February 1928 🐇

"The following events occurred in February 1928: February 1, 1928 (Wednesday) *A significant discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb was made in the "annex": the canopic jars containing the pharaoh's organs. *Boxing promoter Tex Rickard said that Jack Dempsey was retiring from the ring. *Born: **Tom Lantos, Hungarian-born American politician, in Budapest (d. 2008) **Stuart Whitman, actor, in San Francisco *Died: Hughie Jennings, 58, American baseball player and manager February 2, 1928 (Thursday) *The Great Fall River fire broke out in Fall River, Massachusetts, destroying much of the town. *Charles Lindbergh flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico and landed to a 20-gun salute. February 3, 1928 (Friday) *The Simon Commission arrived in Bombay to study constitutional reform in British India. The delegation was immediately met with a hartal and protestors holding black flags and banners reading "Simon Go Back". *Born: Frankie Vaughan, singer, in Liverpool, England (d. 1999) February 4, 1928 (Saturday) *Charles Lindbergh flew to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on his twenty-sixth birthday where he was given the key to the city before attending a reception by President Horacio Vásquez. *Communists in Berlin stormed a movie theatre showing the American war film The Big Parade where they tore up the screen and tried to burn the film. *The silent film The Garden of Eden starring Corinne Griffith was released. *Born: Kim Yong-nam, North Korean politician, in Central District, Heijo *Died: Hendrik Lorentz, 74, Dutch physicist and Nobel Prize laureate *Martyed: Manche Masemola, 14, South African convert to Christianity, murdered by her parents for her faith.https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey- commemorations/commemorations/manche-masemola/ February 5, 1928 (Sunday) *Two hundred were injured and one hundred and twenty-five were arrested in Berlin during fighting between Communists and Der Stahlhelm. *Fascist Italy opened the Accademia della Farnesina, a school for sport and political education. *Born: **Andrew Greeley, Roman Catholic priest and writer, in Oak Park, Illinois (d. 2013) **Don Hoak, baseball player, in Roulette Township, Pennsylvania (d. 1969) **Gene Lees, Canadian music critic and journalist (d. 2010) February 6, 1928 (Monday) *Prominent Americans and Frenchmen held a celebration in Paris commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Franco- American Treaty of Alliance of 1778. *Actress Mae Clark married the dancer and comedian Lew Brice in Chicago. *The first United States appearance (arrived in New York City) of the mysterious woman who claimed to be Anastasia Romanov. *Charles Lindbergh flew to Port-au-Prince, Haiti and was greeted by President Louis Borno. February 7, 1928 (Tuesday) *King George V opened a new session of British Parliament. *The Pan American Institute of Geography and History was created in Havana. *Born: Al Smith, baseball player, in Kirkwood, Missouri (d. 2002) February 8, 1928 (Wednesday) *Charles Lindbergh flew to Cuba and was received at the presidential palace by Gerardo Machado. * British inventor John Logie Baird broadcast a transatlantic television signal from London to Hartsdale, New York. Extract from The New York Times February 9, 1928. February 9, 1928 (Thursday) *A jury in Los Angeles found William Edward Hickman sane and therefore guilty of the murder of 12-year-old Marion Parker. *Born: **Frank Frazetta, fantasy and science fiction artist, in Brooklyn (d. 2010) **Rinus Michels, footballer, in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2005) **Roger Mudd, broadcast journalist, in Washington, D.C. **Erv Palica, baseball player, in Lomita, California (d. 1982) February 10, 1928 (Friday) *A fire broke out in the Hollinger Gold Mine in Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Many miners escaped but 39 perished. February 11, 1928 (Saturday) *The II Olympic Winter Games opened in St. Moritz, Switzerland. *The Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants swapped their star pitchers; the Pirates got Burleigh Grimes in exchange for Vic Aldridge. February 12, 1928 (Sunday) *French playwright Pierre Veber challenged the author Maurice Rostand to a pistol duel after Rostand wrote a negative review of Veber's latest play, En Bordée. Rostand declined the challenge. February 13, 1928 (Monday) *A powder explosion in a mine in Wilder, Tennessee killed 4 men. *Charles Lindbergh landed in St. Louis, ending his two-month, 15-nation