Here's a list of significant events in 1949, presented in a Wikipedia-esque format:
1949
1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1949th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 949th year of the 2nd millennium, the 49th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1940s decade. It was a year of significant political and technological shifts in the aftermath of World War II, shaping the Cold War landscape and witnessing key advancements in various fields.
Political Events
January 1: The United Nations officially ceases administering the Free Territory of Trieste, with the territory divided between Italy and Yugoslavia.
January 20: Harry S. Truman is inaugurated for a full term as President of the United States. His "Fair Deal" domestic agenda begins to take shape.
January 25: The first Emmy Awards are presented in Hollywood, California.
April 4: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is founded. Twelve nations, including the United States, Canada, and several European countries, sign the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C., establishing a collective defense pact against Soviet aggression. This is a cornerstone event of the Cold War.
May 11: Siam officially changes its name to Thailand.
May 12: The Berlin Blockade is officially lifted by the Soviet Union, ending a major crisis in the early Cold War. The United States and its allies had successfully supplied West Berlin via the Berlin Airlift.
May 23: The Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) is formally established.
June 29: The apartheid system is institutionalized in South Africa.
August 14: Konrad Adenauer becomes the first Chancellor of West Germany.
August 29: The Soviet Union successfully tests its first atomic bomb ("First Lightning", or RDS-1), marking a significant escalation of the Cold War and ending the United States's nuclear monopoly.
October 1: The People's Republic of China is proclaimed by Mao Zedong in Beijing, marking the culmination of the Chinese Communist Revolution. This event dramatically alters the geopolitical landscape, and would have a lasting impact on American foreign policy.
October 7: The German Democratic Republic (East Germany) is established in the Soviet occupation zone.
December 16: The Indonesian National Revolution concludes, with the Netherlands formally recognizing Indonesian sovereignty.
Scientific and Technological Events
February 24: The first successful test flight of the Northrop YB-49 flying wing bomber takes place, however, the project would be canceled shortly after, with only a few test flights ever conducted.
April 1: The first underwater TV camera is used at the Bikini Atoll atomic bomb tests.
June 15: ENIAC is officially decommissioned.
August 17: A total solar eclipse occurs.
September 15:Konrad Lorenz publishes King Solomon's Ring, a seminal work on animal behavior.
Cultural Events
April 7:Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, premieres in New York City.
June 8: George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four is published, having a profound and lasting impact on political and social discourse.
July 2: The last episode of The Aldrich Family is broadcast.
August 31: Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard premieres in Hollywood.
Other Significant Events
May 20: The Armed Forces Security Agency (AFSA), a precursor to the National Security Agency (NSA) in the United States, is established.
July 27: The world's first passenger jet service begins, operated by de Havilland Comet.