What Happened in April 1955

Historical Events

Howl Obscenity Charges

Apr 3 The American Civil Liberties Union announces it will defend Allen Ginsberg's book "Howl" against obscenity charges

Apr 4 British government signs military treaty with Iraq

PM Anthony Eden

Apr 5 Anthony Eden succeeds Winston Churchill as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

Apr 6 "3 for Tonight" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 85 performances
Apr 6 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
Apr 6 Yemen: failed coup by Abdullah Seif el-Islam
Apr 9 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

US Masters Golf

Apr 10 19th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Cary Middlecoff wins by a record 7 strokes ahead of Ben Hogan

Apr 10 9th NBA Championship: Syrac Nats beat Ft Wayne Pistons, 4 games to 3
Apr 10 Ruth Ellis shoots jilting lover David Blakely (last woman to be executed in the UK)

Marty

Apr 11 "Marty" directed by Delbert Mann and starring Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair premieres in New York (Best Picture 1956)

Attempt on Chinese Premier

Apr 11 Chartered Air India plane the "Kashmir Princess" is bombed and crashes into the South China Sea in a failed assassination attempt on Zhou Enlai by a Kuomintang secret agent

Premier of the People's Republic of China Zhou Enlai

Sobers 1st WI Appearance

Apr 11 Garfield Sobers starts run of 85 uninterrupted Test Cricket appearances for West Indies

Apr 12 1st game in KC, KC A's beat Detroit Tigers, 6-2

Polio Vaccine Approved

Apr 12 Polio vaccine tested by Jonas Salk announced to be 'safe and effective' and is given full approval by the US Food and Drug Administration

Children with polio in a US hospital, inside an iron lung. In about 0.5% of cases, patients suffered from paralysis, sometimes resulting in the inability to breathe. More often, limbs would be paralyzed.

Apr 13 20.33" (51.64 cm) of rainfall, Axis, Alabama (then state record, eclipsed in 1997)

Sports History

Apr 14 26-year-old catcher/outfielder Elston Howard becomes first African-American to play for NY Yankees; hits single with 1 RBI in 8-4 loss to Boston Red Sox

Apr 14 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings win back-to-back titles; beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 for a 4-3 series victory
Apr 14 WBRZ TV channel 2 in Baton Rouge, LA (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting

Event of Interest

Apr 15 Ray Kroc opens first McDonald's Inc. fast food restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois

Apr 15 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
Apr 18 1st "Walk"/"Don't Walk" lighted street signals installed
Apr 18 1st Bandoeng Conference opens in Indonesia, attended by 29 nations - first international assembly of Asian-African nations
Apr 18 59th Boston Marathon won by Hideo Hamamura of Japan in 2:18:22
Apr 18 Dan Shapiro, and music by Sammy Fain's musical "Ankles Aweigh" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC; runs for 176 performances
Apr 19 The German automaker Volkswagen, after six years of selling cars in the United States, founds Volkswagen of America in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize its dealer and service network
Apr 20 "Saint of Bleecker St" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 92 performances
Apr 21 Brooklyn Dodgers win, then record 10th straight game to begin a season
Apr 21 J Lawrence & R E Lee's "Inherit the Wind" premieres in NYC
Apr 21 Minas Gerais Argentina tunnel caves in; 30 die
Apr 22 KC Athletic's 1st game, beat Tigers 6-2
Apr 23 Robert Wright and George Forrest's musical "Kismet" closes at Ziegfeld Theater NYC after 583 performances
Apr 24 Conference of Bandung against colonialism and for self determination, ends
Apr 24 Gaullists lose elections in France
Apr 24 KFDM TV channel 6 in Beaumont, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
Apr 24 KMAU (now KGMV) TV channel 3 in Wailuku, HI (CBS) begins broadcasting

In the Wee Small Hours

Apr 25 Captiol Records releases "In the Wee Small Hours", the ninth studio album by American vocalist Frank Sinatra; collection of melancholy ballads with arrangements by Nelson Riddle was an early example of a concept album and helped popularize the 12-inch format for non-classical recordings

Apr 28 WBIQ TV channel 10 in Birmingham, Alabama (PBS) begins broadcasting
Apr 29 Giovanni Gronchi elected third President of Italy
Apr 30 Cuban bandleader Pérez Prado's mambo version of "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White" goes #1 for 10 weeks
Apr 30 Element atomic number 101, Mendelevium, announced
Apr 30 Imperial Bank of India nationalized
Apr 30 West German unions protest for 40-hour work week & higher wages

