What Happened in April 1960

Historical Events

U Nu

Apr 1 U Nu elected premier of Burma for the third time

Apr 2 Cuba buys oil from USSR
Apr 2 KPEC TV channel 56 in Lakewood Center-Tacoma, WA (PBS) 1st broadcast
Apr 2 Mabry Harper catches a world record 25lb Walleye at Cedar Bluff on the Cumberland River in Tennessee
Apr 3 Earthquake at Havre, Belgium

Music Recording

Apr 3 Elvis Presley records ‘It's Now Or Never’, ‘Fever’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee

Academy Awards

Apr 4 32nd Academy Awards: "Ben-Hur", Charlton Heston & Simone Signoret win

Apr 4 Oscar awarded to Dutch director Bert Haanstra for documentary "Glass"
Apr 4 Project Ozma begins at Green Bank radio astronomy center
Apr 4 Senegal declares independence from France
Apr 8 Netherlands and Germany sign accord concerning war casualties
Apr 8 US Senate passes Civil Rights Bill with measures against discriminatory voting practices
Apr 9 14th NBA Championship: Bost Celtics beat St Louis Hawks, 4 games to 3
Apr 9 South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd survives an assassination attempt by David Pratt despite being twice shot in the face

US Masters Golf

Apr 10 24th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 1958 champion Arnold Palmer birdies the final 2 holes to win by 1 stroke over runner-up Ken Venturi

Apr 10 Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill

Sports History

Apr 12 MLB Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck debuts "Exploding Scoreboard" at Chicago's Comiskey Park

Apr 13 US Department of Defense places "Transit 1B", 1st navigational satellite, in orbit around Earth
Apr 14 1st underwater launching of Polaris missile

Music History

Apr 14 American record company Motown, founded by Berry Gordy Jr, is incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit. Michigan

Founder of Motown Records and Songwriter Berry Gordy

Bye Bye Birdie

Apr 14 Lee Adams and Charles Strouse's musical "Bye Bye Birdie", starring Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, and Dick Gautier, opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC; runs for 607 performances

Apr 14 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Montreal Canadiens beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0 for a 4 game sweep; 5th consecutive title
Apr 15 Guy Carawan sings "We Shall Overcome" to a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh - popularising the song as a protest anthem
Apr 15 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), organizes at Shaw U
Apr 17 American Samoa sets up a constitutional government

Baseball Trade

Apr 17 MLB Cleveland Indians trade reigning home run champion Rocky Colavito to Detroit Tigers for reigning AL batting champion Harvey Kuenn; fans are unhappy

Apr 18 64th Boston Marathon won by Paavo Kotila of Finland in 2:20:54
Apr 19 Baseball uniforms begin displaying players' names on their backs
Apr 19 Comiskey Park's famed "exploding" scoreboard begins operating
Apr 20 "From A to Z" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 21 performances
Apr 21 Brasilia becomes capital of Brazil
Apr 21 Founding of the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith in Washington, D.C.
Apr 24 14th Tony Awards: "The Miracle Worker" (play) & "Fiorello!" (musical) win
Apr 24 Heavy earthquake strikes South Persia, 500 killed
Apr 24 Record 4 grand slams hit today
Apr 25 1st submerged circumnavigation of Earth completed by USS submarine Triton in 60 days, 21 hours
Apr 27 1st atomic powered electric-drive submarine launched (Tullibee)

Syngman Rhee Resigns

Apr 27 South Korean President Syngman Rhee resigns after 12 years in power

First President of South Korea Syngman Rhee

Apr 27 Togo (formerly French Togo) declares independence from French administration
Apr 28 Webster and Fain's musical "Christine", based on Hilda Wernher's novel "My Indian Family", opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 12 performances
Apr 28 WIPM TV channel 3 in Mayaguez, PR (PBS) begins broadcasting

Events in 1960

Famous Birthdays

Apr 1 Michael Praed, English actor (Robin of Sherwood, Dynasty), born in Berkeley, England
Apr 1 Reijo Ruotsalainen, Finnish ice hockey defenceman (Stanley Cup 1987, 90; Edmonton Oilers; Olympic silver 1988), born in Oulu, Finland
Apr 2 Linford Christie, British athlete (Olympic gold men's 100m 1992), born in Saint Andrew, Jamaica
Apr 3 Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Dutch progressive rock singer-songwriter, and musician (Ayreon), born in Hilversum, Netherlands
Apr 3 Marie Denise Pelletier, Canadian pop singer (Entre la tête et le cœur), born in Montréal, Québec
Apr 4 Andrew Ladd, British pianist, and contemporary classical composer, born in Kent, England
Apr 4 Hugo Weaving, Nigerian-born English-Australian actor (Agent Smith - The Matrix), born in Ibadan, Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
Apr 4 Jane Eaglin, English dramatic soprano, born in Lincoln, England
Apr 4 Jonathan Agnew, English cricket broadcaster, born in Macclesfield, Cheshire
Apr 6 John Pizzarelli, American jazz guitarist, vocalist, and record producer, born in Paterson, New Jersey
Apr 6 Warren Haynes, American rock and blues guitarist (The Allman Brothers Band), born in Asheville, North Carolina
Apr 7 Elaine Miles, American actress (Northern Exposure - "Marilyn Whirlwind"), born in Pendleton, Oregon
Apr 7 James 'Buster' Douglas, American boxer (undisputed world heavyweight champion 1990), born in Columbus, Ohio
Apr 7 Sandy Powell, English costume designer (3 Academy Awards), born in London, England
Apr 7 Tracy Silverman, American contemporary classical and jazz acoustic and electric 6-string violinist (Turtle Island String Quartet), composer, and pedagogue, born in Peekskill, New York
Apr 8 John Schneider, American actor (Dukes of Hazzard), born in Mt Kisco, New York

