Famous people and celebrities who died in January 1940

This page is dedicated to commemorating the celebrities and famous people who passed away in January 1940. This month marked the loss of influential and beloved figures whose contributions spanned various fields and touched many lives. Explore our detailed list to remember and celebrate their enduring legacies and the remarkable impact they had on the world

• Jan. 1 Panuganti Lakshminarasimha Rao

  Indian author and educator (b. 1865)

• Jan. 4 Flora Finch

  British-american silent-film comedienne (born 1867)

• Jan. 4 Conrad Weiss

  German poet / writer (heart of words), is killed at 59

• Jan. 5 Tina Modotti [Maria del Carmen]

  Italian/mexican communist dies at 46.

• Jan. 5 Humbert Wolfe

  Italian-english poet and civil servant (d. 40)

• Jan. 12 Edward Smith

  English lieutenant, victoria cross recipient (b. 1898)

• Jan. 12 Ralph Hitz

  Austrian-american hotelier (b. 1891)

• Jan. 12 Erich R Jaensch

  German psychologist (eidetiek) dies at 56

• Jan. 18 Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer

  Polish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1865)

• Jan. 20 Omar Bundy

  General of the american army (born in 1861)

• Jan. 24 Emile van Bosch

  Revue/operetta-artist, dies at age 52.

• Jan. 25 Elias Simojoki

  Finnish politician and clergyman (born 1899).

• Jan. 27 Isaac Babel

  Isaac Babel was a Russian short story writer, journalist, playwright, and literary translator, known for his lyrical style and depictions of Jewish life in early 20th-century Russia.

• Jan. 29 Edward Harkness

  American philanthropist (b. 1874)