Events in 1955

Famous Birthdays

Apr 1 Dan Pohl, American golfer (US Masters 1982 runner-up; 2 PGA Tour titles), born in Mt Pleasant, Michigan
Apr 1 Emmanuel [Acha], Mexican singer (Íntimamente, La Chica de Humo), born in Mexico City
Apr 1 Gregg Jarrett, American television anchor
Apr 1 Ockie Oosthuizen, South African rugby union front rower (9 caps; Transvaal), born in Johannesburg, South Africa (d. 2019)
Apr 1 Tony Tuff (Winston Anthony Morris), Jamaican reggae singer and songwriter (The African Brothers), born in Kingston, Jamaica
Apr 2 Michael Stone, British terrorist (Ulster Defence Association), born in Harborne, Birmingham
Apr 3 Aleksandr Nikolayevich Yablontsev, Russian lt-colonel and cosmonaut, born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2012)
Apr 3 John Mooney, American blues-funk guitarist, slide guitarist and singer (Bluesiana), born in East Orange, New Jersey

Akira Toriyama (1955-2024)

Apr 5 Japanese manga artist (Dragon Ball), born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan [1]

Apr 5 Charlotte de Turckheim, French actress (Jefferson in Paris), born in Montereau-Fault-Yonne, France
Apr 5 Janice Long (née Chegwin), British radio host (Crash FM; BBC), born in Liverpool, Merseyside, England (d. 2021)
Apr 5 Lazarus Chakwera, Malawian theologian and politician (President of Malawi 2020-), born in Lilongwe, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Apr 6 Keith Hunter Jesperson, Canadian-born serial killer
Apr 6 Michael Rooker, American actor (Guardians of the Galaxy), born in Jasper, Alabama
Apr 7 Andrea Fisher, American artist, born in New York (d. 1997)
Apr 7 Greg Reeves, American bass guitarist (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Déjà Vu), born in Warren, Ohio
Apr 8 Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist (The Poisonwood Bible), born in Annapolis, Maryland
Apr 8 David Wu, Taiwanese-born American politician (Rep-D-Ore 1999-2011), born in Hsinchu, Taiwan
Apr 8 Gerrie Coetzee, South African boxer (WBA heavyweight title 1983-84), born in Boksburg, South Africa (d. 2023)
Apr 8 John Campbell, Canadian harness racing driver (6 x Hambletonian Stakes; 3 x Yonkers Trot; 8 x Kentucky Futurity), born in Ailsa Craig, Ontario
Apr 8 Kane Hodder, American actor and stuntman (Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th franchise), born in Auburn, California
Apr 8 Ricky Bell, American College Football HOF running back (USC; #1 Overall Selection 1977 NFL Draft TB Buccaneers; San Diego Chargers), born in Houston, Texas (d. 1984)
Apr 8 Ron Johnson, American politician (Senator-R-Wisconsin 2011-), born in Mankato, Minnesota
Apr 9 Joolz Denby, English poet and novelist, born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
Apr 9 Kate Heyhoe, American editor and food writer, born in Los Angeles, California
Apr 10 Lesley Garrett, English soprano singer, born in Thorne, Doncaster, England
Apr 11 Kevin Brady, American politician (Rep Texas (R) 1997-), born in Vermillion, South Dakota
Apr 11 Michele Scarabelli, Canadian actress (Jo Santini-Airwolf, Alienation, Dallas), born in Montreal, Quebec
Apr 11 Neville Staple, English ska singer (The Specials - "Ghost Town"; "Free Nelson Mandela"), born in Manchester, Jamaica
Apr 11 Piers J Sellers, English astronaut and climate scientist, born in Sussex (d. 2016)
Apr 13 Louis Johnson, American rock bassist and vocalist (Brothers Johnson), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2015)
Apr 13 Lupe Pintor, Mexican boxer, born in Cuajimalpa, Mexico City
Apr 13 Ole von Beust, German politician and Mayor of Hamburg, born in Hamburg, Germany
Apr 14 Simone Griffeth, American actress (Death Race 2000, Amanda's), born in Savannah, Georgia
Apr 15 Dodi Fayed, Egyptian businessman who died in a car crash in Paris with Diana. Princess of Wales, born in Alexandria, Egypt (d. 1997)
Apr 15 Enith Salle Brigitha, Dutch 100m/200m swimmer (Olympic bronze 1976), born in Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
Apr 15 Jeff Golub, American jazz guitarist (Avenue Blue; Rod Stewart), born in Copley Township, Ohio (d. 2015)
Apr 16 Bruce Bochy, American baseball player and manager (San Francisco Giants), born in Landes de Boussac, Bussac-Forêt, France
Apr 16 Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (2020-), born in Castle Betzdorf, Betzdorf, Luxembourg
Apr 17 Pete Shelley [McNeish], English singer-songwriter and guitarist (Buzzcocks - "Going Steady"), born in Leigh, England (d. 2018)
Apr 17 Rob Bolland, Dutch singer and guitarist (Bolland & Bolland), born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Apr 18 Amschel Rothschild, British banker (executive chairman of Rothschild Asset Management of the Rothschild banking family of England), born in Paris (d. 1996)
Apr 20 Donald Pettit, American chemical engineer and NASA astronaut, born in Silverton, Oregon
Apr 20 Svante Pääbo, Swedish geneticist (Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine 2022 - work on genomes of extinct hominins), born in Stockholm, Sweden [1]
Apr 21 David Van Tieghem, American experimental percussionist, theatrical composer, and sound designer (Laurie Anderson; Talking Heads), born in Washington, D.C.
Apr 22 Arthur Baker, American music producer (Afrika Banbaataa; Planet Rock; New Order), born in Boston, Massachusetts
Apr 23 Judy Davis, Australian actress (Barton Fink, Husbands & Wives), born in Perth, Australia
Apr 23 Mike Smith, English TV and radio presenter, born in Romford, Essex (d. 2014)
Apr 23 Su Ingle, British actress (Around the World in Seven Minutes and Four Times on Saturday), born in London
Apr 23 Tony Miles, English chess player (first Englishman to earn the Grandmaster title), born in Birmingham, England (d. 2001)
Apr 24 Jack Kingston, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia (1993-2015), born in Bryan, Texas
Apr 24 John de Mol Jr, Dutch media businessman (The Voice of Netherlands), born in The Hague, Netherlands
Apr 24 John Epperson [Lypsinka], American drag artist and actor, born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi
Apr 24 Michael O'Keefe, American actor (Caddyshack, Ironweed, Slugger's Wife), born in Mount Vernon, New York
Apr 25 Américo Gallego, Argentine soccer midfielder (73 caps; Newell's Old Boys, River Plate) and manager (River Plate, Independiente, Newell's Old Boys), born in Morteros, Argentina
Apr 25 Buster Mottram, English tennis player, born in Kingston upon Thames
Apr 25 John Nunn, English chess grandmaster, born in London
Apr 25 Parviz Parastui, Iranian actor (The Glass Agency), born in Kabudrahang, Hamadan Province, Iran
Apr 26 Gisèle Ben-Dor (née Buka), Uruguayan-Israeli-American conductor (Santa Barbara Symphony, 1994–2006; Boston Pro-Arte Chamber Orchestra, 1991–2000), born in Montevideo, Uruguay
Apr 26 Mike Scott, American baseball pitcher (NL Cy Young Award & NLCS MVP 1986, NL wins leader 1989; 3 × MLB All-Star Houston Astros), born in Santa Monica, California
Apr 28 (Edwin) "Eddie" Jobson, British progressive rock synthesizer player, and violinist (UK; Frank Zappa, 1976-77; Roxy Music, 1973-76 ; Curved Air, 1972-73), born in Billingham, England
Apr 28 Nicky Gumbel, British author and priest (Alpha Course), born in London, England
Apr 29 Gino Quilico, Canadian Grammy Award-winning operatic baritone, born in Flushing, New York City
Apr 29 Kate Mulgrew, American actress (Capt Janeway-Star Trek Voyager), born in Dubuque, Iowa
Apr 29 Leslie Jordan, American Emmy Award-winning actor (Will & Grace - "Beverly"), and writer, born in Chattanooga, Tennessee (d. 2022)
Apr 30 Dimitra Papandreau, Greece, wife of Greek PM Andreas Papandreau
Apr 30 Nicolas Hulot, French journalist

