List of Famous people who died in 1940

Mikhail Efimovich Koltsov, born Moisey Haimovich Fridlyand, was a Soviet Journalist, revolutionary and a NKVD Agent

Werner Kurt Armin Meinhof was a German art historian of the 20th century.

Chiungtze C. Tsen, given name Chiung, was a Chinese mathematician born in Nanchang, Jiangxi. He is known for his work in algebra. He was one of Emmy Noether's students at the University of Göttingen.

Frédéric Swarts (2 September 1866 – 6 September 1940) was a Belgian chemist who prepared the first chlorofluorocarbon, CF₂Cl₂ (Freon-12) as well as several other related compounds. He was a professor in the civil engineering at the University of Ghent. In addition to his work on organofluorine chemistry, he authored the textbook "Cours de Chimie Organique." He was a son of Theodore Swarts (chemist, *1839 Antwerpen; †1911 Kortenberg, Belgium) and a colleague of Leo Baekeland.

Wilhelm Franz Karl Ludwig Dill was a German ship and landscape painter who was a founding member of the Munich Secession.

William Meade Lindsley Fiske III was the 1928 and 1932 Olympic champion bobsled driver and, following Jimmy Davies, was one of the first American pilots killed in action in World War II. At the time Fiske was serving in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He was one of 11 American pilots who flew with RAF Fighter Command between 10 July and 31 October 1940, thereby qualifying for the Battle of Britain clasp to the 1939–45 campaign star.

Prince Wilhelm of Prussia was the eldest child of Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany and Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At his birth, he was second in line to the German throne and was expected to succeed to the throne after the deaths of his grandfather and father, both of whom, however, outlived him.