Years Ago

Today is Saturday, April 14, the 105th day of 2012. There are 261 days left in the year.

Associated Press

On this date in:

1775: The first American society for the abolition of slavery is formed in Philadelphia.

1865: President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth during a performance of “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s Theater in Washington.

1910: President William H. Taft becomes the first U.S. chief executive to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game as the Washington Senators beat the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0.

1912: The British liner RMS Titanic collides with an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 11:40 p.m. ship’s time and begins sinking. (The ship went under two hours and 40 minutes later with the loss of 1,514 lives.)

1939: The John Steinbeck novel “The Grapes of Wrath” is first published by Viking Press.

1956: Ampex Corp. demonstrates its videotape recorder at the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters Convention in Chicago.

Vindicator files

1987: U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., D-17, says the idea of his running as a favorite son in Ohio’s presidential primary is not far-fetched, but state chairman James Ruvulo contends Traficant would not be competitive.

The Ohio Cooperative Extension Service will not be able to keep its Trumbull County office open if county voters do not approve a sales tax in November.

1972: Classes in the Rogers and Elkton elementary schools in the Beaver Local School District and the entire Wellsville School District are suspended in an effort to stem the spread of a highly contagious virus.

Mayor Jack C. Hunter names Dominic Conti, from the city finance department to the newly created post of tax commissioner.

1962: Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. and Republic Steel Corp. join the ranks of major steel companies in rolling back price increases of $6 a ton that had come under heavy criticism from President John F. Kennedy.

Congressman Walter H. Judd of Minnesota tells 500 people at the Hotel Pick-Ohio for the annual conference of District 655 of Rotary International, that rededication of what made America great is needed to combat the Communist threat.

1937: Gas bills for Youngstown consumers would be 28 cents higher each month under a rate proposal submitted to Youngstown City Council’s utilities committee by East Ohio Gas Co.

Mason Lackey tells Youngstown police that an attempt was made to bomb his tire shop at 631 South Ave. He found a stick of dynamite leaning against the shot door, a fuse partially burned.