1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Background
A policeman who was among the stranded passengers phoned his superiors in Gozo, who then informed Sergeant S. Galea, a policeman on duty at Mġarr, to make arrangements to pick up the passengers. Another luzzu crewed by Salvu Refalo and Karmnu Grima was sent, and all 25 stranded passengers (24 men and 1 woman) boarded the boat. The number of people on the boat was higher than expected, and despite Refalo and Grima's proposal to make two trips, the passengers insisted on making a single crossing.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Sinking
The luzzu departed Marfa in calm seas, and the trip proceeded uneventfully until the boat passed the island of Comino. At this point, the seas became rougher due to the wind direction, and the coxswain told the passengers that it would be better to head to the bay of Ħondoq ir-Rummien than the harbour of Mġarr. However, the passengers disagreed and insisted on going directly to Mġarr.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Sinking
As the boat was being battered by the waves, one of the passengers, M.U.S.E.U.M. member Leli Camilleri, invited them to pray the rosary. At around 20:00, when the boat was about 50 metres (160 ft) away from the shore near an area known as Il-Ġolf taċ-Ċawl, water began to enter the boat. The passengers panicked, and the luzzu capsized. One of the passengers, Karmnu Attard, managed to swim to shore and went to the village of Qala to call the police at Mġarr, informing the authorities about the accident.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Rescue and recovery efforts
The search and rescue operation was undertaken by the police, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force and some Gozitan civilians. The destroyer HMS Cheviot was sent to the area, as were a torpedo recovery boat and an RAF launch. The sunken luzzu was discovered and it was recovered from the seabed.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Rescue and recovery efforts
Apart from Attard, three other passengers had managed to swim to shore, while the remaining 23 people on board were killed. One of the survivors had reached the Blata taċ-Ċawl and had to be hoisted up a cliff to safety. The survivors were taken to the Gozo Hospital.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Rescue and recovery efforts
Seven corpses were recovered by 1 November. RAF aircraft and naval and police vessels continued the search and recovered the remaining bodies over the next few days. Some bodies were found in Fomm ir-Riħ six days after the sinking. Post mortem examinations found that most of the victims died of asphyxia due to drowning, while others died of cerebral contusions and shock.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Aftermath
Governor Francis Douglas, Prime Minister Paul Boffa, Nationalist Party leader Enrico Mizzi and Democratic Action Party leader Giuseppe Hyzler expressed condolences to the families of the victims.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Aftermath
A funeral for the first seven victims was held at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Victoria, Gozo on 3 November. Mass was celebrated by Bishop Giuseppe Pace, and it was attended by Prime Minister Boffa, Commissioner for Gozo Edgar Montanaro, a representative for the Governor, Gozitan members of parliament and clergy, as well as RAF and police detachments along with the families of the victims. Funerals for other victims were held separately in their hometowns.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Aftermath, Inquiry
Magistrate Giovanni Gouder conducted an inquiry to determine what caused the accident. Giuseppe Caruana, the technical expert appointed by Gouder, found that the luzzu was capable of carrying up to 13 passengers, meaning that it had been overloaded as it was actually carrying 25 passengers and two crew.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Aftermath, Inquiry
The Prime Minister also set up two committees, one to raise funds for the families of the victims, and another to examine the report of Gouder's inquiry and to make recommendations on what action needs to be taken. The latter was set up after there were anonymous allegations criticizing the police's actions surrounding the accident. On 12 December 1949, this committee stated that Gouder's inquiry was adequate, the police were not at fault, and there was no need for further inquiries.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Aftermath, Inquiry
The committee's recommendations included better enforcement of regulations regarding passenger transport, and that only authorised boats should be allowed to carry passengers. It also stated that no boats should be allowed to carry more passengers than their authorised capacity. One of the committee members, Henry Jones, disagreed with the committee's findings and made a separate report demanding why the 16:30 ferry crossing had been cancelled.


1948 Gozo luzzu disaster, Aftermath, Memorial and commemorations
The shipwreck is Gozo's worst disaster since World War II, and it is also known as Jum it-Traġedja (Day of the Tragedy). A monument commemorating the disaster is located at Żewwieqa in Mġarr harbour. An annual remembrance ceremony is held on the anniversary of the disaster at the memorial and on board Gozo Channel Line ferries.


1948 Grand National
The 1948 Grand National was the 102nd renewal of the world-famous Grand National horse race that took place at Aintree Racecourse near Liverpool, England, on 20 March 1948.


1948 Grand National
The race was won by the mare Sheila's Cottage at odds of 66/1. The winning jockey was Arthur Thompson and Neville Crump trained the winner. The pairing of Thompson and Crump won the Grand National again in 1952.


1948 Grand National
Sheila's Cottage became the first mare to win the National for 46 years, and only the 12th in the long history of the steeplechase.


1948 Grand National
First of the Dandies finished second, with Cromwell third and Happy Home fourth. Forty-three horses ran and all returned safely to the stables.


1948 Grand Prix season
The 1948 Grand Prix season was the third post-war year for Grand Prix racing. It was the second season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing, though some of that season's Grand Prix still used other formulas. There was no organised championship in 1948, although several of the more prestigious races were recognised as Grandes Épreuves (great trials) by the FIA. Luigi Villoresi proved to be the most successful driver, for the second consecutive year, winning six Grands Prix. Maserati's cars proved difficult to beat, winning 13 of the season's 23 Grands Prix.


1948 Green Bay Packers season
The 1948 Green Bay Packers season was their 30th season overall and their 28th season in the National Football League. The team finished with a 3–9 record under coach Curly Lambeau, earning a fourth-place finish in the Western Conference.


1948 Green Bay Packers season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1948 Guatemalan parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Guatemala between 26 and 28 November 1948 in order to elect half the seats in Congress. The National Renovation Party-Revolutionary Action Party alliance won the most seats, but the Popular Liberation Front remained the largest party.


1948 Guildford-Midland state by-election
A by-election for the seat of Guildford-Midland in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia was held on 13 March 1948. It was triggered by the death of the sitting member, William Johnson of the Labor Party, on 26 January 1948. The Labor Party retained the seat, with John Brady recording 53.7 percent of the two-party-preferred vote. The election was notable for the performance of the Communist Party candidate, Alexander Jolly, who polled 19.3 percent on first preferences (one of the party's highest totals in Western Australia).


1948 Guildford-Midland state by-election, Background
William Johnson had held Guildford-Midland for the Labor Party since its creation at the 1930 state election. He had first been elected to parliament at the 1901 state election, and served both as a government minister and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly at various points. Johnson died at St John of God Subiaco Hospital on 26 January 1948. After his death, the writ for the by-election was issued on 3 February, with the close of nominations on 17 February. Polling day was on 13 March, with the writ returned on 22 March.


1948 Guildford-Midland state by-election, Aftermath
Brady held Guildford-Midland until its abolition at the 1962 state election, and remained in parliament as the member for Swan until his retirement at the 1974 state election. He was a minister in the government of Albert Hawke between 1956 and 1959. Brady's chief opponent at the by-election, 23-year-old Liberal candidate David Grayden, was elected to parliament himself at the 1950 state election, but served only a single term before being defeated.


1948 Harbor Bowl
The 1948 Harbor Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on January 1, 1948 at Balboa Stadium in San Diego, California. The game pitted the San Diego State Aztecs and the Hardin–Simmons Cowboys. This was the second edition of the Harbor Bowl.


1948 Harbor Bowl, Background
The Cowboys won games over Trinity (TX), Arizona, New Mexico, Houston, West Texas A&M, Texas Western and Arizona State, while losing games to San Jose State, Mississippi State, and Texas Tech. This was their fifth bowl game in 12 years. This was the first ever bowl game for the Aztecs, who went 2–2–1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.


1948 Harbor Bowl, Game summary
In a game played in their own city (and where they used to play in until 1935), the Aztecs were flat out dominated, with the Cowboys having 545 yards on offense, as opposed to San Diego State's 126. Hardin–Simmons had 470 of those on the ground, while the Aztecs had a mere 66 on the ground. Passing was no better, as they went 5-of-20 for 60 yards and an interception (the Cowboys had 3-of-5 for 75 yards). Incidentally, they both had 11 first downs.


1948 Harbor Bowl, Aftermath
The Aztecs did not appear in a bowl game again until the Pasadena Bowl in 1969. The Cowboys appeared in three bowl games in 1948.


1948 Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football team
The 1948 Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football team was an American football team that represented Hardin–Simmons University in the Border Conference during the 1948 college football season. In its fifth season under head coach Warren B. Woodson, the team compiled a 6–2–3 record (3–2–1 against conference opponents) and outscored all opponents by a total of 345 to 212.


1948 Harvard Crimson football team
The 1948 Harvard Crimson football team was an American football team that represented Harvard University during the 1948 college football season. In its 1st season under head coach Arthur Valpey, the team compiled a 4–4 record and were outscored by a total of 184 to 130.


1948 Harvard Crimson football team
Harvard played its home games at Harvard Stadium in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.


1948 Hawaii Rainbows football team
The 1948 Hawaii Rainbows football team represented the University of Hawaiʻi as an independent during the 1948 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Tom Kaulukukui, the Rainbows compiled a 7–4–1 record.


1948 Hawthorn Football Club season
The 1948 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 24th season in the Victorian Football League and 47th overall.


1948 Heathrow Disaster
The 1948 Heathrow Disaster was the crash of a Douglas DC-3C of the Belgian airline Sabena at Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom on 2 March 1948. It was the first major accident at Heathrow Airport; of the 22 people on board 20 were killed, of whom most had British nationality.


1948 Heathrow Disaster, Aircraft
The DC-3 involved was built in 1947 with serial number 43154 and registration OO-AWH and was used by the Belgian airline company Sabena from 21 March 1947 until its destruction in 1948. It was built for a US military contract but was never delivered and was the last DC-3 to be built by Douglas.


