55 Fun Facts About 1946 That You Wouldn’t Want To Miss

The year 1946 was a year of innovations.

From politics to pop culture history, from wars to entertainment, there was news floating all over. The famous movies from that year were 'It’s A Wonderful Life', 'Duel in the Sun', 'Angel on My Shoulder', 'A Night in Casablanca', and 'The Best Years of Our Lives'.

Various fashion icons of that year were Lana Turner, Gene Tierney, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, and Lauren Bacall.

The Atomic Energy Act of 1946, commonly known as the McMahon Act, was signed into law by President Truman in August, 1946. The act established the United States Atomic Energy Commission, which is run by civilians (AEC).

American writer Marilyn Vos Savant, born in 1942, had the highest IQ in the '60s.

If you enjoyed reading this article, you can also read some amazing facts about different years by reading the 1946 fun facts and 1945 fun facts articles here at kidadl.

Historical Events of 1946

The first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly took place in London, and after that, in Long Island, New York. All the 51 founding member countries convened at Westminster Central Hall, London, England.

Delegates from the member countries met to discuss the procedural norms that would be followed in future meetings. They also passed the first resolution, which addressed new challenges with nuclear weapons and atomic energy.

The League of Nations was created in the year 1920 because of World War One, with the purpose of establishing worldwide peace with the authority of an international governing body. Even though the then US president, Woodrow Wilson, proposed this, the United States did not join this organization, and hence this authority lacked political support.

Soon, this organization became ineffective by all means and did not prevent World War Two. In the year 1946, the League of Nations held its final assembly.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) was established in the year 1946 and also had its first session in the month of November of the same year.

The documentation of UNESCO was completed a year ago in November and later came into force after the ratification of 20 countries, in which France, India, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China were present.

UNESCO’s purpose was to avoid any possibility of wars in the future and ensure peace worldwide by using the means of education, culture, and science.

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established in the month of December, 1946. This organization was created by the United Nations General Assembly soon after World War Two.

It was made to provide services and help to children who used to live in war areas or countries where battles took place. Soon after the creation of UNESCO, it took up the role of speaking to and for the rights of children.

Facts About 1946 For Kids

Here are some interesting pop culture history facts of 1946:

The Iron Curtain speech by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was the first official speech indicating the recognition of the Cold War by the Soviet Union.

Coca-Cola made a ‘White Coke’ drink variant of their popular Black Coke. It was specially made for a Soviet Military Marshall. He loved Coca-Cola but did not want to consume it in public.

The BBC broadcast completed the broadcast of its first-ever multi-episodic television show. It was a crime-drama show called Telecrime, which started in the year 1938.

An episode of 'Tom and Jerry', in which Tom performed the Rhapsody of Liszt in Hungarian, bagged the Oscar for the category of Best Animated Short Film of the year 1946.

From the premiere of 'Mickey Mouse' in the year 1928 till 1946, Walt Disney himself gave the voice-over for Mickey Mouse. After 1946, Jimmy MacDonald started doing that.

The movie 'It's a Wonderful Life' was considered a failure on box-office in the same year. Later it was broadcast on TV as a Christmas classic.

Some of the famous books of 1946 are listed below:

'Bridge on the Drina '– Ivo Andric

'All the King's Men' – Robert Penn Warren

'The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care' – Benjamin Spock

'I Spit On Your Grave' – Boris Vian

'Delta Wedding' – Eudora Welty

'Jule' – George Wylie Henderson

'The Miracle of the Rose' – Jean Genet

'The Littlest Angel' – Charles Tazewell

'Mr. President' – Miguel Angel Asturias

1946 Inventions

Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory: Tracing the history of Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory to the earliest of its days, it was at first just a research lab for the Wright brothers and Curtiss Glenn called the Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Company.

Soon after World War II, this lab was donated to Cornell University, and later, in January, 1946, it was renamed the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory. It is said that every space vehicle and military aircraft developed by the United States after the end of World War II has been tested here, which is now known as Calspan.

It has the largest privately owned transonic wind tunnel in the United States, which allows good ground for the testing of spacecraft and aircraft.

It also facilitates the development of new aircraft designs.

At the US Military Center and Niagara Falls, where they have a flight test facility, Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory even extends the testing of the aircraft to the air.

Researching in such a way has led to the showcase of various problems in analyzing hypersonic and subsonic flight, control and stability of aircraft, and the need for advancement in safety during flights. Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory has even achieved excellence in the development of netted air defense systems, weather prediction techniques, automotive safety, robotics, lasers, and neural networks.

This lab has even surpassed some pioneering companies like Moog, Inc.

Polymer Research Institute: The Polymer Research Institute was established by Herman F. Mark, who was a pioneer in the field of giant molecules, in the year 1946.

This institute conducted polymer research to become the first-ever academic facility in the United States solely devoted to the teaching and study of polymer science.

Various scientists who were earlier associated with this institution later established many polymer programs at a number of institutions and universities to contribute to and have a wider research area in the growth and development of polymers, which is now a very vital branch in the subjects of engineering, chemistry, and material science.

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer): The University of Pennsylvania, in the year 1946, witnessed a major advance in the entire history of computers when the engineers made possible the active operation of an Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC). It was constructed and designed at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering.

It was made under a US army contract at the time of the Second World War.

At that time, ENIAC made possible the establishment of a larger-scale electronic digital system that strongly influenced today’s modern general-purpose computer system.

In February, 1946, the New York Times announced the unveiling of this amazing machine that could apply good electronic speeds to ease the mathematical tasks that were very difficult and had a complex solution. Many leaders and mathematicians were at first stunned by the workings of this system.

Point Mugu Naval Base: Point Mugu Naval Base was established in the year 1946. It provided an evaluation site and a comprehensive test for the tactical missiles.

Point Mugu Naval Base has played a vital role in the evaluation, development, testing, and service support of many systems, like Sparrow, Bullpup, Regulus, Harpoon, Phoenix, SLAM, Standard, Tomahawk, and Rolling Airframe Missile. At Pt. Mugu, the first missile launch from an operable submarine was also completed.

1946 Trivia

Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine established the New York City Ballet.

On July 7, 1946, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini became the first American saint to be canonized.

In March, Ho Chi Minh was elected as the president of North Vietnam, and later, he signed an agreement with the French Union that recognized Vietnam as an independent nation.

The television soap opera Faraway Hill was first broadcast in the year 1946.

A tidal wave, about which there were warnings earlier, but they were all ignored as an April Fools' prank, resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people in Hawaii.

The biggest pop artists and jazz singers of 1946 included The Andrews Sisters, Tex Beneke, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Connee Boswell, Frankie Carle, and His Orchestra, Les Brown and His Orchestra, Hoagy Carmichael, Perry Como, Nat 'King' Cole, Bing Crosby, Helen Forrest, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, Artur Godfrey, Phil Harris, Dick Haymes, Eddy Howard, Harry James and His Orchestra, The Ink Spots, Louis Jordan, Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, Sammy Kaye, Peggy Lee, Tony Martin, Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians, Johnny Mercer, Pied Pipers, Vaughn Monroe, Dinah Shore, Jo Stafford, Frank Sinatra, Margaret Whiting and many more.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for fun facts about 1946, then why not take a look at 1941 fun facts or 1969 fun facts?