January 1946
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The following events occurred in January 1946:


January 1, 1946 (Tuesday)

* Humanity Declaration: Japan's Emperor Hirohito surprised his subjects with the news that he was not descended from the Shinto Sun goddess
Amaterasu Omikami Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the ''Kojik ...
, and that "The Emperor is not a living god". He added that his people had to "proceed unflinchingly toward the elimination of misguided practices of the past", including "the false conception that the Emperor is divine and that the Japanese people are superior to other races and fated to rule the world". The admission was published in newspapers throughout Japan.


January 2, 1946 (Wednesday)

*In León, Mexico, federal troops, called in by the Governor of the State of Guanajuato, fired into a crowd of demonstrators, killing at least 40 people. *The U.S. Army partially lifted a ban against marriage between American soldiers and enemy nationals, allowing servicemen to marry Austrian citizens. The ban against marriage of Germans was not lifted until December 11.


January 3, 1946 (Thursday)

*
George Woolf George Monroe Woolf (May 31, 1910 – January 4, 1946), nicknamed "The Iceman", was a Canadian thoroughbred race horse jockey. An annual jockey's award given by the United States Jockeys' Guild is named in his honor. He became known for riding t ...
, a jockey who had ridden both Seabiscuit and Bold Venture to victory, was thrown from his horse during a race at Santa Anita Park. He died the next day at the age of 35. Woolf, nicknamed "The Ice Man", was in the first group of people admitted to the U.S. Jockey Hall of Fame when it opened in 1955. *At a congressional hearing, Admiral
Harold R. Stark Harold Rainsford Stark (November 12, 1880 – August 20, 1972) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II, who served as the 8th Chief of Naval Operations from August 1, 1939 to March 26, 1942. Early life a ...
testified that more than two months before the United States entered the Second World War, President Roosevelt had ordered American warships to destroy "German and Italian naval, land, and air forces encountered" if requested by British officers. *Poland nationalized its main industries, with passage of a law "on taking public ownership of the basic branches of the national economy". *Born: ** John Paul Jones (real name John Baldwin), English rock bassist ( Led Zeppelin), in
Sidcup, Kent Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of Bromley and Greenwich. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the ...
**
Cissy King Claire Yvonne King (born January 3, 1946) professionally Cissy King, is an American-born singer and dancer best known as a featured performer on ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' television program. King was born in Trinidad, Colorado. Her father w ...
, American singer on '' The Lawrence Welk Show'', in Trinidad, Colorado *Died: William Joyce, 39, nicknamed "
Lord Haw Haw Lord Haw-Haw was a nickname applied to William Joyce, who broadcast Nazi propaganda to the UK from Germany during the Second World War. The broadcasts opened with "Germany calling, Germany calling", spoken in an affected upper-class English acc ...
" by his British listeners, a U.S.-born citizen of the United Kingdom who had defected to Germany to broadcast Nazi propaganda to Britain during World War II, was hanged at Britain's
Wandsworth Prison HM Prison Wandsworth is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, South West (London sub region), South West London, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Pri ...
at for treason. A foreign correspondent noted that "Joyce's regular wartime broadcasts over the German radio made him one of the most hated and most ridiculed of men."


January 4, 1946 (Friday)

*The United States Department of War announced a slowdown in demobilization of U.S. Army soldiers in the Pacific theater, cutting army discharges by 60 percent, from 800,000 down to 300,000 per month. In the week that followed, American soldiers around the world protested, in the Philippines, France, Guam, Germany, India and the United States. The War Department reversed the decision as a result of pressure from the "'Bring Em Home' Movement". *General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
, Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers (SCAP) during the
occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the victorious Allies of World War II from the 1945 surrender of the Empire of Japan at the end of the war until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect in 1952. The occupation, led by the United States wi ...
, began a purge of the Japanese government, with the goal of removing "undesirable personnel" from office. Over two and a half years, there were 210,287 people removed or barred from public office. *The ''
Reichskleinodien The Imperial Regalia, also called Imperial Insignia (in German ''Reichskleinodien'', ''Reichsinsignien'' or ''Reichsschatz''), are regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The most important parts are the Crown, the Imperial orb, the Imperial scep ...
'', treasures of the Holy Roman Empire which had been taken from Austria after the '' Anschluss'', were returned to Vienna by General Mark Clark. Members of the U.S. Army had located the collection of 30 pieces, some more than 1,000 years old, including a Bible that had been found in the tomb of Charlemagne, and the "
Holy Lance The Holy Lance, also known as the Lance of Longinus (named after Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his crucifixion. Biblical references The l ...
". * A series of tornadoes swept through east Texas, killing 28 people and injuring 310 in Anderson,
Angelina Angelina may refer to: Human names *Angelina (given name), a feminine given name *The feminine form of the family name Angelos People Entertainers *Angelina (American singer), American retired singer Angelina Camarillo Ramos (born 1976) * Angeli ...
and Nacogdoches counties.