Apr 10 Julie Fulton, American actress (Lime Steel), born in Evanston, Illinois
Apr 10 Katrina Leskanich, American musician and singer (Katrina and the Waves - "Walking On Sunshine"), born in Topeka, Kansas
Apr 10 Ruth E. Cater, American film and TV costume designer (Black Panther), 1st black woman to win multiple Oscars), born in Springfield, Massachusetts

Jeremy Clarkson (64 years old)

Apr 11 English motoring journalist, broadcaster and TV presenter (Top Gear, The Grand Tour), born in Doncaster, England

Apr 11 Marko Elsner, Slovenian soccer defender (14 caps Yugoslavia, 2 Slovenia; Red Star Belgrade), born in Ljubljana, Slovenia (d. 2020)

Ron MacLean (64 years old)

Apr 12 Canadian sportscaster (Hockey Night in Canada), born in Zweibrücken, Germany

Apr 13 Bob Casey, Jr., American lawyer and politician (Senator-D-Pennsylvania 2007-), born in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Apr 13 Olaf Ludwig, German cyclist, born in Gera, Bezirk Gera, East Germany
Apr 13 Rudi Völler, German football coach, born in Hanau, West Germany

Brad Garrett (64 years old)

Apr 14 American actor and comedian (Everybody Loves Raymond), born in Los Angeles, California

Apr 14 Brian Forster, American child actor and fictional drummer (Partridge Family - "Chris" the second one), born in Los Angeles, California
Apr 14 Chris Cuffaro, American portrait, music industry, and commercial photographer, born in San Jose, California
Apr 14 Gian Piero Ventrone, Italian athletic trainer (Juventus FC, Italy 2004-06, SSC Bari, Atalanta BC, Tottenham Hotspur FC), born in Naples, Italy (d. 2022)
Apr 14 Pat Symcox, South African cricketer (South African off-spinner 1993- ), born in Kimberley, South Africa
Apr 15 Marvin Clyde Goodwin, murderer (FBI Most Wanted List), born in New Orleans, Louisiana
Apr 15 Pedro Delgado, Spanish cyclist, born in Segovia, Castile and León, Spain

Philippe of Belgium (64 years old)

Apr 15 King of the Belgians (2013-), born in Brussels, Belgium

Apr 16 Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and manager, born in West Berlin, West Germany
Apr 16 Rafael Benítez, Spanish football manager, born in Madrid, Spain
Apr 16 Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician and Congressman, born in Lantawan, Basilan, Philippines (d. 2007)
Apr 17 Michael Whitaker, British Olympic equestrian rider, born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Apr 18 Mick Sweda, American rock guitarist and songwriter (King Kobra, 1984-87; Bulletboys, 1987-93), born in Gowanda, New York
Apr 19 Frank Viola, American baseball pitcher (Twins, Mets/Cy Young-1988), born in Hempstead, New York
Apr 19 Gustavo Petro, Colombian politician, member of M-19 guerrilla movement (President of Colombia 2022-), born in Ciénaga de Oro, Colombia
Apr 19 Nicoletta Braschi, Italian actress (The Tiger and the Snow), born in Cesena, Italy
Apr 19 Roger Merrett, Australian rules footballer
Apr 20 Debbie Flintoff-King, Australian athlete (Olympic gold 400m hurdles 1988), born in Melbourne, Australia
Apr 20 Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuban politician, President of Cuba (2018-), born in Placetas, Cuba
Apr 20 Rodney Holman, American football tight end (Pro Bowl, All-Pro 1988–1990, Cincinnati Bengals), born in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Apr 21 Julius Korir, Kenya, 3K steeplechaser (Olympic gold 1984)
Apr 22 Gary Rhodes, British restaurateur and television chef, born in London, England (d. 2019)
Apr 22 Lloyd Honeyghan, British boxer (undisputed world welterweight champion 1986-87; W 43, L 5), born in Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica
Apr 22 Mart Laar, Estonian statesman
Apr 22 Randall L. Stephenson, American business executive
Apr 23 Jodie Mudd, American golfer (Players C'ship 1990), born in Louisville, Kentucky
Apr 23 Steve Clark, English rock guitarist (Def Leppard), born in Hillsborough, England (d. 1991)

