
F. Scott Fitzgerald
American writer (1896–1940).
Born September 24th, 1896 in Saint Paul. [ref]
Died December 21st, 1940 at 44 years old in Hollywood (myocardial infarction). [ref]
Neville Chamberlain
Prime minister of the united kingdom from 1937 to 1940.
Born March 18th, 1869 in Birmingham.
Died November 9th, 1940 at 71 years old in Reading (colorectal cancer).
Marcus Gavrey
Jamaica-born british political activist, pan-africanist, orator, and entrepreneur (1887-1940).
Born August 17th, 1887 in Saint Ann's Bay. [ref]
Died June 10th, 1940 at 52 years old in West Kensington (stroke). [ref]
Udham Singh
Indian revolutionary (1899-1940).
Born December 26th, 1899 in Sunam.
Died July 31st, 1940 at 40 years old in HM Prison Pentonville (hanging to death).
Emma Goldman
Russian anarchist.
Born June 27th, 1869 in Kaunas.
Died May 14th, 1940 at 70 years old in Toronto (stroke).
J. J. Thomson
British physicist (1856-1940).
Born December 18th, 1856 in Cheetham Hill.
Died August 30th, 1940 at 83 years old in Cambridge.
Smedley Butler
United states marine corps general, two time medal of honor recipient, activist, lecturer, official, and writer (1881-1940).
Born July 30th, 1881 in West Chester.
Died June 21st, 1940 at 58 years old in Naval Hospital Philadelphia (cancer).
Gerda Wegener
Danish artist (1885-1940).
Born March 15th, 1886 in Hammelev. [ref]
Died July 28th, 1940 at 54 years old in Frederiksberg. [ref]
Madeleine Astor
American socialite and titanic survivor (1893-1940).
Born June 19th, 1893 in Brooklyn.
Died March 27th, 1940 at 46 years old in Palm Beach (coronary artery disease).
Paul Klee
German-swiss artist (1879–1940).
Born February 18th, 1879 in Münchenbuchsee. [ref]
Died June 29th, 1940 at 61 years old in Muralto (scleroderma). [ref]
Walter Benjamin
German literary critic, philosopher and social critic (1892-1940).
Born July 15th, 1892 in Berlin. [ref]
Died September 26th, 1940 at 48 years old in Portbou (opioid overdose). [ref]
Nikolai Yezhov
Nkvd director under joseph stalin (1895-1940).
Born April 20th, 1895 in Kaunas.
Died February 4th, 1940 at 44 years old in Moscow (gunshot wound).
K. B. Hedgewar
Founder and first sarsanghchalak of the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh.
Born April 1st, 1889 in Nagpur.
Died June 21st, 1940 at 51 years old in Nagpur.
Mikhail Bulgakov
Russian-ukrainian author.
Born May 15th, 1891 in Kyiv. [ref]
Died March 10th, 1940 at 48 years old in Moscow (kidney failure). [ref]
Eric Gill
English sculptor, typeface designer, and printmaker (1882–1940).
Born February 22nd, 1882 in Brighton.
Died November 17th, 1940 at 58 years old in London Borough of Hillingdon (lung cancer).
Tom Mix
American film actor (1880-1940).
Born January 6th, 1880 in Pennsylvania.
Died October 12th, 1940 at 60 years old in Florence (traffic collision).
Prince Wilhelm of Prussia
Prussian prince (1906-1940).
Born July 4th, 1906 in Potsdam.
Died May 26th, 1940 at 33 years old in Nivelles.
Ze'ev Jabotinsky
Russian jewish poet, founder of revisionist zionist movement (1880–1940).
Born October 21st, 1880 in Odesa.
Died August 4th, 1940 at 59 years old in Hunter (cardiovascular disease). [ref]
Walter Percy Chrysler Sr.
(1875-1940) american automotive industry executive.
Born April 2nd, 1875 in Wamego.
Died August 18th, 1940 at 65 years old in Kings Point.
Jesse Lauriston Livermore
American stock trader (1877–1940).
Born July 26th, 1877 in New York City.
Died November 28th, 1940 at 63 years old in New York City.
Fusajirō Yamauchi
Japanese entrepreneur (1859–1940).
Born November 22nd, 1859 in Kyoto. [ref]
Died January 1st, 1940 at 80 years old in Kyoto (cerebrovascular disease).
Italo Balbo
Italian marshal of the air force and minister.
Born June 6th, 1896 in Quartesana. [ref]
Died June 28th, 1940 at 44 years old in Tobruk (killed in action). [ref]
John Buchan
Scottish author and politician (1875–1940).
Born August 26th, 1875 in Perth. [ref]
Died February 11th, 1940 at 64 years old in Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (cerebral hemorrhage). [ref]
Deaths 1 to 25 of 444
Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it. Haruki Murakami