Years ago

April 21, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Today is Wednesday, April 21, the 111th day of 2010. There are 254 days left in the year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1509: England’s King Henry VII dies; he is succeeded by his 17-year-old son, Henry VIII.

1836: An army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeats the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.

1910: Author Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, dies in Redding, Conn., at age 74.

1930: A fire breaks out inside the overcrowded Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, killing 332 inmates.

1980: Rosie Ruiz is the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. She is later exposed as a fraud and Canadian Jacqueline Gareau is named the actual winner.

VINDICATOR FILES

1985: Michael Bada, a seventh grade student at St. Brendan School, wins The Vindicator spelling bee.

William B. Pollock is named honorary chairman of a fund-raising effort for $250,000 that would pay for Planned Parenthood Of Mahoning Valley to move from its East Boardman Street site to a larger building at 77 E. Midlothian Blvd.

1970: At least three Campbell patrolmen do not report for duty after the city failed to pay its employees on schedule for the second time in four months.

The Ohio Department of Highways will open bids in June for an estimated $16.9 million in construction on the city’s 1-680 inner belt between Poland Avenue and Hine Street.

1960: The Youngstown Board of Control approves purchase of nine properties needed to improve access streets to the Mahoning-to-Market Expressway.

With only three months remaining before they must make another payment, customers of “Birdman” Otto D. Standke, have a variety of opinions about his work in ridding downtown Youngstown buildings of starlings.

1935: A young gunman holds up Richard Jones, druggist and liquor store manager, of $1,000. He jumped on the running board of Jones’ car at an intersection as Jones drove home after closing his Market Street store .

Mahoning County elections officials say voting machines, costing $280,000, including interest, would pay for themselves in 10 years over the cost of paper ballots.

Flowers, Easter clothes and candy are heavy sellers as late shoppers crowd downtown Youngstown stores the day before Easter.