On the Roman calendar, this was known as the day before the nones of April (Latin: Prid. Non. Apr.).
April 4 in History
- 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.
- 1147 – Moscow is mentioned for the first time in the historical record, when it is named as a meeting place for two princes.
- 1268 – A five-year Byzantine–Venetian peace treaty is concluded between Venetian envoys and Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos.
- 1460 – Basel University is founded.
- 1581 – Francis Drake is knighted for completing a circumnavigation of the world.
- 1609 – Moriscos are expelled from the Kingdom of Valencia.
- 1660 – Declaration of Breda by King Charles II of Great Britain promises, among other things, a general pardon to all royalists for crimes committed during the English Civil War and the Interregnum.
- 1721 – Sir Robert Walpole becomes the first British prime minister.
- 1768 – In London, Philip Astley stages the first modern circus.
- 1796 – Georges Cuvier delivers the first paleontological lecture.
- 1814 – Napoleon abdicates for the first time and names his son Napoleon II as Emperor of the French.
- 1818 – The United States Congress, affirming the Second Continental Congress, adopts the flag of the United States with 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state (20 at that time).
- 1841 – William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia, becoming the first President of the United States to die in office, and setting the record for the briefest administration. Vice President John Tyler succeeds Harrison as President.
- 1850 – A large part of the English village of Cottenham burns to the ground in suspicious circumstances.
- 1850 – Los Angeles is incorporated as a city.
- 1859 – Bryant’s Minstrels debut “Dixie” in New York City in the finale of a blackface minstrel show.
- 1865 – American Civil War: A day after Union forces capture Richmond, Virginia, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln visits the Confederate capital.
- 1866 – Alexander II of Russia narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Dmitry Karakozov in the city of Saint Petersburg.
- 1873 – The Kennel Club is founded, the oldest and first official registry of purebred dogs in the world.
- 1875 – Vltava, composed by Czech composer Bedřich Smetana and also known by its German name Die Moldau, premiered in Prague.
- 1887 – Argonia, Kansas elects Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States.
- 1905 – In India, an earthquake hits the Kangra Valley, killing 20,000, and destroying most buildings in Kangra, McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala.
- 1913 – First Balkan War: Greek aviator Emmanouil Argyropoulos becomes the first pilot to die in the Hellenic Air Force when his plane crashes.
- 1925 – The Schutzstaffel (SS) is founded under Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party in Germany.
- 1933 – U.S. Navy airship USS Akron is wrecked off the New Jersey coast due to severe weather.
- 1939 – Faisal II becomes King of Iraq.
- 1944 – World War II: First bombardment of oil refineries in Bucharest by Anglo-American forces kills 3000 civilians.
- 1945 – World War II: American troops liberate Ohrdruf forced labor camp in Germany.
- 1945 – World War II: American troops capture Kassel.
- 1945 – World War II: Soviet troops liberate Hungary from German occupation and occupy the country themselves.
- 1949 – Cold War: Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
- 1958 – The CND peace symbol is displayed in public for the first time in London.
- 1960 – France agrees to grant independence to the Mali Federation, a union of Senegal and French Sudan.
- 1964 – The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
- 1965 – The first model of the new Saab Viggen fighter aircraft is unveiled.
- 1967 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” speech in New York City’s Riverside Church.
- 1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
- 1968 – Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6.
- 1968 – A.E.K. Athens B.C. becomes the first Greek team to win the European Basketball Cup.
- 1969 – Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart.
- 1973 – The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City are officially dedicated.
- 1973 – A Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, dubbed the Hanoi Taxi, makes the last flight of Operation Homecoming.
- 1975 – Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- 1975 – Vietnam War: A United States Air Force Lockheed C-5A Galaxy transporting orphans, crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam shortly after takeoff, killing 172 people.
- 1979 – Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed.
- 1981 – Iran–Iraq War: The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force mounts an attack on H-3 Airbase and destroys about 50 Iraqi aircraft.
- 1983 – Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space.
- 1984 – President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons.
- 1988 – Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona is convicted in his impeachment trial and removed from office.
- 1990 – The current flag of Hong Kong is adopted for post-colonial Hong Kong during the Third Session of the Seventh National People’s Congress.
- 1991 – Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their airplane over an elementary school in Merion, Pennsylvania.
