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1948 Slowly the fashions were becoming more daring with the Bikini gaining in popularity slowly and the first prefab post war housing to solve housing shortages were starting to appear both in Europe and the USA as they could be built quickly to accommodate the growing need and were cheap to build and for people to buy , the quality was not great but they did enable the baby boom after the war years by providing young couples with a home to start their family. In Europe the cold war took a new turn when the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin in Germany and the US countered with an 11 month airlift of food and supplies. Also due to demand and inflationary pressure prices rose and many believed that governments should bring back some price controls. And Televisions are appearing in more and more homes.



How Much things cost in 1948
Yearly Inflation U.S.A. 7.74% UK 6.6%

Average Cost of new house $7,700.00

Average wages per year $2,950.00

Cost of a gallon of Gas 16 cents

Average Cost of a new car $1,250.00

Loaf of Bread 14 cents

LB of Hamburger Meat 45 cents

Science and Mechanics Magazine 20 cents

Movie Ticket 60 Cents

Below are some Prices for UK guides in Pounds Stirling

Average House Price 1,751



What Events Happened in 1948

  • Nationalisation of UK railways to form British Railways


  • Indian pacifist and leader Mahatma Gandhi is murdered by a Hindu extremist


  • Israel is declared as an independent state.


  • The Land Rover Series I is shown for the first time at the Amsterdam Car Show


  • Western European Treaty is signed


  • The Foreign Assistance Act ( The Marshall Plan ) is agreed to provide more than $13 billion in aid to war torn Europe between 1948 and 1951


  • The UN creates the WHO World Health Organization


  • The United Nations General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration on Human Rights


  • British National Health Service Act creating the NHS


  • The United States and Great Britain begins a massive airlift of food, water, and medicine to the citizens of West Berlin following the Soviet Blockade.


  • Burma Gains Independence


  • Holden cars starts manufacture in Australian


  • NASCAR holds its first race for modified stock cars at Daytona Beach


  • Earthquake in Turkmenistan USSR Kills 110,000


  • Sri Lanka Gains Independence From Great Britain


  • The National Party of the Dutch Afrikaners begins the policy of apartheid in South Africa


  • The Summer Olympics are held in London, England


  • The Winter Olympic Games are held in St. Moritz, Switzerland




Technology

  • Porsche is founded


  • 1 million households own Televisions was 5,000 just 3 years earlier




    • Inventions Invented by Inventors and Country ( or attributed to First Use ) 1948

    Computer England by Freddie William's team
    Long Playing Record USA made of vinyl and played at 33 rpm
    Velcro Switzerland by George deMestral


Popular Culture

The game of Scrabble is introduced by James Brunot ( was an earlier invention by Alfred Butts in the 30's ) they saw the game when called Lexiko and started making it in their home and changed the name to Scrabble

  • FILM The Red Shoes


  • FILM The Road to Rio


  • FILM Easter Parade


  • Musical South Pacific Opens on Broadway