Born in 1955

Famous Weddings

Ray Charles

Apr 5 American musician Ray Charles (24) weds Della Beatrice Howard

Famous Deaths

Apr 1 Robert R. McCormick, American editor and publisher (Chicago Tribune), dies at 74
Apr 1 Silvio D'Amico, Italian theater critic (Il Teatro Italian), dies at 68
Apr 7 Theda Bara, actress (Camille, Cleopatra, 2 Orphans), dies at 62
Apr 10 Oskar Lindberg, Swedish composer (Requiem), dies at 68
Apr 10 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French philosopher and paleontologist (The Phenomenon of Man), dies at 73
Apr 16 Abdullah Seif el-Islam, brother of Yemenite king Ahmed, beheaded

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Apr 18 German-born theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate (theory of relativity), dies of an abdominal aortic aneurysm at 76

Apr 18 Don Blackie, Australian cricket spin bowler (3 Tests, 14 wickets, BB 6/94; Victoria), dies at 46
Apr 18 Eugen Herrigel, German philosopher and scholar (early pioneer of Zen in Europe), dies at 70
Apr 23 Robert Herman Woltjer, Dutch Minister of Education, dies at 76
Apr 24 Alfred Polgar, Austrian writer and theater critic (Yes & No!), dies at 79
Apr 25 Constance Collier, actress (Perils of Pauline), dies at 77
Apr 25 Paul Basilius Barth, Swiss painter and lithographer, dies at 73
Apr 28 Lode Cantens, Flemish playwright (Gnomes of the City), dies at 43
Apr 30 Rudolf Klein-Rogge, German actor and prototype for silent films master criminal (Metropolis, Spies), dies at 69

On This Day