goodwill tour. February 14, 1928 (Tuesday) *The Interborough Rapid Transit Company clashed with city and state authorities in New York over the proposed raising of the subway fare from 5 cents to 7 cents. *The John Ford-directed silent drama film Four Sons premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in New York City. *Died: Ernesto Schiaparelli, 71, Italian egyptologist February 15, 1928 (Wednesday) *The New York Supreme Court denied the Interborough Rapid Transit Company an injunction to restrain the American Federation of Labor and the Amalgamated Association of Street and Electric Railway Employees from attempting to organize employees of the company. *Died: H. H. Asquith, 75, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1908–1916 February 16, 1928 (Thursday) *Indiana Governor Edward L. Jackson was found not guilty of trying to bribe Warren T. McCray, the governor at the time, in 1923. *Canadian Minister of Finance James Robb presented the government's budget for the next year, projecting a surplus of over $45.8 million. The income tax, cut 10 percent last year, was cut an additional 10 percent, and the sales tax was cut from 4 percent to 3 percent. *Born: Willi Dreesen, Swiss painter and sculptor, in Essen-Werden, Germany (d. 2013); Porfi Jiménez, Dominican-born Venezuelan musician (d. 2010) *Died: Eddie Foy, Sr., 71, American stage entertainer; Reggie Morris, 41, American film actor, director and screenwriter (heart attack) February 17, 1928 (Friday) *The Senate of Virginia passed a bill making lynching a state offense. *Died: Ōtsuki Fumihiko, 80, Japanese lexicographer, linguist and historian February 18, 1928 (Saturday) *A light plane crashed in downtown Macon, Georgia. Both pilots were killed when one of the bombs they were tossing out of the plane as part of a carnival exhibition caught in the wings and exploded, causing the plane to plummet 7,000 feet. A third person was killed and two injured as the plane crashed into the street. *The King Vidor-directed silent film The Crowd premiered at the Capitol Theatre in New York City. *When the cornerstone of the demolished Eastland County Courthouse was opened in Eastland, Texas, among the memorabilia found in the time capsule was alleged to be a horned lizard hibernating inside for 31 years. Whether the story was true or not, the animal became a celebrity known as Ol' Rip the Horned Toad. *Born: John Ostrom, paleontologist, in New York City (d. 2005); Tom Johnson, ice hockey player and executive, in Baldur, Manitoba (d. 2007) February 19, 1928 (Sunday) *The II Olympic Winter Games closed. Norway led the final medal count with 6 gold medals and 15 total. *It was announced that the tooth of Nebraska Man was positively identified as belonging to an extinct wild pig. *The Paraguayan Communist Party was founded. February 20, 1928 (Monday) *Japan held a general election, the first since the General Election Law was passed. The ruling Seiyūkai Party edged out the Minsei Party by a single seat. *The sixth Pan-American Conference ended. *The U.S. Supreme Court decided Miller v. Schoene. *Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published a 19-page essay, "A Word of Warning", recommending that Christianity be abandoned and replaced by a new religion based on spiritualism. *Born: **Roy Face, baseball player, in Stephentown, New York **Fred McFeely Rogers, child educator in Latrobe, PA February 21, 1928 (Tuesday) *Industrialist Harry Ford Sinclair and three associates were found guilty of criminal contempt of court for jury shadowing in the Teapot Dome scandal trial. Sinclair was sentenced to six months in prison. *The United States Department of War announced that tank development in the past several years had made it a far more effective weapon than it was a decade earlier. "The tank of the World War was formerly regarded as an auxiliary of the infantryman", the department said. "Today it has undergone a complete transformation and while it will still, in certain circumstances, continue its role in aiding the doughboy, the future will find it utilized as the nucleus of the army's mechanized units." *Born: Larry Pennell, American motion picture and television actor, born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania (d. 2013) February 22, 1928 (Wednesday) *The Emir of Afghanistan Amānullāh Khān and his wife Soraya Tarzi rode in a royal procession through Berlin. Former Crown Prince Wilhelm attempted to join the procession uninvited but the crowd rushed his car and blocked it. *Born: Bruce Forsyth, television