Born in the 1940s
People born in the 1940s are 76 to 86 years old in 2026 and belong to Silent Generation and Baby Boomers. The world population went from about 2.29 billion in 1940 to 2.47 billion in 1949, and the U.S. population from 129.4 million to 146.1 million.
| Born | Age in 2026 | President | Top song | Top movie | Best Picture | Top names (boy / girl) | Min. wage | Gas | Median new home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 76 or 77 | Truman | Riders in the Sky | – | All the King's Men | James / Linda | $0.40 | – | – |
| 1948 | 77 or 78 | Truman | – | – | Hamlet | James / Linda | $0.40 | – | – |
| 1947 | 78 or 79 | Truman | – | – | Gentleman's Agreement | James / Linda | $0.40 | – | – |
| 1946 | 79 or 80 | Truman | – | – | The Best Years of Our Lives | James / Mary | $0.40 | – | – |
| 1945 | 80 or 81 | Roosevelt / Truman | – | – | The Lost Weekend | James / Mary | $0.40 | – | – |
| 1944 | 81 or 82 | Roosevelt | – | – | Going My Way | James / Mary | $0.30 | – | – |
| 1943 | 82 or 83 | Roosevelt | – | – | Casablanca | James / Mary | $0.30 | – | – |
| 1942 | 83 or 84 | Roosevelt | – | – | Mrs. Miniver | James / Mary | $0.30 | – | – |
| 1941 | 84 or 85 | Roosevelt | – | – | How Green Was My Valley | James / Mary | $0.30 | – | – |
| 1940 | 85 or 86 | Roosevelt | – | – | Rebecca | James / Mary | $0.30 | – | – |
Most popular names of the 1940s
Combined counts of Social Security card applicants born 1940 to 1949.
| Rank | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James (795,767) | Mary (640,070) |
| 2 | Robert (758,115) | Linda (531,658) |
| 3 | John (711,600) | Barbara (425,267) |
| 4 | William (556,469) | Patricia (411,412) |
| 5 | Richard (477,472) | Carol (292,330) |
| 6 | David (426,365) | Sandra (265,536) |
| 7 | Charles (361,760) | Nancy (252,058) |
| 8 | Thomas (350,771) | Sharon (221,236) |
Events that defined the 1940s
- December 12, 1941. World War II: Fifty-four Japanese A6M Zero fighters raid Batangas Field, Philippines. Jesús Villamor and four Filipino fighter pilots fend them off; César Basa is killed.
- August 21, 1944. Dumbarton Oaks Conference, prelude to the United Nations, begins.
- April 25, 1945. United Nations Conference on International Organization: Founding negotiations for the United Nations begin in San Francisco.
- December 4, 1945. By a vote of 65–7, the United States Senate approves United States participation in the United Nations. (The UN had been established on October 24, 1945.)
- February 11, 1946. The New Testament of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first significant challenge to the Authorized King James Version, is published.
- April 20, 1946. The League of Nations officially dissolves, giving most of its power to the United Nations.
- November 19, 1946. Afghanistan, Iceland and Sweden join the United Nations.
- December 12, 1946. United Nations Security Council Resolution 13 relating to acceptance of Siam (now Thailand) to the United Nations is adopted.
- April 7, 1948. The World Health Organization is established by the United Nations.
- December 10, 1948. The Human Rights Convention is signed by the United Nations.
- December 11, 1948. Arab–Israeli War: The United Nations passes General Assembly Resolution 194, creating a Conciliation Commission to mediate the conflict.
- January 1, 1949. United Nations cease-fire takes effect in Kashmir from one minute before midnight. War between India and Pakistan stops accordingly.
Famous people born in the 1940s
- John Lennon, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (died 1980) (1940)
- Pelé, Brazilian footballer and actor (died 2022) (1940)
- Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, artist, writer, and producer; Nobel Prize laureate (1941)
- Joe Biden, American politician, 46th President of the United States (1942)
- Stephen Hawking, English physicist and author (died 2018) (1942)
- Muhammad Ali, American boxer and activist (died 2016) (1942)
- Lech Wałęsa, Polish electrician and politician, 2nd President of Poland, Nobel Prize laureate (1943)
- Donald Trump, American businessman, television personality, 45th and 47th President of the United States (1946)
- George W. Bush, American businessman and politician, 43rd President of the United States (1946)
- Bill Clinton, American lawyer and politician, 40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas, 42nd President of the United States (1946)
- Freddie Mercury, British singer and songwriter (died 1991) (1946)
- Hillary Clinton, American lawyer and politician, 67th United States Secretary of State and 44th First Lady of the United States (1947)
- Charles III, King of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms (1948)
- Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli captain and politician, 9th Prime Minister of Israel (1949)