Famous People Who Died in 1940

Discover the most famous people died who died in the year 1940. This list includes people like Neville Chamberlain, Leon Trotsky, Robert Wadlow, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marcus Garvey and many more. This list of celebrities is loosely sorted by popularity. People featured on this list, include political leaders, artists, physicists and philosophers who died in 1940. This list includes people from United States, United Kingdom, Germany & Russia and many more countries.

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Birthdate: September 24, 1896

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Died: December 21

Novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and short-story writer F. Scott Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. However, he wasn’t much popular during his lifetime. His works gained international acclaim only in the years following his untimely death at 44. Many of his works have been adapted into films.

Leon Trotsky

(Russian Marxist Revolutionary Who Developed a Variant of Marxism Which Has Become Known as 'Trotskyism')

Birthdate: November 7, 1879

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Bereslavka, Ukraine

Died: August 21

A Russian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary, Leon Trotsky developed a political ideology called Trotskyism, which eventually had a considerable impact on Russian politics. He also played a vital role in leading the Red Army to victory in the Russian Civil War.

Marcus Garvey

(Jamaican Political Activist, Journalist and Founder and First President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association)

Birthdate: August 17, 1887

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica

Died: June 10

Marcus Garvey is remembered as an iconic Black separatist leader who believed that all African-origin people in Europe and America should go back to Africa. He established the Universal Negro Improvement Association, but his activism was not accepted by civil rights activists, who believed in racial integration and not segregation.

J. J. Thomson

(British Physicist Who is Credited With the Discovery of the Electron)

Birthdate: December 18, 1856

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Died: August 30

J. J. Thomson was a British physicist credited with the discovery of the electron, the first subatomic particle to be discovered. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906 for his work on the conduction of electricity in gases. In 1884, he was appointed Cavendish Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge.

Birthdate: March 18, 1869

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Birmingham

Died: November 9

Neville Chamberlain was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, Chamberlain served as UK's prime minister from 1937 to 1940. Known for his signing of the Munich Agreement, which is also called the Munich Betrayal, Neville Chamberlain is regarded by many as one of the most controversial prime ministers of the UK.

Emma Goldman

(American Anarchist Political Activist and Writer)

Birthdate: June 27, 1869

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Kaunas, Lithuania

Died: May 14

Emma Goldman was a writer and anarchist political activist. She played an important role in popularizing the anarchist political philosophy in Europe and North America in the early and mid-20th century. Her lectures and writing spanned a wide variety of subjects, such as atheism, militarism, freedom of speech, homosexuality, capitalism, and free love.

Paul Klee

(Swiss-born German Artist Whose Work Exhibited Shades of 'Expressionism', 'Cubism', and 'Surrealism')

Birthdate: December 18, 1879

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland

Died: May 29

The father of abstract art, Paul Klee’s works contained elements of surrealism, cubism, and expressionism, but they were not part of any specific school. He was also a skilled violinist and an avid reader. He also taught at the Bauhaus and experimented with various media, such as oil, watercolor, and ink.

Birthdate: July 30, 1881

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States

Died: June 21

Tom Mix

(Actor)

Birthdate: January 6, 1880

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Mix Run, Pennsylvania, USA

Died: October 12

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

Gerda Wegener

(Danish Illustrator, Painter and Partner of Transgender Woman Lili Elbe)

Birthdate: March 15, 1886

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Hammelev, Denmark

Died: July 28

Gerda Wegener was a Danish painter and illustrator. She began painting as a young girl and received her training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. As a painter, she often depicted confident and elegant women performing a variety of activities in her works. She also painted fashion illustrations and what was labeled “lesbian erotica.”

Birthdate: February 22, 1918

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Alton, Illinois, United States

Died: July 15

Also known as the Giant of Illinois and the Alton Giant, Robert Wadlow was the tallest person in recorded history, having reached 2.72 m (8 ft 11.1 in) in height at the time of his death, at the age of 22. His continued growth was due to a medical condition that results in a high level of human growth hormone.

