1948 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The year 1948 was a time of big changes around the world. Many countries gained their independence, and new technologies and ideas emerged. It was a year that saw important events in politics, sports, and culture, shaping the future in many ways.

Key Events of 1948
Famous People Born in 1948
Notable People Who Passed Away in 1948
Popular Movies of 1948
Interesting Books Published in 1948
Top Songs of 1948
Images for kids
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Key Events of 1948

January 1 – The railways in the United Kingdom became owned by the government, forming British Rail. In Jerusalem, conflict began in the Old City's Jewish Quarter. Italy started its new republican constitution.
January 4 – Burma became an independent country, no longer controlled by the United Kingdom.
January 5 – Warner Bros. showed the first color newsreel! It featured the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl game.
January 17 – A truce was agreed between Indonesian and Dutch troops on the island of Java.
January 26 – In Tokyo, a person pretending to be a doctor poisoned bank employees and took money.
January 30 – Mahatma Gandhi, a famous leader who believed in peaceful protest for India's independence, was killed by an extremist.
January 30 – The 1948 Winter Olympics began in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
February 1 – The Soviet Union started blocking radio broadcasts from Voice of America.
February 4 – Ceylon (which later became Sri Lanka) gained its independence within the British Commonwealth.
February 18 – Éamon de Valera, who had led the government of Éire since 1932, lost power. John A. Costello became the new leader.
February 24 – The Communist Party took control of Czechoslovakia.
Work began on the Crazy Horse Memorial, a huge mountain carving in the United States.
May 13 – The First Kashmir War started between India and Pakistan.
April-May – Israel declared its independence.

Famous People Born in 1948

Many well-known people were born in 1948, including actors, musicians, and writers.

January 14 – Carl Weathers, an actor.
January 14 – T-Bone Burnett, a producer and musician.
January 16 – John Carpenter, a director.
February 5 – Barbara Hershey, an actress.
February 20 – Jennifer O'Neill, an actress.
March 22 – Andrew Lloyd Webber, a famous composer.
May 12 – Ivan Kral, a Czech-American musician.
June 22 – Todd Rundgren, a singer, songwriter, and producer.
July 30 – Jean Reno, an actor.
August 30 – Victor Skumin, a professor, philosopher, and writer.
September 29 – Theo Jörgensmann, a German jazz clarinet player.
October 9 – Jackson Browne, a songwriter.
October 17 – Margot Kidder, a Canadian actress.
October 25 – Diana Burrell, an English composer.
November 28 – Agnieszka Holland, a Polish director and script writer.
December 3 – Ozzy Osbourne, a singer and songwriter.
December 27 – Gérard Depardieu, a French actor.

Notable People Who Passed Away in 1948

The year 1948 also saw the passing of several important figures.

January 21 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, a composer.
January 30 – Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India's non-violent independence movement, was assassinated.
January 30 – Orville Wright, who, with his brother, invented the airplane.
February 2 – Bevil Rudd, a South African athlete.
February 11 – Sergei Eisenstein, a movie director.
March 6 – Ross Lockridge, Jr., a novelist.
March 10 – Zelda Fitzgerald, a writer.
March 10 – Jan Masaryk, the Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia.
March 31 – Egon Erwin Kisch, a journalist and writer.
April 9 – Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, a Colombian politician.
April 17 – Suzuki Kantaro, a Japanese admiral and prime minister.
May 15 – Father Edward J. Flanagan, a priest who founded Boys Town.
May 28 – Unity Mitford, a British socialite.
June 25 – William C. Lee, a Major General in the United States Army.
July 23 – D. W. Griffith, a movie director.
August 12 – Harry Brearley, who invented stainless steel.
August 16 – Babe Ruth, a famous Baseball Hall of Famer.
September 11 – Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first Governor-General and founder of Pakistan.
October 24 – Franz Lehár, a composer.
November 28 – D. D. Sheehan, an Irish politician.
December 23 – Several Japanese war leaders were executed.
December 31 – Sir Malcolm Campbell, a famous land and water racer.