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Events in the year 1940 in Norway.
Overview 1940 is the year when Norway becomes drawn into World War II. On 9 April Nazi Germany invades the country which, however spared many of the atrocities which befell other nations, remains occupied until 8 May 1945. See the article Occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany for a full exposition of World War II in Norway. Incumbents - Government in Exile (in London) - went to exile on 7 June
Events The April June 1940 Norwegian Campaign. - 16 February - Altmark Incident: The British destroyer Cossack intercepts the German transport Altmark in Norwegian waters, recovering 299 British prisoners of war.
- 8 April - In Operation Wilfred the United Kingdom places fictitious and real naval mine fields off the coast of Norway. The aim was to provoke a German response.
- 9 April -
- German invasion of Norway: Nazi Germany carries out Operation Weser bung, and invades Denmark and Norway. Norway is at war for the first time since 1814. German forces land in several Norwegian ports and take Oslo; The Norwegian Campaign lasts two months. The Allied campaign in Norway is simultaneously commenced.
- German invasion of Norway: Stavanger Airport, Sola is attacked and captured by the Germans.
- German invasion of Norway: German heavy cruiser Bl cher is sunk by gunfire and torpedoes from the Norwegian coastal fortress Oscarsborg in the Oslofjord. Of the 2,202 German crew and troops on board, some 830 died (at least 320 of them crewmen). Most either drowned or burnt to death in the flaming oil slick surrounding the wreck.
- German invasion of Norway: German air-landed soldiers land at and capture the airport at Fornebu near Oslo.
- 10 April - German invasion of Norway: Germans set up a Norwegian government under Vidkun Quisling, former minister of defence.
- 10 April - German invasion of Norway: The German cruiser K nigsberg, damaged the previous day by Norwegian coastal artillery, is sunk by Fleet Air Arm dive bombers in Bergen harbour
- 11 April - Norwegian Campaign: First Battle of Narvik, British destroyers and aircraft successfully make a surprise attack against a larger German naval force. A second attack on 13 April will also be a British success.
- 13 April - Norwegian Campaign: British and French troops begin landing at Namsos and Harstad in Norway. The landings are aimed at recapturing Trondheim and Narvik, respectively.
- 14 19 April - Norwegian Campaign: Battle of Domb s: Norwegian Army units defeat German Fallschirmj ger attack.
- 24 April - German occupation of Norway: Adolf Hitler names Josef Terboven as Reichskommissar of Norway with power to invoke and enforce decrees.
- 27 April - Norwegian Campaign: British troops begin pull-out from southern and central parts of Norway.
- 1 May - Norwegian Campaign: Allies begin evacuating south-western and central-Norwegian ports.
- 5 May - Norwegian Campaign: Hegra Fortress capitulates after all other Norwegian forces in southern Norway have laid down their arms (see Battle of Hegra Fortress).
- 24 May - Norwegian Campaign: The British make a final decision to cease operations in Norway.
- 27 May - Norwegian Campaign: Most of Bod was destroyed during a Luftwaffe attack. 6000 people were living in Bod at that time, and 3500 people lost their homes in the attack.
- 28 May - Norwegian Campaign: Norwegian, French, Polish and British forces recapture the Norwegian harbour-city Narvik which was of great strategic importance to Germany. This is the first allied infantry victory of World War II.
- 7 June - Norwegian Campaign: The Norwegian Royal Family and the Norwegian Government was evacuated from Troms on board the British cruiser Devonshire which later on arrived safely in London where Haakon VII and his cabinet set up a Norwegian government in exile.
- 8 June - Norwegian Campaign: The last of the Allied troops leave Norway.
- 10 June - Norwegian Campaign: Mainland Norway surrenders to German forces.
- 16 August The Communist Party of Norway is banned in German-occupied Norway.
- 28 September - Vidkun Quisling becomes head of the German-appointed provisional councillors of state in Norway.
