Year 1946 in History

UN General Assembly meets for the first time in London

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ.

United Nations Security Council holds its first meeting, at Westminster Central Hall in Westminster, England

American actor John Wayne (38) weds actress Esperanza Baur (25) in Long Beach, California; divorce in 1954

NY Giants outfielder Danny Gardella is the first major leaguer to announce he is jumping to the "outlaw" Mexican Basebal

NY Giants outfielder Danny Gardella is the first major leaguer to announce he is jumping to the "outlaw" Mexican Baseball League for contract worth $13,000; triggers US MLB Commissioner Happy Chandler to impose a five-year minimum ban on players who move to the rival league

General Juan Perón is first elected President of Argentina

Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer and politician who was the 29th and 40th president of Argentina, serving from 1946 to his overthrow in 1955, and from 1973 to 1974.

Ho Chi Minh is elected President of North Vietnam

Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri, popularizes the term and draws attention to the division

Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri, popularizes the term and draws attention to the division of Europe

US State Department releases the Acheson-Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear po

US State Department releases the Acheson-Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power

American actress and singer Doris Day (23) weds American jazz saxophonist George Weidler (20); divorce in 1949

British comedian Stan Laurel (55) weds for the 5th time, to Russian-American actress Ida Kitaeva (47), until his death i

British comedian Stan Laurel (55) weds for the 5th time, to Russian-American actress Ida Kitaeva (47), until his death in 1965

Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, and Herbert Fields' musical "Annie Get Your Gun," starring Ethel Merman and featuring "Th

Irving Berlin, Dorothy Fields, and Herbert Fields' musical "Annie Get Your Gun," starring Ethel Merman and featuring "There's No Business Like Show Business," opens at the Imperial Theatre, NYC

American naval cadet and future 39th US President Jimmy Carter (21) weds Rosalynn Smith (18) in Plains, Georgia, until h

American naval cadet and future 39th US President Jimmy Carter (21) weds Rosalynn Smith (18) in Plains, Georgia, until her death in 2023

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Howard Hanson (49) weds Margaret Elizabeth Nelson at the Chautauqua Institution in New Y

Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Howard Hanson (49) weds Margaret Elizabeth Nelson at the Chautauqua Institution in New York

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stage their first show as a comedy team at the 500 Club in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis.

Esta Krakower divorces mobster Bugsy Siegel (40) after 17 years of marriage

Direct Action Day: Widespread riots erupt in Calcutta between Muslims and Hindus over whether Pakistan should be a separ

Direct Action Day: Widespread riots erupt in Calcutta between Muslims and Hindus over whether Pakistan should be a separate state, killing over 4,000 and leaving 100,000 homeless

Premiere of "The Big Sleep," directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe and Lauren Bacall

The Big Sleep is a 1946 American film noir directed by Howard Hawks. William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman co-wrote the screenplay, which adapts Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel.

"Gone With The Wind" actress Olivia de Havilland (30) weds screenwriter and novelist Marcus Goodrich; divorce in 1953

Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (July 1, 1916 – July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988.

Twenty-two Nazi leaders, including Joachim von Ribbentrop and Hermann Goering, are found guilty of war crimes and senten

Twenty-two Nazi leaders, including Joachim von Ribbentrop and Hermann Goering, are found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death or prison at the Nuremberg war trials

First performance of Aaron Copland's Third Symphony by the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Serge Koussevitzky, often ca

First performance of Aaron Copland's Third Symphony by the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Serge Koussevitzky, often called the "Great American Symphony"

New York Knicks play their first Basketball Association of America (BAA) home game at Madison Square Garden, losing 78-6

New York Knicks play their first Basketball Association of America (BAA) home game at Madison Square Garden, losing 78-68 to the Chicago Stags in overtime

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established by resolution 57(I) of the UN General Ass

United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is established by resolution 57(I) of the UN General Assembly

Hank Williams begins recording for the Sterling Records label

Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician.

