Eighty years ago this week Britain gives the world another monarchy

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Britain granted independence to Jordan (then called Transjordan) as an absolute monarchy. Since 1921 it had been an emirate carved out of the Ottoman empire under British "protection" recognised by the League of Nations. The new king Abdullah was one of four sons of Hussain Bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, the leader of the "Arab Revolt" against the Ottomans supported by the British in the First World War. Abdullah extended this loyalty into the Second World War. His grandson still rules as king.

A nationwide strike in US coal mines led the President to bring them under state control so as to force a return to work. A similar move on strike-hit railways was averted with only minutes to spare when the rail unions accepted a government deal.

Communist Klement Gottwald was appointed prime minister of Czechoslovakia. His party had emerged as the largest in the country with 38% of the vote in national elections held in March. He had supported vigorously the highly popular expulsion of ethnic Germans which had taken place earlier.

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