# 1940 in Belgium

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.$^{:847}$
* 26 April – King Leopold III rejects the government's resignation.$^{:847}$
* 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.$^{:848}$
* 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.$^{:848}$
* 10 June – The International Red Cross estimates Belgian refugees in France to number 2.2 million.$^{:849}$
* 28 June – Belgian Labour Party dissolved.$^{:848}$
* 15 August – Newspaper La Libre Belgique begins clandestine publication.$^{:847}$
* 10 October – Jews banned from public office by decree of the occupying forces.$^{:847}$
* 28 October – Belgian government in exile, having been dispersed in France, Spain and Switzerland, re-established in London.$^{:848}$
* 19 November – King Leopold III in Berchtesgarden makes a personal appeal to Hitler for the release of Belgian prisoners of war.$^{:849}$
* 22 November – Single overarching trade union established.$^{:849}$

## Births

* 2 January – Florent Bessemans, fencer
* 4 January – Léon Semmeling, footballer
* 18 January – Élisabeth Burdot, journalist (died 2021)
* 5 February – Panamarenko, artist (died 2019)
* 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)
* 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