In 1946, the First Indochina War began, the United Nations met for the first time in London on January 10th, the League of Nations was dissolved in April, Italy got rid of monarchy in June and the Philippines became independent from the US on the 4th of July. 1946 also was the year of the Nuremberg Trials, the year Juan Peron became president of Argentina, the establishment of the US Atomic Energy Commission's beginning and the year Benjamin Spock published his book on childcare. Finally, the US Army "made radar contact with the moon for the first time," bikinis were introduced to the public and the Cold War begins (infoplease.com).

 

In 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the Sound Barrier, the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered in Qumran, India and Pakistan become independent from Britain on August 15th, Henry Ford dies, the Polaroid Camera is invented, the UN decides to divide Palestine into a Jewish State and an Arab State with Jerusalem as an international city and the Exodus, full of Jewish refugees, is turned away by the British.

 

In 1948, the first Arab-Israeli Wars began when the State of Israel was officially created, Tennessee Williams' play, A Streetcar Named Desire makes it Broadway debut, Gandhi is assassinated, the "Big Bang" Theory is devised, President Truman ends racial segregation in the US Military, and Alfred Kinsey publishes Sexual Behavior in the Human Male.

 

In 1949, China became a Communist nation, Nineteen-Eight-Four by George Orwell was published, NATO was established, the first non-stop flight around the world occurred, the Soviet Union gained atomic weaponry, Britain recognizes the Republic of Ireland as an independent nation (though keeping Northern Ireland), the German Federal Republic, or West Germany, is created on September 21 and Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Transjordan sign an armistice agreement with Israel.

 

In 1950, the Korean War began with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea, modern credit cards are introduced, the first organ transplant occurs, the "Era of McCarthyism begins" (infoplease), Saturday morning television for kids begins, Guys and Dolls debuts on Broadway, the comic strip Peanuts is introduced, South Pacific by Rodgers & Hammerstein wins a Pulitzer Prize and Truman authorizes development of a hydrogen bomb.

 

In 1951, Julius and Ethel Roseburg were convicted of sending nuclear intelligence to the Soviet Union, the 22nd Amendment, which limits how many terms a president in the US can serve, is passed, despite peace talks, the Korean War continues, a Japanese Treaty was signed in San Francisco by 49 nations officially ending WW II, Libya gains her independence, I Love Lucy begins its run and seat belts were introduced.

 

In 1952, Turkey joined NATO, the first plane landed at the North Pole, Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected president of the US, Britain announces it's been developing atomic weapons, NATO approves a European army, the King of Egypt is removed from power by a military coup, The Honeymooners begins its twenty year run, Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of Britain, Jonas Salk developed the "first experimentally safe dead-virus polio vaccine" (infoplease), and the first transatlantic helicopter flight occurred.

 

In 1953, the Korean War ended, the Rosenburgs were executed for their espionage, DNA was discovered, Stalin died, the first Playboy magazine was published and Alfred Kinsey publishes Sexual Behavior of the Human Female.

 

In 1954, Lord of the Flies by William Golding is published, the Algerian War of Independence is fought against the French (it will last 8 years), "the US Supreme Court unanimously outlaws racial segregation in public schools in Brown vs. BOE" (eHistory), a report asserted that cigarettes cause cancer, the first atomic submarine was launched, Britain "sponsored an expedition to search for the Abominable Snowman" (infoplease), and JRR Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring was published.

 

In 1955, Disneyland opened, "Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and His Comets becomes the first Rock & Roll song to top the US record charts," (eHistory), Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat and her arrest sparks the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Warsaw Pact was signed, McDonald's was founded, James Dean died in a car accident, Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister of Britain and is replaced by Anthony Eden, Juan Peron kicked out of Argentina, and the US sent aid money to Vietnam in light of the conflict occurring there.

 

(Sources can be found on the "Additional Information" page).