1640

April 10 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople.
  • 837 – Halley’s Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles).
  • 1407 – Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama visits the Ming dynasty capital at Nanjing. He is awarded the title “Great Treasure Prince of Dharma”.
  • 1500 – Ludovico Sforza is captured by Swiss troops at Novara and is handed over to the French.
  • 1606 – The Virginia Company of London is established by royal charter by James I of England with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America.
  • 1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first law regulating copyright, comes into force in Great Britain.
  • 1741 – War of the Austrian Succession: Prussia gains control of Silesia at the Battle of Mollwitz.
  • 1809 – Napoleonic Wars: The War of the Fifth Coalition begins when forces of the Austrian Empire invade Bavaria.
  • 1815 – The Mount Tambora volcano begins a three-month-long eruption, lasting until July 15. The eruption ultimately kills 71,000 people and affects Earth’s climate for the next two years.
  • 1816 – The Federal government of the United States approves the creation of the Second Bank of the United States.
  • 1821 – Patriarch Gregory V of Constantinople is hanged by the Ottoman government from the main gate of the Patriarchate and his body is thrown into the Bosphorus.
  • 1826 – The 10,500 inhabitants of the Greek town of Missolonghi begin leaving the town after a year’s siege by Turkish forces. Very few of them survive.
  • 1858 – After the original Big Ben, a 14.5 tonnes (32,000 lb) bell for the Palace of Westminster, had cracked during testing, it is recast into the current 13.76 tonnes (30,300 lb) bell by Whitechapel Bell Foundry.
  • 1864 – Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg is proclaimed emperor of Mexico during the French intervention in Mexico.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: A day after his surrender to Union forces, Confederate General Robert E. Lee addresses his troops for the last time.
  • 1866 – The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is founded in New York City by Henry Bergh.
  • 1868 – At Arogee in Abyssinia, British and Indian forces defeat an army of Emperor Tewodros II. While 700 Ethiopians are killed and many more injured, only two British/Indian troops die.
  • 1872 – The first Arbor Day is celebrated in Nebraska.
  • 1875 – India: Arya Samaj is founded in Mumbai by Swami Dayananda Saraswati to propagate his goal of social reform.
  • 1887 – On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo XIII authorizes the establishment of the Catholic University of America.
  • 1912 – RMS Titanic sets sail from Southampton, England on her maiden and only voyage.
  • 1916 – The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) is created in New York City.
  • 1919 – Mexican Revolution leader Emiliano Zapata is ambushed and shot dead by government forces in Morelos.
  • 1925 – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is first published in New York City, by Charles Scribner’s Sons.
  • 1938 – The 1938 German parliamentary election and referendum seeks approval for a single list of Nazi candidates and the recent annexation of Austria.
  • 1939 – Alcoholics Anonymous, A.A.’s “Big Book”, is first published.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Axis powers establish the Independent State of Croatia.
  • 1944 – Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler escape from Birkenau death camp.
  • 1957 – The Suez Canal is reopened for all shipping after being closed for three months.
  • 1963 – One hundred twenty-nine American sailors die when the submarine USS Thresher sinks at sea.
  • 1968 – The TEV Wahine, a New Zealand ferry sinks in Wellington harbour due to a fierce storm – the strongest winds ever in Wellington. Out of the 734 people on board, fifty-three died.
  • 1970 – Paul McCartney announces that he is leaving The Beatles for personal and professional reasons.
  • 1971 – Ping-pong diplomacy: In an attempt to thaw relations with the United States, China hosts the U.S. table tennis team for a week-long visit.
  • 1972 – Tombs containing bamboo slips, among them Sun Tzu’s Art of War and Sun Bin’s lost military treatise, are accidentally discovered by construction workers in Shandong.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: For the first time since November 1967, American B-52 bombers reportedly begin bombing North Vietnam.
  • 1973 – Invicta International Airlines Flight 435 crashes in a snowstorm on approach to Basel, Switzerland, killing 108 people.
  • 1979 – Red River Valley tornado outbreak: A tornado lands in Wichita Falls, Texas killing 42 people.
  • 1988 – The Ojhri Camp explosion kills or injures more than 1,000 people in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.
  • 1991 – Italian ferry MS Moby Prince collides with an oil tanker in dense fog off Livorno, Italy, killing 140.
  • 1991 – A rare tropical storm develops in the South Atlantic Ocean near Angola; the first to be documented by satellites.
  • 1998 – The Good Friday Agreement is signed in Northern Ireland.
  • 2009 – President of Fiji Ratu Josefa Iloilo announces the abrogation of the constitution and assumes all governance in the country, creating a constitutional crisis.
  • 2010 – Polish Air Force Tu-154M crashes near Smolensk, Russia, killing 96 people, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and dozens of other senior officials and dignitaries.
  • 2016 – The Paravur temple accident in which a devastating fire caused by the explosion of firecrackers stored for Vishu, kills more than one hundred people out of the thousands gathered for seventh day of Bhadrakali worship.
  • 2016 – An earthquake of 6.6 magnitude strikes 39 km west-southwest of Ashkasham, shakes up India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Srinagar and Pakistan.
  • 2019 – Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project announce the first ever image of a black hole, located in the centre of the M87 galaxy.

