World War II Timeline: 1946
Explore 20 documented milestones from 1946, across military theaters, diplomacy, society and technology.
Dated historical records
Entries below follow the dates recorded in the WWII CHRONOS archive. Each linked title opens the original historical entry, including its source reference.
- — First UN General Assembly — The first session of the United Nations General Assembly opens in London.
- — UN General Assembly Creates an Atomic Energy Commission — The General Assembly adopts its first resolution, addressing atomic energy.
- — ENIAC Publicly Unveiled — The United States unveils ENIAC, a large-scale electronic digital computer whose calculation speed greatly exceeded that of most contemporary electromechanical systems.
- — Churchill's Fulton Speech — Winston Churchill delivers his 'Iron Curtain' speech about the division of Europe.
- — Bell 47 Receives the First Civil Helicopter Certification — It opened the civilian production market for helicopters.
- — Électricité de France (EDF) Created — More than 1,650 electricity and gas companies were consolidated.
- — Piaggio Registers the Vespa Industrial Model — 2,484 scooters were produced by the end of 1946.
- — Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal Begins — Proceedings begin against senior Japanese military and political leaders.
- — Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo — the Future Sony — Founded — The beginning of one of the emblematic companies of Japan's high-technology industry.
- — First Commercial Mobile Telephone Service Launched — Practical mobile telephony decades before cellular networks.
- — Kielce Pogrom — Anti-Jewish violence in post-war Poland kills dozens of people.
- — Atomic Energy Act of 1946 Signed — The US atomic complex shifts from wartime to civilian federal administration.
- — First Official Shipment of Reactor-Produced Radioisotopes Sent for Civilian Use — Reactor technology begins moving into medicine, biology and industrial research.
- — Vickers Viking Enters Regular Service with British European Airways — A new production passenger aircraft for rebuilding Europe's air network.
- — First Cannes Film Festival Opens — After the wartime interruption, Cannes hosts an international programme of screenings and cultural events.
- — Nuremberg Tribunal Judgments — Judgments are delivered against the principal defendants in the international trial.
- — Renault 4CV Publicly Unveiled at the Reopened Paris Motor Show — One of the symbols of post-war mass motorisation in Europe.
- — Executions of Those Sentenced at Nuremberg — Some of the Nazi leaders sentenced to death by the International Military Tribunal are executed.
- — UNESCO Constitution Enters into Force — After the required acceptances, UNESCO's founding document acquires legal force.
- — UNICEF Established — The UN General Assembly creates the children's fund.
For wider context, explore the interactive historical timeline and compare events across theaters.