An uprising against the Kuomintang administration in Taiwan is suppressed, killing thousands and ushering in the White Terror.
The postwar constitution makes the emperor a symbol of the state, and its Article 9 renounces war.
The government of the Republic of Korea is established in the south of the peninsula, with Syngman Rhee as president.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is proclaimed in the north of the peninsula, led by Kim Il Sung.
Japan overthrows the French administration in Indochina; Bảo Đại then proclaims the Empire of Vietnam with Trần Trọng Kim as prime minister.
One of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War, causing heavy losses among soldiers and Okinawan civilians.
The United States drops the first atomic bomb used in war on Hiroshima, killing tens of thousands instantly.