Iran becomes the first country to accept technical assistance from the United States under the Point Four Program.

The Point Four Program was a major international aid initiative announced by U.S. President Harry S. Truman during his inaugural address on January 20, 1949. The program gets its name because it was the fourth point in Truman’s speech, following other key objectives related to U.S. foreign policy and security.

The program aimed to provide technical assistance and economic aid to developing countries in order to help them modernize and improve their agricultural, industrial, and health sectors. Truman framed this as a way for the U.S. to promote global stability and prosperity, thus countering the spread of communism during the Cold War era.