What Happened in April 1951

Historical Events

Apr 3 Christopher Fry's "Sleep of Prisoners" premieres in Oxford

Royal Dutch Visit

Apr 4 Dutch Prince Bernhard visits Argentine President Juan & Eva Perón in Buenos Aires

General and President of Argentina Juan Perón

A Place in the Sun

Apr 5 "A Place in the Sun", film adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy", directed by George Stevens, starring Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters premieres at the Cannes Film Festival in France

The Rosenberg Trial

Apr 5 Julius & Ethel Rosenberg, atomic spies, sentenced to death

Apr 7 105th Grand National: John Bullock wins aboard 40/1 shot Nickel Coin; of 36 runners, only 3 complete the course

US Masters Golf

Apr 7 15th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Hogan wins the first of his 2 Masters titles, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Skee Riegel

Apr 7 American Bowling Congress begins 1st masters tournament
Apr 7 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak

Truman Relieves MacArthur

Apr 11 US President Harry Truman relieves General Douglas MacArthur of command in Korea

Apr 12 Israeli Knesset officially designates April 13 as Holocaust Day
Apr 15 Michael Gorsira is 1st person in charge of Curacao
Apr 16 55th Boston Marathon won by Shigeki Tanaka of Japan in 2:27:45
Apr 16 British submarine Affray sank in English Channel, killing 75

Sports History

Apr 17 NY Yankee Mickey Mantle's 1st game, he goes 1 for 4

Apr 18 Dutch Antilles government of Da Costa Gomez forms
Apr 18 France, West Germany & Benelux form European Steel & Coal Community
Apr 18 Hugh Martin and Preston Sturges' musical "Make a Wish" opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 102 performances

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Apr 19 Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" adapted from Betty Smith's novel, and starring Shirley Booth, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 267 performances

Apr 19 General Douglas MacArthur ends his military career
Apr 20 4th Cannes Film Festival: "Miss Julie" directed by Alf Sjoberg and "Miracle in Milan" directed by Vittorio De Sica jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
Apr 20 Huge ticker-tape parade held in NYC for World War II and Korean War General Douglas MacArthur after he was relieved of Command by President Truman
Apr 20 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak
Apr 20 Velsen city council demands investigation of police collaborators
Apr 21 NBA Championship: Rochester Royals beat New York Knicks, 79-75 to take series 4 games to 3; first Finals appearance for both teams
Apr 21 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-2 for a 4-1 series victory

Brielsche Mausoleum

Apr 26 Queen Juliana of the Netherlands opens Brielsche Mausoleum

Mosaddegh Prime Minister

Apr 28 Mohammad Mosaddegh elected Prime Minister of Iran by the Parliament of Iran (Majlis)

Prime Minister of Iran Mohammad Mosaddegh

Apr 29 China seizes the assets of the Asiatic Petroleum Company, a joint venture between the Shell and Royal Dutch oil companies in retaliation for the Hong Kong Government's requisitioning of the tanker Yung Hao

Events in 1951

Famous Birthdays

Apr 1 Henry Gross, American guitarist (Sha Na Na, 1969-70), and singer-songwriter ("Shannon"), born in Brooklyn, New York
Apr 1 John Philip Abizaid, U.S. Army General, former CENTCOM commander
Apr 2 Ayako Okamoto, Japanese golfer (US Open 1987 runner-up, 17 LPGA Tour titles), born in Hiroshima, Japan
Apr 2 Moriteru Ueshiba, Japanese martial artist, born in Tokyo
Apr 4 Hun Sen, Cambodian politician and military general (Prime Minister, 1985-2023; Senate president since 2023), born in Kampong Cham, Cambodia
Apr 4 Steve Gatlin, American country singer (Gatlin Bros-Broken Lady), born in Olney, Texas
Apr 5 Dean Kamen, American engineer and inventor (Segway), born in Long Island, New York
Apr 5 Everett Morton, Nevisian-born English drummer and percussionist (English Beat), born in Saint Kitts, West Indies (d. 2021)
Apr 5 Rennie Stennett, Panamanian baseball infielder (World Series 1979; SF Giants; one of 3 players to collect 7 hits in a MLB game), born in Colón, Panama (d. 2021)
Apr 5 Roosevel Ferguson, Arkansas, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List)
Apr 6 Bert Blyleven, American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (World Series 1979, 87 Minnesota Twins; MLB All-Star 1973, 85), born in Zeist, Netherlands
Apr 6 Ralph Cooper, Australian drummer (Air Supply, 1976-88 - "All Out of Love"), born in Coffs Harbour, Australia
Apr 7 Janis Ian [Fink], American singer-songwriter and folk musician ("At Seventeen"; "Society's Child"), born in New York City
Apr 7 John Dittrich, American country music drummer (Restless Heart - "Wheels"; "The Bluest Eyes In Texas"), born in Union, New Jersey
Apr 8 Mel Schacher, American bassist (Grand Funk Railroad - "Some Kind of Wonderful"'; "We're An American Band"), born in Owosso, Michigan
Apr 8 Phil Schaap, American Grammy Award-winning jazz historian, DJ, author and educator, born in Queens, New York (d. 2021)

