Historical Events
- Admiral Johannes Furstner, Royal Dutch Navy, departs to England
Foxx's Huge Home Run
Boston's Jimmie Foxx HR goes over Comiskey Park's left field roof
- British Local Defence Volunteers forms, an armed citizen militia designed to support the British Army during the Second World War. It is later renamed the Home Guard.
- German breakthrough at Sedan
- Lord Beaverbrook appointed British minister of aircraft production
- Nazis bomb Rotterdam (600-900 dead), Netherlands surrenders to Germany
Famous Birthdays
- 'H'. Jones, British Soldier (VC recipient) (d. 1982)
- Chay Blyth, English sailor (Alone in Order to the World)
- Leif Eriksen, Norwegian soccer forward (4 caps; Vålerenga FC, Eidsvold Turn) and manager (Vålerenga FC, Jevnaker IF, Skeid), born in Oslo, Norway (d. 2024)
- Tommy Lawrence, Scottish football player and goalkeeper (Liverpool, Tranmere Rovers), born in Dailly, Scotland (d. 2018)
Famous Deaths
- Eddy [Charles E] du Platform, writer/poet, dies
- Edgar du Perron, Dutch author and poet (Land of Origin), dies at 40
Emma Goldman (1869-1940)
Russian-American anarchist, writer (Anarchism and Other Essays; Living My Life), publisher (Mother Earth), and feminist, dies from stroke complications at 70 [1]
- Jacob van Gelderen, Dutch economist (Kondratiev waves), sociologist and politician, dies at 49
- Menno ter Braak, Dutch writer (Forum, New Elite), commits suicide at 38
- Willem Johannes Leyds, Dutch-South Africa lawyer and diplomat (State Secretary of the South African Republic), dies at 81
Died in 1940 1940 Highlights
About May 14, 1940
Day of the Week: Tuesday
How Long Ago? 83 years, 11 months and 13 days
Leap Year: Yes
Generation: Silent Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Dragon
Star Sign: Taurus
