1948 News and Interesting Tidbits From History

Western European Treaty
This was the date of the signing of the 50-year Western European Treaty. The countries of Britain, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg all agreed to participate in this agreement, which included a provision for each of these countries to provide one another with military aid.

Soviet Blockade West Berlin
In response to the Soviet blockade of land routes into West Berlin, the United States begins a massive airlift of food, water, and medicine to the citizens of West Berlin supplies from British and American planes sustained the over 2 million people in West Berlin for close to 12 months.

Israel Proclaimed in 1948
The State of Israel Proclaimed after 2000 years in 1948 when Great Britain left the area of Palestine in 1948. Within 24hrs the new state of Israel is attacked by Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq which lasted almost a year, a cease fire was declared and temporary borders, known as the Green Line, were instituted.

Sri Lanka Gains Independence
Sri Lanka an island in the Indian Ocean formerly ( Ceylon ) Gains Independence from the UK in 1948

Manpower Employment Agency Created
Following difficulty finding extra administrative staff two Milwaukee lawyers ( Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld ) found Manpower.
Manpower is now a Fortune 500 company and as a temp agency provides more than 4.4 million workers each year.

Apartheid Begins In South Africa
The National Party of the Dutch Afrikaners headed by Daniel François Malan who had been campaigning on the policy of implementing full scale apartheid came to power and begin the policy of apartheid.

Britain's National Health Service Starts
Britain's National Health Service Act ( NHS ) takes effect, providing government funded medical and dental care and headed by the Health Minister Aneurin Bevan.

The National Health Service was part of the "cradle to grave" welfare-state reforms.

The NHS is funded from taxes including a proportion from National Insurance payments. The National Health Service is the world's largest health service and the world's fourth-largest employer.

Australia Workers Wanted
An Australian firm had put an ad in a newspaper dated this date for the recruitment of workers. They were willing to pay up to $32.00 to each employee that referred workers to the company (upon hire). This was considered a “fair chunk of change” in this time-equivalent to approximately $276.58 in 2007.

Public Housing Building Program
A major bill is before congress to provide additional Public Housing from federal funding , currently there are major problems and many of the homes built to put a roof over the head of poorer families are being rented to affluent single bachelors . So many of these projects that were designed to help the most needy are now in the hands of some of those who are in the high income bracket of $4,000 to $6,000 per year and a full reform is needed including the administration of these projects.

Last Outpost of The Old West
Unregistered firearms were no longer allowed in Bingham Canyon, Utah. This mountain mining camp town was the last town of the “Old West” to make it illegal to carry a firearm without a license.

Foreign Assistance Act ( Marshall Plan )
With Europe in ruin and problems with infrastructure President Harry S. Truman signs into law the Foreign Assistance Act to make more than $13 billion available in aid to Europe between 1948 and 1951

Mahatma Gandhi Assassinated
After angering Hindu extremists with his effort to bring peace to his beloved India by going on hunger strike to stop the fighting by his own countrymen and nearly dying from his fast Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi by a terrorist sponsored by a right-wing Hindu militia group.

Mahatma Gandhi was a man of peace and great wisdom below are some of his quotes that I like and should be an inspiration to all

"If non-violence is the law of our being, the future is with women."

"Honesty is incompatible with amassing a large fortune."

"There is enough for the needy but not enough for the greedy."

"There is more to life than increasing it's speed."

"To a man with an empty stomach FOOD is God."

"I have known many meat-eaters to be far more non-violent than vegetarians."

Olympic Games 1948
The Summer Olympic Games of the XIV Olympiad are held in London, United Kingdom

The first Olympic Games to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin because no Games were held during World War II.

Due to World War II by today's standards the 1948 Olympics would be seen as a joke with both competitors, organisers and the host nation using any and every means to save money , and have been called "The Austerity Games"

Communist Rule Established Czechoslovakia
The president (Eduard Benes) of Czechoslovakia allowed communist rule to be established in this country on this date. Eduard Benes was reported to have been under quit a bit of pressure at this time. During this year, the communist party had forced other parties out of political office, and the communists were the only party that existed in this country at this time. This newly-formed totalitarian government was very much supported by the Soviet government, until the year 1989.

Supreme Court Order to Allow a Black Student to Attend Law School
January 12, 1948-Supreme Court Order to Allow a Black Student to Attend Law School


The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the state of Oklahoma admit Ada Louis Sipuel Fischer, a black woman, to the University of Oklahoma law school. Equality legislation such as the 19th Amendment was part of the ammunition used by the Court to open the door for this woman’s admission.


She was segregated from the men (i.e. was ordered to sit in a chained-off area of the cafeteria). However, in the history of providing equality for women, this was considered a major accomplishment.

long playing phonograph record
Columbia Records publicly unveiled its new long-playing phonograph record, the 33 1/3, in New York City. Today, Columbia Records is the oldest record brand in the industry, dating back to 1888 when sound was recorded on black cylinders rather than albums.

World Health Organization Established
The World Health Organization (WHO) established as a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health.

Rail Strike
The leaders of the three rail unions have threatened to call a national rail strike which will cripple the countries commerce and the federal government is looking at federal seizure of the railways as a way of keeping transport going.

The national railway strike did go ahead unprecedented in the nation's history, bringing virtually all passenger and freight lines to a standstill for over a month. When President Truman announced that he would seize control of the railways and even threatened to draft striking workers into the armed forces unions informed him the strike had been settled .

Land Rover Series I Launched
The Land Rover ( Land Rover Series I ) is shown for the first time at the Amsterdam car Show, many of the original components were from Rover saloon cars including the 1.6 engine from the Rover P3 60 saloon. The car featured four-wheel drive and became the standard that all other 4x4 off road vehicles aspired to. It was simple but extremely rugged and became popular in many of the African States because of it's toughness and reliability.

The current Land Rover Defender is the direct descendant of the original Land Rover Series I and is still in demand, the Land Rover Defender should not be confused with the Discovery and Range Rover brands.

Ford sold Land Rover to Tata Motors for £1.15 billion in 2008

Universal Declaration on Human Rights
The United Nations General Assembly meeting in Paris, France adopts the Universal Declaration on Human Rights which took nearly three years in prepare .

Shanty towns in Rome
It is easy to assume shanty towns made from packing boxes exist mostly in the third world countries but did you know that 10,000 people lived in shanty towns on the outskirts of Rome in 1948 made from Packing cases , Old Sewage Pipes and bombed out cars

NASCAR First Modified Stock Car Race
NASCAR holds its first race for modified stock cars on a 3.2 mile-course at Daytona Beach

Start of The Holden in Australia
An all new Australian car is manufactured in Australia by General Motors Holden Automotive. The car is known as the Holden FX and Holden cars are still manufactured in Australia today.

Yukon Cold Record
In the Yukon, Canada a weather record was set when it dipped down to 87 degree below zero (Fahrenheit).

Coal Mine Explosion Centralia Illinois
An explosion at a Coal mine in Centralia, Illinois, trapped more than 100 miners and sent deadly gas through the mine's tunnels .

Poison Cloud Donora Pennsylvania
A poison cloud of deadly smog settles on Donora Pennsylvania causing the deaths of 19 and hospitalization of 50, the poison in the cloud was caused by a local company which was smelting Zinc causing it to combine with the smog.

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