1940 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1940 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1940 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1940 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1940 St. Louis Cardinals season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1940 St. Louis Cardinals season, Farm system
Arkansas–Missouri League folded, July 1, 1940; Caruthersville club transferred to Batesville, July 7


1940 Stanford Indians football team
The 1940 Stanford Indians football team, nicknamed the "Wow Boys", represented Stanford University during the 1940 college football season. First-year head coach Clark Shaughnessy inherited a team that finished with a 1–7–1 record the previous season. He installed his own version of the T formation, a system that had largely fallen into disuse since the 1890s and was viewed as obsolete. The Indians shocked observers when they won all ten of their games including the Rose Bowl, which prompted several selectors to declare them the 1940 national champions. Stanford's dramatic reversal of fortunes prompted football programs across the nation to abandon the single-wing formation in favor of the new T formation.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Preseason
Clark Shaughnessy had served as the head coach at the University of Chicago since 1930. While there, he developed a new version of the T formation based upon the "pro T" that was concurrently in use by the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. The T formation, in which three backs lined up abreast and behind the quarterback who was himself behind the center, was an obsolescent system that had been disused since the 1890s in favor of the single-wing and double-wing formations.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Preseason
Shaugnessy, however, incorporated several new features in his own version of the T. It utilized flankers  and the man-in-motion concept, and it emphasized deception and quickness over the brute force necessitated by the wing formations. Shaughnessy was not very successful at Chicago and his teams never finished a season with more wins than losses. In 1939, the Chicago Maroons compiled a 2–6 record and failed to defeat any of their conference opponents. All six losses were defensive shutouts, the worst being an 85–0 rout by Michigan. After the season, the University of Chicago disbanded its football program.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Preseason
Instead of remaining at Chicago, where he also held a position as a professor and earned a comfortable salary of $10,000 per year, Shaughnessy elected to continue coaching football, which he described as his hobby and passion. For 1940, he was hired by Stanford University whose Indians had finished the previous season with a 1–7–1 record.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Preseason
Stanford center Milt Vucinich said, "We'd been reading about all those beatings Shaughnessy's men had taken, so we were joking among ourselves that wasn't it just like Stanford to hire somebody like this to coach us." In his first address to the team, Shaughnessy told them, "Boys, I am not to be addressed as 'Clark' or, especially, [the nickname of] 'Soup'. To you, I am 'Mr. Shaughnessy' or 'Coach.' Nothing else. I am a professor of football . . . Now, I have a formation for you that if you learn it well will take you to the Rose Bowl."


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Preseason
He asserted that one of his plays, a line plunge by a back without a blocker, would score ten to twelve touchdowns alone, which was more than the Indians had scored the entire previous season. The players were understandably skeptical, and they were not alone. Football innovator and single-wing proponent Glenn "Pop" Warner said before the season, "If Stanford wins a single game with that crazy formation, you can throw all the football I ever knew into the Pacific Ocean."


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Preseason
Shaughnessy later discovered that the players, who were mostly returners from the 1939 team, were talented, but not suited to the single wing. As a contemporary newspaper noted, "The [1939] team looked great in some games and sour in others. The machinery was there but it wasn't running as smoothly as had been hoped for."


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Season
"It couldn't happen—but it did . . . Clark Shaughnessy, who coached the University of Chicago football team to dismal defeat and eventual extinction, is now leading an unbeaten, untied Stanford eleven toward the nation's greatest gridiron glory."


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Season
Stanford opened the season with a road game against San Francisco U at Kezar Stadium. It was part of the first-ever major college football doubleheader, which also featured Santa Clara and Utah. The Indians defeated San Francisco convincingly, 27–0. In attendance was their next opponents' head coach, Tex Oliver of Oregon, and he said, "[H]alf of the time neither we or the spectators knew who was the ballcarrier until someone would dart out from the sidelines with the pigskin under his arms... and it was probably [quarterback Frank] Albert." Oliver added, "If we expect to stop their attack, we'll have to work fast", and immediately returned home to conduct intense practices in preparation for Stanford.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Season
The extra preparation did not halt the Stanford attack, however, and according to Harold Parrott in The Milwaukee Journal, "the duped Webfoots chased phantom ball carriers all over the field. They tackled everybody but the nonchalant-looking Stanford man who actually had the ball." Stanford won again, 13–0. The following week, the Indians narrowly edged Santa Clara, 7–6, to remain "the only untied, undefeated team in the Far West." After defeating Washington State at home, 26–14, Stanford met the defending Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) champions, Southern California. With 90 seconds remaining to play, the game was tied at seven, but Stanford used its deception tactics to score two touchdowns to win, 21–7.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Season
The Indians then beat UCLA the next week in Los Angeles, 20–14. Washington, the only other team with a perfect Pacific Coast Conference record, led Stanford by a touchdown at half time. In the third quarter, the Huskies extended their lead when they capitalized on an interception with a field goal. Before the end of the period, though, Albert engineered two long drives that culminated in touchdowns. In the final quarter, Indians back Pete Kmetovic caught an interception and tallied the final score. Stanford won, 20–10. After beating Oregon State, 28–14, Stanford traveled to Berkeley to face California in the annual rivalry, the "Big Game". The Indians defeated the Bears, 13–7, to guarantee a Rose Bowl invitation in lieu of Washington, which despite losing to Stanford head-to-head, had beaten UCLA more convincingly, 41–0.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Postseason
In the final Associated Press Poll, which was published on December 2 before the bowl games, Stanford was ranked second in the US behind Minnesota. On December 1, Stanford accepted its invitation to represent the Pacific coast in the 1941 Rose Bowl, and Nebraska was selected to represent the East. Nebraska had compiled an 8–1 record with its only loss against Minnesota. Pundits deemed Stanford to be the favorite to win the Rose Bowl. The game was attended by 91,300 spectators and each team was paid $140,916 for its participation.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Postseason
Nebraska received the opening kickoff and halfback Butch Luther returned it 27 yards to the Stanford 48-yard line. The drive culminated in a short rush by fullback Ike Francis, and with the extra point, the Cornhuskers took a 7–0 lead on the first possession. Stanford drove into Nebraska territory, but fumbled the ball away on the 28-yard line. The Cornhuskers punted it away and the Indians mounted a touchdown drive to equalize the score. In the second quarter, Nebraska recovered a fumbled punt return and on the subsequent possession scored on a 33-yard pass.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Postseason
Stanford responded immediately, and Albert passed to Hugh Gallarneau for a 40-yard touchdown to tie the game at 13. Albert made the extra point kick to take the lead. In the third quarter, the Indians drove 76 yards to within inches of the opposing goal line, but the Cornhusker defense held and took over on downs. Nebraska punted the ball away and Kmetovic returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. Albert made the extra point and Stanford went on to win the game, 21–13.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Postseason
After the season, three NCAA-recognized selectors named Stanford the national championship team. At the time, the Poling System bestowed that title upon the Indians. In later years, the Billingsley Report and the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively declared Stanford the 1940 champions. Frank Albert was named a consensus All-American at quarterback and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Newspaper Enterprise Association named Hugh Gallarneau an All-America back.


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Legacy
An earlier doubter, Pop Warner acknowledged the unexpected success of the revived formation. During Stanford's meteoric 1940 season, Warner said, "Shaughnessy has taken that T formation we used when I played at Cornell in 1892 and made it work as it has never worked before. This is because he has added his own ideas. There is no mystery about Shaughnessy's success at Stanford as I see it. The only mystery is where the ball is on some of those tricky plays of his."


1940 Stanford Indians football team, Legacy
The 1940 Stanford Indians, who became known as the "Wow Boys", proved the value of the T formation, and in response, football coaches around the nation adopted it for their own teams. Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy caused a stir in 1942 when he scrapped the venerable box formation in favor of the T. A survey conducted by Football Digest at the end of the decade revealed that 250 of the 350 best football teams were utilizing the formation. Shaughnessy's T gave rise to various incarnations, including the pro set, power I, veer, and the wishbone formation. Clark Shaughnessy was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968. Today, his variant of the T formation remains in use, with some modifications, and according to Sports Illustrated, it "remains the longest-running formation in the history of the game".


1940 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1940 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. New York would win the series 4–2 to win their third Stanley Cup. The Rangers would not win another for 54 years.


1940 Stanley Cup Finals, Paths to the Finals
New York defeated the Boston Bruins in a best-of-seven 4–2 to advance to the Finals. The Maple Leafs had to play two best-of three series; winning 2–0 against the Chicago Black Hawks, and 2–0 against the Detroit Red Wings to advance to the Finals.


1940 Stanley Cup Finals, Game summaries
The Finals series between the Rangers and the Maple Leafs was an exciting one that went back and forth with three overtime games. The Rangers took the first two at home and the Leafs took the next two in Toronto. The circus forced the Rangers to vacate Madison Square Garden after the first two games. The Rangers would score three game-winning goals in overtime including the Cup winner. Lynn and Murray Patrick played for the Rangers to become the third and fourth members of the Patrick family to win the Stanley Cup.


1940 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The 1940 Stanley Cup was presented to Rangers captain Art Coulter by NHL President Frank Calder following the Rangers 3–2 overtime win over the Maple Leafs in game six.


1940 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving
The following Rangers players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup


1940 Stanley Cup Finals, Stanley Cup engraving, Stanley Cup engraving
a Missing from the Stanley Cup, but qualified to be on it.


