The world in
What happened in 1946?
13 events across 6 world regions, each with its sources.
South Asia
First Indochina War EruptsOn 19 December 1946, war broke out in French Indochina between France and the Viet Minh and their allies, with most fighting occurring in Vietnam, lasting until 11 August 1954.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Warner Pathé News / Public domain ↗
Indonesian National Revolution beginsIn 1945, Indonesia declared independence, sparking an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle with the Dutch Empire, marking the start of the Indonesian National Revolution. The war lasted until 1949, when the Netherlands recognized Indonesian independence, ending its colonial rule over the Dutch East Indies.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: C.J. (Cees) Taillie (Fotograaf/photographer). / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Direct Action DayOn 16 August 1946, the All-India Muslim League launched a 'Direct Action' to demand a separate Muslim homeland after British exit from India. In Calcutta, general strikes and economic shutdown turned into widespread communal violence between Muslims and Hindus, which lasted about a week and became known as the 'Week of the Long Knives' or Great Calcutta Killings.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Outbreak of the War in Southern VietnamAfter World War II, an armed conflict broke out in southern Vietnam. British, French, and Japanese forces fought against the Viet Minh to gain control of the region. The conflict was codenamed Operation Masterdom by the British and known as the Southern Resistance War by the Vietnamese.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: No 9 Army Film Photographic Unit Modd, L / Public domain ↗
East Asia
Founding of Kim Il-sung UniversityOn 1 October 1946, Kim Il-sung University, the first regular university in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, was founded in Pyongyang, marking the beginning of higher education in the region. It was established to train cadres and serve as the highest institution for Juche ideology and science.
Founding of Pusan National UniversityPusan National University was founded in Busan, South Korea, in 1946. It was the first national university established after Korea's liberation and later became one of ten flagship national universities in the country.
- Founding of Jilin University
In 1946, Jilin University was founded in Changchun, China, as the first comprehensive higher education institution established under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Europe
Cold WarAfter World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Army photo Photo Credit: USAMHI / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSROn December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
- Phoney War
The Phoney War was a period of limited military activity at the start of World War II, lasting from September 1939 to May 1940. Following the Allied declaration of war on Germany, there were virtually no major land operations on the Western Front.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
West Asia
Founding of the National Library of TurkeyThe National Library of Turkey was established on April 15, 1946, in Ankara, and is one of the libraries with the largest collections in Turkey.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Charismaniac at Turkish Wikipedia / Public domain ↗
North America
1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake and Pacific-wide tsunamiOn April 1, 1946, a massive earthquake struck near the Aleutian Islands. It triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami with waves up to 14–42 meters, obliterating the Scotch Cap Lighthouse on Unimak Island and causing 165–173 deaths and 163 injuries. The tsunami had little effect on the Alaskan mainland, with losses exceeding US$26 million.
Oceania
- Signing of the Treaty of Manila
On July 4, 1946, the Treaty of General Relations was signed in Manila by the United States and the Philippines. The US relinquished sovereignty and recognized the independence of the Republic of the Philippines, ending nearly fifty years of American colonial rule. Signatories were High Commissioner McNutt for the US and President Roxas for the Philippines.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1946
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Emergence of the Green Revolution
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'