On this day

April 2, 1954

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from April 2, 1954

SENATE VOTES BILL GIVING STATEHOOD TO HAWAII, ALASKA; Measure Approved 57 to 28 -- Margin of Victory Exceeds Expectation of Backers ISSUE IS SENT TO HOUSE Fate of Combination Proposal Believed to Hinge on Stand Eisenhower Will Take STATEHOOD BILL VOTED IN SENATE

By Clayton Knowlesspecial To the New York Times

Sen, 57-28, approves combined bill; rejects Monroney proposal for commonwealth status and Smothers proposal for territorial referendums on statehood or commonwealth status; House gets bill; approval seen hinging on Eisenhower stand; Sen Cordon appts Sen conferees H Butler, Millikin, Murray and Anderson; says they will back combined bill; Knowland argument for, Smothers argument against bill quoted; pol issues revd; Repub Cong advantage seen since Hawaii could elect reprs this yr; Alaska could not be ready for election until '56

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Man Who Praised McCarthy Chosen Counsel for Inquiry; COUNSEL PRAISED M'CARTHY'S WORK

By C. P. Trussellspecial To the New York Times

S P Sears approved as counsel, McCarthy abstaining; controversy develops on revelations Sears may have sought post and that he praised McCarthy in past; Sears says he has not publicly expressed self on McCarthy or McCarthyism; Boston Herald of Nov 10 '52 quoted Sears as hailing McCarthy and saying that he wanted to start fund drive for him; newspaper files show that on Mar 4 '51 Sears urged Harvard Univ to 'clean house' of Communists, that in Apr '53 he asked Harvard Law School Dean Griswold to oust students J W and D L Lubell for invoking 5th Amendment to queries on alleged Communist ties, that he criticized Harvard for keeping 3 faculty members who invoked 5th Amendment, that he sought to disband Harvard chap of Natl Lawyers Guild and protested scheduled s by Guild pres Fraenkel; Mundt says Saltonstall recommended Sears; Repr Curtis lr to Saltonstall cited, informing Saltonstall that Sears had told Curtis of interest in post; Sears then phoned Saltonstall; Saltonstall comment; McClellan, Jackson, Symington surprised at revelations; Kefauver again urges Sen Armed Services Com assert jurisdiction in dispute; Sears career; statement on acceptance; illus; ADA scores apptmt

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Notable Births

Gregory Abbott

1954Gregory Abbott, American singer-songwriter and producer[†]

Gregory Joel Abbott is an American singer, musician, composer and producer. Although he continues to record to date, he is best known for his singles in the mid-1980s including his platinum single, "Shake You Down", from his 1986 debut album.

Donald Petrie

1954Donald Petrie, American actor and director[†]

Donald Mark Petrie is an American film director and actor.

Notable Deaths

Hoyt Vandenberg

1954Hoyt Vandenberg, US Air Force general (born 1899)[†]

Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg was a United States Air Force general. He served as the second Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the second Director of Central Intelligence.

Historical Events

Hermosa Beach, California

1954A 19-month-old infant is swept up in the ocean tides at Hermosa Beach, California. Local photographer John L. Gaunt photographs the incident; 1955 Pulitzer winner "Tragedy by the Sea".[†]

Hermosa Beach is a beachfront city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 19,728 at the 2020 U.S. Census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area; it is one of the three Beach Cities. Hermosa Beach is bordered by the other two, Manhattan Beach to the north and Redondo Beach to the south and east.

Historical Context for April 2, 1954

In 1954, the world population was approximately 2,685,894,860 people[†]