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Major Events of February 1946: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from February 1946 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of February 1946: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Feb 1946 Trygve Lie Becomes First UN Secretary-General: Trygve Lie, a Norwegian socialist politician, is selected as the first Secretary-General of the newly formed United Nations, marking a significant moment in international diplomacy and post-World War II global governance.
  • 02 Feb 1946 Hiroshima Blast Casualties Reported: The Supreme Allied Headquarters released a comprehensive casualty report from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, revealing devastating human losses: 78,150 dead, 13,983 missing, with a total of 37,415 injured and 176,987 people generally affected by the blast.
  • 03 Feb 1946 Gouzenko Affair Revealed on NBC Radio: On February 3, 1946, NBC Radio commentator Drew Pearson publicly disclosed the details of the Gouzenko Affair, exposing a significant Soviet espionage network operating in North America. Igor Gouzenko, a Soviet cipher clerk at the embassy in Ottawa, Canada, had defected and provided critical evidence of extensive Soviet spy activities, which would become a pivotal moment in early Cold War intelligence history.
  • 04 Feb 1946 Post-World War II Global Reconstruction Period: On February 4, 1946, the world was in the early stages of post-World War II reconstruction. While no specific landmark event is documented for this exact date, this period was characterized by significant geopolitical reorganization, economic recovery efforts, and the emerging tensions of the Cold War. Nations were rebuilding infrastructure, reestablishing diplomatic relations, and adapting to the new global power dynamics following the war's conclusion.
  • 05 Feb 1946 First Trans-Atlantic Commercial Airplane Flight: The historic first scheduled Trans-Atlantic commercial airplane flight was completed by TWA. The 'Star of Paris', a Lockheed Constellation aircraft, departed from New York's La Guardia Airport at 2:21 pm and successfully landed in Paris after a 14-hour and 48-minute journey, marking a significant milestone in international commercial aviation.
  • 06 Feb 1946 Trygve Lie Becomes First UN Secretary General: Trygve Lie was sworn in as the inaugural Secretary General of the United Nations, marking a pivotal moment in international diplomacy and global governance in the post-World War II era.
  • 07 Feb 1946 French Military Assault in Bến Tre Province, Vietnam: French colonial forces launched a large-scale military operation to recapture the Bến Tre Province in Vietnam, which had been under Viet Minh control since August 25, 1945. This assault was part of the broader First Indochina War and represented France's attempts to reassert colonial control in Southeast Asia.
  • 08 Feb 1946 Soviet Report on World War II Damages: At the Nuremberg Trials, Soviet Lieutenant General Roman Rudenko presented a comprehensive report detailing the extensive destruction inflicted on the Soviet Union during World War II. The report outlined massive damages including the destruction of 1,710 towns, 70,000 villages, 31,850 industrial establishments, 40,000 miles of railroad, 4,100 railroad stations, 40,000 hospitals, 84,000 schools, and 43,000 public libraries. Additionally, 7 million horses and 17 million sheep and goats were slaughtered or displaced, highlighting the devastating human and infrastructural cost of the war.
  • 09 Feb 1946 Stalin's Bolshoi Theatre Election Speech: Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin delivered a significant election speech at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, reaffirming the continued validity of Marxist-Leninist ideology. He notably warned about the potential inevitability of future conflicts with capitalist nations, signaling the emerging tensions of the early Cold War period.
  • 10 Feb 1946 First UN Secretary-General Appointed: Trygve Lie of Norway was selected as the inaugural Secretary-General of the United Nations, marking a pivotal moment in the establishment of this global diplomatic organization in the post-World War II era.
  • 11 Feb 1946 Bombing of Dresden Begins: The devastating bombing of Dresden commenced, with Allied air forces set to drop a total of 3,900 tons of high-explosive bombs and incendiary devices over the next three days, resulting in massive destruction of the German city.
  • 12 Feb 1946 Isaac Woodard Brutally Assaulted, Sparking Civil Rights Movement: African American World War II veteran Isaac Woodard was severely beaten by a South Carolina police officer, resulting in total blindness. This shocking incident of racial violence became a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, drawing national attention to systemic racism and police brutality. The event significantly influenced filmmaker Orson Welles and helped galvanize the emerging civil rights activism.
  • 13 Feb 1946 ENIAC: First General-Purpose Electronic Computer Announced: The first general-purpose electronic computer, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), was publicly announced in the United States. This groundbreaking technological marvel weighed 30 tons, stretched 80 feet long, stood 8 feet high, and contained 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, and 1,500 relays. With only twenty words of memory and programmed via 6,000 dials and switches, ENIAC was initially developed in 1943 to calculate artillery shell trajectories during World War II, marking a pivotal moment in computing history.