January 5, 1946 (Saturday)

*
Adolf Eichmann Otto Adolf Eichmann ( ,"Eichmann"
''
Oberdachstetten Oberdachstetten (East Franconian: ''Dōchschdedn'') is a municipality in the district of Ansbach in Bavaria in Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most popul ...
, where he had eluded detection under the alias of "SS Lt. Otto Eckmann". Eichmann then assumed the name of Otto Neninger and remained in hiding. In 1950, he made his way to Austria, then Italy, and as "Ricardo Klement", started a new life in Argentina. He avoided capture until May 2, 1960, when agents of Israel's Mossad kidnapped him, and was hanged in 1962. *A revival of Kern and Hammerstein's 1927 musical '' Show Boat'' opened on Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theatre, and ran for 417 performances. *Born: Diane Keaton, American actress, as Diane Hall in Los Angeles


January 6, 1946 (Sunday)

*The first democratic elections were held in Vietnam, and the Viet Minh Party, led by Ho Chi Minh, won 230 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly. *Born:
Syd Barrett Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006) was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd in 1965. Barrett was their original frontman and primary songwriter, becoming known for his ...
(d. 2006), English rock musician (
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
), in Cambridge (d. 2006) *Died: Slim Summerville, 53, American film comedian


January 7, 1946 (Monday)

*The Allies restored Austria as a sovereign republic, with the borders it had before its 1938 annexation by Germany, but continued to administer the nation in four occupation zones. The largest cities in each zone were
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
(French), Salzburg (American),
Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
(British), and the area around Vienna (Soviet). Vienna itself was occupied by all four powers. *Suzanne Degnan, 6, was murdered by serial killer William Heirens, "The Lipstick Killer" . Arrested later in 1946, Heirens was sentenced to life imprisonment and remained incarcerated until his death in 2012. *France resumed its protectorate relationship over Cambodia, following an agreement signed by King
Norodom Sihanouk Norodom Sihanouk (; km, នរោត្តម សីហនុ, ; 31 October 192215 October 2012) was a Cambodian statesman, Sangkum and FUNCINPEC politician, Norodom Sihanouk filmography, film director, and composer who led Cambodia in vari ...
. Under the pact, France would manage all of Cambodia's foreign affairs and grant autonomy to the Cambodian people. *Born: **
Michele Elliott Michele Irmiter Elliott OBE is an author, psychologist, teacher and the founder and director of child protection charity Kidscape. She has chaired World Health Organization and Home Office working groups and is a Winston Churchill Memorial Trus ...
, U.S.-born British author, psychologist and founder of child protection charity
Kidscape Kidscape is a London-based charity established in 1985, by child psychologist Michele Elliott. Its focus is on children's safety, with an emphasis on the prevention of harm by equipping children with techniques and mindsets that help them stay ...
; in
St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
**
Jann Wenner Jann Simon Wenner ( ; born January 7, 1946) is an American magazine magnate who is a co-founder of the popular culture magazine ''Rolling Stone'', and former owner of '' Men's Journal'' magazine. He participated in the Free Speech Movement while ...
, co-founder and publisher of '' Rolling Stone'' magazine, in New York City


January 8, 1946 (Tuesday)

*Germany's Hereditary Health Court (''Erbgesundheitsgericht'') system was formally abolished by the Allied powers. From 1934 through 1945, the courts ordered surgery for the sterilization of 400,000 persons with hereditary defects such as mental retardation, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. The system provided for an appellate court (''Erbgesundheitobergericht''), but the orders were upheld 97% of the time. *The last
Japanese prisoners of war Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
in the United States departed, on board a ship from Angel Island (California), for repatriation. *Born: ** Robby Krieger, American rock musician and songwriter ( The Doors), in Los Angeles **
Stanton Peele Stanton Peele (born January 8, 1946) is a psychologist, attorney, psychotherapist and the author of books and articles on the subject of alcoholism, addiction and addiction treatment. Career Raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Peele received hi ...
, American psychologist and author (''The Diseasing of America'') *Died: Dion Fortune, 51, Welsh occultist and author