presenter and entertainer, in Edmonton, London, England (d. 2017) February 23, 1928 (Thursday) *The film actress Mary Astor and the director Kenneth Hawks were married. *Hungary scrapped the mysterious shipment of machine guns intercepted on the border with Austria some weeks ago and sold them as junk. *Born: **Ralph Earnhardt, NASCAR driver, in Kannapolis, North Carolina (d. 1973) **Vasily Lazarev, cosmonaut, in Poroshino, Altai Krai, USSR (d. 1990) *Died: MacCallum Grant, 82, Canadian businessman and twelfth Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia February 24, 1928 (Friday) *Hungarian Prime Minister István Bethlen's statement to the League of Nations that Hungary "would not find it possible" to comply with the demand to halt the sale of the machine guns angered League officials. *Born: Bubba Phillips, baseball player, in West Point, Mississippi (d. 1993) *Died: Saint Toribio Romo, 27, Mexican priest and martyr of the Cristero War February 25, 1928 (Saturday) *Benito Mussolini recalled the Italian envoy to Austria after some Austrian government officials criticized Mussolini's Italianization of South Tyrol policy. *Born: Kim Slavin, painter, in Leningrad, USSR (d. 1991) February 26, 1928 (Sunday) *Willy Böckl of Austria won the men's competition of the World Figure Skating Championships in Berlin, Germany. *The silent comedy film A Girl in Every Port starring Victor McLaglen was released. *Born: **Fats Domino, pianist and singer-songwriter, in New Orleans, Louisiana (d. 2017) **Anatoly Filipchenko, cosmonaut, in Davydovka, USSR **Ariel Sharon, 11th Prime Minister of Israel, in Kfar Malal, British Palestine (d. 2014) February 27, 1928 (Monday) *The controversial British war film Dawn was discussed on the floor of the House of Commons. Foreign Affairs Secretary Austen Chamberlain had not viewed the film and did not plan to, but objected to a scene depicting Edith Cavell's execution which had reportedly been embellished for dramatic effect. "I believe that account of the execution to be wholly apocryphal, and I hold it is an outrage on a noble woman's memory to turn into melodrama, for the purposes of commercial gain, so heroic a story", Chamberlain said, though he did not propose to censor the film as had been suggested. February 28, 1928 (Tuesday) *U.S. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg sent a note to the French government stating that the United States desired to abolish the institution of war. *Died: **Armando Diaz, 66, Italian general **Karl Max, Prince Lichnowsky, 67, German diplomat February 29, 1928 (Wednesday) *A French court refused to grant American lawyer and politician Bainbridge Colby a divorce, declaring itself "incompetent" to do so because both parties involved were foreigners and Mrs. Colby was not present. The ruling was thought to put an end to Americans coming to France for easy divorces in the country's "divorce mills". *Born: Tempest Storm, burlesque performer, in Eastman, Georgia *Died: Adolphe Appia, 65, Swiss architect and stage set designer References 1928 *1928-02 *1928-02 "

March 1928 🐇

"The following events occurred in March 1928: March 1, 1928 (Thursday) *The French Chamber of Deputies abolished the drumhead court-martial but approved a new article in the military code stating that "any soldier committing an outrage against the flag or army may be punished by six months to five years in prison, or may be punished by loss of his rank." Communist deputy Alexandre Piquemal nearly incited a riot protesting the death penalty for anyone calling on soldiers to desert to the enemy in time of war when he stated, "We would all come in that category, we Communist deputies. We declare for the proletariat. They have one enemy, capitalism, and one fatherland, Soviet Russia. If you declare war on Russia we will urge the soldiers of the proletariat to desert to the Russian army." *The Paramount Theatre opened in Seattle, Washington. March 2, 1928 (Friday) *Benito Mussolini submitted a bill to the Chamber of Deputies that would remould Italian parliament into a strictly consultative body. *Born: Barbara Lang, actress and singer, in Hollywood, California (d. 1982) *Died: William Sloan, 60, Canadian businessman and politician March 3, 1928 (Saturday) *France and Spain reached an agreement on the government of the Tangier International Zone giving Spain increased power. *Benito Mussolini made a speech to the Chamber of Deputies warning Austria that actions and not words would be his next reply to criticism of the Italianization of South Tyrol. *The