1940 State of the Union Address
The 1940 State of the Union Address was given by the 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, on Wednesday, January 3, 1940, to both houses of 76th United States Congress. It was given right before the United States entered World War II. He said, "You are well aware that dictatorships--and the philosophy of force that justifies and accompanies dictatorships--have originated in almost every case in the necessity for drastic action to improve internal conditions in places where democratic action for one reason or another has failed to respond to modern needs and modern demands."


1940 Sugar Bowl
The 1940 Sugar Bowl featured the top-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, and the fifth-ranked Tulane Green Wave. The game was played at Tulane's home field, Tulane Stadium.


1940 Sugar Bowl, Background
Texas A&M entered the game with an undefeated record and a ranking of #1 in the AP Poll, having six shutouts while allowing just 18 points the whole year. They entered the polls at #9 prior to their game against TCU on October 21, slowly rising up the ranks to #1 before their match-up against Texas on November 30, whom they shut out 20-0. They finished as champion of the Southwest Conference for the first time in 12 years.


1940 Sugar Bowl, Background
Tulane began the years with three wins before a tie to North Carolina that made them go from #4 in the polls to #9. However, they rose back up to #9 with five straight wins, including victories over #14 Ole Miss and #20 Alabama, finishing as co-champion of the Southeastern Conference with Tennessee and Georgia Tech, their first title in five years.


1940 Sugar Bowl, Game summary
Texas A&M took lead in the a first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from running back John Kimbrough. He finished the game with 159 yards rushing on 25 carries. In the third quarter, Tulane's Kellogg returned a punt 75 yards for touchdown, tying the game at 7–7. In the third quarter, Tulane's Monnett Butler, former Oak Grove High School star, scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. The extra point attempt was blocked, giving Tulane a 13–7. Kimbrough's second rushing touchdown of the game rallied the Aggies to a 14–13 win.


1940 Summer Olympics
The 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad, were originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo City, Empire of Japan. They were rescheduled for Helsinki, Finland, to be held from July 20 to August 4, 1940, due to the 1937 Japanese invasion of China, but were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II. Helsinki and Tokyo eventually hosted the 1952, 1964, and 2020 Summer Olympics.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled)
The campaign to choose a city for 1940 began in 1932, with Barcelona, Rome, Helsinki, and Tokyo participating. Tokyo city officials suggested a campaign as a means of international diplomacy following Japan's alienation from the League of Nations due to the Mukden Incident, in which Japan occupied Manchuria and created the puppet state of Manchukuo.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled)
While both Tokyo officials and International Olympic Committee (IOC) representatives were behind the campaign, the national government, which was ever more interested in military matters, did not have any strong supporters for such a diplomatic gesture. In 1936, Tokyo was chosen in a surprise move, making it the first non-Western city to win an Olympic bid.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), 1930s Japan and international sports
During the 1930 Far Eastern Games in Tokyo, Indian participants were spotted flying the flag of their independence movement rather than the flag of British India. This caused a complaint from the British Olympic Association. In 1934 Japan attempted to invite European colonies to  the Far Eastern Games.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), Planning
The main stadium was initially to be the Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium — later used at the 1964 Summer Olympics — reconstructed to accommodate 100,000 spectators; however the Shrines Bureau of Home Ministry, which had jusrisdiction over the Meiji Jingu precinct, strongly opposed the reconstruction. Subsequently, a new stadium was planned at the Komazawa Olympic Park, away from the city center. The Olympic Village was to be built on the present sites of Kinuta Park or Todoroki Gorge. A schedule was drawn up, and guidelines were printed in four languages. Monthly magazines and posters were printed and distributed internationally. Construction began on some buildings, and arrangements were made with hotels, travel agents, and airlines for easy access.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), Forfeiture of Games
When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out on July 7, 1937, Kono Ichiro, a member of the Imperial Diet (legislature), immediately requested that the Olympics be forfeited. The 1938 Far Eastern Games were also canceled, but Japan's IOC delegates persisted under a belief that the war would soon be over. Amid the intensification of the war, the feasibility of both the Summer Olympics and the 1940 Winter Olympics grew increasingly questionable to other countries, who suggested a different site be chosen and spoke of the possibility of boycotting the Games were they to proceed in Japan.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), Forfeiture of Games
In March 1938, the Japanese provided reassurances to the IOC at the organization's Cairo conference that Tokyo would still be able to serve as the host city. However, many Diet members in Japan had already openly questioned hosting the Olympics in wartime, and the military was unreasonably demanding that the organizers build the venues from wood because they needed metals for the war front. In July, a legislative session was held to decide the matters of the Summer and Winter Olympics and the planned 1940 World's Fair all at once. The World's Fair was only "postponed", under a belief that Japan would be able to wrap up the war, but the Olympics could not be moved and was canceled.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), Forfeiture of Games
Kōichi Kido, who would later be instrumental in the surrender of Japan in 1945, announced the forfeiture on July 16, 1938. He closed his speech saying, "When peace reigns again in the Far East, we can then invite the Games to Tokyo and take that opportunity to prove to the people of the world the true Japanese spirit." This would come to pass in 1964.


1940 Summer Olympics, 1940 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), Forfeiture of Games
Despite the cancellation of the 1940 Olympics, the Tokyo organizing committee released its budget for the Games. In a departure from standard practice, the budget included all capital outlays as well as direct organizing costs. The total budget was ¥20.1 million, one-third of which would have been paid by the Tokyo metropolitan government.


1940 Summer Olympics, Helsinki and other competitions
The IOC then awarded the Games to Helsinki, Finland, the city that had been the runner-up in the original bidding process. The Games were then scheduled to be staged from July 20 to August 4, 1940. The Olympic Games were suspended indefinitely following the outbreak of World War II (the Winter War in particular) and did not resume until the London Games of 1948.


1940 Summer Olympics, Helsinki and other competitions
With the Olympics canceled, the major international athletics event of the year turned out to be the annual Finland-Sweden athletics international, held at the new Helsinki Olympic Stadium, exceptionally held as a triple international among Finland, Sweden and Germany. Gliding was due to be an Olympic sport in the 1940 Games after a demonstration at the Berlin Games in 1936. The sport has not been featured in any Games since, though the glider designed for it, the DFS Olympia Meise, was produced in large numbers after the war.


1940 Summer Olympics, Helsinki and other competitions
Meanwhile, Japan hosted the 1940 East Asian Games in Tokyo, with six participating nations. Helsinki eventually held the 1952 Summer Olympics, while Tokyo held the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics, although the event was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


1940 Summer Olympics, Helsinki and other competitions
During August 1940, prisoners of war celebrated a "special Olympics" called the International Prisoner-of-War Olympic Games at Stalag XIII-A in Langwasser, near Nuremberg, Germany. An Olympic flag, 29 by 46 cm in size, was made of a Polish prisoner's shirt and, drawn in crayon, it featured the Olympic rings and banners for Belgium, France, Great Britain, Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands. A feature film, Olimpiada '40, produced by the director Andrzej Kotkowski in 1980 tells the story of these games and of one of the prisoners of war, Teodor Niewiadomski.


1940 Summer Olympics, Torch run
After the successful invention of the torch relay in Nazi Germany four years earlier, the proposed method of bringing the Olympic Flame from Nazi Germany to Japan was proposed by air delivery, in the purpose-built Messerschmitt Me 261 Adolfine long-range aircraft, which was designed to have a maximum range of some 11,024 km (6,850 mi) unrefueled.


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay
Though the whole event was eventually cancelled due to the outbreak of war, the 1940 Summer Olympics torch relay was planned for both of the proposed host cities. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the 1940 Summer Olympics to Tokyo, Japan in July 1936. Tokyo's ability to host the event was questioned after war broke out with China (the Second Sino-Japanese War) with some countries calling for the Games to be boycotted. The Japanese decided to cancel the event and Helsinki, Finland, the runner-up city in the bidding process, was selected as the replacement. That too was cancelled after the outbreak of World War II.


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay
At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin the first torch relay event took place, starting a tradition that has continued in all the Games that have taken place since. Both National Olympic Committees had given details about their plan for the Olympic Torch relay.


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay, Tokyo plans
The distance from Olympia to Berlin made it possible to hold a relay on foot in a reasonable amount of time, but the distance to Tokyo gave the IOC cause for concern. They discussed the viability of such an undertaking on numerous occasions and eventually decided that they should try to replicate the success of the inaugural torch relay using "[s]teamers, automobiles, and airplanes". A report into the progress made on the planning of the Games stated that there would be a significant benefit "in diffusing the Olympic spirit in the districts where the knowledge of the Olympic movement is as yet very scanty".


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay, Tokyo plans
The organisation team behind the 1936 relay made recommendations to the Japanese Olympic Committee about how it could be completed. Their suggestions would see the torch carried for 10,000 km by runners and horse riders, travelling along the Silk Road across Central Asia. A significant portion of the relay would therefore take place across China, an idea not favoured by the Japanese. Another proposal, coming from Germany, was to pioneer the idea of air delivery of the Torch, in the purpose-built Messerschmitt Me 261 Adolfine long-range aircraft, which was designed to have a maximum range of some 11,024 km (6,850 mi) unrefueled.


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay, Tokyo plans
Several suggestions were made by the Japanese Olympic Committee about how the flame could be taken from Olympia to Tokyo. One proposal was for the torch to be carried on board a Japanese warship, but a later idea was for it to be taken by the Kamikaze, a Mitsubishi Ki-15 plane, across southern Asia. When the flame arrived in Japan it would be carried from Mount Hyūga in Kyushu to Tokyo via the Ise Grand Shrine.