January 9, 1946 (Wednesday)

* László Bárdossy, who had served as Prime Minister of Hungary in 1941 and 1942, and later collaborated with the Nazis during the German occupation of Hungary, was executed by hanging in Budapest. * Harold Cole, a British sergeant called by some "the worst traitor of World War II", was killed in a shootout with police in Paris. Sergeant Cole had landed in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, then deserted in 1941, betraying more than 150 people to the German Gestapo, fifty of whom were executed. *Died: Countee Cullen, 42, American poet


January 10, 1946 (Thursday)

*The first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly convened, with delegates from 51 nations meeting in London. British Prime Minister
Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. He was Deputy Prime Mini ...
opened the session. In secret voting for the first President of the UNGA, Paul-Henri Spaak of Belgium won the post, 28–23, over Trygve Lie of Norway. Lie would be selected for a more powerful post as first Secretary-General of the United Nations. *Conducted from a laboratory in Belmar, New Jersey, by the Evans Signal Laboratory, ''
Project Diana Project Diana, named for the Roman moon goddess Diana, was an experimental project of the US Army Signal Corps in 1946 to bounce radar signals off the Moon and receive the reflected signals. This was the first experiment in radar astronomy a ...
'' bounced radar waves off the Moon for the first time, measuring its exact distance from the Earth (a mean of 238,857 miles or 384,403 kilometers), and proving that communication is possible between Earth and outer space. *Died: ** Matti Turkia, 74, Finnish politician and leader of the
Social Democratic Party of Finland The Social Democratic Party of Finland (SDP, fi, Suomen sosialidemokraattinen puolue ; sv, Finlands socialdemokratiska parti), shortened to the Social Democrats ( fi, link=no, Sosiaalidemokraatit; sv, link=no, Socialdemokrater) and commonly kno ...
, 1906-1918 ** Harry Von Tilzer, 73, American songwriter known for writing the melody for " A Bird in a Gilded Cage"


January 11, 1946 (Friday)

*The
People's Republic of Albania The People's Socialist Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika Popullore Socialiste e Shqipërisë, links=no) was the Marxist–Leninist one party state that existed in Albania from 1946 to 1992 (the official name of the country was the People's R ...
was proclaimed at noon (1100 GMT), with Communist leader
Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 unt ...
as the nation's prime minister. Two months later, a new constitution proclaimed Hoxha's Albanian Workers Party to be the sole force, and Marxism–Leninism as the ideology, of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. *
Élie Lescot Antoine Louis Léocardie Élie Lescot (December 9, 1883 – October 20, 1974) was the President of Haiti from May 15, 1941 to January 11, 1946. He was a member of the country's mixed-race elite. He used the political climate of World War II to s ...
was overthrown as
President of Haiti The president of Haiti ( ht, Prezidan peyi Ayiti, french: Président d'Haïti), officially called the president of the Republic of Haiti (french: link=no, Président de la République d'Haïti, ht, link=no, Prezidan Repiblik Ayiti), is the head ...
in a coup led by Colonel
Paul Magloire Paul Eugène Magloire (July 19, 1907 – July 12, 2001), nicknamed Kanson Fe, was the Haitian president from 1950 to 1956. Early life Paul Eugène Magloire ne Paul Vincent Magloire, 30th president of Haiti and 33rd head of state (ephemeral milit ...
, who then installed
Franck Lavaud Franck Lavaud (February 16, 1903 – February 27, 1988) was a Haitian general and politician who was an acting head of state during two terms: from January 11, 1946 until August 16, 1946 and from May 10, 1950 until December 6, 1950. Both times he ...
as the new president. *
Bert Bell De Benneville "Bert" Bell (February 25, 1895 – October 11, 1959) was the National Football League (NFL) commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he introduced competitive parity into the NFL to improve the league's comme ...
was elected as the new Commissioner of the National Football League at the NFL owners' meeting in New York. *Born: **
Naomi Judd Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen Judd; January 11, 1946 – April 30, 2022) was an American singer and actress. In 1980, she and her daughter Wynonna (born Christina Claire) formed the duo known as The Judds, which became a very successful country ...
, American country singer, as Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky (d. 2022) ** John Piper, American theologian and author ''Love Your Enemies'', in Chattanooga, Tennessee.


