What is significant about the year 1946?

• A. The ferry Kalakala becomes the first commercial vessel to receive the FCC Radar License No.001
• B. Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction
• C. Hulsmeyer patents first radar-like device
• D. ARPA is introduced

Answer: (A)

The year 1946 is significant because it marks the launch of radar into civilian use, not just military. After World War II, radar technology that proved its value in the war began to be licensed and adopted for everyday operations. The first commercial radar license was issued to a vessel—the ferry Kalakala—signaling a regulatory and practical shift toward using radar for safe maritime navigation in peacetime.

This makes the event the best answer because it embodies the transition from wartime development to civilian deployment. Other options refer to much earlier discoveries or later organizational milestones: Faraday’s electromagnetic induction was established in the 19th century and is a foundational science, Hulsmeyer’s radar-like device was patented well before 1946 and did not define that year, and ARPA (the forerunner of DARPA) was created later in the 1950s.