Eric Gill

(The Greatest Artist-Craftsman of the 20th Century)

Birthdate: February 22, 1882

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Brighton, Sussex, England, United Kingdom

Died: November 17

English sculptor and printer Eric Gill first gained attention with his work Mother and Child. Apart from co-founding the St. Dominic’s Press, he also contributed to the illustrations and woodcuts for The Four Gospels. He was also infamous form his deviant sexual behavior, which included incest and animal abuse.

Mikhail Bulgakov

(Novelist and Playwright Best Known for His Novel 'The Master and Margarita')

Birthdate: May 15, 1891

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Kyiv, Ukraine

Died: March 10

Mikhail Bulgakov was a Russian writer, playwright, and medical doctor best remembered for his work The Master and Margarita, a novel which has been acclaimed as one of the 20th century's masterpieces. Over the years, his works have inspired several other personalities, including Salman Rushdie and Mick Jagger.

Fusajiro Yamauchi

(Japanese Entrepreneur Best Remembered as the Founder of 'Nintendo')

Birthdate: November 22, 1859

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Kyoto

Died: January 1

Fusajiro Yamauchi was a Japanese entrepreneur best remembered for founding Nintendo. He also served as the first president of the company. Yamauchi started the company as a hanafuda card-making unit. Nintendo Koppai cards were the only exception in a time when the Japanese government had banned other playing cards due to their association with gambling.

Birthdate: July 15, 1892

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Berlin, Germany

Died: September 26

Walter Benjamin was a German Jewish essayist, philosopher, and cultural critic. An eclectic thinker, Benjamin made significant contributions to literary criticism, aesthetic theory, and historical materialism. Although Benjamin's work did not earn much recognition during his lifetime, it continues to be revered by academics several years after his death.

Walter Chrysler

(Business person)

Birthdate: April 2, 1875

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Wamego, Kansas, U.S.

Died: August 18

Selma Lagerlöf

(First Woman to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature)

Birthdate: November 20, 1858

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Mårbacka, Värmland, Sweden

Died: March 16

Selma Lagerlöf was a Swedish teacher and author. In 1909, Lagerlöf became the first woman to receive the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1914, she became the first woman to be elected as a member by the Swedish Academy. In 1991, Selma Lagerlöf was depicted on a Swedish banknote, becoming the first woman to enjoy this honor, albiet posthumously.

Udham Singh

(Indian Revolutionary Known for Assassinating ‘Michael O’Dwyer’, the Former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab in India)

Birthdate: December 26, 1899

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Sunam, Punjab, India

Died: July 31

Birthdate: August 27, 1874

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Cologne, Germany

Died: April 26

Carl Bosch was a German engineer and chemist. He is credited with founding IG Farben, which went on to become one of the largest chemical companies in the world. He is also credited with developing the Haber–Bosch process, which is used even today for the production of ammonia. Carl Bosch was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1931.

Birthdate: March 21, 1856

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Thomasville, Georgia, United States

Died: April 26

Then first Black to have graduated from West Point’s Military Academy, Henry Ossian Flipper was born to slave parents. He also became the first African-American to command US Army troops. He was dismissed unjustly on embezzlement charges and later worked as a civil engineer. His name was cleared posthumously.

Nathanael West

(Novelist)

Birthdate: October 17, 1903

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: New York City, New York

Died: December 22

Lillian Wald

(American Nurse and the Founder of American Nursing Community)

Birthdate: March 10, 1867

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

Died: September 1

Lillian Wald was an American nurse, author, and humanitarian. She is credited with establishing the Henry Street Settlement, a not-for-profit social service agency in New York City. After founding the agency, Lillian Wald became an activist and fought for the rights of minorities and women. She also supported racial integration and campaigned for suffrage.