January 12, 1946 (Saturday)

* Malcolm Little, 20, was arrested in Boston for breaking and entering. During his six years in prison, he joined the
Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...
, discarded his "slave name" and became
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of ...
. * Anwar Sadat, 27, was arrested in Cairo on charges of conspiracy in the assassination of Amin Uthman. After years imprisonment, he was acquitted, and, in 1970, became President of Egypt.


January 13, 1946 (Sunday)

*A ceasefire took effect at midnight,
Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Romanization, alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a Direct-administered municipalities of China, municipality in Southwes ...
time, between the two sides in the Chinese Civil War. General
George C. Marshall George Catlett Marshall Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the United States Army, Chief of Staff of the US Army under Pre ...
of the United States mediated the terms of the truce between General Chang Ch'un of the Nationalists, and Zhou Enlai of the Communists. (→
Marshall Mission The Marshall Mission (; 20 December 1945 – January 1947) was a failed diplomatic mission undertaken by United States Army General George C. Marshall to China in an attempt to negotiate between the Chinese Communist Party and the Nationalist ...
) *The '' Anchorage Daily News'' published its first issue. It is now the most widely read paper in Alaska. *The "2-way wrist radio" was introduced in the comic strip ''
Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...
''. Artist Chester Gould sparked the public's imagination of a future where everyone would have their own personal communication device. *Died Wilhelm Souchon, 81, German admiral in World War I.


January 14, 1946 (Monday)

*Eighteen nations signed the Agreement on Reparation from Germany, which took effect ten days later. *The Soviet Union ratified a treaty signed between it and Poland on August 16, 1945, with most former Polish territory east of the Curzon Line becoming parts of the Ukrainian SSR (Lwów-> Lviv) and the Byelorussian SSR (Brzesc-> Brest). *Born: Harold Shipman, British serial killer, in Nottingham; (d. 2004)


January 15, 1946 (Tuesday)

*Fourteen coal miners were killed in an explosion at
Havaco, West Virginia Havaco is an unincorporated community on the Tug Fork River in McDowell County, West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of ...
, but another 253 escaped, despite the force of the blast. *The SCAP force in Japan revealed the scope of Japan's operation of sending bombs to the United States on balloons. Between the summer of 1942 and March 1945, nine thousand bombs were launched, of which 225 landed in America.


January 16, 1946 (Wednesday)

*The United Packinghouse Workers of America (CIO) and the Amalgamated Meat Cutters (AFL) called a strike against the six largest meat suppliers in the United States, with 268,000 workers going out on strike at The strike was called off after 10 days when the U.S. government seized the plants. *Born: ** Kabir Bedi, Indian film actor, in Punjab **
Katia Ricciarelli Catiuscia Maria Stella Ricciarelli (born 16 January 1946), known as Katia Ricciarelli (), is an Italian soprano and actress. Biography Born in Rovigo, Veneto, to a very poor family, she struggled during her younger years when she studied music. ...
, Italian opera singer, in Rovetta


January 17, 1946 (Thursday)

*The United Nations Security Council held its first session, called to order by
Norman Makin Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...
, at GMT, at
Church House, Westminster The Church House is the home of the headquarters of the Church of England, occupying the south end of Dean's Yard next to Westminster Abbey in London. Besides providing administrative offices for the Church Commissioners, the Archbishops' Council ...
. Convening around the horseshoe-shaped table were representatives from the five permanent members (the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, France and China), each of whom had veto power, and the first six non-permanent members, whose membership would change from year to year. The first rotating spots were occupied by Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, the Netherlands and Poland. *The Federal Reserve Board voted, effective January 21, to end
margin buying In finance, margin is the collateral that a holder of a financial instrument has to deposit with a counterparty (most often their broker or an exchange) to cover some or all of the credit risk the holder poses for the counterparty. This risk c ...
on the nation's stock exchanges, the practice of buying stock for less than the face value and paying the difference later. Margin buying, which was very effective when the price of stock rose, but left a debt owed to the stockbroker if the value of the stock dropped, had been one of the factors in the Wall Street Crash of 1929.


