By: History.com Editors

1949

Mao Zedong proclaims People’s Republic of China

History.com Editors

Published: November 13, 2009

Last Updated: January 31, 2025

Naming himself head of state, communist revolutionary Mao Zedong officially proclaims the existence of the People’s Republic of China; Zhou Enlai is named premier. The proclamation was the climax of years of battle between Mao’s communist forces and the regime of Nationalist Chinese leader Chiang Kai-Shek, who had been supported with money and arms from the American government. The loss of China, the largest nation in Asia, to communism was a severe blow to the United States, which was still reeling from the Soviet Union’s detonation of a nuclear device one month earlier.

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State Department officials in President Harry S. Truman’s administration tried to prepare the American public for the worst when they released a “white paper” in August 1949. The report argued that Chiang’s regime was so corrupt, inefficient, and unpopular that no amount of U.S. aid could save it. Nevertheless, the communist victory in China brought forth a wave of criticism from Republicans who charged that the Truman administration lost China through gross mishandling of the situation. Other Republicans, notably Senator Joseph McCarthy, went further, claiming that the State Department had gone “soft” on communism; more recklessly, McCarthy suggested that there were procommunist sympathizers in the department.

The United States withheld recognition from the new communist government in China. The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, during which communist Chinese and U.S. forces did battle, drove an even deeper wedge between the two nations. In the ensuing years, continued U.S. support of Chiang’s Republic of China, which had been established on the island of Taiwan, and the refusal to seat the People’s Republic of China at the United Nations made diplomatic relations impossible. President Richard Nixon broke the impasse with his stunning visit to communist China in February 1972. The United States extended formal diplomatic recognition in 1979.

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Chinese and U.S. currency.

By: History.com Editors

Timeline

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1864

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1903

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1908

Ford Motor Company unveils the Model T

On October 1, 1908, the first production Model T Ford is completed at the company’s Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build some 15 million Model T cars. It was the longest production run of any automobile model in history until the Volkswagen Beetle surpassed it in 1972.

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 19: The Ford Model T was introduced by Henry Ford (1863-1947) in 1908, and made by the Ford Motor Company in Detroit. By means of true mass production, this car was affordable for far more people than ever before. By 1913 motorised production lines were in use, enabling the Model T to be made in such quantities that, in 1915, a tourer cost half the price it was when first introduced. The new production methods were so speedy that only one paint, japan black enamel, would dry fast enough to prevent problems, hence the remark attributed to Ford that �Customers can have any color they want so long as it's black�. The Model T was hugely popular, and by the time it was phased out in 1927 over sixteen million vehicles had been made. (Photo by SSPL/Getty Images)

1910

A bomb explodes in the Los Angeles Times building

On October 1, 1910, a massive explosion destroys the Los Angeles Times building in the city’s downtown area, killing 21 and injuring many more. Since Los Angeles Times publisher Harrison Otis, a virulent opponent of unions, believed that the bomb was directed at him, he hired the nation’s premier private detective, William J. Burns, to crack the case. In addition to printing numerous editorials against unions, Otis was the leader of the Merchants and Manufacturing Association, a powerful group of business owners with extensive political connections.

1920

Scientific American reports that radio will soon be used to transmit music to the home

On October 1, 1920, Scientific American magazine reports that the rapidly developing medium of radio would soon be used to broadcast music. A revolution in the role of music in everyday life was about to be born.

1924

Jimmy Carter is born

On October 1, 1924, future President James Earl Carter is born in Plains, Georgia. Carter, who preferred to be called “Jimmy,” was the son of a peanut farmer and was the first president to be born in a hospital. Carter was raised a devoted Southern Baptist and graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1946. He married Rosalynn Smith later that year.

1946

Nazi war criminals sentenced at Nuremberg

On October 1, 1946, 12 high-ranking Nazis are sentenced to death by the International War Crimes Tribunal in Nuremberg. Among those condemned to death by hanging were Joachim von Ribbentrop, Nazi minister of foreign affairs; Hermann Goering, founder of the Gestapo and chief of the German air force; and Wilhelm Frick, minister of the interior. Seven others, including Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler’s former deputy, were given prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life. Three others were acquitted.

1958

American Express launches its first credit card

On October 1, 1958, the American Express Company issues its first charge card in the U.S. and Canada to give traveling customers more flexibility. The purple paperboard card—which later becomes the iconic green or gold plastic card—pre-dates a new era of paying for purchases with revolving credit cards, with MasterCard and Visa following years later.

1961

Roger Maris breaks home run record

On October 1, 1961, in New York's final game of the regular season, Yankees slugger Roger Maris hits his 61st home run, becoming the first player in Major League Baseball to hit more than 60 in a season. He tops former Yankees great Babe Ruth, who hit 60 home runs in 1927.

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Johnny Carson makes debut as “Tonight Show” host

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1977

Soccer star Pelé plays farewell game

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1987

Earthquake rocks Southern California

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1988

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2005

Suicide bombers stage attacks in Bali

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Citation Information

Article title
Mao Zedong proclaims People’s Republic of China
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
March 21, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
January 31, 2025
Original Published Date
November 13, 2009

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