1945 President Truman orders reduction in military - “bring the boys home.” Number of troops reduced from 12,000,000 to 3,000,000
1945 First veterans benefit from the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act (G.I. Bill) – provides funds for college education, loans for buying a home, or loans for starting a business.
1945 United Nations formed - 50 countries met in san Francisco to build world wide peace organization.
1945 U.S. funds begin the rebuilding of Japan. General Douglas MacArthur oversees rebuilding process.
1946 Winston Churchill speaks at a college in Fulton, Missouri. In his speech he tells of an “Iron Curtain” descending on Europe. A division between free Europe and Communist Europe.
1946 Philippines gain complete independence from U.S. - July 4th 1946.
1946 Nuremberg Trials begin - Nazi war criminals put on trial – 12 are executed.
1946 United Nations establishes permanent home in New York City.
1946-47 The N.B.A. plays its first season. Only two teams from the original 11 are still in existence - The Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.
1947 Marshall plan (European recovery plan) unveiled – Congress appropriates $6,000,000,000 for the rebuilding of Europe.
1947 Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager breaks sound barrier. In a jet plane he exceeds 700 mph at 43,000 feet.
1947 Jackie Robinson becomes first African-American in major league baseball. Signed by Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey.
1947 Congress establishes H.U.A.C. ( House Un-American Activities Committee) to investigate communist activities in our country – including the government.
1947 Baseball World Series televised for the first time. Number of television sets in the U.S. 1947 – 7,000 1950 – 4,400,000 by 1956 – 20,000 sets sold each day.
1948 State of Israel formed in the middle Eastern region of Palestine - tension between Arabs & Jews continue - US ambassador Ralph Bunche wins Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts - First African-American to win this award.
1948 Soviet leader Joseph Stalin orders blockade of Berlin. Blockade will last for 321 days before Stalin lifts the order. Communist governments are set up in Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany.
1948 Richard and Maurice McDonald open “fast food” restaurant in San Bernardino, California - Hamburger 15 cents, French Fries 10 cents, and Milkshakes, 25 cents
1948 Babe Ruth Dies of cancer at the age of 53.
1948 7 Japanese officials hanged for war crimes in WWII.
1948 Harry Truman defeats Thomas Dewey in close Presidential Election. Truman gets just over 50% of the popular vote. Electoral votes – Truman 303, Dewey 189.
1947-48 What’s New? Scrabble, Silly Putty, cake mixes in a box, Roller Derby, Pizza Parlors, Honda Motorcycles, Dial Soap, Baskin Robbins, Nestles Quik, Michelin Radial Tires.
1949 China Becomes Communist under the leadership of Mao Zedong.
1949 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established - a mutual defense system.
1949 Soviet Union detonates their first atomic bomb.
1950 Official census shows U.S. population at 150,000,000.
1950 George Mikan (former DePaul University all-American) and the Minneapolis Lakers win their first NBA championship.
1950 U.S.A. & UN back South Korea following communist invasion - 60,000 reservists called up to active duty.
1950 Korean War involves many nations - General Douglas MacArthur & UN troops push Communists back toward the northern border. Most of the UN troops are from U.S. and South Korea.
1950 “Peanuts” comic strip, featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, & Linus, makes its debut on October 2nd.