American "Bill Haley & His Comets" rock 'n' roll musician Bill Haley (21) weds Dorothy Crowe; divorce in 1952

United Nations accepts six Manhattan blocks as a gift from John D. Rockefeller Jr.

The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is on 17 to 18 acres (6.9 to 7.3 ha) of grounds in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

Classic Christmas film "It's a Wonderful Life," directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lion

Classic Christmas film "It's a Wonderful Life," directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, and Lionel Barrymore, premieres in New York

Cambodia becomes autonomous state inside French Union

Bert Bell becomes second NFL commissioner, moves Chicago headquarters to Philadelphia

Edouardo de Filippo's stage drama "Questi Fantasmi!" premieres in Rome

NFL Draft: Frank Dancewicz from University of Notre Dame first pick by Boston Yanks

The 1946 NFL draft was held on January 14, 1946, at the Commodore Hotel in New York City, New York. The selections were initially withheld from the public out of fear that the newly formed...

F Gouin follows De Gaulle as temporary leader of French government

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces against Nazi Germany and Vichy France in World War II and...

Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers, USNR, becomes 1st director of CIA

Richard Strauss' composition "Metamorphosen" premieres with the Collegium Musicum in Zürich, Switzerland

First issue of Franklin D. Roosevelt dime

The Roosevelt dime is the current dime, or ten-cent piece, of the United States. Struck by the United States Mint continuously since 1946, it displays President Franklin D.

Yugoslavia adopts new constitution, becomes a federal republic

The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as...

The Proclamation of Hungarian Republic made

The Hungarian People's Republic (HPR) was the Hungarian state from 20 August 1949 until the establishment of the current Republic of Hungary on 23 October 1989.

Garson Kanin's "Born Yesterday" premieres in NYC

The Chondoist Chongu Party is founded in North Korea

The Chondoist Chongu Party is a political party in North Korea allied with the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) that is affiliated with the Ch'ŏndogyo religion. The party was founded on 8...

Filibuster in US Senate kills FEPC (Fair Employment Practices Committee) bill

Dutch Labor Party (Dutch Social Democratic Party) forms

The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany.

World War II: Royal Navy's Operation Deadlight ends after scuttling 116 of 156 captured German U-boats

Operation Deadlight was the code name for the Royal Navy operation of November 1945 – February 1946 to scuttle German U-boats surrendered to the Allies after the defeat of Germany near the end of...

ENIAC, the first US computer, is announced to the public by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert

John William Mauchly (August 30, 1907 – January 8, 1980) was an American physicist who, along with J.

2 killed & 10 wounded in race riot in Columbia, Tennessee

Columbia is a city in and the county seat of Maury County, Tennessee. The population was 48,885 as of the City of Columbia's 2024 Special Census conducted by the US Census Bureau.

4th "Road" film "Road to Utopia" premieres (NYC)

British government nationalises and takes control of the Bank of England, after 252 years

Dutch troops land on East Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island and province and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands.

Hungarian Communists and Social Democrats co-found the Left Bloc.

France recognizes Vietnam statehood within Indo-Chinese federation

1st helicopter licensed for commercial use (NYC)

Dutch troops land at Batavia/Semarang

Train derailment kills 185 near Aracaju, northeast Brazil

Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium Socialist Party) forms Belgian government - then shortest Belgian government (ends 31 March)

Paul-Henri Charles Spaak was an influential Belgian Socialist politician, diplomat and statesman who thrice served as the prime minister of Belgium and later as the second secretary general of NATO.

French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique & Reunion become overseas "departments" of France

French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies.

Kenny Washington signs with Rams, 1st black NFLer since 1933

1st US rocket to leave the Earth's atmosphere (50 miles up)

A rocket (from Italian: rocchetto, lit. ''bobbin/spool'', and so named for its shape) is an elongated flying vehicle that uses a rocket engine to accelerate without using any surrounding air.