Abdelhamid Ben Badis

(Educator)

Birthdate: December 4, 1889

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Constantine, Algeria

Died: April 16

W. H. Davies

(British poet)

Birthdate: July 3, 1871

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Newport, Wales

Died: September 26

After losing his father at age 3, Georgian poet W. H. Davies was raised by his grandparents. He later spent moving from place to place in the US and Canada, taking up odd jobs, and even lost his right foot while trying to jump a freight train.

Nicolae Iorga

(34th Prime Minister of Romania (1931 - 1932))

Birthdate: January 17, 1871

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Botoșani, Romania

Died: November 27

Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian politician, historian, memoirist, poet, playwright, literary critic, and Albanologist. He is credited with co-founding the Democratic Nationalist Party. Nicolae Iorga is best remembered for his service as the Prime Minister of Romania from 19 April 1931 to 6 June 1932.

Édouard Vuillard

(Painter)

Birthdate: November 11, 1868

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Cuiseaux, Saône-et-Loire, France

Died: June 21

Prince Wilhelm of Prussia

(Prince)

Birthdate: July 4, 1906

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Marmorpalais, Potsdam, Germany

Died: May 26

Billy Hamilton

(Baseball player)

Birthdate: February 16, 1866

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Newark, New Jersey, United States

Died: December 15

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

Isaac Babel

(Russian Author and Journalist Who Is Remembered for His Iconic Short Story Collections)

Birthdate: July 13, 1894

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Odesa, Ukraine

Died: January 27

Russian author Isaac Babel was a reporter before plunging into full-time writing. He is remembered for his short story collections Red Cavalry and Odessa Stories. One of his most popular stories was The Story of My Dovecote. He was part of the Soviet 1st Cavalry Army as Kiril Lyutov and documented the Polish-Soviet War.

Charles Freer Andrews

(Anglican Priest, Christian Missionary, Educator and Social Reformer)

Birthdate: February 12, 1871

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: England, United Kingdom

Died: April 5

Charles Freer Andrews was a Christian missionary and Anglican priest. He was also an educator and social reformer. A close friend of Indian freedom fighters Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, he supported the Indian struggle for independence. Gandhi fondly called him Deenabandhu, or "Friend of the Poor". Even today, Andrews is widely respected in India.

Vsevolod Meyerhold

(Russian and Soviet Theatre Director, Actor and Theatrical Producer)

Birthdate: February 9, 1874

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Penza, Russia

Died: February 2

Initially part of the Moscow Art Theatre, Russian director-actor Vsevolod Meyerhold is remembered for pioneering avant-garde theories of symbolism in theater. He also paved the path for biomechanics in Russian theater and created masterpieces such as The Magnificent Cuckold. He was executed, and his wife was murdered, during the Great Purge.

Spyridon Louis

(Greek Water Carrier, Marathon Runner and Olympic Gold Medalist)

Birthdate: January 12, 1873

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Marousi, Greece

Died: March 26

Spiridon Louis was a Greek water carrier-turned-national hero. Louis achieved widespread popularity after becoming the first person to win the modern-day Olympicmarathon at the 1896 Olympics in Athens. A former soldier, Louis is an example of an early rags-to-riches story where he wins the Olympicmedal at a crucial moment and later becomes a police officer.

Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark

(Queen)

Birthdate: March 3, 1876

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Athens, Kingdom of Greece

Died: December 14

Frederick Cook

(American Explorer, Physician, and Ethnographer)

Birthdate: June 10, 1865

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Hortonville, New York, United States

Died: August 5

Apart from being a qualified physician, Frederick Cook was also a passionate explorer. He was initially the surgeon on explorer Robert E. Peary’s team. He later created controversy by conflicting with Peary, saying it was him and not Peary who had first explored the North Pole, though his claims were denounced.