circus comedy film Tillie's Punctured Romance starring W. C. Fields was released. *The organizers of the Miss America pageant voted 27-3 to discontinue the competition due to pressure from women's groups and church officials. It would not be held again until 1933. *Born: Gudrun Pausewang, writer, in Mladkov, Czechoslovakia *Died: Jan Toorop, 69, Dutch-Indonesian painter March 4, 1928 (Sunday) *Parliamentary elections were held in Poland, the first since Józef Piłsudski's May Coup of 1926. The Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government led by Walery Sławek won a plurality of seats in the Sejm. *The first "Bunion Derby", a coast-to-coast footrace from Los Angeles to New York City offering a $25,000 prize for the winner, began with 199 entrants. *Born: **Samuel Adler, composer and conductor, in Mannheim, Germany **Patrick Moore, astronomer, in Pinner, England (d. 2012) **Piero D'Inzeo, Olympic show jumping rider, in Rome (d. 2014) **Alan Sillitoe, writer, in Nottingham, England (d. 2010) March 5, 1928 (Monday) *A circuit court of appeals in New York reversed an earlier decision and ruled that Canadians may work in the United States without immigration visas. *The John Ford-directed silent film Mother Machree premiered at the Globe Theatre in New York City. March 6, 1928 (Tuesday) *The Vatican announced that annulments of marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics would hereafter be considered by a committee of cardinals instead of the Rota Tribunal. *Sonja Henie of Norway won the lady's competition of the World Figure Skating Championships in London. March 7, 1928 (Wednesday) *The Cross of Merit for Bravery was introduced in Poland. *Born: Bob Boyd, American football player, in Riverside, California (d. 2009) *Died: Robert Abbe, 76, American surgeon and radiologist; William Henry Crane, 82, American actor March 8, 1928 (Thursday) *Vasil Zacharka became the second president of the Belarusian People's Republic in exile upon the death of Pyotra Krecheuski. *Rioting broke out in Tanta, Egypt when students assembled in the public square to protest against a proposed agreement to a treaty between Egypt and Great Britain. After stones were thrown at foreign shops, police tried to disperse the crowd, which the protestors resisted. *Died: Pyotra Krecheuski, 48, Belarusian statesman; Sachiko, Princess Hisa, 5 months, second daughter of Emperor Hirohito and Empress Kōjun March 9, 1928 (Friday) *The steamboat Robert E. Lee ran aground on the Mary Ann Rocks off Manomet Point in Plymouth, Massachusetts during a storm. *The Norris resolution (named for Senator George W. Norris) proposing a constitutional amendment to end "lame duck" sessions of Congress fell 36 votes short of the two-thirds majority it required for its passage. The proposed amendment also would have moved presidential inauguration day up from March 4 to January 4. *Born: Gerald Bull, engineer, in North Bay, Ontario, Canada (d. 1990) March 10, 1928 (Saturday) *Disappearance of Christine Collins' son, Walter, in Los Angeles. *A landslide at Santos, São Paulo, Brazil killed about 130. *The silent film The Legion of the Condemned, starring Fay Wray and Gary Cooper, was released. *Born: *Kiyoshi Atsumi, film actor, in Tokyo, Japan (d. 1996) *James Earl Ray, assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr., in Alton, Illinois (d. 1998) March 11, 1928 (Sunday) *Benito Mussolini proposed a national bank for marriages. Young Italians wanting to get married could be paid before they got on their feet financially, and then they could reimburse the state in two or three years. March 12, 1928 (Monday) *Shortly before midnight, the St. Francis Dam in Los Angeles collapsed and released 12 billion gallons of water, killing more than 400 people. *A new one-day record was set on Wall Street when 3,909,100 shares changed hands. *Born: Edward Albee, playwright, in Virginia; Aldemaro Romero, pianist, in Valencia, Venezuela (d. 2007) March 13, 1928 (Tuesday) *The water released from the St. Francis Dam destroyed a swath of land all the way to the Pacific Ocean and killed 500 people. *The Nicaraguan lower house defeated a bill that would have provided for American supervision of Nicaraguan elections. March 14, 1928 (Wednesday) *The partly talking film Tenderloin, starring Dolores Costello, premiered at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. *The Emir of Afghanistan Amānullāh Khān and his wife Soraya Tarzi rode in a royal procession through London. *Born: Frank Borman, pilot and astronaut, in Gary, Indiana