1st Test Cricket between Australia & NZ

Australia beats NZ in cricket at 3 30pm on 2nd day

Belgian government of Acker forms

The Van Acker I Government was the government coalition in the Kingdom of Belgium from 1945-1946, after the fall of Hubert Pierlot's 6th coalition government in the aftermath of the Second World War.

,000 US mine workers strike

Netherlands-German postal relations resume

Iceland took control of its foreign affairs in 1918 when it became a sovereign country, the Kingdom of Iceland, in a personal union with the King of Denmark.

Part of East Prussia incorporated into Russian SFSR

East Prussia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part...

League of Nations assembles for the last time

The League of Nations was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace.

Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Boston Bruins, 6-3 for a 4-1 series victory

1st election for Japanese Parliament

Syria gains independence from France

Since gaining full independence from France in 1946, Syria has used a number of different flags, all featuring the pan-Arab colors of green, black, white, and red.

Belgian Prime Minister Acker proclaims wage & price freeze ended

1st US launch of captured V-2 rocket, White Sands, New Mexicao; reaches altitude of 8 km

Syria declares independence from French administration

Independence Day is Syria's National Day commemorating the evacuation of the last French soldier at the end of the French mandate of Syria on 17 April 1946 after Syria's proclamation of full...

International Court of Justice opens at The Hague Netherlands

The International Court of Justice (ICJ; French: Cour internationale de justice, CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).

Yankees switch from 3rd base to 1st base dug out

First baseball broadcast in Chicago, Cardinals vs. Cubs

Socialistic Einheitspartei Germany forms in East Germany

The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from the country's establishment in 1949 until the Peaceful Revolution of 1989.

Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) is founded in East Germany via a merger of the Social Democratic Party of Germany

Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) is founded in East Germany via a merger of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) and the Communist Party of Germany (KPD)

Brooklyn Dodger Ed Head no-hits Boston Braves, 5-0

The Brooklyn Dodgers were an American football team that played in the National Football League from 1930 to 1943, and in 1944 as the Brooklyn Tigers.

"Exposition Flyer" rammed at Napierville Illinois, killing 48

1st radar installed aboard a commercial ship

28 former Japanese leaders indicted in Tokyo as war criminals

International military tribunal in Tokyo begins

5 die in a 2 day riot at Alcatraz prison in San Francisco bay

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States, with a population of 827,526 in 2024.

Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with around 20 employees

Sony Group Corporation, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.

Estonian school girls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial that preceded the Bronze Soldier in Tallin

Estonian school girls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial that preceded the Bronze Soldier in Tallinn

1st hour long entertainment TV show, "NBC's Hour Glass" premieres

1st night game at Boston Braves Field (Giants 5, Braves 1)

Sarwate & Banerjee add 249 for 10th wkt for Indians v Surrey

KVP Labor/Communists win 1st post-WW2 Dutch parliamentary elections

Dutch Cooperation for Sexual Reform (NVSH) forms in Amsterdam

Cubs Claude Passeau makes his 1st error since September 21, 1941, ending pitcher's fielding record of 273 consecutive er

Cubs Claude Passeau makes his 1st error since September 21, 1941, ending pitcher's fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances

Physicist Louis Slotin is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation while preparing a plutonium core experiment at the Los A

Physicist Louis Slotin is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation while preparing a plutonium core experiment at the Los Alamos lab, he dies 9 days later and the accident ends all hands-on nuclear assembly work at Los Alamos

Yankees turn triple-play & defeat Tigers 5-3

Jordan gains independence from Britain (National Day); Abdullah ibn Hussein becomes King of Jordan

Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia.

Communist Party Leader Klement Gottwald becomes Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia

The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (Czech and Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa, KSČ) was a communist and Marxist–Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and...

First night game at Yankee Stadium (Senators 2, Yankees 1)

KVP wins Provincial National election in Netherlands

Bama Rowell hits a home run in a baseball match - the ball shatters Bulova Clock in Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Italian plebiscite chooses republic over monarchy (National Day)

An institutional referendum (Italian: referendum istituzionale, or referendum sulla forma istituzionale dello Stato) was held by universal suffrage in the Kingdom of Italy on 2 June 1946, a key event...

