What Happened in Apr 1940

'The Hamlet' Is Published

The Hamlet is the first of the "Snopes" trilogy, completed by The Town (1957), and The Mansion (1959). The novel follows the exploits of the... Read more

Katyn Forest Massacre

On April 13, 1943, the Germans announced that mass graves had been discovered in the Katyn Forest, in their area of occupation, containing the... Read more

Soviets Begin Month-long Murder of Polish Prisoners, Known as the Katyn Massacre

After 3 April, 1940, at least 22,436 POWs and prisoners were executed: 15,131 POWs (most or all of them from the three camps) and at least 7,305... Read more

Jimmy Demaret wins the 7th Masters Tournament

Playing in only his second Masters, Jimmy Demaret overcame an opening round 64 by Lloyd Mangrum to win the Tournament. Demaret's four-stroke... Read more

The Norwegian Campaign - first Allied confrontation with Nazi forces

The Norwegian Campaign was the name used by the Allies – United Kingdom and France – for their first direct land confrontation with the military... Read more

"Rebecca" Is Released

Rebecca (1940) is a psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock as his first American project, and his first film produced under his... Read more

Greek Forces Withdraw to Pindus to Fight Pitched Battle against Italian Invaders

The position of the Greek First Army, still fighting in Albania, was seriously jeopardized by the rapid advance of the XL Panzer Corps via... Read more

New York Rangers win Stanley Cup

The 1940 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven series between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. New York would win the series 4–2... Read more

The Natchez Fire

The Rhythm Club fire aka The Natchez Dance Hall Holocaust was a conflagration resulting in the death or serious injury of hundreds of people... Read more

Heinrich Himmler Establishes a Concentration Camp at Auchwitz

Auschwitz-Birkenau was the largest of Nazi Germany's concentration camps and extermination camps, operational during World War II. The camp took... Read more