1940 in Belgium

Events in the year 1940 in Belgium

← 1939 1938 1937 1940 in Belgium → 1941 1942 1943
Decades:	1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s
See also:	Other events of 1940 List of years 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.
• 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)
• 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