1947 Facts What Happened In The Incredible Indian Independence Year

The year 1947 is pivotal to understanding the 20th century.The world was still recovering and healing itself from World War II, in which millions of people had lost their lives. It was also the year when India got its independence from Great Britain.While the British were busy packing their bags to leave colonial India by dividing the land into India and Pakistan, a royal wedding was attracting all the attention back in the mother country. The King’s eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was getting married to Prince Philip of Greece. You must have heard about the present queen of the UK, Elizabeth II. She is the same person we are talking about. A few years later, in 1952, Princess Elizabeth ascended the throne and took the regal name Elizabeth II.If you ever visit London, your tour guide will surely take you to the famous Trafalgar Square. Did you know that this square is named after a famous battle called the Battle of Trafalgar? If you are lucky to visit this place during Christmas, you would certainly find a big Christmas tree somewhere on the square. The Norwegian government has been gifting the people of London this special tree since 1947. This gesture acts as a commemoration of the amity extended by the Britishers towards the Norwegians during the world war.Do you believe in aliens and UFOs? Have you seen or heard about the iconic movie ‘E.T.’? It was the highest-grossing movie of 1982 and was directed by Jurassic Park fame Steven Spielberg. The movie ‘E.T.’ shows a friendly alien who is accidentally left behind on our planet. Although the exact origins of the story are not known, something similar took place in the town of Roswell in New Mexico in 1947. A local cowboy contacted the police after witnessing an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) crash on the ground. This was all over the news, and even the President of the United States intervened.We still do not know after so many years what exactly was found on the crash site in Roswell by the security agencies and armed forces. But it sure caused the government of the day to shake up its security system. Soon after the sighting, the U.S. government appointed a National Security Council that went on to pass the National Security Act. This act gave birth to several entities, namely the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It comes as no surprise that plenty of conspiracy theories have been doing the rounds ever since. The Senator of Idaho at the time famously remarked that he hoped that the sightings of the space ships be proven true because threats coming from outer space could be the only way to unite the entire human race.While all this was happening, a woman jumped to her death from the top of the Empire State Building in New York City and fell on a United Nations vehicle parked under the building. This became the subject of a painting of pop culture history icon Andy Warhol.Elsewhere, Thor Heyerdahl sailed from South America to the Polynesian island of Tuamotu to back his claim that early humans did the same to facilitate human migrations across continents.In France, film and entertainment industry luminaries from around the world got together to make the first Cannes film festival a grand success.Far away from all of this, the Swedish Nobel Prize committee presented the Nobel Peace Prize to a religious group based in America called the ‘The Quakers’.If you are liking this article so far, click on 1978 facts and 1910 facts for more fun facts!Gandhi’s Philosophy And StrategyIn your history books, you may have read about the modern history of India. Just like the original American colonies were under British rule, India too was under the rule of Britain for over 200 years. Indians did try to overthrow the Britishers out of their country and end British rule in 1857. But that movement failed miserably.For a really long time after that, the people of India did not have a strong leader to lead them. In 1915, a young advocate of Indian origin from South Africa arrived in Bombay (now Mumbai) and soon took the reins of the freedom struggle in his hands. You may have come across the name Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He is more popularly known as the ‘Mahatma’.Mahatma Gandhi instilled a sense of self-esteem among his followers. He joined the Indian National Congress and quickly rose through the ranks to become its foremost leader. In the ’20s, he launched a unique movement called the ‘Non-Cooperation Movement’. When we read about struggles and revolutions, we generally find armed movements against the ruling governments. But Gandhi devised something completely new and unheard of before.What he did was to put all his strength and resolve into two essential pillars - truth and non-violence. This he termed ‘Satyagraha’ and asked all those who were fighting in the independence movement to follow. Gandhi’s philosophy was based on the central idea that a foe can be turned into a friend through the power of reason and love. He believed that non-violence would beget more non-violence. So he asked everyone taking part in the mission to achieve independence to shirk violence and embrace non-violence.To put theory into practice, Gandhi appealed to the people of India to engage in the act of non-cooperation. He asked government employees working for the Britishers to stop going to the office, students from attending classes, and taxpayers to refuse to pay taxes. Although these measures may sound weird to you, they worked at that time. Soon the British government in India found it more and more difficult to work and live alongside the Indians.India And Pakistan IndependenceBy the year 1945, it was clear to the British that India would not remain within their grasp for much longer. Britain’s economy was shattered due to the war, and it did not have the workforce and resources to suppress the Indians any further. In the British elections of 1945, the Labour Party came to power in Britain. The new Prime Minister, Clement Atlee, was a man of good foresight. He understood that India was a lost cause and sent Lord Mountbatten to prepare the ground for the transfer of power.The dynamics of the political climate of the country have changed a lot by now. The Congress and its associate parties were not as influential as before. A new power had risen before their eyes during the war years. This was the Muslim League.Mohammad Ali Jinnah commanded respect in all quarters of the political spectrum. He headed the Muslim League and started lobbying for the creation of a new state of Pakistan. His views were based on the two-nation theory. It was the idea that India consisted of two separate political bodies - one Hindu and the other Muslim. And the two could never peacefully exist side by side. Gandhi was strictly against this viewpoint. However, due to large-scale disruptions and violence, he was made to submit to the wishes of the League.It was a sad time to be in India. All of a sudden, neighbors turned against neighbors, and friends started fighting friends. All in the name of religion. Under these circumstances, it was announced that the British would leave India by August of 1948.Without making proper security arrangements for the safety of the million inhabitants of the country they had governed for such a long time, the British Government of India hurriedly left sooner than what was announced. They accepted the Muslim League plea of dividing the country and drew a line between various towns and cities abruptly. Pakistan was officially created on 14 August 1947. A day later, on 15 August, India too became a free nation.Born This YearAre you a big fan of action movies? If yes, do watch the film Terminator: Judgement Day. It has Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role. What makes this person remarkable? Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in the United States from Austria as a teenager, as many do with big dreams. He wanted to fulfill his dream and ambition of becoming the best bodybuilder in the world. After years of hard work, struggle, and dedication, he went on to become a five-time Mr. Olympia, which is like the Nobel Prize of bodybuilding! He became one of the foremost action heroes of Hollywood and remained so for a long time. Later in his career, he quit acting and went on to become a two-time Governor of the state of California. Who better to embody the American Dream?You may have followed the last U.S. Presidential election in 2020. But do you remember the one before that in 2016? Hilary Clinton was running for the presidency in a closely fought contest against Donald Trump. Before that, she had served as the Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Although she did not win the race for the presidency, her nomination marked was a momentous time in American politics. She was also born this year.If you think of the top animated feature films of all time, which names come to your mind? We would certainly recommend ‘The Lion King’. This film got numerous accolades when it was released in 1992. This Disney film was made immortal by the relatable storyline and breathtaking music. And the person behind its music was Elton John. Born in 1947, he composed all the songs and even sang a handful of them. Other than this work, Elton John has produced great music over several decades and is an icon in British pop culture history.Compatriot and fellow 1947-born David Bowie is also among the most influential figures of the 20th-century music scene. His vast repertoire of work has also made him an integral part of pop culture history in Britain.The Postwar YearsWhile the whole planet was rumbling with all sorts of activities, the U.S. was experiencing major countrywide changes. America emerged victorious in World War II and saw itself turning into a superpower overnight on the global stage. But that did not eradicate its problems.Soon after the nation rejoiced in their triumph in the war, a major tragedy shook it up. A container ship named the SS Grandcamp blew up at the Texas City dockyard. It was carrying over 7,000 tons (6,350,293 kg) of ammonium nitrate. You can imagine the horror it produced. Around 500 (or thereabouts) people lost their lives, and over 5000 were left seriously injured as a result of the blast. This mishap once again reminded the people of the danger that explosives and bombs of any kind carry with them.American society was going through some tectonic changes as well. The vastly segregated society of America was shown the ray of hope of a better future when the legendary Jackie Robinson went on to become the first African American to be included in the Major League Baseball (MLB). Before Jackie Robinson, no other African American had ever played in any of the teams of the Major League Baseball. In the specter of basketball, Wataru Misaka became the first person of Asian origin to be picked by a team of the National Basketball Association (NBA).While the sports arena was welcoming some major shifts, influential songs such as ‘Heartaches’ by Ted Weems and ‘This is Your Land’ by Woody Guthrie were being played in various corners of the land.The biggest pop artists of 1947 were Nat ‘King’ Cole, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Tex Williams, and The Andrew Sisters.Cost Of Living In 1947The post-war years were a time of reconstruction and reconciliation. The world economy was in a very bad state following years of violence and destruction. The World War had destroyed the economies of the major countries of Europe.U.S. President Harry S Truman was a clever man. He devised a plan to get the economy back on track. His government chalked up a strategy to get the American industries running not just for the Americans but for the countries which were seeking help from the U.S. The ‘Marshall Plan’, as it was known, encouraged European countries to take aid in cash and kind to rebuild themselves.By helping Europe get back on its feet, the U.S. economy began flourishing. So the lives of the average Americans during this time were far better than most other parts of the world. The people had jobs, and inflation was under control. Also, the thousands of soldiers who had returned home from the war were getting married and buying houses for themselves. Many such war veterans felt the need of having much-needed greenery around their homes and began to relocate from crowded cities to suburban areas. During this mass suburbanization period, a town like Levittown grew up to become a famous suburb in the state of New York.Let us find out the cost of some items back in 1947 in the U.S. The bakery shops were selling a loaf of bread for 13 cents. People needed ketchup to go along with their snacks just like they do today. For 14 ounces of ketchup, you needed 24 cents in your pockets. Among the expensive things, 1 ounce of gold came for around 43 dollars.How much does it cost today? Do find out!Here at Kidadl. we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 1947 facts then why not take a look at 1943 facts, or 1988 facts.

The year 1947 is pivotal to understanding the 20th century.