Apr 9 Andrzej Krzanowski, Polish classical composer and accordionist (The Wind Carries the Echo Across a Wood Clearing), born in Bielsko-Biała, Poland (d. 1990)
Apr 9 John Teerlinck, American NFL defensive end (SD Chargers) and coach (annual award for NFL best defensive line coach named after him), born in Rochester, New York (d. 2020)
Apr 10 David Helvarg, American journalist and environmental activist, born in Long Island, New York
Apr 10 Mark Roth, American pro bowler (4 x PBA Player of Year), born in Brooklyn, New York

Steven Seagal (73 years old)

Apr 10 American actor (Above the Law, Hard to Kill), born in Detroit, Michigan

Apr 11 Doris Angleton, American socialite and murder victim (d. 1997)
Apr 11 Glyn Shaw, Welsh rugby union prop (12 caps; Neath RFC), and rugby league prop (7 caps Wales, 1 GB; Widnes RLFC, Wigan RLFC), born in Rhigos, Wales (d. 2022)
Apr 11 James Patrick Kelly, American sci-fi author (Think Like a Dinosaur), born in Mineola, New York
Apr 11 Jim Holton, Scottish soccer defender (15 caps; Manchester United, Coventry City), born in Lesmahagow, Scotland (d. 1993)
Apr 11 Paul Fox, English musician and singer (The Ruts), born in United Kingdom (d. 2007)
Apr 11 Robbie House, American country-rockabilly guitarist (Snuff - "Bad, Bad, Billy"), born in the USA
Apr 12 Jakson Spires, American rock drummer (Blackfoot), born in Raleigh, North Carolina
Apr 12 Judy Singer, Australian sociologist (coined term neurodiversity), born in Hungary [1]
Apr 13 Beatrix "Trixie" Schuba, Austrian figure skater considered to be one of the best compulsory figure skaters ever (Olympic gold 1972), born in Vienna, Austria
Apr 13 Jack Quinn, American politician (US House of Representatives from New York (R), 1993-2005), and college president (Erie Community, 2008-17), born in Buffalo, New York
Apr 13 Joachim Streich, German soccer striker (102 caps GDR; FC Hansa Rostock, 1. FC Magdeburg) and manager (1. FC Magdeburg), born in Wismar, Germany (d. 2022)
Apr 13 Max Weinberg, American rock drummer (E Street Band; Conan O'Brien Show - Max Weinberg 7), born in Newark, New Jersey
Apr 13 Peabo Bryson, American R&B, soul, and pop vocalist ("Show and Tell"; "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love"; "A Whole New World"), born in Greenville, South Carolina
Apr 13 Peter Davison, English actor (fifth Doctor in Doctor Who; All Creatures Great and Small), born in London
Apr 14 Gregory "Greg" Winter, British biochemist (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018) known for the therapeutic use of antibodies, born in Leicester, England
Apr 14 Julian Lloyd Webber, English cellist (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), born in London
Apr 14 Matima Kinuani Mpiosso, Zairen rock guitarist (Zaika Langa-Langa), born in Zaire (d. 1996)
Apr 15 Heloise [Ponce Kiah Marchelle Heloise Cruse Evans], American writer and columnist (Heloise's Helpful Hints), born in Waco, Texas
Apr 15 John L. Phillips, NASA astronaut, born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Apr 15 Marsha S. Ivins, American astronaut (STS 32, 46, 62, 81), born in Baltimore, Maryland
Apr 16 Björgvin Halldórsson, Icelandic pop singer ("Núna" / "Now"), born in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
Apr 16 Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, Romanian writer and photographer, born in Timişoara, Romania
Apr 16 John Bentley, English bass guitarist (Fabulous Poodles), born in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England
Apr 16 Mordechai Ben David [Werdyger], American orthodox Jewish singer-songwriter ("Yerushalayim We Will Never Leave You"), born in Brooklyn, New York
Apr 16 Pierre Toutain-Dorbec, French photographer, born in Orbec, Normandy, France
Apr 17 Börje Salming, Swedish Hockey HOF defenceman (first European born & trained player to appear in 1,000 career NHL games; Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings; NHL All Star First Team 1977), born in Kiruna, Sweden (d. 2022) [1]
Apr 17 Olivia Hussey, Argentine-British actress (Romeo & Juliet, Death on Nile), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Apr 18 Pierre Pettigrew, Canadian politician (Minister for International Trade), born in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Apr 18 Ricardo Fortaleza, Australian-Filipino boxer, born in Malate, Manila, Philippines
Apr 19 Barry Brown, American actor (Frederick Winterbourne-Daisy Miller), born in San Jose, California (d. 1978)
Apr 19 Jóannes Eidesgaard, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (2004-08), born in Tvøroyri, Suðuroy