1948 Heathrow Disaster, Crash
The Sabena flight was a Douglas DC-3 which departed from Brussels, Belgium en route to London, United Kingdom under the command of pilot Henri Goblet and radio officer Jean Lomba.


1948 Heathrow Disaster, Crash
Workers in a hangar nearby saw the aircraft crash on the runway and quickly went to the survivors' aid. When they reached the aircraft there was utter devastation, only the tail section of the aircraft was left intact. However, there were survivors and the workers quickly pulled a few passengers from the burning wreckage. They could hear the screams of those still trapped in the inferno and despite all their efforts those people perished. When emergency personnel finally arrived on the scene, there was no one left to save.


1948 Heathrow Disaster, Crash
It was later concluded that a high number of passengers survived the crash but died in the blaze either by burning to death or smoke inhalation. The three survivors were badly burned and were quickly taken to the hospital, where one of them soon died from his injuries. One of the survivors was former MP Otho Nicholson.


1948 Heathrow Disaster, Aftermath
Following the crash, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Civil Aviation stipulated that ground-controlled approaches would no longer be available to aircraft landing in conditions of less than 150 feet (46 m) vertical visibility and 800 yards (730 m) horizontal visibility except in an emergency. In the wake of the crash and that of a Douglas DC-4 two months later, Sabena postponed its 25th anniversary celebrations that had been scheduled for the end of May 1948. The two airport workers who entered the burning wreckage to rescue survivors, Harold Bending and Angus Brown, were awarded the George Medal in June 1948.


1948 Holy Cross Crusaders football team
The 1948 Holy Cross Crusaders football team was an American football team that represented the College of the Holy Cross as an independent during the 1948 college football season. In its first year under head coach Bill Osmanski, the team compiled a 5–5 record. The team played its home games at Fitton Field in Worcester, Massachusetts.


1948 Honduran Amateur League
The 1948 Honduran Amateur League was the second edition of the Honduran Amateur League. F.C. Motagua obtained its 1st national title. The season ran from 11 July to 26 October 1948.


1948 Honduran Amateur League, National championship round
Played in a single round-robin format between the regional champions and current champions C.D. Victoria. Also known as the Cuadrangular. The game between F.C. Motagua and Victoria played at Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino became the first and only game as of today in Honduran football history that had three 15 minutes extra times. This happened in the very last match of the final round which Victoria won 3–2, a score that resulted in both teams finishing with 4 points each. After 135 minutes of exhausting play, the game remained tied and the title undecided. This forced the decision to play a rematch which ended in a 2–2 draw, forcing yet another rematch which was finally won by Motagua.


1948 Honduran general election
General elections were held in Honduras on 10 October 1948. The elections were boycotted by the Liberal Party as the party was restricted from campaigning. Instead, they called for the electorate to abstain from voting.


1948 Hong Kong–Shanghai Cup
1948 Hong Kong–Shanghai Cup was the 21st staging of Hong Kong-Shanghai Cup and the last staging before the competition was halted for about 40 years. Hong Kong captured the champion by winning 5-1.


1948 Houston Cougars football team
The 1948 Houston Cougars football team was an American football team that represented the University of Houston as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1948 college football season. In its first season under head coach Clyde Lee, the team compiled a 5–6 record (3–4 against LSC opponents) and finished in the fourth place in the conference. Cecil Towns and Jack Gwin were the team captains. The team played its home games at Public School Stadium in Houston.


1948 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team
The 1948 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team represented Humboldt State College during the 1948 college football season. Humboldt State competed in the Far Western Conference (FWC).


1948 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team
The 1948 Lumberjacks were led by first-year head coach Lou Tsoutsouvas in his only season at Humboldt State. They played home games at the Redwood Bowl in Arcata, California. Humboldt State finished with a record of six wins and three losses (6–3, 1–3 FWC). The Lumberjacks outscored their opponents 145–48 for the season.


1948 Humboldt State Lumberjacks football team, Team players in the NFL
No Humboldt State players were selected in the 1949 NFL Draft.


1948 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1948 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in London, Great Britain. This event was held under the auspices of the International Canoe Federation, formed in 1946 from the Internationale Repräsentantenschaft Kanusport (IRK).


1948 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The men's competition consisted of four kayak events. One kayak event was held for the women. The women's distance was reduced from 600 m to 500 m at these championships. These events were extraordinary since they were not included in the 1948 Summer Olympics, also held in London.


1948 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
This was the second championships in flatwater racing and the first one after World War II ended.


1948 Idaho Vandals football team
The 1948 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the 1948 college football season. The Vandals were led by second-year head coach Dixie Howell and were members of the  Pacific Coast Conference. Home games were played on campus at Neale Stadium in Moscow, with one game in Boise at Public School Field.


1948 Idaho Vandals football team
Idaho was 3–6 overall and won one of their six PCC games; future schedules had fewer conference matchups. A night game was played in late September in Salt Lake City, a loss to Utah.


1948 Idaho Vandals football team
The Vandals' losing streak in the Battle of the Palouse with neighbor Washington State reached twenty games, with a 14–19 loss in Pullman on October 30. Idaho tied the Cougars two years later, but the winless streak continued until 1954.


1948 Idaho Vandals football team
In the rivalry game with Montana in Moscow a week earlier, Idaho won 39–0 to regain the Little Brown Stein. Montana won it back two years later with a one-point upset, then the Vandals won eight straight, through 1959.


1948 Idaho Vandals football team, All-conference
No Vandals were named to the All-Coast team; honorable mention were tackles Carl Kiilsgaard and Will Overgaard, guard Wilbur Ruleman, and back John Brogan.


1948 Idaho Vandals football team, NFL Draft
Two juniors from the 1948 Vandals were selected in the 1950 NFL Draft:


1948 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 1948 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1948 Big Nine Conference football season. In their seventh year under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 3–6 record and finished in eighth place in the Big Ten Conference. End James Valek was selected as the team's most valuable player.


1948 Illinois elections
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 2, 1948.


1948 Illinois elections, Election information, Turnout
In the primaries, 1,649,655 ballots were cast (745,645 Democratic and 904,010 Republican).


1948 Illinois elections, Federal elections, United States President
Illinois voted for the Democratic ticket of Harry S. Truman and Alben W. Barkley.


1948 Illinois elections, Federal elections, United States Senate
Incumbent Republican Charles W. Brooks lost reelection to Democrat Paul Douglas.


1948 Illinois elections, Federal elections, United States House
All 26 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1948.


1948 Illinois elections, Federal elections, United States House
Illinois had redistricted before this election, eliminating its  at-large district.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Governor
Incumbent Governor Dwight H. Green, a Republican seeking a third term, lost reelection to Democrat Adlai Stevenson II.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Governor
Stevenson's victory was regarded as a surprise upset, and his margin of victory of 572,067 votes was, at the time, record breaking for an Illinois gubernatorial election.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Lieutenant Governor
Incumbent Lieutenant Governor Hugh W. Cross, a Republican, did not seek reelection to a third term. Democrat Sherwood Dixon was elected to succeed him in office.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Attorney General
Incumbent Attorney General George F. Barrett, a Republican running for a third term, lost to Democrat Ivan A. Elliott


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Secretary of State
The Secretary of State Edward J. Barrett, a Democrat, was  reelected to a second term.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Secretary of State, Republican primary
Former Illinois Treasurer and incumbent congressman William Stratton won the Republican primary, running unopposed.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Auditor of Public Accounts
Incumbent Auditor of Public Accounts Arthur C. Lueder, a Republican, did not seek reelection to a third term. Democrat Benjamin O. Cooper was elected to succeed him in office.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Treasurer
Incumbent first-term Treasurer Richard Yates Rowe, a Republican, did not seek reelection, instead opting to run for lieutenant governor. Democrat Ora Smith was elected to succeed him in office.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, State Senate
Seats of the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1948. Republicans retained control of the chamber.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, State House of Representatives
Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1948. Democrats flipped control of the chamber.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Trustees of University of Illinois
An election was held for three of the nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois. All three Democratic nominees won. The election was for six-year terms.


1948 Illinois elections, State elections, Trustees of University of Illinois
All three who were elected had never before held office as Trustees of the University of Illinois. Incumbent Republican Chester R. Davis lost reelection. Fellow Republican incumbents Martin Gerard Luken Sr. and Frank Hotchkiss McKelvey were not nominated for what would have been a second term.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election
The 1948 Illinois gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1948. Incumbent Governor Dwight H. Green, a Republican seeking a third term, lost reelection to Democrat Adlai Stevenson II.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, Election information
The primaries and general election both coincided with those for federal offices (United States President, House, and United States Senate) and those for other state offices. The election was part of the 1948 Illinois elections.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, Election information, Background
At the time, Illinois was a predominantly Republican-leaning state. The state had only had a total of three Democratic governors since the American Civil War.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, Democratic primary, Campaign
Adlai Stevenson II was chosen by Jacob Arvey, leader of the powerful Chicago Democratic political organization, to be the Democratic candidate in the Illinois gubernatorial race against the incumbent Republican, Dwight H. Green. While Stevenson would prefer to be involved in national politics, such as a U.S. senator, the path for him to run for senate would have been difficult, while Arvey was offering him a clear path to be elected governor.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, Democratic primary, Campaign
Stevenson launched his campaign with a speech to the McLean County Democrats Jackson Day dinner in his hometown of Bloomington on February 23, 1948. He made clear that, rather than seeking out the office himself, he had been drafted by the Democratic State Central Committee, who had asked him to be their gubernatorial candidate due to his "record in private life," and, "public service in the war and the peace," and their confidence he would win and, that as governor would be, "a credit," to the Democratic party. Stevenson, in launching his campaign, pledged to clean up Illinois politics, which had been plagued by corruption and scandal. Part of his appeal as a candidate in the year 1948 was that he lacked ties to the state's "politics as usual".


