1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Jig
A tropical storm was first observed on October 11 in the central Atlantic Ocean, northeast of the Lesser Antilles and southeast of Bermuda. Two days later, a ship reported strong winds and a rapid pressure drop, indicating a hurricane was in the region; the tropical cyclone was given the name Jig. It moved northwestward, steadily intensifying before turning to the north and northeast.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Jig
On October 15, Hurricane Jig passed about 300 mi (480 km) east of Bermuda, and later that day its sustained winds reach peak winds of 115 mph (185 km/h), although the intensity was uncertain, based on estimates from the Hurricane Hunters. The hurricane began weakening on October 16. Jig became an extratropical cyclone later that day and quickly dissipated, never having affected land due to its small size.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane King
A trough was present in the western Caribbean on October 11. It is estimated that a tropical depression developed just off the north coast of Honduras on October 13, which moved northeastward and intensified into Tropical Storm King the next day. The tropical storm was a small weather system throughout its duration. On October 16, King reached hurricane strength while the passing between Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. The next day, King struck Cuba near Camagüey, Cuba with winds of 90 mph (140 km/h), equivalent to an upper-end Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane killed seven people and caused $2 million (1950 USD, $21.5 million 2021 USD) in damage throughout the country.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane King
After crossing Cuba, King rapidly deepened as it turned toward South Florida, becoming the sixth and final major hurricane of the season on October 18. King made landfall around 04:30 UTC on October 18, with estimated winds of 130 mph (210 km/h), or a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale; it was the most severe hurricane to impact the city since the 1926 Miami hurricane. As it approached Miami, the hurricane had a radius of maximum winds of 6 mi (9.7 km), and a minimum pressure of 955 mbar (28.2 inHg) was reported as King moved across the city. The swath of destructive winds was only 14 mi (23 km), likened to a small tornado. Early on October 19, King weakened to tropical storm status over north-central Florida, and on the next day it dissipated over western Georgia. There was one additional death in Georgia.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane King
Across Florida, damage totaled $27.75 million (1950 USD, $298 million 2021 USD), of which $15 million (1950 USD, $161 million 2021 USD) was in the Miami metropolitan area. A preliminary survey indicated there were 12,290 houses damaged in the region, with an additional eight destroyed. Along its path through the state, strong winds were observed around Lake Okeechobee, with a 93 mph (150 km/h) gust in Clewiston. Overall, there were three deaths in the state.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Twelve
A tropical storm was present in the east-central Atlantic on October 17. It moved northwestward at first before turning to the northeast on October 19, when it was already a small, compact tropical cyclone. The storm steadily intensified as it tracked toward the Azores, and it reached a peak intensity of 70 mph (110 km/h) on October 21. Maintaining its peak strength for 30 hours, the storm began a steady weakening trend before crossing through the southern Azores. It turned to the southeast, weakening to tropical depression status on October 24. Subsequently, the system turned to the south and quickly dissipated. This tropical storm was not included in the Monthly Weather Review's summary of the 1950 hurricane season, and it was added to the Atlantic hurricane database in 1959.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Love
In the wake of Hurricane King moving northward through Florida, an area of low pressure developed into a tropical cyclone on October 18 south of Louisiana. This storm was given the name Love and quickly strengthened, reaching hurricane status shortly thereafter. The storm initially moved westward across the Gulf of Mexico, but soon swung southward into the central portion of the Gulf on October 19. Hurricane Love's maximum sustained winds are believed to have reached their peak intensity early on October 20.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Love
Throughout the hurricane's track, dry air infringed on the western side of the tropical cyclone's circulation, which produced unfavorable conditions for additional tropical cyclogenesis. On October 20, the storm began curving northeastward towards the coast of western Florida; however, the dry air completely circled Love's center of circulation, drastically weakening the cyclone in the process. On October 21, Love weakened to a tropical storm, and it struck the Big Bend region of Florida, north of Cedar Key. At the time, its winds were only of moderate gale force, and the storm degenerated into a trough of low pressure shortly thereafter. This combined with an approaching cold front to produce a powerful extratropical storm.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Love
Certain areas began preparing for the storm along Florida's west coast. Hospitals set up emergency facilities in case of power failure, and some coastal residents left their homes. Initially, the storm was forecast to strike the Tampa area, but missed to the north as it weakened. It reportedly left little damage in the sparsely populated land where it made landfall.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Mike
A westerly moving trough was evident in the east-central Atlantic Ocean on October 24, south of a dissipating cold front. Ships in the region reported light winds, and surface observations suggested that a circulation developed by October 25; on that basis, it is estimated that a tropical depression formed. A nearby ship reported gale-force winds on October 27, suggesting that it intensified into a tropical storm with peak winds of 45 mph (72 km/h). An approaching cold front turned the storm northward, which absorbed the storm on October 28. The Air Weather Service (AWS) noted the system as "Storm Mike", but the storm was not included in the annual Monthly Weather Review summary, nor was it included in the database until it was added by the Atlantic hurricane reanalysis project in 2014.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Fifteen
Ships in the eastern Atlantic Ocean suggested that a tropical storm was present on October 28 with peak winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). It was estimated to have originated the previous day. The small storm moved to the northwest and later west into an area of sparse observations, suggesting a weaker system. The system's track ended on October 29 due to uncertainty, but it was estimated to have dissipated soon after.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Sixteen
For several days in November, a trough was present across the west-central Atlantic Ocean. On November 10, three ships reported a cyclonic circulation northeast of Bermuda, with peak winds of 70 mph (110 km/h). It was a large system, and would likely have been classified a subtropical cyclone in the satellite era. The storm moved northeastward and weakened, degenerating into a trough on November 12 before being merging with another system.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names
This was the first season in the Atlantic hurricane database in which cyclones that attained at least tropical storm status were given names. The names used to name storms during the 1950 season were taken from the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet, which was also used in the 1951 and 1952 hurricane seasons before being replaced by female names in 1953. Names that were not assigned are marked in gray.


1950 Atlantic hurricane season, Season effects
This is a table of all the storms that have formed in the 1950 Atlantic hurricane season. It includes their duration, names, landfall(s), denoted in parentheses, damages, and death totals. Deaths in parentheses are additional and indirect (an example of an indirect death would be a traffic accident), but were still related to that storm. Damage and deaths include totals while the storm was extratropical, a tropical wave, or a low, and all the damage figures are in 1950 USD.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour
The 1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour was an episode in the history of Clube Atlético Mineiro, an association football club based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in which it played a series of friendly football matches against clubs in Europe, becoming the first club of Minas Gerais and also the first Brazilian at professional level to compete in that continent.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour
Atlético Mineiro played ten matches on European soil from 1 November to 7 December 1950, touring through West Germany (where it took part in a Winter Tournament), Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and France (including the Saar Protectorate). The Brazilian team won six matches, lost two and tied the remaining, scoring 24 goals and conceding 18.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour
Having occurred at a time when neither national competitions in Brazil nor continental in South America exist, and in the wake of the traumatic Maracanazo, the tour and Atlético's results, many of which achieved under adverse weather conditions and snow, were seen by national sports media at the time as a historic achievement for Brazilian football.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour, Background
In 1950, a commission formed by the German Football Association traveled to Brazil to choose a football club to a series of friendly matches in Germany against some of the country's club sides. The recency of both the Maracanazo, a traumatic event for Brazilian football, and World War II, in which Germany and Brazil were at opposite sides, may have made clubs from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, then the footballing centres of the country, refuse participation in the friendly tour. Eventually Atlético Mineiro, then state league champion of Minas Gerais, was selected. Canor Simões, a journalist and sports director of the time, was credited as influential in the choice.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour, Tour
Atlético Mineiro's delegation arrived in Frankfurt on 27 October, where it was welcomed by German sports media, as it was the first time a Brazilian club played in the country. From there, the team traveled to Munich, where it played its first match against 1860 München, from Oberliga Süd, on 1 November. The match was played at the Grünwalder Stadion, with 35,000 spectators, under a misty and cool weather, and Atlético won 4–3. Hamburg was the team's second stop, where it defeated Oberliga Nord winner Hamburger SV 4–0 in front of 20,000 people at the Rothenbaum, on 4 November.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour, Tour
Only 24 hours later, Atlético Mineiro travelled to Bremen, and suffered the tour's first defeat: 1–3 to Werder (that also played in the Oberliga Nord) at the Weserstadion, with an attendance of 26,000. A one-week rest followed, after which the team traveled to Gelsenkirchen. Schalke 04, which went on to win that season's Oberliga West, was defeated 3–1. The encounter was a farewell match for Schalke legends Ernst Kuzorra and Fritz Szepan, and was attended by 30,000 at the Glückauf-Kampfbahn on 12 November.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour, Tour
From Germany, Atlético followed to Vienna, where 60,000 people saw the Brazilians lose 0–3 to a strong Rapid Wien side, which would form the backbone of the Austrian national team in the 1954 FIFA World Cup, the tour's worst result. Viennese press reported that Atlético Mineiro's players complained about refereeing (a supposed offside goal and a non-existent penalty to Rapid), as well as about the crowd's behaviour, which they saw as menacing (even though the home team's supporters were only raising their arms to applaud the visitors). On 20 November, the team played 1.FC Saarbrücken, then out of the German Football Association and playing in the French football league system because of Saarlands's French protectorate status; Atlético won the match by 2–0.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour, Tour
A trip to Belgium followed, where 40,000 watched the team beat Belgian First Division champions Anderlecht, led by forward Joseph Mermans, by a 2–1 score, on 22 November. On 26 November the club returned to Germany, where it tied with Oberliga Nord's Eintracht Braunschweig 3–3 at Eintracht-Stadion in front of 30,000 people. Another 3–3 tie followed, this time in Luxembourg against Union, increased by players from some other Luxembourger sides, on 5 December. The tour ended in Paris with a match against Stade Français on 7 December at Parc des Princes with a 4,000 attendance. Atlético won 2–1 under an extremely low temperature, which forced goalkeeper Kafunga to put his hands in a hot water bottle during the match, and caused midfielder Barbatana to suffer from hypothermia.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour, Tour
The tour ended in turmoil at European soil, however, as a disagreement between the club's board members and the German tour manager Eden Kaltenecker resulted in the disappearance of the latter and a shortage of money for the return trip to Brazil, which had to be ultimately funded by Minas Gerais State Government. A planned match against French champion Lille, to be played on 10 December, was also cancelled because of intense cold.


