On this day

April 20, 1968

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

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Headlines from April 20, 1968

U.S. COURT VOIDS '66 N.M.U. ELECTION THAT CURRAN WON; Backs Dissidents Who Say Rules of Seamen's Union Barred Their Running Court Orders a New N.M.U. Election

By George Horne

Asst US Atty Hess says Fed Ct ruling that '66 election of NMU officers is illegal and that new election must be held under auspices of Labor Sec is landmark decision; says ruling helps determine what requirements union consts can impose on membership with regard to rights of nomination, election and voting

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Administration Is Divided Over Maneuvers on Talks; State Department Officials Reported Overruled by the White House on Site Proposal -- Propaganda Battle Feared. Administration Is Divided Over Maneuvering on Site for Talks

By Hedrick Smithspecial To the New York Times

new divs emerge within Johnson Adm as result of maneuvering oyer selection of site; Adm sources disclose top officials, including Rusk, oppose recent proposal of 10 new sites; several officials express misgivings over latest US moves; fear White House has decided to match N Vietnam in propaganda battle for time being; other arguments discussed; officials say Rostow and other advisers persuaded Johnson that statement proposing 10 sites should be made; State Dept gets no response yet on proposal

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Music on My Birthday

Billboard 200

The Top 50 albums for the chart week of April 17, 1968, covering April 20, 1968.

  1. 1
    Album cover for The Graduate by Soundtrack

    The Graduate

    Soundtrack

    Last week
    1
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    6
  2. 2
    Album cover for Blooming Hits by Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra

    Blooming Hits

    Paul Mauriat And His Orchestra

    Last week
    2
    Peak
    1
    Weeks
    19
  3. 3
    Album cover for Aretha: Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin

    Aretha: Lady Soul

    Aretha Franklin

    Last week
    3
    Peak
    2
    Weeks
    9
  4. 4
    Album cover for The Dock Of The Bay by Otis Redding

    The Dock Of The Bay

    Otis Redding

    Last week
    4
    Peak
    4
    Weeks
    5
  5. 5
    Album cover for Parsley; Sage; Rosemary And Thyme by Simon & Garfunkel

    Parsley; Sage; Rosemary And Thyme

    Simon & Garfunkel

    Last week
    5
    Peak
    4
    Weeks
    76

Notable Births

Julia Morris

1968Julia Morris, Australian entertainer[†]

Julia Carolyn Margaret Morris is an Australian comedian, television presenter, and actress. She has worked extensively in Australian television and radio, touring the country with her solo comedy shows. She relocated to the United Kingdom in 2000, appearing on British television, then returned to Australia in 2007. She currently co-hosts Network 10's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Australia alongside Robert Irwin and also narrates Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly Australia.

Notable Deaths

Rudolph Dirks

1968Rudolph Dirks, German-American illustrator (born 1877)[†]

Rudolph Dirks was one of the earliest and most noted comic strip artists, well known for The Katzenjammer Kids.

Historical Events

Enoch Powell

1968English politician Enoch Powell makes his controversial "Rivers of Blood" speech.[†]

John Enoch Powell was a British politician, scholar and writer. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Wolverhampton South West for the Conservative Party from 1950 to February 1974 and as the MP for South Down for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from October 1974 to 1987. He was Minister of Health from 1960 to 1963 in the second Macmillan ministry and was Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from 1965 to 1968 in the Shadow Cabinet of Edward Heath.

South African Airways Flight 228

1968South African Airways Flight 228 crashes near J.G. Strijdom Airport in South West Africa (now Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia), killing 123 people.[†]

South African Airways Flight 228 was a scheduled flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, to London, England. The Boeing 707-300C operating the flight, which was only six weeks old, flew into the ground soon after take-off after a scheduled stopover in Windhoek, South West Africa on 20 April 1968. Five passengers survived, while 123 people died. The subsequent investigation determined that the accident was attributable largely to pilot error; the manufacturer subsequently also recognised the lack of a ground proximity warning system in its aircraft. The accident is the deadliest aviation accident to date in Namibia.

Historical Context for April 20, 1968

In 1968, the world population was approximately 3,545,187,251 people[†]