1948 — The British mandate over Palestine ends, and the Jewish state of Israel is proclaimed. The United States recognizes Israel. Arab armies from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt attack Israel. Ralph Bunche succeeds in working out an Arab-Israeli armistice.

Also that year:

• Mohandas Gandhi is fatally shot by a Hindu extremist in New Delhi.
• D. Hodgkin takes Xray photographs of vitamin B12, which he uses to analyze its structure.
• Edwin Land invents the first camera that develops photos instantly. The camera became known as the Polaroid Land Camera