1950 Atlético Mineiro European tour, Aftermath
Brazilian press anticipated the return of the club's delegation, which was honored by the Brazilian Sports Confederation and received a standing ovation at the Maracanã before a Campeonato Carioca match. The team was welcomed by over 50,000 people upon its return to Belo Horizonte, in what was described as an "apotheotic" celebration in the city streets. Despite not having an unbeaten run, sports media lauded Atlético Mineiro's tour as a historical success for the country's football, which had suffered a major setback with the Maracanazo in the same year. The results achieved under adverse conditions and snowy grounds led to the dubbing of the team as Campeões do Gelo (Portuguese for "Ice Champions"), a feat remembered in the club's official anthem.


1950 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1950 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1950 college football season. It was the Tigers' 59th overall and 18th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Earl Brown, in his third year, and played their home games at Cliff Hare Stadium in Auburn and the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. They finished winless with a record of zero wins and ten losses (0–10 overall, 0–7 in the SEC). In the February that followed the completion of the season, Brown was fired as head coach of the Tigers.


1950 Auckland City mayoral election
The 1950 Auckland City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1950, elections were held for the Mayor of Auckland plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.


1950 Australian Championships
The 1950 Australian Championships was a tennis tournament that took place on outdoor Grass courts at the Kooyong Stadium in Melbourne, Australia from 21 January to 30 January. It was the 38th edition of the Australian Championships (now known as the Australian Open), the 11th held in Melbourne, and the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. Australian Frank Sedgman and American Louise Brough Clapp won the singles titles.


1950 Australian Championships, Finals, Men's Doubles
John Bromwich /  Adrian Quist defeated  Jaroslav Drobný /  Eric Sturgess 6–3, 5–7, 4–6, 6–3, 8–6


1950 Australian Championships, Finals, Women's Doubles
Louise Brough /  Doris Hart defeated  Nancye Wynne Bolton /  Thelma Coyne Long 6–2, 2–6, 6–3


1950 Australian Championships, Finals, Mixed Doubles
Doris Hart /  Frank Sedgman defeated  Joyce Fitch /  Eric Sturgess 8–6, 6–4


1950 Australian Championships – Men's Singles
Fifth-seeded Frank Sedgman defeated Ken McGregor 6–3, 6–4, 4–6, 6–1 in the final to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 1950 Australian Championships.


1950 Australian Championships – Men's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Frank Sedgman is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1950 Australian Championships – Women's Singles
First-seeded Louise Brough defeated Doris Hart, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 in the final to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1950 Australian Championships. The event was played on outdoor grass courts in Melbourne, Australia.


1950 Australian Championships – Women's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Louise Brough is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1950 Australian Grand Prix
The 1950 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Nuriootpa Road Circuit in South Australia on 2 January 1950. It was organised by the Sporting Car Club of South Australia, promoted by the Barossa Valley Vintage Festival Association and staged over 34 laps of the 7.0 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 164 kilometres. The race, which is recognized by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport as the fifteenth Australian Grand Prix, was a Formula Libre race.


1950 Australian Grand Prix
The race utilised a handicap start with cars commencing progressively, slowest through to fastest, at timed intervals. The declared winner of the Grand Prix however, was the driver with the fastest elapsed race time, regardless of handicap. All other official awards were based on the handicap results, with an additional trophy awarded to the handicap winner and prize money paid for the first nine handicap places. Doug Whiteford, driving a Ford V8 Special, known as 'Black Bess', won his first Australian Grand Prix, completing the race distance almost three minutes faster than Rupert Steele, driving an Alfa Romeo. Jim Gullan, driving an Oldsmobile-powered Ballot Special recorded the third fastest race time and was also the official handicap winner.


1950 Australian Grand Prix, Classification
The above results rank all finishers based on actual race time, regardless of handicap. Officially, race results were based on handicap placings, with the exception of the actual Australian Grand Prix title itself, which was awarded to the driver setting the fastest race time.


1950 Australian Grand Prix, Classification
It is not known if the cars of McKenna and Douglas actually retired from the race or were still running when the race time expired.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash
On 26 June 1950, a Douglas DC-4 Skymaster aircraft departed from Perth, Western Australia for an eight-hour flight to Adelaide, South Australia. It crashed 22 minutes after take-off, 35 miles (56 km) East from Perth Airport. All 29 occupants were killed in the accident; one initially survived, but died six days later. It was the worst civil aviation accident in Australia.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash
As the aircraft flew eastwards over the outer suburbs of Perth numerous witnesses observed that it was flying at a lower altitude than usual for the daily Skymaster services, and at least one of the engines was running roughly and backfiring at regular intervals. In the minutes before it crashed, witnesses heard a number of different engine noises – sometimes operating normally, sometimes all engine noise ceased, only to be replaced by what was described as a very loud, high-pitched "scream".