1st bikini bathing suit displayed in Paris

Largest solar prominence (300,000 miles/500,000 kms) observed

Dutch comic strip "Eric de Noorman" by Hans G. Kresse is launched

Eric de Noorman ("Eric the Norseman") was a Dutch comic strip, published in text comic format, and drawn by Hans G. Kresse from 1946 until 1964.

Henry Morgan is 1st to take off shirt on TV

MLB Pittsburgh Pirates players attempt to unionize and vote 20-16 to go on strike rather than play the New York Giants;

MLB Pittsburgh Pirates players attempt to unionize and vote 20-16 to go on strike rather than play the New York Giants; vote fell short of required 2/3 majority and union fizzles, and Pirates win 10-5 at Forbes Field, Pittsburghn

19 guests at Canfield Hotel die in fire (Dubuque, Iowa)

The Winecoff Hotel fire, of December 7, 1946, was the deadliest hotel fire in American history, killing 119 hotel occupants, including the hotel's original owners.

Italian Republic established

First transcontinental round-trip flight in one day, from California to Maryland

Canadian Library Association established

The Canadian Library Association (CLA) was a national, predominantly English-language association which represented 57,000 library workers across Canada.

SW Bell inaugurates mobile telephone commercial service, St Louis

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a Socialist calls for a Direct Action Day against the Portuguese in Goa. A road is named after th

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, a Socialist calls for a Direct Action Day against the Portuguese in Goa. A road is named after this date in Panjim

First TV sports and boxing spectacular, Joe Louis KOs Billy Conn in a match broadcast across New York

NYC transit begins using PA system - Car #744 on the 8th Ave IND line

10 die in fire at Baker Hotel, Dallas, Texas

In South Africa, a group of white men attack and assault Indian Passive Resisters

11.72" (29.77 cm) of rainfall at Mellen, Wisconsin (state 24-hr record)

Dutch Nazi collaborator Arnold Meijer sentenced to 5 years

Arnoldus Jozephus Meijer (5 May 1905 – 17 June 1965) was a Dutch fascist politician. Meijer was born in Haarlemmermeer.

Enrico de Nicola becomes 1st President of Italy

Black Sabbath as the British arrest 2,700 Jews in Palestine as alleged terrorists

Dutch Beel government forms

Louis Joseph Maria Beel (12 April 1902 – 11 February 1977) was a Dutch politician of the Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP) and later co-founder of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) and jurist who...

First Dutch government of Louis Beel forms

Anti Jewish riots in Kielce Poland, 42 die

Anti-Jewish violence in Poland from 1944 to 1946 preceded and followed the end of World War II in Europe and influenced the postwar history of the Jews and Polish-Jewish relations.

Louis Réard's design for a bikini swimsuit debuts at a Paris fashion show

A bikini is a women's two-piece swimsuit that features one piece on top that covers the breasts, and a second piece on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but usually exposing the navel, and...

Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, Catholic nun (Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,) canonized as 1st American

Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, Catholic nun (Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus,) canonized as 1st American saint

Baseball grants $5,000 minimum salary

Belgian government of Acker resigns

The Belgian Government in London, also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between October 1940 and September 1944 during World War II.

Kingman Douglass ends term as deputy director of CIA

Cleveland's Lou Boudreau hits four doubles and a home run, but the Red Sox win 11-10 on Ted Williams' three home runs wi

Cleveland's Lou Boudreau hits four doubles and a home run, but the Red Sox win 11-10 on Ted Williams' three home runs with eight RBIs

British North Borneo Company transfers its rights to modern day Sabah to the British Crown

The North Borneo Chartered Company (NBCC), also known as the British North Borneo Company (BNBC), was a British chartered company formed on 1 November 1881 to administer and exploit the resources of...