Unknown date <gallery widths="220px" heights="140px"> File:Battle of Narvik.jpg|British destroyers attacking a 10-strong German destroyer force during the Battle of Narvik File:German cruiser Bl cher sinking.jpg|The German cruiser Bl cher sinking in the Oslofjord on 9 April 1940. File:Domb s 1940 4.PNG|A shot down Junkers Ju-52 transport aircraft at Domb s. File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H26353, Norwegen, Kampf um ein brennendes Dorf.jpg|German infantry attacking through a burning Norwegian village, April 1940. File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-0762-281-30, Oslo, deutsche Kfz und Panzer I.jpg|German troops in Oslo, May 1940. In the background is the Victoria Terrasse, which later became the headquarters of the Gestapo in Norway. File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L03744, Norwegen, Oslo, Deutsche Panzer im Hafen.jpg|German Neubaufahrzeug tanks in Oslo. File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-759-0139N-28A, Norwegen, Oslo, deutsche Offiziere vor Nationaltheater.jpg|German officers stand in front of the National Theater in Oslo, 1940. </gallery> Popular culture Sports Music Film Literature Notable births - 2 January - Karenanne Gussgard, judge
- 31 January - Martin Sch yen, businessman, traveller, historian, paleographer and book collector
- 4 March - Arild Lund, politician
- 10 March - Ove Rullestad, politician
- 10 March - Finn Thorsen, international soccer player
- 11 March - Svein Alsaker, politician
- 11 March - Kirsten Engelstad, librarian
- 5 April - Georg Apenes, jurist and politician
- 7 April - Rune Skarstein, economist
- 14 April - Per Aunet, politician
- 16 April - Berit M rdre Lammedal, cross country skier and Olympic gold medallist
- 18 April - Hans Flock, judge
- 8 May - Karl Erik Harr, painter, illustrator, graphic artist and author
- 12 May - Svein Hatl y, architect, professor and founder of the Bergen School of Architecture
- 16 May - Kjetil Bang-Hansen, actor, dancer, stage producer and theatre director
- 20 May - Frode Thingn s, jazz composer, arranger, conductor and trombone player
- 25 May - Gunnar Skaug, politician (died 2006)
- 29 May - Kjell Helland, politician
- 30 May - Svenn Kristiansen, politician
- 19 June - Tor R ste Fossen, soccer player and manager
- 24 June - Oddvard Nilsen, politician
- 3 July - Tor Nymo, politician
- 6 July - Kristine Rusten, politician (died 2003)
- 12 July - Anne Marie Blomstereng, politician
- 14 July - Oddbj rn H g rd, politician
- 15 July - Thor-Eirik Gulbrandsen, politician
- 30 July - Kjellfred Weum, hurdler
- 26 August - Gudleiv Forr, journalist and political commentator
- 28 August - Odd Holten, politician
- 15 September - Jorunn Hareide, historian of literature
- 1 October - Knut Vartdal, politician
- 4 October - Erik Dalheim, politician
- 5 October - Eldrid Lunden, poet
- 8 October - Knut Erik Jensen, film director
- 1 November - Jon Skolmen, actor and comedian
- 10 November - Stein Winge, actor, stage producer and theatre director
- 11 November - Arne Rinnan, ship's captain
- 12 November - Magnar S tre, politician (died 2002)
- 11 December - Ann-Marit S b nes, politician
- 12 December - Bj rn Skogmo, diplomat
- 15 December - Per Rolf S vik, politician
- 19 December - Kirsti Coward, judge
- 21 December - Rolf Sagen, author
Full date unknown Notable deaths Halfdan Str m Johan Anker Full date unknown - Halfdan Str m, painter (born 1863)
- Thorvald Astrup, architect (born 1876)
- Hans Dons, naval officer and the first Norwegian to fly in Norway (born 1882)
- Nicolai A. Grevstad, diplomat, politician and newspaper editor in America (born 1851)
- Severin Andreas Heyerdahl, physician (born 1870)
- Daniel Isaachsen, physicist (born 1859)
- Christian Sparre, politician (born 1859)
- Jacob Vidnes, trade unionist, newspaper editor and politician (born 1875)
- Leif Welding-Olsen, naval commander, first casualty in the war between Norway and Nazi Germany (born 1895)
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