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, Republican primary
Incumbent Dwight H. Green ultimately faced no opponents on the ballot.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, General election
With little fodder to attack Stevenson with, Green instead sought to tie him to the national Democratic Party, headed by president Harry S. Truman, and to national scandals, as well as the large spending New Deal programs. He also sought to paint Stevenson as weak toward communism.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, General election
Stevenson had plenty of fodder to attack Green and Green's policies. Green had failed to live up to his original gubernatorial campaign promise to run an "anticorruption administration". Green's administration had faced allegations of ties to gangsters like the Shelton Brothers Gang. The 1947 Centralia mine disaster also greatly harmed the image of Green's gubernatorial administration, as state mine inspectors had received payoffs from coal companies to ignore violations during safety inspections.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, General election
Stevenson made use of his oratory skill, delivering harsh one-liners against Green.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, General election, Result
Stevenson defeated Green in what was regarded as a surprise upset. His margin of victory of 572,067 votes was, at the time, record-breaking for an Illinois gubernatorial election.


1948 Illinois gubernatorial election, General election, Result
Stevenson's strong performance in the gubernatorial election and Democratic nominee Paul Douglas' strong performance in the 1948 United States Senate election in Illinois were regarded as having helped the Democratic ticket of Harry S. Truman and Alben W. Barkley secure their narrow victory in Illinois in the 1948 United States presidential election.


1948 Independiente Santa Fe season
The 1948 was the 8th season in Independiente Santa Fe's existence, and the club's 1st year in the Campeonato Profesional.


1948 Independiente Santa Fe season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1948 Independiente Santa Fe season, Players, First-team squad
1 Kaor Dokú was able to register as Colombian by the nationality of his mother2 Héctor Rial was registered as Argentinian by his place of birth, also he didn't have Spanish nationality at the timeSource:


1948 Independiente Santa Fe season, Players, Disciplinary record
Last updated: 7 September 2013Source: Only competitive matches = Number of bookings;  = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card;  = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.


1948 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 1948 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented the Indiana Hoosiers in the 1948 Big Nine Conference football season. They participated as members of the Big Nine Conference. The Hoosiers played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. The team was coached by Clyde B. Smith, in his first year as head coach of the Hoosiers.


1948 Indiana gubernatorial election
The 1948 Indiana gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948. Democratic nominee Henry F. Schricker defeated Republican nominee Hobart Creighton with 53.56% of the vote.


1948 Indianapolis 500
The 32nd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, May 31, 1948.


1948 Indianapolis 500
For the second year in a row, the Blue Crown Spark Plug teammates Mauri Rose and Bill Holland finished 1st-2nd. Rose became the second driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in consecutive years. Unlike the previous year's race, no controversy surrounds the results. Coupled with his co-victory in 1941, Rose became the third three-time winner at Indy.


1948 Indianapolis 500
Fourth place finisher Ted Horn completed a noteworthy record of nine consecutive races from 1936-1948 completing 1,799 out of a possible 1,800 laps. His nine consecutive finishes of 4th or better (however, with no victories) is the best such streak in Indy history. The only lap he missed in 1940 was due to being flagged for a rain shower.


1948 Indianapolis 500
Duke Nalon's third-place finish would be the best-ever result for the popular Novi engine.


1948 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
The race was carried live on the Mutual Broadcasting System, the precursor to the IMS Radio Network. The broadcast was sponsored by Perfect Circle Piston Rings and Bill Slater served as the anchor. The broadcast feature live coverage of the start, the finish, and live updates throughout the race.


1948 Indianapolis 500, Broadcasting, Radio
Sid Collins, from WIBC, joined the crew for the first time, serving as a turn reporter at the south end of the track.


1948 International Cross Country Championships
The 1948 International Cross Country Championships was held in Reading, England, at the Leighton Park on 3 April 1948. A report on the event was given in the Glasgow Herald.


1948 International Cross Country Championships
Complete results, medallists,  and the results of British athletes were published.


1948 International Cross Country Championships, Participation
An unofficial count yields the participation of 54 athletes from 6 countries.


1948 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The 1948 Iowa Hawkeyes football team was an American football team that represented the University of Iowa in the 1948 Big Nine Conference football season. The team compiled a 4–5 record (2–4 against conference opponents) and finished in a tie for fifth place in the Big Nine Conference.


1948 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Head coach Eddie Anderson was in his seventh and final season as Iowa's head coach; he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.


1948 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The team's statistical leaders included Jerry Faske with 491 rushing yards, quarterback Al DiMarco with 1,105 passing yards, and Bob McKenzie with 382 receiving yards. DiMarco was selected as the team's most valuable player. Three Iowa players received either All-American or All-Big Nine honors in 1948:


1948 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Other players of note on the 1948 team included Jack Dittmer, who later played six years in Major League Baseball.


1948 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
The team played its home games at Iowa Stadium. It drew 212,708 spectators at five home games, an average of 42,542 per game.


1948 Iowa Senate election
The 1948 Iowa State Senate elections took place as part of the biennial 1948 United States elections. Iowa voters elected state senators in 29 of the state senate's 50 districts. State senators serve four-year terms in the Iowa State Senate.


1948 Iowa Senate election
A statewide map of the 50 state Senate districts in the year 1948 is provided by the Iowa General Assembly


1948 Iowa Senate election
The primary election on June 3, 1948 determined which candidates appeared on the November 5, 1948 general election ballot.


1948 Iowa Senate election
Following the previous election, Republicans had control of the Iowa state Senate with 46 seats to Democrats' 4 seats.


1948 Iowa Senate election
To claim control of the chamber from Republicans, the Democrats needed to net 22 Senate seats.


1948 Iowa Senate election
Republicans maintained control of the Iowa State Senate following the 1948 general election with the balance of power shifting to Republicans holding 43 seats and Democrats having 7 seats (a net gain of 3 seats for Democrats).


1948 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The 1948 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State College of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts (later renamed Iowa State University) in the Big Seven Conference during the 1948 college football season. In their second year under head coach Abe Stuber, the Cyclones compiled a 4–6 record (2–4 against conference opponents), tied for fifth place in the conference, and were outscored by opponents by a combined total of 197 to 116. They played their home games at Clyde Williams Field in Ames, Iowa.


1948 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The team's statistical leaders included fullback Bill Chauncey with 428 rushing yards, quarterback Don Ferguson with 367 passing yards, left end Dean Laun with 225 receiving yards, and right halfback Bob Angle with 18 points (three touchdowns). Dean Laun was the only Iowa State player to be selected as a first-team all-conference player.


1948 Iowa State Cyclones football team
The team's regular starting lineup consisted of left end Dean Laun, left tackle Tom Southard, left guard Joe Brubaker, center Rod Rust, right guard Billy Myers, right tackle George Friedl, right end Dean Norman, quarterback Don Ferguson, left halfback Webb Halbert, right halfback Bob Angle, and fullback Bill Chauncey. Ray Klootwyk was the team captain.


1948 Iowa State Teachers Panthers football team
The 1948 Iowa State Teachers Panthers football team represented Iowa State Teachers College in the North Central Conference during the 1948 college football season. In its 11th season under head coach Clyde Starbeck, the team compiled a 7–3 record (5–0 against NCC opponents) and won the conference championship.


1948 Iowa State Teachers Panthers football team
Five players were named to the all-conference team: halfbacks Paul Devan and Elvin Goodvin; tackles Jason Loving and Lee Wachenheim; and guard Harvey Wissler.


1948 Iowa gubernatorial election
The 1948 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948. Republican nominee William S. Beardsley defeated Democratic nominee Carroll O. Switzer with 55.68% of the vote.


1948 Iraqi parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Iraq on 15 June 1948 to elect the members of the Chamber of Deputies. The majority of seats were won by independents.


1948 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1948 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during August and September with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 4 September 1948.


1948 Irish Greyhound Derby
The winner Western Post won £1,000 which at the time was a record prize for an Irish race. He was trained by Paddy Moclair (a former Irish Gaelic footballer) and owned by Frank Davis from London.


1948 Irish Greyhound Derby
The runner-up Baytown Colonel was under two years old and went on to win the Trafalgar Cup.


1948 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
Offering a record £1,000 first prize the 1948 Derby attracted the Scottish Greyhound Derby champion Western Post. Paddy Moclair his original owner would train the greyhound for the duration of the competition for Londoner Frank Davis. Moclair had paid £240 for him at Limerick sales before Davis then bought the dog from Moclair and Anthony Watson for £2,000. The fawn and white dog wrote himself into the record books by becoming the first winner of the Scottish and Irish Derby. Despite the reputation of Western Post, the hot favourite throughout the event had been Harvest King owned and trained by Harry O’Neill.


1948 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
Harvest King from Arklow had impressed during the early rounds including a victory over Western Post and before the semi finals began he had been sold to Harry O'Neill for £4,000. In the final Harvest King made a poor start and never showed leaving Western Post to overtake the early leader (a bitch called Canter Home) at the halfway mark. He went on to win easily from Baytown Colonel.


1948 Irish general election
The 1948 Irish general election was held on 4 February 1948. The 147 newly elected members of the 13th Dáil assembled on 18 February when the First Inter-Party government in the history of the Irish state was appointed.


1948 Irish general election
The general election took place in 40 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 147 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann. For this election the membership of the Dáil was increased to 147 seats, an increase of 9 since the previous election. The 1948 general election is considered an important election in 20th-century Ireland, as it paved the way for the First Inter-Party Government.


