50 years ago in Expo history: Clown crowded the fair for special day

Dozens of clowns descended on Expo ’74 for Clown Day.

There were professional clowns, amateur clowns and lots of kids dressed up as clowns. As part of the festivities, a clown contest was held to pick the best school-age clowns, as well as the best clown costumes and the “funniest faces.”

The Chronicle reported that one 5-year-old showed up in a “wooly, full-length suit with a fur collar, a red wig and a blue hat.”

In other Expo news, the fair’s final week was designated as “ ’76 Week,” which was a nod to the upcoming Bicentennial, and an “umbrella under which widely diverse groups with widely ranging opinions will hammer out the future for Spokane.”

From 100 years ago: Five or six people a day were coming to Spokane’s Internal Revenue office asking to see the tax returns of business rivals and neighbors. In several cases, wives showed up wanting to know how much money their husbands were making.

All had gone away disappointed. Despite national news stories stating that the public could access someone else’s return, the local Internal Revenue chief said he did not believe he was authorized to give out that information.

He was awaiting instructions from the national office.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1962: Black Saturday during the Cuban Missile Crisis: An American spy plane is shot down over Cuba and the navy drops warning depth charges on Soviet submarines.

1982: China announces its population has reached 1 billion plus people.