Births on April 10

  • 401 – Theodosius II, Roman emperor (d. 450)
  • 1018 – Nizam al-Mulk, Persian scholar and vizier (d. 1092)
  • 1472 – Margaret of York, English princess (d. 1472)
  • 1480 – Philibert II, duke of Savoy (d. 1504)
  • 1487 – William I, count of Nassau-Dillenburg (d. 1559)
  • 1512 – James V, king of Scotland (d. 1542)
  • 1579 – Augustus II, duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1666)
  • 1583 – Hugo Grotius, Dutch philosopher and jurist (d. 1645)
  • 1603 – Christian, Prince-Elect of Denmark (d. 1647)
  • 1651 – Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, German mathematician, physicist, and physician (d. 1708)
  • 1656 – René Lepage de Sainte-Claire, French-Canadian settler, founded Rimouski (d. 1718)
  • 1704 – Benjamin Heath, English scholar and author (d. 1766)
  • 1707 – Michel Corrette, French organist, composer, and author (d. 1795)
  • 1713 – John Whitehurst, English geologist and clockmaker (d. 1788)
  • 1755 – Samuel Hahnemann, German-French physician and academic (d. 1843)
  • 1762 – Giovanni Aldini, Italian physicist and academic (d. 1834)
  • 1769 – Jean Lannes, French marshal (d. 1809)
  • 1778 – William Hazlitt, English essayist and critic (d. 1830)
  • 1794 – Matthew C. Perry, English-Scottish American commander (d. 1858)
  • 1806 – Juliette Drouet, French actress (d. 1883)
  • 1806 – Leonidas Polk, Scottish-American general and bishop (d. 1884)
  • 1827 – Lew Wallace, American general, lawyer, and politician, 11th Governor of New Mexico Territory (d. 1905)
  • 1829 – William Booth, English minister, founded The Salvation Army (d. 1912)
  • 1847 – Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-American journalist, publisher, and politician, founded Pulitzer, Inc. (d. 1911)
  • 1864 – Eugen d’Albert, Scottish-German pianist and composer (d. 1932)
  • 1865 – Jack Miner, American-Canadian farmer, hunter, and environmentalist (d. 1944)
  • 1867 – George William Russell, Irish author, poet, and painter (d. 1935)
  • 1868 – George Arliss, English actor and playwright (d. 1946)
  • 1868 – Asriel Günzig, Moravian rabbi (d. 1931)
  • 1873 – Kyösti Kallio, Finnish farmer, banker, and politician, 4th President of Finland (d. 1940)
  • 1875 – George Clawley, English footballer (d. 1920)
  • 1877 – Alfred Kubin, Austrian author and illustrator (d. 1959)
  • 1879 – Bernhard Gregory, Estonian-German chess player (d. 1939)
  • 1879 – Coenraad Hiebendaal, Dutch rower and physician (d. 1921)
  • 1880 – Frances Perkins, American sociologist, academic, and politician, 4th United States Secretary of Labor (d. 1965)
  • 1880 – Montague Summers, English clergyman and author (d. 1948)
  • 1886 – Johnny Hayes, American runner and trainer (d. 1965)
  • 1887 – Bernardo Houssay, Argentinian physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1971)
  • 1889 – Louis Rougier, French philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1982)
  • 1891 – Frank Barson, English footballer and coach (d. 1968)
  • 1893 – Otto Steinböck, Austrian zoologist (d. 1969)
  • 1894 – Ben Nicholson, British painter (d. 1982)
  • 1897 – Prafulla Chandra Sen, Indian accountant and politician, 3rd Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 1990)
  • 1900 – Arnold Orville Beckman, American chemist, inventor, and philanthropist (d. 2004)
  • 1901 – Dhananjay Ramchandra Gadgil, Indian economist (d. 1971)
  • 1903 – Clare Turlay Newberry, American author and illustrator (d. 1970)
  • 1906 – Steve Anderson, American hurdler (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Margaret Clapp, American scholar and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1910 – Helenio Herrera, Argentinian footballer and manager (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – Paul Sweezy, American economist and publisher, founded the Monthly Review (d. 2004)
  • 1911 – Martin Denny, American pianist and composer (d. 2005)
  • 1911 – Maurice Schumann, French journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs for France (d. 1998)
  • 1912 – Boris Kidrič, Austrian-Slovenian politician, 1st Prime Minister of Slovenia (d. 1953)
  • 1913 – Stefan Heym, German-American soldier and author (d. 2001)
  • 1914 – Jack Badcock, Australian cricketer (d. 1982)
  • 1915 – Harry Morgan, American actor and director (d. 2011)
  • 1915 – Leo Vroman, Dutch-American hematologist, poet, and illustrator (d. 2014)
  • 1916 – Lee Jung-seob, Korean painter (d. 1956)
  • 1917 – Jagjit Singh Lyallpuri, Indian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Robert Burns Woodward, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1919 – John Houbolt, American engineer and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Chuck Connors, American baseball player and actor (d. 1992)
  • 1921 – Jake Warren, Canadian soldier and diplomat, Canadian Ambassador to the United States (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Sheb Wooley, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2003)
  • 1923 – Roger Gaillard, Haitian historian and author (d. 2000)
  • 1923 – Jane Kean, American actress and singer (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Floyd Simmons, American decathlete and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1923 – Sid Tickridge, English footballer (d. 1997)
  • 1923 – John Watkins, South African cricketer
  • 1924 – Kenneth Noland, American soldier and painter (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Linda Goodman, American astrologer and author (d. 1995)
  • 1925 – Angelo Poffo, American wrestler and promoter (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Jacques Castérède, French pianist and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Junior Samples, American comedian (d. 1983)
