What Happened in April 1933

Historical Events

  • Apr 1 England cricket batsman Wally Hammond smashes 34 fours, 10 sixes in a Test record unbeaten 336 in the drawn 2nd Test against New Zealand in Auckland

Himmler Police Commander

Apr 1 Heinrich Himmler becomes Police Commander of Germany

  • Apr 1 Nazi Germany begins persecution of Jews by boycotting Jewish businesses
  • Apr 1 Scotland beats Ireland, 8-6 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin to win the Home Nations Rugby Championship and Triple Crown
  • Apr 3 1st airplane flight over Mt Everest
  • Apr 3 Then longest North American hockey game requires a 1:44:46 overtime as Maple Leaf Ken Doraty scores to beat Canadiens 1-0
  • Apr 4 USS Akron dirigible crashes into Atlantic Ocean, off coast of New Jersey, in stormy weather; 73 die including US Navy Rear Admiral William A. Moffett - a major proponent of the airship fleet, there were 3 survivors [1]
  • Apr 7 'National Beer Day" Cullen-Harrison act comes into effect legalising sale of low alcohol beer
  • Apr 7 1st 2 NAZI anti-Jewish laws, bars Jews from legal & public service
  • Apr 7 University Bridge, Seattle opens for traffic
  • Apr 8 Manchester Guardian warns of unknown Nazi terror

Goering Premier of Prussia

Apr 11 Hermann Goering becomes Premier of Prussia

  • Apr 12 US Navy commissions Air Station Sunnyvale (later renamed NAS Moffatt Field) in Santa Clara county, California (at the southern end of San Francisco Bay)
  • Apr 13 1st flight over Mount Everest (Lord Clydesdale)

Stanley Cup Final

Apr 13 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: New York Rangers beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 1-0 in OT for a 3-1 series win; first best-of-4 Finals series

  • Apr 17 37th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:31:01.6
  • Apr 17 Chicago Bears win their 1st NFL Game beating NY Giants 23-21

US Gold Standard

Apr 19 FDR announces US will leave gold standard

Heidegger Elected Rector

Apr 21 German philosopher Martin Heidegger elected rector of University of Freiburg

  • Apr 22 Dutch government forbids leftwing radio address
  • Apr 23 Dovo soccer team forms in Veenendaal
  • Apr 25 NY Yankee Russ Van Atta shuts out Washington Senators 16-0
  • Apr 25 Philadelphia Phillies' Dick Bartell is 1st MLB player to get 4 consecutive doubles in 9 innings
  • Apr 26 Jewish students are barred from school in Germany
  • Apr 27 Adolf Hitler authorizes creation of Ministry of Aviation, in part to revive the German Luftwaffe, under Reichsmarshall Hermann Goering
  • Apr 27 Jessop & Son department store in Nottingham, England, acquired by John Lewis Partnership. The partnership's first shop outside London.
  • Apr 27 Karl Jansky reports reception of cosmic radio signal in Washington, D.C.
1933 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Apr 1 Dan Flavin, American minimalist sculptor, born in New York City (d. 1996)
  • Apr 1 Robert Shavlakadze, Georgian athlete (Olympic gold USSR high jump 1960), born in Tbilisi, Georgia (d. 2020)
  • Apr 1 Stan Weston, US toy licensing agent, had concept for G.I. Joe, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2017)
  • Apr 3 Bob Dornan, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from California, born in New York City
  • Apr 3 Rod Funseth, American golfer (US Masters runner-up 1978), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1985) [1]
  • Apr 4 Bill France, Jr., NASCAR pioneer, born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2007)
  • Apr 4 Frits Bolkestein, Dutch politician (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy), born in Amsterdam
  • Apr 4 Robin Phillips, English multi-millionaire manufacturer (hand-dryer)
  • Apr 4 Seoirse Bodley, Irish composer and professor of music (University College Dublin), born in Dublin
  • Apr 5 Barbara Holland, American author (The Joy of Drinking, Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend and Lives), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2010) [1]
  • Apr 5 Frank Gorshin, American comedian and impersonator (Riddler-Batman), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2005)
  • Apr 5 Larry Felser, American sports columnist (Buffalo Courier-Express, The Buffalo Evening News, The Sporting News), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2013)
  • Apr 6 Dudley Sutton, British stage and screen actor (Leather Boys; Brimstone & Treacle; Lovejoy - "Tinker Dill"), born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England (d. 2018)
  • Apr 6 Eduardo Malapit, American Democratic politician (d. 2007)
  • Apr 6 Roy Goode, British lawyer
  • Apr 7 Wayne Rogers, American actor (M*A*S*H, 1972-75 - "Capt. 'Trapper' John McIntyre"; House Calls), born in Birmingham Alabama (d. 2015)
  • Apr 8 Jaroslav Smolka, Czech composer (Metamorfosi), music director, dramaturge, pedagogue, and musicologist, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 2011)
  • Apr 9 Gian Maria Volontè, Italian actor (Fistful of Dollars), born in Milan, Italy (d. 1994)
  • Apr 9 Jacques Molicard, translator and navigator (d. 1995)

Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021)

Apr 9 French actor (Breathless; Casino Royale; Magnifique), born in Paris, France

  • Apr 9 Richard Rose, American Professor of Public Policy (Strathclyde University), born in St Louis, Missouri
  • Apr 10 Philip Corner, American composer, born in New York City
  • Apr 10 Poncie Ponce, American actor (Kazuo Kim-Hawaiian Eye), born in Maui, Hawaii (d. 2013)
  • Apr 10 Robert Rhodes James, British politician historian (Gallipoli), born in India (d. 1999)
  • Apr 10 Rokusuke Ei, Japanese author and lyricist (Sukiyaki), born in Asakusa, Tokyo (d. 2016)
  • Apr 10 Ron Murphy, Canadian NHL player (New York Rangers), born in Ontario, Canada (d. 2014)
  • Apr 11 Denis Goldberg, South African anti-apartheid activist (convicted alongside Mandela), born in Cape Town (d. 2020)
  • Apr 11 Futoshi Nakanishi, Japanese Baseball HOF infielder (Nishitetsu Lions; Pacific League MVP 1956; 7×Best Nine Award) and manager (Nishitetsu Lions), born in Takamatsu, Japan (d. 2023)
  • Apr 11 Tony Brown, American journalist (Tony Brown's Journal), born in Charleston, West Virginia
  • Apr 12 Montserrat Caballé, Spanish bel canto operatic soprano, and unlikely pop star (with Freddie Mercury - Barcelona), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2018)
  • Apr 13 Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Cheyenne-American politician (Sen-D Colorado), born in Auburn, California
  • Apr 13 Shani Wallis, Irish-American singer and actress (Oliver), born in Tottenham, Middlesex, England
  • Apr 14 Morton Subotnick, American electronic music composer (Silver Apples of the Moon; A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Apr 14 Paddy Hopkirk, Irish rally driver (Monte Carlo Rally 1964), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (d. 2022)
  • Apr 15 Boris Strugatsky, Soviet-Russian science fiction author (Tale of Troika), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 2012)

Elizabeth Montgomery (1933-1995)

Apr 15 American actress (Samantha/Serena-Bewitched), born in Los Angeles, California

  • Apr 15 Roy Clark, American country and bluegrass singer, guitarist, and banjo player (Hee Haw; The Tonight Show), born in Meherrin, Virginia (d. 2018)
  • Apr 15 Vera Krepkina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR long jump 1960; WR 4×100m relay 1956, tied WR 100m 11.3s 1958), born in Kotelnich, Russia (d. 2023)
  • Apr 16 Joan Bakewell, British broadcaster and actress (Cold Comfort Farm), born in Stockport, England
  • Apr 16 Perry Botkin Jr, American arranger, composer ("Nadia's Theme"), and producer (Incredible Bongo Band), born in New York City (d. 2021)
  • Apr 18 Alan Devereux, British industrialist and CEO (Scottish Tourist Board), born in Frinton-on-Sea, England
  • Apr 19 Harold "Dickie" Bird, English cricket umpire (66 Tests, 69 ODI), born in Barnsley, England

Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967)

Apr 19 American actress (The Girl Can't Help It), born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