- 1994 – Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark found Netscape Communications Corporation under the name Mosaic Communications Corporation.
- 1996 – Comet Hyakutake is imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.
- 2002 – The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign a peace treaty ending the Angolan Civil War.
- 2009 – France announces its return to full participation of its military forces within NATO.
- 2013 – More than 70 people are killed in a building collapse in Thane, India.
- 2020 – China holds a National day of mourning for martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak.
Births on April 4
- 188 – Caracalla, Roman emperor (d. 217)
- 1436 – Amalia of Saxony, Duchess of Bavaria-Landshut (d. 1501)
- 1490 – Vojtěch I of Pernstein, Bohemian nobleman (d. 1534)
- 1492 – Ambrosius Blarer, German-Swiss theologian and reformer (d. 1564)
- 1572 – William Strachey, English author (d. 1621)
- 1586 – Richard Saltonstall, English diplomat (d. 1661)
- 1593 – Edward Nicholas, English soldier and politician, Secretary of State for the Southern Department (d. 1669)
- 1640 – Gaspar Sanz, Spanish guitarist, composer, and priest (d. 1710)
- 1646 – Antoine Galland, French orientalist and archaeologist (d. 1715)
- 1648 – Grinling Gibbons, Dutch-English sculptor (d. 1721)
- 1676 – Giuseppe Maria Orlandini, Italian composer (d. 1760)
- 1688 – Joseph-Nicolas Delisle, French astronomer and cartographer (d. 1768)
- 1718 – Benjamin Kennicott, English theologian and scholar (d. 1783)
- 1752 – Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli, Italian composer (d. 1837)
- 1760 – Juan Manuel Olivares, Venezuelan organist and composer (d. 1797)
- 1762 – Stephen Storace, English actor and composer (d. 1796)
- 1772 – Nachman of Breslov, Ukrainian founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement (d. 1810)
- 1780 – Edward Hicks, American minister and painter (d. 1849)
- 1785 – Bettina von Arnim, German author, illustrator, and composer (d. 1859)
- 1792 – Thaddeus Stevens, American lawyer and politician (d. 1868)
- 1802 – Dorothea Dix, American nurse and activist (d. 1887)
- 1818 – Thomas Mayne Reid, Irish-American author and poet (d. 1883)
- 1819 – Maria II of Portugal (d. 1853)
- 1821 – Linus Yale, Jr., American engineer and businessman (d. 1868)
- 1826 – Zénobe Gramme, Belgian engineer, invented the Gramme machine (d. 1901)
- 1829 – Owen Suffolk, Australian bushranger, poet, confidence-man and author
- 1835 – John Hughlings Jackson, English physician and neurologist (d. 1911)
- 1842 – Édouard Lucas, French mathematician and theorist (d. 1891)
- 1843 – William Henry Jackson, American painter and photographer (d. 1942)
- 1846 – Comte de Lautréamont, Uruguayan-French poet and educator (d. 1870)
- 1851 – James Campbell, 1st Baron Glenavy, Irish lawyer and politician (d. 1931)
- 1853 – Remy de Gourmont, French poet, novelist, and critic (d. 1915)
- 1868 – Philippa Fawcett, English mathematician and educator (d. 1948)
- 1869 – Mary Colter, American architect, designed the Desert View Watchtower (d. 1958)
- 1875 – Pierre Monteux, Sephardic Jewish French-American viola player and conductor (d. 1964)
- 1876 – Maurice de Vlaminck, French painter and poet (d. 1958)
- 1878 – Stylianos Lykoudis, Greek admiral and historian (d. 1958)
- 1879 – Gustav Goßler, German rower (d. 1940)
- 1884 – James Alberione, Italian priest, founded the Society of St. Paul (d. 1971)
- 1884 – Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese admiral (d. 1943)
- 1886 – Frank Luther Mott, American historian and journalist (d. 1964)
- 1888 – Tris Speaker, American baseball player and manager (d. 1958)
- 1888 – Zdzisław Żygulski, Sr., Polish historian and academic (d. 1975)
- 1889 – Makhanlal Chaturvedi, Indian journalist, poet, and playwright (d. 1968)
- 1892 – Italo Mus, Italian painter (d. 1967)
- 1895 – Arthur Murray, American dancer and educator (d. 1991)
- 1896 – Robert E. Sherwood, American playwright and screenwriter (d. 1955)