March 15, 1928 (Thursday) *The March 15 incident occurred in Japan when the government cracked down on socialists and communists, making about 500 arrests. *U.S. President Calvin Coolidge rejected a request from Puerto Rican legislators for autonomous rule. Coolidge wrote that it was not unreasonable "to suggest that the people of Porto Rico, who are part of the people of the United States, will progress with the people of the United States rather than become isolated from the source from which they have received practically their only hope of progress." March 16, 1928 (Friday) * Mustafa el-Nahhas became the new Prime Minister of Egypt. * A controversy in the Royal Navy dubbed the "Royal Oak Mutiny" hit the media. An admiral and two officers were suspended over a quarrel that began the previous week when Rear-Admiral Bernard Collard objected to the presence of a jazz band at a party aboard . * Born: ** Wakanohana Kanji I, sumo wrestler, in Hirosaki ** Aomori Prefecture, Japan (d. 2010) ** Christa Ludwig, mezzo-soprano, in Berlin, Germany ** Victor Maddern, actor, in Seven Kings, England (d. 1993) March 17, 1928 (Saturday) *The Brazilian football club Clube Ferroviário do Recife was founded. *Born: Eunice Gayson, actress, in Croydon, London, England *Died: Lorenzo Porciatti, 63, Italian architect March 18, 1928 (Sunday) *60,000 Romanian peasants staged a protest in Bucharest calling on Vintilă Brătianu to resign. *American cardinal George Mundelein told journalists in Rome that the Vatican had no interest in the presidential campaign of Catholic candidate Al Smith. "The Catholic church in America contends with no oppressive legislation, has no political ax to grind and lives and thrives under the existing form of government", he said. "Therefore there is no reason whatever for it to take a partisan stand." *Born: Fidel V. Ramos, 12th President of the Philippines, in Lingayen March 19, 1928 (Monday) *The radio comedy show Amos 'n' Andy first aired on WMAQ in Chicago. *"My Old Kentucky Home" became the official state song of Kentucky. *Born: **Hans Küng, Catholic priest, theologian and author, in Sursee, Switzerland **Patrick McGoohan, British actor, in Astoria, Queens, New York City (d. 2009) *Died: Nora Bayes, 47, American singer, comedian and actress March 20, 1928 (Tuesday) *The silent drama film The Trail of '98, starring Harry Carey, premiered at the Astor Theatre. *Born: Fred Rogers, Presbyterian minister and television host (Mister Rogers' Neighborhood), in Latrobe, Pennsylvania (d. 2003) March 21, 1928 (Wednesday) *U.S. President Calvin Coolidge awarded Charles Lindbergh the Congressional Medal of Honor. *Died: **Joe Espositi,55, Chicago politician (assassinated) **Zhang Shaozeng, 48 or 49, Chinese general (assassinated) March 22, 1928 (Thursday) *The Noël Coward revue This Year of Grace premiered at the London Pavilion. *The Fritz Lang-directed film Spione (Spies) was released. *Born: Ed Macauley, basketball player, in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2011) March 23, 1928 (Friday) *The silent film The Road to Ruin was released. *Born: **Jim Lemon, baseball player and coach, in Covington, Virginia (d. 2006) **Mark Rydell, actor and filmmaker, in New York City March 24, 1928 (Saturday) *A band of Mexican bandits held up 15 automobiles and methodically robbed 200 people outside of Mexico City. *Born: Byron Janis, classical pianist, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania March 25, 1928 (Sunday) *80,000 Italian youths in Rome were initiated into the National Fascist Party during commemorations of the ninth anniversary of the founding of the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento. *Pope Pius XI made an address protesting "the constant monopoly of the education of youth, both moral and spiritual", by the state. "We have kept silent in order not to make the situation worse, but our silence has been misinterpreted", the pope said. *Born: Jim Lovell, astronaut, in Cleveland, Ohio March 26, 1928 (Monday) *200 families in the vicinity of Alicia, California fled their homes as the Feather River overflowed. *Bombs thrown at the home of Illinois Senator Charles S. Deneen caused extensive damage, but Deneen was unhurt. It was one of several acts of violence leading up to the April 10 elections that led them to be dubbed the "Pineapple Primary", as "pineapple" was a popular nickname for a grenade-style bomb favored by gangsters of the time. *Born: Bobby Thomason, American football player, in Albertville, Alabama (d. 2013) March 27, 1928 (Tuesday) *Liberty Bridge opened in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. *Born: Antonín Tučapský, composer, in Opatovice, Moravia (d. 2014) *Died: Leslie Stuart, 65, English composer March 28, 1928 (Wednesday) *Former Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes made a speech at a conference of the Nationalist Party blaming Benito Mussolini for the immigration of large numbers of Italians. "To whom does Australia belong – ourselves or Premier Mussolini? Apparently all Premier Mussolini has to do is rattle his sword in the scabbard and we must allow unlimited numbers of Italians to enter the country", Hughes said. *Oxford won the 80th Boat Race. *Born: **Zbigniew Brzezinski, Polish-born American political scientist, geostrategist and statesman, in Warsaw (d. 2017) **Alexander Grothendieck, German-born French mathematician, in Berlin (d. 2014) March 29, 1928 (Thursday) *The so-called "Flapper Vote Bill" passed its second reading in the British House of Commons. The bill would create over 5 million new women voters as young as twenty-one. *Born: Vincent Gigante, mobster, in Manhattan, New York (d. 2005) March 30, 1928 (Friday) *Italian pilot Mario de Bernardi set a new air speed record of 336.6 miles per hour, smashing his own record. *Italy passed a new decree suppressing all organizations promoting the spiritual, moral or physical education of children. The law was aimed squarely at Catholic children's organizations. *Tipperary Tim won the Grand National horse race. *Died: Frank B. Willis, 56, American senator and 47th Governor of Ohio March 31, 1928 (Saturday) *An earthquake in Smyrna killed sixty *Born: **Lefty Frizzell, country music singer, in Corsicana, Texas (d. 1975) **Gordie Howe, hockey player, in Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada *Died: Gustave Ador, 82, Swiss politician References 1928 *1928-03 *1928-03 "

April 1928 🐇

"The following events occurred in April 1928: April 1, 1928 (Sunday) *The Cinematograph Films Act, mandating that British cinemas show a quota of British films, came into force in the United Kingdom. *French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré expressed hope that Prohibition would be repealed in the United States, which would help to bolster France's wine industry. *A truck and bus brand on worldwide, DAF Trucks was founded in Netherlands, as predecessor of Hub van Doorne workshop. *Born: **George Grizzard, actor, in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina (d. 2007) **Mykhaylo Koman, footballer and coach, in Ľubotín, Czechoslovakia (d. 2015) April 2, 1928 (Monday) *An official announcement in Italy said that the plans to make the Grand Council of Fascism the primary body of the state would be postponed until fall in order to permit time for further study. *A peace conference between Poland and Lithuania broke down over the issue of Vilnius, which both sides perceived as their own. *Born: **Serge Gainsbourg, singer, in Paris(d. 1991) **Piet Römer, actor, in Netherlands (d. 2012) *Died: Theodore William Richards, 60, American chemist and Nobel laureate April 3, 1928 (Tuesday) *Al Smith carried Wisconsin, Maine and New York in the Democratic presidential primaries. April 4, 1928 (Wednesday) *The court martial of Captain Kenneth Dewar began in the "Royal Oak Mutiny" affair. *Born: **Maya Angelou, author and poet, in St. Louis, Missouri (d. 2014) **Estelle Harris, actress and comedian, in Manhattan, New York April 5, 1928 (Thursday) *The ocean liner SS Leviathan was hit by a 100-foot high wave that damaged the upper deck and flooded some of the third-class accommodations. It still managed to reach New York City on time four days later. *Died: **Chauncey Depew, 93, American attorney and politician **Roy Kilner, 37, English cricketer (enteric fever) **Viktor Oliva, 66, Czech painter April 6, 1928 (Friday) *Fascist politician Renato Ricci issued a circular ordering that handshaking be ceased as a social custom in Italy, calling it unhygienic and excessive. *The University of Houston student newspaper The Daily Cougar was first published. *Born: **Joi Lansing, model, actress and singer, in Salt Lake City (d. 1972) **James Watson, molecular biologist and Nobel Prize laureate, in Chicago April 7, 1928 (Saturday) *Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek launched a new offensive aimed at capturing Beijing. *During the second period of Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals between the New York Rangers and Montreal Maroons, Rangers goaltender Lorne Chabot was forced out