Valerie Bertinelli (63 years old)

Apr 23 American actress (One Day at a Time - "Barbara"; Hot in Cleveland - "Melanie"), and Food Network personality, born in Wilmington, Delaware

Paula Yates (1960-2000)

Apr 24 English TV personality (The Big Breakfast), born in London

Apr 25 Bruce Redman, Australian film producer (Seed), born in Melbourne, Australia
Apr 26 Roger Taylor, English rock drummer (Duran Duran - "Hungry Like The Wolf"), born in Birmingham, England
Apr 27 Wally Langdon, British bassist (Herman Brood & His Wild Romance), born in London, England (d. 2019)
Apr 28 Elena Kagan, American Supreme Court Judge (2010-), born in New York City
Apr 28 Ian Rankin, Scottish novelist (Inspector Rebus crime novels), born in Cardenden, Scotland
Apr 28 Joel H. Rosenthal American political scientist
Apr 28 John Cerutti, American baseball pitcher (Toronto Blue Jays) and broadcaster (Rogers Sportsnet), born in Albany, New York (d. 2004)
Apr 28 Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Icelandic strength athlete (d. 1993)
Apr 28 Tom Browning, American baseball pitcher (perfect game 1988; MLB All Star 1991; World Series 1990 Cincinnati Reds), born in Casper, Wyoming (d. 2022)
Apr 28 Walter Zenga, Italian footballer (Inter Milan goalkeeper), born in Milan, Italy
Apr 29 Bill Glasson, American golfer (7 PGA Tour titles), born in Fresno, California
Apr 29 Caveh Zahedi, American filmmaker, born in Washington D.C.
Apr 29 Gerard Joling, Dutch pop tenor vocalist ("Love Is In Your Eyes"), and television personality, born in n Schagen, Netherlands
Apr 29 Joseph Guzaldo, American actor (Stir Crazy), born in Chicago, Illinois
Apr 29 Phil King, British rock bassist (Lush; Jesus and Mary Chain; The Fallen), born in London, England
Apr 29 Robert J. Sawyer, Canadian sci-fi writer, born in Ottawa, Ontario
Apr 30 David Miscavige, American cult leader
Apr 30 Kerry Healey, American politician

Born in 1960

Famous Weddings

Jerry West

Apr 10 NBA guard Jerry West (21) weds his college sweetheart Martha Kane in Morgantown, West Virginia

Apr 30 American Olympic men's figure skating gold medallist (1956) Hayes Alan Jenkins marries Olympic women's champion Carol Heiss in NYC, NY

Famous Deaths

Apr 1 Piet Bakker, Dutch journalist and novelist (Ciske the Rat), dies at 62
Apr 5 Alma Kruger, actor (Made For Each Other), dies at 88
Apr 10 Arthur Benjamin, Australian composer (Devil Take Her), dies at 66

Archibald McIndoe (1900-1960)

Apr 12 New Zealand plastic surgeon pioneer who rehabilitated badly burned Royal Air Force crew during WWII, dies in his sleep of a heart attack at 59 [or 11 April] [1]

Apr 13 Beverly Kenney American jazz singer ("I Hate Rock n' Roll"; "Born To Be Blue"), takes her on life at 28
Apr 16 Felix Kersten, Baltic-German Finnish masseuse physical therapist and personal trainer to Heinrich Himmler who helped save people from Finns from Nazi persecution, dies at 61
Apr 17 Eddie Cochran, American rock vocalist and guitarist ("Summertime Blues"; "C'Mon Everybody"), dies in a English taxi-car crash at 21
Apr 18 Emory Johnson, American actor and director (Phantom Express, Shield of Honor), dies at 66
Apr 20 Paul Fort, French poet (founder of Vers et Prose), dies at 88
Apr 23 Cornelis Jan Bakker, Dutch nuclear physicist (Director of CERN), dies in a plane crash at 56
Apr 23 Toyohiko Kagawa, Japanese Christian social reformer and writer, dies at 71
Apr 24 Johannes "Jan" Musch, Dutch actor (Dead Water), dies at 84
Apr 24 Max von Laue, German physicist who discovered the diffraction of X-rays by crystals, dies at 80
Apr 25 Amanullah Khan, Emir and King of Afghanistan (1919-28), dies at 67
Apr 25 Hope Emerson, actress (I Married Joan, Peter Gunn), dies at 62
Apr 25 Ilmari Krohn, Finnish composer, dies at 92
Apr 26 Wander Johannes de Haas, Dutch physicist (Einstein-De Haas effect), dies at 82
Apr 28 Anton Pannekoek, Dutch astronomer, philosopher and Marxist theorist, dies at 87
Apr 28 Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, 19th and 25th President of Chile, dies at 82

On This Day