50 years ago in Expo history: Was the greatest entertainment weekend in Spokane history already behind it? The fair’s director believed it could be

The Fourth of July weekend was the “greatest entertainment weekend in Spokane’s history,” according to Petr Spurney, Expo ’74 general manager.

Here’s what took place:

• The Albi Stadium fireworks display with 27,000 persons.
• The Liberace concert with 2,700 persons.
• The Olga Korbut gymnastics exhibition at the Coliseum with 6,664 persons.
• The Spokane Indians baseball game with a large crowd
• Playfair Race Track with a large crowd.

“In other words, one of every four persons in Spokane had a ticket to some event,” Spurney said. “This may never happen again in the life of the city.”

From 100 years ago: A fire destroyed the bleachers of the Eastern Washington State Hospital ballpark at Medical Lake.

“Quick work on the part of the inmates and attendance prevented the blaze from spreading to nearby timber,” the Chronicle reported.

A cause was not specified.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1776: The U.S. Declaration of Independence is read to George Washington’s troops in New York.

1868: Louisiana and South Carolina are the last states to ratify the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing civil rights.

1955: The Russell-Einstein Manifesto is released by Bertrand Russell in London on the need to avoid nuclear war.