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash
When the wrecked engines were examined many weeks after the accident a significant amount of corrosion product was found in the fuel system within two of the engines. After a preliminary investigation, Investigators from the Department of Civil Aviation believed the water responsible for the corrosion was also responsible for rough running of at least one engine, and ultimately temporary loss of power from all engines on at least one occasion. The Investigators did not find a likely source for the water.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash
All but one of the 29 occupants on board the aircraft died, either from multiple injuries and burns, or from incineration. One elderly male passenger survived the crash. The first rescuers at the crash site found him wandering about, dazed and distressed. He suffered serious burns and was admitted to hospital where he died six days later.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash
The accident became the subject of an Inquiry chaired by a Supreme Court judge. In the absence of evidence indicating the source of any water in the fuel, the Inquiry dismissed the submission that water was responsible for the accident. The Inquiry did not determine the cause of the accident but it made recommendations to enhance the safety of aircraft operations.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, The flight
The aircraft was the Amana, a Douglas DC-4-1009 registered VH-ANA and the flagship of the Australian National Airways fleet. It flew for the first time on 28 January 1946 and was flown to Australia on 9 February 1946.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, The flight
The Amana departed from Perth Airport at 9:55 pm for the 8-hour flight to Adelaide. On board were 24 passengers, 3 pilots and two air hostesses.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, The flight
A radio report was received from the Amana at 10:00 pm advising it was on course and climbing to 9,000 feet. Nothing more was heard from the aircraft. As it flew east over the outer suburbs of Perth numerous people on the ground observed that it was flying unusually low, and heard at least one of its engines running roughly and backfiring repeatedly. Amana crashed at about 10:13 pm.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Crash
A number of residents on farming properties to the west of York heard a large aircraft flying low over the area. The aircraft seemed to be in trouble because the noise from the engines was changing significantly. At times the engines seemed to be operating normally but on at least one occasion all engine noise ceased for a brief time and then returned as a very loud, high-pitched noise. One resident reported that when all engine noise ceased he could hear a rushing sound until the scream from the engines returned. Several residents reported seeing a bright flash of white light in the distance, followed by a loud crashing and scraping noise. Those closest to the crash could then see the yellow glow of a major fire.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Crash
Ten minutes after the Amana set course for Adelaide, a Douglas DC-4 operated by Trans Australia Airlines became airborne at Perth, also heading for Adelaide. As the TAA aircraft set course for Adelaide, the captain, Douglas MacDonald, saw a vivid white flash on the horizon in precisely the direction in which he was heading. It lasted about six seconds, long enough for him to draw it to the attention of the two other crew members. Eight minutes later, the TAA aircraft passed over a band of fire on the ground.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Crash
MacDonald estimated the fire was 28 nautical miles (52 km) east of Perth Airport. As MacDonald approached Cunderdin, he was aware the Amana, flying about ten minutes ahead of him, had not yet radioed its position report at Cunderdin. He became concerned that the vivid white flash and the ground fire might indicate some tragedy had befallen the Amana so he advised Air Traffic Control about his observations. Air Traffic Control was also concerned about the Amana's failure to report at Cunderdin so on hearing MacDonald's observations of the vivid white flash and the ground fire they activated emergency procedures. They asked MacDonald to fly back to the fire and determine its position. MacDonald did so and advised Air Traffic Control of bearings from the fire to York and Northam, the towns nearest the crash site.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Search and rescue
Frank McNamara (62), an apiarist, and Geoff Inkpen (25), a young farmer, heard the sound of a big aircraft in serious trouble, flying low nearby. McNamara described the noise from the engines as "terrifying". They investigated and saw the bright light of a flash fire. McNamara sent his two teenage sons in his utility truck to York to alert the police. McNamara and Inkpen then set out on foot in the direction of the fire. As there was bright moonlight, they were able to hurry through the bush. After about half an hour, they came upon a scene of devastation. They were astonished to find an elderly man in a dazed state wandering around the burning wreckage. He gave his name and explained that he had been a passenger on a large aircraft. He had survived the crash despite being badly burned. No one else was found alive.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Search and rescue
In response to notification from Air Traffic Control, three ambulances from Perth were despatched in the direction of the crash site, known to be somewhere between Chidlow and York. The crash site was several miles from the road so the ambulance crews travelled eastwards all the way to York without sighting a fire. The crews were eventually guided back along the main road and then along a dirt road that enabled them to drive to within three or four miles of the crash site. The crews then took their first-aid boxes and set out on foot.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Search and rescue
Frank McNamara made a bed of leaves for the survivor and built a fire to help keep him as warm and comfortable as possible. McNamara stayed with the survivor while Inkpen went to summon help. After several hours, ambulance crews arrived and administered first-aid and morphia. Rescue workers constructed a stretcher using saplings, bandages and overcoats. They covered the survivor with an overcoat and carried him for two hours to cover about two miles through thickly wooded country to McNamara's utility truck, which then carried him and his rescuers to a waiting ambulance.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Search and rescue
Frank McNamara and Geoff Inkpen were publicly thanked by the Minister for Civil Aviation for the great assistance they rendered to the rescue effort throughout the night. In a public letter to Frank McNamara, the minister acknowledged the unrelenting effort of McNamara and his sons under extremely difficult conditions. He also acknowledged McNamara's care of the survivor and regretted that McNamara was not rewarded by seeing the survivor recover. In a public letter to Geoff Inkpen, the Minister expressed his deep appreciation for Inkpen's actions on the night of the crash. During World War II, Inkpen had served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a navigator and the minister acknowledged that, in peacetime, Inkpen had continued to uphold "the fine traditions" of the RAAF.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Fate of those onboard
The sole survivor was the 67-year-old Managing-Director of Forwood Down and Company Ltd., a South Australian engineering company. He was the oldest person on board the flight, and probably the most experienced air traveller. He was interviewed by police in hospital in Perth, but was not aware of much detail about the final minutes of the flight. He said there was no sign of fire prior to the crash and no announcement to passengers to fasten their seat belts. He died six days after the crash and was buried at the North Road cemetery in Adelaide, his home town.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Fate of those onboard
Investigators believed the aircraft captain survived for a short time after the crash. His body was a short distance away from his seat and both were a few metres ahead of the wreckage where they had been thrown after the nose of the aircraft was split open in the impact with a large tree. The seat belt had not broken, but it had been undone. The captain's tunic was pulled up over his head as though to protect his face from the heat of the nearby inferno. Investigators believed he survived the crash and undid his seat belt to drag himself away from the fire. His body was not burnt, but autopsy showed both his legs were broken and he died from a fractured skull.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Fate of those onboard
Postmortem examinations were performed on the 28 victims of the crash. The two co-pilots died from multiple injuries. Twenty-three passengers and the two air hostesses were found to have died from multiple injuries and burns, or incineration. Only 12 of the 28 victims could be formally identified. The remaining 16 victims were either unrecognisable or unable to be identified and were buried in a mass grave at Perth's Karrakatta cemetery.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Passengers
On its fatal flight the Amana was carrying 24 passengers, including 2 infants. All but one died in the crash or the ensuing inferno.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
Three investigators from the Department of Civil Aviation began work at the crash scene the day after the accident. They found the Amana had crashed in a heavily timbered area on the Inkpen family property Berry Brow, on the easterly track between Perth airport and Kalgoorlie, at a point where the elevation was about 1,100 feet (340 m) above sea level. The aircraft struck the tops of tall gum trees while descending at an angle of about 15° below horizontal. Its speed at impact was estimated at 250 miles per hour (400 km/h).


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
It crashed through large trees, breaking them off as if they were matchsticks, before impacting the ground violently and gouging a long, wide furrow. The left wing was torn away from the fuselage and then the aircraft broke up and burst into flames. Only the rear fuselage with the fin and rudder were not affected by fire. The wreckage trail was about 280 yards (260 m) long and 35 yards (32 m) wide. At the time of impact the Amana's left wing was lower than its right, suggesting it may have been turning left. It was heading north, not east towards Cunderdin. Investigators speculated that the crew may have been turning with the intention of returning to Perth airport; or they may have been preparing for a crash-landing in a large clear area to the north of the crash site.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
Possibly as a result of rough-running of one or more of its engines, the Amana was observed flying over Perth's outer-eastern suburbs at an unusually low altitude. No witness report was received from anyone along the next 16 nautical miles (30 km) of the Amana's track from Perth's outer suburbs to within 5 nautical miles (9 km) of the crash site. In the minute before it crashed, eight witnesses heard a large aeroplane in distress and reported unusual engine noise, including engine noise ceasing on at least one occasion, followed by the sudden return of very loud engine noise.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
This suggested that, on at least one occasion, none of the engines were producing power, followed by a resumption of power on some of the engines. The investigation team concluded that the Amana failed to reach its assigned altitude of 9,000 feet, and that it experienced intermittent engine problems of such severity that all engine power was lost on at least one occasion. Without power and with only one of its propellers feathered, a Douglas DC-4 loses altitude at a great rate, possibly as fast as 100 feet per second (6,000 feet per minute).