A US court martial sentences 46 members of the SS to death for Battle of the Bulge crimes in Dachau

Jesus T Pinerol becomes 1st native born Puerto Rican governor

Nine Spokane baseball players (Western League) die in a bus crash

Aloha Airlines begins service from Honolulu International Airport

Boston Red Sox's Rudy York hits two grand slams in one game and gets 10 RBIs

Preston Rudolph York (August 17, 1913 – February 5, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and manager.

First rocket attains 100 mi (167 km) altitude in White Sands, New Mexico

Belgian government of Huysmans forms

The Belgian Government in London (Dutch: Belgische regering in Londen; French: Gouvernement belge à Londres), also known as the Pierlot IV Government, was the government in exile of Belgium between...

An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 hits northern Dominican Republic, killing 100 people and leaving 20,000 homeless

US officially submits to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice

The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, existed from 1922 to 1946. It was an international court attached to the League of Nations.

Dreyfuss family, owners of MLB Pittsburgh Pirates since 1900, sells club to Frank McKinney and John Galbreath for $25 mi

Dreyfuss family, owners of MLB Pittsburgh Pirates since 1900, sells club to Frank McKinney and John Galbreath for $25 million

First time all Major League Baseball games (8) are played at night

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the...

Britain diverts illegal immigrants bound for Palestine to Cyprus

DuMont Television Network (WABD NY) launches in the US

The DuMont Television Network (also the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS...

Golf Writers Association of America forms

Baseball approves a 168-game schedule but later rescinds it

13th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 16, Los Angeles 0 (97,380 attendees)

Foghorn Leghorn, a Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Robert McKimson and Warren Foster (Looney Tunes and Merrie

Foghorn Leghorn, a Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Robert McKimson and Warren Foster (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), debuts in "Walky Talky Hawky"

Greece votes for monarchy

All-America Football Conference begins regular season play as the Cleveland Browns beat the Miami Seahawks 44-0 before 6

All-America Football Conference begins regular season play as the Cleveland Browns beat the Miami Seahawks 44-0 before 60,135 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium

Bill Kennedy of Rocky Mount (CPL) strikes out minor league record 456

First mobile long-distance car-to-car telephone conversation

Brussels military court convicts Belgian sociologist Hendrik de Man in absentia for political collaboration with Nazi oc

Brussels military court convicts Belgian sociologist Hendrik de Man in absentia for political collaboration with Nazi occupying forces and sentences him to twenty years in prison, military degradation, and a ten-million franc fine

Boston Red Sox clinch AL pennant

The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division.

Dodgers beat Cubs 2-0 in 5 inns, games called because of gnats

Churchill argues for a "United States of Europe"

Indians play their final game in League Park, ending a 55-year stay

Canadian woman Evelyn Dick charged with butchering her husband in Hamilton, Ontario

Yankees set season attendance record of 2,309,029, surpassing 1929 Cubs

King George II of Greece returns from exile to Athens

Constantine IIˈdinos o ˈðefteros]; 2 June 1940 – 10 January 2023) was the last King of Greece, reigning from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973. Constantine was...

"The Adventures of Sam Spade" debuts on CBS Radio

The Adventures of Sam Spade, Detective was a radio series based loosely on the private detective character Sam Spade, created by writer Dashiell Hammett for The Maltese Falcon.

12 Nazi war criminals sentenced to death in Nuremberg

The Nuremberg trials were international criminal trials held by France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States against leaders of defeated Nazi Germany for plotting and carrying...

First network soap opera "Faraway Hill" begins broadcasting on DuMont Television Network

The year 1946 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1946.

First Cannes Film Festival ends

The 1st annual Cannes Film Festival was held from 20 September to 5 October 1946. Twenty-one countries presented their films at the "First Cannes International Film Festival", which took place at the...

