What Happened in April 1929

Historical Events

  • Apr 1 Austrian government of Ignaz Seipel falls
  • Apr 1 Doorne's trailer factory in Eindhoven Netherlands opens
  • Apr 1 Louie Marx introduces Yo-Yo
  • Apr 1 Luis Buñuel releases "Un Chien Andalou" 24-minute film
  • Apr 1 Morehouse College, Spellman College & Atlanta University affiliate
  • Apr 3 Persia agrees to Litvinov Pact
  • Apr 3 RMS Queen Mary is ordered from John Brown & Company Shipbuilding and Engineering by Cunard Line.
  • Apr 4 1st AAU Greco-Roman wrestling championships held
  • Apr 4 Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II's operetta "The New Moon" opens at the Drury Lane Theatre in London's West End
  • Apr 5 Lithuania signs Litvinov-pact

Delhi Assembly Courts Arrest

Apr 8 Indian Independence Movement: At the Delhi Central Assembly, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw handouts and bombs to court arrest

  • Apr 11 KLO-AM in Ogden UT begins radio transmissions
  • Apr 11 Loetafoon celluloid film system demonstrated in Amsterdam
  • Apr 15 33rd Boston Marathon won by Canadian Johnny Miles in 2:33:08.6; his second win in the event
  • Apr 16 Cleveland rookie center fielder Earl Averill, becomes first American League player to hit a HR on 1st at bat; Indians beat Detroit Tigers, 5-4 at League Park
  • Apr 16 New York Yankees become first MLB team to permanently feature numbers on backs of uniforms; numbers correspond to position in batting order
  • Apr 18 Palace for People's industry in Amsterdam devastated by fire
  • Apr 24 1st non-stop England to India flight takes-off
  • Apr 24 Thorvald Stauning becomes premier of Denmark
  • Apr 26 1st non-stop England to India flight lands
  • Apr 27 Ryder Cup Golf, Moortown GC: Great Britain beats US, 7-5 in bitterly cold and snowy conditions
  • Apr 30 Ernst Streeruwitz becomes Chancellor of Austria, lasts less than 5 months
1929 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Apr 1 Bo Schembechler Jr., American College Football Hall of Fame tackle (Miami U), coach (Miami U 1963-68, University of Michigan 1969-89; career record 234–65–8), and administrator (Michigan), born in Barberton, Ohio (d. 2006)
  • Apr 1 Jane Powell [Suzanne Burce], American singer and actress (Royal Wedding; Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), born in Portland, Oregon (d. 2021)
  • Apr 1 Milan Kundera, Czech-French poet and novelist (The Joke: The Unbearable Lightness of Being; Immortality), born in Brno, Czechoslovakia (d. 2023) [1]
  • Apr 1 Payut Ngaokrachang, Thai animator [The Adventure of Sudsakorn), born in Klong Warl, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand (d. 2010)
  • Apr 2 Catherine Gaskin, Irish-Australian romantic novelist (Fiona, Coporation Wife), born in Dundalk Bay, County Louth, Ireland (d. 2009)
  • Apr 2 Frans Andriessen, Dutch politician (KVP/CDA; European Commissioner, 1981-93), born in Utrecht, Netherlands (d. 2019)
  • Apr 3 Dennis Farr, Museum director (Courtauld Institute Galleries) and art historian, born in Luton, Bedfordshire (d. 2006)
  • Apr 3 Fazlur Rahman Khan, Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect (Sears Tower, Chicago; John Hancock Center, Chicago; Metrodome, Minneapolis), born in Dhaka, British India (now Bangladesh) (d. 1982)
  • Apr 3 Lee Leonard, American television personality (ESPN, CNN), born in New York City (d. 2018)
  • Apr 4 Patricia McBride Lousada, American ballerina (Ballet Society/ New York City Ballet, 1946-51), and cookbook author (Pasta Italian Style), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2019)
  • Apr 4 William F. Clinger Jr., American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, born in Warren, Pennsylvania
  • Apr 5 Hugo Claus, Belgian writer (Cool Lover, Sugar), born in Bruges, Belgium (d. 2008)
  • Apr 5 Joe Meek, English record producer (Telstar), born in Newent, Gloucestershire, England (d. 1967)
  • Apr 5 Nigel Hawthorne, English actor (Tartuffe, Pope John Paul II), born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England (d. 2001)
  • Apr 6 André Previn, German-American conductor (London Symphony), film score composer (My Fair Lady), and jazz pianist, born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2019)
  • Apr 6 Art Taylor, American jazz drummer (Bud Powell, Red Garland, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd), bandleader (Taylor's Wailers), and writer (Notes and Tones), born in New York City (d. 1995)
  • Apr 6 Edison Vasalievich Denisov, Russian avant-garde composer (Sun of the Incas), born in Tomsk, Siberia (d. 1996)
  • Apr 6 Joi Lansing [Joyce Brown], American model, film and television actress (Touch Of Evil; Bob Cummings Show), and nightclub singer, born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 1972)
  • Apr 6 Li Yuan-chia, Chinese artist (Ton Fan group), born in Guangxi, China (d. 1994)
  • Apr 6 Willis Hall, British writer

