The following events occurred in April 1928:
Sunday, April 1, 1928
The Cinematograph Films Act, mandating that British cinemas show a quota of British films, came into force in the United Kingdom. French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré expressed hope that Prohibition would be repealed in the United States, which would help to bolster France's wine industry. A worldwide truck and bus brand, DAF Trucks was founded in the Netherlands, as predecessor of Hub van Doorne workshop. Born: George Grizzard, actor, in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina (d. 2007) Mykhaylo Koman, footballer and coach, in Ľubotín, Czechoslovakia (d. 2015)
Monday, April 2, 1928
An official announcement in Italy said that the plans to make the Grand Council of Fascism the primary body of the state would be postponed until fall in order to permit time for further study. A peace conference between Poland and Lithuania broke down over the issue of Vilnius, which both sides perceived as their own. Born: Serge Gainsbourg, French singer, in Paris (d. 1991) Piet Römer, Dutch film and TV actor; in Amsterdam (d. 2012) Died: Theodore W. Richards, 60, American chemist and 1914 Nobel laureate for his measurements of atomic weights
Tuesday, April 3, 1928
U.S. presidential candidate Al Smith carried Wisconsin, Maine, and New York in the Democratic presidential primaries.
Wednesday, April 4, 1928
The court martial of Captain Kenneth Dewar began in the "Royal Oak Mutiny" affair. Born: Maya Angelou, American author and poet; in St. Louis (d. 2014) Estelle Harris, American character actress and comedian; in Manhattan (d. 2022)
Thursday, April 5, 1928
The ocean liner SS Leviathan was hit by a 100-foot high wave that damaged the upper deck and flooded some of the third-class accommodations. It still managed to reach New York City on time four days later. Died: Chauncey Depew, 93, American attorney and politician Roy Kilner, 37, English cricketer (enteric fever) Viktor Oliva, 66, Czech painter
Friday, April 6, 1928
Fascist politician Renato Ricci issued a circular ordering that handshaking be ceased as a social custom in Italy, calling it unhygienic and excessive. The University of Houston student newspaper The Daily Cougar was first published. Born: James Watson, American molecular biologist and 1962 Nobel Prize laureate for his description of the double helix structure of the DNA molecule; in Chicago Joi Lansing, American model, actress and singer, in Salt Lake City (d. 1972)
Saturday, April 7, 1928
During the second period of Game Two of the Stanley Cup Finals between the New York Rangers and Montreal Maroons, Rangers goaltender Lorne Chabot was forced out of the game by a puck to the eye. Unable to secure an adequate replacement, Rangers coach Lester Patrick inserted himself into the game as the goaltender despite being 44 years old and only having limited experience at the position. Patrick allowed a goal in the third period, but Frank Boucher scored in overtime to give the Rangers an unlikely 2–1 victory. Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek launched a new offensive aimed at capturing Beijing. The Harold Lloyd silent comedy film Speedy was released. Born: James Garner, American actor and comedian known for Maverick and The Rockford Files, in Norman, Oklahoma (d. 2014) Alan J. Pakula, American film director, writer and producer, in the Bronx (d. 1998) James White, Northern Irish author, in Belfast (d. 1999)
Sunday, April 8, 1928
One person was killed and thirty injured in an early morning subway train collision in Queens, New York. The National Challenge Cup Final between the New York Nationals and Illinois Bricklayers before a crowd of 16,000 at the Polo Grounds in New York City ended in a 1–1 draw. A rematch was arranged for the following week in Chicago. Born: Eric Porter, British actor, in Shepherd's Bush, London (d. 1995)
Monday, April 9, 1928
The silent film Street Angel premiered at the Globe Theatre in New York City. The United States Supreme Court decided Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. v. United States. Born: Tom Lehrer, American musician, satirist and mathematician, in New York City
Tuesday, April 10, 1928
Pineapple Primary: In elections in Illinois, every candidate associated with Chicago Mayor William H. Thompson was defeated in a vote against gangsterism. Additionally, Frank O. Lowden and Al Smith won the Illinois Republican and the Democratic presidential primaries, respectively.