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay, Tokyo plans
A relay from Olympia to Tokyo eventually took place when the city hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics.


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay, Helsinki plans
The Finnish Olympic Committee planned an ambitious relay that would cross Europe. The first part of the route would be very similar to that of 1936 as the torch travelled up to Berlin, the only addition being a detour to Slovakia. From there it would make its way through to Scandinavia, taken by a rowing boat where necessary.


1940 Summer Olympics torch relay, Helsinki plans
There was a further proposal that the flame would make its way to every Olympic Stadium in each host city of the previous ten Summer Games. Cauldrons at these locations would also keep the flame burning for the duration of the Games. While the torch route would include Athens, Berlin, and Stockholm the other host cities were further afield and would require alternative arrangements. Suggestions included branching off the relay to the European cities but it would be more difficult to arrange travel to the two in the United States.


1940 Sun Bowl
The 1940 Sun Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between The Catholic University of America (CUA) Cardinals and the Bulldogs from the Arizona State Teachers College at Tempe (now Arizona State University) on January 1, 1940. Despite predictions that it would be one of the highest scoring of any of the bowl games that year, it is the only scoreless tie in the history of the Sun Bowl.


1940 Sun Bowl, Regular season
Both were "Cinderella" teams, with Arizona State not having won a single in-conference game the season before and the Cardinals faced an "inauspicious preseason lineup." During the season Arizona State scored 212 points and gave up 56. CUA scored 299 and gave up 73. The game was supposed to decide "the old question of whether a good little team can beat a good big one."


1940 Sun Bowl, Regular season, Arizona State
Despite Arizona's State's troubles in 1939, they went undefeated in 1940 in Border Conference. Wayne "Ripper" Pitts was the leading scorer in the Border Conference. Pitts punted the ball 45 times during the season, and on 39 occasions the opposing team was not able to gain a single yard on the play. Before the game Joe Hernandez was "said to be impossible to catch" and scored touchdowns off three opening kickoffs.


1940 Sun Bowl, Regular season, Arizona State
The Bulldogs had two losses during the season, to Hardin–Simmons University and to the San Diego Marines. Coach Dixie Howell was credited for bringing his team "out of the so-so class and right into the Sun Bowl game at El Paso." Two years prior, when the "'miracle' coach" took the job, the team was "at the bottom of the conference heap."


1940 Sun Bowl, Regular season, Catholic University
CUA had a "colorful outfit" with the Piro brothers, Carmen and Rocco, a "trio of flashy halfbacks" including a "full blooded Indian," and "a drop kicking tackle called—of all names—Casmir Ksycewski (pronounced "Sneeze.)" Cardinals coach Dutch Bergman used a modified Notre Dame system by retaining the best features of the methods he learned from Notre Dame coach Knute Rockne and added some fancy ones of his own." As a result, commentators said, the "Cardinal attack is much more deceptive than the customary Notre Dame attack."


1940 Sun Bowl, Regular season, Catholic University
Had they gone undefeated, the Cardinals likely would have received invitations to the Orange Bowl, where they played in 1936, and to the Sugar Bowl, but they lost to Saint Anselm College at Fenway Park in Boston halfway through the season. St. Anslem did not play the week before "because the Cards were 'the' team on its schedule" and they wanted two weeks to prepare for them. After that loss, the Cards did "not lift a hand to get a bowl bid," and even after the reports that the team had accepted the invitation Bergman was not sure if they would.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Invitation
As early as October news reports were talking about the Cardinals returning to the Orange Bowl in Miami, where they won in 1936 and where the team was "tremendously popular." A Washington Post sports reporter even went so far as to tell readers before Halloween that he would "see you all in Miami New Year's."


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Invitation
Newspapers reported on December 2, 1939, that CUA accepted an invitation to play in the Sun Bowl, but as of that time no invitation had even reached Bergman. It was finally received on December 7, and accepted the same day. Previously, Georgetown University had been invited to play in the game, but they turned in down in hopes of a better offer. The Hoyas did not play in any bowl game that year.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Invitation
The Teachers College had been selected "some time before" with the AP reporting they would play as early as November 29. As Border Conference champions, they automatically got a bid, and were officially invited at a banquet in Phoenix given in the team's honor.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Pre-game preparations
After accepting the invitation, the Cardinals had trouble practicing. Most of the players did not get out of classes until 4:30, and due to a cloudy streak the skies were dark by the time the players reached the field.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Pre-game preparations
Bergman prohibited his players from going home for Christmas, but did plan a series of events for the players,  including hosting a Christmas party and dance on December 23. At the party, Cod Fotton, the line coach and former player at Notre Dame, dressed up as Santa Claus.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Pre-game preparations
A jukebox was procured for the party, but Bergman was "stumped" when he had to choose the records. He polled the team, and they chose, among others, "South of the Border" due to El Paso's proximity to Mexico, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and "Jumpin Jive." Bergman "moaned" to the Washington Post that "you have got be a combined diplomat, coach, Toscanini and Shirley Povich these days to run a football team."


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Trip to Texas
After word got out that the Cardinals had accepted an invitation to the game, so many railroad agents began calling upon Bergman that "the gym began to resemble an unemployment bureau." He then had the task of "diplomatically choosing" the cities to stop in along the way as scores sent invitations and wanted to host receptions for the team.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Trip to Texas
The Cardinals left in a snowstorm and traveled by way of St. Louis and Fort Worth, where they practiced as the guests of the Saint Louis Billikens and on the Texas Christian University campus. Snow in St. Louis forced the team to practice in the gymnasium, instead of on the field. In Missouri they picked up 60 gallons of mountain spring water to drink during the rest of the trip. In addition to the 33 players, five coaches and managers, three newspapermen made the journey.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Trip to Texas
After arriving in Texas, the Cardinals were feted at a banquet given by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. While in Fort Worth, the Cardinals were coached by TCU's Sammy Baugh, a Washington Redskins teammate of Cardinals assistant coach Wayne Millner's. Both Baugh and Millner would eventually be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team was transported to and from the TCU stadium by members of the local Knights of Columbus. After their practice in Ft. Worth they were hosted in a luncheon at the Hotel Texas in which a large group of civic leaders, including members of the Knights of Columbus, Mayor T. J. Harrell, the president of TCU, and Amon G. Carter.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Welcome in El Paso
The CUA team made their way to El Paso where a welcoming committee of several hundred government and civic leaders met the train. The "gaily dressed" delegation, a group of cowboy-garbed, pistol-toting rancheros—a cowboy organization devoted to fancy shirts and spotted ponies," was on hand when the train pulled in at 6:30 a.m. Many wore 10-gallon hats and shot off six shooters, leaving the Cardinal team "open mouthed with astonishment."


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Welcome in El Paso
The team was taken to the Hotel Cortez for breakfast where they were joined by 400 revelers for lunch, while an additional 200 were turned away. Later that day, the Optimist Club and 500 guests held a lunch in honor of Bergman, his assistant coaches, and co-captains Rocco Pirro and Al Calabrese. In attendance was Governor John E. Miles of New Mexico, Lt. Governor Coke Stevens of Texas, Congressman R.E. Thomason, several prominent citizens, and the 1939 Sun Bowl queen and her court.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Sun Carnival
During the week before the game, El Paso celebrated the Sun Bowl Carnival with a theme of "Old Timers Day." There were 50,000 visitors in El Paso that week, and 25,000 were expected for the parade on New Year's morning. The daughter of Governor Bob Jones of Arizona was the grand marshal of the parade. The Executive Director of the Carnival was Dr. C.M. Hendricks.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Sun Carnival
Each member of the Sun Court was to represent an organization, but CUA did not admit female students at the time. Bergman coached at New Mexico State University from 1920–23, and he called upon them to provide a co-ed to be CUA's proxy princess. The students of that school selected Mary Louise Armstrong. From the Sun Court, Jean Miller from Christian College in Columbia, Missouri, was chosen queen.


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Sun Carnival
Howell was seen before the game "resplendent in a flowing red cowboy neckerchief."


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Pre-game excitement
Every seat to the game, more than 15,000, was sold before it started. The local press was focused on the two fullbacks, the leading scorers in their respective conferences. Arizona State's most valuable player, Wayne "Ripper" Pitts, was described as "200 pounds of smashing, bruising, ball carrier and ace blocker," while   Catholic's Rocco Pirro was called a "5-foot 10-inch and 185-pound Arizona jackrabbit."


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Pre-game excitement
Catholic was favored going into the game by 7–5 odds, despite Arizona State having "edges over their visitors and weight, speed and condition." Washington Post columnist Jack Munhall told readers that "as the technical side of the game shapes up it should be a battle of Notre Dame offenses between a pair of comparatively small and exceptionally speedy elevens."


1940 Sun Bowl, Lead up to the game, Pre-game excitement
While in town for the game, the Cardinals stayed at the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy.


1940 Sun Bowl, Game summary
While both teams were at full strength and it was predicted to be one of the highest scoring games of the year, it ended up being the only scoreless tie in the Sun Bowl history.


1940 Sun Bowl, Game summary
It was a "hard-fought but dull contest that provided little thrills" and one where neither team got within their opponents 5-yard line. Early in the game the Bulldogs were able to get inside the Cardinals' 10, but a series of bad passes ended their chances of scoring. A 54-yard drive by the Bulldogs was the longest of the day, and ended when they fumbled on the Cardinals' 48.