  • 1927 – Norma Candal, Puerto Rican-American actress (d. 2006)
  • 1927 – Marshall Warren Nirenberg, American biochemist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Mike Hawthorn, English race car driver (d. 1959)
  • 1929 – Liz Sheridan, American actress
  • 1929 – Max von Sydow, Swedish-French actor (d. 2020)
  • 1930 – Claude Bolling, French pianist, composer, and actor
  • 1930 – Dolores Huerta, American activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers
  • 1931 – Kishori Amonkar, Indian classical vocalist (d. 2017)
  • 1932 – Delphine Seyrig, Swiss/Alsatian French actress (d. 1990)
  • 1932 – Omar Sharif, Egyptian actor and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Rokusuke Ei, Japanese composer and author (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Helen McElhone, Scottish politician (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – David Halberstam, American journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1935 – John A. Bennett, American soldier (d. 1961)
  • 1935 – Patrick Garland, English actor and director (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Peter Hollingworth, Australian bishop, 23rd Governor General of Australia
  • 1936 – John Howell, English long jumper
  • 1936 – John Madden, American football player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1936 – Bobby Smith, American singer (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Bella Akhmadulina, Soviet and Russian poet, short story writer, and translator (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Don Meredith, American football player and sportscaster (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Claudio Magris, Italian scholar, author, and translator
  • 1940 – Gloria Hunniford, British radio and television host
  • 1941 – Harold Long, Canadian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Paul Theroux, American novelist, short story writer, and travel writer
  • 1942 – Nick Auf der Maur, Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1998)
  • 1942 – Ian Callaghan, English footballer
  • 1942 – Stuart Dybek, American novelist, short story writer, and poet
  • 1943 – Andrzej Badeński, Polish-German sprinter (d. 2008)
  • 1943 – Margaret Pemberton, English author
  • 1945 – Kevin Berry, Australian swimmer (d. 2006)
  • 1946 – David Angell, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2001)
  • 1946 – Bob Watson, American baseball player and manager
  • 1946 – Adolf Winkelmann, German director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – David A. Adler, American author and educator
  • 1947 – Bunny Wailer, Jamaican singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1948 – Mel Blount, American football player
  • 1949 – Daniel Mangeas, French banker and sportscaster
  • 1949 – Eric Troyer, American singer-songwriter, keyboardist and guitarist
  • 1950 – Ken Griffey, Sr., American baseball player and manager
  • 1950 – Eddie Hazel, American guitarist (d. 1992)
  • 1951 – David Helvarg, American journalist and activist
  • 1952 – Narayan Rane, Indian politician, 16th Chief Minister of Maharashtra
  • 1952 – Masashi Sada, Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, novelist, actor, and producer
  • 1952 – Steven Seagal, American actor, producer, and martial artist
  • 1953 – David Moorcroft, English runner and businessman
  • 1953 – Pamela Wallin, Swedish-Canadian journalist, academic, and politician
  • 1954 – Paul Bearer, American wrestler and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Anne Lamott, American author and educator
  • 1954 – Peter MacNicol, American actor
  • 1954 – Juan Williams, Panamanian-American journalist and author
  • 1955 – Lesley Garrett, English soprano and actress
  • 1956 – Carol V. Robinson, English chemist and academic
  • 1957 – Aliko Dangote, Nigerian businessman, founded Dangote Group
  • 1957 – John M. Ford, American author and poet (d. 2006)
  • 1957 – Steve Gustafson, Spanish-American bass player
  • 1957 – Rosemary Hill, English historian and author
  • 1958 – Bob Bell, Northern Irish engineer
  • 1958 – Yefim Bronfman, Uzbek-American pianist
  • 1958 – Brigitte Holzapfel, German high jumper
  • 1959 – Babyface, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1959 – Yvan Loubier, Canadian economist and politician
  • 1959 – Brian Setzer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Steve Bisciotti, American businessman, co-founded Allegis Group
  • 1960 – Katrina Leskanich, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Terry Teagle, American basketball player
  • 1961 – Nicky Campbell, Scottish broadcaster and journalist
  • 1961 – Joe Cole, American roadie and author (d. 1991)
  • 1961 – Carole Goble, English computer scientist and academic
  • 1961 – Mark Jones, American basketball player
  • 1962 – Steve Tasker, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Warren DeMartini, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1963 – Jeff Gray, American baseball player and coach
  • 1963 – Doris Leuthard, Swiss lawyer and politician, 162nd President of the Swiss Confederation
  • 1965 – Tim Alexander, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1966 – Steve Claridge, English footballer, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Donald Dufresne, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1967 – David Rovics, American singer-songwriter
  • 1968 – Metin Göktepe, Turkish photographer and journalist (d. 1996)
  • 1968 – Orlando Jones, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1969 – Steve Glasson, Australian lawn bowler
  • 1969 – Ekaterini Koffa, Greek sprinter
