1940s Calendar: Every Year, Events, TV And Music

The 1940s in order, one year at a time.

Each year below gives the headline event, what people were watching and what they were listening to, with a link to the full page for that year.

Good for a quiz round, a reminiscence session or working out what to put in a milestone birthday card.

1940

• 1940 - Rationing, Dunkirk, Churchill and the Blitz - the year everything changed.
• News: Food rationing began on 8 January, starting with bacon, butter and sugar.
• Screen: BBC television had closed in September 1939 and stayed off air.
• Music: Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again', recorded in 1939, became the song of the year.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1940

1941

• 1941 - The Blitz continued, clothes went on the ration and America entered the war.
• News: Clothes rationing was introduced on 1 June.
• Screen: 49th Parallel and Citizen Kane were released.
• Music: 'The White Cliffs of Dover' was published and became one of the best-known songs of the war.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1941

1942

• 1942 - The Beveridge Report, soap on the ration and the first American troops arriving.
• News: The Beveridge Report, published in December, set out the plan that led to the welfare state.
• Screen: In Which We Serve was released.
• Music: 'White Christmas' was written and recorded by Bing Crosby, becoming one of the best-selling records ever made.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1942

1943

• 1943 - The tide turned, the Dambusters flew and the country got used to going without.
• News: The Dambusters raid was carried out on the night of 16-17 May.
• Screen: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was released despite official disapproval.
• Music: 'You'll Never Know' and 'As Time Goes By' were among the year's most-played songs.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1943

1944

• 1944 - D-Day, the V-1s and the Education Act that changed school for everyone.
• News: The Normandy landings took place on 6 June.
• Screen: Henry V, with Laurence Olivier, was released.
• Music: 'I'll Be Seeing You' and 'Swinging on a Star' were among the year's popular songs.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1944

1945

• 1945 - VE Day, VJ Day, a landslide election and street parties on bomb-damaged roads.
• News: VE Day was 8 May and VJ Day 15 August.
• Screen: Brief Encounter was released in November.
• Music: Vera Lynn's wartime songs were sung at street parties all over the country in May.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1945

1946

• 1946 - Television came back, bread went on the ration and the family allowance started.
• News: Bread rationing was introduced in July, for the first time.
• Screen: BBC television returned on 7 June, London only.
• Music: 'The Gypsy' and 'Bless You (For Being an Angel)' were among the year's popular songs.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1946

1947

• 1947 - The worst winter in memory, a royal wedding and Indian independence.
• News: The winter of 1947 brought weeks of snow, fuel shortages and power cuts, followed by serious flooding in March.
• Screen: Hue and Cry, often called the first Ealing comedy, was released.
• Music: 'Near You' and 'Peg o' My Heart' were among the year's most popular songs.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1947

1948

• 1948 - The NHS began, the Olympics came to London and the Windrush docked at Tilbury.
• News: The National Health Service began on 5 July.
• Screen: Oliver Twist and The Red Shoes were released.
• Music: 'Buttons and Bows' and 'Nature Boy' were among the year's popular songs.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1948

1949

• 1949 - Clothes rationing ended, the pound was devalued and the decade closed on austerity.
• News: Clothes rationing ended in March.
• Screen: The Third Man and Passport to Pimlico were released, and Kind Hearts and Coronets the same year.
• Music: 'Some Enchanted Evening' and 'Riders in the Sky' were among the year's popular songs.
• Full year: /blogs/news/look-back-to-1949

Pop culture milestones of the 1940s

• 1940 - BBC television had closed in September 1939 and stayed off air. Vera Lynn's 'We'll Meet Again', recorded in 1939, became the song of the year.
• 1941 - 49th Parallel and Citizen Kane were released. 'The White Cliffs of Dover' was published and became one of the best-known songs of the war.
• 1942 - In Which We Serve was released. 'White Christmas' was written and recorded by Bing Crosby, becoming one of the best-selling records ever made.
• 1943 - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp was released despite official disapproval. 'You'll Never Know' and 'As Time Goes By' were among the year's most-played songs.
• 1944 - Henry V, with Laurence Olivier, was released. 'I'll Be Seeing You' and 'Swinging on a Star' were among the year's popular songs.
• 1945 - Brief Encounter was released in November. Vera Lynn's wartime songs were sung at street parties all over the country in May.
• 1946 - BBC television returned on 7 June, London only. 'The Gypsy' and 'Bless You (For Being an Angel)' were among the year's popular songs.
• 1947 - Hue and Cry, often called the first Ealing comedy, was released. 'Near You' and 'Peg o' My Heart' were among the year's most popular songs.
• 1948 - Oliver Twist and The Red Shoes were released. 'Buttons and Bows' and 'Nature Boy' were among the year's popular songs.
• 1949 - The Third Man and Passport to Pimlico were released, and Kind Hearts and Coronets the same year. 'Some Enchanted Evening' and 'Riders in the Sky' were among the year's popular songs.

