50 years ago in Expo history: A new box office showed the demand for the fair’s star-studded lineup of performers

An Expo ’74 box office opened up at the Coliseum, and “excellent seats were available for every event.”

Mike Kobluk, Expo’s director of visual and performing arts, corrected the mistaken impression that the May 3 Opera House opening night gala and the Olga Korbut gymnastics exhibition were sold out. They were not.

Kobluk noted that there were already some new additions to the Expo entertainment calendar, which would be announced in a new catalogue coming out shortly.

The stars already announced included John Denver, Bob Hope, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Van Cliburn, Itzhak Perlman, Dolly Parton and Porter Waggoner.

From 100 years ago: Prohibition officials were again worried about airborne rum-runners, this time in Ferry County.

“We can’t stop them,” a Ferry County commissioner said. “In the first place, we haven’t the financial means and probably could not break up the game if we did have the money. … There are many open places along the border where the airplanes can land, and we believe the smugglers or liquor-runners are fully organized.”

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1775: Patrick Henry proclaims “Give me liberty or give me death” in speech in favor of Virginian troops joining U.S. Revolutionary War.

1919: Benito Mussolini forms Fascist group Fasci di Combattimento.

2010: President Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act (ACA), nicknamed “Obamacare,” expanding the availability and affordability of health insurance.