1940 Sun Bowl, Game summary
Game play was impeded by "gale-like wind," and only 16 yards were gained by passes. They were all thrown by Catholic's quarterback Pete Sachon, who had 15 attempts and three completions. None of the seven attempted passes made by the Bulldogs' quarterback Shamlen met their intended receiver as their "passing attack failed completely."


1940 Sun Bowl, Game summary
With less than two minutes left in the game, Arizona State missed a field goal from their own 42. Catholic took over the ball, but were stymied as "the desperate Bulldogs were pulling interceptions out of their hats."


1940 Sun Bowl, Post-game
In post-game analysis, both coaches told the press they believed they had the better team. Dixie Howell said of his Bulldogs he believed "we would have won if we had gotten a break at the right time." Bergman called the game a "flop," saying his team "didn't play our top game by any means. I think we are capable of beating Tempe six days out of the week."


1940 Sun Bowl, Post-game
After the game, Knights of Columbus in El Paso took the Cardinals over the border for lunch in the "squalid but colorful Mexican town" of Ciudad Juárez.


1940 Swan by-election
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Swan on 21 December 1940. This was triggered by the death of Country Party MP Henry Gregory.


1940 Swan by-election
The by-election was won by Country Party candidate Thomas Marwick, who had been a member of the Senate from 1936 to 1937.


1940 Swansea East by-election
The Swansea East by-election, 1940 was a parliamentary by-election held for the British House of Commons constituency of Swansea East on 5 February 1940. The seat had become vacant on the resignation from the House of Commons of the Labour Member of Parliament David Williams, who had held the seat since the 1922 general election.


1940 Swansea East by-election
During World War II, the major parties had agreed not to contest by-elections when vacancies arose in seats held by the other parties, so the Labour candidate, David Mort, was returned unopposed. Mort represented the constituency until his death in 1963, triggering another by-election.


1940 Swedish Ice Hockey Championship
The 1940 Swedish Ice Hockey Championship was the 18th season of the Swedish Ice Hockey Championship, the national championship of Sweden. IK Gota won the championship.


1940 Swedish general election
General elections were held in Sweden on 15 September 1940. The Swedish Social Democratic Party remained the largest party, winning 134 of the 230 seats in the Second Chamber of the Riksdag. It is one of two general elections in Swedish history where a single party received more than half of the vote (the other occasion being 1968).


1940 Swiss military referendum
A referendum on the military was held in Switzerland on 1 December 1940. Voters were asked whether they approved of amending articles 103 and 104 of the federal law that detailed the organisation of the Swiss military. The proposal was rejected by 55.7% of voters.


1940 Swiss military referendum, Background
The referendum was an optional referendum, which only required a majority of the vote in favour, as opposed to a mandatory referendum, which required both a majority of the popular vote and majority of the cantons to be in favour.


1940 Syracuse Orangemen football team
The 1940 Syracuse Orangemen football team represented Syracuse University in the 1940 college football season. The Orangemen were led by fourth-year head coach Ossie Solem and played their home games at Archbold Stadium in Syracuse, New York.


1940 São Paulo FC season
The 1940 football season was São Paulo's 11th season since club's existence.


1940 TCU Horned Frogs football team
The 1940 TCU Horned Frogs football team represented Texas Christian University (TCU) in the 1940 college football season. The Horned Frogs finished the season 3–7 overall and 2–4 in the Southwest Conference. The team was coached by Dutch Meyer in his seventh year as head coach. The Frogs played their home games in Amon G. Carter Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth, Texas.


1940 Tamworth state by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Tamworth on 10 August 1940 because of the death of Frank Chaffey (United Australia).


1940 Tamworth state by-election
The UAP held a five-way preselection which was won by Chaffey's son, Bill Chaffey, a farmer who had returned to the district about twelve months previously. He won preselection over Tamworth station agent P. Marsh, grazier and Peel River Shire councillor J. Scott, Tamworth grain expert W. H. Lye and former federal MP Roland Green. The Country Party did not contest the seat after forming an agreement with the UAP, mindful of the UAP having not contested an earlier by-election in the Country Party-held seat of Upper Hunter. Two Labor parties contested the seat as a result of the second Lang Labor split: insurance agent and future MP Thomas Ryan (for the Labor Party (Non-Communist)) and solicitor John Lyons (for the official Labor Party).


1940 Tamworth state by-election
Chaffey comfortably won the seat with a majority of the primary vote.


1940 Taça de Portugal Final
The 1940 Taça de Portugal Final was the final match of the 1939–40 Taça de Portugal, the 2nd season of the Taça de Portugal, the premier Portuguese football cup competition organized by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). The match was played on 7 July 1940 at the Estádio do Lumiar in Lisbon, and opposed two Primeira Liga sides: Belenenses and Benfica. Benfica defeated Belenenses 3–1 to claim their first Taça de Portugal.


1940 Temple Owls football team
The 1940 Temple Owls football team was an American football team that represented Temple University as an independent during the 1940 college football season. In its first season under head coach Ray Morrison, the team compiled a 4–4–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 155 to 113. The team played its home games at Temple Stadium in Philadelphia. Charles Drulis was the team captain.


1940 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 1940 Tennessee Volunteers represented the University of Tennessee in the 1940 college football season. Playing as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the team was led by head coach Robert Neyland, in his 14th year, and played their home games at Shields–Watkins Field in Knoxville, Tennessee. They finished the season with a record of ten wins and one loss (10–1 overall, 5–0 in the SEC), as SEC champions and with a loss against Boston College in the 1941 Sugar Bowl.


1940 Tennessee Volunteers football team
This team won the school's second national championship after being recognized as national champion under the Williamson System, a power rating system created by Paul Williamson, a New Orleans geologist, and the Dunkel System, a power index system devised by Dick Dunkel, Sr.


1940 Tennessee gubernatorial election
The 1940 Tennessee gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democrat Prentice Cooper defeated Republican nominee C. Arthur Bruce with 72.09% of the vote.


1940 Texas A&M Aggies football team
The 1940 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented Texas A&M University during the 1940 college football season.


1940 Texas Longhorns football team
The 1940 Texas Longhorns football team represented the University of Texas at Austin in the 1940 college football season.


1940 Texas Mines Miners football team
The 1940 Texas Mines Miners football team was an American football team that represented Texas School of Mines (now known as University of Texas at El Paso) as a member of the Border Conference during the 1940 college football season. In its 12th season under head coach Mack Saxon, the team compiled a 4–4–1 record (3–1–1 against Border Conference opponents), finished third in the conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 129 to 121.


1940 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team
The 1940 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team represented Texas Tech during the 1940 college football season.


1940 Texas gubernatorial election
The 1940 Texas gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1940.


1940 Texas gubernatorial election
Incumbent Democratic Governor W. Lee O'Daniel defeated Republican nominee George C. Hopkins with 94.42% of the vote.


1940 Texas gubernatorial election, Nominations, Democratic primary
The Democratic primary election was held on July 27, 1940. By winning over 50% of the vote, O'Daniel avoided a run-off.


1940 Texas gubernatorial election, Nominations, Republican nomination
The Republican state convention was held at Beaumont on August 13, 1940.


1940 The Citadel Bulldogs football team
The 1940 The Citadel Bulldogs football team represented The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in the 1940 college football season. Bo Rowland served as head coach for the first season. The Bulldogs played as members of the Southern Conference and played home games at Johnson Hagood Stadium.


1940 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
The 1940 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship was the 50th staging of the Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Tipperary County Board in 1887.


1940 Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship
Moycarkey-Borris won the championship after a 4-07 to 4-02 defeat of Cashel King Cormacs in the final. It was their 10th championship title overall and their first title since 1937.


1940 Titleholders Championship
The 1940 Titleholders Championship was contested from January 16–19 at Augusta Country Club. It was the 4th edition of the Titleholders Championship.


1940 Toledo Rockets football team
The 1940 Toledo Rockets football team was an American football team that represented Toledo University in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 1940 college football season. In their fifth season under head coach Clarence Spears, the Rockets compiled a 6–3 record.


1940 Toronto Argonauts season
The 1940 Toronto Argonauts season was the 54th season for the team since the franchise's inception in 1873. The team finished in second place in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union with a 4–2 record and qualified for the playoffs, but lost the two-game total-points IRFU Final series to the Ottawa Rough Riders.


1940 Toronto municipal election
Municipal elections were held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on January 1, 1940. Incumbent Ralph Day was re-elected mayor. The election saw little change with all incumbent councillors and Board of Control members being reelected.


1940 Toronto municipal election, Toronto mayor
Day was challenged for a second time by lawyer Lewis Duncan.


1940 Toronto municipal election, Board of Control
Two aldermen attempted to win seats on the Board of Control, David A. Balfour and communist Stewart Smith. Neither were successful as all four incumbents were reelected.


1940 Toronto municipal election, City council
Results taken from the January 2, 1940 Globe and Mail and might not exactly match final tallies.


1940 Tour de Serbie
The 1940 Tour de Serbie (Serbian: Trka oko Srbije) was the 2nd edition of the Tour de Serbie cycling stage race. It was scheduled from 29 August to 6 September.


1940 Tschammerpokal
The 1940 Tschammerpokal was the 6th season of the annual German football cup competition. In the final which was held on 1 December 1940 in the Olympiastadion Dresdner SC defeated 1. FC Nürnberg 2–1 after extra time. It was the first final which was not decided in regular time.


1940 Tschammerpokal Final
The 1940 Tschammerpokal Final decided the winner of the 1940 Tschammerpokal, the 6th season of Germany's knockout football cup competition. It was played on 1 December 1940 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Dresdner SC won the match 2–1 against 1. FC Nürnberg after extra time, to claim their 1st cup title.


