January 1948

In 1948 Percy Julian synthesized Reichstein's Substance S (desoxycortisone) from soybean sterols at the Glidden Company. This synthesis remains the most widely used route to the production of hydrocortisone and its derivatives, which treat arthritis, allergies, and inflammatory diseases. The breakthrough combined with his 1949 cortisone work made Julian the world's leading steroid chemist.

Muddy Waters recorded 'I Can't Be Satisfied' and 'Feel Like Going Home' for Aristocrat/Chess Records in 1948. Performed in his Delta style but with electric guitar, 'I Can't Be Satisfied' was a smash hit that virtually founded Chess Records' commercial identity. The recordings bridged Mississippi Delta blues and the amplified Chicago sound that would become the foundation of rock and roll.

Alice Coachman won the Olympic high jump at the 1948 London Games with a leap of 5 feet, 6 1/8 inches — an Olympic and American record — becoming the first Black woman from any country to win an Olympic gold medal. King George VI personally awarded her the honor. Coachman had trained despite segregated facilities and minimal parental support, and was the only American woman to win gold at those Games.

In 1948, Gordon Parks became the first Black photographer on staff at Life magazine, the most widely read photojournalism publication in America. Over his career at Life he documented poverty, gang life, segregation, and the civil rights movement with unflinching artistry. His 1948 photo essay on a Harlem gang leader and his 1961 photo essay on a Brazilian boy in poverty are landmarks of American documentary photography.