  • 1970 – Enrico Ciccone, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Leonard Doroftei, Romanian-Canadian boxer
  • 1970 – Kenny Lattimore, American singer-songwriter
  • 1970 – Q-Tip, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1971 – Brad William Henke, American football player and actor
  • 1971 – Indro Olumets, Estonian footballer and coach
  • 1971 – Al Reyes, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1972 – Ian Harvey, Australian cricketer
  • 1972 – Priit Kasesalu, Estonian computer programmer, co-created Skype
  • 1972 – Gordon Buchanan, Scottish film maker
  • 1973 – Guillaume Canet, French actor and director
  • 1973 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Aidan Moffat, Scottish singer-songwriter
  • 1973 – Christopher Simmons, Canadian-American graphic designer, author, and academic
  • 1974 – Eric Greitens, American soldier, author and politician
  • 1974 – Petros Passalis, Greek footballer
  • 1975 – Chris Carrabba, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1975 – Terrence Lewis, Indian dancer and choreographer
  • 1975 – David Harbour, American actor
  • 1976 – Clare Buckfield, English actress
  • 1976 – Yoshino Kimura, Japanese actress and singer
  • 1976 – Sara Renner, Canadian skier
  • 1977 – Stephanie Sheh, Taiwanese-American voice actress, director, and producer
  • 1978 – Sir Christus, Finnish guitarist
  • 1979 – Iván Alonso, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1979 – Kenyon Coleman, American football player
  • 1979 – Rachel Corrie, American author and activist (d. 2003)
  • 1979 – Tsuyoshi Domoto, Japanese singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1979 – Sophie Ellis-Bextor, English singer-songwriter
  • 1979 – Peter Kopteff, Finnish footballer
  • 1980 – Sean Avery, Canadian ice hockey player and model
  • 1980 – Charlie Hunnam, English actor
  • 1980 – Shao Jiayi, Chinese footballer
  • 1980 – Kasey Kahne, American race car driver
  • 1980 – Bryce Soderberg, American singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1981 – Laura Bell Bundy, American actress and singer
  • 1981 – Liz McClarnon, English singer and dancer
  • 1981 – Michael Pitt, American actor, model and musician
  • 1981 – Alexei Semenov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Andre Ethier, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Chyler Leigh, American actress and singer
  • 1983 – Jamie Chung, American actress
  • 1983 – Andrew Dost, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1983 – Ryan Merriman, American actor
  • 1983 – Hannes Sigurðsson, Icelandic footballer
  • 1984 – Faustina Agolley, Australian television host
  • 1984 – Jeremy Barrett, American figure skater
  • 1984 – Mandy Moore, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1984 – David Obua, Ugandan footballer
  • 1984 – Damien Perquis, French-Polish footballer
  • 1984 – Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1985 – Barkhad Abdi, Somali-American actor and director
  • 1985 – Willo Flood, Irish footballer
  • 1985 – Jesús Gámez, Spanish footballer
  • 1985 – Dion Phaneuf, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Olivia Borlée, Belgian sprinter
  • 1986 – Fernando Gago, Argentine footballer
  • 1986 – Corey Kluber, American baseball pitcher
  • 1986 – Vincent Kompany, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Tore Reginiussen, Norwegian footballer
  • 1987 – Shay Mitchell, Canadian actress and model
  • 1987 – Hayley Westenra, New Zealand soprano
  • 1988 – Chris Heston, American baseball pitcher
  • 1988 – Kareem Jackson, American football player
  • 1988 – Haley Joel Osment, American actor
  • 1990 – Ben Amos, English footballer
  • 1990 – Andile Jali, South African footballer
  • 1990 – Ricky Leutele, Australian-Samoan rugby league player
  • 1990 – Maren Morris, American singer
  • 1990 – Alex Pettyfer, English actor
  • 1991 – AJ Michalka, American actress and singer
  • 1992 – Jack Buchanan, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Sadio Mané, Senegalese footballer
  • 1992 – Daisy Ridley, English actress
  • 1993 – Sofia Carson, American singer and actress
  • 1994 – Siobhan Hunter, Scottish footballer
  • 1995 – Ian Nelson, American actor
  • 1996 – Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australian tennis player
  • 1996 – Audrey Whitby, American actress
  • 1998 – Anna Pogorilaya, Russian figure skater
  • 2001 – Ky Baldwin, Australian singer and actor
  • 2001 – Noa Kirel, Israeli singer

Deaths on April 10

  • 879 – Louis the Stammerer, king of West Francia (b. 846)
  • 943 – Landulf I, prince of Benevento and Capua
  • 948 – Hugh of Arles, king of Italy
  • 1008 – Notker of Liège, French bishop (b. 940)
  • 1216 – Eric X, king of Sweden (b. 1180)
  • 1282 – Ahmad Fanakati, chief minister under Kublai Khan
  • 1309 – Elisabeth von Rapperswil, Swiss countess (b. 1261)
  • 1362 – Maud, English noblewoman (b. 1339)
  • 1500 – Michael Tarchaniota Marullus, Greek scholar and poet
  • 1533 – Frederick I, king of Denmark and Norway (b. 1471)
  • 1545 – Costanzo Festa, Italian composer
  • 1585 – Gregory XIII, Pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1502)
  • 1598 – Jacopo Mazzoni, Italian philosopher (b. 1548)
  • 1599 – Gabrielle d’Estrées, French mistress of Henry IV of France (b. 1571)
  • 1601 – Mark Alexander Boyd, Scottish soldier and poet (b. 1562)
  • 1619 – Thomas Jones, English-Irish archbishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of Ireland (b. 1550)
  • 1640 – Agostino Agazzari, Italian composer and theorist (b. 1578)
  • 1644 – William Brewster, English official and pilgrim leader (b. 1566)