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
Engines and propellers numbers 1 to 3 suffered substantial damage in the crash, but engine and propeller number 4 suffered much less damage. The investigators determined that at the time of impact, propellers 1, 2 and 3 were turning normally and their engines were producing power but propeller number 4 was feathered and its engine was not operating. There was also some evidence that action was taken by the crew to unfeather propeller number 4 in the moments before impact. None of the engines contained evidence of any internal failure prior to impact. All the magnetos were tested and the results indicated normal ignition was available to all engines up to the time of impact.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
Engine number 4 suffered only minor, external damage. It was dismantled by the investigation team in an attempt to determine why it might have been shut down by the crew. A substantial amount of corrosion product was found in the passages of the fuel flow meter on engine number 4. Western Australia's Deputy Mineralogist identified the corrosion product as magnesium hydroxide. This is a corrosion product formed by reaction of magnesium and water, suggesting the fuel passages had been filled with water in the months between the crash and the detailed examination of the engine.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
Charles Gibbs, an engine specialist employed by the Department of Civil Aviation, estimated at least 45 cubic centimetres of water must have been involved. Rain falling on the crash site before engine number 4 was removed could not account for this much water in the fuel passages. Gibbs first examined the fuel system of engine number 4 and discovered the corrosion about two months after the accident. He conducted a test on an identical flow meter and found that after he left water in the fuel flow passages for approximately 8 weeks a similar amount of corrosion product developed.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
This suggested the rough running heard by witnesses on the ground may have been caused by water in the fuel reaching engine number 4. The steel rotor in the fuel pump of engine number 1 was slightly corroded but the fuel systems of engines 2 and 3 showed no evidence of corrosion. Investigators formed the opinion that the rough running heard by witnesses on the ground, and the crew's decision to shut down engine number 4 and feather its propeller, may have been related to water in the fuel reaching that engine. Similarly, the intermittent loss of power on all engines in the final minutes of the flight may indicate that all engines were receiving fuel contaminated with water.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
The only abnormality found in all four engines was the vapour vent float in the fuel strainer chamber of the carburettors. The floats had been crushed by extreme fuel pressure. Inquiries were made to the engine manufacturer and other civil aviation authorities but none had prior experience of vapour vent floats collapsing. Tests on carburettors were also carried out in Australia by the Aeronautical Research Laboratories but without finding any suitable explanation. Whether the floats were crushed in flight or in the crash could not be determined, but even if it had occurred in flight it would not have affected operation of the engines.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
The earliest reports from the crash site speculated that the Amana was already on fire when it struck the tops of trees because those trees, and pieces of the aircraft's left wing torn off in the impact with them, showed signs of scorching. Several eyewitnesses reported seeing flames in the sky before the aircraft struck the ground. Department of Civil Aviation investigators discounted this speculation because only one of the Amana's push-button engine fire extinguishers had activated and this had most likely occurred during the crash or the fire.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
Australian National Airways (ANA) ground staff in Sydney checked the Amana's fuel tanks for the presence of water prior to its first departure on 26 June. They found none. The Amana was subsequently re-fuelled in Melbourne and Adelaide but no check of the fuel tanks was made on these occasions. After being re-fuelled in Perth immediately prior to the fatal flight, the fuel filters in all 4 engines and the fuel drain serving the cross-feed pipe in the wing centre-section were all checked for the presence of water. The fuel tanks themselves were not checked, partly because, on the night of 26 June, the ground staff were "pressed for time" because one despatch engineer was absent due to illness.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
ANA was of the opinion that if a small amount of water entered a fuel tank during refuelling it would only reach the drain cocks when the aircraft was in level flight so it could not be detected immediately after re-fuelling. For 15 years ANA had operated in the knowledge that the only satisfactory time to check fuel tanks for the presence of water was prior to the first flight of the day, after the aircraft had been stationary overnight. Throughout this time ANA checked fuel tanks for the presence of water prior to the first flight of the day.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
Prior to its final flight, the Amana received 1,756 US gallons (6,650 L) of fuel from a tanker operated by the Vacuum Oil Company. The tanker had been checked for the presence of water in the morning and again at 6:30 pm, about 2 hours prior to re-fuelling the Amana. It had also supplied fuel to 3 de Havilland Dove aircraft, none of which suffered any engine problems or were found to have water in the fuel.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Investigation
The Department of Civil Aviation performed tests on parts of the DC-4 fuel system. Tests on the engine fuel system showed that when the engine boost pump was operating, a vortex formed in the engine fuel tank. If a small amount of water was present, this vortex held the water in suspension and prevented it from entering the engine. The tests also showed that when the boost pump was turned off, the vortex dissipated and any water would soon find its way into the engine. Investigators believed this might explain why all engines were operating normally during the takeoff but at least one engine began to run roughly around the time the engine boost pumps would be turned off.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
The Minister for Civil Aviation, Thomas White, appointed Justice William Simpson of the ACT Supreme Court to conduct an Air Court of Inquiry into the crash of the Amana. The Inquiry opened in Perth on 7 February 1951. Justice Simpson was assisted by two assessors – Captain J.W. Bennett, a pilot with British Commonwealth Pacific Airlines; and Mr D.B. Hudson, an aeronautical engineer with Qantas Empire Airways. The Commonwealth Crown Solicitor was represented by L.D. Seaton and B. Simpson. Australian National Airways was represented by George Pape. The Department of Civil Aviation was represented by Henry Winneke. The Air Pilots' Association was represented by Francis Burt. The Inquiry sat in Perth for 12 days; heard evidence from 67 witnesses and concluded on Tuesday 20 February.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
Western Australia's Deputy Mineralogist gave evidence that he had identified magnesium hydroxide, a corrosion product, in fuel passages in one of Amana's engines. Counsel for the Department of Civil Aviation explained that evidence gathered during investigation of the crash indicated water in some of the fuel on board Amana was responsible for the corrosion products found in engines numbers 1 and 4; for the rough running of an engine heard by a number of witnesses; and for the intermittent failure of all engines, leading to the aircraft descending to ground level.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
The Inquiry heard evidence from the Department of Civil Aviation's Acting Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, C.A.J. Lum, a former RAAF Douglas Dakota pilot, who described his personal experience of a flight in 1946 in which all fuel tanks were checked for the presence of water prior to take-off and the flight proceeded normally for 20 minutes until both engines began running roughly. Lum returned to the aerodrome and checked again for water in the tanks, this time finding a significant amount of water. Counsel for the Vacuum Oil Co. explained that it was almost impossible for water to be introduced to an aircraft during refuelling, and vigorously rejected the theory that water in the fuel contributed to the crash.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
Counsel for the Commonwealth Crown Solicitor presented evidence that the Amana was on fire before it first struck trees. Counsel for the widow of one of the victims suggested the crash may have been caused by the elevator trim tab jamming in the diving position.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
In April 1951 Justice Simpson advised the Minister for Civil Aviation that new evidence had become available. The Minister gave permission for the Inquiry to be re-opened. The Inquiry re-opened in Melbourne on 4 June 1951. The Department of Civil Aviation had recently completed tests on the DC-4 fuel system. The tests showed that when an engine boost pump was operating, a vortex in the engine fuel tank prevented water from entering the engine. The tests also showed that when the boost pump was turned off, any water would soon find its way into the engine.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
The Department of Civil Aviation believed this might explain why all engines were operating normally during the takeoff but at least one engine began to run roughly around the time the engine boost pumps would be turned off. However, Justice Simpson stated that the re-opened Inquiry served only to confirm his view that the Amana's loss of power was not due to water in the fuel.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
Justice Simpson's report was tabled in the House of Representatives on 28 June 1951 by the new Minister for Civil Aviation, Larry Anthony. The Inquiry found that the Amana suffered total loss of engine power on at least one occasion, followed by rapid loss of height until it struck the ground. However, the evidence did not allow the court to determine the cause of the total loss of engine power. Consequently, the court was unable to determine the cause of the accident. Simpson stated he was satisfied water had not been introduced into the Amana's fuel system in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
The Inquiry uncovered two deviations from the Air Navigation Regulations although it did not consider these deviations contributed to the accident:


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
The Inquiry also uncovered three irregularities in the safety regulation of civil aviation in Australia although none of these irregularities contributed to the accident. Justice Simpson's report contained recommendations to deal with the irregularities:


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
During the House of Representatives debate on the report, the Minister, Larry Anthony, stated that he had already asked fuel companies to check their tanker wagons for the presence of water after each replenishment, and the relevant Air Navigation Order would be amended to require fuel to be drained into transparent containers.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Inquiry
He stated that his Department did not intend to amend the relevant Air Navigation Order to require pilots of four-engine aeroplanes to perform the periodic checks in a four-engine aeroplane because it considered it was more challenging to fly with one engine inoperative in a two-engine aeroplane than in a four-engine aeroplane.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
Investigators from the Department of Civil Aviation believed water in some of the fuel tanks of VH-ANA was responsible for rough running of one or more of the engines; and this ultimately led to intermittent failure of all the engines. The Inquiry led by Mr Justice Simpson found no evidence that there was significant water in the fuel tanks. No radio call was received from Amana to indicate the nature of any problem, or even that the crew was aware of a problem. The Inquiry concluded without determining the cause of the crash.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
In the weeks and months after conclusion of the Inquiry one possible explanation of the crash began to circulate among employees of ANA. This possibility began with one piece of evidence uncovered by the Inquiry during cross-examination of ANA's ground staff. It was reported that after sunrise the morning after the crash the one-gallon container used to check Amana's fuel filters was found empty and lying on its side on the apron a short distance from where Amana had been parked. The Inquiry attached no significance to this evidence and did not explore it further.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
Employees of ANA believed the container had last been used to drain fuel from the cross-feed drain cock, the fuel cock that serves the pipe in the wing centre-section for cross-feeding of fuel from tanks in one wing to engines in the other wing. Moments after this procedure commenced, the staff member was advised of a telephone call from his wife and he went to answer the telephone. With the cross-feed selector valves closed, little fuel ran out when the drain cock was opened.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
Some employees believed that because no fuel was running out neither the staff member nor anyone else noticed the drain cock was still open. Due either to the wind or the slipstream from Amana's propellers as it began to taxi prior to take-off, the almost-empty container was blown over and rolled some distance along the apron where it was found the next morning.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
Some employees of ANA speculated that approximately ten minutes after take-off the crew of Amana were aware of the seriousness of rough running on number 4 engine so decided to shut it down. Company procedures specified that if an operational problem occurred prior to reaching Kalgoorlie, 290 nautical miles (540 km) east of Perth, the aircraft was to return to Perth; but if a problem occurred after reaching Kalgoorlie the flight could continue to Adelaide. The Douglas DC-4 was capable of flying from Perth to Adelaide with one engine inoperative.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
The crew of Amana on the fatal flight might have decided to wait until past Kalgoorlie before making a radio call to report one engine had been shut down, and then continue to Adelaide. To manage fuel usage and balance the weight of fuel across the wing, the crew might have selected some of the operating engines to draw fuel from number 4 tank. The DC-4 had a complex fuel selection system and, either deliberately or inadvertently, all operating engines might have been connected to number 4 tank.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
If the drain cock in the cross-feed pipe was still open to the atmosphere, air would be drawn into the pipe, causing an interruption of fuel supply to the engines, all engines to stop operating and their propellers to move to fine pitch.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
When the crew realised engines 1, 2 and 3 had all suddenly failed and that cross-feeding of fuel was the source of the problem they would have changed the fuel selections and restored fuel to the engines, causing the sudden screaming noise heard by witnesses as the engines burst back into life with their propellers in fine pitch. Amana had been flying at lower altitude than usual so there was inadequate height for the crew to arrest the high rate of descent before the aircraft struck high ground on the Inkpen family property. (At the Air Court of Inquiry, George Pape, representing ANA, described as "fantastic" any suggestion that the crew of the Amana would be cross-feeding fuel from one wing to the engines on the other wing at such an early stage of the flight.)


