Born in 1946
Turns 80 in 2026 · 80th birthday gifts
80th birthday gifts for someone born in 1946
1946 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $30.00Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $30.00
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $30.00
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $30.00
Front Page: United States edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1946 · United States
A little history to go with their gift.
The University of Pennsylvania revealed ENIAC, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life reached cinemas, and The Best Years of Our Lives examined veterans’ return. The records capture new computing and two films focused on family, work and life after war.
What happened in 1946?
George Robson won the Indianapolis 500
George Robson won the 1946 Indianapolis 500, the first running of the race since 1941.
A permanent school lunch program took shape
President Truman signed a law establishing permanent federal support for school lunch programs across the country.
Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum · U.S. House of Representatives, History, Art & Archives
Truman signed the Atomic Energy Act
The new law set a civilian framework for U.S. atomic energy and created a commission to oversee it.
St. Louis Cardinals win the 1946 World Series
The series ended with a close Game 7 at Sportsman’s Park, won 4–3.
Major League Baseball · National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Firsts and new ideas
ENIAC made electronic computing public
The University of Pennsylvania revealed ENIAC on 14 February 1946, presenting a room-sized electronic calculator built from thousands of vacuum tubes.
Raytheon patented microwave cooking
A Raytheon patent carried radar-era microwave research toward food preparation, although the large commercial Radarange followed in 1947.
Number ones and music in 1946
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Dolly Parton Was Born In Tennessee
Dolly Parton was born in Tennessee on January 19, 1946, and later became a country music star.
Liza Minnelli was born in Los Angeles
Liza Minnelli was born in Los Angeles on March 12, 1946, at the start of a life in American music and theater.
Prices and everyday money in 1946
United States figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh eggs, U.S. city average | 58.6 cents | per dozen U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (digitized by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) |
| Federal minimum wage for workers in jobs first covered by the 1938 Act | 40 cents | per hour U.S. Department of Labor |
| Domestic first-class letter postage | 3 cents | one ounce letter United States Postal Service Historian; Postal Regulatory Commission |
| Fresh milk, delivered, U.S. city average | 17.6 cents | per U.S. quart U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (digitized by FRASER, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis) |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1946 turns 80 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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