- 1897 – Pierre Fresnay, French actor and screenwriter (d. 1975)
- 1898 – Agnes Ayres, American actress (d. 1940)
- 1899 – Hillel Oppenheimer, German-Israeli botanist and academic (d. 1971)
- 1902 – Louise Lévêque de Vilmorin, French journalist and author (d. 1969)
- 1902 – Stanley G. Weinbaum, American author and poet (d. 1935)
- 1905 – Eugène Bozza, French composer and conductor (d. 1991)
- 1905 – Erika Nõva, Estonian architect and engineer (d. 1987)
- 1906 – Bea Benaderet, Turkish-Jewish Irish-American television, radio, and voice actress (d. 1968)
- 1906 – John Cameron Swayze, American journalist (d. 1995)
- 1907 – Robert Askin, Australian sergeant and politician, 32nd Premier of New South Wales (d. 1981)
- 1910 – Đặng Văn Ngữ, Vietnamese physician and academic (d. 1967)
- 1911 – Max Dupain, Australian photographer (d. 1992)
- 1913 – Dave Brown, Australian rugby league player (d. 1974)
- 1913 – Rosemary Lane, American actress and singer (d. 1974)
- 1913 – Frances Langford, American actress and singer (d. 2005)
- 1913 – Jules Léger, Canadian lawyer and politician, 21st Governor General of Canada (d. 1980)
- 1913 – Muddy Waters, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1983)
- 1914 – Richard Coogan, American actor (d. 2014)
- 1914 – Marguerite Duras, French novelist, screenwriter, and director (d. 1996)
- 1914 – David W. Goodall, Australian ecologist and botanist (d. 2018)
- 1915 – Louis Archambault, Canadian sculptor (d. 2003)
- 1916 – Nikola Ljubičić, Serbian general and politician, 10th President of Serbia (d. 2005)
- 1916 – Mickey Owen, American baseball player and coach (d. 2005)
- 1916 – David White, American actor (d. 1990)
- 1918 – George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe, English soldier and politician, Leader of the House of Lords (d. 2007)
- 1920 – Orunamamu, American-Canadian author and educator (d. 2014)
- 1920 – Ignatius IV of Antioch, Greek patriarch (d. 2012)
- 1921 – Elizabeth Wilson, American actress (d. 2015)
- 1922 – Elmer Bernstein, American composer and conductor (d. 2004)
- 1923 – Peter Vaughan, English actor (d. 2016)
- 1923 – Gene Reynolds, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter (d. 2020)
- 1924 – Bob Christie, American race car driver (d. 2009)
- 1924 – Gil Hodges, American baseball player and manager (d. 1972)
- 1925 – Dettmar Cramer, German footballer and manager (d. 2015)
- 1925 – Frank Truitt, American basketball player and coach (d. 2014)
- 1925 – Claude Wagner, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1979)
- 1925 – Emmett Williams, American poet and author (d. 2007)
- 1926 – Mildred Fay Jefferson, American physician and activist (d. 2010)
- 1926 – Ronnie Masterson, Irish actress (d. 2014)
- 1927 – Joe Orlando, Italian-American author and illustrator (d. 1998)
- 1928 – Maya Angelou, American memoirist and poet (d. 2014)
- 1928 – Estelle Harris, American actress and comedian
- 1928 – Jimmy Logan, Scottish actor, director, and producer (d. 2001)
- 1928 – Monty Norman, English singer-songwriter and producer
- 1929 – Humbert Allen Astredo, American actor (d. 2016)
- 1930 – Netty Herawaty, Indonesian actress (d. 1989)
- 1931 – James Dickens, English politician (d. 2013)
- 1931 – Bobby Ray Inman, American admiral and intelligence officer
- 1931 – Catherine Tizard, New Zealand politician, 16th Governor-General of New Zealand
- 1932 – Clive Davis, American record producer, founded Arista Records and J Records
- 1932 – Richard Lugar, American lieutenant and politician, 44th Mayor of Indianapolis (d. 2019)
- 1932 – Anthony Perkins, American actor (d. 1992)
- 1932 – Johanna Reiss, Dutch-American author
- 1932 – Andrei Tarkovsky, Russian director and producer (d. 1986)
- 1933 – Bill France, Jr., American businessman (d. 2007)
- 1933 – Brian Hewson, English runner
- 1933 – Bapu Nadkarni, Indian cricketer (d. 2020)
- 1934 – Helen Hanft, American actress (d. 2013)
- 1934 – Kronid Lyubarsky, Russian journalist and activist (d. 1996)
