A decade in review

The 1940s

18 moments we logged from 1940–1949.

1940194119421943194419451946194719481949

People born in the 1940s Amitabh, John, Bob…

Notable figures who grew up in this decade.

  • culture1942

    Amitabh Bachchan

    Bollywood's 'Shahenshah', superstar across five decades.

    Wiki
  • culture1940

    John Lennon

    Beatle, peace activist.

    Wiki
  • culture1941

    Bob Dylan

    Singer-songwriter, Nobel laureate.

    Wiki
  • science1942

    Stephen Hawking

    Theoretical physicist, A Brief History of Time.

    Wiki
  • sports1942

    Muhammad Ali

    The Greatest, three-time heavyweight world champion.

    Wiki
  • culture1942

    Paul McCartney

    Beatle, songwriter.

    Wiki
  • world1942

    Joe Biden

    46th US President.

    Wiki
  • culture1943

    Mick Jagger

    Rolling Stones frontman.

    Wiki

Worldwide

  • 1941world

    Pearl Harbor attacked

    Japan attacked the US naval base. America entered World War II.

  • 1942tech

    First nuclear reactor

    Enrico Fermi's Chicago Pile-1 achieved the first controlled nuclear chain reaction.

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  • 1944tech

    First programmable computer

    Colossus, built to crack German codes at Bletchley Park, was the first electronic programmable computer.

  • 1945world

    World War II ends

    Germany surrendered in May, Japan in September after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

  • 1945world

    United Nations founded

    51 countries signed the UN Charter. A new attempt at preventing world wars.

  • 1945science

    Atomic bomb detonated

    The Trinity test in New Mexico unleashed the first nuclear explosion. The atomic age began.

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  • 1946tech

    ENIAC built

    The first general-purpose electronic computer. It weighed 27 tons and filled a room.

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  • 1947tech

    Transistor invented

    Bell Labs invented the transistor. The entire digital age is built on this one device.

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  • 1947tech

    Microwave oven invented

    Percy Spencer invented the microwave after a chocolate bar melted in his pocket near a radar tube.

  • 1947science

    Sound barrier broken

    Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. The era of supersonic flight began.

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  • 1948world

    State of Israel founded

    Israel declared independence. The Middle East would never be the same.

  • 1948tech

    LP records invented

    Columbia Records introduced the 33⅓ RPM LP. Albums became a thing.

  • 1949world

    People's Republic of China

    Mao Zedong proclaimed the PRC. China would later transform the world economy.

India

  • 1942world

    Quit India Movement

    Gandhi called for an end to British rule. Mass protests followed; leaders were imprisoned.

  • 1943world

    Bengal Famine

    A devastating famine in Bengal killed an estimated 3 million people. Its causes are still debated.

  • 1947world

    India gains independence

    After 200 years of British rule, India became free at midnight on August 15. Partition followed, displacing millions.

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  • 1947world

    Partition of India

    India and Pakistan became separate nations. Over 14 million people were displaced. One of the largest mass migrations in history.

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  • 1948world

    Gandhi assassinated

    Mahatma Gandhi was shot by Nathuram Godse on January 30. The nation wept.