1940 Tschammerpokal Final, Route to the final
The Tschammerpokal began the final stage with 64 teams in a single-elimination knockout cup competition. There were a total of five rounds leading up to the final. Teams were drawn against each other, and the winner after 90 minutes would advance. If still tied, 30 minutes of extra time was played. If the score was still level, a replay would take place at the original away team's stadium. If still level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time was played. If the score was still level, a second replay would take place at the original home team's stadium. If still level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time was played. If the score was still level, a drawing of lots would decide who would advance to the next round.


1940 Tschammerpokal Final, Route to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).


1940 Tulane Green Wave football team
The 1940 Tulane Green Wave football team represented Tulane University as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1940 college football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Red Dawson, the Green Wave played their home games at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans. Tulane finished the season with an overall record of 5–5 and a mark of 1–3 in conference play, placing tenth in the SEC.


1940 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
The 1940 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team represented the University of Tulsa during the 1940 college football season. In their second year under head coach Chet Benefiel, the Golden Hurricane compiled a 7–3 record (4–0 against conference opponents) and won the Missouri Valley Conference championship.


1940 Turkish Football Championship
The 1940 Turkish Football Championship was the seventh edition of the competition. Eskişehir Demirspor won their first and only national championship title by defeating Fenerbahçe in the final. For Eskişehir Demirspor it was the club's first and sole appearance in the championship final.


1940 Turkish Football Championship
After four years of interruption the championship was resumed again and was held in a new format. In 1937 the Turkish National Division was introduced, which was the national league contested by the top clubs of the three major leagues of Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir. The remaining cities which were not included in the National Division played in regional qualification groups like in the previous years, with the group winners competing against each other in a play-off. The club winning the play-off in 1940, Eskişehir Demirspor, played against 1940 Turkish National Division winners Fenerbahçe. Eskişehir Demirspor defeated Fenerbahçe in the final and thus became the first Turkish champions from outside Istanbul and Ankara.


1940 Turkish National Division
The 1940 National Division was the 4th edition of the Turkish National Division. Fenerbahçe won their second title.


1940 U.S. National Championships (tennis)
The 1940 U.S. National Championships (now known as the US Open) was a tennis tournament that took place on the outdoor grass courts at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills in New York City, United States. The tournament ran from 2 September until 9 September. It was the 60th staging of the U.S. National Championships and the second Grand Slam tennis event of the year because of the cancellation of Wimbledon and the French Championships due to World War II. Don McNeill capped an outstanding season with his win over Bobby Riggs in the finals of the men's singles.


1940 U.S. National Championships (tennis)
Earlier in the year McNeill won the U.S. Men's Intercollegiate Singles Championships for Kenyon College, defeating Joe Hunt of Navy. A dramatic moment occurred in this 1940 National Championships during the men's singles quarter-final match between 1943 national champion, Joe Hunt and third seeded Frank Kovacs. Kovacs had the reputation as a court clown, and early in the third set, Kovacs' antics with the gallery compelled Hunt to sit down on the baseline and refuse to play until the umpire stopped the disturbance. Hunt ignored several of Kovacs' serves, allowing them to harmlessly fly by. In short order, Kovacs also sat on his baseline and Forest Hills experienced what was called "tennis' first sit-down strike." About five minutes went by with the crowd alternately cheering and jeering. When order was restored, Hunt went on to win the match in straight sets.


1940 U.S. National Championships (tennis), Finals, Men's Singles
Donald McNeill defeated  Bobby Riggs  4–6, 6–8, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5


1940 U.S. National Championships (tennis), Finals, Men's Doubles
Jack Kramer /  Ted Schroeder defeated  Gardnar Mulloy /  Henry Prussoff 6–4, 8–6, 9–7


1940 U.S. National Championships (tennis), Finals, Women's Doubles
Sarah Palfrey Cooke /  Alice Marble defeated  Dorothy Bundy /  Marjorie Gladman Van Ryn 6–4, 6–4


1940 U.S. National Championships (tennis), Finals, Mixed Doubles
Alice Marble /   Bobby Riggs defeated  Dorothy Bundy /  Jack Kramer 9–7, 6–1


1940 U.S. National Championships – Men's Singles
Donald McNeill defeated Bobby Riggs 4–6, 6–8, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5 in the final to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 1940 U.S. National Championships.


1940 U.S. National Championships – Men's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Donald McNeill is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1940 U.S. National Championships – Women's Singles
First-seeded Alice Marble defeated second-seeded Helen Jacobs 6–2, 6–3 in the final to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1940 U.S. National Championships. The tournament was played on outdoor grass courts and held from September 2, through September 7, 1940 at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens, New York.


1940 U.S. National Championships – Women's Singles
The draw consisted of 55 players of which seven were seeded.


1940 U.S. National Championships – Women's Singles, Seeds
The eight seeded U.S. players are listed below. Alice Marble is the champion; others show in brackets the round in which they were eliminated.


1940 U.S. Open (golf)
The 1940 U.S. Open was the 44th U.S. Open, June 6–9 at Canterbury Golf Club in Beachwood, Ohio, a suburb east of Cleveland. Lawson Little defeated Gene Sarazen in an 18-hole playoff to win his only professional major.


1940 U.S. Open (golf)
Little started the final round a stroke behind leader Frank Walsh and carded a 73 to finish at 287. Sarazen made two birdies on the back nine and did not make a bogey to also post 287 and force a playoff on Sunday.


1940 U.S. Open (golf)
After five holes in the playoff, Little had a four-stroke advantage and was ahead by three at the turn. Sarazen made birdie at 11 and 14 to close the gap to one stroke with four holes to play, but could draw no closer. Little birdied the next two holes and they halved the final two holes. Little won by three, 70 to 73, and became the fifth player to win both the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur.


1940 U.S. Open (golf)
Six players were disqualified after the final round for starting their round too early to avoid a coming storm. One of those players, Ed Oliver, actually tied Little and Sarazen, but his disqualification prevented his participation in the playoff. Walter Hagen, in his final U.S. Open, was also disqualified for showing up late for his third round. Under current rules, Hagen would be penalised two strokes if he arrived within a grace period. Also under current rules, officials, with access to weather radar, reserve the right to accelerate the start of the final round and change its procedure (groups of three starting at the first and tenth tees, or a shotgun start).


1940 U.S. Open (golf)
The top eight finishers in the tournament were all past or future major champions, and are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.


1940 U.S. Open (golf)
This was the first of three majors at Canterbury. The U.S. Open returned six years later in 1946, won by Lloyd Mangrum in two playoff rounds. It was the first U.S. Open in five years, due to World War II. The PGA Championship was played at the course in 1973, won by Jack Nicklaus.


1940 UCLA Bruins football team
The 1940 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the 1940 college football season. The Bruins offense scored 79 points while the defense allowed 174 points. Coached by Edwin C. Horrell, the Bruins finished the season with a 1–9 record.


1940 UCLA Bruins football team, 1940 Bruins in professional sports
The following players were claimed in the 1941 NFL Draft.


1940 UCLA Bruins football team, 1940 Bruins in professional sports
Jackie Robinson went on to a career in Major League Baseball.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year
The 1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year was the 15th year of greyhound racing in the United Kingdom and Ireland.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Summary
The government were reportedly on the verge of calling a ban on racing and tracks that remained open were beset with problems with many of their staff being called up to fight in the war. In addition many of the greyhound owners were unable to pay the kennel fees to their respective trainers for the same reason. The Greyhound Express even ran an article about their own dwindling staff at the newspaper. The anti–betting lobby led by the Labour Party wanted a total ban to racing, quoting that the public transport was being used by racegoers and as a result munitions factory workers were having to walk home. The nation was divided in regards to allowing racing to continue.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Summary
Despite the problems the industry continued to record remarkable results, in terms of attendances and totalisator turnover. The leading greyhound company, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA) saw reduced profits as expected but still made a net profit of £74,988. The figure was made all the more surprising because from 24 June until 31 December the company had only staged 23 meetings across its race tracks. GRA attendances for the year dropped but remained healthy at 2,516,816.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Summary
After receiving instruction from the government, all tracks were ordered by the sports administrative body (the National Greyhound Racing Society) to reduce racing to one meeting per week.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Summary
G.R.Archduke won the 1940 English Greyhound Derby, which became known as the 'Silent Derby' due to the fact that it started at White City but ended at Harringay Stadium, after White City closed for the rest if the war.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Tracks
Sunderland Greyhound Stadium held its inaugural race meeting on 23 March and Yarmouth Stadium opened on 11 May but would close soon after. The Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium kennels moved from on site to Albourne.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Competitions
Many of the major competitions were postponed until 1945, classic races the Scurry Gold Cup, Cesarewitch and St Leger were some of the biggest casualties. The Joe Harmon trained brindle, Juvenile Classic, completed a second successful campaign in the Grand National. He had finished runner up the previous year and had won it during 1938. The Gold Collar followed the Grand National as usual and the Wembley trained Cash Balance stopped Grosvenor Ferdinand, now trained by Jack Harvey, from becoming the first greyhound to defend the title successfully.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Competitions
The Scottish Greyhound Derby in July, was won by local greyhound Ballycurreen Soldier, who would justify favouritism as he defeated Grosvenor Ferdinand, Junior Classic and defending champion Misty Law II. In the Laurels, Derby finalists Rock Callan and Keel Creamery failed to overcome April Burglar.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, News
Regular fund raising for the war effort from the greyhound racing public raised significant amounts throughout the year.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Ireland
In Ireland the 1940 Irish Greyhound Derby would not take place until October and a superstar would emerge, without fully being recognised during his racing career. Tanist was a brindle dog whelped in March 1938 by Inler out of the dam Tranquilia and would later become arguably the most significant breeding sire in Irish history.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Ireland
Owned Mr W.Twyford (real name Father F.Browne) and trained by Billy Quinn he reached the final of the Easter Cup at Shelbourne Park, won by Shy Sandy in April and broke the track record, recording 29.66 seconds and was also the first to break 30 seconds barrier at Clonmel Greyhound Stadium, setting a new record in his only race there. He finished runner up to great rival Another Dancing Willie in the McAlinden Cup final before being bought by Londoner Arthur Probert for £200. He was sent to Paddy McEllistrim


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Ireland
at Wimbledon Stadium before returning to Ireland, he set a new Irish national record for 525 yards and was entered for the 1940 Irish Derby. In every heat of the Derby he set a new track record and, by the time of the final, was a popular favourite. He beat the field including Another Dancing Willie in the final; the first time 30 seconds had been broken in a final.