90°F (32.22°C) is the highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in October

Military plane crashes at Christian HBS, killing 24

Max Frisch's play "Die Chinesische Mauer" (The Chinese Wall) premieres in Zürich

New York Yankees trade infielder Joe Gordon to Cleveland Indians for pitcher Allie Reynolds

Allie Pierce Reynolds (February 10, 1917 – December 26, 1994) was an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Netherland & Indonesia sign cease fire

Frank Seno returns a kickoff 105 yards in the Chicago Cardinals vs. New York Giants game

2 British ships sink near Albania

UN General Assembly 2nd session convenes (1st NYC-Flushing Meadows)

A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket launched from White Sands, USA, takes the first photograph of Earth from outer s

A camera on board the V-2 No. 13 rocket launched from White Sands, USA, takes the first photograph of Earth from outer space

Georgi Domitrovs National Front wins Bulgaria elections (78%)

German rocket engineers begin work in USSR

Charles S Johnson becomes 1st black president of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee

New York City's WABC (AM & FM) radio stations change call letters to WCBS

United Nations Educational, Scientific, & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) formed

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and security through...

Communists win many seats at French parliamentary election

A branch of the Exchange National Bank in Chicago, Illinois opens the first ten drive-up teller windows

Scientist Vincent Schaefer produces the first artificial snow by dropping pellets of dry ice from an airplane into a sup

Scientist Vincent Schaefer produces the first artificial snow by dropping pellets of dry ice from an airplane into a supercooled cloud over Mt. Greylock, Massachusetts

Dutch Dakota flight to Schiphol crashes, kills 11

House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) interrogates astronomer Harlow Shapley

Lillian Hellman's play "Another Part of the Forest" premieres in NYC

French Navy fire in Haiphong, Vietnam, kills 6,000

The Haiphong Incident or the Haiphong Massacre occurred on November 23, 1946, when the French cruiser Suffren and several avisos bombarded the Vietnamese coastal city of Haiphong, killing between...

English soccer team beats Netherlands, 8-2

The Brazil national football team, nicknamed Seleção Canarinho, represents Brazil in men's international football and is administered by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, the governing body of...

Dutch Nazi Anton Mussert is sentenced to death

Anton Adriaan Mussert was a Dutch politician who co-founded the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (NSB) in 1931 and served as its leader until the party was banned in 1945.

Dutch Minister of Social Affairs Willem Drees begins emergency rule of old age facilities

12th Heisman Trophy Award: Glenn Davis, Army (HB)

The Army Black Knights football team, historically known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football.

Fire at Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta, kills 119

US Army rocket plane XS-1 makes its first powered flight

German/Swiss novelist Hermann Hesse wins the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his inspired writings which, while growing i

German/Swiss novelist Hermann Hesse wins the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his inspired writings which, while growing in boldness and penetration, exemplify the classical humanitarian ideals and high qualities of style"

'Tide' laundry detergent introduced

Tide (), is an American brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed by Procter & Gamble.

General Assembly of United Nations votes to construct headquarters in New York City [1]

The headquarters of the United Nations (UN) is on 17 to 18 acres (6.9 to 7.3 ha) of grounds in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

Giants Filchock & Hapes suspended by NFL, didn't report bribe attempt

Frank Joseph Filchock (October 8, 1916 – June 20, 1994) was an American professional football player and coach.

NFL Draft: Bob Fenimore from University of Oklahoma A&M first pick by Chicago Bears

Bradman & Barnes complete record 405 run 5th wicket stand, score 234 each in 2nd Cricket Test Australia vs. England in S

Bradman & Barnes complete record 405 run 5th wicket stand, score 234 each in 2nd Cricket Test Australia vs. England in Sydney

TV's 1st network dramatic serial "Faraway Hill" ends 2 month run in US

Noël Coward's musical "Pacific 1860" premieres in London

Pacific 1860 is a musical written by Noël Coward. The story is set in a fictional Pacific British colony during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Darius Milhaud's Symphony No. 2 premieres with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer; the work is comm

Darius Milhaud's Symphony No. 2 premieres with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by the composer; the work is commissioned as a memorial to the wife of the group's music director, Serge Koussevitzky

Earthquake in South Japan, kills 1,086

Morton Gould's "Minstrel Show" premieres in Indianapolis

Belgian Council of State forms

General elections were held in Belgium on 17 February 1946. The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 92 of the 202 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 51 of the 101...

