Timeline May 1948

Events in May 1948 4

• 1901 – 1948 Witold Pilecki The Volunteer for Auschwitz An intelligence officer who intentionally got arrested to enter Auschwitz and organize resistance.
• 1948 Arab-Israeli War breaks out Neighboring Arab states invade the newly declared state of Israel Hours after Israel declared independence, armies from Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq invaded on May 15, 1948, beginning the first Arab-Israeli War. The fighting, interspersed with UN-brokered truces, continued into 1949 and resulted in Israeli territorial gains beyond the original UN partition lines. The war also triggered the mass displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs.
• 1948 National Party wins South African election Victory brings formal introduction of apartheid policy The National Party, led by D. F. Malan, won the South African general election on May 26, 1948, defeating Jan Smuts on a platform of racial segregation. The new government began codifying apartheid into law soon after taking office, formalizing and extending existing racial discrimination. The system of legally enforced segregation would remain in place until the early 1990s.
• 1948 – 1980 John Bonham (1948-1980) Died 25 September 1980, aged 32 English drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin, regarded as one of the most influential drummers in rock history for his power and technique. He died after a night of heavy drinking, choking in his sleep, prompting the band's dissolution soon after. His death is often cited alongside the "27 Club" despite his age of 32.