1940 UK & Ireland Greyhound Racing Year, Ireland
Billy Quinn owned and trained another greyhound called Ballynennan Moon who was born in April 1939, five months before the war. In August he was to make his first appearance in public winning the North Kilkenny Stakes. In his first twenty races he won eight times but, in the last of those, he broke 30 seconds to defeat Roeside Liene and Quinn then negotiated a sale to Mrs Jessie Cearns, wife of the managing director of Wimbledon Stadium.


1940 USC Trojans football team
The 1940 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California (USC) in the 1940 college football season. In their 16th year under head coach Howard Jones, the Trojans compiled a 3–4–2 record (2–3–2 against conference opponents), finished in seventh place in the Pacific Coast Conference, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 98 to 88.


1940 USSR Chess Championship
The 1940 Soviet Chess Championship was the 12th edition of USSR Chess Championship. Held from 5 September to 3 October 1940 in Moscow. The tournament was won by Andor Lilienthal and Igor Bondarevsky. Twenty of the Soviet Union's strongest masters competed in the final, six of whom qualified in the semifinals in Kiev earlier that year: Eduard Gerstenfeld, Mark Stolberg, Igor Bondarevsky, Iosif Rudakovsky, Alexander Konstantinopolsky and Peter Dubinin. The remaining invitations went to the Soviet chess elite. Botvinnik did his worst championship, only drawing in 5th/6th position, losing matches to both winners.


1940 USSR Chess Championship
This championship marked the debut of the future world champion Vassily Smyslov (3rd) and Paul Keres (4th). USSR had expanded its territory in 1939-40, incorporating the Baltic states, which meant that the strong masters Paul Keres from Estonia and Vladimir Petrov from Latvia were able to participate. In 1941, the top six played a competition called Absolute Championship of Soviet Union, ending with Botvinnik's victory.


1940 USSR Chess Championship, 1941 Absolute Champion of the USSR
The winner of the 1940 Soviet championship should face world champion Alexander Alekhine for world title. Nor did the result settle the question of which Soviet playershould challenge Alekhine. A new sports official worked diligently behind the scenes to undermine the original decision to have a match for the title between Bondarevskyand Lilienthal. As a result, it was announced a new title Absolute Champion of the USSR was being set up and would be contested in Leningrad and Moscow as amatch-tournament of the top six. In fact, the Absolute Championship was to be a one-off, never to be played again. Only two months after Botvinnik's success, his dreams ofchallenging Alekhine were shattered when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.


1940 United States House of Representatives election in Puerto Rico
The election for Resident Commissioner to the United States House of Representatives took place on November 5, 1940, the same day as the larger Puerto Rican general election and the United States elections, 1940.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections
The 1940 United States House of Representatives elections coincided with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's re-election to an unprecedented third term. His Democratic Party narrowly gained seats from the opposition Republican Party, cementing their majority. However, the election gave firm control of the US House of Representatives and Senate to the New Dealers once again, as Progressives dominated the election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections
The upswing in the economy that occurred following the Recession of 1937–38 encouraged voters that the New Deal plan had been working. This allowed the Democrats to stabilize their support.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections
As of 2021, this is the last time the House of Representatives was made up of six parties.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections, Special elections
Many special elections were held. The elected winner would serve only the remainder of the incumbent Congress. Sorted by election date.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections, Louisiana
Several close allies of former governor Huey Long were defeated in primaries by reform candidates.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections, Non-voting delegates
After two cycles of electing its delegate in September, Alaska Territory returned to a November election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in California
The United States House of Representatives elections in California, 1940 was an election for California's delegation to the United States House of Representatives, which occurred as part of the general election of the House of Representatives on November 5, 1940. Republicans gained two districts.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in California, Results
Final results from the Clerk of the House of Representatives:


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina
The 1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina were held on November 5, 1940 to select six Representatives for two-year terms from the state of South Carolina. All five incumbents who ran were re-elected and the open seat in the 1st congressional district was retained by the Democrats. The composition of the state delegation thus remained solely Democratic.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 1st congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Clara G. McMillan of the 1st congressional district succeeded her husband, Thomas S. McMillan, in office upon his death in 1939. She did not seek re-election and L. Mendel Rivers defeated Alfred von Kolnitz in the Democratic primary and Republican Mrs. John E. Messervy in the general election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 2nd congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Hampton P. Fulmer of the 2nd congressional district, in office since 1921, defeated former Lieutenant Governor Andrew J. Bethea in the Democratic primary and Republican M.B. Cross in the general election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 3rd congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Butler B. Hare of the 3rd congressional district, in office since 1939, defeated former Representative John C. Taylor in the Democratic primary and Republican A.F. Ernest in the general election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 4th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman Joseph R. Bryson of the 4th congressional district, in office since 1939, defeated Virgil Evans in the Democratic primary and Republican J.D. McCullough in the general election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 5th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman James P. Richards of the 5th congressional district, in office since 1933, defeated Roy C. Cobb in the Democratic primary and Republican C.F. Pendleton in the general election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in South Carolina, 6th congressional district
Incumbent Democratic Congressman John L. McMillan of the 6th congressional district, in office since 1939, defeated James P. "Spot" Mozingo in the Democratic primary and Republican C.B. Ruffin in the general election.


1940 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia
The 1940 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 5, 1940 to determine who will represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives. Virginia had nine seats in the House, apportioned according to the 1930 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms.


1940 United States Senate election in Arizona
The 1940 United States Senate elections in Arizona took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Henry F. Ashurst ran for reelection to a sixth term, but was defeated in the Democratic primary to challenger Ernest McFarland.


1940 United States Senate election in Arizona
The twenty-eight-year Democratic incumbent, Henry F. Ashurst, appeared to be unbeatable and did not launch an aggressive campaign to retain his seat. While Ashurst remained in Washington, D.C., McFarland canvassed the state, giving speeches on water issues and World War II in Europe. He defeated Ashurst in the primary and went on to win the general election, defeating Republican challenger Irving A. Jennings.


1940 United States Senate election in California
The 1940 United States Senate election in California was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Republican Senator Hiram Johnson was re-elected to his fifth term in office, though he would die in office in 1945.


1940 United States Senate election in California
By cross-filing and winning the Democratic and Progressive primaries, Johnson eliminated his strongest competition and handily won the general election with only nominal opposition from the Prohibition Party.


1940 United States Senate election in California, Third parties and independents, Independent
A write-in bid was launched in support of John Anson Ford.


1940 United States Senate election in Connecticut
The United States Senate election of 1940 in Connecticut was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic Senator Francis T. Maloney was re-elected to a second term in office. Maloney did not complete the term; he died in 1945.


1940 United States Senate election in Delaware
The 1940 United States Senate election in Delaware took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John G. Townsend Jr. ran for re-election to a third term in office, but was defeated by Democrat James M. Tunnell.


1940 United States Senate election in Florida
The 1940 United States Senate election in Florida was held on November 5, 1940.


1940 United States Senate election in Florida
Incumbent Senator Charles O. Andrews failed to achieve a majority in the May 7 primary election, but defeated Jerry W. Carter easily in a run-off on May 28. Andrews won the November general election without an opponent.


1940 United States Senate election in Florida, Background
Incumbent Senator Charles O. Andrews was first elected in a special 1936 election to complete the unexpired term of Park Trammell.


1940 United States Senate election in Indiana
The 1940 United States Senate election in Indiana took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Sherman Minton ran for re-election to a second term, but lost narrowly to Republican Raymond E. Willis.


1940 United States Senate election in Maine
The 1940 United States Senate election in Maine was held on September 9, 1940.


1940 United States Senate election in Maine
Incumbent Republican Senator Frederick Hale did not run for re-election. Republican U.S. Representative and former Governor Owen Brewster won the open seat, defeating two Governors of Maine: incumbent Republican Governor Lewis Barrows in the primary and former Democratic Governor Louis Brann in the general election.


1940 United States Senate election in Maryland
The 1940 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 5, 1940.


1940 United States Senate election in Maryland
Incumbent Democratic Senator George L. P. Radcliffe was re-elected to a second term in office, fending off an intra-party challenge from businessman Howard Bruce and easily winning the general election over Republican ex-Governor Harry Nice.