French Fourth Republic is founded

The French Fourth Republic (French: Quatrième république française) was the republican government of France from 27 October 1946 to 4 October 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution of...

Constitution accepted in Taiwan

The Constitution of the Republic of China is the fifth and current constitution of the Republic of China (ROC), ratified by the Kuomintang during the Constituent National Assembly session on 25...

Flamingo Resorts's casino opens in Las Vegas, Nevada

Flamingo Las Vegas (formerly the Flamingo Hilton) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.

French troops leave Lebanon

Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia.

Famous Births

John Paul Jones is born

Syd Barrett is born

Syd Barrett, English musician, known for english musician, was born on 1946-01-06.

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo is born

Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, Mexican drug lord, known for mexican drug lord, was born on 1946-01-08.

Dolly Parton is born

Dolly Parton, American singer-songwriter, known for american singer-songwriter, was born on 1946-01-19.

Malcolm McLaren is born

Malcolm McLaren, English musician, known for english fashion designer and music manager, was born on 1946-01-22.

Douglas Hofstadter is born

Douglas Hofstadter, American professor of cognitive science, known for american professor of cognitive science, was born on 1946-02-15.

Alan Rickman is born

Alan Rickman, English actor, known for english actor, was born on 1946-02-21. Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor.

Micky Dolenz is born

Micky Dolenz musician and actor, known for american musician and actor, was born on 1946-03-08. George Michael Dolenz Jr. ( DOH-lənz; born March 8, 1945) is an American musician and actor.

Wes Unseld is born

Wes Unseld athlete, known for american basketball player and coach, was born on 1946-03-14. Westley Sissel Unseld Sr.

Bobby Bonds is born

Bobby Bonds, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1946-03-15.

Rodrigo Duterte is born

Walt Frazier is born

Walt Frazier athlete, known for american basketball player, was born on 1946-03-29. Walter "Clyde" Frazier Jr.

Eric Clapton is born

Eric Clapton, English musician, known for english musician, was born on 1946-03-30. Eric Patrick Clapton is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter.

Linda Hunt is born

Linda Hunt, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1946-04-02. Linda Hunt is an American actress. She made her film debut playing Mrs.

Ritchie Blackmore is born

Ritchie Blackmore, English musician, known for british guitarist, was born on 1946-04-14.

Björn Ulvaeus is born

Björn Ulvaeus, Swedish musician, known for swedish musician, was born on 1946-04-25.

André the Giant is born

André the Giant, French wrestler and actor, known for french wrestler and actor, was born on 1946-05-19.

Pete Townshend is born

Pete Townshend, English musician, known for english musician, was born on 1946-05-19. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is an English musician.

Bobby Murcer is born

Bobby Murcer, American athlete, known for american baseball player and broadcaster, was born on 1946-05-20.

Priscilla Presley is born

Priscilla Presley, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1946-05-24. Priscilla Ann Presley is an American businesswoman and actress.

John Fogerty is born

John Fogerty, American musician, known for american musician, was born on 1946-05-28. John Cameron Fogerty is an American musician.

Peter Sutcliffe is born

Peter Sutcliffe, English serial killer, known for english serial killer, was born on 1946-06-02.

Hale Irwin is born

Hale Irwin athlete, known for american professional golfer, was born on 1946-06-03. Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer.

John Carlos is born

Robert Munsch is born

Robert Munsch, Canadian children's author, known for canadian children's author, was born on 1946-06-11. Robert Norman Munsch is a Canadian children's author.

Eddy Merckx is born

Eddy Merckx, Belgian athlete, known for belgian cyclist, was born on 1946-06-17. Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track cyclist racer who is the most…

Tony Roche is born

Tony Roche, Australian athlete, known for australian tennis player, was born on 1946-06-17.

Aung San Suu Kyi is born

Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician, known for burmese politician, was born on 1946-06-19.

