What Happened in April 1931

Historical Events

  • Apr 1 Earthquake devastate Managua Nicaragua, kills 2,000
  • Apr 1 Jackie Mitchell becomes the second female (after Lizzie Arlington 1898) in organised baseball when she signs with the Chattanooga Lookouts Baseball Club

Girl Strikes Out Ruth, Gehrig

Apr 2 17-year old girl Jackie Mitchell strikes out New York Yankees stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition baseball game at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee

A Connecticut Yankee

Apr 6 "A Connecticut Yankee" film based on novel by Mark Twain, directed by David Butler, starring Will Rogers is released

  • Apr 6 1st broadcast of "Little Orphan Annie" on NBC-radio
  • Apr 6 1st Scottsboro (Alabama) trial begins - 9 blacks accused of rape

The Nature of the Chemical Bond

Apr 6 Linus Pauling's seminal chemistry work "The Nature of the Chemical Bond" is published establishing valence bond theory

  • Apr 7 Seals Stadium opens in San Francisco
  • Apr 8 "White Horse Inn" opens in London

The Arrow

Apr 8 Dmitri Shostakovich's ballet "The Arrow" premieres

Chicago Wins Game Three

Apr 9 Stanley Cup Final Game Three: Chicago Black Hawks defeat Montreal Canadiens 3-2 (Canadians eventually win in best of five series)

McCarthy Yankees Debut

Apr 12 Joe McCarthy debuts as New York Yankees manager

  • Apr 12 Spanish voters reject the monarchy

Second Spanish Republic

Apr 14 Spain becomes a republic with the overthrow of King Alfonso XIII

  • Apr 14 Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens beat Chicago Blackhawks, 2-0 for a 3-2 series win; Canadiens' back-to-back Championships
  • Apr 15 1st backwards walk across American begins
  • Apr 20 35th Boston Marathon won by Jim Henigan in 2:46:45.8
  • Apr 20 British House of Commons agrees for sports play on Sunday
  • Apr 22 Egypt & Iraq sign peace treaty

The Public Enemy

Apr 23 US gangster film "The Public Enemy" starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow premieres

Lou Gehrig's Big Mistake

Apr 26 Lou Gehrig hits a HR but is called out for passing a runner, mistake costs him AL home run crown; he & Babe Ruth tie for season

  • Apr 27 100°F (38°C), Pahala, Hawaii (state record)
  • Apr 28 Program for woman athletes approved for 1932 Olympics track & field

Ferrell No-Hits Browns

Apr 29 Cleveland Indians pitcher Wes Ferrell no-hits St Louis Browns, 9-0 at League Park II, Cleveland