January 18, 1946 (Friday)

*
Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...
Flight 16-B, on the last leg of a flight from Miami to Boston, crashed in Cheshire, Connecticut, killing all 14 passengers and the crew of three. *Mexico's ruling political party, the Partido de la Revolucion Mexicana, was renamed the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI), at the direction of President Manuel Ávila Camacho. The PRI would continue to hold the presidency and the legislative majority until 2000. *The musical film '' The Harvey Girls'' starring Judy Garland was released. *Born:
Joseph Deiss Joseph Deiss (born 18 January 1946) is a Swiss economist and politician who served as a Member of the Swiss Federal Council from 1999 to 2006. A member of the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP/PDC), he first headed the Federal Departmen ...
, Swiss President (2004), in Fribourg


January 19, 1946 (Saturday)

*The
International Military Tribunal for the Far East The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trial or the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was a military trial convened on April 29, 1946 to try leaders of the Empire of Japan for crimes against peace, conven ...
, more commonly known as the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was created by proclamation of General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
. By 1948, the special tribunal would obtain 25 convictions, seven of them death sentences, for Japanese war criminals, including former Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō. *The Liberal Party of the Philippines was founded. *The United Nations Security Council took up its very first order of business, a formal protest by Iran against the Soviet Union for the Soviet occupation of Iran's Azerbaijani section. *The
Bell X-1 The Bell X-1 (Bell Model 44) is a rocket engine–powered aircraft, designated originally as the XS-1, and was a joint National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics– U.S. Army Air Forces–U.S. Air Force supersonic research project built by Be ...
aircraft made its first glide flight at Pinecastle Field in Florida. *Born: ** Julian Barnes, English novelist, in
Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...
** Dolly Parton, American country singer and actress, in Sevierville, Tennessee


January 20, 1946 (Sunday)

*
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
resigned as Chairman of the
Provisional Government of the French Republic The Provisional Government of the French Republic (PGFR; french: Gouvernement provisoire de la République française (''GPRF'')) was the provisional government of Free France between 3 June 1944 and 27 October 1946, following the liberation ...
. The move has been described as "a bold and ultimately foolish political ploy", with de Gaulle hoping that, as a war hero, he would be soon brought back as a more powerful executive by the French people. He was succeeded by Félix Gouin. *Born:
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...
, American film director (''Twin Peaks'', ''The Elephant Man''), in Missoula, Montana


January 21, 1946 (Monday)

*
Strike wave of 1945–1946 The strike wave of 1945–1946 (also called the great strike wave of 1946) was a series of massive post-war labor strikes after World War II from 1945 to 1946 in the United States spanning numerous industries and public utilities. In the year afte ...
: at one minute after midnight, the United Steel Workers of America began a nationwide walkout, as 750,000 steelworkers ceased work at the nation's steel mills. It was the largest strike in American history, and began after U.S. Steel had rejected proposals made at a Thursday White House meeting.


January 22, 1946 (Tuesday)

*An independent Kurdish nation, the
Republic of Mahabad The Republic of Mahabad or the Republic of Kurdistan ( ku, کۆماری کوردستان / Komara Kurdistanê; fa, جمهوری مهاباد) was a short-lived Kurdish self-governing unrecognized state in present-day Iran, from 22 January to 1 ...
, was proclaimed in Northern Iran by Qazi Muhammad, who was the new state's first President. Hadschi Baba Scheich was the prime minister. The Republic lasted until December, after Soviet troops withdrew from Iran, and the Iranian army reoccupied the area. *By U.S. presidential directive,
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
created the post of
Director of Central Intelligence The director of central intelligence (DCI) was the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency from 1946 to 2005, acting as the principal intelligence advisor to the president of the United States and the United States National Security C ...
and established the
Central Intelligence Group The National Intelligence Authority (NIA) was the United States Government authority responsible for monitoring the Central Intelligence Group (CIG), the successor intelligence agency of the Office of Strategic Services established by President H ...
, predecessor to the CIA. In an odd ceremony two days later, Truman presented the new Director, Rear Admiral Sidney Souers, with a black hat, a black cloak, and a wooden dagger. *Born:
Serge Savard Serge Aubrey Savard, OC, CQ (born January 22, 1946) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, most famously with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is the Senior Vice President, Hockey Operations with t ...
, Canadian NHL defenseman, in
Landrienne, Quebec Landrienne is a township municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Abitibi Regional County Municipality. It is part of the census agglomeration of Amos. Originally known as Saint-Barnabé-de-Landrienne, the place was named i ...