Luther Vandross (1951-2005)

Apr 20 American soul singer, songwriter ("Endless Love"; "Dance With My Father"), and vocal arranger (David Bowie - Young Americans), born in Manhattan, New York

Apr 20 Steve Nathan, American rock and country session pianist, Hammond organ, and keyboard player (Muscle Shoals' FAME studio; Nashville's A-Team), born in Buffalo, New York
Apr 21 (Nicole) Nickey Barclay, American rock singer-songwriter, piano player, Hammond organist (Fanny - "Solid Gold"), and session musician (Joe Cocker, Barbra Streisand; Keith Moon), born in the USA
Apr 21 Aleksandr Ivanovich Laveykin, Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-2)
Apr 21 Michael Hartley Freedman, American mathematician
Apr 21 Robert Grey, English rock drummer (Wire, 1976-90 as 'Robert Gotobed"), born in Marefield, England
Apr 21 Tony Danza, American boxer and actor (Taxi,- "Tony"; The Tony Danza Show - "Tony"; Who's the Boss - "Tony"), born in Brooklyn, New York
Apr 22 Ana María Shua, Argentine poet
Apr 22 Paul Carrack, English rock singer (Ace - "How Long"; Mike + The Mechanics - "The Living Years"; Squeeze - "Tempted"), born in Sheffield, England
Apr 23 Allison Beth Krause, American student, killed by soldiers of the Ohio Army National Guard at Kent State University while protesting against US military, born in Cleveland, Ohio (d. 1970)
Apr 23 Rob Fraboni, American audio engineer, record producer (Bob Dylan, The Band, Joe Cocker, Donna the Buffalo), born in California
Apr 24 Andrew John Fairclough, trade union educator
Apr 24 Nigel Harrison, British rock bassist and songwriter (Blondie, 1978-82 - "One Way Or Another"), born in Stockport, Cheshire, England
Apr 25 Ian McCartney, British MP for Makerfield (1987-10), born in Lennoxtown, Scotland
Apr 26 Diego Verdaguer [Miguel Boccadoro], Argentine-Mexican singer-songwriter, bandoneón player, and trumpeter ("Volveré"; "Voy a Conquistarte"), born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2022)
Apr 27 Jim Justice, American businessman and politician, Governor of West Virginia (2017-), born in Charleston, West Virginia
Apr 27 Paul "Ace" Frehley, American rock guitarist (Kiss; Frehley's Comet), born in The Bronx, New York

Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001)

Apr 29 American auto racer (7 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championships), born in Kannapolis, North Carolina

Apr 30 Danuta Rosani, Polish discus thrower (Olympic 1976) disqualified for drugs

Born in 1951

Famous Deaths

Apr 1 Clement D'Hooghe, Belgian composer, dies at 51
Apr 2 Simon Barere, Russian pianist, dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at 54 while performing Grieg's Piano Concerto at Carnegie Hall
Apr 3 Johannes Kielstra, Dutch economist, governor of Suriname (1933-44), and diplomat, dies at 72
Apr 4 Al Christie, Canadian film director and producer, dies at 69
Apr 4 George Albert Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dies at 81
Apr 5 Edward Rigby, British actor (Star Look Down, Young & Innocent), dies at 72
Apr 6 Halfdan Cleve, Norwegian composer, dies at 71
Apr 9 Sadiq Hidajat, Persian writer (Hadji Aga), dies at 48
Apr 9 Vilhelm F K Bjerknes, Norwegian/US physicist/meteorology, dies at 89
Apr 12 Harold Vincent Milligan, American musician and composer, dies at 62
Apr 18 António Óscar Carmona, 97th Prime Minister of Portugal & 11th President of Portugal, dies at 81
Apr 20 Ivanoe Bonomi, Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1873)
Apr 22 Horace Donisthorpe, British entomologist, dies at 81
Apr 22 Stanley Ridges, British-born actor (possessed, Sgt York, Mr Ace), dies at 59
Apr 23 Charles G. Dawes, 30th Vice President of the United States, banker and 1925 Nobel Peace Prize winner, dies at 85
Apr 25 Jerzy Fitelberg, Polish composer, dies at 47
Apr 26 Arnold Sommerfeld, German physicist, dies at 82
Apr 26 John Alden Carpenter, American composer (Sea Drift), dies at 75
Apr 27 Philip Hands, South African cricket batsman (7 Tests, 2 x 50, HS 83; Western Province), dies at 61
Apr 29 Jules Verstraete [Julien Gustave de Graef], Flemish actor (rubber, The Three Wishes), dies at 67