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
The Flight Superintendent and the Technical Superintendent of ANA simulated some of these events during a test flight in another DC-4. They were satisfied that the time intervals between events were compatible with the likely sequence of events leading to the crash of the Amana, and that it was a plausible explanation of the accident. However, on legal advice this possible explanation of the crash was not made public.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Subsequent speculation about cause of the crash
Two accidents involving Douglas DC-4s, one approaching Dublin Airport, Ireland, in 1961 and another approaching Stockport Airport, Manchester, United Kingdom, in 1967 were attributed to interruption of fuel supply when engines were supplied from the cross-feed system which was open to an empty fuel tank, allowing air to be drawn into the cross-feed pipe.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Recent archaeological finds and re-evaluation of Amana's final moments
Around 2002 further wreckage from Amana's port wing outboard of the engines was investigated about 1.5 miles from the crash site. This wreckage had not been located during the 1951 investigation, although it had subsequently been located during farming operations and shifted to a barren area where it avoided significant subsequent degradation by grass fires. It suggests that having attained substantially level flight, Amana hit one or more trees several seconds before reaching its final impact site, causing sufficient damage to result in the in-flight fire observed by witnesses at the time, and a deviation from its original flight path. Part of this wreckage is now on display at The Civil Aviation Historical Society & Airways Museum at Essendon Airport.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Recent archaeological finds and re-evaluation of Amana's final moments
A high-speed impact on part of the wing and fuel system might explain a surge in fuel pressure sufficient to cause the crushed vapour vent float found in the carburettor of each of Amana’s engines.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Memorials
After the accident, souvenir hunters proved to be such a problem that the owners of Berry Brow kept all gates locked. Geoff Inkpen stated that after completion of an Inquiry a bulldozer would be used to dig a ditch at the crash site and what remained of the Amana would be buried.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Memorials
A small memorial to the loss of the Amana, its passengers and crew, has been created in the aeronautical museum in the town of Beverley, 29 miles (47 km) south-east of the crash site. The memorial includes the nose undercarriage from the Amana. A memorial plaque was erected in the main street of Beverley on 26 June 2001, the fifty-first anniversary of the crash.


1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash, Aftermath
Australian National Airways (ANA) never fully recovered from the crash of the Amana. Since the beginning of 1945, 77 people had been killed in accidents in aircraft operated by ANA. In late 1948, ANA suffered 4 crashes in 4 months. The loss of ANA's reputation as a safe airline, together with the unblemished safety record and growing commercial success of its rival Trans Australia Airlines, sent ANA into decline. In 1957 ANA was taken over by Ansett Transport Industries Limited and merged with Ansett Airways to form the domestic airline Ansett-ANA.


1950 Australian rainfall records
The 1950 rainfall records for the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland reported probably the most remarkable record high rainfall totals ever recorded anywhere in the continent. Averaged over both of these states, 1950 is clearly the wettest year since adequate records became available circa 1885. Queensland recorded a statewide average rainfall of around 1,125 millimetres (44.3 in) as against a mean since 1885 of around 640 millimetres (25.2 in), whilst New South Wales recorded around 930 millimetres (36.6 in) as against an instrumental mean around 520 millimetres (20.5 in). Australia's wettest town, Tully also recorded its highest annual rainfall total in 1950 with 7,925 millimetres (312.0 in).


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, First four months
The year 1950 opened quite quietly over Australia, with a relatively inactive monsoon and generally very cool conditions further south. A major cyclone in the third week of January gave substantial rain to most of New South Wales and caused high winds that killed seven people, but it was not until February that the pattern of abnormal rainfall over NSW and Queensland became firmly established.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, First four months
Especially heavy rainfall occurred over the southwest of New South Wales (extending into most of Victoria) during February, but it was in March, normally at the end of the wet season, that the heaviest rainfall occurred. The monsoon trough, which is normally situated around Cape York Peninsula, moved to a latitude near Boulia.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, First four months
At the beginning of that month some of the worst flooding on record occurred over the Barron and Herbert Rivers, and with a major tropical cyclone following the contour of the Queensland coast for over a week from 4 to 11 March and then moving inland, the heavy rain extended deep into the interior of Queensland and even to that part of South Australia northeast of the Flinders Ranges.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, First four months
The flood on the Diamantina River was measured as the highest ever recorded, and Windorah on the lower Cooper recorded for the entire month 442 millimetres (17.4 in), which is about 145 percent of its mean annual rainfall. Most pastoral areas were described as having a "superabundance of feed" and losses of sheep in the Lake Eyre Basin due to blowfly strike were as serious as experienced in the frequent droughts characteristic of the basin's extraordinarily variable climate.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, First four months
With the interaction with a cold front mid-month, the heavy rainfall shifted southward to the Murrumbidgee River basin. In three days, Canberra received 150 millimetres (6 in) and the heavy rain continued over southeastern New South Wales and adjacent Victoria until the end of the month. Major flooding – unusual for this time of year – occurred on all rivers draining from the Australian Alps and over the South Coast. By the time the rain eased after further heavy falls early in April, Canberra had had its second wettest month on record. Over the North Coast up to Brisbane and inland to the Darling Downs, however, March rainfall had been below normal.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, First four months
In these regions, however, the moist easterly flow of March continued to bring heavy rainfall later in April; however, in much of western and far southern New South Wales April was very dry. The continuing rain, aided by falls near Lake Eyre that prevented the rivers drying up, allowed the lake to begin filling during that month to the astonishment of many people who had seen the lake during the dry era from 1922 to 1938 and concluded that the lake could never fill with water.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Second four months
May and the first week of June saw a relatively typical winter circulation over most parts of Australia. However, the tendency of strong frontal depressions to move inland combined with generally weak anticyclones meant that temperatures were generally mild, whilst a major low pressure system off the south coast gave that region further flooding rains.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Second four months
From the second week of June to the end of winter, the weather patterns became quite unusual. Strong high-pressure systems over Tasmania and Victoria were virtually constant and allowed moist easterly air to flow consistently over New South Wales and Queensland. Combined with a series of upper-level lows lifting the moisture, this caused remarkably heavy rain except over the extreme south of New South Wales, where it was dry and the ski season extremely poor.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Second four months
June 1950 was Sydney's wettest month on record with 643 millimetres (25.3 in), whilst at Dorrigo on the edge of the coastal escarpment, over 1,400 millimetres (55 in) fell in the last three weeks of the month and 624 millimetres (24.6 in) on the 24th alone. Even at normally dry Longreach, 160 millimetres (6.3 in) fell for June and 140 millimetres (5.5 in) for July. Most extraordinary, however, was on the Central Coast of Queensland, where Bowen received over 400 millimetres (16 in), or twenty times its normal July rainfall.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Second four months
Owing to the moist easterly flow, temperatures for the winter were remarkably mild. At Inverell, the mean minimum for July was 6 °C (43 °F), which is as much as 6 °C above normal and an incredible 10 °C (18 °F) higher than had been recorded just four years previously.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Second four months
The consequences of this heavy rain falling on saturated catchments with absolutely no drying westerly winds was disastrous. Most rivers on the coast of New South Wales, and many further inland, reached record levels. Food shortages were particularly prevalent in Sydney and surrounding cities, and railways and roads were repeatedly cut as each successive storm flooded all major rivers. Vegetable crops on the Hawkesbury River were hardest hit, with most being completely destroyed and prices skyrocketing.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Second four months
Except for a central portion of New South Wales, August was fairly dry. However, the continued absence of frost or westerly winds meant that at the end of winter catchments were still extremely wet. With the Southern Oscillation Index firmly established as strongly positive after a couple of years near zero, it was clear that further heavy rain was always imminent.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Last four months
September continued mild with rainfall ranging from nil in western NSW to again very heavy around Dubbo and Nyngan, but October and November, with cold air continually interacting with moist easterly winds, saw a return to the extreme wet conditions of June and July. In these two months Dubbo received a total of 420 millimetres (17 in) of rain and the flooding of March returned to the reprieved southeastern areas of New South Wales. By the end of October a large number of stations had already exceeded annual records set in the 1890s.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Last four months
Wheat crops in all of Queensland and all but the Riverina in NSW, which had needed some fine weather to finish, were almost completely destroyed by the excessive rainfall. Many farmers had no crop at all because of rust and many other crops were fed to cattle as their quality as grain was extremely poor.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Last four months
The continued rain and mild conditions (warm in the south, cool in the tropics) led to an outbreak of Murray Valley encephalitis which killed 19 people during the subsequent summer. It had the remarkable positive, however, of allowing the first curbs to the rabbit plague in Australia via myxomatosis, which had not spread in the dry era since 1922 because of the absence of standing water for mosquitoes to breed.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evolution and causes of the abnormal rainfall, Last four months
December was very wet in the north, with many rainfall records in the Georgina River basin, but was hot and dry in New South Wales except around Tibooburra in the far northwest. Between Sydney and Dubbo it was the first drier-than-normal month since 1949.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evaluation
The extremely widespread flooding that resulted from record rains and unusually low evaporation caused at least 26 deaths on the North Coast during the winter.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evaluation
Although record rainfall occurred over about two-thirds of New South Wales and half of Queensland, the most remarkable rainfalls occurred over the central inland of New South Wales. At many stations in the basins of the Macquarie and Bogan Rivers, the 1950 annual rainfall are as much as 250 millimetres (10 in) higher than that of the second-wettest year in a record of around 130 years:


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evaluation
Some stations show similar differences in 1974 (central Australia) and 2000 (Northern Territory, Kimberley and Pilbara). However, it is probable that by then global warming and possibly Asian aerosols were influencing Australia's climate and thus these are not natural variability, which the record 1950 rainfalls above undoubtedly are.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evaluation
Using a normal distribution one can estimate the return period of 1950-level annual rainfall for the Dubbo region as around 375 years, or about three times the length of instrumental rainfall data. For areas even a little further west, however, the skewness is too high to use this method, but there can be little doubt that the return periods are similar. Excluding records post-1968, when enhanced greenhouse gases has undoubtedly impacted Australian rainfall beyond (admittedly generally high) natural variability, there are no other totals over a substantial area that compare for improbability of being repeated.


