Welcome! Check out today's deaths, recent deaths, or our deaths stats.
Feeling experimental? Head on over to our newest (and darkest) feature: Next-2-Die™ predictions
In the year 1940
476 Notable deaths
E. E. Clive
Welsh actor in the early 20th century.
Born August 28th, 1883 in Blaenavon.
Died June 6th, 1940 at 56 years old in North Hollywood (myocardial infarction). [ref]
Wilfred Thomason Grenfell
Medical missionary to newfoundland and labrador (1865–1940).
Born February 28th, 1865 in Parkgate.
Died October 9th, 1940 at 75 years old in Charlotte (thrombosis).
Paul Gottlieb Nipkow
German technician and inventor (1860–1940).
Born August 22nd, 1860 in Lębork.
Died August 24th, 1940 at 80 years old in Berlin.
Edgardo Mortara
Italian priest (1851–1940).
Born August 27th, 1851 in Bologna.
Died March 11th, 1940 at 88 years old in Liège.
Olga Boznańska
Polish artist (1865–1940).
Born April 15th, 1865 in Kraków.
Died October 26th, 1940 at 75 years old in Paris.
Alfred Ploetz
German physician (1860–1940).
Born August 22nd, 1860 in Świnoujście.
Died March 20th, 1940 at 79 years old in Herrsching am Ammersee.
Ralph Modjeski
United states civil engineer (1861–1940).
Born January 27th, 1861 in Kraków, Bochnia.
Died June 26th, 1940 at 79 years old in Los Angeles.
Billy Fiske
American bobsledder and pilot (1911-1940).
Born June 4th, 1911 in Brooklyn.
Died August 17th, 1940 at 29 years old in Chichester.
Mikhail Frinovsky
Great purge perpetrator (1898-1940).
Born February 7th, 1898 in Narovchat.
Died February 4th, 1940 at 41 years old in Moscow.
Kid McCoy
American boxer (1872-1940).
Born October 13th, 1873 in Rush County.
Died April 18th, 1940 at 66 years old in Detroit.
Stanisław Bułak-Bałachowicz
Belarusian-polish general.
Born February 22nd, 1883 in Meikštai. [ref]
Died May 10th, 1940 at 57 years old in Warsaw. [ref]
Jehan Alain
French organist and composer (1911-1940).
Born February 3rd, 1911 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. [ref]
Died June 20th, 1940 at 29 years old in Saumur.
Kamal-ol-molk
Iranian artist (1847–1940).
Born September 29th, 1848 in Kashan.
Died August 18th, 1940 at 91 years old in Nishapur.
Wilhelm Stekel
Austrian physician and psychologist (1868-1940).
Born March 18th, 1868 in Boiany.
Died June 25th, 1940 at 72 years old in London (poisoning).
Berton Churchill
Canadian actor (1876-1940).
Born December 9th, 1876 in Toronto.
Died October 10th, 1940 at 63 years old in New York City (urinary system disease).
Hamlin Garland
American novelist, poet, essayist, short story writer (1860–1940).
Born September 14th, 1860 in West Salem.
Died March 4th, 1940 at 79 years old in Hollywood.
Henryk Dobrzański
Polish army commander (1897–1940).
Born June 22nd, 1897 in Jasło.
Died April 30th, 1940 at 42 years old in Opoczno.
Gunnar Asplund
Swedish architect (1885-1940).
Born September 22nd, 1885 in Stockholm.
Died October 20th, 1940 at 55 years old in Engelbrekt church parish. [ref]
John Monk Saunders
Screenwriter, novelist, film director (1897-1940).
Born November 22nd, 1897 in Hinckley.
Died March 11th, 1940 at 42 years old in Fort Myers (hanging to death).
Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev
Soviet politician (1892-1940).
Born July 13th, 1892 in Karmaskaly.
Died January 28th, 1940 at 47 years old in Moscow.
Luisa Tetrazzini
Italian opera singer (1871-1940).
Born June 29th, 1871 in Florence.
Died April 28th, 1940 at 68 years old in Milan.
Johnny Dodds
American jazz clarinetist and alto saxophonist (1892–1940).
Born April 12th, 1892 in New Orleans.
Died August 8th, 1940 at 48 years old in Chicago (myocardial infarction).
Verner von Heidenstam
Swedish writer (1859–1940).
Born July 6th, 1859 in Olshammar.
Died May 20th, 1940 at 80 years old in Övralid.
Marguerite Clark
American actress (1883–1940).
Born February 22nd, 1883 in Avondale.
Died September 25th, 1940 at 57 years old in New York City (pneumonia).
Katherine Mayo
American historian (1867–1940).
Born January 27th, 1867 in Ridgway.
Died October 9th, 1940 at 73 years old in New York.
Deaths 101 to 125 of 476
Though death be poor, it ends a mortal woe. William Shakespeare