YEARS AGO FOR APRIL 22

Today is Saturday, April 22, the 112th day of 2017. There are 253 days left in the year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1864: Congress authorizes the use of the phrase “In God We Trust” on U.S. coins.

1889: The Oklahoma Land Rush begins at noon as thousands of homesteaders stake claims.

1937: Thousands of college students in New York City stage a “peace strike” opposing American entry into another possible world conflict.

1952: An atomic test in Nevada becomes the first nuclear explosion shown on live network television as a 31-kiloton bomb was dropped from a B-50 Superfortress.

1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson opens the New York World’s Fair.

1970: Millions of Americans concerned about the environment observe the first “Earth Day.”

1994: Richard M. Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, dies at a New York hospital four days after suffering a stroke. He was 81.

2007: In the first round of the French presidential election, conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist rival Segolene Royal get enough votes to advance to a runoff, which Sarkozy would win.

2012: George Zimmerman is quietly released from a Florida jail on $150,000 bail to await his second-degree murder trial in the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin. (Zimmerman was acquitted.)

VINDICATOR FILES

1992: Youngstown area pharmacies report that they are having trouble getting enough nicotine patches to satisfy the demands of smokers trying to quit.

Salem City Council votes against taking out a $200,000 loan toward a proposed expansion of City Hall.

An exhibition of antique Peerless Electric Co. fans will be on display at the Trumbull Art Gallery. Two of the fans belong to Margaret Dennison, former Trumbull County commissioner and the granddaughter of one of the founders of Peerless.

1977: While President Carter awaits a nationwide response to his energy conservation proposals, 53 percent of the Youngstown district residents polled by The Vindicator indicate they would support the program.

Two Youngstown firemen are injured when they were stoned by about 20 juveniles throwing baseball-sized rocks at Victory Field. Gary Connors, 36, and Michael Luchansky, 24, were taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital Medical Center for X-rays.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Lambros rules that if Youngstown hires two black patrolmen he will release the Civil Service Commission’s police promotional and appointment lists, which have been frozen since a discrimination lawsuit was filed in 1976.

1967: The state Controlling Board releases $150,000 for equipment in its new $5 million science engineering building at Youngstown University, which is scheduled to open in the fall.

A check for $600 is presented to the Youngstown Humane Society by the Western Reserve Cat Club for stainless steel cages for cats.

1942: Anthony Pastula of Youngstown is promoted to first-class aviation ordnance man by the Navy for helping navigate an emergency rubber boat for 34 days after a forced landing in the South Pacific.

Mahoning County’s 11 Selective Service boards are making last-minute preparations to register an estimated 25,000 men from 45 to 65 years old.

Many Youngstown and Mahoning County students are bringing an extra book to school each day during a weeklong, nationwide campaign to furnish service camp libraries with 10 million books.