  • 1646 – Santino Solari, Swiss architect and sculptor (b. 1576)
  • 1667 – Jan Marek Marci, Czech physician and author (b. 1595)
  • 1704 – William Egon of Fürstenberg, German cardinal (b. 1629)
  • 1756 – Giacomo Antonio Perti, Italian composer (b. 1661)
  • 1760 – Jean Lebeuf, French historian and author (b. 1687)
  • 1786 – John Byron, English admiral and politician, 24th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1723)
  • 1806 – Horatio Gates, English-American general (b. 1727)
  • 1813 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Italian mathematician and astronomer (b. 1736)
  • 1823 – Karl Leonhard Reinhold, Austrian philosopher and academic (b. 1757)
  • 1871 – Lucio Norberto Mansilla, Argentinian general and politician (b. 1789)
  • 1904 – Isabella II, Spanish queen (b. 1830)
  • 1909 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic (b. 1837)
  • 1919 – Emiliano Zapata, Mexican general (b. 1879)
  • 1920 – Moritz Cantor, German mathematician and historian (b. 1829)
  • 1931 – Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese-American poet, painter, and philosopher (b. 1883)
  • 1935 – Rosa Campbell Praed, Australian novelist (b. 1851)
  • 1938 – King Oliver, American cornet player and bandleader (b. 1885)
  • 1942 – Carl Schenstrøm, Danish actor and director (b. 1881)
  • 1943 – Andreas Faehlmann, Estonian-German sailor and engineer (b. 1898)
  • 1945 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer and typographer (b. 1882)
  • 1947 – Charles Nordhoff, English-American lieutenant and author (b. 1887)
  • 1950 – Fevzi Çakmak, Turkish field marshal and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1876)
  • 1954 – Auguste Lumière, French director and producer (b. 1862)
  • 1954 – Oscar Mathisen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1888)
  • 1955 – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, French priest, theologian, and philosopher (b. 1881)
  • 1958 – Chuck Willis, American singer-songwriter (b. 1928)
  • 1960 – André Berthomieu, French director and screenwriter (b. 1903)
  • 1962 – Michael Curtiz, Hungarian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1886)
  • 1962 – Stuart Sutcliffe, Scottish artist and musician (b. 1940)
  • 1965 – Lloyd Casner, American race car driver, founded Casner Motor Racing Division (b. 1928)
  • 1965 – Linda Darnell, American actress (b. 1923)
  • 1966 – Evelyn Waugh, English soldier, novelist, journalist and critic (b. 1903)
  • 1968 – Gustavs Celmiņš, Latvian lieutenant and politician (b. 1899)
  • 1969 – Harley Earl, American businessman (b. 1893)
  • 1975 – Walker Evans, American photographer (b. 1903)
  • 1975 – Marjorie Main, American actress (b. 1890)
  • 1978 – Hjalmar Mäe, Estonian politician (b. 1901)
  • 1979 – Nino Rota, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1911)
  • 1980 – Kay Medford, American actress and singer (b. 1919)
  • 1981 – Howard Thurman, American author, philosopher and civil rights activist (b. 1899)
  • 1983 – Issam Sartawi, Palestinian activist (b. 1935)
  • 1985 – Zisis Verros, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle (b. 1880)
  • 1986 – Linda Creed, American singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
  • 1991 – Kevin Peter Hall, American actor (b. 1955)
  • 1991 – Martin Hannett, English guitarist and producer (b. 1948)
  • 1991 – Natalie Schafer, American actress (b. 1900)
  • 1992 – Sam Kinison, American comedian and actor (b. 1953)
  • 1993 – Chris Hani, South African activist and politician (b. 1942)
  • 1994 – Sam B. Hall, Jr., American lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1924)
  • 1995 – Morarji Desai, Indian politician, 4th Prime Minister of India (b. 1896)
  • 1997 – Michael Dorris, American author and academic (b. 1945)
  • 1998 – Seraphim of Athens, Greek archbishop (b. 1913)
  • 1999 – Heinz Fraenkel-Conrat, German-American biochemist and physician (b. 1910)
  • 1999 – Jean Vander Pyl, American actress and voice artist (b. 1919)
  • 2000 – Peter Jones, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Larry Linville, American actor (b. 1939)
  • 2003 – Little Eva, American singer (b. 1943)
  • 2004 – Jacek Kaczmarski, Polish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and poet (b. 1957)
  • 2004 – Sakıp Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist, founded Sabancı Holding (b. 1933)
  • 2005 – Norbert Brainin, Austrian violinist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Scott Gottlieb, American drummer (b. 1970)
  • 2005 – Archbishop Iakovos of America (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – Al Lucas, American football player (b. 1978)
  • 2005 – Wally Tax, Dutch singer-songwriter (b. 1948)
  • 2007 – Charles Philippe Leblond, French-Canadian biologist and academic (b. 1910)
  • 2007 – Dakota Staton, American singer (b. 1930)
  • 2009 – Deborah Digges, American poet and educator (b. 1950)
  • 2010 – Casualties in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash included:
    • Ryszard Kaczorowski, Polish soldier and politician, 6th President of the Republic of Poland (b. 1919)
    • Maria Kaczyńska, Polish economist, First Lady of Poland (b. 1942)
    • Lech Kaczyński, Polish lawyer and politician, 4th President of Poland (b. 1949)
    • Anna Walentynowicz, Ukrainian-Polish journalist and activist (b. 1929)