1948 Irish general election
This election was the last one before Ireland's withdrawal from the British Commonwealth, and the declaration of the Republic of Ireland, which came into effect as from 18 April 1949 under the terms of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948.


1948 Irish general election
The constituency of Carlow–Kilkenny voted on 8 February after the death during the campaign of Fine Gael candidate Eamonn Coogan TD. Another Fine Gael candidate in that constituency, James Hughes, had died shortly before the formal campaign began.


1948 Irish general election, Campaign
The general election of 1948 was caused by a desire by the Taoiseach Éamon de Valera, to stop the rise of a new party, Clann na Poblachta. In 1947 the rapid rise of Clann na Poblachta threatened the position of Fianna Fáil. The government of Éamon de Valera introduced the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1947 which increased the size of the Dáil from 138 to 147 and increased the number of three-seat constituencies from fifteen to twenty-two. The result was described by historian Tim Pat Coogan as "a blatant attempt at gerrymander which no Six County Unionist could have bettered."


1948 Irish general election, Campaign
A number of other issues were raised on the campaign that the parties didn't foresee. Fianna Fáil had enjoyed an uninterrupted sixteen years of dominance in government. Many people believed that the party had become stale and there was a strong desire for a fresh change. Although World War II had ended three years earlier, rationing continued, and massive inflation plagued the economy. A prolonged teachers strike during the lifetime of the previous Dáil damaged the government due to its inability to settle the dispute. Bad weather added to the woes of the farmers, and poor harvests resulted in anger at the ballot box. Allegations that Éamon de Valera and Seán Lemass were involved in bribery and corruption raised questions about certain public officials.


1948 Irish general election, Campaign
Despite these issues, Fianna Fáil still expected to retain power. This prospect seemed very likely; however, an unlikely coalition was soon to be formed.


1948 Irish general election, Result
When the votes were counted Fianna Fáil remained the largest party in spite of dropping 8 seats. Clann na Poblachta secured ten seats instead of the nineteen they would have received proportional to their vote. The other parties remained roughly the same, with Fine Gael only gaining an extra seat. Fianna Fáil remained the largest party and it looked as if it were the only one capable of forming a government.


1948 Irish general election, Formation of the Coalition
The election left de Valera six seats short of a majority in the 147 seat Dáil. Fianna Fáil had long refused to enter a formal coalition with another party, instead preferring confidence and supply agreements with other parties when it was short of an outright majority. This time, however, de Valera was unable to reach an agreement with National Labour and the Independents with a view to forming a government.


1948 Irish general election, Formation of the Coalition
It seemed unlikely that the other political parties could join together to oust Fianna Fáil. However, the leaders of the other parties discovered that between them, they only had one seat fewer than Fianna Fáil. If they could get the support of at least seven independents, they would be able to form a government. On paper, such a motley coalition appeared politically unrealistic. However, a shared dislike of Fianna Fáil and de Valera overcame all other difficulties to knock Fianna Fáil from power for the first time in 16 years.


1948 Irish general election, Formation of the Coalition
As the largest party in the coalition, it was a foregone conclusion that Fine Gael would provide the nominee for Taoiseach. The natural choice was the party leader, Richard Mulcahy. However, republicans such as Seán MacBride refused to serve under the man who had been the commander of the Free State forces during the civil war. Since the other parties would have been 17 seats short of a majority (and indeed, would have been 11 seats behind Fianna Fáil) without MacBride, Mulcahy stepped aside in favour of John A. Costello, a relatively unknown politician and former Attorney General. Mulcahy, who remained nominal leader of Fine Gael, became Minister for Education. William Norton, the leader of the Labour Party became Tánaiste and Minister for Social Welfare.


1948 Irish general election, Formation of the Coalition
On paper, this new coalition government looked weak and seemed unlikely to last. It consisted of a patchwork collection of political parties. There were young and old politicians, republicans and Free Staters, conservatives and socialists. The government's survival depended on a united dislike of Fianna Fáil, the skill of Costello as Taoiseach and the independence of various ministers.


1948 Irish general election, Formation of the Coalition
In all the coalition lasted over three years from February 1948 to May 1951.


1948 Isle of Man TT
In the 1948 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy festival Harold Daniell, lap record holder since 1938, failed to finish the 1948 Senior TT on his Norton, and victory went to Norton team member, Artie Bell, the flying Ulsterman. Norton dominated, taking the first three places, losing fourth to Geoff Murdoch's AJS, and then filling the next four places. There were thirty three Nortons in a field of fifty six.


1948 Isle of Man TT
Artie Bell also came third in the Junior TT with Freddie Frith taking the flag for first place, and A. R. (Bob) Foster coming second, both on Velocettes. Maurice Cann won the Lightweight with his DOHC 250 cc Moto Guzzi, followed by Roland Pike on a Rudge.


1948 Isle of Man TT
Three Clubman races were again included, for the second year, in the festival with the Clubman Senior race allowing entires of bikes up to 1,000 cc engine capacity.


1948 Isle of Man TT
Later in 1948, at the FICM (later called FIM) meeting in London, it was decided there would be a motorcycle World Championship along Grand Prix lines. It would be a six-race annual series with points being awarded for a placing, and a point for the fastest lap of each race. There would be four classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc and 125cc. In the past a Grand Prix had been an individual race. In 1949 for the first time, starting with the Isle of Man TT, a series of Grand Prix races would decide who would be the 1949 World Champion.


1948 Isle of Man TT
The 1948 TT also saw the first presentation of the Jimmy Simpson Trophy, awarded to the rider who completed the fastest lap of the meeting.


1948 Italian Grand Prix
The 1948 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Valentino Park in Turin, Italy on 5 September 1948. It was won by French driver Jean-Pierre Wimille in an Alfa Romeo 158.


1948 Italian Senate election in Lombardy
Lombardy elected its first delegation to the Italian Senate on April 18, 1948. This election was a part of national Italian general election of 1948 even if, according to the newly established Italian Constitution, every senatorial challenge in each Region is a single and independent race.


1948 Italian Senate election in Lombardy
The election was won by the centrist Christian Democracy, as it happened at national level. Pavia and Mantua were the sole provinces to oppose this result, giving a plurality to the Social-Communist alliance.


1948 Italian Senate election in Lombardy, Background
Alcide De Gasperi's Christian Democracy had obtained very good results during quite all municipal elections in Lombardy in 1946. However, their Soviet-aligned opponents looked at this region as one of their possible zones of success, considering the local strength of the Socialist Party before the Fascist era.


1948 Italian Senate election in Lombardy, Background
Even if the Front obtained some seats in the agricultural south, De Gasperi obtained an absolute majority at regional level, with some exceptional peaks in the alpine north: Lombardy became the region with the highest number of constituencies where the landslide clausola was satisfied. The centre-left alliance between the Italian Democratic Socialist Party and the Italian Republican Party obtained some seats in Milan, a city led by Democratic Socialist mayor Antonio Greppi.


1948 Italian Senate election in Lombardy, Electoral system
The electoral system introduced in 1948 for the newly elected Senate was a strange hybrid which established a form of proportional representation into FPTP-like constituencies. A candidate needed a landslide victory of more than 65% of votes to obtain a direct mandate. All constituencies where this result was not reached entered into an at-large calculation based upon the D'Hondt method to distribute the seats between the parties, and candidates with the best percentages of suffrages inside their party list were elected.


1948 Italian general election
General elections were held in Italy on Sunday 18 April 1948 to elect the first Parliament of the Italian Republic. The elections were characterised by campaign financial and propaganda efforts conducted by the United States and Great Britain on behalf of the coalition led by the Christian Democracy party (Italian: Democrazia Cristiana, DC). The Soviet Union intervened by closely controlling the Communist Party of Italy, which led a coalition of its own.


1948 Italian general election
After the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the US became alarmed about Soviet intentions and feared that, if the leftist coalition were to win the elections, the communist left would draw Italy into the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. As the last month of the election campaign began, the Time magazine pronounced the possible leftist victory to be "the brink of catastrophe".


1948 Italian general election
On election day the parties on the left lost seats while those in the right gained. The winner by a comfortable margin was the DC coalition, defeating the left-wing coalition of the Popular Democratic Front (Italian: Fronte Democratico Popolare per la libertà, la pace, il lavoro, FDP), comprising the Italian Communist Party (Italian: Partito Comunista Italiano, PCI) and the Italian Socialist Party (Italian: Partito Socialista Italiano, PSI), and funded by the USSR. The Christian Democrats went on to form a government without the Communists, who had been expelled from the government coalition in the May 1947 crises and remained frozen out.


1948 Italian general election, Electoral system
The pure party-list proportional representation chosen two years before for the election of the Constituent Assembly, was definitely adopted for the Chamber of Deputies. Italian provinces were divided into 31 constituencies, each electing a group of candidates. In each constituency, seats were divided between open lists using the largest remainder method with the Imperiali quota. Remaining votes and seats transferred to the national level, where special closed lists of national leaders received the last seats using the Hare quota.


1948 Italian general election, Electoral system
For the Senate, 237 single-seat constituencies were created. The candidates needed a two-thirds majority to be elected, but only 15 aspiring senators were elected this way. All remaining votes and seats were grouped in party lists and regional constituencies, where the D'Hondt method was used: Inside the lists, candidates with the best percentages were elected.


1948 Italian general election, Electoral system
This electoral system became standard in Italy, and was used until 1993.


1948 Italian general election, Campaign
The elections remain unmatched in verbal aggression and fanaticism in Italy's period of democracy. According to the historian Gianni Corbi the 1948 election was "the most passionate, the most important, the longest, the dirtiest, and the most uncertain electoral campaign in Italian history". The election was between two competing visions of the future of Italian society. On the right, a Roman Catholic, conservative and capitalist Italy, linked to the United States and Britain and represented by the governing Christian Democrats of De Gasperi. On the left a secular, revolutionary and socialist society, linked to the Soviet Union and represented by the Communist Party (PCI) and its Socialist ally.


