Timeline July 1940

Events in July 1940 7

• 1940 Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina Romania cedes territory to the Soviet Union under ultimatum After a Soviet ultimatum on 26 June, Romania withdrew from Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The Red Army occupied the territories between 28 June and 4 July. Most of Bessarabia became the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic.
• 1940 German occupation of the Channel Islands The only British soil occupied by Germany German forces landed on Guernsey on 30 June and on Jersey on 1 July, after Britain had demilitarised the islands. The occupation lasted until May 1945. Islanders faced deportations, forced labour and severe food shortages.
• 1940 Attack on Mers-el-Kébir The Royal Navy attacks the French fleet On 3 July British warships attacked the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir to keep it out of German hands after the French refused an ultimatum. Almost 1,300 French sailors were killed and the battleship Bretagne was sunk. Vichy France broke off diplomatic relations with Britain.
• 1940 Battle of Britain RAF defeats Luftwaffe in first major air battle The Battle of Britain was fought from July to October 1940 as the Luftwaffe attempted to destroy the RAF and gain air superiority for a planned invasion of Britain. The RAF prevailed, forcing Hitler to postpone Operation Sea Lion.
• 1940 Vichy regime established The French parliament gives Pétain full powers On 10 July the National Assembly, meeting in Vichy, voted full powers to Marshal Philippe Pétain, ending the Third Republic. Pétain became head of the French State and began a policy of collaboration with Germany. The regime lasted until the Liberation in 1944.
• 1940 – 2020 Alex Trebek (1940-2020) Died 8 November 2020, aged 80 Alex Trebek hosted the American quiz show Jeopardy! for 37 seasons, becoming one of the most familiar faces on US television. He died of pancreatic cancer on 8 November 2020, having continued hosting the show after his 2019 diagnosis.
• 1940 Bugs Bunny debuts A Wild Hare introduces the finished Bugs Bunny Warner Bros. released the Tex Avery cartoon A Wild Hare on 27 July. It is regarded as the first proper appearance of Bugs Bunny, voiced by Mel Blanc, with the line "What's up, Doc?". Elmer Fudd appeared in his established form in the same cartoon.