- 1935 – Geoff Braybrooke, English-New Zealand soldier and politician (d. 2013)
- 1935 – Kenneth Mars, American actor and comedian (d. 2011)
- 1935 – Trevor Griffiths, English playwright and educator
- 1938 – A. Bartlett Giamatti, American businessman and academic (d. 1989)
- 1939 – JoAnne Carner, American golfer
- 1939 – Darlene Hooley, American educator and politician
- 1939 – Hugh Masekela, South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer (d. 2018)
- 1940 – Richard Attwood, English race car driver
- 1940 – Sharon Sheeley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2002)
- 1942 – Jim Fregosi, American baseball player and manager (d. 2014)
- 1942 – Kitty Kelley, American journalist and biographer
- 1942 – Elizabeth Levy, American author
- 1944 – Magda Aelvoet, Belgian politician
- 1944 – Mary Kenny, Irish journalist, author, and playwright
- 1944 – Bob McDill, American country music songwriter
- 1944 – Craig T. Nelson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1944 – Nelson Prudêncio, Brazilian triple jumper and educator (d. 2012)
- 1944 – Toktamış Ateş, Turkish academician, political commentator, columnist and writer (d. 2013)
- 1945 – Daniel Cohn-Bendit, French-German educator and politician
- 1945 – Caroline McWilliams, American actress (d. 2010)
- 1946 – Colin Coates, Australian speed skater
- 1946 – Dave Hill, English guitarist
- 1946 – Katsuaki Satō, Japanese martial artist and coach
- 1946 – György Spiró, Hungarian author and playwright
- 1946 – Bubba Wyche, American football player and coach
- 1947 – Wiranto, Indonesian general and politician
- 1947 – Ray Fosse, American baseball player and sportscaster
- 1947 – Eliseo Soriano, Filipino minister and television host
- 1948 – Abdullah Öcalan, Turkish activist
- 1948 – Berry Oakley, American bass player (d. 1972)
- 1948 – Richard Parsons, American lawyer and businessman
- 1948 – Dan Simmons, American author
- 1948 – Derek Thompson, Northern Irish actor
- 1948 – Pick Withers, English drummer
- 1949 – Junior Braithwaite, Jamaican-American singer (d. 1999)
- 1949 – Shing-Tung Yau, Chinese-American mathematician and academic
- 1950 – Christine Lahti, American actress and director
- 1951 – John Hannah, American football player and coach
- 1952 – Rosemarie Ackermann, German high jumper
- 1952 – Pat Burns, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2010)
- 1952 – Gregg Hansford, Australian race car driver and motorcycle racer (d. 1995)
- 1952 – Cherie Lunghi, English actress and dancer
- 1952 – Karen Magnussen, Canadian figure skater and coach
- 1952 – Gary Moore, Northern Irish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 2011)
- 1952 – Villy Søvndal, Danish educator and politician, Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1953 – Robert Bertrand, Canadian politician
- 1953 – Henry Fotheringham, South African cricketer
- 1953 – Simcha Jacobovici, Canadian director, producer, journalist, and author
- 1953 – Sammy Wilson, Northern Irish politician, 31st Lord Mayor of Belfast
- 1953 – Chen Yi, Chinese violinist and composer
- 1956 – Evelyn Hart, Canadian ballerina
- 1956 – Tom Herr, American baseball player and manager
- 1956 – David E. Kelley, American screenwriter and producer
- 1957 – Paul Downton, English cricketer
- 1957 – Aki Kaurismäki, Finnish director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1957 – Graeme Kelling, Scottish guitarist (d. 2004)
- 1957 – Nobuyoshi Kuwano, Japanese singer and trumpet player
- 1958 – Peter Baltes, German bass player
- 1958 – Cazuza, Brazilian singer-songwriter (d. 1990)
- 1958 – Rodney Eade, Australian footballer and coach
- 1959 – Phil Morris, American actor and screenwriter
- 1960 – Jonathan Agnew, English cricketer and sportscaster
- 1960 – Jane Eaglen, English soprano
- 1960 – Hugo Weaving, Nigerian-Australian actor and producer
- 1960 – Godknows Igali, Nigerian diplomat, civil servant and technocrat
- 1961 – Hildi Santo-Tomas, American interior decorator
