Contemporary
Invention of the Transistor (1947): Bell Labs and the Chip Age
The point-contact transistor, demonstrated on 23 December 1947, began the replacement of vacuum tubes and laid the foundation of modern electronics.
Region
Americas
Contemporary
Jackie Robinson Breaks Baseball's Color Line (1947)
Robinson became the first Black player in modern Major League Baseball, opening the way for the integration of the sport.
Contemporary
Alger Hiss Case (1948-1950): Espionage Charges and Perjury
Hiss was convicted of perjury on 21 January 1950 and sentenced to five years in prison; he maintained his innocence until his death.
Contemporary
Empire Windrush Arrival (1948): Caribbean Migration to Britain
The arrival of more than 800 Caribbean passengers became the symbolic start of large-scale post-war Commonwealth migration to Britain.
Contemporary
Marshall Plan (1948): American Aid That Rebuilt Western Europe
Around 13 billion US dollars in aid helped restore Western European production, trade and political stability, and deepened the Cold War division of Europe.
Contemporary
Founding of NATO (1949): The North Atlantic Treaty Signed
Twelve Western countries formed a collective defence alliance; the treaty entered into force on 24 August 1949.
Contemporary
McCarthyism (1950-1954): Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare
McCarthy's influence collapsed after the televised Army-McCarthy hearings, and the Senate condemned him on 2 December 1954.
Contemporary
Truman Dismisses MacArthur (1951): A Clash Over the Korean War
MacArthur was replaced by General Matthew Ridgway; after a storm of protest and Senate hearings, the principle of civilian control of the military and a limited war in Korea were upheld.
Contemporary
Rosenberg Trial (1951): Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Spy Case
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage and executed on 19 June 1953; Morton Sobell received 30 years.
Contemporary
Miller-Urey Experiment (1952): Testing the Origin of Life
The experiment produced amino acids from simple gases and water, founding the laboratory study of the chemical origins of life.
Contemporary
Guatemalan Coup of 1954: The CIA's Operation PBSuccess
President Arbenz resigned on 27 June 1954; Carlos Castillo Armas took power and reversed the land reform.
Contemporary
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Ending School Segregation
The Supreme Court held 9–0 that state-mandated racial segregation in public schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment, overturning 'separate but equal' in education.