Look Back To 1948: What Happened That Year

The NHS began, the Olympics came to London and the Windrush docked at Tilbury.

Here's 1948 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

Popular music in 1948

• 'Buttons and Bows' and 'Nature Boy' were among the year's popular songs.
• The long-playing record was introduced in America in June.
• Radio comedy, including Take It From Here, was the family listening.

In the news in 1948

• The National Health Service began on 5 July.
• The Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury on 22 June.
• The British Nationality Act was passed the same year.
• The Berlin airlift began in June.

On screen in 1948

• Oliver Twist and The Red Shoes were released.
• Television coverage of the Olympics was the first sport broadcast at any scale.
• Cinema attendance was at its all-time peak in Britain around this point.

In sport in 1948

• The Austerity Olympics were held in London from July, with athletes bringing their own towels and food.
• Fanny Blankers-Koen won four golds; Britain won three.
• Don Bradman's Invincibles toured England, and he was out for a duck in his final Test innings.

Everyday life in 1948

• Everyone was registered with a doctor for the first time and dentistry and spectacles were suddenly free.
• Rationing continued and bread rationing ended in July.
• Housing shortages remained severe.

If you were born in 1948

• Anyone born in 1948 is the same age as the NHS.
• They were born the year of the London Olympics and the arrival of the Windrush.
• Anyone born in 1948 turns 30 in 1978, 40 in 1988, 50 in 1998, 60 in 2008 and 70 in 2018.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1949
• Look back to 1947
• Look back to 1946
• Look back to 1945
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• Wartime and 1950s party games
• Traditional British party games
• Pen and paper games
• Card games your nan taught you
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When did the NHS start?

5 July 1948, under Health Minister Aneurin Bevan.

What were the Austerity Olympics?

The 1948 London Olympics, held with no new venues, athletes housed in camps and colleges, and competitors bringing their own food.

How old is someone born in 1948?

Subtract 1948 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1988, 50 in 1998, 60 in 2008 and 70 in 2018.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.