- 1962 – Craig Adams, English bass player and songwriter
- 1962 – Kailasho Devi, Indian social worker and politician
- 1963 – A. Michael Baldwin, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1963 – Jack Del Rio, American football player and coach
- 1963 – Dale Hawerchuk, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1963 – Jane McDonald, English singer and broadcaster
- 1963 – Graham Norton, Irish actor and talk show host
- 1964 – Branco, Brazilian footballer and coach
- 1964 – Dr. Chud, American drummer and singer
- 1964 – Anthony Clark, American actor
- 1964 – David Cross, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1964 – Paul Parker, England international footballer, right-back and TV pundit
- 1964 – Đặng Thân, Vietnamese writer and poet
- 1965 – Vinny Burns, English guitarist and producer
- 1965 – Robert Downey Jr., American actor, producer, and screenwriter
- 1966 – Nancy McKeon, American actress
- 1966 – Mike Starr, American bass player (d. 2011)
- 1966 – Christos Tsekos, Greek basketball player
- 1967 – Edith Masai, Kenyan-German runner
- 1967 – George Mavrotas, Greek water polo player and politician
- 1968 – Jesús Rollán, Spanish water polo player (d. 2006)
- 1969 – Piotr Anderszewski, Polish pianist and composer
- 1969 – Karren Brady, English journalist and businesswoman
- 1970 – Georgios Amanatidis, Greek footballer and manager
- 1970 – Greg Garcia, American director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1970 – Barry Pepper, Canadian actor and producer
- 1970 – Jason Stoltenberg, Australian tennis player
- 1970 – Josh Todd, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1970 – Yelena Yelesina, Russian high jumper
- 1971 – Yanic Perreault, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1971 – Malik Yusef, American actor, producer, and poet
- 1971 – John Zandig, American wrestler and promoter
- 1972 – Jim Dymock, Australian rugby league player and coach
- 1972 – Jill Scott, American singer-songwriter and actress
- 1972 – Magnus Sveningsson, Swedish bass player
- 1973 – Chris Banks, American football player (d. 2014)
- 1973 – David Blaine, American magician and producer
- 1973 – Loris Capirossi, Italian motorcycle racer
- 1973 – Peter Hoekstra, Dutch footballer and coach
- 1973 – Chris McCormack, Australian triathlete and coach
- 1973 – Kelly Price, American singer-songwriter
- 1975 – Delphine Arnault, French businesswoman
- 1975 – Thobias Fredriksson, Swedish skier
- 1975 – Joyce Giraud, Puerto Rican-American model, television actress and producer, Miss Puerto Rico 1994
- 1975 – Pamela Ribon, American actress, screenwriter, and author
- 1975 – Miranda Lee Richards, American singer-songwriter
- 1975 – Scott Rolen, American baseball player
- 1975 – Kevin Weekes, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- 1976 – Nathan Blacklock, Australian rugby player
- 1976 – Sébastien Enjolras, French race car driver (d. 1997)
- 1976 – Emerson Ferreira da Rosa, Brazilian footballer
- 1976 – James Roday, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1977 – Stephan Bonnar, American mixed martial artist
- 1977 – Keith Bulluck, American football player and sportscaster
- 1977 – Adam Dutkiewicz, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
- 1977 – Stephen Mulhern, English magician and television host
- 1977 – Omarr Smith, American football player and coach
- 1978 – Jason Ellison, American baseball player and scout
- 1978 – Alan Mahon, Irish footballer
- 1979 – Heath Ledger, Australian actor (d. 2008)
- 1979 – Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1979 – Natasha Lyonne, American actress
- 1979 – Andy McKee, American guitarist
- 1979 – Maksim Opalev, Russian canoeist
- 1980 – Johnny Borrell, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1980 – Trevor Moore, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
- 1980 – Eric Steinbach, American football player
- 1980 – Björn Wirdheim, Swedish race car driver
- 1981 – Currensy, American rapper
- 1981 – Eduardo Luís Carloto, Brazilian footballer
- 1981 – Casey Daigle, American baseball player
- 1981 – Anna Pyatykh, Russian triple jumper
- 1981 – Ned Vizzini, American author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
- 1982 – Justin Cook, American voice actor and producer
- 1982 – Magnus Lindgren, Swedish chef (d. 2012)
- 1983 – Evgeny Artyukhin, Russian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Eric Andre, American comedian
- 1983 – Ben Gordon, American basketball player
- 1983 – Doug Lynch, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1983 – Natalie Pike, Scottish-English model and actress
- 1983 – Amanda Righetti, American actress
- 1984 – Sean May, American basketball player
- 1984 – Arkady Vyatchanin, Russian swimmer
- 1985 – Rudy Fernández, Spanish basketball player
- 1985 – Dudi Sela, Israeli tennis player
- 1985 – Ricardo Vilar, Brazilian footballer
- 1986 – Eunhyuk, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer
- 1986 – Cameron Barker, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1986 – Maurice Manificat, French skier
- 1986 – Aiden McGeady, Scottish-born Irish footballer
- 1986 – Alexander Tettey, Norwegian footballer
- 1987 – Sami Khedira, German footballer
- 1987 – McDonald Mariga, Kenyan footballer
- 1987 – Cameron Maybin, American baseball player
- 1987 – Marcos Vellidis, Greek footballer
- 1987 – Sarah Gadon, Canadian actress
- 1988 – Frank Fielding, English footballer
- 1989 – Vurnon Anita, Dutch footballer
- 1989 – Steven Finn, English cricketer
- 1989 – Chris Herd, Australian footballer
- 1991 – Yui Koike, Japanese singer and actress
- 1991 – Justin O’Neill, Australian rugby league player
- 1991 – Jamie Lynn Spears, American actress and singer
- 1991 – Marlon Stöckinger, Filipino race car driver
- 1992 – Lucy May Barker, English actress and singer
- 1992 – Christina Metaxa, Cypriot singer-songwriter
- 1992 – Ricky Dillon, American youtuber and singer
- 1993 – Samir Carruthers, English footballer
- 1993 – Frank Kaminsky, American basketball player
- 1994 – Shunsuke Nishikawa, Japanese actor
- 1994 – Risako Sugaya, Japanese singer and actress
- 1996 – Austin Mahone, American singer-songwriter and actor
Deaths on April 4
- 397 – Ambrose, Roman archbishop and saint (b. 338)
- 636 – Isidore of Seville, Spanish archbishop and saint (b. 560)
- 814 – Plato of Sakkoudion, Byzantine monk and saint (b. 735)
- 896 – Formosus, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 816)
- 911 – Liu Yin, Chinese warlord and governor (b. 874)
- 931 – Kong Xun, Chinese official and governor (b. 884)
- 968 – Abu Firas al-Hamdani, Arab prince and poet (b. 932)
- 991 – Reginold, bishop of Eichstätt
- 1284 – Alfonso X, king of Castile and León (b. 1221)
- 1292 – Nicholas IV, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1227)
- 1406 – Robert III, king of Scotland (b.1337)
- 1483 – Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex (b. c. 1405)
- 1536 – Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (b. 1460)
- 1538 – Elena Glinskaya, Grand Princess and regent of Russia
- 1588 – Frederick II, king of Denmark and Norway (b. 1534)
- 1596 – Philip II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (b. 1533)
- 1609 – Carolus Clusius, Flemish botanist, mycologist, and academic (b. 1526)
- 1617 – John Napier, Scottish mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1550)
- 1643 – Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian and academic (b. 1583)
- 1661 – Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, Scottish field marshal (b. 1580)
- 1743 – Daniel Neal, English historian and author (b. 1678)
- 1761 – Théodore Gardelle, Swiss painter (b. 1722)
- 1766 – John Taylor, English librarian and scholar (b. 1704)
- 1774 – Oliver Goldsmith, Irish novelist, playwright and poet (b. 1728)
- 1792 – James Sykes, American lawyer and politician (b. 1725)
- 1807 – Jérôme Lalande, French astronomer and academic (b. 1732)