  • 14 Feb 1946 ENIAC: First General-Purpose Electronic Computer Unveiled: The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), a groundbreaking technological achievement, was unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania. This massive machine weighed 30 tons, contained 18,000 vacuum tubes, and measured 8 feet tall, 3 feet deep, and 100 feet long. It represented a pivotal moment in computing history as the first general-purpose electronic computer, marking the beginning of the digital age.
  • 15 Feb 1946 ENIAC Computer Dedication: The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), considered the first electronic general-purpose computer, was formally dedicated at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, marking a pivotal moment in computing history.
  • 16 Feb 1946 First UN Security Council Veto by Soviet Union: The Soviet Union exercised its first veto in the UN Security Council, blocking a resolution regarding the withdrawal of British and French forces from Syria and Lebanon. This marked a significant moment in early Cold War diplomacy and demonstrated the potential for geopolitical tension within the newly formed United Nations.
  • 17 Feb 1946 British Intercept Refugee Ship Enzo Sereni: British authorities intercepted the ship Enzo Sereni, which was carrying 915 Jewish refugees attempting to immigrate to Palestine. This action was part of the British Mandate's controversial policy of restricting Jewish immigration, reflecting the complex geopolitical tensions in the region during the post-World War II period.
  • 18 Feb 1946 Royal Indian Navy Mutiny of 1946: On February 18, 1946, sailors of the Royal Indian Navy initiated a significant mutiny in Bombay harbour, which rapidly spread throughout the Provinces of British India. The uprising involved 78 ships, twenty shore establishments, and approximately 20,000 sailors. This event was a pivotal moment of resistance against British colonial rule, marking one of the most substantial naval mutinies in British Indian history.
  • 19 Feb 1946 Cabinet Mission to India Announced: In the British House of Commons, Lord Pethick-Lawrence, the Secretary of State for India, officially announces the Cabinet Mission to India, a critical diplomatic effort in the process of Indian independence.
  • 20 Feb 1946 Deadly Coal Mine Explosion in West Germany: A catastrophic explosion at a coal mine in West Germany resulted in the tragic loss of over 400 miners' lives, highlighting the dangerous working conditions in the post-World War II industrial landscape.
  • 21 Feb 1946 Post-World War II Anti-Colonial Uprisings: Widespread anti-colonial demonstrations erupted across multiple Asian territories, including Egypt, India, Singapore, and Indonesia. These uprisings reflected growing nationalist sentiments and resistance against British colonial rule in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
  • 22 Feb 1946 The Long Telegram: A Pivotal Cold War Document: George Kennan, a senior U.S. diplomat stationed in Moscow, sent an extensive 8,000-word diplomatic communication to the State Department, outlining a comprehensive strategy for understanding and containing Soviet expansionism. This telegram, later known as the 'Long Telegram', provided a deep analysis of Soviet leadership psychology, geopolitical motivations, and recommended a policy of strategic containment against communist influence.
  • 23 Feb 1946 Japanese Security Official Interrogated Post-World War II: Colonel Seichi Ohta, a former high-ranking official who had led the notorious Japanese military's 'thought police' (Kempeitai) during World War II, was brought in for questioning along with his interpreter, Takuma Higashigi. The Kempeitai was known for its brutal suppression of dissent and intelligence gathering, making Ohta a significant figure of interest in post-war investigations.
  • 24 Feb 1946 Colonel Juan Perón, founder of the political movement that became known as Peronism, is elected to his first term as President of Argentina.
  • 25 Feb 1946 Columbia, Tennessee Racial Confrontation: On February 25, 1946, a significant racial tension erupted in Columbia, Tennessee, when African American residents defended themselves against a potential lynching attempt targeting James Stephenson, a 19-year-old Black man. This incident highlighted the extreme racial violence and systemic injustice prevalent in the post-World War II American South, where African Americans were frequently subjected to threats and extrajudicial violence.
  • 26 Feb 1946 Formation of Socialist Unity Party of Germany: The Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED) was established in the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany, marking a significant moment in the political reorganization of post-World War II Germany and the emergence of communist political structures.
  • 27 Feb 1946 Hoover Assists Truman in Famine Relief Efforts: Former U.S. President Herbert Hoover was requested by President Harry Truman to help mobilize American support for international famine relief efforts. Hoover, known for his humanitarian work, particularly after World War I, was called upon to leverage his reputation and influence to encourage public assistance in addressing global food shortages.
  • 28 Feb 1946 Ho Chi Minh Becomes North Vietnam's President: Ho Chi Minh was elected as the President of North Vietnam, a pivotal moment in Vietnamese political history that would have significant implications for the region's future conflicts and independence movements.