Joe Gallo (1929-1972)

Apr 7 American mobster, born in Brooklyn, New York

  • Apr 7 Bob Denard, French mercenary (d. 2007)
  • Apr 8 Eiji Kitamura, Japanese jazz clarinetist, born in Tokyo, Japan

Jacques Brel (1929-1978)

Apr 8 Belgian singer, songwriter, actor, director and composer (Le Far West, Pain in the A--), born in Schaerbeek, Brussels

  • Apr 8 Renzo de Felice, Italian historian of Fascism, born in Rieti, Italy (d. 1996)
  • Apr 8 Walter Berry, Austrian lyric bass-baritone singer, ex-husband of Christa Ludwig, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2000)
  • Apr 8 WIlliam K. Everson, English American film historian, born in Yeovil, England (d. 1996)
  • Apr 9 Harvey Lichtenstein, American head of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2017)
  • Apr 10 Duje Bonačić, Croatian rower (Olympic gold coxless four 1952), born in Split, Croatia (d. 2020)
  • Apr 10 Dusan Radic, Serbian composer, born in Sombor (d. 2010)

Max Von Sydow (1929-2020)

Apr 10 Swedish actor (Hawaii, Exorcist, Dune, Game of Thrones), born in Lund, Sweden

  • Apr 10 Mike Hawthorn, English auto racer (F1 world champion 1958), born in Mexborough, England (d. 1959)
  • Apr 11 Lawrence Coughlin, American lawyer and politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (d. 2001)
  • Apr 12 Elspet Gray, Lady Rix, Scottish actress (4 Weddings & a Funeral, Solo, Tenko), born in Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland (d. 2013)
  • Apr 13 Marilynn Smith, American golfer (Titleholders Championship 1963-64), born in Topeka, Kansas (d. 2019)
  • Apr 14 Gerry Anderson, English television producer, (d. 2012)
  • Apr 14 Paavo Berglund, Finnish violinist and conductor (Helsinki Chamber Orchestra; Finnish RSO, 1956-72), born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 2012)
  • Apr 14 William Edgar Thornton, American medical doctor, USAF officer, and NASA astronaut (STS-8; STS-51-B), born in Faison, North Carolina (d. 2021)
  • Apr 15 Adrian Cadbury, British confectionery manufacturer (Cadbury) and author of report on Corporate Governance (d. 2015)
  • Apr 15 Jocelyn Barrow, British race relations campaigner (Card) and 1st black female governor of the BBC, born in Port of Spain, Trinidad (d. 2020)
  • Apr 16 Ed Townsend, American doo-wop singer, songwriter, and producer ("For Your Love"; Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On"), born in Fayetteville, Tennessee (d. 2003)
  • Apr 16 Roy Hamilton, American singer (You'll Never Walk Alone), born in Leesburg, Georgia (d. 1969)
  • Apr 17 James Last, German-born composer and big band bandleader, born in Bremen, Germany (d. 2015)
  • Apr 18 Peter Hordern, British Conservative Party politician
  • Apr 18 Peter Jeffrey, British character actor (Dr Phibes Rides Again, Twinsanity), born in Bristol, Gloucestershire, (d. 1999)
  • Apr 19 Eddie Crook Jr., American boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1960), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2005)
  • Apr 20 Bob Braun, American TV and radio personality (Dotty Mack Show), born in Ludlow, Kentucky (d. 2001)
  • Apr 22 Margaret Pereira, English forensic scientist (Nicholls and Pereira method), born in Bexley, England (d. 2016)
  • Apr 22 Michael Atiyah, English mathematician (Atiyah-Singer Index, Fields Medal 1966), born in London, England (d. 2019)
  • Apr 22 Robert Wade-Gery, British diplomat (High Commissioner to India 1982–87), born in Oxford (d. 2015)
  • Apr 23 George Steiner, French-American literary critic and educator, born in Paris (d. 2020)
  • Apr 23 Len Barnard, Australian jazz drummer ("The Naked Dance"; Galapagos Duck), born in Melbourne Australia (d. 2005)
  • Apr 24 Ferit Tüzün, Turkish composer (Esintiler - Inspirations; The Ears of Midas), and conductor (Turkish State Opera and Ballet Orchestra, 1959-77), born in Istanbul (d. 1977)
  • Apr 24 Rajkumar [Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju], Indian actor and singer in Kannada cinema and cultural icon, born in Gajanur, Madras, India (d. 2006)
  • Apr 24 Shammi [Nargis Rabadi], Indian actress (Half Ticket, Dekh Bhai Dekh), born in Bombay, British India (d. 2018)
  • Apr 25 José Ángel Valente, Spanish poet (A modo the esperanza), born in Orense, Spain (d. 2000)
  • Apr 25 Yvette Williams, New Zealand long jumper (Olympic gold 1952), born in Dunedin, New Zealand
  • Apr 26 Richard Mitchell, American professor and author (The Underground Grammarian), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2002)
  • Apr 27 Nina Ponomaryova, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR discus 1952, 60; bronze 1956), born in Smychka, Russia (d. 2016)
  • Apr 29 April Stevens [Caroline LoTempio], American vocalist ("Deep Purple" - the song, not the band), born in Niagara Falls, New York (d. 2023)
  • Apr 29 Mickey McDermott, American baseball player (d. 2003)
  • Apr 29 Peter Sculthorpe, Australian composer (Kakadu), born in Launceston, Tasmania (d. 2014)
  • Apr 29 Ray Barretto, American percussionist and Latin jazz bandleader (Charanga Moderna - "El Watusi"), born in New York City (d. 2006)
  • Apr 29 Václav Kučera, Czech composer (Concierto imaginativo; Homenaje a Salvador Dalí), born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 2017)
  • Apr 29 Walter Kempowski, German writer (German Chronicle), born in Rostock (d. 2007)
  • Apr 29 [John] Jeremy Thorpe, British politician, Leader of the Liberal Party (Norman Scott scandal), born in London (d. 2014)
Born in 1929

Famous Weddings

Babe Ruth

Apr 17 Baseball great Babe Ruth (34) marries 2nd wife Claire Merritt Hodgson (31)

Famous Deaths

Karl Benz (1844-1929)

Apr 4 German inventor, engine designer and automobile manufacturer (Mercedes-Benz), dies of bronchial inflammation at 84

  • Apr 10 Edmond Thieffry, Belgian air pioneer and WW I flying ace (first flight Belgium to the Congo), dies in an airplane crash at 36
  • Apr 15 Antonio Smareglia, Italian composer, dies at 74
  • Apr 22 Henry Lerolle, French painter, dies at 80
  • Apr 22 Ödön Mihalovich, Hungarian composer, dies at 86
  • Apr 23 Rudolf Nilsen, Norwegian poet (Hverdagen), dies of tuberculosis at 28