April 9, 1952

1952Robert Clark, American author^[†]

Robert Clark is an American novelist and writer of nonfiction. He has received the Edgar, James Beard and Julia Child awards, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award, and the Washington State Book Award as well as being a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the IMPAC Dublin Award. He has also been a Guggenheim Fellow and his books have been TLS and New York Times Notable Books of the Year. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, he lives in New York City.

1952Bruce Robertson, New Zealand rugby player (died 2023)^[†]

Bruce John Robertson was a New Zealand rugby union player. A centre, he represented Counties at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, from 1972 to 1981. He played 102 matches for the All Blacks, including 34 internationals, and scored 30 tries, four of which were in test matches.

1952Hugo Ballivián's government is overthrown by the Bolivian National Revolution, starting a period of agrarian reform, universal suffrage and the nationalization of tin mines^[†]

Hugo Ballivián Rojas was a Bolivian politician and military officer who served as the de facto 44th president of Bolivia from 1951 to 1952. A career military officer, he was Commander of the Bolivian Armed Forces when President Mamerto Urriolagoitía called upon him to take over as extra-Constitutional chief executive to prevent the swearing-in of the reform-minded President-elect, Víctor Paz Estenssoro. This was a self-coup that became popularly known as the Mamertazo. Installing himself in the Palacio Quemado, Ballivián was the oligarchy's last hope to "turn back the hands of the clock," but the situation was apparently beyond repair. Despite declaring a nationwide curfew and exiling and imprisoning some opposition leaders, the demonstrations, work stoppages, and uprisings continued.

1952Japan Air Lines Flight 301 crashes into Mount Mihara, Izu Ōshima, Japan, killing 37.^[†]

The crash of Japan Air Lines Flight 301 was an accident involving a Martin 2-0-2 of the Japanese airline Japan Air Lines on Mount Mihara, Izu Ōshima, Japan on 9 April 1952, killing all 37 people on board.