Explore 3061 historical events from 1940–1949.
High Explosive Research (HER) was the British project to develop atomic bombs independently after the Second World War. This decision was taken by a cabinet sub-committee on 8 Janu…
The United Kingdom publicly announced that it was independently developing nuclear weapons, after the US Atomic Energy A
David Ben-Gurion was the primary national founder and first prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency from 1935, and later president of the Jewish Agency …
David Ben-Gurion publicly read the Israeli Declaration of Independence at a building later called Independence Hall in T
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civi…
Arab–Israeli War: After five days of fighting, Egyptian forces captured the Israeli community of Yad Mordechai after the
A levee, is an elevated ridge alongside the banks of a river, often intended to protect against flooding of the area adjoining the river. Alternatively, it is called a dike, dyke, …
A dike holding the Columbia River broke, causing a flood that destroyed Vanport, Oregon, U
Shostakovich v. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. is a landmark 1948 New York Supreme Court decision that was the first case in United States copyright law to recognize the theory o…
In Shostakovich v
Anti-Jewish riots occurred on June 7–8, 1948, in the towns of Oujda and Jerada, in the French protectorate of Morocco in response to the 1948 Arab–Israeli War ensuing the declarati…
Anti-Jewish riots broke out in the French protectorate in Morocco, during which 44 people were killed and 150 injured
John F. Kennedy International Airport is a major international airport serving the New York metropolitan area. It is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, Ne…
The first flight departed New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport, then known as New York International…
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civi…
Arab–Israeli War: Israel Defense Forces officer Yitzhak Rabin signed an order to expel Palestinians from the towns of…
Olympia, officially Archaia Olympia, is a small town in Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name. The site was a majo…
In Olympia, Greece, the Summer Olympics torch relay, nicknamed the "relay of peace", began.
The Australia men's national cricket team represents Australia in international cricket. Along with England, it is the joint oldest team in Test cricket history, playing and winnin…
Australia set a world record for the highest successful run-chase in Test cricket history during the Fourth Test of…
Bernard Mannes Baruch was an American financier and statesman.
Bernard Baruch first applies the term "Cold War" to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet U
Thor Heyerdahl KStJ was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in biology with specialization in zoology, botany and geography.
Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have set
The Texas City disaster was an industrial accident that occurred on April 16, 1947, in the port of Texas City, Texas, United States, located in Galveston Bay. It was the deadliest …
An explosion on board a freighter in port causes Texas City in the state of Texas, United States, to catch fire, killing
Operation Big Bang or British Bang was the explosive destruction of bunkers and other military installations on the island of Heligoland. The explosion used 7400 tons of surplus Wo…
The Operation Big Bang, the largest non-nuclear man-made explosion to that time, destroys bunkers and military installat
Nevada is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It is also sometimes placed in the Mountain West and Southwestern United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idah…
In Nevada, Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam
The Portella della Ginestra massacre refers to the killing of 11 people and wounding of 27 others during May Day celebrations in Sicily on 1 May 1947, in the municipality of Piana …
Portella della Ginestra massacre against May Day celebrations in Sicily by the bandit and separatist leader Salvatore Gi
Saab Automobile AB was a car manufacturer that was founded in Sweden in 1945 when its parent company, Saab AB, began a project to design a small automobile. The first production mo…
Saab produces its first automobile
Kenneth Albert Arnold was an American aviator, businessman, and politician.
Kenneth Arnold makes the first widely reported UFO sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington
The Constitution of Japan is the supreme law of Japan. Written primarily by American civilian officials during the occupation of Japan after World War II, it was adopted on 3 Novem…
New post-war Japanese constitution goes into effect
The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc …
Cold War: The Truman Doctrine goes into effect, aiding Turkey and Greece
United Air Lines Flight 521 was a scheduled passenger flight operated by a Douglas DC-4 from LaGuardia Airport, New York City, United States, to Cleveland, Ohio, United States. On …
United Airlines Flight 521 crashes at LaGuardia Airport, killing 43
Ferenc Nagy was a Hungarian politician of the Smallholders Party who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 1946 until his forced resignation in 1947. He was also a Speaker of th…
Ferenc Nagy, the democratically elected Prime Minister of Hungary, resigns from office after blackmail from the Hungaria
The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc …
Cold War: Marshall Plan: In a speech at Harvard University, the United States Secretary of State George Marshall calls f
The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova, is an assault rifle chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mik…
The AK-47 goes into production in the Soviet Union.