- 1817 – André Masséna, French general (b. 1758)
- 1841 – William Henry Harrison, American general and politician, 9th President of the United States (b. 1773)
- 1846 – Solomon Sibley, American lawyer and politician, 1st Mayor of Detroit (b. 1769)
- 1861 – John McLean, American jurist and politician, 6th United States Postmaster General (b. 1785)
- 1863 – Ludwig Emil Grimm, German painter and engraver (b. 1790)
- 1864 – Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American commander and paleontologist (b. 1808)
- 1870 – Heinrich Gustav Magnus, German chemist and physicist (b. 1802)
- 1874 – Charles Ernest Beulé, French archaeologist and politician (b. 1826)
- 1875 – Karl Mauch, German geographer and explorer (b. 1837)
- 1878 – Richard M. Brewer, American criminal (b. 1850)
- 1879 – Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, German physicist and meteorologist (b. 1803)
- 1883 – Peter Cooper, American businessman and philanthropist, founded Cooper Union (b. 1791)
- 1890 – Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Premier of Quebec (b. 1820)
- 1890 – Edmond Hébert, French geologist and academic (b. 1812)
- 1912 – Charles Brantley Aycock, American lawyer and politician, 50th Governor of North Carolina (b. 1859)
- 1912 – Isaac K. Funk, American minister, lexicographer, and publisher, co-founded Funk & Wagnalls (b. 1839)
- 1919 – William Crookes, English chemist and physicist (b. 1832)
- 1919 – Francisco Marto, Portuguese saint (b. 1908)
- 1923 – John Venn, English mathematician and philosopher, created the Venn diagram (b. 1834)
- 1929 – Karl Benz, German engineer and businessman, founded Mercedes-Benz (b. 1844)
- 1931 – André Michelin, French businessman, co-founded the Michelin Tyre Company (b. 1853)
- 1932 – Wilhelm Ostwald, Latvian-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1853)
- 1933 – Elizabeth Bacon Custer, American author and educator (b. 1842)
- 1941 – Emine Nazikedâ Kadınefendi, the first wife and chief consort of Sultan Mehmed VI (b. 1866)
- 1944 – Morris H. Whitehouse, American architect (b. 1878)[14]
- 1951 – George Albert Smith, American religious leader, 8th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (b. 1870)
- 1953 – Carol II of Romania (b. 1893)
- 1957 – E. Herbert Norman, Canadian historian and diplomat (b. 1909)
- 1958 – Johnny Stompanato, American soldier and bodyguard (b. 1925)
- 1961 – Harald Riipalu, Estonian military commander (b. 1912)
- 1961 – Simion Stoilow, Romanian mathematician and academic (b. 1873)
- 1967 – Al Lewis, American songwriter (b. 1901)
- 1967 – Héctor Scarone, Uruguayan footballer and manager (b. 1898)
- 1968 – Martin Luther King Jr., American minister and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (assassinated)(b. 1929)
- 1972 – Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., American pastor and politician (b. 1908)
- 1972 – Stefan Wolpe, German-American composer and academic (b. 1902)
- 1976 – Harry Nyquist, Swedish engineer and theorist (b. 1889)
- 1977 – Andrey Dikiy, Ukrainian-American journalist, historian, and politician (b. 1893)
- 1979 – Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistani lawyer and politician, 4th President of Pakistan (b. 1928)
- 1979 – Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
- 1980 – Red Sovine, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1917)
- 1983 – Gloria Swanson, American actress (b. 1899)
- 1983 – Bernard Vukas, Croatian football player, played for 1953 FIFA’s “Rest of the World” team against England at Wembley (b. 1927)
- 1984 – Oleg Antonov, Russian-Ukrainian engineer and businessman, founded Antonov (b. 1906)
- 1985 – Kate Roberts, Welsh author and activist (b. 1891)
- 1987 – C. L. Moore, American author and academic (b. 1911)
- 1987 – Chögyam Trungpa, Tibetan guru, poet, and scholar (b. 1939)
- 1987 – Sachchidananda Vatsyayan, Indian journalist and author (b. 1911)
- 1991 – Edmund Adamkiewicz, German footballer (b. 1920)
