If you were born in 1948, you were born in the same year as the bikini, Porsche, Scrabble, Toys ‘R’ Us, independent Burma, independent Sri Lanka, and more. In this year, prefabricated housing was created and popularized to help overcome the housing crisis post World War II. Many new families were started in these houses.
Interesting Statistics from 1948
- U.S. population: 146.63 million
- Worldwide population: 4.38 billion
- Life expectancy: 67.2 years
- Price of gas: 16 cents
- Price of a new house: $7,700
- Average wages: $2,950 per year
Top News in 1948
- Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated by Nathuram Godse
- Israel becomes an independent state and receives more than 200,000 war refugees
- The United Nations adopt the Declaration of Human Rights. They also create the World Health Organization.
- The Republic of Korea in South Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in North Korea are declared.
- The Soviet Union blockades West Berlin.
If You Were Born in 1948, Your Parents Witnessed These Historic Events
- Bill France Sr. founds NASCAR
- The U.S. Supreme Court rules that religious education in public schools is against the Constitution in McCollum v. Board of Education.
- The Marshall Plan is authorized.
- The Women of the Air Force program is created.
- The first ship of the “Windrush generation,” the Empire Windrush, arrives in Britain.
- Executive Order 9981 ends racial segregation in the U.S. Armed Forces.
- In South Africa, apartheid begins.
- The Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal sentence and execute seven war criminals.
- The Random Access Storage Device, Transistor Radio, and Velcro are created.
1948 Pop Culture
Sports
- 1948 World Series: Cleveland Indians defeat Boston Braves 4-2.
- 1948 NFL Championship: Philadelphia Eagles defeat Chicago Cardinals 7-0.
- 1948 NBL Championship: Baltimore Bullets defeat Philadelphia Warriors 4-2.
- 1948 Stanley Cup: Toronto Maple Leafs defeat Detroit Red Wings 4-0.
Arts
- Top-grossing movies in 1948: “The Red Shoes,” “Red River,” “The Paleface”
- Top singles in 1948: “Twelfth Street Rag,” “Mañana Is Soon Enough for Me,” “Now Is the Hour”
- Top books in 1948: “The Big Fisherman,” “Crusade in Europe,” “Walden Two”
Who Else Was Born in 1948?
- Glenn Frey
- Prince Charles
- Alice Cooper
- Al Gore
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Ozzy Osbourne
- Terry Pratchett
Who Died in 1948?
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Eliza Moore
- Babe Ruth
- Orville Wright