  • 2010 – Dixie Carter, American actress and singer (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Raymond Aubrac, French engineer and activist (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Barbara Buchholz, German theremin player and composer (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Lili Chookasian, Armenian-American operatic singer (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Luis Aponte Martínez, Puerto Rican cardinal (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Akin Omoboriowo, Nigerian lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2013 – Lorenzo Antonetti, Italian cardinal (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Raymond Boudon, French sociologist and academic (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Bangladeshi activist (b. 1911)
  • 2013 – Robert Edwards, English physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Olive Lewin, Jamaican anthropologist, musicologist, and author (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Gordon Thomas, English cyclist (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Angela Voigt, German long jumper (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Dominique Baudis, French journalist and politician (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Jim Flaherty, Canadian lawyer and politician, 37th Canadian Minister of Finance (b. 1949)
  • 2014 – Richard Hoggart, English author and academic (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Sue Townsend, English author and playwright (b. 1946)
  • 2015 – Richie Benaud, Australian cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Raúl Héctor Castro, Mexican-American politician and diplomat, 14th Governor of Arizona (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – Judith Malina, German-American actress and director, co-founded The Living Theatre (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Rose Francine Rogombé, Gabonese lawyer and politician, President of Gabon (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Peter Walsh, Australian farmer and politician, 6th Australian Minister for Finance (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Howard Marks, Welsh cannabis smuggler, writer, and legalisation campaigner (b. 1945)

Holidays and observances on April 10

  • Christian feast day:
    • Fulbert of Chartres
    • James, Azadanus and Abdicius
    • Mikael Agricola (Lutheran)
    • Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Episcopal Church)
    • William of Ockham (Anglicanism)
    • William Law (Anglicanism)
    • April 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Day of the Builder (Azerbaijan)
  • Feast of the Third Day of the Writing of the Book of the Law (Thelema)
  • Siblings Day (International observance)
  • World Homeopathy Day

April 4 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by

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.

April 3 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 686 – Maya king Yuknoom Yich’aak K’ahk’ assumes the crown of Calakmul.
  • 801 – King Louis the Pious captures Barcelona from the Moors after a siege of several months.
  • 1043 – Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England.
  • 1077 – The first Parliament of Friuli is created.
  • 1559 – The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis treaty is signed, ending the Italian Wars.
  • 1860 – The first successful United States Pony Express run from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, begins.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Union forces capture Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate States of America.
  • 1882 – American Old West: Robert Ford kills Jesse James.
  • 1885 – Gottlieb Daimler is granted a German patent for his engine design.
  • 1888 – The first of eleven unsolved brutal murders of women committed in or near the impoverished Whitechapel district in the East End of London, occurs.
  • 1895 – The trial in the libel case brought by Oscar Wilde begins, eventually resulting in his imprisonment on charges of homosexuality.
  • 1922 – Joseph Stalin becomes the first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
  • 1933 – First flight over Mount Everest, by the British Houston-Mount Everest Flight Expedition, led by the Marquis of Clydesdale, and funded by Lucy, Lady Houston.
  • 1936 – Bruno Richard Hauptmann is executed for the kidnapping and death of Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr., the baby son of pilot Charles Lindbergh.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese forces begin an assault on the United States and Filipino troops on the Bataan Peninsula.
  • 1946 – Japanese Lt. General Masaharu Homma is executed in the Philippines for leading the Bataan Death March.
  • 1948 – Cold War: U.S. President Harry S. Truman signs the Marshall Plan, authorizing $5 billion in aid for 16 countries.
  • 1948 – In Jeju Province, South Korea, a civil-war-like period of violence and human rights abuses begins, known as the Jeju uprising.
  • 1955 – The American Civil Liberties Union announces it will defend Allen Ginsberg’s book Howl against obscenity charges.
  • 1956 – Hudsonville–Standale tornado: The western half of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan is struck by a deadly F5 tornado.
  • 1968 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech. He was assassinated the next day.
  • 1969 – Vietnam War: United States Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announces that the United States will start to “Vietnamize” the war effort.
  • 1973 – Martin Cooper of Motorola makes the first handheld mobile phone call to Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs.
  • 1974 – The 1974 Super Outbreak occurs, the second biggest tornado outbreak in recorded history (after the 2011 Super Outbreak). The death toll is 315, with nearly 5,500 injured.
  • 1975 – Bobby Fischer refuses to play in a chess match against Anatoly Karpov, giving Karpov the title of World Champion by default.