1948 Italian general election, Campaign
The Christian Democrat campaign pointed to the recent Communist coup in Czechoslovakia. It warned that in Communist countries, "children send parents to jail", "children are owned by the state", and told voters that disaster would strike Italy if the Communists were to take power. Another slogan was "In the secrecy of the polling booth, God sees you - Stalin doesn't."


1948 Italian general election, Campaign
The Popular Front campaign focused on living standards and avoided embarrassing questions of foreign policy, such as UN membership (vetoed by the USSR) and Yugoslav control of Trieste, or losing American financial and food aid. The PCI led the FDP coalition and had effectively marginalised the PSI, which thus eventually suffered because in the elections, in terms of parliamentary seats and political power; The Socialists also had been hurt by the secession of a social-democratic faction led by Giuseppe Saragat, which contested the election with the concurrent list of Socialist Unity.


1948 Italian general election, Campaign
The PCI had difficulties in restraining its more militant members, who, in the period immediately after the war, had engaged in violent acts of reprisals. The areas affected by the violence (the so-called "Red Triangle" of Emilia, or parts of Liguria around Genoa and Savona, for instance) had previously seen episodes of brutality committed by the Fascists  during Benito Mussolini's regime and the Italian Resistance during the Allied advance through Italy.


1948 Italian general election, Superpower influence
The 1948 general election was greatly influenced by the Cold War that was underway with the Soviet Union against  United States and Britain. After his defeat in the election, Communist leader Togliatti stated on April 22 that, "The elections were not free... Brutal foreign intervention was used consisting of a threat to starve the country by withholding ERP aid if it voted for the Democratic Front... The menace to use the atom bomb against towns or regions" that voted pro-Communist. The US government's Voice of America radio began broadcasting anti-Communist propaganda to Italy on March 24, 1948.


1948 Italian general election, Superpower influence
The US Central Intelligence Agency, by its own admission, gave $1 million (equivalent to $11 million in 2020) to what they referred to as "center parties" and was accused of publishing forged letters to discredit the leaders of the Italian Communist Party. The National Security Act of 1947, that made foreign covert operations possible, had been signed into law about six months earlier by the American President Harry S. Truman.


1948 Italian general election, Superpower influence
"We had bags of money that we delivered to selected politicians, to defray their political expenses, their campaign expenses, for posters, for pamphlets," according to CIA operative F. Mark Wyatt.


1948 Italian general election, Superpower influence
To influence the election, US agencies sent ten million letters, made numerous short-wave radio broadcasts, and funded the publishing of books and articles, all of which warned Italians of what was believed to be the consequences of Communist victory. Overall, the US funneled $10 million  to $20 million (equivalent to $110 million to $220 million in 2020) into the country for specifically anti-PCI purposes. The CIA also made use of off-the-books sources of financing to interfere in the election: millions of dollars from the Economic Cooperation Administration affiliated with the Marshall Plan and more than $10 million in captured Nazi money were steered to anti-Communist propaganda.


1948 Italian general election, Superpower influence
The Irish government, motivated by the country's devout Catholicism, also interfered in the election by funnelling the modern day equivalent of €2 million through the Irish Embassy to the Vatican, which then distributed it to Catholic politicians. Joseph Walshe, Ireland's ambassador to the Vatican, had privately suggested secretly funding Azione Cattolica.


1948 Italian general election, Superpower influence
The CIA claimed that the PCI was being funded by the Soviet Union. Although the numbers are disputed, there is evidence of some financial aid, described as occasional and modest, from the Kremlin. PCI official Pietro Secchia and Stalin discussed financial support. According to former CIA operative Mark Wyatt, "The Communist Party of Italy was funded... by black bags of money directly out of the Soviet compound in Rome; and the Italian services were aware of this. As the elections approached, the amounts grew, and the estimates [are] that $8 million to $10 million a month actually went into the coffers of Communism. Not necessarily completely to the party: Mr. Di Vittorio and labor was powerful, and certainly a lot went to him."


1948 Italian general election, Superpower influence
The Christian Democrats eventually won the 1948 election with 48% of the vote, and the FDP received 31%. The CIA's practice of influencing the political situation was repeated in every Italian election for at least the next 24 years. No leftist coalition won a general election until 1996. That was partly because of Italians' traditional bent for conservatism and, even more importantly, the Cold War, with the US closely watching Italy, in their determination to maintain a vital NATO presence amidst the Mediterranean and retain the Yalta-agreed status quo in western Europe.


1948 Italian general election, Results
Christian Democracy won a sweeping victory, taking 48.5 percent of the vote and 305 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 131 seats in the Senate. With an absolute majority in both chambers, DC leader and premier Alcide De Gasperi could have formed an exclusively DC government. Instead, he formed a "centrist" coalition with Liberals, Republicans and Social Democrats. De Gasperi formed three ministries during the parliamentary term, the second one in 1950 after the defection of the Liberals, who hoped for more rightist politics, and the third one in 1951 after the defection of the Social-democrats, who hoped for more leftist politics.


1948 Italian general election, Results
Following a provision of the new republican constitution, all living democratic deputies elected during the 1924 general election and deposed by the National Fascist Party in 1926, automatically became members of the first republican Senate.


1948 Italian general election in Veneto
The Italian general election of 1948 took place on 18 April 1948.


1948 Italian general election in Veneto
The election was a triumph for Christian Democracy (DC), which won a thumping 60.5% throughout Veneto. The party did better in its traditional strongholds, Vicenza (71.8%), Padua (65.4%) and Treviso (64.9%). The Italian Socialist Party (PSI) and the Italian Communist Party (PCI), which formed a joint list named Popular Democratic Front (FDP), won just 23.9% of the vote. Apart from Rovigo, where the FDP gained 48.2%, many Socialist votes went to DC and the Italian Democratic Socialist Party (PSDI), an outfit formed by those Socialists who had been opposed to the alliance with the Communists. The PSDI garnered 10.1% of the vote at the regional level, one of the highest tallies among regions, and was stronger in Belluno (15.9%), Treviso (12.6%) and Verona (10.1%).


1948 Italian presidential election
The Italian presidential election of 1948 was held in Italy on 10–11 May 1948. The result was the election of the liberal Luigi Einaudi, governor of the Bank of Italy.


1948 Italian presidential election
Only members of newly-elected Parliament were entitled to vote and this presidential election was the first one voted by a regular Parliament. As head of state of the Italian Republic, the President has a role of representation of national unity and guarantees that Italian politics comply with the Italian Constitution, in the framework of a parliamentary system.


1948 Italian presidential election, Procedure
In accordance to the new Italian Constitution, the election was held in the form of a secret ballot, with the Senators and the Deputies entitled to vote. The election was held in the Palazzo Montecitorio, home of the Chamber of Deputies, with the capacity of the building expanded for the purpose. The first three ballots required a two-thirds majority of the 900 voters in order to elect a president, or 600 votes. Starting from the fourth ballot, an absolute majority was required for candidates to be elected, or 451 votes. The presidential mandate lasts seven years.


1948 Italian presidential election, Procedure
The election was presided over by the President of the Chamber of Deputies Giovanni Gronchi, who proceeded to the public counting of the votes, and by the President of the Senate Ivanoe Bonomi.


1948 Italian presidential election, Chronology
On 8 May 1948 the new Parliament elected on the 18 April election officially sworn in. According to the protocol, the incumbent President Enrico De Nicola resigned in order to allow the first elected Parliament of the Republic to elect a new President.


1948 Italian presidential election, Chronology
De Nicola could actually have run for a second term, but his opposition to the centrist politics of the christian democrat Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi and to the 1947 Treaty of Peace, made him to lose the support of the Christian Democracy party. His candidacy was supported just by the leftists parties, which on the first ballot were able to show De Gapseri how was their strength in the Assembly by voting unanimously for De Nicola and making him the most voted candidate on ballot.


1948 Italian presidential election, Chronology
De Gasperi was intentioned to support the candidacy to the presidency of the incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs, the republican Carlo Sforza. Strongly opposed by the leftist parties for his anticommunism - the Secretary of the Italian Communist Party Palmiro Togliatti once defined him a "servile American marine" - Sforza wasn't able to gain to support of some members of the Christian Democracy group, especially those who were part of the leftist faction of the party led by Giuseppe Dossetti, in that period positioned on more neutralist stances.


1948 Italian presidential election, Chronology
On 11 May, after the second ballot in which was clear that Sforza failed to obtain the support of more than 40 christian democrat representatives (the so called franchi tiratori, or snipers), De Gasperi decided to withdraw his support to Sforza's candidacy and decided to endorse the governor of Bank of Italy Luigi Einaudi. As a well-known anti-fascist liberal economist with a socialist past and a strong pro-Atlantic faith, Einaudi was well seen by a large number of representatives, including some liberals and social democrats. His candidacy was instead strongly opposed by the monarchists, although Einaudi had endorsed the monarchy during the 1946 institutional referendum campaign.


1948 Italian presidential election, Chronology
On the fourth ballot, Einaudi was elected President by a large margin, while the communists and the socialists decided to vote for the liberal senator Vittorio Emanuele Orlando.


1948 Italian presidential election, Chronology
As a sign of protest the monarchists representatives did not participate in the vote. During the first ballot, the nobleman and monarchist deputy Giovanni Alliata di Montereale (1921–1994) decided to tear up his ballot paper in front of the President of the Chamber of Deputies as a sign of offense towards the new republican institutions.


1948 Italian presidential election, Inauguration
On 12 May 1948 Luigi Einaudi officially sworn in as the new President of Italy.


