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April 20, 1949

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Headlines from April 20, 1949

EX-RED SAYS PARTY ORDERED MAPS IN '40 OF DEFENSE PLANT; First Testimony of Possible Espionage Is Offered by Textile Union Official INTIMIDATION IS CHARGED Nowell, Also a Former Official, Lays Loss of Ford Job to Tactics of Communists EX-RED SAYS PARTY SOUGHT PLANT MAPS

By Russell Porter

former CP member C W Nicodemus testifies for Govt, giving 1st evidence on possible espionage and sabotage; says CP in '40 ordered members working in Celanese Corp of Amer plant, Cumberland, Md, to draw maps of plant for CP; says CP local split into 5-man units for security in '40; describes joining CP as aid to own union work; Nowell testifies again on CP retaliation when he left party

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Notable Births

Veronica Cartwright

1949Veronica Cartwright, English-American actress[†]

Veronica Cartwright is an American actress. She appeared in science fiction and horror films, and has three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Her younger sister is actress Angela Cartwright.

Toller Cranston

1949Toller Cranston, Canadian-Mexican figure skater and painter (died 2015)[†]

Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston was a Canadian figure skater and painter. He won the 1971–1976 Canadian national championships, the 1974 World bronze medal and the 1976 Olympic bronze medal. Despite never winning at the World Figure Skating Championships due to his poor compulsory figures, he won the small medal for free skating at the 1972 and 1974 championships. Cranston is credited by many with having brought a new level of artistry to men's figure skating.

Massimo D'Alema

1949Massimo D'Alema, Italian journalist and politician, 76th Prime Minister of Italy[†]

Massimo D'Alema is an Italian politician and journalist who was the 53rd prime minister of Italy from 1998 to 2000. He was Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006 to 2008. D'Alema also served for a time as national secretary of the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS). Earlier in his career, D'Alema was a member of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) and was the first former Communist party member to become prime minister of a NATO country and the only former PCI prime minister of Italy. Due to his first name and for his dominant position in the left-wing coalitions during the Second Republic, he is referred to as Leader Maximo. He is also the author of several books.

Jessica Lange

1949Jessica Lange, American actress[†]

Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles on stage and screen. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for a BAFTA Award and an Laurence Olivier Award. Lange is one of few performers to achieve Triple Crown of Acting status.

Historical Events

Amethyst incident

1949Amethyst incident: The People's Liberation Army attacks HMS Amethyst (F116) travelling to the British embassy in Nanjing during the Chinese Civil War.[†]

The Amethyst incident, also known as the Yangtze incident, was a historic event that occurred on the Yangtze River for three months in the summer of 1949, during the late phase of the Chinese Civil War. The incident involved the Communist People's Liberation Army (PLA), who were in the process of a river-crossing offensive to overthrow the Nationalist Government, and four British Royal Navy ships HMS Amethyst, HMS Black Swan, HMS Consort and HMS London. The British warships, whose claimed right of passage along the Yangtze had been unchallenged previously since the 1858 Treaty of Tientsin with the late Qing dynasty, came under bombardment by PLA artillery and were forced to withdraw permanently from Chinese territorial waters.