Events in the year 1940 in Belgium
Incumbents Monarch: Leopold III (prisoner of war from 28 May) 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). 26 April – King Leopold III rejects the government's resignation. 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. 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. 10 June – The International Red Cross estimates Belgian refugees in France to number 2.2 million. 28 June – Belgian Labour Party dissolved. 15 August – Newspaper La Libre Belgique begins clandestine publication. 10 October – Jews banned from public office by decree of the occupying forces. 28 October – Belgian government in exile, having been dispersed in France, Spain and Switzerland, re-established in London. 19 November – King Leopold III in Berchtesgarden makes a personal appeal to Hitler for the release of Belgian prisoners of war. 22 November – Single overarching trade union established.
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
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