1948 Italian presidential election, Inauguration
As required by the procedure, after taking the oath in front of the Italian Parliament, Einaudi gave his inaugural address to the nation, speaking from the seat of the President of the Chamber of Deputies. His address was fair quite short, lasting just 19 minutes.


1948 Italian presidential election, Inauguration
A central theme of President Einaudi's inaugural address was a call to restore a true democratic system after more than twenty years of fascist dictatorship. He underlined the importance of two liberal principles enunciated in the new Constitution, freedom and equality: "It [the Constitution] affirms two solemn principles: to preserve in the present social structure only what is the guarantee of the freedom of the human person against the omnipotence of the State and private arrogance; and to guarantee to everyone, whatever the fortuitous cases of birth, the greatest possible equality in the starting points".


1948 Italian presidential election, Inauguration
President Einaudi contained also several references to the international affiliation of the newborn Italian Republic: "Twenty years of dictatorial rule had proclaimed civil unrest, external war, and such material and moral destruction to the Fatherland that every hope of redemption seemed vain.


1948 Italian presidential election, Inauguration
Instead, after having saved, despite the regional and local differences and painfully mutilated, the indestructible national unity from the Alps to Sicily, we are now tenaciously reconstructing the destroyed material fortunes and we have twice given the world admirable proof of our will to return to free democratic political competitions and our ability to cooperate, equal among equals, in the forums in which we want to rebuild that Europe from which so much light of thought and humanity came into the world".


1948 Italian presidential election, Inauguration, Gallery
Einaudi arrives with Giulio Andreotti at Montecitorio to officially take the oath


1948 John Carroll Blue Streaks football team
The 1948 John Carroll Blue Streaks football team was an American football team that represented John Carroll University in the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 1948 college football season. The team compiled a 7–1–2 record, including a victory over Canisius in the Great Lakes Bowl. Herb "Skeeter" Eisele was the team's head coach for the second year.


1948 John Carroll Blue Streaks football team
Sophomore Don Shula played at the halfback position. Shula later spent more than 40 years in the National Football League as a player and coach and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. John Carroll's football stadium is named Don Shula Stadium in his honor.


1948 KK Crvena zvezda season
The 1948 season is the Crvena zvezda 3rd season in the existence of the club. The team played in the Yugoslav Basketball League.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster
A KLM Lockheed L-049 Constellation airliner (named Nijmegen and registered PH-TEN) crashed into high ground near Glasgow Prestwick Airport, Scotland, on 20 October 1948; all 40 aboard died. A subsequent inquiry found that the accident was likely caused by the crew's reliance on a combination of erroneous charts and incomplete weather forecasts, causing the crew to become distracted and disoriented in the inclement conditions.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Events prior to approach
The aircraft was piloted by Koene Dirk Parmentier, one of the winners of the MacRobertson Air Race, widely regarded as one of the great flyers of the era, and KLM's chief pilot. The co-pilot on the flight was Kevin Joseph O'Brien.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Events prior to approach
Nijmegen was scheduled to fly from its home base at Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam at 8:00 p.m. CET to New York via Prestwick, with Shannon Airport in Ireland as the alternative stopover point in case of bad weather at Prestwick. The aircraft carried sufficient fuel to divert to Shannon and then back to Schiphol, if necessary. The plane's departure was delayed as additional cargo was loaded for transport to Iceland, which would be an additional stop en route from Prestwick to New York.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Events prior to approach
The plane eventually left Schiphol at 9:11 p.m., crossed the English coast at Flamborough Head, eventually heading NW at 2320, when it turned almost due South approximately 15 miles ESE of Kilmarnock. The aircraft eventually started its run in towards runway 32 (Prestwick's longest runway and, at the time, its only runway that offered a ground-controlled approach, at 2325 at 1500'. The weather forecast Parmentier had been given by the Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute at Schiphol had told him that there was some slight cloud at Prestwick, but that it would likely dissipate by the time the Nijmegen arrived. This report was incorrect; the weather at Prestwick was steadily deteriorating, with the weather at the alternative destination of Shannon even worse.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Events prior to approach
Parmentier believed that there was a strong crosswind, blowing at right-angles to the main runway (Runway 32) at Prestwick of about 20 knots, which might prevent a landing on it. Prestwick had a second, alternative, runway (Runway 26) which was heading into the wind but had no radar-approach system. However KLM pilot guidelines, drafted by Parmentier himself, forbade a landing at Prestwick in low cloud on the alternative runway.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Events prior to approach
By the time of approach, Prestwick was under drizzle and a cloud-base that was almost solid at 600 feet (180 m), forecast to continue from about 11:00 p.m. onwards, around the time the Nijmegen was approaching the airfield. As the flight had taken off late, they had not picked up the radio message broadcast by Prestwick airfield informing them of this. Parmentier was thus unaware of the deterioration in the weather: were he aware of it he would have been able to divert to Shannon.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Events prior to approach
The routine weather reports broadcast from Prestwick had given a cloud cover of 700 feet (210 m). No new forecasts, which would have told Parmentier of the expected decreased ceiling were broadcast. Nor did he know that already that evening two airliners from SAS had turned back rather than attempt a landing at Prestwick.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Events prior to approach
Inland of the runway was high ground of over 400 feet (120 m), but the KLM-issued charts which the crew were using did not mark any land higher than 250 feet (75 m). Three miles  (5 km) to the north-east of the runway, rising to over 600 feet (180 m), were a set of wireless masts. Three miles (5 km) inland ran a series of electricity pylons and high-tension cables, the main national grid line for South Scotland, carrying 132,000 volts. However the error-riddled charts issued by KLM did not have these marked and gave a spot height close by of 45'.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Approach and crash
The plane made radio contact with approach control at Prestwick shortly before 11:00 p.m. At this point the cross-wind over the main runway had, unknown to Parmentier, dropped to 14 knots which made it within limits to attempt a landing on the main runway. Instead, he decided to attempt an overshoot of the main runway guided by the ground radar controller, followed by a left-hand turn that would bring the plane downwind of the alternative runway. He would then overfly the runway before looping round for his final approach. While it might sound complicated, Parmentier expected to be in visual contact with the ground which would make such an attempt relatively easy.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Approach and crash
At 11:16 p.m. Prestwick broadcast a morse message warning of the deteriorating weather, however as the Nijmegen had now switched over to voice contact the message would not have been received. On the approach they were told of the decreased cross-wind and decided to attempt a landing on the main runway after all. However, three miles out Parmentier decided that the wind was probably too strong for landing on the main runway and decided to overshoot and land on the alternate.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Approach and crash
He overflew Runway 26, the lights of which he could now see, climbed to a height of 450 feet (140 m) and extended the landing gear ready for landing. At this point they ran into what Parmentier believed was an isolated patch of cloud. However this was the actual cloud-base, which was now as low as 300 feet (90 m) in some areas. At this point the Nijmegen was headed directly for the power cables at 450 feet (140 m), which the crew believed to be substantially lower.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Approach and crash
Parmentier realised the 'isolated fog' he had run into was getting denser, but due to his belief that they would have visual contact with the ground the crew had not attempted to time their flight downwind of the runway. Before he could abort the attempt, the plane crashed into the electricity cables, hitting the main phase conductor line. The crew attempted to turn the now burning aircraft towards the runway with the intent of an emergency landing. However, the faulty charts led them to crash into high ground five miles east-north-east of the airfield at about 23:32 UTC.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, The flight, Approach and crash
All 30 passengers (22 Dutch, 6 German, 1 British and 1 Irish) and the 10 crew died. Rescue services did not reach the crash-site for over one and a half hours due to confusion over which service was responsible for responding to the crash. By the time they arrived only six people were still alive, and all died within 24 hours.


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, Court of enquiry
The subsequent court of enquiry blamed several factors for the crash:


1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, Court of enquiry
The enquiry determined the probable cause for the accident was:


1948 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 1948 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Seven Conference during the 1948 college football season. In their first season under head coach Jules V. Sikes, the Jayhawks compiled a 7–3 record (4–2 against conference opponents), finished third in the Big Seven Conference, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 199 to 137. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.


1948 Kansas Jayhawks football team
On October 9, 1948, the Jayhawks played the 500th game in program history, a 20-7 victory over Iowa State. The team won seven of its first eight games but finished the season with back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Missouri.


1948 Kansas Jayhawks football team
Notable players on the 1948 squad included fullback Forrest Griffith, quarterback Dick Gilman, end Bryan Sperry, tackle Mike McCormack, and guard Dick Tomlinson. Griffith was the team's leading rusher with 368 yards on 96 carries; he was also the leading scorer with 37 points scored on six touchdowns and an extra point. Gilman was the leading passer with 44 completions on 129 attempts for 945 passing yards, 14 interceptions and 14 touchdown passes.


1948 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 1948 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 1948 college football season. Ralph Graham served his first year as the team's head coach. The Wildcats played their home games in Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats finished the season with a 1–9 record with a 0–6 record in conference play. They finished in last place in the Big Seven Conference. The Wildcats scored 78 points and gave up 323 points.


1948 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The victory against Arkansas State ended an NCAA-record 28-game losing streak.


1948 Kansas gubernatorial election
The 1948 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1948. Incumbent Republican Frank Carlson defeated Democratic nominee Randolph Carpenter with 57.00% of the vote.


1948 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The 1948 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1948 college football season. In its third season under head coach Trevor J. Rees, Kent State compiled a 6–2–1 record.


1948 Kentucky Derby
The 1948 Kentucky Derby was the 74th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 1, 1948, on a track rated sloppy.


1948 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 1948 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1948 college football season. The Wildcats' were led by head coach Bear Bryant in his third season and finished the season with a record of five wins, three losses and one tie (5–3–2 overall, 1–3–1 in the SEC).