  • Apr 21 Ian Carr, Scottish jazz musician (Nucleus), born in Dumfries, Scotland (d. 2009)
  • Apr 22 Anthony Llewellyn, Welsh-American scientist and NASA astronaut, born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 2013)
  • Apr 23 Roger Wittevrongel, Flemish painter, born in Blankenberge, Belgium
  • Apr 24 Alan Eagleson, Canadian ice hockey agent and promoter, born in St. Catharines, Canada
  • Apr 24 Claire Davenport, English actress (The Elephant Man), born in Sale, Cheshire, England (d. 2002)
  • Apr 24 Freddie Scott, American singer and songwriter ("Cry to Me"), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 2007)
  • Apr 24 Helmuth Lohner, Austrian actor and director (Mrs. Warren's Profession), born in Vienna
  • Apr 24 Patricia Bosworth, American actor, journalist, writer, and biographer, born in Oakland, California (d. 2020)
  • Apr 25 Jerry Leiber, American songwriter (Leiber & Stoller - "Hound Dog"; "Jailhouse Rock"; "Is That All There Is?"), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 2011)
  • Apr 26 Arno Penzias, German-born American physicist (1978 Nobel Prize for detecting cosmic microwave background), born in Munich, Germany (d. 2024) [1]

Carol Burnett (90 years old)

Apr 26 American comedian (The Carol Burnett Show) and actress (Annie; The Four Seasons; Mad About You), born in San Antonio, Texas

  • Apr 26 Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, Puerto Rican activist (Founder of FALN), born in Río Blanco, Naguabo, Puerto Rico (d. 2005)
  • Apr 26 Ilkka Kuusisto, Finnish opera composer and arts administrator (Finnish National Opera, 1984-92), born in Helsinki, Finland
  • Apr 27 Bob Bondurant, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans GT +3.0 1964; Shelby American, Ferrari, Eagle teams), born in Evanston, Illinois (d. 2021)
  • Apr 27 Calvin Newborn, American R&B and jazz guitarist, born in Whiteville, Tennessee (d. 2018)
  • Apr 28 Karl Heinz Wahren, German pianist and composer, born in Bonn, Germany
  • Apr 28 Oliver "Bops Junior" Jackson, American jazz drummer, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1994)
  • Apr 29 Darijan Božič, Slovenian composer and conductor, born in Slavonski Brod, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (d. 2018)
  • Apr 29 Edwin "Ed" Charles, American MLB third baseman (Miracle Mets-1969), born in Daytona Beach, Florida (d. 2018)
  • Apr 29 Keith Baxter, Welsh actor (Chimes at Midnight, Killing Time, Barretts at Wimpole Street), born in Newport, Monmouthshire
  • Apr 29 Mark Eyskens [Marc Maria Frans, Viscount Eyskens], Belgian economist and Prime Minister of Belgium (1981), born in Leuven, Belgium
  • Apr 29 Raymond Hill, American tenor saxophonist (Kings of Rhythm), born in Clarksdale, Mississippi (d. 1996)
  • Apr 29 Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter ("Love's Been Good to Me"; "Jean"; "Without A Worry In The World"), and poet (Lonesome Cities), born in Oakland, California (d. 2015)

Willie Nelson (90 years old)

Apr 29 American country singer-songwriter ("Crazy"; "On the Road Again"), born in Abbott, Texas


Born in 1933

Famous Deaths

  • Apr 1 Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford, 22nd Governor of New South Wales (1908-13) and Viceroy of British India (1916-21), dies at 64
  • Apr 2 Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji, Indian cricket batsman (15 Tests, 989 runs @ 44.95, 2 x 100s) and politician (Maharaja of Nawanagar), dies at 60
  • Apr 5 Earl Derr Biggers, American author ("Charlie Chan" detective series), dies of a heart attack at 48
  • Apr 6 Elizabeth Bacon Custer, American author, public speaker and wife of George Armstrong Custer, dies at 90
  • Apr 9 Sigfrid Karg-Elert, German composer, dies at 55

Henry Royce (1863-1933)

Apr 22 English industrialist and automobile founder (Rolls-Royce), dies at 70

  • Apr 23 Blair Fairchild, American composer and diplomat, dies at 55

Tim Keefe (1857-1933)

Apr 23 American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (Triple Crown 1888; MLB record 0.86 ERA, single season 1880; NY Giants), dies at 76

  • Apr 24 Felix Adler, German-American educator of political and social ethics, dies at 81
  • Apr 28 Robin Irvine, British actor (Easy Virtue, When Boys Leave Home), dies of pleurisy at 31
  • Apr 29 Constantine P. Cavafy, Egyptian Greek poet, journalist and civil servant, dies at 70
  • Apr 30 Luis Sanchez Cerro, President of Peru, assassinated by Hurtado de Mendoza