1950 Australian rainfall records, Evaluation
The extreme absence of westerly winds meant that unlike 1956, 1973 and 1974, the year 1950 was not uniformly wet over Australia: indeed, in much of Tasmania and Western Australia the anticyclonic control associated with the moist airflow over New South Wales and Queensland produced unusually dry conditions. (A remarkable statistic associated with this is that, although the sixth wettest year averaged over Australia since 1900, 1950 had a higher proportion of Australia in the lowest 10 percent than 81 out of 117 other years.


1950 Austrian general strikes
The Austrian General Strikes of 1950 were masterminded by the Communist Party of Austria with half-hearted support of the Soviet occupation authorities. In August–October 1950 Austria faced a severe social and economic crisis caused by anticipated withdrawal of American financial aid and a sharp drop in real wages. Negotiations between the government and the trade unions stalled, and on September 26 the Communists launched the first general strike. A total of 120 thousand industrial workers walked out of factories, disrupted railroad traffic and harassed government officers. Austrian government, the Socialists and trade unions defused the situation and on September 27 the Communists backed off. The second strike of October 4–5, limited to Vienna and Soviet-occupied Lower Austria, also ended in a humiliating defeat.


1950 Austrian general strikes
The Soviet support to Austrian Communists was limited to the disruption of police action and provision of trucks for moving communist agents. The British and American occupation forces provided only moral support to the Austrian government. All former allies evaded use of force. No one was killed but dozens of police officers and civilians were injured in street fights.


1950 Austrian general strikes
The strikes of 1950 are routinely called a putsch but actual goals of the Communists remain unknown. According to contemporary American press, the August strikes were "the most widespread and potentially dangerous since the end of World War II". Historians agreed: "the developing strike was the most dangerous since the end of the war" (Bader), "few Cold War confrontations in Austria were more potentially explosive than the Communist-inspired strikes of September and October 1950" (Williams).


1950 Austrian general strikes, Crisis of 1950
After the conclusion of World War II the territory of Austria, annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, was once again separated from Germany and placed under administration of France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1949 they agreed on two-thirds of the draft of the Austrian State Treaty but its very future was vague, as had been shown by the partition of Germany. By summer of 1950 lack of progress with the Treaty and the communist scare of the Korean War had a grave impact on the Austrians' morale.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Crisis of 1950
Allied-occupied Austria was split into four occupation zones. The Soviet Union controlled the provinces of Lower Austria, Burgenland and eastern districts of Upper Austria, but the city of Vienna, which lies within Lower Austria, was occupied by all four allies. Austrian heavy industry (or what was left of it) concentrated around Linz, in the American zone, and in British-occupied Styria. Their products were in high demand in post-war Europe. Quite naturally, the administrators of the Marshall Plan channelled available financial aid into heavy industry controlled by the American and British forces. Industry quickly recovered, from 74.7% of pre-war output in 1948 to 150.7% in 1951. American planners deliberately neglected consumer goods industries, construction trades and small business. Their workers, almost half of Austrian industrial workforce, suffered from rising unemployment.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Crisis of 1950
Agriculture remained in ruin, and Austria relied on food imports from the West. In 1948–1949 substantial share of Marshall Plan funds allocated to Austria was used to subsidize imports of food. American money, effectively, raised real wages of Austrian workers: grain price in Austria was at about one-third of the world price. Farmers were depressed by artificially low prices; the Americans were not happy about it too and planned to cut off food subsidies by the end of 1950. Austrian coalition government chaired by Leopold Figl was facing an impending social and economic crisis.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Crisis of 1950
They had to manage it alone, without allied support and without financial reserves to smooth the transition. Austrian finances were ruined by post-war hyperinflation. In 1947–1949 the government and organized labor maintained real wages through annual adjustment of wages to prices. The first two price-wage agreements relieved social tension, but by the time of the third price-wage agreement (1949) failures of this mechanism were obvious. The Communist Party of Austria made the alleged "ripoff of workers" in 1949 a staple of their campaigning and blamed the very existence of wage-price agreements on American influence.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Crisis of 1950
The fourth price-wage agreement, negotiated in secrecy in August 1950, ended in a deadlock. The unions expected that the government will pick up the food bill previously paid by the Americans. The government could not afford it, and was persuading the unions to accept a sharp drop in real wages. The farmers demanded a raise in food price caps. The Korean War raised worldwide prices of coal, fertilizers and other vital imported commodities.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Crisis of 1950
The public remained unaware of the depth of the crisis altogether until the first week of September when the farmers refused to deliver their produce to the cities at old prices. The coalition government plunged into protracted public debates between different interest groups and failed to reach a consensus. As public anxiety mounted, Austrian Communists, who had recently lost municipal elections even in the Soviet zone, grabbed the opportunity and demanded a 15% "straight wage increase with prices frozen". September 24, 1950, communist press announced the upcoming general strike. In case of a conflict they counted on support from the Werkschutz, the paramilitary factory guard employed by the USIA and manned by communists.


1950 Austrian general strikes, First strike
Tuesday, September 26, 1950, the strike began in earnest. It could become the greatest challenge to the Second Republic had it been supported by the Soviet Union. In the morning the communist agents in the Soviet occupation zone in Vienna went from factory to factory, recruiting supporters among disgruntled workers. By 10:00 they mobilized around fifteen thousand demonstrators and marched south into the center of Vienna. According to the French High Commissioner, 99% of them worked in the Soviet zone.


1950 Austrian general strikes, First strike
Police of the Soviet zone did not interfere, the American High Commission stayed aside, the Austrian Minister of the Interior deliberately disarmed his forces in fear of Soviet provocations. The crowd of seven thousand pressed its way through police barricades and rallied in front of the Federal Chancellery building at the time of the Cabinet meeting. Figl refused to speak to the demonstrators, and by 13:00 they left the square. No shots were fired but 23 unarmed police officers were wounded in clashes with the workers.


1950 Austrian general strikes, First strike
Heavy industry workers in American-occupied Linz and Steyr went on strike in the afternoon. The strike in Linz was supported by both pro-communist and pro-socialist workers. Workers in British zone followed suit. In Soviet-occupied Lower Austria strike groups attempted to grab control over railroad stations and post offices, and actually overran some of the latter. Soviet forces maintained friendly neutrality although there was one incident of a Soviet tank involved in blocking the railroad. The Allied Council, chaired by an American, stayed neutral.


1950 Austrian general strikes, First strike
By the end of the day 120 thousand workers were on strike; Austrian Communists gained some ground, but, most important, they manipulated masses of Socialists into a pro-communist alliance. Socialist leaders were caught unprepared; they mobilized their network on September 27 when the Communists already hastily moved to the second phase of their plan.


1950 Austrian general strikes, First strike
In the morning of Wednesday, September 27, thousands of pro-communist strike workers took control over OGB regional headquarters in Linz and Graz with their communication infrastructure. Again, the police stayed aside but the Socialists in Vienna scrambled all their resources to weaken the communist influence. By the end of the day police and paramilitary units forced the Communists out of OGB buildings in British and American zones. On September 28 the communists barely raised seventy volunteers to storm the national OGB office in Vienna, and were routed by the police. The majority of industrial workers now relied on instructions from the unions, not Communists or their Soviet mentors. By 7 p.m. of September 27 even the Soviets agreed that the strike failed and their radio program instructed Austrian workers to return to work.


1950 Austrian general strikes, First strike
On September 30 pro-communist Conference of Shop Stewards, attended by 2,417 workers' representatives, issued an ultimatum: raise wages immediately or face another general strike on October 4. The American and British commanders assessed the situation and once again told the Austrian government that their troops will not take action: their armed intervention, should it happen, "would mean shooting... a profound effect inside and outside Austria." The Austrian Minister of Interior concurred: "intervention ... would be the end of the Austrian Government."


1950 Austrian general strikes, Second strike
In the week that preceded the second strike the government and the unions actively campaigned against it. There were no doubts that without Soviet assistance the Austrian communists would fail again, but the degree of Soviet involvement was unknown. Vienna was overwhelmed by rumours of Soviet and Czechoslovak troop movements. The New York Times reported that fearful Viennese swept all available food from the stores. Fears of another Berlin Blockade or even worse intensified on the eve of the strike, when the Soviets instructed Austrian police to stay off the streets and blocked the movement of gendarmes in Vienna. Austrian government responded with arrests of strike leaders in British and American zones and with an appeal to all the workers: "Repel every act of terror... destroy illegal roadblocks, drive the intruders out of factories. ".


