What happened in 1949
37 entries recorded for 1949, listed by date. That was 77 years ago.
1949 at a glance
- Years ago
- 77 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1940s
- Generation born
- Baby Boomers
- Entries here
- 37
- Breakdown
- 37 historical events
January
- January 2
Luis Muñoz Marín
Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
- January 5
State of the Union
In his State of the Union speech, U.S. president Harry S. Truman (pictured) announced: "Every segment of our population, and every individual, has a right to expect from his government a fair deal."
- January 11
KDKA-TV
The first "networked" television broadcasts took place as KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania goes on the air connecting the east coast and mid-west programming.
- January 13
Strike action
In the first recorded instance of strike action by Catholic laity against the clergy, gravediggers at Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York City, went on strike.
- January 26
Hale Telescope
The Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory in California, the largest aperture optical telescope in the world for 28 years, saw first light.
February
- February 15
Gerald Lankester Harding
Gerald Lankester Harding and Roland de Vaux began excavations at Cave 1 of the Qumran Caves in the West Bank, the location of the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls.
March
- March 2
Boeing B-50 Superfortress
The B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II landed in Fort Worth, Texas, to complete the first non-stop circumnavigation of the world by airplane.
- March 10
Mildred Gillars
Mildred Gillars, nicknamed Axis Sally, was convicted of treason for working with the Nazis as a broadcaster.
- March 25
Operation Priboi
The Soviet Union began mass deportations of more than 90,000 "undesirable" people from the Baltic states to Siberia.
- March 25
Kulak
More than 92,000 kulaks are suddenly deported from the Baltic states to Siberia.
- March 30
Cold War
Cold War: A riot breaks out in Austurvöllur square in Reykjavík, when Iceland joins NATO.
April
- April 4
North Atlantic Treaty
Twelve nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty, establishing NATO, an international military alliance whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party.
- April 7
Rodgers and Hammerstein
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, based on Tales of the South Pacific by James Michener, opened on Broadway.
- April 18
The Republic of Ireland Act 1948
The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into force, describing Ireland as a republic and ending its membership in the Commonwealth of Nations.
- April 20
Amethyst incident
Amethyst incident: The People's Liberation Army attacks HMS Amethyst (F116) travelling to the British embassy in Nanjing during the Chinese Civil War.
- April 23
Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People's Liberation Army Navy.
- April 27
Lorenzo Gamboa
In response to the treatment of Lorenzo Gamboa under the White Australia policy, the Philippine House of Representatives passed a bill banning Australians from the country.
- April 28
Hukbalahap
The Hukbalahap are accused of assassinating former First Lady of the Philippines Aurora Quezon, while she is en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and ten others are also killed.
May
- May 9
Rainier III of Monaco
Rainier III became Prince of Monaco, beginning a 56-year reign, which would make him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th century.
- May 12
Cold War
Cold War: The Soviet Union lifts its blockade of Berlin.
June
- June 8
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four, a dystopian political novel by the English writer George Orwell about life under a fictional totalitarian government, was published.
- June 14
Albert II (monkey)
Albert II, a rhesus monkey, rides a V-2 rocket to an altitude of 134 km (83 mi), thereby becoming the first mammal and first monkey in space.
July
- July 18
Francisco Javier Arana
Francisco Javier Arana, the chief of the Guatemalan armed forces, was killed in a shootout with supporters of President Juan José Arévalo.
- July 27
De Havilland Comet
Initial flight of the de Havilland Comet, the first jet-powered airliner.
- July 27
Jet airliner
The world's first commercial jet airliner to reach production, the de Havilland Comet, had its maiden flight.
August
- August 3
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League finalize the merger that would create the National Basketball Association.
- August 5
1949 Ambato earthquake
An earthquake registering 6.4 Ms struck near Ambato, Ecuador, killing 5,050 people.
- August 29
List of nuclear weapons tests of the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear weapons test, detonating the 22-kiloton RDS-1.
September
- September 27
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference unanimously selected Zeng Liansong's design for the flag of China (pictured).
- September 30
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Airlift ends.
October
- October 1
Chinese Communist Party
Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong publicly proclaimed (pictured) the establishment of the People's Republic of China in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
- October 14
Smith Act trials of Communist Party leaders
The first of the Smith Act trials concluded in New York City, with eleven leaders of the Communist Party of the United States found guilty of violating the Smith Act.
- October 24
Headquarters of the United Nations
The cornerstone of the United Nations headquarters was laid in New York City.
- October 25
Battle of Guningtou
The Battle of Guningtou in the Taiwan Strait begins.
November
- November 2
Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference
The Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference ended with the Netherlands agreeing to transfer sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies to the United States of Indonesia.
- November 7
Caspian Sea
Oil was discovered in the Caspian Sea off the coast of Azerbaijan, leading to the construction of Neft Daşları, the world's first offshore oil platform.
December
- December 27
Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution: Queen Juliana of the Netherlands signed papers that relinquished sovereignty of most of the Dutch East Indies, officially recognising the independence of Indonesia.
Questions about 1949
What happened in 1949?
This site records 37 entries for 1949, including Luis Muñoz Marín on January 2. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1949?
77 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1949 turns 77 this year.
Which century is 1949 in?
1949 falls in the 20th century, in the 1940s.
Which generation was born in 1949?
Baby Boomers (1946–1964). Born in the post-war birth surge.
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