Debbie Harry is born

Debbie Harry, American singer-songwriter and actress, known for american singer-songwriter and actress, was born on 1946-07-01.

Virginia Wade is born

Ken Starr is born

Ken Starr, American lawyer, known for american lawyer, was born on 1946-07-21. Kenneth Winston Starr (July 21, 1946 – September 13, 2022) was an American lawyer and judge who as independent counsel…

Helen Mirren is born

Helen Mirren, English actor, known for english actor, was born on 1946-07-26. Dame Helen Mirren is an English actor.

Steve Martin is born

Steve Martin, American comedian, actor, musician and writer, known for american comedian, actor, musician and writer, was born on 1946-08-14.

Keith Moon is born

Keith Moon, English musician, known for english rock drummer, was born on 1946-08-23.

Peggy Lipton is born

Peggy Lipton, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1946-08-30. Margaret Ann Lipton (August 30, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American model, actress, and singer.

Van Morrison is born

Van Morrison, Irish musician, known for northern irish musician, was born on 1946-08-31.

Billy Preston is born

Billy Preston, American musician, known for american keyboardist, singer, and songwriter, was born on 1946-09-02.

Freddie Mercury is born

Freddie Mercury, British musician, known for british rock musician, was born on 1946-09-05.

Phil Jackson is born

Phil Jackson, American athlete, known for american basketball player, coach and executive, was born on 1946-09-17.

Rod Carew is born

Rod Carew, American athlete, known for panamanian–american baseball player/coach, was born on 1946-10-01. Rodney Cline Carew is a Panamanian-American former professional baseball player and coach.

Tony Greig is born

Tony Greig, South African athlete, known for south african born english cricketer, was born on 1946-10-06.

Jim Palmer is born

Jim Palmer, American athlete, known for american baseball player and analyst, was born on 1946-10-15.

John Lithgow is born

John Lithgow, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1946-10-19. John Arthur Lithgow is an American actor.

Jaclyn Smith is born

Jaclyn Smith, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1946-10-26. Jaclyn Smith is an American actress.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is born

Ivan Reitman is born

Ivan Reitman, Canadian filmmaker, known for canadian filmmaker, was born on 1946-10-27. Ivan Reitman (October 27, 1946 – February 12, 2022) was a Canadian film director and producer.

Henry Winkler is born

Henry Winkler, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1946-10-30. Henry Franklin Winkler is an American actor, producer, director, and author.

Daniel Ortega is born

Neil Young is born

Neil Young, American musician, known for canadian and american musician, was born on 1946-11-12. Neil Percival Young is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter.

Anni-Frid Lyngstad is born

Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Swedish musician, known for swedish singer, was born on 1946-11-15.

Elvin Hayes is born

Elvin Hayes, American athlete, known for american basketball player, was born on 1946-11-17.

Goldie Hawn is born

Goldie Hawn, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1946-11-21. Goldie Jeanne Hawn is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer.

Bette Midler is born

Bette Midler, American actress and singer, known for american actress and singer, was born on 1946-12-01.

Patty Duke is born

Patty Duke, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1946-12-14. Anna Marie Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016), known professionally as Patty Duke, was an American actress.

Jimmy Buffett is born

Jimmy Buffett, American musician, known for american singer-songwriter, was born on 1946-12-25.

Arnoldo Aleman is born

Radovan Karadžić is born

Radovan Karadžić, Bosnian bosnian serb politician and war criminal, known for bosnian serb politician and war criminal, was born on 1946-06-19.

Jim Davis is born

Notable Deaths

William Joyce dies

William Joyce, American american-born fascist and propaganda broadcaster, known for american-born fascist and propaganda broadcaster, died on 1946-01-03.

John Maynard Keynes dies

John Maynard Keynes, English economist, known for british economist, died on 1946-04-21.

John Logie Baird dies

John Logie Baird, Scottish inventor, known for scottish inventor, died on 1946-06-14.

H. G. Wells dies

H. G. Wells, English writer, known for english writer, died on 1946-08-13. Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres.