1946
Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s - 1940s - 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Years: 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 - 1946 - 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951
- January 4 - In Britain, Theodore Schurch becames the last person to be executed for offences committed under the Treachery Act of 1940
- January 10 - First meeting of the United Nations
- January 11 - Enver Hoxha declares the people's republic of Albania with himself as dictator.
- January 17 - The UN Security Council holds its first session
- January 20 - Charles De Gaulle resigns from the post of French president
- January 25 - The United Mine Workers rejoins the American Federation of Labor
- January 28 - Bluenose founders on a Haitian reef
- January 31 - Yugoslavia's new constitution, modeling the Soviet Union, establishes six constituent republics (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia).
- February 1 - Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary General.
- February 2 - Kingdom of Hungary becomes a republic.
- February 14 - The Bank of England is nationalized.
- February 14 - ENIAC (for "Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer"), the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania
- February 15 - Canada indicts 22 communist agents.
- February 24 - Juan Peron is elected a president of Argentina
- March 2 - British troops retreat from Iran – Soviet troops do not.
- March 2 - Ho Chi Minh is elected the President of North Vietnam.
- March 5 - In his speech in Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill talks about Iron Curtain.
- March 6 - Vietnam War: Ho Chi Minh signs an agreement with France which recognizes Vietnam as an autonomous state in the Indochinese Federation and the French Union.
- March 15 - Clement Attlee promises independence to India as soon as they can agree on constitution
- March 19 - Soviet Union and Switzerland reform diplomatic relations.
- March 19 - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and R�union become overseas d�partements of France
- April 1 - 14-meter high tsunami strikes Hilo, Hawaii - 173 dead, thousands injured.
- April 1 - Singapore becomes a Crown colony
- April 3 - Japanese Lt. General Masaharu Homma is executed outside Manila in the Philippines for leading the Bataan Death March.
- April 10 - In Japan, women vote for the first time in parliamentarian elections
- April 18 - USA recognizes Josip Broz Tito's government
- April 18 - Last meeting of League of Nations – its transfers its mission to United Nations.
- April 29 - War crimes trial begins in Tokyo – accused include Hideki Tojo, Shegenori Togo and Hiroshi Oshima.
- May 7 - Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded with about 20 employees.
- May 9 - King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy abdicates and is succeeded by Humbert II.
- May 10 - Nehru elected to lead Indian Congress Party
- May 20 - In Britain, the House of Commons decides to nationalize mines.
- May 22 - Kingdom of Transjordan founded.
- May 25 - The parliament of Transjordan makes emir Abdullah their king.
- May 28 - K. Satchidanandan Malayalam poet
- May 29 - Fernando Buesa, Basque politician (+2000)
- May 31 - Monarchism wins in Greek elections.
- June 2 - Italy becomes a republic, after a plebiscite. Women vote for the first time.
- June 9 - In Thailand, king Rama IX accedes the throne.
- June 13 - Humbert II of Italy leaves the country – Alcide de Gasperi becomes head of state.
- July 4 - After over 400 years, the Philippines achieves full independence.
- July 5 - The bikini is introduced.
- July 7 - Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini becomes the first American saint to be canonized.
- July 21 - Bomb of Irgun Zvai Leumi explodes in Jerusalem.
- July 22 - King David Hotel bombing: Irgun bombs King David Hotel in Jerusalem, headquarters of the British civil and military administration killing 90.
- July 25 - Nuclear testing: In the first underwater test of the atomic bomb, the surplus USS Saratoga is sunk near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean when the United States detonates the "Baker Day" device.
- July 25 - At Club 500 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stage their first show as a comedy team.
- August 19 - Violence between Muslims and Hindus in Calcutta – 3000 dead.
- September 4 - Street violence between Muslims and Hindus in Bombay.
- September 8 - Bulgaria declared a People's Republic after a referendum – King Simeon II leaves.
- October 13 - France adopts the constitution of the Fourth Republic.
- October 15 - Nuremberg Trials: Founder of the Gestapo and recently convicted Nazi war criminal, Hermann G�ring, poisons himself hours before his scheduled execution.
- October 23 - United Nations' first meeting in Long Island.
- November 8 - Vietnamese riot in Haiphong and clash with French troops. French cruiser Suffren opens fire. 6000 Vietnamese killed.
- November 12 - Truce between Indonesian nationalist troops and Dutch army in Indonesia.
- November 12 - A branch of the Exchange National Bank in Chicago, Illinois opens the first ten drive-up teller windows.
- November 15 - Netherlands recognized Republic of Indonesia.
- November 19 - Afghanistan, Iceland and Sweden joins the United Nations
- November 27 - Cold War: Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru appeals to the United States and the Soviet Union to end nuclear testing and to start nuclear disarmament, stating that such an action would "save humanity from the ultimate disaster."
- December 11 - UNICEF founded.
- December 24 - France's Fourth Republic founded
- December 26 - Flamingo Hotel opens in Las Vegas.
- December 31 - President Harry Truman officially proclaims an end of hostilities in World War II.
- Phantom rockets over Sweden
- The 20mm M61 Vulcan gatling gun is invented
- Devil's Island penal colony closes permanently
- Female suffrage in Belgium, Romania, Yugoslavia, Argentina and Canadian province of Quebec. First female police officers in Korea and Japan.
- Chinese Civil War intensifies between Kuomintang and Communist Party of China.
- First Tupperware sold in department and hardware stores
Year in topic
- 1946 in film
- 1946 in literature
- 1946 in music
- 1946 in sports
- 1946 in television
- February 4 – RCA demonstrates all-electronic color television system.
- February 18 - The first Washington-New York telecast through AT&T coaxial cable is termed success by engineers and viewers.
- April 22 - CBS color television program is successfully transmitted over a 450-mile coaxial cable link from New York to Washington
- May 9 - The first variety show premieres, Hour Glass, on NBC.
- June 7 - The BBC begins broadcasting again and reshows the Mickey Mouse cartoon, that had been interrupted seven years earlier at the start of the World War II.
- June 19 - The first televised heavyweight title fight between Joe Louis and Billy Conn is broadcast from Yankee Stadium. The fight was seen by 141,000 people, the largest television audience to see a fight.
- October 2 - The first TV network soap opera, Faraway Hill, airs on the DuMont network.
- December 24 - The first church service is telecast, Grace Episcopal Church in New York, on WABD.
- ToKyo Tushin Kogyo founded, which would later become Sony
- Zoomar introduces the first professional zoom lens
Science:
Births
- January 3 - John Paul Jones, bassist from Led Zeppelin
- January 5 - Diane Keaton, actress
- January 6 - Syd Barrett, guitarist and singer
- January 8 - Robby Krieger, musician ("The Doors")
- January 11 - Naomi Judd, country music singer
- January 12 - George Duke, musician
- January 14 - Harold Shipman, British serial killer
- January 16 - Kabir Bedi, actor
- January 16 - Ronnie Milsap, singer
- January 16 - Katia Ricciarelli, opera singer
- January 18 - Joseph Deiss, member of the Swiss Federal Council
- January 19 - Dolly Parton, singer, actress
- January 20 - David Lynch, film director
- January 24 - Michael Ontkean, actor
- January 26 - Gene Siskel, film critic (+ 1999)
- January 31 - Terry Kath, musician (+ 1978)
- February 11 - M C Walker, CEO of Iceland Frozen Foods.
- February 11 - Timothy Chambers, pediatrician.
- February 14 - Gregory Hines, dancer, actor
- February 14 - Bernard Dowiyogo, president of Nauru (+ 2003)
- February 20 - Jerome Geils of the J Geils band
- February 20 - Brenda Blethyn, actress
- February 21 - Tyne Daly, actress
- February 21 - Alan Rickman, actor
- February 24 - Barry Bostwick, actor
- February 25 - Franz Xaver Kroetz, dramatist
- February 28 - Robin Cook, British politician
- March 3 - Leszek Miller, Prime Minister of Poland
- March 6 - David Gilmour, musican ("Pink Floyd")
- March 7 - Peter Wolf, musician ("J Geils Band")
- March 12 - Lisa Minelli
- March 22 - Andr� Heller, artist
- April 30 - Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, Swedish monarch (1973- )
- May 7 - Thelma Houston, singer
- May 9 - Candice Bergen, actress
- May 10 - Donovan Leitch, musician
- May 10 - Dave Mason, musician ("Traffic")
- May 11 - Robert Jarvik, physicist, inventor
- May 17 - Udo Lindenberg, musician
- May 18 - Reggie Jackson, Baseball Hall of Famer
- May 19 - Andr� the Giant, wrestler (+ 1993)
- May 20 - Cher, American singer
- May 22 - George Best, footballerer
- May 23 - David Graham, golf champion
- May 26 - Mick Ronson, guitarist (+ 1993)
- July 6 - George W. Bush, American president (2000-)
- July 6 - Sylvester Stallone, actor
- July 22 - Mireille Mathieu, French singer
- July 30 - Neil Bonnett, NASCAR driver (+ 1994)
- August 3 - Jack Straw, British politician
- August 19 - Bill Clinton, American president (1993-2000)
- September 5 - Freddie Mercury, British singer
- September 7 - Francisco Varela, biologist
- September 15 - Oliver Stone, American film director
- September 21 - Moritz Leuenberger, member of the Swiss Federal Council
- September 24 - Lars Emil Johansen, Prime Minister of Greenland
- October 1 - Tim O'Brien, American author
- November 5 - Herman Brood, Dutch rock 'n' roll artist
- November 5 - Gram Parsons, country music/rock musician
- November 24 - Ted Bundy, American serial killer
- December 18 - Steven Spielberg, American film director
Deaths
- January 29 - Harry Hopkins, politician
- February 5 - George Arliss, actor
- March 23 - Gilbert N. Lewis, physical chemist.
- March 24 - Alexander Alekhine, chess champion
- April 1 - Noah Beery, actor
- April 22 - Harlan F. Stone, Chief Justice of the United States
- May 19 - Booth Tarkington, American novelist
- June 1 - Ion Antonescu
- June 10 - Jack Johnson, African-American boxer
- July 8 - Orrick Glenday Johns, poet & playwright
- August 13- H.G. Wells, science fiction writer
- October 15 - Hermann G�ring, prominent Nazi leader, marshall of the Third Reich, head of the Airforce (suicide)
- October 16 - Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Austrian Nazi leader, governor of The Netherlands during the German occupation (1940-1945) (executed)
- November 14 - Manuel de Falla, composer
- Arlene Feynman, wife of Richard Feynman
- August - Alfred Stock German chemist
Nobel Prizes