This Day in History (1980): The Best at Abqaiq Photo Contest

From the May 28, 1980, edition of The Arabian Sun

Over 150 people competed for the grand prize at the Abqaiq society of Photographers (ASP) photo contest and show held earlier this month.

The prize was finally carried away by an Abqaiq engineer, Steve Hardy. His black-and-white, 8x10 entry of a wooded scene was judged "Best of the Best" by the three widely known and respected judges.

"The society was both excited and pleased at the number and quality of the entries," said program chairman Jan Neal. "Judging by the number of visitors to the exhibit, the residents of Abqaiq must have enjoyed it, too."

Aramco photographer Burnie Moody of Dhahran commented that the extremely high quality of the young people's work had particularly impressed him.

The two other judges were Aramco photographer Shaikh Amin of Dhahran and Charlie Parsons from Abqaiq.

Thirteen other first prices of SAR100 were awarded to those entries scoring 10 points or more in the initial round of judging.

Final results were:

Adults —Steve Hardy: miscellaneous and holiday; Petra Cabmitsis: Saudi Arabia; Freeman Blackburn: children and sports. Children -- Chruck Langrill: pets; Glenn Grimes: miscellaneous.

Color — Steve Hardy: children; Freeman Blackburn: pets; Stuart Harman: miscellaneous; John Newton: holiday. Children -- Michael Block: pets.

Caption for top photo: “Old Age,” a photo of a dhow at the Ju’aymah beach — a black-and-white entry in the Saudi Arabia category, by Petra Cambitsis of Ras Tanura — took a first-place award in the Abqaiq Society of Photographers photo contest and show.

Also on this date

2017 — Former Formula One driver Takuma Sato wins his first Indianapolis 500, the first Japanese and Asian driver to do so

2008 — The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal formally declares Nepal a republic, ending the 240-yearreign of the Shah dynasty

1999 — In Milan, Italy, after 22 years of restoration work, Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece "The Last Supper" is put back on display

1987 — An 18-year-old West German pilot, Matthias Rust, evades Soviet Union air defenses and lands a private plane in Red Square in Moscow

1975 — Fifteen West African countries sign the Treaty of Lagos, creating the Economic Community of West African States

1937 — Volkswagen, the German automobile manufacturer, is founded

1936 — Alan Turing submits "On Computable Numbers" for publication