1940 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
The 1940 United States Senate election in Massachusetts was held on November 5, 1940, with Democratic incumbent David I. Walsh defeating his challengers.


1940 United States Senate election in Michigan
The 1940 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 5, 1940.


1940 United States Senate election in Michigan
Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg was re-elected to a third consecutive term over Democratic judge Frank FitzGerald.


1940 United States Senate election in Minnesota
The 1940 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent U.S. Senator Henrik Shipstead defected to the Republican Party of Minnesota from the Farmer–Labor Party of Minnesota, and defeated former Governor Elmer Benson of the Farmer–Labor Party and John E. Regan of the Minnesota Democratic Party to win a fourth term.


1940 United States Senate election in Mississippi
The 1940 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 6, 1940. Incumbent Senator Theodore Bilbo was re-elected to a second term.


1940 United States Senate election in Mississippi
On August 27, Bilbo won the Democratic primary election over Governor Hugh L. White with 59.32% of the vote. Bilbo won the November general election without an opponent.


1940 United States Senate election in Missouri
The 1940 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator and future President of the United States Harry S. Truman, who was first elected in 1934, decided to seek re-election to a second term. He narrowly survived a primary challenge from Governor of Missouri Lloyd C. Stark before also narrowly defeating Republican nominee Manvel H. Davis in the general election.


1940 United States Senate election in Missouri, Democratic primary, Campaign
Heading into the election of 1940, the Pendergast machine that had propelled Harry S. Truman to victory in the 1934 election had been brought to its knees as Tom Pendergast was ill and imprisoned for widespread voter fraud in the 1936 elections, in which more votes were tallied in Kansas City than its entire population. As such, Truman's connections to Pendergast going back to his 1922 candidacy for judge in Jackson County were a liability in the campaign. Missouri Governor Lloyd C. Stark, who had portrayed himself as an opponent of the machine, challenged Truman for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator.


1940 United States Senate election in Missouri, Democratic primary, Campaign
Truman, who had decided to seek a second term in February 1940, overcame his Pendergast connections and defeated Stark for the Democratic nomination.


1940 United States Senate election in Missouri, General election, Campaign
Touting his experience as a World War I veteran and track record as a U.S. Senator, Truman ultimately defeated Republican candidate and former state senator Manvel H. Davis in the November general election.


1940 United States Senate election in Montana
The 1940 United States Senate election in Montana took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent United States Senator Burton K. Wheeler, who was first elected to the Senate in 1922, and was re-elected in 1928 and 1934, ran for re-election. Though he faced a serious challenger in the Democratic primary, he emerged victorious, and advanced to the general election, where he faced E. K. Cheadle, a state district judge and the Republican nominee. Just like in 1934, Wheeler won re-election in a landslide, winning his fourth term in the Senate.


1940 United States Senate election in Nebraska
The 1940 United States Senate election in Nebraska took place on November 5, 1940. Hugh A. Butler was elected for the first time, defeating Governor Robert Leroy Cochran. Edward R. Burke, the incumbent Senator, was defeated by Cochran in the primary. Butler performed on par with Wendell Willkie, who won the state with 57.2% in the presidential election.


1940 United States Senate election in New Jersey
The United States Senate election of 1940 in New Jersey was held on November 5, 1940.


1940 United States Senate election in New Jersey
Incumbent Republican Senator William Warren Barbour was re-elected over Democrat James H. R. Cromwell, who had recently been appointed United States Ambassador to Canada.


1940 United States Senate election in New York
The United States Senate election of 1940 in New York was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic Senator James M. Mead, first elected in 1938 to fill vacancy caused by the death of Royal S. Copeland, was re-elected to a full term in office, defeating Republican Bruce Barton.


1940 United States Senate election in New York, Republican nomination, Convention
At the Republican convention in White Plains on September 27, Bruce Barton was nominated without opposition. His nomination came at the urging of presidential candidate Wendell Willkie. He focused his acceptance speech on the need to deny President Roosevelt an unprecedented third term in office, which he insinuated would lead to dictatorship through an end to free elections, end of labor unionism, the end of Congress and Congress's power to declare war, the end of protection for racial and religious minorities, and the establishment of a permanent conscripted peacetime army "á la Hitler and Mussolini."


1940 United States Senate election in New York, Democratic nomination, Convention
Without a declared opponent, Senator Mead was assured re-nomination. At the state convention at the Manhattan Center on September 30, Mead gave a speech praising President Roosevelt, James A. Farley, Edward J. Flynn, Senator Robert F. Wagner, and Governor Herbert Lehman. He fully embraced Roosevelt's bid for a third term, arguing that the Founding Fathers had not intended any limit on the term of president, and argued for religious tolerance and national unity. His nomination was confirmed unanimously in a night session of the convention.


1940 United States Senate election in Ohio
The 1940 United States Senate election in Ohio took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic Senator Vic Donahey did not run for re-election to a second term. In the open race to succeed him, Republican Mayor of Cleveland Harold Hitz Burton defeated Democratic U.S. Representative John McSweeney.


1940 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
The 1940 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joseph F. Guffey successfully sought re-election to another term, defeating the Republican nominee, Jay Cooke.


1940 United States Senate election in Tennessee
The 1940 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic Senator Kenneth D. McKellar was re-elected to a fifth term in office, defeating Republican Howard Baker.


1940 United States Senate election in Texas
The 1940 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Tom Connally was re-elected to his third term in office, with only minor opposition in the Democratic primary and general elections.


1940 United States Senate election in Vermont
The 1940 United States Senate election in Vermont took place on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Republican Warren Austin successfully ran for re-election to another term in the United States Senate, defeating Democratic candidate Ona S. Searles. Austin would resign in August 1946 to become United States Ambassador to the United Nations; Ralph Flanders was appointed to replace him and went on to win election to a full term in 1946.


1940 United States Senate election in Virginia
The 1940 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr. was re-elected to a second term after defeating Independent Hilliard Berstein.


1940 United States Senate election in Washington
The 1940 United States Senate election in Washington was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Democrat Lewis Schwellenbach did not run for a second term in office. He was succeeded by Democratic U.S. Representative Monrad C. Wallgren, who defeated Republican Stephen Foster Chadwick for the open seat.


1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
The 1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 5, 1940.


1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin
Incumbent Progressive U.S. Senator Robert La Follette Jr. was elected to a third term in office over Republican Fred H. Clausen and Democrat James E. Finnegan.


1940 United States Senate election in Wisconsin, Republican primary, Campaign
Frank died two days before the primary, on September 15, but remained on the ballot.


1940 United States Senate election in Wyoming
The 1940 United States Senate election in Wyoming took place on November 5, 1940. Democratic Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney ran for re-election to a second full term. He faced Republican Milward Simpson, a member of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and a former State Representative, in the general election. Though the presidential election in Wyoming was relatively close, O'Mahoney outperformed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's narrow win, and defeated Simpson in a landslide to win his second term.


1940 United States Senate elections
The United States Senate elections of 1940 coincided with the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to his third term as President.


1940 United States Senate elections
Although Roosevelt was re-elected, support for his administration had dropped somewhat after eight years, and the Republican opposition gained three seats from the Democrats. However, the New Deal Democrats regained firm control of both the House and Senate because Progressives dominated the election. The Minnesota Farmer–Labor Party also disappeared from the Senate, as Henrik Shipstead joined the Republican party and Ernest Lundeen had died during the preceding term. Senator Harry S. Truman of Missouri was elected to his final term in the Senate in 1940. Truman resigned in 1945 to serve as President Roosevelt's third Vice President.


1940 United States Senate elections, Gains and losses
Republicans had a net gain of three seats in the regular elections, plus one more in a November special election.


1940 United States Senate elections, Gains and losses
Republicans gained a seat from Farmer–Labor when an incumbent changed party:


1940 United States Senate elections, Race summaries, Special elections during the 76th Congress
In these special elections, the winner elected during 1940 and seated once qualified; ordered by election date.


1940 United States Senate elections, Race summaries, Races leading to the 77th Congress
In these regular elections, the winners were elected for the term beginning January 3, 1941; ordered by state.


1940 United States Senate elections, Missouri
One-term Democrat Harry S. Truman was narrowly re-elected. He would only serve until resigning January 17, 1945 to become U.S. Vice President.


1940 United States Senate elections, New York
The whole ticket nominated by Democrats and American Laborites was elected.


1940 United States Senate elections, Vermont
There were 2 elections due to the June 20, 1940 death of two-term Republican Ernest Willard Gibson.


1940 United States Senate elections, Vermont, Vermont (Regular)
Two-term Republican Warren Austin was easily re-elected. He faced no opponents in the primary.


1940 United States Senate elections, Vermont, Vermont (Regular)
Austin served only until his August 2, 1946 resignation to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.


1940 United States Senate elections, Vermont, Vermont (Special)
Gibson's son, Republican Ernest W. Gibson Jr. was appointed June 24, 1940 to continue his father's term, pending a special election, in which he was not a candidate.


1940 United States Senate elections, Vermont, Vermont (Special)
Aiken did not take the seat until January 10, 1941, as he wanted to remain Governor of Vermont. He would be repeatedly re-elected and serve until his 1975 retirement.


1940 United States Senate special election in Illinois
The 1940 United States Senate special election in Illinois took place on November 5, 1940. The election was triggered by the vacancy left by the death in office of Democrat J. Hamilton Lewis. After Lewis' death, James M. Slattery was appointed to fill the seat in the interim period until the individual elected in the special election would be sworn-in. Slattery was the Democratic Party's nominee in the special election. He was defeated by Republican nominee Charles W. Brooks.


