Events in 1940
- Larry Knechtel, American keyboardist, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist best known as a member of The Wrecking Crew and later Bread, was born in Bell, California.
- Columbia Records lowered the price of its 12-inch classical records to $1.
- American singer Bobby Hatfield, a member of The Righteous Brothers, was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
- American singer Rod Bernard was born; he was a pioneer of the swamp pop genre.
- Jim Sullivan was born in San Diego, California. His 1969 album U.F.O. later became a cult recording after he disappeared in the New Mexico desert in 1975.
- John Stokes was born. He became the singer and bassist of The Bachelors, who had the UK No. 1 hit “Diane” in 1964.
- He was born Darrell Crofts in Cisco, Texas, and became known as one half of Seals and Crofts.
- Frankie Masters and his orchestra recorded the song "Marching Along Together".
- English pop singer Donald Arthur Fardon, known as Don Fardon, was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. Before his solo career, he was the singer of The Sorrows. He was best known for his version of “Indian Reservation”.
- American singer, songwriter and composer Johnny Nash was born in Houston, Texas. As a teenager, he regularly appeared on Arthur Godfrey’s variety show and had several minor hits, but achieved his greatest success in the 1970s with the reggae hits “I Can See Clearly Now” and “Stir It Up”, written by Bob Marley, who later also recorded it. “I Can See Clearly Now” reached number one on the US singles chart in 1972, and “Tears on My Pillow” reached number one on the UK singles chart in 1975.
- Singer, songwriter, guitarist and record producer Roger Cook, a member and co-lead vocalist of Blue Mink, was born in Fishponds in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England. He was best known for his songwriting partnership with Roger Greenaway, with whom he wrote hits including “You’ve Got Your Troubles”, “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress”, “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart” and “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”. Blue Mink had the UK No. 3 single “Melting Pot” in 1970. Cook was involved in more than 80 hits that reached the UK Top 30.
- John Lantree, bassist and drummer with The Honeycombs, was born in Newbury, Berkshire, England. The Honeycombs had the UK No. 1 hit “Have I The Right” in 1964.
- Leon Trotsky was attacked in exile in Mexico by Stalin's agent Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río, who struck him with an ice axe. Trotsky died in a Mexican hospital the following day from his brain injuries. His assassination was later commemorated in The Stranglers' song “No More Heroes”.
- Blues musician and son of John Lee Hooker was born.
- English pop and rock singer Vicki Brown was born in Liverpool. She was a member of The Vernons Girls and The Breakaways and was one of Britain's longest-serving backing singers. She appeared on recordings by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Petula Clark, The Who and George Harrison. She was the first wife of singer and musician Joe Brown and the mother of singer Sam Brown.
- American drummer Dickie Harrell was born. He became known for his work with Gene Vincent's Blue Caps, who had the 1956 hit “Be-Bop-a-Lula”. He died on May 31, 2023.
- American songwriter, music producer, and singer Ivy Jo Hunter, whose real name was George Ivy Hunter, was born in Detroit, Michigan. Together with Marvin Gaye and William “Mickey” Stevenson, he wrote the hit “Dancing in the Street” by Martha and the Vandellas and also contributed to songs for The Temptations, the Isley Brothers, and The Four Tops.
- American saxophonist and bassist Wilton Felder, a founding member of jazz group The Crusaders, was born in Houston, Texas. He played bass on The Jackson 5's hits "I Want You Back" and "ABC", as well as Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On".
- Soul singer Sonny Charles of Sonny Charles & The Checkmates, Ltd. was born Charles Hemphill. Sources disagree on his birthplace: one gives Fort Wayne, Indiana, while another gives Blytheville, Arkansas. He became known as the lead singer of the R&B group Checkmates, Ltd.
- English singer, songwriter and actress Yvonne Ann Burgess, known by her stage name Jackie Trent, was born in Newcastle. In 1965, she had the UK No. 1 hit "Where Are You Now (My Love)". Together with her husband Tony Hatch, she wrote songs for Frank Sinatra, Petula Clark, Des O'Connor, Val Doonican, Shirley Bassey, Vikki Carr and Dean Martin. She died on March 21, 2015, at the age of 74.
- Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded the song “Temptation”.
- American singer and songwriter Alan O'Day was born in Hollywood, California. He became best known for his own song “Undercover Angel,” which became a million-selling hit in 1977 and reached No. 1 on the US chart. He also wrote Helen Reddy's hit “Angie Baby,” which reached No. 1 in 1974, and the song “Rock and Roll Heaven,” made famous by The Righteous Brothers. He later also contributed to the music for the animated series Muppet Babies. Alan O'Day died on May 17, 2013, at the age of 72 from cancer; contemporary reports identified it as brain cancer.
- Artie Shaw recorded Hoagy Carmichael's “Stardust” in Hollywood, arranged by Lennie Hayton.
- American soul singer Fred Cash was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He became known as a member of The Impressions, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
- English musician, singer-songwriter and co-founder of The Beatles, John Winston Lennon, was born in Liverpool, England. In 1956 he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into The Beatles in 1960, and his songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney became the most successful in history. He was shot and killed by Mark Chapman in New York on December 8, 1980, aged 40.
- Lanny Ross recorded the song “Moonlight and Roses.”
- Glenn Miller recorded "Make Believe Ballroom Time" in New York City.
- British singer Chris Farlowe was born in London. He was known for the hit "Out of Time", which topped the UK chart in 1966. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Farlowe later performed with Colosseum and Atomic Rooster.