Department of Defense was created ? $4-billion tax reduction passed ? Jackie Robinson, first black major league baseball player, won Rookie of the Year Award ? Marshall Plan established; U.S. provided millions in relief for foreign countries to recover from war ? The Atomic Energy Commission was formed ? Britain's Princess Elizabeth married Duke Philip Mountbatten ? Voice of America began its broadcasts to U.S.S.R. ? Truman wanted funds to fight "cold war" ? First U.S. ballistic missile was fired ? Taft-Hartley Act put limits on organized labor

Batting average champ: Harry Walker (.363) ? NFL Championship: Chicago Cardinals over Philadelphia Eagles ? NFL rushing champ: Steve Van Buren (1008 yds.) ? World Series: NY Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers ? Yogi Berra became first to pinch hit a World Series homer

Top Tunes... Look to the Rainbow, There! I've Said It Again, Almost Like Being In Love, Autumn Leaves ? Top Movies... Gentleman's Agreement (best), Miracle on 34th Street, The Farmer's Daughter, Great Expectations ? Best Actor & Actress?Ronald Colman & Loretta Young

Meet the Press premiered on TV ? Howdy Doody radio show started with "It's Howdy Doody time" ? Marcel Marceau created pantomime character called Bip ? Kukla, Fran and Ollie premiered ? First Tony Awards for best in theater ? Roy Rogers married Dale Evans

Radar for commercial and private planes ? Network news - Dumont's News from Washington ? Tape recorder for home ? Transistor - by Bell Labs ? Plane (F-80) to exceed 600 mph ? Almond Joy candy bar ? Full fashion line by Christian Dior ? Ajax cleanser

Navy Captain Nathaniel Palmer discovered Antarctica (1820) ? Panama declared its independence from Columbia (1928) ... Born This Day ? Actress Brenda Vaccaro (1939) ? Astronaut Alan Shepard, Jr. (1923) ? Singer Dorothy Collins (1926)