1948 Kenyan general election, Electoral system
The seats in the Legislative Council were distributed according to a race-based franchise. Eleven Europeans were elected from single-member constituencies defined as Part A; five Indians (two of which were required to be Muslims) were elected from three Part B constituencies, and one Arab was elected from a single nationwide Part C constituency. Four Africans and nine Europeans were nominated members.


1948 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
The 1948 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship was the 54th staging of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Kilkenny County Board.


1948 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
On 22 August 1948, Tullaroan won the championship after a 1-12 to 2-03 defeat of Carrickshock in the final. It was their 18th championship title overall and their first title in 14 championship seasons.


1948 Kogarah state by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Kogarah on 17 July 1948. It was triggered by the death of William Currey (Labor).


1948 LFF Lyga
The 1948 LFF Lyga was the 27th season of the LFF Lyga football competition in Lithuania. It was contested by 19 teams, and Elnias Šiauliai won the championship.


1948 LSU Tigers football team
The 1948 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University (LSU) in the 1948 college football season.


1948 La Flèche Wallonne
The 1948 La Flèche Wallonne was the 12th edition of La Flèche Wallonne cycle race and was held on 21 April 1948. The race started in Charleroi and finished in Liège. The race was won by Fermo Camellini.


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake
The 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake occurred at 01:46 PST (UTC+08:00) on 25 January 1948 with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The epicenter was between the municipalities of Anini-y, Antique, and Dao (present-day Tobias Fornier in Antique) on Panay Island, Philippines.


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake
The earthquake was the second biggest on record in the country as it caused widespread damage in Panay and nearby islands. However, accounts of its intensity and the tsunamis it generated are sparse, possibly because the earthquake struck as the Philippines was recovering from the effects of the Second World War(Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Etymology
Caycay is a Kinaray-a  and Hiligaynon term describing the scratches on the ground similar to those made by chickens. The effects of the earthquake, which chiefly manifested as fissures on the ground, were said to be similar to chicken scratches (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011). Much of Iloilo province lies on soft ground, which is one of the possible reasons for the numerous fissures that appeared, especially in low-lying parts of the province.


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect
José María Cuenco, the Bishop of Jaro, estimated that the damage to 15 churches destroyed on Panay alone amounted to ₱7,000,000.


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Antique Province
In the town of Anini-y (the earthquake's epicentre), no distinct damage was seen in the century-old church—the only confirmed masonry structure existing at the time (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011). The church, which was originally built in 1830 had been damaged during the Second World War (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011). In Pandan and Culasi towns, it was reported that 50% of the houses were destroyed. Massive landslides also occurred in the mountain area (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Aklan Province
Ibajay Bridge and Kalibo Bridge, which were the two of the biggest bridges in Panay, sustained damage (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Capiz Province
The Immaculate Conception Metropolitan Cathedral in Capiz (now Roxas City) was reported to have been damaged by the earthquake (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Iloilo Province
Most of the significant damage was found in the Iloilo province, specifically to extant Spanish-era churches. Bridges, communication lines, as well as public and private buildings all sustained heavy damage.


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Iloilo Province
The churches in Igbaras, San Miguel, Oton and Maasin were severely damaged and were demolished (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011). The belfries of churches in Alimodian, Duenas, Dumangas, Guimbal, Lambunao, Passi, San Joaquin, and Arevalo districts in Iloilo City collapsed, while Jaro Cathedral (the city's episcopal see) was also severely damaged. 21 were reportedly killed in the city as another 43 were injured. Damage to churches was estimated at ₱200,000, with the total damage to the city reaching ₱1,000,000 (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Iloilo Province
The Coronet Tower in Arevalo District also collapsed, as did the old Central School and back portion of the church in León. The churches of Pavia, Tubungan, Miag-ao, and Tigbauan also sustained damage (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Iloilo Province, Fissures
Fissures erupted in the streets, causing traffic disruptions. Fissures were also observed along the roads between Pototan and Dingle and along the Santa Barbara railway. Fissures were also noted in the streets of Oton (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Effect, Iloilo Province, Fissures
Ground disruptions described as “little canyons”, possibly the sandblows, were observed in Pototan, Cabatuan, Dingle, Passi and Calinog. A new, small brook appeared after huge cracks appeared at Tiring Landing Field (now the site of the Iloilo International Airport) in Cabatuan. In the city's Fort San Pedro, large fissures 4 metres wide by 10 metres long opened such that seawater was already visible (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lady Caycay earthquake, Tsunami
Local accounts have pointed to a 2-metre high wave that was seen after the earthquake. Fish corals from the Iloilo shore towns of Oton to San Joaquin were destroyed by tsunami. Damage was estimated to be at ₱250,000. The fish corals were detached from the log moorings. The waves did not move inward thereby sparing more damage to life and property (Bautista, M.L.P, et al., 2011).


1948 Lafayette Leopards football team
The 1948 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College during the 1948 college football season. In its second season under head coach Ivy Williamson, the team compiled a 7–2 record and outscored its opponents by a total of 277 to 171. The team played its home games at Fisher Field in Easton, Pennsylvania. The team is notable for declining an invitation to the 1949 Sun Bowl, as African-American running back David Showell would not have been allowed to play in the game.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash
The 1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash occurred 21 July 1948 when a Boeing B-29-100-BW Superfortress, modified into an F-13 reconnaissance platform and performing atmospheric research, crashed into the waters of Lake Mead, Nevada.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, History
On 13 September 1945, “Lake Mead’s B-29,” serial number 45-21847, was put into service. In 1947 it was stripped of armaments, re-classified as a reconnaissance B-29 (F-13), and moved into the Upper Atmosphere Research Project. The purpose of this project was to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile guidance system that used the sun for direction and positioning. The system was known as "Sun Tracker", and to test it a plane capable of high-altitude flight followed by a rapid low-level flight was needed. The B-29 was a useful test platform as it was the first mass-produced aircraft with a pressurized cockpit, and after World War II there were many surplus B-29s available.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, History
On 21 July 1948, after completing a run to 30,000 feet (9,100 m), east of Lake Mead, Captain Robert M. Madison and the crew began a descent and leveled out just over 300 feet (91 m) above the surface of Lake Mead. The crew described the lake as looking like a mirror, with the sun reflecting brightly off the surface. Along with a faulty altimeter, the pilot lost his depth perception from the glare of the lake surface. These conditions make judging height above a surface considerably more difficult.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, History
The aircraft then slowly began to descend below 100 ft (30 m) until it struck the surface at 230 mph (370 km/h) and started skipping along it. Three of the aircraft's four engines were ripped from its wings and the fourth burst into flames. The aircraft managed to gain around 250 ft (76 m) but then settled back onto the water's surface in a nose-up attitude and slowly skiing to a stop. The five-man crew then evacuated into two life rafts and watched the aircraft sink. Though most of the crew was uninjured, the scanner, Sgt Frank Rico, broke his arm.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, History
The crew was rescued from the lake six hours later and was instructed not to disclose any details of the flight, its mission, or its loss. As the mission was classified, these details were not released until fifty years later.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, Wreckage
In 2001 a private dive team found the wreck of the B-29 in the Overton Arm of Lake Mead, using side-scan sonar. Because the bomber lay inside a National Recreation Area, responsibility for the site fell to the National Park Service.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, Wreckage
The bomber itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In July 2007 the National Park Service started a six-month trial on the B-29 Lake Mead Overton site to private companies to conduct Guided Technical Dives. One company was Scuba Training and Technology Inc. / Tech Diving Limited based in Arizona. Despite being pleased with the overall preservation of the site by the two commercial use authorization (CUA) operations, the NPS closed the B-29 site for diving in 2008 for further conservation efforts. In December 2014 NPS solicited applications for private dive companies to resume guided dive operations.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, Wreckage
Scuba Training and Technology Inc. / Tech Diving Limited was awarded the Commercial Use Authorization again and diving resumed beginning April 2015. In 2017, the NPS closed the B-29 site for diving, for further conservation efforts. On May 30, 2019, the Park Service opened a public comment period (through June 30, 2019) to assess allowance of commercially guided trips to the site. Commercial tours are now available through Las Vegas Scuba, LLC and Scuba Training and Technology Inc for 2020-2022.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, The Sun Tracker
Many of the World War II-era B-29's were scrapped after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. However, Lake Mead's B-29 was retrofitted with observation windows, making it a suitable candidate for research on cosmic rays in the post-World War II years. The B-29 bombers were beneficial for this research due to their ability to travel upwards of 30,000 feet in altitude and also their ability to carry heavy payloads over 20,000 pounds.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, The Sun Tracker
Aboard the Lake Mead B-29 was the Sun Tracker, otherwise known as Project 288, which was tasked with measuring light intensity at varying altitudes. John Simeroth, one of the crew members aboard the plane during the crash, was responsible for calibrating the Sun Tracker. The Sun Tracker, when calibrated correctly, would allow intercontinental ballistic missiles to navigate using these cosmic rays from the sun. The way it was able to track the specific wavelengths of the cosmic rays was through a gyroscope and a spectrometer.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, The Sun Tracker
The Sun Tracker would rotate around the gyroscope and capture the varying rays from the sun. The spectrometer would measure the variations between the different intensities and calculate the overall changes. One of the reasons for the development of this technology is that the United States sought missiles that could not be jammed from the surface, unlike radar and radio-guided missiles, which could be jammed from the ground. The Sun Tracker is one of the reasons today's cruise missiles can fly accurately. However, other research using the Sun Tracker technology yielded a substantial amount of data on the general makeup of the upper atmosphere, which was beneficial for many different types of applications such as space travel, and improvements in nuclear fission. Military application of this data is simply a bonus.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, Quagga mussel threat
Quagga mussels were first sighted in Lake Saint Clair, Michigan, in 1988. Indigenous to Eastern Europe, specifically in the Black and Azov Seas, believed that these Mussels were transported to the United States by hitch-hiking on ships sailing through the ocean. Quagga mussels pose a threat to many bodies of water due to their ability to filter out substantial amounts of phytoplankton and various other waterborne particulates. As a result, they make the water more transparent, making it nearly impossible for aquatic plants to maintain themselves, which causes food shortages for marine animals.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, Quagga mussel threat
They also have the ability to trap phosphorus which can allow for algae to be produced, further damaging the ecosystem. Since the introduction of quagga mussels from the Great Lakes to Lake Mead, where they were first seen by a volunteer in January 2007, the mussels have spread through the Lake Mead recreation area and the lower Colorado River basin. Their reproductive cycle is sped up from more than twice a year to over six times a year in the Western US.


