About the day » Tuesday December 21, 1948Calender converter

• David Mathie **, Ayrshire County, Scotland († 2001)
• Albert van Valburg, Wadenoijen (GL) († 2024)
• Delvin Laverne Fuller, Sioux City, Woodbury, Iowa, Verenigde Staten († 1999)
• Ruth WYNWOOD, Franklin, Tasmania, Australia († 2019)
• Antje Apol, Bergum, Friesland, Nederland († 2002)
• N.N. (levenloos) de Goffau, Krabbendijke, Zeeland, Nederland († 1948)
• Helena Emilia Francisca Musters, Gilze en Rijen († 1948)
• Firmin Joseph Wauters, Sint-Truiden, België († 2024)
• Hendrika Maria van Mierlo, Kampen, Overijssel, Nederland († 2005)
• Hilleginus Hendrikus Lunshof, Assen († 1978)

• Anthonia Maria Vos (43), Naaldwijk, Westland, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Annigje den Burger (90), Leerdam
• Arend Vianen (86), Rijnsburg
• Arend Vianen (86), Rijnsburg, Katwijk, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Adriaan Bergers (79), Tholen, Zeeland, Nederland
• Jan Michiel Brongersma (58), Groningen
• Arnoldus Schipperus (77), Rotterdam,, Zuid-Holland, Nederland
• Antonia Maria Vos (43), Delft
• Angelina Gertrudis Peeters (84), Alken
• * Alida Jocker (84), Rotterdam

• 1946 » Carl Wilson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist († 1998)
• 1946 » Roy Karch, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1947 » Paco de Lucía, Spanish guitarist, songwriter, and producer († 2014)
• 1948 » Barry Gordon, American actor and voice artist; longest-serving president of the Screen Actors Guild (1988–95)
• 1948 » Dave Kingman, American baseball player
• 1948 » Samuel L. Jackson, American actor and producer
• 1949 » Nikolaos Sifounakis, Greek lawyer and politician
• 1949 » Thomas Sankara, Burkinabé captain and politician, 5th President of Burkina Faso († 1987)
• 1950 » Jeffrey Katzenberg, American screenwriter and producer, co-founded DreamWorks Animation
• 1950 » Lillebjørn Nilsen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist

• 1937 » Ted Healy, American comedian and actor (b. 1896)
• 1937 » Violette Neatley Anderson, American judge (b. 1882)
• 1940 » F. Scott Fitzgerald, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1896)
• 1945 » George S. Patton, American general (b. 1885)
• 1948 » Władysław Witwicki, Polish psychologist, philosopher, translator, historian (of philosophy and art) and artist (b. 1878)
• 1952 » Kenneth Edwards, American golfer (b. 1886)
• 1953 » Kaarlo Koskelo, Finnish-American wrestler and businessman (b. 1888)
• 1957 » Eric Coates, English-American viola player and composer (b. 1886)
• 1958 » H.B. Warner, English actor (b. 1875)
• 1958 » Lion Feuchtwanger, German-American author and playwright (b. 1884)

• Koningin Wilhelmina (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from 1890 till September 4, 1948 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• Koningin Juliana (Huis van Oranje-Nassau) was from September 4, 1948 till April 30, 1980 sovereign of the Netherlands (also known as Koninkrijk der Nederlanden)
• In The Netherlands , there was from July 3, 1946 to August 7, 1948 the cabinet Beel I, with Dr. L.J.M. Beel (KVP) as prime minister.
• From August 7, 1948 till March 15, 1951 the Netherlands had a cabinet Drees - Van Schaik with the prime ministers Dr. W. Drees (PvdA) and Mr. J.R.H. van Schaik (KVP).
• The Netherlands had about 9.7 million citizens.
• February 21 » NASCAR is incorporated.
• February 25 » In a coup d'état led by Klement Gottwald, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia takes control of government in Prague to end the Third Czechoslovak Republic.
• May 12 » Wilhelmina, Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, cedes the throne.
• July 5 » National Health Service Acts create the national public health system in the United Kingdom.
• July 26 » U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs Executive Order 9981, desegregating the military of the United States.
• December 9 » The Genocide Convention is adopted.

The temperature on December 21, 1948 was between -2.0 °C and 2.6 °C and averaged 0.4 °C. There was 0.6 mm of rain during 1.1 hours. The average windspeed was 2 Bft (weak wind) and was prevailing from the northeast.