Holidays and annual dates

• 1 January - New Year's Day, a bank holiday across the UK (2 January too in Scotland).
• 25 January - Burns Night.
• 14 February - Valentine's Day.
• 1 March - St David's Day.
• 17 March - St Patrick's Day.
• Mothering Sunday - the fourth Sunday of Lent, so it moves with Easter (March, sometimes late February).
• Good Friday and Easter Monday - the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after 21 March sets the date.
• 23 April - St George's Day.
• First Monday in May - the early May bank holiday (added in 1978).
• Last Monday in May - the spring bank holiday (fixed to that Monday in 1971).
• Third Sunday in June - Father's Day.
• 12 July - a bank holiday in Northern Ireland.
• First Monday in August - the summer bank holiday in Scotland.
• Last Monday in August - the summer bank holiday in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• 31 October - Halloween.
• 5 November - Bonfire Night.
• 11 November - Armistice Day, with Remembrance Sunday on the second Sunday of the month.
• 30 November - St Andrew's Day, a bank holiday in Scotland.
• 25 and 26 December - Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
• 31 December - New Year's Eve, Hogmanay in Scotland.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• For a guess-the-year round, read the three lines for a year and hide the date.
• For a card, use the year they were born rather than the decade.
• In a reminiscence session, stop on whatever gets a reaction rather than finishing the list.

Where to shop next

• 1940s history: events, politics and culture
• 1940s music: songs, genres and trends
• 1940s films and directors
• 1940s books, films and TV
• 1940s books: novels and authors
• 1940s art: artists and styles
• 1940s fashion: styles, designers and trends
• 1940s food: dishes, restaurants and trends
• 1940s travel: destinations and holidays
• 1940s technology: gadgets and computers
• 1940s shopping guide: what to buy
• 1940s games: board, card and video
• 1940s trivia: fun facts
• 1940s quiz: questions and answers
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The decade before: the 1930s
• The decade after: the 1950s
• All decade guides in one place
• Card messages by occasion: every guide in one place
• Card hub: cards, badges and messages by occasion
• Decade history by era
• Decade calendars: every year from 1920
• Decade music: songs, genres and trends
• Decade films: best movies and directors
• Decade books: novels, authors and reading trends
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends
• Decade fashion: styles, designers and trends
• Decade food: dishes, restaurants and eating trends
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays
• Decade technology: gadgets and computers
• Decade shopping guides
• Decade games: board, card and video games by era
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade quizzes: questions and answers by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade quiz: test your memory
• Shop art prints and posters
• Shop greetings cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Shop funny cards
• Milestone birthday cards
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Look back to 1940
• Look back to 1941
• Look back to 1942
• Look back to 1943
• Look back to 1944
• Look back to 1945
• Look back to 1946
• Look back to 1947
• Look back to 1948
• Look back to 1949
• Wartime and 1950s party games
• Traditional British party games
• Pen and paper games
• Card games your nan taught you
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Funny Father's Day cards
• Wedding cards
• Wedding cards guide
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1940s?

Rationing, Dunkirk, Churchill and the Blitz - the year everything changed. The calendar above runs through every year from 1940 to 1949, with the main event, the television and film, and the music for each one.

What was on television in the 1940s?

Each year on this page lists what people were watching that year. For the full television and film picture, open the year page itself.

Where do these facts come from?

They are the same checked facts used on our year pages - real, dateable events only. The official UK singles chart begins in November 1952, so earlier years list popular songs rather than chart positions.

Do you sell anything to do with this decade?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page is free to read and free to copy.