  • 1980 – US Congress restores a federal trust relationship with the 501 members of the Shvwits, Kanosh, Koosharem, and the Indian Peaks and Cedar City bands of the Paiute people of Utah.
  • 1981 – The Osborne 1, the first successful portable computer, is unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco.
  • 1989 – The US Supreme Court upholds the jurisdictional rights of tribal courts under the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 in Mississippi Choctaw Band v. Holyfield.
  • 1996 – Suspected “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski is captured at his Montana cabin in the United States.
  • 1997 – The Thalit massacre begins in Algeria; all but one of the 53 inhabitants of Thalit are killed by guerrillas.
  • 2000 – United States v. Microsoft Corp.: Microsoft is ruled to have violated United States antitrust law by keeping “an oppressive thumb” on its competitors.
  • 2004 – Islamic terrorists involved in the 2004 Madrid train bombings are trapped by the police in their apartment and kill themselves.
  • 2007 – Conventional-Train World Speed Record: A French TGV train on the LGV Est high speed line sets an official new world speed record.
  • 2008 – ATA Airlines, once one of the ten largest U.S. passenger airlines and largest charter airline, files for bankruptcy for the second time in five years and ceases all operations.
  • 2008 – Texas law enforcement cordons off the FLDS’s YFZ Ranch. Eventually, 533 women and children will be taken into state custody.
  • 2009 – Jiverly Antares Wong opens fire at the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York, killing thirteen and wounding four before committing suicide.
  • 2010 – Apple Inc. released the first generation iPad, a tablet computer.
  • 2013 – More than 50 people die in floods resulting from record-breaking rainfall in La Plata and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • 2016 – The Panama Papers, a leak of legal documents, reveals information on 214,488 offshore companies.
  • 2017 – A bomb explodes in the St Petersburg metro system, killing 14 and injuring several more people.
  • 2018 – YouTube headquarters shooting.

Births on April 3

  • 1016 – Xing Zong, Chinese emperor (d. 1055)
  • 1151 – Igor Svyatoslavich, Russian prince (d. 1202)
  • 1438 – John III of Egmont, Dutch nobleman (d. 1516)
  • 1529 – Michael Neander, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1581)
  • 1540 – Maria de’ Medici, Italian noblewoman, the eldest daughter of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Eleonora di Toledo. (d. 1557)
  • 1593 – George Herbert, English poet (d. 1633)
  • 1639 – Alessandro Stradella, Italian composer (d. 1682)
  • 1643 – Charles V, duke of Lorraine (d. 1690)
  • 1682 – Valentin Rathgeber, German organist and composer (d. 1750)
  • 1693 – George Edwards, English ornithologist and entomologist (d. 1773)
  • 1715 – William Watson, English physician, physicist, and botanist (d. 1787)
  • 1764 – John Abernethy, English surgeon and anatomist (d. 1831)
  • 1769 – Christian Günther von Bernstorff, Danish-Prussian politician and diplomat (d. 1835)
  • 1770 – Theodoros Kolokotronis, Greek general (d. 1843)
  • 1778 – Pierre Bretonneau, French doctor who performed the first successful tracheotomy (d. 1862)
  • 1781 – Swaminarayan, Indian religious leader (d. 1830)
  • 1782 – Alexander Macomb, American general (d. 1841)
  • 1783 – Washington Irving, American short story writer, essayist, biographer, historian (d. 1859)
  • 1791 – Anne Lister, English diarist, mountaineer, and traveller (d.1840)
  • 1798 – Charles Wilkes, American admiral, geographer, and explorer (d.1877)
  • 1807 – Mary Carpenter, English educational and social reformer (d. 1877)
  • 1814 – Lorenzo Snow, American religious leader, 5th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (d. 1901)
  • 1822 – Edward Everett Hale, American minister, historian, and author (d. 1909)
  • 1823 – George Derby, American lieutenant and journalist (d. 1861)
  • 1823 – William M. Tweed, American politician (d. 1878)
  • 1826 – Cyrus K. Holliday, American businessman (d. 1900)
  • 1837 – John Burroughs, American botanist and author (d. 1921)
  • 1842 – Ulric Dahlgren, American colonel (d. 1864)
  • 1848 – Arturo Prat, Chilean lawyer and captain (d. 1879)
  • 1858 – Jacob Gaudaur, Canadian rower (d. 1937)
  • 1860 – Frederik van Eeden, Dutch psychiatrist and author (d. 1932)
  • 1864 – Emil Kellenberger, Swiss target shooter (d. 1943)
  • 1875 – Mistinguett, French actress and singer (d. 1956)
  • 1876 – Margaret Anglin, Canadian actress, director, and producer (d. 1958)
  • 1876 – Tomáš Baťa, Czech businessman, founded Bata Shoes (d. 1932)
  • 1880 – Otto Weininger, Jewish-Austrian philosopher and author (d. 1903)
  • 1881 – Alcide De Gasperi, Italian journalist and politician, 30th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1954)
  • 1882 – Philippe Desranleau, Canadian archbishop (d. 1952)
  • 1883 – Ikki Kita, Japanese philosopher and author (d. 1937)
  • 1885 – Allan Dwan, Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1981)
  • 1885 – Bud Fisher, American cartoonist (d. 1954)
  • 1885 – Marie-Victorin Kirouac, Canadian botanist and academic (d. 1944)