1950 Austrian general strikes, Second strike
The actual strike was limited to Vienna and Lower Austria, and involved around 19% of industrial workforce. The communists made the impact worse by disrupting railroad traffic. They stormed the Stadlau station in Donaustadt three times, were forced away three times, and then blocked the tracks until the evening. On October 5 they resumed blockade of Stadlau since 5 a.m., took control of the Nordbahnhof and threatened the Südbahnhof. With the police disabled, railroads were defended by their employees and the volunteers of the "Olah battalion". They were armed with clubs, operated in small teams and engaged the Communists in hand-to-hand fighting at first opportunity. There were reports that the Soviets provided trucks to move communist crews around, but this was as far as the Soviets went in supporting the strike.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Second strike
On October 5 pro-communist representatives convened at another conference in Floridsdorf (Soviet zone) and admitted failure of the second strike.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Historiography
After the failure of the first strike the Austrian Government presented the September events as a deliberate and planned Communist action aimed at overthrowing the government. The idea of a communist putsch has been shared by the historians although the degree of Communist planning is debated. One school of thought supports the notion of a planned and concerted efforts; another says that the Communists merely grabbed the opportunity and relied on yet unknown outcome of the strike and street violence.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Historiography
The third opinion clears the Communists of any long-ranging plans; according to this point of view, the strikes were just labor action. Franz Olah, the leader of anti-communist street gangs, shared this opinion. He said that the Communists never had resources to stage a real putsch, and instead their objective was a mere increase in their representation in national and municipal governments. British and American observers also believed that there were no plans for a putsch. Sir Harold Caccia wrote that the strikes were not the result of a planned putsch, and that Austrian Communists "never committed themselves to an all-out effort."


1950 Austrian general strikes, Historiography
Austrian accounts of the 1950 strikes emphasize internal political struggle and downplay the Soviet involvement. On the other side of the spectrum, Audrey Kurth Cronin argued that the events were a Soviet-inspired putsch, in fact, the second one after the 1947 food riots. This version is backed by GRU veteran Boris Volodarsky although he did not present any new evidence to prove it.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Historiography
The degree of Soviet involvement and any plans entertained by the Soviets are still subject to interpretation. According to a series of interviews with unnamed witnesses published by Hugo Portisch in the 1980s, the Soviets were dissatisfied with the disruption caused by Austrian communists. The Soviets allegedly committed all resources to the Korean War and keenly evaded radical confrontation in Europe.


1950 Austrian general strikes, Historiography
According to Portisch, Soviet representatives in Austria were split over the 1950 strikes: some saw an opportunity to suppress the Western influence, others were unwilling to provoke the West, yet others had to meet production targets and opposed any disruption in the Soviet zone. Portisch wrote that Moscow actually intervened to defuse the situation and instructed the Soviet command in Austria to prevent any overt acts by Austrian Communists, in a way that would allow them to save face after a defeat.


1950 BRDC International Trophy
The 2nd BRDC International Trophy meeting – formally the International Daily Express Trophy – was held on 26 August 1950 at the Silverstone Circuit, England. The race was run to Formula One regulations, and was held over two heats of 15 laps each, followed by a final race of 35 laps. Italian driver Nino Farina emerged the winner, in an Alfa Romeo 158, repeating his victory from the 1950 British Grand Prix, held at the same circuit in May. He beat his Argentine team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio, and British driver Peter Whitehead in a Ferrari. Other notable entrants were the two BRM V16 cars entered for Raymond Sommer, Peter Walker, Raymond Mays and Reg Parnell. However, their legendary lack of reliability resulted in neither car completing a lap in anger.


1950 BYU Cougars football team
The 1950 BYU Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Brigham Young University in the Skyline Conference during the 1949 college football season. In their second season under head coach Chick Atkinson, the Cougars compiled a 4–5–1 record (1–3–1 against Skyline opponents), finished fifth in the conference, and were outscored by a total of 292 to 169.


1950 Ball State Cardinals football team
The 1950 Ball State Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented Ball State Teachers College (later renamed Ball State University) as an independent during the 1950 college football season. In its 15th season under head coach John Magnabosco, the team compiled a 2–4–1 record.


1950 Baltimore Colts season
The 1950 Baltimore Colts season was their fourth as a franchise and only season in the National Football League.


1950 Baltimore Colts season
The team matched its previous season's record of 1–11. It failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive season.


1950 Baltimore Colts season
The 1950 Colts hold the distinction of being the only team in NFL history to allow more than 50 points in four different regular season games. The 462 points (38.5 points-per-game) the Colts surrendered is the most of any NFL team in the decade of the 1950s. In their week six loss to the Rams, the Colts became one of only two teams in NFL history to surrender 70 or more points in a regular season contest.


1950 Baltimore Colts season, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1950 Bari Grand Prix
The 1950 Bari Grand Prix was a non-championship Formula One motor race held on 9 July 1950 at the Lungomare Circuit, in Bari, Italy. It was the sixth race of the 1950 Formula One season. The 60-lap race was won by Alfa Romeo driver Giuseppe Farina. Juan Manuel Fangio finished second, also in an Alfa Romeo, and Stirling Moss third in an HWM-Alta.


1950 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1950 were subject to one rules change, the elimination of a runoff election by the baseball writers in case of no winner, which had been used the year prior. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) voted once by mail to select from major league players retired less than 25 years, and elected no one. Meanwhile, the Old-Timers Committee, with jurisdiction over earlier players and other figures, did not meet. For the first time, except years without any election activity, there were no new Hall of Fame members.


1950 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
The 10-year members of the BBWAA had the authority to select any players active in 1925 or later, provided they had not been active in 1949. The year before, a 25-year moving boundary regarding player activity had been established which would remain in the years to come. Voters were instructed to cast votes for 10 candidates; any candidate receiving votes on at least 75% of the ballots would be honored with induction to the Hall.


1950 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
A new rule had been added for the 1950 ballot. Writers could not vote for anyone currently wearing a baseball uniform, which included some qualified players who were now coaches on teams. This rule would be dropped after a few years.


1950 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, BBWAA election
A total of 168 ballots were cast, with 1,481 individual votes for 100 specific candidates, an average of 8.82 per ballot; 126 votes were required for election. Once again, no candidate received 75% of the vote and the Hall of Fame would not elect any new players in 1950. Candidates who have since been selected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics:


1950 Bavarian state election
The 1950 Bavarian state election was held on 26 November 1950 to elect the members of the 2nd Landtag of Bavaria. It is notable for featuring the worst performance of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria in any Bavarian state election, at only 27.4% of the vote, and for being the only Bavarian election in which the SPD won a plurality of the combined vote.


1950 Bavarian state election, Background
After the 1946 state elections, the CSU had won a majority of seats in the Landtag, and proceeded to form a coalition government with the SPD and right-wing populist WAV under Minister-President Hans Ehard. The coalition, however, was short lived. On 20 June 1947, WAV party chairman and Minister for Denazification Alfred Loritz was ousted by his fellow party-members over a power struggle involving a fellow state delegate, Karl Meissner. Four days later, on 24 June, Loritz was dismissed  from his post on charges of blackmail and patronage.


1950 Bavarian state election, Background
He subsequently was arrested on 19 July 1947, before escaping custody, being re-arrested, and eventually found asylum in Switzerland in April 1948. In his place, a CSU attorney, Ludwig Hagenauer was appointed. Only three months after the Loritz episode, all of the SPD ministers within the government resigned, ending the coalition government, which lasted for under a year. The CSU then ruled alone (still as a majority government) for the remaining three years. In the intervening time, Ehard mainly battled with other member of his party to pass the Basic Law. The electoral system was changed since the 1946 election, now every voter has two votes. One for local district candidate (first vote) and one for a constituency candidate (second vote).


1950 Bavarian state election, Parties
The table below lists parties represented in the First Landtag of Bavaria.


1950 Bavarian state election, Results
With the WAV now essentially collapsed due to factional disputes, the right-wing vote was scattered over several different parties, the most important being the GB/BHE and the Bavaria Party, which capitalized on nationalism and took votes away from both the WAV and CSU. With the right-wing vote now spread thin, the SPD captured a majority of the first and second votes combined, but were still one seat off of being tied with the CSU's delegation, and neither party being close to a majority. After 17 days of negotiations, a mass coalition between the CSU, SPD, and GB/BHE was declared. On 18 December 1950, Hans Ehard received 131 votes in the Landtag to serve a second term as Minister-President, with 5 votes against, and 36 members abstaining.


1950 Baylor Bears football team
The 1950 Baylor Bears football team represented Baylor University in the 1950 college football season. The Bears placed second in the Southwest Conference with an overall record of 7–3. Two players - Larry Isbell (Back) and Harold Riley (End) - were selected as All-Southwest Conference players. The 1950 season was the inaugural season for Baylor University's new state of the art 50,000 seat Baylor Stadium.


1950 Belfast West by-election
There was a by-election for Belfast West constituency on 29 November 1950.


1950 Belfast West by-election
It occurred after the winner at the 1950 UK general election, James Godfrey MacManaway, was disqualified as he was a priest.


1950 Belfast West by-election
Thomas Teevan, the Unionist candidate, narrowly beat Jack Beattie, a former MP for the constituency who was the candidate of the Irish Labour Party, by 913 votes. However Beattie beat Teevan at the 1951 general election.