1931 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Apr 1 Charles Price, American Businessman and diplomat, born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 2012)
  • Apr 1 George Baker, Bulgarian-born British actor (I, Claudius, Goodbye Mr Chips, Curse of the Fly), born in Varna, Bulgaria (d. 2011)
  • Apr 1 Illse "Ita" Ever, Estonian actress (Miss Marple- "Chyornykh drozdov"), born in Paide, Järva County
  • Apr 1 Rolf Hochhuth, German playwright (Der Stellvertreter), born in Eschwege, Germany (d. 2020)
  • Apr 2 Imre Olsvik, Hungarian composer and ethnomusicologist, born in Budapest (d. 2014)
  • Apr 3 Johnny Nicholls, English football player, born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire (d. 1995)
  • Apr 3 Tom Collins, Canadian ice skating promoter (Champions on Ice), born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario (d. 2019)
  • Apr 4 Bobby Ray Inman, American admiral and intelligence director, born in Rhonesboro, Texas
  • Apr 4 Denis Frank Owen, British ecologist and natural historian, born in London (d. 1996)
  • Apr 4 Harold Volkmer, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri, born in Jefferson City, Missouri (d. 2011)
  • Apr 5 Denis Lawton, director (London University Institute of Educ)
  • Apr 6 Ivan Dixon, American actor, director and civil rights activist (Car Wash, Hogan's Heroes, The Final War of Olly Winter), born in New York City (d. 2008)
  • Apr 6 Joan Carlyle, Welsh operatic soprano (Covent Garden, 1955-76), born in Upton on the Wirral, Cheshire, England (d. 2021)
  • Apr 7 Daniel Ellsberg, American military analyst, whistleblower (The Pentagon Papers), and anti-war advocate, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2023) [1]
  • Apr 7 Donald Barthelme, American writer (Snow White, Sadness), born in Philadelphia, Pa (d. 1989)
  • Apr 8 John Gavin [Juan Vincent Apablasa Jr], American actor (Imitation of Life, Psycho), and US Ambassador to Mexico (1981–86), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2018)
  • Apr 9 Bill Gilbert, American sports and nature writer (Sports Illustrated, National Geographic), born in Kalamazoo, Michigan (d. 2012)
  • Apr 9 Martin Rogers, British director of the Farmington Institute for Christian Studies
  • Apr 9 Richard Hatfield, Canadian politician (26th Premier of New Brunswick), born in Hartland, New Brunswick (d. 1991)
  • Apr 10 Marcel van Maele, Belgian poet and playwright, born in Bruges, Belgium (d. 2009)
  • Apr 11 Frank Vicari, American jazz, session, and touring saxophonist (Maynard Ferguson; Woody Herman; Tom Waits; Saturday Night Live), born in New Jersey (d. 2006)
  • Apr 11 Johnny Sheffield, American actor (Boy-Tarzan Finds a Son), born in Pasadena, California (d. 2010)
  • Apr 11 Koichi Sugiyama, Japanese television and video game composer (Dragon Quest), and Nanjing Massacre denialist, born in Tokyo, Japan (d. 2021)
  • Apr 11 Lewis Jones, Welsh rugby union outside back (10 Tests Wales, 3 British Lions; Neath, Llanelli) and rugby league utility (2 Tests Wales, 17 Great Britain; Leeds, Wentworthville), born in Gorseinon, Wales (d. 2024)
  • Apr 12 Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet-songwriter, born in Moscow (d. 1995)
  • Apr 12 Martin Boykan, American composer, born in New York City
  • Apr 13 Beverley Cross, English playwright, born in London
  • Apr 13 Daniel "Dan" Gurney, American race-car driver, coach and team owner (All American Racers), born in Port Jefferson, New York (d. 2018)
  • Apr 13 Jon Stone, American director and co-creator of Sesame Street, born in New Haven, Connecticut (d. 1997)
  • Apr 14 John Clarke, American actor (Days of Our Lives -"Mickey"), born in South Bend, Indiana (d. 2019)
  • Apr 14 Paul Masnick, Canadian ice hockey player
  • Apr 15 Kenneth Bloomfield, BBC governor (Ireland), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Apr 15 Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet (Nobel Prize for Literature - 2011), born in Stockholm (d. 2015)
  • Apr 16 John Littlejohn [Funchess], American electric blues slide guitarist ("So-Called Friends"), born in Lake, Mississippi (d. 1994)
  • Apr 16 Piet de Visser, Dutch politician (PvdA), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands (d. 2012)
  • Apr 17 John Bartlett, Australian tennis player (Davis Cup capt-Britain), born in Woonona, New South Wales
  • Apr 17 John Chalstrey, 668th Lord Mayor of London
  • Apr 17 Joyce Molyneux, British chef and author
  • Apr 17 Roberta Stephen, Canadian classical composer (The Eye Of The Seasons), born in Alberta
  • Apr 17 Ruth Etchells, English poet and principal (St John's College-Durham), born in Liverpool
  • Apr 18 Klas Lestander, Swedish biathlete (Olympic gold 20k 1960), born in Arjeplog, Sweden (d. 2023)
  • Apr 19 Alex Webster, American football coach (NY Giants), born in Kearney, New Jersey (d. 2012)
  • Apr 19 Denis Henry, British High Court judge, born in Margate, Kent, England (d. 2010)
  • Apr 19 Garfield Morgan, British actor (Odessa File, To Catch a Spy), born in Birmingham, Warwickshire (d. 2009)
  • Apr 19 Kobie Coetsee, South African Minister of Defense (1993-94) and Minister of Justice (1980-93), born in Ladybrand, South Africa (d. 2000)
  • Apr 19 Walter Stewart, Canadian writer and journalist, born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2004)
  • Apr 20 Lee H. Hamilton, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana, born in Daytona Beach, Florida
  • Apr 21 Morgan Wootten, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (46 seasons DeMatha Catholic HS, Hyattsville, Maryland; National C'ships 1962, 65, 68, 78, 84), born in Durham, North Carolina (d. 2020)
  • Apr 22 Henk Gortzak [Hendricus Gortzak], Dutch carpenter and politician (CPN/PSP), born in Amsterdam (d. 1989)
  • Apr 22 Ronald Hynd, British choreographer (English National Ballet), born in London
  • Apr 22 Simon "Siem" Vroom, Dutch actor (The Lift, Bridge Too Far, Mysteries), born in Beemster, Noord-Holland (d. 1985)
  • Apr 23 Chuck Feeney, American businessman (Duty Free Shoppers Group) and philanthropist (The Atlantic Philanthropies) who gave away almost his entire $8b fortune, born in Elizabeth, New Jersey
  • Apr 24 Bridget Riley, British painter (op-art), born in Norwood London, England
  • Apr 25 David Shepherd, British painter (paintings of steam locomotives), born in Hendon, London (d. 2017)
  • Apr 25 Felix Berezin, Russian physicist and mathematician (Berezin integral), born in Moscow (d. 1980)
  • Apr 26 Bernie Brillstein, American talent agent, manager and producer (The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2008)
  • Apr 27 Igor Oistrakh, Soviet-Russian concert violinist (Wieniawski Competition, 1952), and educator (Moscow Conservatory, Brussels Royal Conservatory), born in Odessa, Ukraine, Soviet Union (now Ukraine) (d. 2021)
  • Apr 27 Krzysztof Komeda, Polish jazz pianist and film composer (Rosemary's Baby), born in Poznań, Poland (d. 1969)
  • Apr 27 Maxine Brown, American country music singer (Browns), born in Campti, Louisiana (d. 2019)
  • Apr 28 Dumitru Macri, Romanian soccer defender who played 8 internationals, FC Rapid București 221 games; and coach Algeria 1974-75, born in Bucharest, Romania (d. 2024)
  • Apr 29 (Anthony) "Lonnie" Donegan, British-Scottish singer-songwriter ("Rock Island Line"; "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour (On the Bedpost Overnight?)"), known as "the King of Skiffle", born in Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2002)
  • Apr 29 Aleksei Aleksandrovich Gubarev, USSR, cosmonaut (Soyuz 17, 28)
  • Apr 29 Frank Auerbach, German-born British painter
  • Apr 29 William Ball, American actor, director and founder of the American Conservatory Theatre (ACT), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1991)
  • Apr 30 Bill Clay, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri), born in St. Louis, Missouri
Born in 1931

Famous Deaths

André Michelin (1853-1931)

Apr 4 French industrialist, tire manufacturer (Michelin) and publisher of the Michelin Guide, dies of respiratory failure at 78

  • Apr 4 George Whitefield Chadwick, composer, dies at 76
  • Apr 6 Giuseppe Radiciotti, Italian musicologist and composer, dies at 73
  • Apr 8 Eric Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet (Nobel Prize for Literature 1931), dies at 66 [1]
  • Apr 9 Paul Vidal, French composer and conductor, dies at 67
  • Apr 10 Khalil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet (The Prophet; Broken Wings; Sand and Foam), painter, and philosopher, dies of cirrhosis of the liver, with incipient tuberculosis, at 48
  • Apr 16 Rachel Bluwstein, Hebrew poet, dies of tuberculosis at 40
  • Apr 25 Bert Hopkins, Australian cricketer (20 Tests for Aust, 509 runs), dies at 56
  • Apr 30 Sammy Woods, Australian cricket all-rounder (3 Tests Australia, 3 England, 1 x 50, 10 wickets; Somerset CCC) and rugby union flanker (13 caps England, 5 as captain), dies at 64