26 events in the story of civilization
The events of 1946 — First Meeting of UN General Assembly; Bank of England Nationalized; DC-6 Introduced.
An Age in History(1/10/46) The first meeting of the UN General Assembly took place in London. Trygve Lie, a Norwegian diplomat, was elected the first Secretary General of the UN. 1946
(2/14/46) The Bank of England was nationalized by the Labor government. The bank had been privately owned since its founding in 1694. 1946
(2/15/46) Douglas Aircraft introduced the DC-6 airplane. The DC-6 was a derivative of the DC-4. It used the same wings as the DC-4, but had more powerful engines and a longer fuselage. The DC-6 could seat 52 passengers. A total of 702 DC-6 were produced in three civilian and two military versions of the aircraft. 1946
(2/24/46) Colonel Juan Perón was elected President of Argentina. His supporters won absolute control of both houses of the legislature. In 1948, he was granted unlimited power, thereby transforming him into an absolute dictator. 1946
(3/12/46) Prime Minister Churchill , at an address in Fulton, Missouri, on March 12, stated: "From Stettin in the Baltics, to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent." Thus, Churchill put forth the concept that Europe had been divided between East and West. 1946
(4/14/46) Upon the surrender of Japan, which concluded World War II, war once again broke out between the Communists and the Nationalists in China. Attempts were made to come to an agreement, but all efforts failed. By the beginning of 1946, full-scale fighting had developed between the two sides. Initially, the war went well for the Nationalists. 1946
(6/2/46)The Italian people voted in a referendum to abolish the Monarchy and establish a Republic. Victor Emmanuel III had abdicated in 1944, in favor of his son, Umberto. Umberto now went into exile in Portuga l. Enrico de Nicola became the provisional president and served until the new constitution went into effect, on January 1, 1948. 1946
On the 4th of July, 1946, the independent Republic of the Philippines was officially declared. In order to help the Philippines rebuild the country after the ravages of World War II, the US Congress had passed the Rehabilitation Act, providing for payment of war claims. 1946
(6/30/46) The United States began a series of tests at Bikini Islands in the Pacific. The tests included the first underwater test of the atomic bomb. 1946
(7/25/46) Congress Party, led by Jawaharlal Nehru , won 201 of the 210 seats put aside for the Hindus. The Muslim League, who favored Muslim separation, won 73 of the 78 seats reserved for Muslims. 1946
(9/1/46) In a special referendum, seventy percent of Greeks voted in favor of returning King George II to power. This return resulted in the outbreak of a civil war between Monarchists and Communist opponents of the government. 1946
In September 1946, Ho Chi Minh , leader of the Nationalist opposition to the Japanese, declared Vietnam independent. France was not willing to grant full independence. Attempts were made to reach an agreement with Ho Chi Minh for Vietnam to be a Free State within the French Union. When talks broke down, the French Navy bombarded Haiphong, killing 6,000 people. The French did reach an agreement wit
(9/7/46) The Meteor, Britain's jet fighter, attained a speed of 611 mph, setting a new world speed record. 1946
Benjamin Spoc k published "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care." The book went on to sell 25,000,000 copies and revolutionize childcare. 1946
(10/16/46) Nine of Nazi Germany's top leaders were hung at the end of their trials. They were accused of crimes "so calculated, so malignant, and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being ignored, because it cannot survive their being repeated." The crimes included the murder of at least six million European Jews. 1946
The United States Representative to the UN Atomic Energy Commission unveiled a plan under which the US would surrender its monopoly of atomic weapons to an international body. The Soviets refused the proposal, and proceeded to develop their own weapons. 1946
The first all-electronic computer was designed by John William Mauchly. The computer, called the ENIAC, weighed 30 tons. 1947 1947
(3/12/47) In 1946, Communist guerrillas had begun a civil war against the government of Greece. The Communist government of Yugoslavia gave substantial support to the guerrillas, while the British had provided the Greek government with aid. Eventually, the British informed the United States that Britain could no longer help support the regime in Greece. The Greeks officially requested American aid
(3/29/47)A nationalist rebellion broke out in Madagascar. White settlers were assaulted, plantations burned and French garrisons attacked. It took the French more than a year to put down the revolt. 1947
(6/5/47) On June 5th, Marshall gave a commencement address at Harvard. He stated: "It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. Our policy is directed, not against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desertion and chao
Taft-Hartley Act -(6/23/47) The Taft-Hartley Act provided the President with the power to obtain an 80–day injunction against any strike. It also gave him the power of appointing a board of inquiry to oversee collective bargaining. It also banned closed shops. The bill was passed, over the veto of the President, in response to a wave of strikes. 1947
(8/15/47) In 1942, Indian Nationalists had spurned the British offer of autonomy within the British Empire. They demanded complete independence. After the Second World War, the British agreed to independence. However, no agreement could be reached between the Hindus and Moslems. Large scale rioting ensued, in which thousands died. An accord was finally reached to establish two states: Hindu India
Yaeger Breaks Sound Barrier -(10/14/47) American test pilot Captain Charles Yaeger broke the sound barrier on October 14. He flew a Bell X-1 test plane, that was dropped from a specially modified B-29. Yaeger reached a speed of 670 miles per hour, at an altitude of 42,000 feet. 1947
Britain Turns Problem Over To UN -On November 29, 1947, the U.N. General Assembly met to vote on the proposal to partition Palestine. All of Zionist foreign policy was tied to this one moment. Members of the Zionist delegation lobbied continually to ensure that the partition motion was passed. The members of the American Zionist Movement were especially instrumental in influencing many wavering de
Gigantic Spruce Goose Flies -(11/2/47)In May 1942, Howard Hughes began to build the world's largest airplane, or what he called at the time "an unsinkable liberty ship." The aircraft was designed to carry 700 troops. Initially, it was a joint venture between Hughes and Kaiser shipping, but Kaiser pulled out. Ultimately, Hughes spent $7 million of his own money on the project, while the US Governme
B - 47 Enters Service -(12/17/47) On December 17, the first Boeing B-47 flew. It was the first all-jet bomber. It carried a crew of three. The B-47 had a revolutionary design. It was the first bomber built with a swept wing. A total of 2,040 B-47s were delivered to the Airforce. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1429421741137-1'); }); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle |