Dashed left edge = started before December 1946 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond December 1946
Events in December 1946 11
1872 – 1946Paul Langevin (1872-1946)Died 19 December 1946, aged 74Langevin was a French physicist known for his work on magnetism and for the Langevin equation used in statistical physics, as well as for developing sonar technology during the First World War. He died in Paris.
1880 – 1946Damon Runyon (1880-1946)Died 10 December 1946, aged 66Runyon was an American journalist and short-story writer whose colorful tales of Broadway gamblers and gangsters later inspired the musical "Guys and Dolls". He died of throat cancer in New York City.
1880 – 1946W. C. Fields (1880-1946)Died 25 December 1946, aged 66Fields was an American comedian and actor known for his misanthropic persona and distinctive drawl in films such as "The Bank Dick" and "My Little Chickadee". He died in Pasadena, California, after years of heavy drinking had damaged his health.
1943 – 1946McGill UniversityCompleted his bachelor's degree (1943) and PhD (1946) in chemistry at McGill University. His doctoral research involved the chemical behaviour of explosives during wartime.
1943 – 1946US Army Service in World War IIBecame a naturalised US citizen and served in the US Army during World War II, working in military intelligence in the European theatre.
1946 – 1997Gianni Versace (1946-1997)Died 15 July 1997, aged 50Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer who built one of the world's leading luxury fashion houses. He was shot and killed outside his Miami Beach mansion by spree killer Andrew Cunanan, who died by suicide days later. His sister Donatella took over creative direction of the company.
1946 – presentJoop ZoetemelkThe Eternal SecondFinished the Tour 16 times, mostly in the top 10. Winner: 1980 Tour de France.
1946 – presentEmerson FittipaldiEmmoTwo-time World Champion and the youngest champion in history at the time of his 1972 victory.
1946 – presentStan SmithThe Name on the ShoeFormer World No. 1 and multi-major winner; now known globally for his iconic Adidas sneaker.
1946First Indochina War BeginsFighting erupts between France and the Viet MinhFollowing the shelling of Haiphong by the French navy and a Viet Minh uprising in Hanoi, war broke out between France and Ho Chi Minh's Viet Minh forces. The conflict would last eight years and end French colonial rule in Vietnam.
1946 – 1998Carl Wilson (1946-1998)Died 6 February 1998, aged 51Carl Wilson, guitarist, singer, and the youngest founding member of the Beach Boys, died of lung cancer on 6 February 1998. His falsetto and guitar work anchored the band's sound across decades, including the landmark album Pet Sounds.