What Happened in 1947

What happened in 1947 was a year of both beginnings and endings. The British Empire saw the end of its colonial rule over India and Pakistan, while Europe and America braced for the growing tension of the Cold War. In science, culture, and sport, the post-war world began to find its feet. Technology advanced rapidly, and new voices emerged in music, film, and politics. This was also the year that saw the arrival of the transistor, the CIA—and, allegedly, a UFO in Roswell.

World Events

• Feb 20 – Lord Mountbatten is appointed the last Viceroy of India, tasked with overseeing independence.

• May 3 – Japan’s post-war constitution comes into effect, introducing democratic reforms and universal suffrage.

• May 31 – Communist forces seize control in Hungary.

• Aug 14 – Pakistan gains independence from Britain.

• Aug 15 – India gains independence, remaining a dominion until 1950.

• Aug 17 – The Radcliffe Line, dividing India and Pakistan, is revealed.

• Sep 18 – The CIA is officially created by the U.S. government.

• Dec – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) becomes operational.

• The United Nations votes in favour of the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, setting the stage for the future state of Israel.

• The Cold War begins to take shape, marking the start of over four decades of East–West rivalry.

• Dead Sea Scrolls are discovered in Qumran, sparking global archaeological interest.

• Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki raft completes its trans-Pacific journey.

What happened in 1947 in the United Kingdom

• Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II) marries Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey.

• Britain experiences its coldest winter in over 50 years, bringing fuel shortages and power cuts.

• The coal mines are fully nationalised under the new Labour government.

• Britain’s major railway companies (GWR, LMS, LNER, SR) are combined into British Rail.

• Trafalgar Square receives its first Christmas tree from Norway, a gift of gratitude that continues annually.

What happened in 1947 in the United States

• Jackie Robinson breaks baseball’s colour barrier, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

• The Marshall Plan is announced to help rebuild Europe and contain communism.

• Bell Laboratories invent the transistor, ushering in the age of modern electronics.

• Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier in the Bell X-1 aircraft.

• Henry Ford dies, aged 83, leaving behind a vast industrial legacy.

• The Roswell UFO incident captures headlines and sparks lasting conspiracy theories.

Popular culture in 1947: Fashion, Film, TV and Music

• The first Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe launch, highlighting arts and performance.

• The BBC suspends television broadcasts from February to March due to the fuel crisis.

• The first Cannes Film Festival (postponed since WWII) takes place.

• Christian Dior’s “New Look” revolutionises post-war fashion with bold, feminine styles.

• Walter Morrison invents the Frisbee.

Film and Television – What people were watching in 1947

Notable Films Released:

• Miracle on 34th Street

• Brighton Rock

• Gentleman’s Agreement

• Out of the Past

• The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

• They Made Me a Fugitive

• Black Narcissus

• A Double Life

• My Favorite Brunette

• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Television Highlights:

• The Boat Race and BBC cricket are broadcast.

• Muffin the Mule continues to delight children.

• Kaleidoscope, one of Britain’s first TV magazine shows, debuts.

Music – What people listened to in 1947

Popular Songs and Artists:

• “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” – The King Cole Trio

• “Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep)” – Perry Como

• “Peg O’ My Heart” – The Harmonicats

• “Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)” – Tex Williams

• “Open the Door, Richard!” – Count Basie

• “Mam’selle” – Art Lund

• “That’s My Desire” – Frankie Laine

• “Near You” – Francis Craig

• “Ballerina” – Vaughn Monroe

• “Always” – Frank Sinatra

• “The Anniversary Song” – Dinah Shore

• “How Are Things in Glocca Morra” – Dick Haymes

• “There’s No Business Like Show Business” – Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters

• “The Whiffenpoof Song” – Bing Crosby

• Al Jolson releases a popular self-titled album

• “This Land Is Your Land” – Woody Guthrie

Sports

• Wimbledon resumes:

  • Men’s Champion: Jack Kramer (USA)

  • Women’s Champion: Margaret Osborne (USA)

• Professional sport in Britain and abroad continues to rebuild after wartime interruption.

• Jackie Robinson becomes a historic sports figure by playing in Major League Baseball.

What happened in 1947 in the motoring world

• Britain becomes the world’s largest exporter of motor vehicles.

• Americans are able to purchase the first new cars since before WWII.

• Ferrari begins production of its first road cars after years in motorsport.

• Saab produces its first passenger vehicle in Sweden.

• Goodrich manufactures the world’s first tubeless tyre.

New Car Models Introduced:

• AC 2-Litre

• Allard M

• Austin A40 Devon

• Austin Princess

• Austin Sheerline

• Bristol 400

• Jowett Javelin

• Peugeot 203

• Standard Vanguard

Inventions and Breakthroughs in 1947

• The Transistor – Invented by Bell Labs, laying the groundwork for modern electronics.

• Frisbee – Walter Morrison invents the prototype of the future plastic flying disc.

• Japan’s New Constitution – Introduces universal suffrage and renounces war.

Looking back at what happened in 1947

Independence movements reshaped the map, notably with the partition of India and Pakistan. The Cold War loomed large, yet the arts and sciences thrived. It was a year of endings—empires—and beginnings—of a new world order.

Whatever your memory, this year reshaped the world as we knew it.

→ Feel free to share your memories or thoughts in the comments below!