1940 United States Senate special election in Illinois, Election information
The primaries and general election coincided with those for other federal elections (president and House) and those for state elections.


1940 United States Senate special election in Vermont
The 1940 United States Senate special election in Vermont took place on November 5, 1940. Republican George Aiken was elected to the United States Senate to serve the remainder of the deceased Ernest W. Gibson, Sr.'s term, defeating Democratic candidate Herbert B. Comings. Aiken replaced Gibson's son, Ernest W. Gibson, Jr., who was appointed to fill the seat until a special election could be held.


1940 United States census
The United States census of 1940, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 132,164,569, an increase of 7.3 percent over the 1930 population of 122,775,046 people. The census date of record was April 1, 1940. A number of new questions were asked including where people were five years before, highest educational grade achieved, and information about wages. This census introduced sampling techniques; one in 20 people were asked additional questions on the census form. Other innovations included a field test of the census in 1939. This was the first census in which every state (48) had a population greater than 100,000.


1940 United States census, Census questions
In addition, a sample of individuals were asked additional questions covering  age at first marriage,  fertility, and other topics. Full documentation on the 1940 census, including census forms and a procedural history, is available from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series.


1940 United States census, Data availability
Following completion of the census, the original enumeration sheets were microfilmed; after which the original sheets were destroyed.


1940 United States census, Data availability
As required by Title 13 of the U.S. Code, access to personally identifiable information from census records was restricted for 72 years. Non -personally identifiable information Microdata from the 1940 census is freely available through the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Also, aggregate data for small areas, together with electronic boundary files, can be downloaded from the National Historical Geographic Information System.


1940 United States census, Data availability
On April 2, 2012—72 years after the census was taken—microfilmed images of the 1940 census enumeration sheets were released to the public by the National Archives and Records Administration. The records are indexed only by enumeration district upon initial release; several organizations are compiling indices, in some cases through crowdsourcing.


1940 United States census, Use for Japanese American internment
During World War II, the Census Bureau responded to numerous information requests from US government agencies, including the US Army and the US Secret Service, to facilitate the internment of Japanese Americans. In his report of the operation,  U.S. Army Lt. Gen. John L. DeWitt wrote that "The most important single source of information prior to the evacuation was the 1940 Census of Population."


1940 United States elections
The 1940 United States elections was held on November 5. The Democratic Party continued to dominate national politics, as it defended its Congressional majorities and retained the presidency. It was the last election prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entry into World War II.


1940 United States elections
In the presidential election, Democratic incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to serve an unprecedented third term, defeating Republican businessman Wendell Willkie of New York. Although Willkie fared better than the previous two Republican presidential candidates, Roosevelt crushed Willkie in the electoral college and won the popular vote by ten points. At the 1940 Democratic National Convention, Roosevelt overcame opposition from Vice President John Nance Garner and Postmaster General James Farley to win on the first ballot. Willkie won the Republican nomination on the sixth ballot, defeating Ohio Senator Robert A. Taft and Manhattan District Attorney Thomas Dewey.


1940 United States elections
The Democrats gained five seats in the House of Representatives, furthering their majority over the Republicans. The Democrats also maintained a majority in the U.S. Senate; however, they lost three seats to the Republicans in that house.


1940 United States gubernatorial elections
United States gubernatorial elections were held in 1940, in 34 states, concurrent with the House, Senate elections and presidential election, on November 5, 1940 (September 9 in Maine).


1940 United States gubernatorial elections
This was the last time Georgia elected its governors to 2-year terms, switching to 4-years from the 1942 election.


1940 United States presidential election
The 1940 United States presidential election was the 39th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 5, 1940. The election was contested in the shadow of World War II in Europe, as the United States was emerging from the Great Depression. Incumbent Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated Republican businessman Wendell Willkie to be reelected for an unprecedented third term in office.


1940 United States presidential election
Roosevelt did not want to campaign for a third term initially, but was driven by worsening conditions in Europe. He and his allies sought to defuse challenges from other party leaders such as James Farley and Vice President John Nance Garner. The 1940 Democratic National Convention re-nominated Roosevelt on the first ballot, while Garner was replaced on the ticket by Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace. Willkie, a dark horse candidate, defeated conservative Senator Robert A. Taft and prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey on the sixth presidential ballot of the 1940 Republican National Convention.


1940 United States presidential election
Roosevelt, acutely aware of strong isolationist and non-interventionism sentiment, promised there would be no involvement in foreign wars if he were re-elected. Willkie, who had not previously run for public office, conducted an energetic campaign and managed to revive Republican strength in areas of the Midwest and Northeast. He criticized perceived incompetence and waste in the New Deal, warned of the dangers of breaking the two-term tradition, and accused Roosevelt of secretly planning to take the country into World War II. Willkie was damaged by his association with big business, as many working class voters blamed corporations and business leaders for a large part of the onset of the Great Depression.


1940 United States presidential election
Roosevelt led in all pre-election polls and won a comfortable victory; his margins, though still significant, were less decisive than they had been in 1932 and 1936. He maintained his strong support from labor unions, urban political machines, ethnic minority voters, and the traditionally Democratic Solid South, allowing Roosevelt to win a third term. This later inspired the Twenty-second Amendment, limiting the number of terms a person may be president.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Democratic Party
Throughout the winter, spring, and summer of 1940, there was much speculation  as to whether Roosevelt would break with longstanding tradition and run for an unprecedented third term.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Democratic Party
The two-term tradition, although not yet enshrined in the Constitution, had been established by George Washington when he refused to run for a third term in 1796; other former presidents, such as Ulysses S. Grant in 1880 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 had made serious attempts to run for a third term, but the former failed to be nominated, while the latter, forced to run on a third-party ticket, lost to Woodrow Wilson due to the split in the Republican vote.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Democratic Party
President Roosevelt refused to give a definitive statement as to his willingness to be a candidate again, and he even indicated to some ambitious Democrats, such as James Farley, that he would not run for a third term and that they could seek the Democratic nomination. However, as Nazi Germany swept through Western Europe and menaced the United Kingdom in the summer of 1940, Roosevelt decided that only he had the necessary experience and skills to see the nation safely through the Nazi threat. He was aided by the party's political bosses, who feared that no Democrat except Roosevelt could defeat the popular Willkie.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Democratic Party
At the July 1940 Democratic Convention in Chicago, Roosevelt easily swept aside challenges from Farley and John Nance Garner, his vice-president. Garner was a Texas conservative who had turned against Roosevelt in his second term because of his liberal economic and social policies. As a result, Roosevelt decided to pick a new running mate, Henry A. Wallace from Iowa, his Secretary of Agriculture and an outspoken liberal.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Democratic Party
That choice was strenuously opposed by many of the party's conservatives, who felt Wallace was too radical and "eccentric" in his private life to be an effective running mate (he practiced New Age spiritual beliefs, and often consulted with the controversial Russian spiritual guru Nicholas Roerich). But Roosevelt insisted that without Wallace on the ticket he would decline re-nomination, and when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt came to Chicago to vouch for Wallace, he won the vice-presidential nomination with 626 votes to 329 for House Speaker William B. Bankhead of Alabama.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Republican Party
In the months leading up to the opening of the 1940 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Republican Party was deeply divided between the party's isolationists, who wanted to stay out of World War II at all costs, and the party's interventionists, who felt that the United Kingdom needed to be given all aid short of war to prevent Nazi Germany from conquering all of Europe. The three leading candidates for the Republican nomination - Senator Robert A. Taft from Ohio, Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg from Michigan, and District Attorney Thomas E. Dewey from New York - were all isolationists to varying degrees.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Republican Party
Taft was the leader of the conservative, isolationist wing of the Republican Party, and his main strength was in his native Midwestern United States and parts of the Southern United States. Dewey, the District Attorney for Manhattan, had risen to national fame as the "Gangbuster" prosecutor who had sent numerous infamous Mafia figures to prison, most notably Lucky Luciano, the organized-crime boss of New York City.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Republican Party
Dewey had won most of the presidential primaries in the spring of 1940, and he came into the Republican Convention in June with the largest number of delegate votes, although he was still well below the number needed to win. Vandenberg, the senior Republican in the Senate, was the "favorite son" candidate of the Michigan delegation and was considered a possible compromise candidate if Taft or Dewey faltered. Former President Herbert Hoover was also spoken of as a compromise candidate.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Republican Party
However, each of these candidates had weaknesses that could be exploited. Taft's outspoken isolationism and opposition to any American involvement in the European war convinced many Republican leaders that he could not win a general election, particularly as France fell to the Nazis in May 1940 and Germany threatened the United Kingdom. Dewey's relative youth—he was only 38 in 1940—and lack of any foreign-policy experience caused his candidacy to weaken as the Wehrmacht emerged as a fearsome threat.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Republican Party
In 1940, Vandenberg was also an isolationist (he would change his foreign-policy stance during World War II) and his lackadaisical, lethargic campaign never caught the voters' attention. Hoover still bore the stigma of having presided over the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression. This left an opening for a dark horse candidate to emerge.


1940 United States presidential election, Nominations, Republican Party
A Wall Street-based industrialist named Wendell Willkie, who had never before run for public office, emerged as the unlikely nominee. Willkie, a native of Indiana and a former Democrat who had supported Franklin Roosevelt in the 1932 United States presidential election, was considered an improbable choice. Willkie had first come to public attention as an articulate critic of Roosevelt's attempt to break up electrical power monopolies.