January 23, 1946 (Wednesday)

*The crew of the cargo ship rescued 4,296 Japanese civilians from the ship ''Enoshima Maru'' as it sank near Shanghai. The act is listed by ''Guinness'' for "Most people rescued at sea (civilians)". * Harry Dexter White was nominated by U.S. President Truman to be the American representative to the International Monetary Fund, despite a warning from the FBI that White had passed secret information to the Soviet Union. White was confirmed by the Senate on February 6 and would serve until 1947. *Born: Boris Berezovsky, Russian billionaire, in Moscow. (d. 2013)


January 24, 1946 (Thursday)

*UN Resolution 1, the very first resolution of the UN General Assembly, created the
United Nations Atomic Energy Commission The United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (UNAEC) was founded on 24 January 1946 by the very first resolution of the United Nations General Assembly "to deal with the problems raised by the discovery of atomic energy." The General Assembly asked ...
. The UNAEC was to seek "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and of all other weapons adaptable to mass destruction". *Baron Kijūrō Shidehara, the Prime Minister of Japan, suggested to American administrator
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
that, in return for keeping the Emperor as ceremonial Head of State, the new Constitution of Japan would include what would become, as Chapter II, the Renunciation of War. *Igor Stravinsky's ''
Symphony in Three Movements The Symphony in Three Movements is a work by Russian expatriate composer Igor Stravinsky. Stravinsky wrote the symphony from 1942–45 on commission by the Philharmonic Symphony Society of New York. It was premièred by the New York Philharmoni ...
'' was performed for the first time, by the New York Philharmonic orchestra.


January 25, 1946 (Friday)

*The Soviet Union's quest for the atomic bomb began, as Soviet physicist Igor Kurchatov was summoned to Moscow by Joseph Stalin for a 50-minute meeting that began at . Kurchatov was ordered to spare no expense in getting nuclear weapons. At the time, only the United States had "the bomb". By 1950, there were 400,000 people working on the project. *The
United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the Unit ...
rejoined the
American Federation of Labor The American Federation of Labor (A.F. of L.) was a national federation of labor unions in the United States that continues today as the AFL-CIO. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions eager to provide mutu ...
, after
John L. Lewis John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960. A major player in the history of coal mining, he was the d ...
had removed the 500,000 member union in 1940. *The
expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia The expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II was part of a series of evacuations and deportations of Germans from Central and Eastern Europe during and after World War II. During the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, th ...
began as hundreds of
Sudetenland The Sudetenland ( , ; Czech and sk, Sudety) is the historical German name for the northern, southern, and western areas of former Czechoslovakia which were inhabited primarily by Sudeten Germans. These German speakers had predominated in the ...
residents were loaded onto trains at
Mariánské Lázně Mariánské Lázně (; german: Marienbad) is a spa town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Most of the town's buildings come from its Golden Era in the second half of the 19th centu ...
. *Despite a public outcry, Sweden began the deportation of refugees from
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
,
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
and Estonia back to the Soviet Union. The first group consisted of 151 Latvian, 9 Lithuanian and 7 Estonian refugees, whom the Soviets had identified. *The United Nations Security Council passed its first resolution, the creation of the Military Staff Committee. *General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
recommended in a telegram, to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, that Japan's Emperor Hirohito not be put on trial for war crimes, noting that "No specific and tangible evidence has been uncovered" and adding that "his indictment will unquestionably cause a tremendous convulsion among the Japanese people, the repercussions of which cannot be over-estimated." Hirohito continued to reign as Emperor of Japan until his death in 1989. *Jinja Honcho, the Association of Shinto Shrines, was established in a convention of representatives from all 46 prefectures in Japan. *Following the liberation of the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
(now Indonesia), the Allied Forces returned control of the colony to the Netherlands.


