This ‘News Parade of the Year’ will focus on the news highlights of 1948. It is presented by Castle Films and will begin with aerial shots of massive flood waters which had hit the pacific northwest (:17). The Columbia river swelled due to excessive rainfall and shots of a cow sitting in a boat (:22) as well as a house floating through flood waters are given (:25). Shots of relief workers bringing aide to those in need follow (:25). In Florida, a hurricane swept from Key West to Miami (:59) with winds reaching 140 mph and damages estimating to be $25 million. Queen Wilhelmina of Amsterdam, bids farewell to cheering crowds after 50 years (1:17). Her daughter Juliana, was to be her replacement (1:29) and she is filmed with her Prince consort Bernard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1:29) and going through the procedure and processions of becoming a queen (1:39). The Berlin blockade began in 1948 and images of coal and supplies sitting in rail carts open this segment (2:05). These had been halted by Russian forces, though US Air Force set to sending aide through the skies (2:19) in the greatest airborne movement the world had seen. A troop squadron carrier (2:28) is filmed in flight and violence on the streets between Communists and Germans from the western cities follows (2:43). Strikes broke out in France (2:51) directed by French Communists. These targeted coal mines and left 300,000 coal miners sitting idle (3:01). Violence in the streets is recorded on film between strikers and police who often used tear gas (3:06). A span of lined women from the Israeli army or IDF (3:32) open the next section which is on the brewing and escalating tensions between the Palestinians and Israelis. Bomb raids hit a shopping center in the Israeli settlements (3:42). Count Folks Bernadotte (4:14) is pictured and he was a UN mediator assassinated by the Zionist group, Lehi (4:19). Riots are pictured in the streets of Bogota (4:26). As the US secretary of state and representatives of South America’s Republic met, the leader of the Colombian Liberal party was assassinated (4:33). Mobs are seen burning buildings and other property (4:37). The world’s largest plane as of 1948 opens the next segment (5:00) weighing 92 tons and manufactured by Lockheed. It is captured taking off with 168 passengers (5:09) and was to land 10 hours later in Patuxent; Maryland’s naval air station (5:15). The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin is next (5:25), also known as the ‘Parasite’ as it could not take off on its own and needed to be propelled by the mother ship (5:43). The mother ship, a B-29, is seen scooping the craft back up (5:53). In the greatest mass drop held in the US, 76 flying box cars and 2,200 paratroopers (5:57) of the 82nd airborne fleet participated (6:01). They took off from Fort Bragg and men in parachutes are seen dropping down upon Camp Campbell in Kentucky (6:07). Andrews field is then pictured with an air show (6:30). The 1948 presidential election was between the Republican candidate Thomas Dewey of New York (7:09) and Truman (7:18) whom had left the Vice Presidency after FDR’s death and wished to remain in office. Truman is filmed casting his ballot alongside wife and child (8:00) and he wins the election which was considered to be one of the greatest political upsets (8:14). This film concludes with Truman speaking and a quote by him (8:18).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com