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1940 in Belgium
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1940
Events in the year 1940 in Belgium
Incumbents
Monarch: Leopold III (prisoner of war from 28 May)Leopold III, king of Belgium https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leopold-III-king-of-Belgium Encyclopedia Britannica 28 March 2019 en
Prime Minister: Hubert Pierlot (in exile from 28 May)
Head of the occupying Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France: Alexander von Falkenhausen
Head of the administrative staff of the Occupation: Eggert Reeder
Events
10 January – Mechelen incident: German military plane crashes near Maasmechelen.Alain de Gueldre et al., Kroniek van België (Antwerp and Zaventem, 1987).847
26 April – King Leopold III rejects the government's resignation.Kroniek 847
10 to 28 May – Battle of Belgium
10 to 11 May – Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
12 to 14 May – Battle of Hannut
14 to 15 May – Battle of Gembloux
22 May – Alexander von Falkenhausen appointed to the head of the Military Administration in Belgium and Northern France
23 to 28 May – Battle of the Lys
25 May – Leopold III declares that he will remain with his troops and share their fate
25 to 28 May – Vinkt Massacre
26 May – Dunkirk evacuation begins
28 May – Leopold III capitulates to the invading forces, contrary to ministerial advice.Kroniek 848
31 May – Belgian parliament in exile meets in Limoges
6 June – Civil-service secretaries-general empowered to keep Belgian ministries running while the government is in exile.Kroniek 848
10 June – The International Red Cross estimates Belgian refugees in France to number 2.2 million.Kroniek 849
28 June – Belgian Labour Party dissolved.Kroniek 848
15 August – Newspaper La Libre Belgique begins clandestine publication.Kroniek 847
10 October – Jews banned from public office by decree of the occupying forces.Kroniek 847
28 October – Belgian government in exile, having been dispersed in France, Spain and Switzerland, re-established in London.Kroniek 848
19 November – King Leopold III in Berchtesgarden makes a personal appeal to Hitler for the release of Belgian prisoners of war.Kroniek 849
22 November – Single overarching trade union established.Kroniek 849
Births
2 January – Florent Bessemans, fencer
4 January – Léon Semmeling, footballer
18 January
Élisabeth Burdot, journalist (died 2021)
Serdu, cartoonist and illustrator (died 2025)
5 February – Panamarenko, artist (died 2019)
22 February – Els De Bens, academic (died 2025)
23 February – Remi Vermeiren, banker
12 April – José Gotovitch, historian (died 2024)
24 May – Hilde Houben-Bertrand, politician
6 June – Nicolas Dumont, Olympic athlete
7 July – Irène Sweyd, Olympic athlete
7 August – Jean-Luc Dehaene, Prime Minister 1992-1999 (died 2014)
25 August – José van Dam, bass-baritone (died 2026)
12 October – Yvan Covent, cyclist (died 2011)
27 December – William Cliff, poet
Deaths
10 January – Pierre Imperiali (born 1874), politician
27 January – Léon Frédéric (born 1856), painter
30 January – André Léon Tonnoir (born 1885), entomologist
10 February – Paulin Ladeuze (born 1870), theologian
11 February – Joseph Henri Honoré Boex (born 1856), author
22 February – Eugène Laermans (born 1864), painter
14 March – Flori van Acker (born 1858), painter
19 March – Gustave Sap (born 1886), politician
29 April – Jules Feller (born 1859), academician
12 May – Michel D'Hooghe (born 1912), cyclist
20 May – Joris Van Severen (born 1894), far-right politician
18 June – Robert Feyerick (born 1892), Olympic athlete
24 June – Frédéric-Vincent Lebbe (born 1877), missionary
29 August – Arthur De Greef (born 1862), composer
30 August — Hélène Mallebrancke (born 1902), engineer and resister
5 September – Charles de Broqueville (born 1860), former Prime Minister
9 September – Albert du Roy de Blicquy (born 1869), general
23 September – Marcel Van Crombrugge (born 1880), Olympic athlete
7 October – Marie de Bièvre (born 1865), painter
17 October – Lucien Linden (born 1851), botanist
3 November – Julien Vervaecke (born 1899), cyclist
8 November – Arthur Vierendeel (born 1852), civil engineer
16 November – Léon Dens (born 1869), politician
References
1940
Category:1940s in Belgium