January 26, 1946 (Saturday)

*By a margin of 51 to 50, Ahmad Qavam es Saltaneh was elected by the Majlis of Iran as the new Prime Minister. The vote was 51 for Qavam, 50 for Hossein Pirnia, and one for
Ebrahim Hakimi Ebrahim Hakimi ( fa, ابراهیم حکیمی; 1869 – 19 October 1959) was an Iranian statesman who served as Prime Minister of Iran on three occasions. Early life and education Born in Tabriz in 1869, Ḥakimi was part of "an old and promine ...
, who had resigned a week earlier. *The U.S. Department of Agriculture, acting under the authority of the
War Labor Disputes Act War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
and the direction of President Truman, seized 133 meatpacking plants affected by the nationwide walkout of 248,000 union members that had begun ten days earlier. * Bikini Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands, was selected as the test site for United States nuclear bombs because of its isolated location, its favorable winds, its deep harbor and small population of 166. *The SS ''Argentina'' departed from Southampton for New York with 452
war bride War brides are women who married military personnel from other countries in times of war or during military occupations, a practice that occurred in great frequency during World War I and World War II. Among the largest and best documented examp ...
s, 173 small children, and one "war bridegroom" married to a WAC. * First Indochina War: French troops clashed with Vietnamese rebels at Phong Thổ District in the first battle between the two sides in French Indochina. The
Viet Quoc The Vietnamese people ( vi, người Việt, lit=Viet people) or Kinh people ( vi, người Kinh) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to modern-day Northern Vietnam and Southern China (Jing Islands, Dongxing, Guangxi). The native lang ...
Armed Force unit under Deo Van Bao surrendered after a two-day battle. *Born:
Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...
, American film critic (''Siskel & Ebert''), in Chicago (d. 1999)


January 27, 1946 (Sunday)

*The first multiparty elections, in almost 15 years, to take place in Germany were conducted in the American occupied zone. The new Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won more local offices than any other, and the revived
Social Democrat Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...
(SPD). Similar elections followed in the French, British and Soviet zones. In 1949, parliamentary elections for the Bundestag would be allowed. *Australian radar and television expert W.E. Osborne told an American audience that within fifty years, passenger travel to the Moon would be possible. Including stops at orbiting refuel stations, the trip would take ninety hours.


January 28, 1946 (Monday)

*In Japan, the Civil Censorship Department was established by the American occupation authority, to cut prohibited material from Japanese films before release. Prohibited subjects included scenes favorably depicting revenge, racial or religious discrimination, violence, militarism, Japanese nationalism, feudalism, or the exploitation of women or children. Censorship continued until June 1947.


January 29, 1946 (Tuesday)

* Trygve Lie was appointed as the first Secretary General of the United Nations by unanimous vote of the Security Council. *Died: **
Harry Hopkins Harry Lloyd Hopkins (August 17, 1890 – January 29, 1946) was an American statesman, public administrator, and presidential advisor. A trusted deputy to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Hopkins directed New Deal relief programs before servi ...
, 55, adviser to Franklin Roosevelt for New Deal policies ** Sidney Jones, 84, British composer


January 30, 1946 (Wednesday)

*The " Roosevelt dime" was introduced on the birthday of the late President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, replacing the " Mercury dime" * Transcarpathia (also known as
Ruthenia Ruthenia or , uk, Рутенія, translit=Rutenia or uk, Русь, translit=Rus, label=none, pl, Ruś, be, Рутэнія, Русь, russian: Рутения, Русь is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin as one of several terms ...
) legally became the Zakarpattia Oblast of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic as a treaty between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union entered into force.


January 31, 1946 (Thursday)

*The
Federative People's Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yugo ...
was established with the promulgation of a new constitution that established a federation of six constituent republics and replaced the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with a presidential government. * Hungary was proclaimed a Republic under a provisional constitutional statute that formally abolished the monarchy. *The population of the island of
Nauru Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...
more than doubled as the 591 surviving residents on the island were joined by 737 who were returned from the island of Truk. * Eurico Gaspar Dutra, took office as Brazil's first popularly elected president in fifteen years. *The Permanent Court of International Justice, created in 1920 as a part of the League of Nations, came to an end with the resignation of its judges. The new International Court of Justice was created on April 18. *United Airlines Flight 14, flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet en route from Boise to Denver, crashed into the side of Elk Mountain, Wyoming, killing all 21 persons on board."Climbers Find Airliner Dead", ''Salt Lake Tribune'', February 2, 1946, p1
accident report
/ref> *Born: Terry Kath, American rock musician for the band ( Chicago); in Chicago; (d. 1978)


References

{{Events by month links
1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...
*1946-01 *1946-0