- 1991 – Max Frisch, Swiss playwright and novelist (b. 1911)
- 1991 – H. John Heinz III, American soldier and politician (b. 1938)
- 1991 – Graham Ingels, American illustrator (b. 1915)
- 1992 – Yvette Brind’Amour, Canadian actress and director (b. 1918)
- 1992 – Jack Hamilton, Australian footballer (b. 1928)
- 1992 – Arthur Russell, American singer-songwriter and cellist (b. 1951)
- 1993 – Alfred Mosher Butts, American game designer, invented Scrabble (b. 1899)
- 1993 – Douglas Leopold, Canadian radio and television host (b. 1947)
- 1995 – Kenny Everett, English radio and television host (b. 1944)
- 1995 – Priscilla Lane, American actress (b. 1915)
- 1996 – Barney Ewell, American runner and long jumper (b. 1918)
- 1996 – Boone Guyton, American lieutenant and pilot (b. 1913)
- 1997 – Leo Picard, German-Israeli geologist and academic (b. 1900)
- 1997 – Alparslan Türkeş, Turkish colonel and politician, 39th Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1917)
- 1999 – Lucille Lortel, American actress, artistic director and producer (b. 1900)
- 1999 – Early Wynn, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1920)
- 2001 – Liisi Oterma, Finnish astronomer (b. 1915)
- 2001 – Ed Roth, American illustrator and engineer (b. 1932)
- 2001 – Maury Van Vliet, American-Canadian academic (b. 1913)
- 2003 – Anthony Caruso, American actor (b. 1916)
- 2004 – Briek Schotte, Belgian cyclist and coach (b. 1919)
- 2005 – Edward Bronfman, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1924)
- 2007 – Bob Clark, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1941)
- 2007 – Karen Spärck Jones, English computer scientist and academic (b. 1935)
- 2008 – Francis Tucker, South African race car driver (b. 1923)
- 2009 – Maxine Cooper, American actress, activist and photographer (b. 1924)
- 2011 – Scott Columbus, American drummer (b. 1956)
- 2011 – Juliano Mer-Khamis, Israeli actor, director, and activist (b. 1958)
- 2012 – A. Dean Byrd, American psychologist and academic (b. 1948)
- 2012 – Anne Karin Elstad, Norwegian author and educator (b. 1938)
- 2012 – Claude Miller, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
- 2012 – Dubravko Pavličić, Croatian footballer (b. 1967)
- 2012 – Roberto Rexach Benítez, American-Puerto Rican academic and politician, 10th President of the Senate of Puerto Rico (b. 1929)
- 2013 – Bengt Blomgren, Swedish actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1923)
- 2013 – Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter (b. 1942)
- 2013 – Carmine Infantino, American illustrator (b. 1925)
- 2013 – Tommy Tycho, Hungarian-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1928)
- 2013 – Ian Walsh, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1933)
- 2013 – Noboru Yamaguchi, Japanese author (b. 1972)
- 2014 – İsmet Atlı, Turkish wrestler and trainer (b. 1931)
- 2014 – Wayne Henderson, American trombonist and producer (b. 1939)
- 2014 – Kumba Ialá, Bissau-Guinean soldier and politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (b. 1953)
- 2014 – Margo MacDonald, Scottish journalist and politician (b. 1943)
- 2014 – Curtis Bill Pepper, American journalist and author (b. 1917)
- 2014 – Muhammad Qutb, Egyptian author and academic (b. 1919)
- 2015 – Jamaluddin Jarjis, Malaysian engineer and politician (b. 1951)
- 2015 – Elmer Lach, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1918)
- 2015 – Donald N. Levine, American sociologist and academic (b. 1931)
- 2015 – Klaus Rifbjerg, Danish author and poet (b. 1931)
- 2016 – Chus Lampreave, Spanish actress (b. 1930)
Holidays and observances on April 4
- Children’s Day (Hong Kong, Taiwan)
- Christian feast day:
- Benedict the Moor
- Gaetano Catanoso
- Isidore of Seville
- Martin Luther King Jr. (Episcopal Church (USA))
- Reginald Heber (Anglican Church of Canada)
- Tigernach of Clones
- April 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Senegal from France (1960).
- Peace Day (Angola)[15]
- One of the possible days for Qingming Festival.
