What Happened in December 1948

Historical Events

Dec 1 Arabic Congress names Abdullah of Trans Jordan as King of Palestine
Dec 1 Piet Roozenburg becomes world champion checker player

Stan Musial

Dec 2 After one of the best seasons in baseball history, St Louis Cardinals utility Stan Musial is named NL MVP; leads NL in batting average (.365), runs (135), RBI (131), hits (230), doubles (46), triples (18) & slugging (.702), with 39 HRs

Dec 3 "Pumpkin Papers" come to light (claimed to be from Alger Hiss)
Dec 3 1st US woman army officer not in medical corps sworn in

Bradman's Testimonial

Dec 3 Australian cricket icon Don Bradman scores 123 for the Bradman XI in his own testimonial match against the Lindsay Hassett's XI in front of 52,360 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Dec 3 Chinese refugee ship "Kiangya" explodes in East China Sea killing 1,100
Dec 4 13th Iron Bowl (first since 1907): Alabama beats Auburn 55-0 in Birmingham
Dec 4 Heitor Villa-Lobos' folk operetta "Magdalena" closes at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC, after 88 performances
Dec 4 SS Kiangya hits mine in Whangpoo River, China, sinks killing 2,750
Dec 5 NY Giant Charley Conerly sets NFL record of 36 pass completions
Dec 8 14th Heisman Trophy Award: Doak Walker, SMU (HB)
Dec 8 Emmerich Kálmán's dramatic operetta "Marinka" closes at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (after transfer from Winter Garden Theater), NYC. after 168 performances
Dec 8 Jordan annexs Arabic Palestine
Dec 9 UN General Assembly unanimously approves Convention on Genocide

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Dec 10 UN General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Dec 11 WHEN (now WTVH) TV channel 5 in Syracuse, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting
Dec 11 WMC TV channel 5 in Memphis, Tennessee (NBC) begins broadcasting
Dec 12 Malayan Emergency: Batang Kali Massacre - 14 members of the Scots Guards stationed in Malaysia allegedly massacre 24 unarmed civilians and set fire to the village.
Dec 15 Former state department official Alger Hiss indicted in NYC for perjury
Dec 16 "Lend an Ear" opens at National Theater NYC for 460 performances
Dec 18 Indonesia begins its 2nd political election
Dec 18 WDSU TV channel 6 in New Orleans, LA (NBC) begins broadcasting
Dec 19 2nd political action of Java/Sumatra
Dec 19 8th largest snowfall in NYC history (15.3")
Dec 19 Cleveland Browns beats Buffalo Bills 49-7 in AAFC championship game
Dec 19 National Football League Championship, Shribe Park, Philadelphia: Philadelphia Eagles shutout Chicago Cardinals, 7-0 in a snowstorm, 'the Philly Blizzard'
Dec 20 Second Chamber accept 2nd Police Action in Indonesia
Dec 21 1949 NFL Draft: University of Pennsylvania linebacker/center Chuck Bednarik is selected first by Philadelphia Eagles
Dec 21 O'Neil Place in the Bronx erroneously renamed O'Neill Place
Dec 21 State of Eire (formerly Irish Free State) declares its independence
Dec 22 KPIX TV channel 5 in San Francisco, California (CBS) begins broadcasting

"Cinderella"

Dec 23 "Cinderella" the first full-length ballet by Frederick Ashton with music by Sergei Prokofiev is first presented by Sadler's Wells Ballet at Covent Garden, London

Dec 24 First US completely solar heated house is occupied (Dover, Mass)
Dec 24 Greek government disbands due to state of war, press censorship
Dec 26 Hungarian cardinal József Mindszenty arrested
Dec 28 IDF crosses Egyptian border
Dec 28 Middel-Java as a whole in Dutch hands
Dec 28 The DC-3 airliner NC16002 disappears 50 miles south of Miami, Florida.
Dec 28 US announced a study to launch an Earth satellite

Music History

Dec 29 Benjamin Britten's opera "The Rape of Lucretia" opens at Ziegfeld Theater, NYC; runs for 23 performances

Dec 29 Canada recognizes Israel
Dec 29 US State Department announces work on placing objects into Earth orbit
Dec 30 "Kiss Me, Kate" opens at New Century Theater NYC for 1077 performances

Kiss Me Kate

Dec 30 Cole Porter's musical "Kiss Me Kate" opens at the New Century Theatre, NYC, later transferred to Sam S. Shubert Theatre; runs for 1077 performances

Dec 31 Dutch police actions up Java gone on strike

Events in 1948

Famous Birthdays

Dec 1 George Foster, American baseball left fielder (MLB All Star 1976-79, 81; NL MVP 1977; Cincinnati Reds), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Dec 1 Neil Warnock, English soccer winger and manager (Crystal Palace, Leeds, QPR, Cardiff City), born in Sheffield, England
Dec 1 Sarfraz Nawaz, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (55 Tests, 177 wickets; 45 ODIs), born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Dec 1 Tom Wright, English bishop and theologian
Dec 2 Antonín Panenka, Czech soccer midfielder (59 caps; Bohemians Praha, Rapid Vienna), born in Prague, Czech Republic
Dec 2 T. C. Boyle, American novelist (World's End), born in Peekskill, New York
Dec 3 (John) "Ozzy" Osbourne, English heavy metal vocalist and songwriter (Black Sabbath), born in Birmingham, England
Dec 3 Diane Kurys, French filmmaker and actress (Entre Nous), born in Lyon, Rhône, France
Dec 4 Lin Onus, Australian Aboriginal artist (Michael and I are just slipping down to the pub for a minute), born in Melbourne, Victoria (d. 1996)
Dec 4 Southside Johnny [Lyons], American rocker (Asbury Jukes - "I Don't Want Go Home"; "Talk To Me"), born in Neptune, New Jersey
Dec 6 Don Nickles, American politician (Sen-R-Okla, 1981-2005), born in Ponca City, Oklahoma
Dec 6 Eigil Nielsen, Danish soccer midfielder (10 caps; Basel), born in Tårs, Denmark (d. 2019)
Dec 6 JoBeth Williams, American actress (Kramer vs Kramer, Poltergeist), born in Houston, Texas
Dec 6 Keke Rosberg, Finnish auto racer (World F1 Champion 1982), born in Solna, Sweden
Dec 6 Marius Müller-Westernhagen, German rocker (Stinker), born in Düsseldorf, Germany

Yoshihide Suga (75 years old)

Dec 6 Japanese politician, Prime Minister of Japan (2020-), born in Yuzawa, Japan

Dec 7 Andrés Oliva, Spanish road cyclist (Mountains Classification Giro d'Italia 1975, 76; Vuelta a España 1975, 76, 78), born in Ocana, Spain (d. 2023)
Dec 7 Gary Morris, American country singer ("100% Chance of Rain"), and actor (The Colbys), born in Fort Worth, Texas
Dec 7 Mads Vinding, Danish jazz double-bassist, born in Copenhagen, Denmark
Dec 7 Yoko Morishita, Japanese prima ballerina (Baterina No Habataki), born in Hiroshima, Japan
Dec 8 Luis Caffarelli, Argentine-American mathematician (2023 Abel Prize for work on partial differential equations), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dec 8 Roscoe Nance, American sportswriter (USA Today; Mississippi’s first African American sportswriter at mainstream newspaper), born in Enterprise, Alabama (d. 2020)
Dec 9 Marleen Gorris, Dutch writer and director (Antonia's Line), born in Roermond, Netherlands
Dec 9 Ron Vawter, American actor (Philadelphia, Empire City, Twister), born in Latham, New York (d. 1994)
Dec 10 Abu Abbas [Muhammad Zaidan], Palestinian founder of the Palestine Liberation Front (PLO), born in Yarmouk Camp (d. 2004)
Dec 10 Jessica Cleaves, American soul singer and songwriter (The Friends of Distinction - "Grazing In The Grass"; Earth, Wind & Fire; Parliament Funkadelic), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2014)
Dec 11 Chester Thompson, American session and touring drummer and percussionist (Frank Zappa; Genesis; Chester Thompson Trio), born in Baltimore, Maryland
Dec 11 Elizabeth Baur, American actress (Fran-Ironside, Teresa-Lancer), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2017)
Dec 11 Stamatis Spanoudakis, Greek guitarist and composer, born in Athens, Greece
Dec 12 Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Portuguese politician (President of Portugal 2016-), born in Lisbon, Portugal
Dec 12 Ray Jackson, British folk-rock mandolin and harmonica player (Lindisfarne, 1970-90), born in Wallsend, Northumberland, England
Dec 13 Brian Wilson, British Labour politician, born in Dunoon, Scotland
Dec 13 Davy O'List, British rock guitarist (The Nice, 1967-68; Roxy Music, 1970-72), born in Chiswick, England
Dec 13 Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, American rock guitarist (Steely Dan, 1972-74; The Doobie Brothers, 1974-79), and missile defense consultant, born in Washington, D.C.
Dec 13 Lillian Board, British 400m athlete (Olympic silver 1968), born in Durban, South Africa (d. 1970)
Dec 13 Ted Nugent, American rock guitarist ("Cat Scratch Fever"; Damn Yankees) and right-wing gun advocate, born in Detroit, Michigan
Dec 14 Boudewijn Büch, Dutch writer and TV host, born in The Hague, Netherlands
Dec 14 Dee Wallace Stone [Deanna Bowers], American actress (Critters, 10, ET), born in Kansas City, Kanasas
Dec 14 Kim Beazley, Australian politician (33rd Governor of Western Australia), born in Perth, Western Australia
Dec 15 Cassandra Harris [Sandra Waites], Australian actress (For Your Eyes Only), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1991)
Dec 15 David Gwillim, English actor (Island at Top of the World), born in Plymouth, Devon, England
Dec 15 Melanie Chartoff, American actress (Fridays, Parker Lewis) and director, born in New Haven, Connecticut
Dec 16 Christopher Biggins, English actor
Dec 17 James Alexander, American R&B bassist (The Bar-Kays - "Soul Finger"; "Shaft"), born in Memphis, Tennessee
Dec 17 Jim Bonfanti, American drummer (Raspberries - "Go All the Way"), born in Windber, Pennsylvania
Dec 18 Adam Musiał, Polish soccer defender (34 caps; Wisła Kraków) and manager (Wisła Kraków, Lechia Gdańsk, Stal Stalowa Wola), born in Wieliczka, Poland (d. 2020)
Dec 18 Bill Nelson, British progressive rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (Be-Bop Deluxe), born in Wakefield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Dec 18 Edmund "Ed" Kemper, American serial killer, born in Burbank, California
Dec 18 Laurent Voulzy, French singer and composer, born in Paris, France
Dec 20 Abdulrazak Gurnah, Zanzibar born British writer (2021 Nobel Prize for Literature), born in Zanzibar
Dec 20 Alan Parsons, British music producer (The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot) and recording engineer (The Dark Side of the Moon; Let it Be), born in London, England
Dec 20 Stevie Wright, Australian singer with the Easybeats ("Friday On My Mind"), born in Leeds, West Yorkshire (d. 2015)
Dec 21 (Wilhelm) "Willi" Resetarits, Austrian singer and human rights activist, born in Stinatz, Austria (d. 2022)
Dec 21 Barry Gordon, American actor (Gary-Archie Bunker's Place), born in Brookline, Massachusetts

Dave Kingman (75 years old)

Dec 21 American baseball utility, DH (3 × MLB All-Star; NL HR leader 1979, 82; NY Mets, Chicago Cubs), born in Pendleton, Oregon

Samuel L. Jackson (75 years old)

Dec 21 American actor (Amos & Andrew; White Sand; Pulp Fiction), born in Washington, D.C.

Dec 21 Thierry Mugler, French fashion designer, parfumeur, and bodybuilder, born in Strasbourg, France (d. 2022)
Dec 21 Willem AFG Vermeend, Dutch economist and politician, born in Zuilen, Netherlands
Dec 22 Chris Old, English cricketer (England medium-pacer of 70's), born in Middlesborough, United Kingdom
Dec 22 Lynne Thigpen, American actress, born in Joliet, Illinois (d. 2003)
Dec 22 Noel Edmonds, British TV personality (Foul-ups, Bleeps & Blunders), born in Ilford, United Kingdom
Dec 22 Rick Nielsen, American rock vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter (Cheap Trick - "I Want You to Want Me"; "The Flame"), born in Elmhurst, Illinois

Steve Garvey (75 years old)

Dec 22 American baseball player (LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres), born in Tampa, Florida

Dec 23 Jack Ham, American football player (Steelers), born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Dec 23 Leslie Moonves, American television executive (CEO and Chairman of CBS), born in New York City
Dec 24 Stan Bowles, English soccer forward (5 caps; Queens Park Rangers 255 games, Leyton Orient, Brentford), born in Manchester, England (d. 2024)
Dec 25 Alia al Hussein, of Jordan (d. 1977)

Barbara Mandrell (75 years old)

Dec 25 American country singer and TV host (Mandrell Sisters), born in Houston, Texas

Dec 25 Merry Clayton, American soul, gospel, and session singer (Ray Charles; Rolling Stones - "Gimme Shelter"; Ringo Starr - "Oh My My"), and documentary subject (20 Feet From Stardom), born in Gert Town, New Orleans, Louisiana
Dec 26 Chris Chambliss, 1st baseman (NY Yankee)
Dec 27 Gérard Depardieu, French actor
Dec 27 Larry Byrom, American rock guitarist (Steppenwolf, 1969-71), born in Huntsville, Alabama
Dec 27 Martin Birch, British sound engineer (Fleetwood Mac; Deep Purple ) and record producer (Whitesnake; Iron Maiden), born in Woking, Surrey, England (d. 2020)
Dec 28 Mary Weiss, American pop singer (The Shangri-Las - "Leader of the Pack"), born in Jamaica, Queens, NYC (d. 2024)
Dec 30 Surinder Amarnath, Indian cricket batsman (10 Tests, 1 x 100, 3 x 50, HS 124; Northern Punjab, North Zone, Punjab, Delhi), born in Kanpur, India

Donna Summer (1948-2012)

Dec 31 American disco and pop singer-songwriter ("Love to Love You, Baby"; "On the Radio"; "Last Dance"), born in Boston, Massachusetts

Dec 31 Joe Dallesandro, American actor (Heat, Trash, AW Frankenstein), born in Pensacola, Florida
Dec 31 René Robert, Canadian ice hockey winger (NHL All Star 1972-73, 74-75; Buffalo Sabres 1st 100 point player 1974-75), born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (d. 2021)
Dec 31 Stephen Cleobury, British organist and music director (King's College - Cambridge, 1982-2019), born in Bromley, England (d. 2019)
Dec 31 Viktor Mikhailovich Afanasieyv, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-11, TM-18)

Born in 1948

Famous Weddings

Gil Hodges

Dec 26 MLB player Gil Hodges (24) weds Joan Lombardi

Famous Deaths

Dec 4 Karl Bonhoeffer, German psychiatrist and neurologist (resisted Nazi's Aktion T4 extermination campaign), dies at 80
Dec 7 Godfrey Turner, composer, dies at 35
Dec 9 Sir Timothy O'Brien, cricketer (Bart 5 Tests England 1884-96), dies
Dec 14 R. O. Morris [Reginald Owen], British composer and music teacher, dies at 62
Dec 17 Edgar Istel, German composer, dies at 68
Dec 18 Janet Fay, American murder victim of the Lonely Hearts Killers (later filmed as "The Honeymoon Killers"), hammered to death at 66
Dec 18 William Arms Fisher, American composer, librettist (Going Home), musicologist, and educator, dies at 87
Dec 20 C Aubrey Smith [Charles], British actor (The Prisoner of Zenda), dies at 85
Dec 20 Ladha Ramji, cricketer (bro of Amar Singh, Test Ind 1933-34), dies

Hideki Tojo (1884-1948)

Dec 23 Japanese Prime Minister during WW II (1941-44), hanged for war crimes at 64

Dec 23 Seishirō Itagaki, Japanese military officer and politician (War Minister, 1938-39), hanged for war crimes at 63
Dec 28 Mahmoud El Nokrashy Pasha, Egyptian politician and the 27th Prime Minister of Egypt (1946-48), assassinated at 60 by veterinary student and Muslim Brotherhood member Abdel Meguid Ahmed Hassan

Malcolm Campbell (1885-1948)

Dec 31 British motor racer (world land and water speed record holder), dies of a stroke at 63

On This Day