Big Nose Kate

(Prostitute)

Birthdate: November 9, 1849

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Nové Zámky, Slovakia

Died: November 2

Phan Boi Chau

(Political Figure)

Birthdate: December 26, 1867

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Nghe An, Vietnam

Died: October 29

Wladimir Köppen

(Russian–German Geographer, Meteorologist and Climatologist)

Birthdate: September 25, 1846

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: June 22

Wladimir Köppen was a Russian-German meteorologist, geographer, botanist, and climatologist. He is best remembered for publishing the Köppen climate classification system, which is used even today. Wladimir Köppen made important contributions to many branches of science. He is also credited with coining the term aerology.

Harold Sidney Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere

(Publisher)

Birthdate: April 26, 1868

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Hampstead, England

Died: November 26

Oliver Lodge

(British Physicist, Inventor and Prinicpal Patent Holder and Developer of 'Radio')

Birthdate: June 12, 1851

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Penkhull, England

Died: August 22

Best known for developing the radio-wave detector named coherer, Oliver Lodge had also served as the first principal of Birmingham University. He was made a Knights Bachelor and had also been a Royal Institution lecturer. His inventions revolutionized early wireless telegraph technology, though they were replaced by modern instruments later.

Ralph Modjeski

(Polish-American Civil Engineer)

Birthdate: January 27, 1861

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Bochnia, Poland

Died: June 26

Born to actor Helena Modjeska, Polish-American engineer Ralph Modjeski was a talented pianist in his younger days. He later worked on the railroad bridge across the Mississippi and also re-designed the Quebec Bridge after a major disaster. Over his illustrious career, he had designed over 50 major bridges.

E.F. Benson

(British Writer and Archaeologist Best Known for His Collection of Novels 'Mapp and Lucia')

Birthdate: July 24, 1867

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Wellington College, Berkshire, England

Died: February 29

Chiefly known as a novelist, biographer, and memoirist, Edward Frederic Benson began his career with the British School of Archaeology in Athens, publishing his first successful novel, Dodo: A Detail of the Day, during this period. Its popularity encouraged him to continue publishing, the most significant works among them being Mapp and Lucia series, and the biography of Queen Victoria.

Arthur Rostron

(Sailor)

Birthdate: May 14, 1869

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Bolton

Died: November 4

DuBose Heyward

(Author)

Birthdate: August 31, 1885

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Died: June 16

Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV

(Author)

Birthdate: June 4, 1884

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Mysore

Died: August 3

Mrs. Patrick Campbell

(Actress)

Birthdate: February 9, 1865

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: London, England

Died: April 9

Saionji Kinmochi

(Former Prime Minister of Japan (1906 - 1909, 1911 - 1912))

Birthdate: December 7, 1849

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Kyoto, Japan

Died: November 24

Born into nobility, Saionji Kinmochi came to prominence early in his life when he took part in the Meiji Restoration. He later entered politics and eventually rose to become the Prime Minister of Japan. During his reign, he tried to curtail military expenditure and keep the cabinet under party control. He wielded a moderating influence in Japanese politics even after retirement.

James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon

(Politician)

Birthdate: January 8, 1871

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Belfast, Ireland

Died: November 24

Kyösti Kallio

(The 4th President & the 8th Prime Minister of Finland)

Birthdate: April 10, 1873

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Ylivieska, Finland

Died: December 19

Finnish politician Kyösti Kallio, who represented the Agrarian League, or the Center Party of Finland, had also led his country as its 4th president and 8th prime minister. He later became the first Finnish president to resign and also the only one who died in office, after he passed away following his farewell ceremonies.

Birthdate: December 31, 1899

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Santiago Papasquiaro

Died: October 5

Silvestre Revueltas was a Mexican composer of classical music. He was also a violinist and a conductor. Along with fellow composer Carlos Chávez, he did much to promote contemporary Mexican music. He wrote film music, chamber music, and songs as well. He had a troubled personal life and fell into alcoholism and died young.

Lluís Companys

(Former President of the Government of Catalonia)

Birthdate: June 21, 1882

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: El Tarròs, Spain

Died: October 15