1948 Lake Mead Boeing B-29 crash, Quagga mussel threat
The mussels contribute to structural integrity problems with the aluminum fuselage and empennage of the B-29, on which over two tons of mussels are estimated to have accumulated; as of September 2021, the vertical stabilizer of the aircraft has broken and toppled, possibly related to mollusk accumulation. When the mussels die, their remains corrode steel and cast-iron. The Lake Mead B-29's preservation is considered important due to it being the only intact underwater B-29 and one of few still in existence. There is currently no plan set in place to eliminate the mussel threat. Matthew Hanks, an archeologist, noted that there was almost no visible aluminum on the surface of the plane after an inspection dive.


1948 Latvian SSR Higher League, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and PAK Zhmylov won the championship.


1948 Lebanese presidential election
The 1948 Lebanese presidential election was the third presidential election, which was held as parliamentary session on 21 September 1943. The Constitutional Bechara El Khoury was re-elected as the president of Lebanon.


1948 Lebanese presidential election
The President is elected by the Members of Parliament. He needs a two-thirds majority to win in the first round, while an absolute majority is enough in the second round. He is always a Maronite Christian by convention.


1948 Lebanese presidential election
47 out of 55 deputies attended the session headed by Speaker Sabri Hamadeh. They all elected the incumbent president Bechara El Khoury.


1948 Lehigh Engineers football team
The 1948 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University as an independent during the 1948 college football season. Lehigh finished last in the Middle Three Conference.


1948 Lehigh Engineers football team
In their third year under head coach William Leckonby, the Engineers compiled a 5–4 record, 0–2 against conference opponents. DeForrest Bast was the team captain.


1948 Lehigh Engineers football team
Lehigh played its home games at Taylor Stadium on the university's main campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election
The 1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election was called to replace retiring Liberal leader and sitting Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. The convention was held exactly 29 years after the 1919 leadership convention that saw King elected Liberal leader.


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election
Secretary of State for External Affairs Louis St. Laurent defeated Minister of Agriculture (and former Premier of Saskatchewan) James Garfield Gardiner and former cabinet minister Charles Gavan Power on the first ballot, and would be sworn in as Prime Minister later that year.


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, James Garfield Gardiner
Premier of Saskatchewan (1926–1929, 1934–1935)MP for Melville, Saskatchewan (1940–1958)MP for Assiniboia, Saskatchewan (1936–1940)Minister of Agriculture (1935–1957)


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, James Garfield Gardiner
Gardiner, 64, called for increased immigration and closer ties to the United Kingdom. His support was strongest in Alberta, British Columbia, and his home province of Saskatchewan, and he was seen as St. Laurent's primary competition. His convention speech, which went over the allotted 20 minutes, asked for a chance to be the party's "spark plug." King campaigned hard against Gardiner, calling his campaign "ruthless and selfish," and criticized his tactics.


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, Charles Gavan Power
MP for Quebec South, Quebec (1917–1955)Senator for Gulf, Quebec (1955–1968)Minister of Pensions and National Health (1935–1939)Postmaster General (1939–1940)Minister of National Defence for Air (1940–1944)Associate Minister of National Defence (1940–1944)


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, Charles Gavan Power
Power, 60, had resigned from cabinet during World War II amidst the Conscription Crisis of 1944 due to his opposition to conscription. Power left the Liberals to sit as an "Independent Liberal," and was elected as such during the 1945 election. Following the war, Power rejoined the Liberals. His convention speech called for electoral reform (including placing limits on campaign spending), and called on the party to return to its policy of protecting individual rights.


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, Louis St. Laurent
MP for Quebec East, Quebec (1942–1958)Minister of Justice and Attorney General (1941–1946, 1948)Secretary of State for External Affairs (1946–1948)


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, Louis St. Laurent
St. Laurent, 66, was King's personal choice, and King campaigned hard for St. Laurent to win. King lobbied hard behind the scenes, reversing his earlier pledge not to vote on the first ballot and convincing various other cabinet ministers (as seen below) to enter the race and withdraw in favour of St. Laurent. St. Laurent's support was seen as strong throughout the country, especially Ontario and Quebec. St. Laurent's convention speech told delegates that his government would fight to prevent the spread of communism abroad, and that the Liberals were the only party capable of bridging the gap between English Canada and French Canada, and respect provincial rights.


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, Withdrawn candidates
King, in his behind the scenes attempt to swing the convention in favour of St. Laurent, convinced the following candidates to run for the leadership but withdraw at the convention to support St. Laurent:


1948 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election, Candidates, Withdrawn candidates
There was an attempt to draft Premier of Nova Scotia Angus Lewis Macdonald after he gave a rousing speech to the convention but he announced that he would not stand.


1948 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The 1948 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship was the 54th staging of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Limerick County Board.


1948 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
On 28 November 1948, Ahane won the championship after a 2-03 to 0-01 defeat of Croom in the final. It was their 15th championship title overall and their seventh title in succession. It was the second time in their history that Ahane won seven titles in-a-row.


1948 Litang earthquake
The 1948 Litang earthquake (1948年理塘地震) occurred on May 28, 1948 at 07:11 UTC. It was located near Litang, China. Now situated in the Sichuan Province, Litang County was then called Lihua (or Lihwa) (理化) County and belonged to the defunct Xikang (or Sikang) Province. The earthquake had a magnitude of Mw 7.2, or Ms 7.3.


1948 Litang earthquake
This earthquake caused more than 800 deaths. More than 600 houses collapsed in the areas around Litang and Daocheng. Landslides, ground fissures and sandblows occurred in the region. The intensity of the earthquake reached MM X. Some of the aftershocks caused additional damage.


1948 Litang earthquake
The earthquake occurred in the middle segment between Litang and Dewu (德巫) of the Litang-Dewu fault zone (理塘-德巫断裂带). Litang Fault, situated in the Sichuan-Yunnan rhombic block  (川滇菱形块体), is a NW-trending fault and dominated mainly by left-lateral shear movement. The average horizontal slip rate of the Litang Fault is about 3.2 to 4.4 mm/yr on the Litang-Dewu segment and about 2.6 to 3.0 mm/yr on the segment to the north of Litang. A study of Wang et al. estimated that the Litang fault has a left-lateral strike-slip rate of 4.4±1.3 mm/yr and an extension rate of 2.7±1.1 mm/yr. The focal mechanism was recognized to be a left-lateral slip on a plane striking northwest (315°) for a distance of about 75 km. The released seismic moment was estimated to be about 7.4×1019 Nm.


1948 Little League World Series
The 1948 Little League World Series was held from August 25 to August 28 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Lock Haven All Stars of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, defeated the St. Petersburg All Stars of St. Petersburg, Florida, in the championship game of the 2nd Little League World Series. The event was referred to as the National Little League Tournament, as "World Series" naming was not adopted until the following year.


1948 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
The 1948 Liège–Bastogne–Liège was the 34th edition of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycle race and was held on 2 May 1948. The race started and finished in Liège. The race was won by Maurice Mollin.


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials
The 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials were organised by the newly nationalised British Railways (BR). Locomotives from the former "Big Four" constituent companies (GWR, LMS, LNER, SR) were transferred to and worked on other regions. Officially, these comparisons were to identify the best qualities of the four different schools of thought of locomotive design so that they could be used in the planned BR standard designs. However, the testing had little scientific rigour, and political influence meant that LMS practice was largely followed by the new standard designs regardless. However, the trials were useful publicity for BR to show the unity of the new British Railways. To record the locomotive performances, one of three dynamometer cars were included in the consist directly behind the locomotive (with a GWR, LMS and NER version being available).


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials
LMS engines which operated over the Southern Region, where there were no water troughs, were paired with four-axled ex-WD tenders with larger water tanks. These were specially given LMS lettering for the occasion. Similarly, ex-Southern types used elsewhere were paired with ex-LMS tenders with water scoops.


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials
Locomotives used were as follows (NB numbers given should be the ones carried at the time, so this is a somewhat curious mixture of old pre-nationalisation numbers, prefixed numbers, and new BR numbers):


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials, Express passenger locomotives
The four routes used were: LMS Euston to Carlisle, LNER Kings Cross to Leeds, GWR Paddington to Plymouth, and SR Waterloo to Exeter.


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials, Express passenger locomotives
The only line with a loading gauge of sufficient size to take a GWR King was the LNER main line out of Kings Cross, meaning that the class was limited to that line only.


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials, Express passenger locomotives
Official test runs on the LNER East Coast Main Line were held on the following dates, using the NER Dynamometer Car:


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials, Express passenger locomotives
Official test runs on the LMS West Coast Main Line were held on the following dates, using the L&YR Dynamometer Car whilst hauling the Royal Scot:


1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials, Express passenger locomotives
Official test runs on the SR West of England Main Line were held on the following dates, using the GWR Dynamometer Car whilst hauling the Atlantic Coast Express: