History of Watchmaking

The American Harold Lyons invented the ammonia maser atomic clock.
The first self-winding watch with a rotor on ball bearings (Eterna-matic).

World history

The Marshall Plan was launched in Europe.
Assassination of Gandhi.
Founding of the State of Israel.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
1949. Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China.

Art and Culture

First performance of Les Mains Sales, a play by Jean-Paul Sartre, at the Théâtre Antoine in Paris.
Columbia Broadcasting Systems (CBS) launched the LP (long play) record.
The first Polaroid camera went on sale in a Boston department store, priced $89.75.