of the game by a puck to the eye. Unable to secure an adequate replacement, Rangers coach Lester Patrick inserted himself into the game as the goaltender despite being 44 years old and only having limited experience at the position. Patrick allowed a goal in the third period but Frank Boucher scored in overtime to give the Rangers an unlikely 2–1 victory. *The Harold Lloyd silent comedy film Speedy was released. *Born: **James Garner, actor and comedian, in Norman, Oklahoma (d. 2014) **Alan J. Pakula, film director, writer and producer, in the Bronx (d. 1998) **James White, author, in Belfast (d. 1999) April 8, 1928 (Sunday) *One person was killed and thirty injured in an early morning subway train collision in Queens, New York. *The National Challenge Cup Final between the New York Nationals and Illinois Bricklayers before a crowd of 16,000 at the Polo Grounds in New York City ended in a 1–1 draw. A rematch was arranged for the following week in Chicago. *Born: Eric Porter, actor, in Shepherd's Bush, London, England (d. 1995) April 9, 1928 (Monday) *The silent film Street Angel premiered at the Globe Theatre in New York City. *The United States Supreme Court decided Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. v. United States. *Born: Tom Lehrer, musician, satirist and mathematician, in New York City April 10, 1928 (Tuesday) *Pineapple Primary: In elections in Illinois, every candidate associated with Chicago Mayor William H. Thompson was defeated in a vote against gangsterism. Additionally, Frank O. Lowden and Al Smith won the Illinois Republican and the Democratic presidential primaries, respectively. April 11, 1928 (Wednesday) *The Labour-Farmer Party of Japan was ordered to dissolve due to alleged ties to communists.Tsuzuki, Chushichi. The Pursuit of Power in Modern Japan 1825 – 1995. Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press, 2000. p. 258 *Born: Ethel Kennedy, wife of Robert F. Kennedy, in Chicago, Illinois April 12, 1928 (Thursday) *A bomb concealed in a lamppost exploded in Milan, Italy just before 10 a.m, killing fifteen people. It was probably an attempt on the life of King Victor Emmanuel III as it went off ten minutes ahead of a royal procession to open the city's fair. *An international crew of three men – Germans Hermann Köhl and Ehrenfried Günther Freiherr von Hünefeld and Irishman James Fitzmaurice – took off from Baldonnel Aerodrome southwest of Dublin, Ireland in Junkers W 33 aircraft the Bremen at 5:38 a.m., attempting to make the first east-to-west transatlantic flight. Their destination was Mitchel Field on Long Island, New York. *The U.S. Senate passed another version of the McNary–Haugen Farm Relief Bill, though President Calvin Coolidge was widely expected to veto this bill as he had all the previous iterations. *Born: Jean-François Paillard, conductor, in Vitry-le-François, France (d. 2013) April 13, 1928 (Friday) *The crew of the Bremen completed their transatlantic flight by touching down on Greenly Island, Canada around noon. *An explosion killed thirty-seven people in a dance hall in West Plains, Missouri. The reason for the explosion was never determined. *U.S. Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg submitted a plan to the Locarno Powers for the renunciation of war as an instrument of foreign policy. April 14, 1928 (Saturday) *The New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup, defeating the Montreal Maroons 2–1 to win the series which went a full five games. The entire series had to be played in Montreal because Madison Square Garden was unavailable due to the circus being in town. *Swinton Lions defeated Warrington Wolves 5–3 to win the Challenge Cup of rugby. *Born: Ezra Fleischer, dissident, later Israeli writer, in Timișoara, Romania (d. 2006) April 15, 1928 (Sunday) *A relief plane landed at Greenly Island to assist the crew of the Bremen, who were determined to repair their plane and fly it to their original destination of New York City. * In the United States Soccer Federation, the New York Nationals defeated the Illinois Bricklayers 3–0 in the National Challenge Cup Final before a crowd of 15,000 at Soldier Field in Chicago. April 16, 1928 (Monday) *Four masked men robbed a train near Chicago. *A libel trial opened in Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, initiated by General Sir Arthur Currie against a writer and the publisher of the Port Hope Evening Guide. Currie claimed that an article published in the newspaper defamed him by alleging that he wasted Canadian lives by ordering an assault in Mons on November 11, 1918, for no reason other than to have it be recorded that Canadians had fired the last shot of the war. *NBC received the first television station constitution permit. April 17, 1928 (Tuesday) *Born: Cynthia Ozick, author, in New York City April 18, 1928 (Wednesday) *A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook Plovdiv Province, Bulgaria, killing 127 and doing heavy structural damage in one of the most serious earthquakes in the country's history. April 19, 1928 (Thursday) *Clarence DeMar won the Boston Marathon for the sixth time. *Born: **Alexis Korner, blues musician and radio broadcaster, in Westminster, London (d. 1984); **Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak, in Batu Gajah, British Malaya (d. 2014) *Died: **Charles Birger, 46 or 47, American bootlegger **Dorus Rijkers, 81, Dutch sailor and folk hero April 20, 1928 (Friday) *Born: Robert Byrne, American chess player (d. 2013) April 21, 1928 (Saturday) *Blackburn Rovers defeated Huddersfield Town 3–1 in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. *Born: Jack Evans, Welsh-born Canadian ice hockey player and coach, in Garnant April 22, 1928 (Sunday) *The Greek city of Corinth was hit by a 5.25 magnitude earthquake, killing twenty people and destroying three thousand houses in the region. *Legislative elections were held in France; candidates affiliated with Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré did well in the first round going into runoffs the following week. *The King Vidor-directed silent comedy- drama film The Patsy, starring Marion Davies, was released. *Died: **Warner B. Bayley, 82, American naval officer **Frank Currier, 70, American film actor and director April 23, 1928 (Monday) *Rebels loyal to Sandino captured American-owned mines in eastern Nicaragua and took five workers hostage. *Born: Shirley Temple, actress and diplomat, in Santa Monica, California (d. 2014) April 24, 1928 (Tuesday) *Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill presented the annual budget to the House of Commons. *The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that women were not eligible to be appointed to the Senate. April 25, 1928 (Wednesday) *Floyd Bennett died in hospital at 10:45 in the morning. *The crew of the Bremen decided to abandon their attempt to fly from Greenly Island to New York City and leave the plane there for the time being. *Race car driver Frank Lockhart was killed at Daytona Beach trying to set a new land speed record. *Born: Cy Twombly, painter, in Lexington, Virginia (d. 2011) *Died: Floyd Bennett, 37, American aviator; Frank Lockhart, 25, American automobile racing driver; Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel, 49, Baltic- German general of the White Army in the Russian Civil War April 26, 1928 (Thursday) *The musical stage comedy Present Arms!, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart and starring Joyce Barbour and Busby Berkeley, opened at Lew Fields' Mansfield Theatre on Broadway. *Atlantic High School (Iowa) beat Griswold in the most lopsided victory in U.S. High School Baseball, 109 - 0. April 27, 1928 (Friday) *Floyd Bennett was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Thousands stood in the rain to pay their respects. *The Paul Leni-directed silent film The Man Who Laughs premiered at the Central Theatre in New York City. *The Piccadilly Theatre opened in the City of Westminster, London. *Died: Martin B. Madden, 73, American politician April 28, 1928 (Saturday) *The Big 9 Conference was founded in Minnesota. *Born: **Richard Baer, writer and screenwriter, in New York City (d. 2008) **Yves Klein, artist, in Nice (d. 1962) ** Eugene Merle Shoemaker, geologist, in Los Angeles (d. 1997) *Died: **Gertrude Claire, 75, American actress **Alessandro Guidoni, 47, Italian Air Force general (parachute test accident) April 29, 1928 (Sunday) *Runoffs were held in the French legislative elections; Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré was given a strong majority. *Benito Mussolini presided over a labour demonstration of ten thousand Milanese at the Colosseum in Rome. "After six years of the Fascist regime I can say that no government has done so much for the labouring masses as fascism", Mussolini told the gathering. April 30, 1928 (Monday) *Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis one last time, to Washington, D.C., so it could be retired and placed on permanent exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution. References 1928 *1928-04 *1928-04 "