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| 1946, Feb. 13 |
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| Parliament repealed the Trades Disputes Act of 1927, which had made certain strikes illegal and had hampered the political activities of labor unions. | 1 |
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| Feb. 14 |
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| The Bank of England was brought under public ownership. | 2 |
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| MayJuly |
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| In a burst of socialist legislation, Parliament passed a bill providing for the nationalization of the coal industry, a National Insurance Bill (consolidating existing schemes of social insurance and extending them to a larger section of the population), a National Health Service Bill (to make free medical services available to everyone) and a Cable and Wireless Act, nationalizing imperial communications. | 3 |
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| July 1 |
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| British transatlantic passenger flights between London and New York began. | 4 |
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| July 21 |
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| Britain's export difficulties and a world shortage of wheat combined to necessitate bread rationing (a measure never taken during the war). This was followed by restrictions on most other staple foods. | 5 |
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| Aug. 15 |
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| India gained independence from Great Britain. | 6 |
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