1950 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1950 Belgian Grand Prix, formally titled the Grand Prix Automobile de Belgique, was a Formula One motor race held on 18 June 1950 at Spa-Francorchamps. It was race five of seven in the 1950 World  Championship of Drivers. The 35-lap race was won by Alfa Romeo driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from second position. His teammate Luigi Fagioli finished second and Talbot-Lago driver Louis Rosier came in third.


1950 Belgian Grand Prix, Report
By the time of the Belgian Grand Prix, the pace of the season was beginning to tell, with only 14 cars arriving at the Spa circuit. These included the dominant Alfa Romeos of Nino Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli. Scuderia Ferrari was down to two 125s for Luigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari, although Ascari had a new V12 engine to try out. The factory Talbot-Lago team had three cars for Louis Rosier, Yves Giraud-Cabantous and Philippe Étancelin (standing in for the injured Eugène Martin). The rest of the field was made up of Talbot-Lagos (notably one for Raymond Sommer), a single Alta and one Maserati for Toni Branca. This race was the final entry for Geoffrey Crossley, the sport's high costs forcing him, like many privateers, to retire after just a handful of races.


1950 Belgian Grand Prix, Report
Farina and Fangio were fastest as usual in qualifying with Fagioli unable to match them. Sommer split the Ferraris in his old Talbot-Lago. The race would be a similar story. The Alfas went off on their own and Sommer battled with the two Ferraris. When the Alfa stopped for fuel, Sommer found himself in the unlikely position of being race leader. Unfortunately his engine blew up. Ascari took the lead but he had to stop for fuel and that meant that the Alfas went ahead again with Fangio leading Farina and Fagioli. Farina suffered transmission trouble in the closing laps and dropped to fourth behind the best of the surviving Talbot-Lagos being driven by Rosier. Ascari finished fifth.


1950 Belgian general election
General elections were held in Belgium on 4 June 1950. The result was a victory for the Christian Social Party, which won 108 of the 212 seats in the Chamber of Representatives and 54 of the 106 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 92.6%. This election was the last one in Belgian history where a single party achieved an absolute majority. Elections for the nine provincial councils were also held.


1950 Belgian general election
The elections took place a few months after the divisive referendum on returning King Leopold III from exile and restoring his monarchial duties (the Royal Question). Following the election, a single-party Catholic government was formed with Jean Duvieusart as Prime Minister, who oversaw the return of King Leopold III, but who was quickly succeeded by Joseph Pholien as Prime Minister, following strikes and protests due to Leopold's return, which ultimately led to his abdication.


1950 Belgian monarchy referendum
A referendum on allowing Leopold III's return to Belgium, and restoration of his powers and duties as monarch was held in Belgium on 12 March 1950. The proposal was approved by 57.68% of voters.


1950 Belgian monarchy referendum, Background
King Leopold went into exile in June 1944, when Heinrich Himmler ordered him to leave Belgium. Leopold was held by the Nazis in Strobl, Austria until early May 1945, when he was freed by members of the United States 106th Cavalry Group. Because of the political troubles surrounding his war time behaviour King Leopold remained in exile in Switzerland until 1950, his brother Prince Charles, Count of Flanders having been installed as Regent after the Liberation in 1944.


1950 Belgian monarchy referendum, Background
The Catholics, who generally supported the King's return, won a majority in the Belgian Senate during the general election of 26 June 1949. The Catholics formed a government with the Liberals. The date of the referendum (Consultation populaire) the King wanted was set by this government for 12 March 1950.


1950 Belgian monarchy referendum, Background
Socialist Leader Paul-Henri Spaak opposed holding a referendum. He foresaw that the vote for Leopold might fall between 55% and 65%, giving no decisive mandate for the king's return, and that the King would carry Flanders and lose Wallonia. In that case, said Spaak, "the government would not only have on its hands the King's abdication or return, it would also have to appease the anger, acerbity and rancor of Flanders or Wallonia."


1950 Belgian monarchy referendum, Results
A majority voted in favour of Leopold's return. In Flanders, 72% voted in favour. In Wallonia, 58% voted against. In Brussels, 52% voted against.


1950 Belgian monarchy referendum, Results, By arrondissement
*The majority in the arrondissement of Verviers voted in favour of the King's return. * *The arrondissement of Namur voted against the return.


1950 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1950 Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix was the second race of the 1950 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 2 July 1950 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The event was marred by the fatal accident of Briton David Whitworth during the 350cc event. On the 10th lap, Whitworth tangled with Charlie Salt and crashed. Salt was able to keep going, but Whitworth had fractured his skull. He died the following day in a hospital close to the track.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season
The 1950 Big Nine Conference football season was the 55th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Nine Conference (also known as the Western Conference and the Big Ten Conference) and was a part of the 1950 college football season.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season
The 1950 Michigan Wolverines football team, under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, won the 1950 Big Ten championship with a 6–3–1 record (4–1–1 against Big Ten opponents) and was ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll. In the last game of the regular season, Michigan defeated Ohio State, 9–3, in the Snow Bowl, played in a blizzard, at 10 degrees above zero, on an icy field, and with winds gusting over 30 miles per hour. Michigan then defeated California in the 1951 Rose Bowl. Don Dufek was selected as the team's most valuable player. Tackle Allen Wahl was a first-team All-American.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season
The 1950 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, under head coach Wes Fesler, compiled a 6–3 record, led the conference in scoring offense (31.8 points per game), and was ranked No. 14 in the final AP Poll. Halfback Vic Janowicz was a consensus first-team All-American and won both the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the Big Ten's most valuable player and the Heisman Trophy as the best player in college football.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season
The 1950 Illinois Fighting Illini football team, under head coach Ray Eliot, compiled a 7–2 record, led the conference in scoring defense (6.2 points allowed per game), and was ranked No. 13 in the final AP Poll. End Tony Klimek was selected as the team's most valuable player. Tackle Albert Tate and center Bill Vohaska both received first-team All-American honors.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Results and team statistics
KeyAP final = Team's rank in the final AP Poll of the 1950 seasonAP high = Team's highest rank in the AP Poll throughout the 1950 seasonPPG = Average of points scored per gamePAG = Average of points allowed per gameMVP = Most valuable player as voted by players on each team as part of the voting process to determine the winner of the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy; trophy winner in bold


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, September 30
On September 30, 1950, the Big Nine football teams played nine-conference games, resulting in four wins, four losses, and one tie.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, October 7
On October 7, 1950, the Big Nine played two conference games and five non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in four wins and a loss, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 8-5-1.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, October 14
On October 13 and 14, 1950, the Big Nine played three conference games and three non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in one win and two losses, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 9-7-1.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, October 21
On October 21, 1950, the Big Nine played three conference games and three non-conference games. The non-conference games resulted in three wins, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 12-7-1.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, October 28
On October 28, 1950, the Big Nine played four conference games and one non-conference game. The non-conference game was a loss, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 12-8-1.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, November 4
On November 4, 1950, the Big Nine played four conference games and one non-conference game. The non-conference game was a loss, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 12-9-1.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, November 11
On November 11, 1950, the Big Nine played four conference games and one non-conference game. The non-conference game was a loss, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 12-10-1.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, November 18
On November 18, 1950, the Big Nine played three conference games and three non-conference games. The non-conferences game resulted in two wins and a loss, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 14-11-1.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, Season overview, Regular season, November 25
On November 25, 1950, the Big Nine played four conference games and one non-conference game. The non-conference game was a loss, bringing the Big Nine's non-conference record to 14-12-1. Three of the non-conference losses were to Michigan State.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, All-conference players
The following players were picked by the Associated Press (AP) and/or the United Press (UP) as first-team players on the 1950 All-Big Nine Conference football team.


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, All-Americans
At the end of the 1950 season, Big Ten players secured only one of the consensus first-team picks for the 1950 College Football All-America Team. The Big Ten's consensus All-American was:


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, All-Americans
Other Big Ten players who were named first-team All-Americans by at least one selector were:


1950 Big Nine Conference football season, 1951 NFL Draft
The following Big Nine players were among the first 100 picks in the 1951 NFL Draft:


1950 Birmingham Handsworth by-election
The Birmingham Handsworth by-election was held  on 16 November 1950. It was held due to the death of the incumbent Conservative Party MP Harold Roberts. It was won by the Conservative Edward Boyle.


1950 Birthday Honours
The King's Birthday Honours 1950 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of King George VI to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate the official birthday of the King, and were published in supplements to the London Gazette of 2 June 1950 for the British Empire, Australia, Ceylon and New Zealand.


1950 Birthday Honours
At this time honours for Australians were awarded both in the United Kingdom honours, on the advice of the premiers of Australian states, and also in a separate Australia honours list.


1950 Birthday Honours
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour.


1950 Birthday Honours, British Empire, Royal Victorian Order, Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
At this time the two lowest classes of the Royal Victorian Order were "Member (fourth class)" and "Member (fifth class)", both with post-nominal letters MVO. "Member (fourth class)" was renamed "Lieutenant" (LVO) from the 1985 New Year Honours onwards.


1950 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)
The 1950 King's Birthday Honours in New Zealand, celebrating the official birthday of King George VI, were appointments made by the King on the advice of the New Zealand government to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. They were announced on 8 June 1950.


1950 Birthday Honours (New Zealand)
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour.