What happened in 1946
46 entries recorded for 1946, listed by date. That was 80 years ago.
1946 at a glance
- Years ago
- 80 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1940s
- Generation born
- Baby Boomers
- Entries here
- 46
- Breakdown
- 46 historical events
January
- January 10
United States Army Signal Corps
The United States Army Signal Corps successfully conducts Project Diana, bouncing radio waves off the Moon and receiving the reflected signals.
- January 10
First session of the United Nations General Assembly
The first session of the United Nations General Assembly convened in London with representatives from the original 51 member states.
- January 10
Methodist Central Hall, Westminster
The first General Assembly of the United Nations assembles in the Methodist Central Hall, Westminster. Fifty-one nations are represented.
- January 10
United Nations General Assembly
The first session of the United Nations General Assembly convened at the Methodist Central Hall in London with representatives from 51 member states.
- January 11
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
The People's Republic of Albania was proclaimed, with Enver Hoxha as the country's de facto head of state.
- January 24
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly passes its first resolution to establish the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission.
February
- February 8
People's Republic of Korea
The People's Republic of Korea is dissolved in the North and replaced by the communist-controlled Provisional People's Committee of North Korea.
- February 18
Harry S. Truman
President Harry S. Truman signed the Rescission Act, annulling benefits payable to Filipino troops who fought for the U.S. during World War II.
March
- March 9
Burnden Park disaster
Thirty-three people were killed in a human crush at Burnden Park, a football stadium in Bolton, England.
- March 9
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers stadium disaster at Burnden Park, Bolton, England, kills 33 and injures hundreds more.
- March 21
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams signed Kenny Washington, making him the first African-American player in the National Football League since 1933.
- March 28
Cold War
Cold War: The United States Department of State releases the Acheson–Lilienthal Report, outlining a plan for the international control of nuclear power.
- March 28
United States Department of State
The US Department of State released the Acheson–Lilienthal Report, a proposal for the international control of nuclear weapons.
April
- April 13
Nakam
Nakam, a Jewish organization seeking revenge for the Holocaust, attempted to poison thousands of SS prisoners at Langwasser internment camp, but did not kill anyone.
- April 17
Independence Day (Syria)
The last French troops are withdrawn from Syria.
- April 18
League of Nations
The final session of the League of Nations concluded in Geneva, with delegates agreeing to transfer much of its assets to the United Nations.
- April 18
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice holds its inaugural meeting in The Hague, Netherlands.
- April 18
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson makes his regular season debut for the Montreal Royals of the International League, to make them the first integrated modern professional baseball team.
- April 20
League of Nations
The League of Nations officially dissolves, giving most of its power to the United Nations.
- April 23
Manuel Roxas
Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
- April 25
Naperville train disaster
Two passenger trains collided in Naperville, Illinois, leaving 45 people dead and some 125 injured.
May
- May 1
Pilbara strike
Start of three-year Pilbara strike of Indigenous Australians.
- May 5
International Military Tribunal for the Far East
The International Military Tribunal for the Far East begins in Tokyo with twenty-eight Japanese military and government officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
- May 7
Masaru Ibuka
Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita founded the telecommunications corporation Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, later renamed Sony.
- May 8
Aili Jõgi
Estonian schoolgirls Aili Jõgi and Ageeda Paavel blow up the Soviet memorial which preceded the Bronze Soldier of Tallinn.
- May 10
V-2 rocket
First successful launch of an American V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground.
- May 21
Plutonium
While working with a mass of plutonium known as the demon core, Manhattan Project physicist Louis Slotin accidentally exposed himself to a lethal dose of hard radiation, making him the second victim of a criticality accident in history.
June
- June 2
1946 Italian institutional referendum
Birth of the Italian Republic: In a referendum, Italians vote to turn Italy from a monarchy into a Republic. After the referendum, King Umberto II of Italy is exiled.
- June 7
BBC
The United Kingdom's BBC returns to broadcasting its television service, which has been off air for seven years because of World War II.
- June 23
1946 Vancouver Island earthquake
Canada's largest recorded onshore earthquake struck Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
July
- July 5
Bikini Atoll
Named after Bikini Atoll, the site of the nuclear-weapons test Operation Crossroads in the Marshall Islands, the modern bikini was introduced at a fashion show in Paris.
- July 21
1946 La Paz riots
After weeks of unrest, rioters lynched Bolivian president Gualberto Villarroel, desecrating and hanging his corpse in the streets of La Paz.
- July 22
King David Hotel bombing
King David Hotel bombing: A Zionist underground organisation, the Irgun, bombs the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, site of the civil administration and military headquarters for Mandatory Palestine, resulting in 91 deaths.
August
- August 1
Partisan Congress riots
Several days of anti-Jewish rioting began in Bratislava, instigated by former Slovak partisans opposed to the restitution of Jewish property after the Holocaust in Slovakia.
- August 7
Turkish Straits
The Soviet Union informed Turkey that the way in which the latter was handling the Turkish Straits no longer represented the security interests of Turkey's fellow Black Sea nations, escalating the Turkish Straits crisis.
- August 16
Direct Action Day
Widespread riots between Hindus and Muslims took place in Calcutta following the All-India Muslim League's call for an independent Pakistan.
September
- September 2
Interim Government of India
The interim government of India, headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, was formed to assist the transition of India from British rule to independence.
October
- October 1
Mensa International
Mensa, the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world, was formed in the United Kingdom.
- October 12
Canto degli italiani
Il Canto degli Italiani is adopted as national anthem by the newly formed Italian Republic.
- October 13
October 1946 French constitutional referendum
France adopts the constitution of the Fourth Republic.
- October 22
Operation Osoaviakhim
Over twenty-two hundred engineers and technicians from eastern Germany are forced to relocate to the Soviet Union, along with their families and equipment.
- October 27
1946 Bihar riots
Inter-religious riots in which Hindu mobs targeted Muslim families began in the Indian state of Bihar, resulting in 2,000 to 30,000 deaths.
December
- December 12
United Nations Security Council Resolution 13
United Nations Security Council Resolution 13 relating to acceptance of Siam (now Thailand) to the United Nations is adopted.
- December 15
Iran crisis of 1946
U.S.-backed Iranian troops brought an end to the Iran crisis when they marched on the breakaway Republic of Mahabad and recaptured the territory.
- December 21
Moment magnitude scale
An 8.1 Mw earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Nankaidō, Japan, kills over 1,300 people and destroys over 38,000 homes.
- December 26
Bugsy Siegel
American gangster Bugsy Siegel opened The Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the oldest casino still in operation on the Las Vegas Strip.
Questions about 1946
What happened in 1946?
This site records 46 entries for 1946, including United States Army Signal Corps on January 10. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1946?
80 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1946 turns 80 this year.
Which century is 1946 in?
1946 falls in the 20th century, in the 1940s.
Which generation was born in 1946?
Baby Boomers (1946–1964). Born in the post-war birth surge.
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