January[]
- 31 January
- Jessica Walter is born.
March[]
- 25 March
- Tanya Berezin is born.
April[]
- 5 April
- Michael Moriarty is born.
June[]
- 22 June
- Michael Lerner is born.
August[]
- 16 August
- Paul Hecht is born.
September[]
- 18 September
- Gerry Bamman is born.
October[]
- 10 October
- Peter Coyote is born.
November[]
- 1 November
- Robert Foxworth is born.
December[]
- 7 December
- The Imperial Japanese Navy attacks Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War II.
- 8 December
- The United States declares war on the Empire of Japan.
- 11 December
- Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy declare war on the United States. The US also declares war on Germany and Italy.
| 1940 | Production timeline | 1942 |