1948

Events

January

• January 3: During the Greek Civil War, The battle for Konitsa ends in a decisive victory for the National Forces.
• January 9: The Hellenic Parliament passes Law 518 annexing the Dodecanese islands.

February

• February 9: A major earthquake (7.1 on the Richter scale) strikes the island of Karpathos.
• February 18: The CISM is founded by member states Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Denmark and France in Nice, France. Greece will become member on March 8, 1950.
• February 24: American General James Van Fleet arrives in Greece to assist the national forces against the Democratic Army of Greece in the Greek Civil War.

March

• March 2: The National Forces launch "Operation Pergamos" to drive the Democratic Army of Greece from the Mourgana mountains.
• March 3: Manolis Glezos goes on trial for his political convictions.
• March 7: The Dodecanese officially become part of Greece.
• March 28: The National Forces make a second unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the Democratic Army of Greece from the Mourgana mountains.

April

• April 15: The Greek A Army Corps, under Gen Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos, conducts a mop-up operation, throughout Central Greece, against the Democratic Army of Greece, during the Greek Civil War. This operation was codenamed "Dawn".
• April 22: A strong earthquake (6.5 on the Richter scale) destroys much of Lefkada.
• April 23: Greece play their first post-WW II football game and lose 1-3 to Turkey at Leoforos Alexandras Stadium.

May

• May 1: Justice Minister, Christos Ladas, is assassinated during the Greek Civil War.
• May 8: American journalist, George Polk, is murdered in Thessaloniki.
• May 16: The body of American journalist, George Polk, who had been missing for days, is found by fisherman, Lambros Antonaros, floating in the Thermaic Gulf.

June

• June 14: Operation Coronis is put into effect during the Greek Civil War by the national forces. Its aim is to drive out the Communists from the northern Pindus mountains.
• June 30: A strong earthquake (6.4 on the Richter scale) strikes Lefkada adding to the destruction of another earthquake on April 22 of the same year.

July

• July 3: The Corinth Canal, which was rendered useless by the retreating Germans, is put into operation again.

August

• August 20: Democratic Army of Greece commander, Giorgos Yiannoulis, is executed during the Greek Civil War.
• August 21: The national forces abandon "Operation Coronis" in the Greek Civil War.

September

• September 3: Marshall Tito shuts down the training camps of the Democratic Army of Greece in Yugoslavia.
• September 11: The National Forces launch "Operation Taurus" as they attack the Democratic Army of Greece at their stronghold in the Mourgana mountains.
• September 18: The National Forces drive the Democratic Army of Greece out of the Mourgana mountains.

October

• October 31: The last entry in Greek armored cruiser Georgios Averof's log reads: «Συνήθης εν όρμω υπηρεσία. Κινήσεις συμφώνως τω πίνακι. Εκτακτον ουδέν»

November

• November 1: Archbishop Athenagoras is elected Ecumenical Patriarch.
• November 17: The UN General Assembly passes resolution 193, condemning the removal of Greek children to Eastern Bloc countries and demanding their return.

December

• December 12: The Democratic Army of Greece attacks and enters Karditsa.
• December 13: National Forces drive out the Democratic Army of Greece from Karditsa.
• December 23: The Democratic Army of Greece is repelled at Edessa.
• December 30: The Democratic Army of Greece is repelled at Aridaia.

Births

January

• January 4: Kostas Davourlis, footballer
• January 20: Dimitris Dimitriou, footballer

March

• March 8: Popi Asteriadi, singer

April

• April 2: Dimitris Mitropanos, singer
• April 30: Alexander Onassis

May

• May 21: Giorgos Georgiadis, athlete (hammer throw)

July

• July 21: Cat Stevens, Greek-British singer
• July 27: Pavlos Sidiropoulos, rock musician

August

• August 7: Antonis Vardis, singer
• August 10: Ioannis Kasoulidis, Cypriot politician.

September

• September 13: Dimitri Nanopoulos, physicist

December

• December 7: Lakis Papadopoulos (Λάκης με τα ψηλά ρεβέρ), musician, songwriter
• December 10: Dusan Bajevic, football player and coach
• December 11: Stamatis Spanoudakis, music composer

Deaths

May

• May 1: Christos Ladas, Minister of Justice
• May 8: George Polk, American journalist covering the Greek Civil War
• May 22: Georgios Tsolakoglou, general and quisling PM of Greece