  • 1885 – St John Philby, English colonial and explorer (d. 1960)
  • 1886 – Dooley Wilson, American actor and singer (d. 1953)
  • 1887 – Ōtori Tanigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 24th Yokozuna (d. 1956)
  • 1887 – Nishizō Tsukahara, Japanese admiral (d. 1966)
  • 1888 – Neville Cardus, English author and critic (d. 1975)
  • 1888 – Thomas C. Kinkaid, American admiral (d. 1972)
  • 1889 – Grigoraș Dinicu, Romanian violinist and composer (d. 1949)
  • 1893 – Leslie Howard, English actor (d. 1943)
  • 1895 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Italian-American composer and educator (d. 1968)
  • 1895 – Zez Confrey, American pianist and composer (d. 1971)
  • 1897 – Joe Kirkwood Sr., Australian golfer (d. 1970)
  • 1897 – Thrasyvoulos Tsakalotos, Greek general (d. 1989)
  • 1898 – David Jack, English footballer and manager (d. 1958)
  • 1898 – George Jessel, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 1981)
  • 1898 – Henry Luce, American publisher, co-founded Time Magazine (d. 1967)
  • 1900 – Camille Chamoun, Lebanese lawyer and politician, 7th President of Lebanon (d. 1987)
  • 1900 – Albert Walsh, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (d. 1958)
  • 1903 – Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Indian social reformer and freedom fighter (d. 1988)
  • 1904 – Iron Eyes Cody, American actor and stuntman (d. 1999)
  • 1904 – Sally Rand, American dancer (d. 1979)
  • 1904 – Russel Wright, American furniture designer (d. 1976)
  • 1905 – Robert Sink, American general (d. 1965)
  • 1909 – Stanislaw Ulam, Polish-American mathematician and academic (d. 1984)
  • 1910 – Ted Hook, Australian public servant (d. 1990)
  • 1911 – Nanette Bordeaux, Canadian-American actress (d. 1956)
  • 1911 – Michael Woodruff, English-Scottish surgeon and academic (d. 2001)
  • 1911 – Stanisława Walasiewicz, Polish-American runner (d. 1980)
  • 1912 – Dorothy Eden, New Zealand-English author (d. 1982)
  • 1912 – Grigoris Lambrakis, Greek physician and politician (d. 1963)
  • 1913 – Per Borten, Norwegian politician, 18th Prime Minister of Norway (d. 2005)
  • 1914 – Ray Getliffe, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2008)
  • 1914 – Sam Manekshaw, Indian field marshal (d. 2008)
  • 1915 – Piet de Jong, Dutch politician and naval officer, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2016)
  • 1915 – İhsan Doğramacı, Turkish physician and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1916 – Herb Caen, American journalist and author (d. 1997)
  • 1916 – Cliff Gladwin, English cricketer (d. 1988)
  • 1916 – Louis Guglielmi, Catalan composer (d. 1991)
  • 1918 – Mary Anderson, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Louis Applebaum, Canadian composer and conductor (d. 2000)
  • 1919 – Ervin Drake, American songwriter and composer (d. 2015)
  • 1919 – Clairette Oddera, French-Canadian actress and singer (d. 2008)
  • 1920 – Stan Freeman, American composer and conductor (d. 2001)
  • 1920 – Yoshibayama Junnosuke, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 43rd Yokozuna (d. 1977)
  • 1921 – Robert Karvelas, American actor (d. 1991)
  • 1921 – Jan Sterling, American actress (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Yevhen Bulanchyk, Ukrainian hurdler (d. 1996)
  • 1922 – Doris Day, American singer and actress (d. 2019)
  • 1923 – Daniel Hoffman, American poet and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Marlon Brando, American actor and director (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Roza Shanina, Russian sergeant and sniper (d. 1945)
  • 1925 – Tony Benn, English pilot and politician, Secretary of State for Industry (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Alex Grammas, American baseball player, manager, and coach (d. 2019)
  • 1926 – Gus Grissom, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1967)
  • 1927 – Wesley A. Brown, American general and engineer (d. 2012)
  • 1928 – Don Gibson, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2003)
  • 1928 – Emmett Johns, Canadian priest, founded Dans la Rue (d. 2018)
  • 1928 – Earl Lloyd, American basketball player and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Jennifer Paterson, English chef and television personality (d. 1999)
  • 1929 – Fazlur Rahman Khan, Bangladeshi engineer and architect, co-designed the Willis Tower and John Hancock Center (d. 1982)
  • 1929 – Poul Schlüter, Danish lawyer and politician, 37th Prime Minister of Denmark
  • 1930 – Lawton Chiles, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Governor of Florida (d. 1998)
  • 1930 – Helmut Kohl, German politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 2017)
  • 1930 – Mario Benjamín Menéndez, Argentinian general and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Wally Moon, American baseball player and coach (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – William Bast, American screenwriter and author (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – Bob Dornan, American politician
  • 1933 – Rod Funseth, American golfer (d. 1985)
  • 1934 – Pamela Allen, New Zealand children’s writer and illustrator
  • 1934 – Jane Goodall, English primatologist and anthropologist
  • 1934 – Jim Parker, American football player (d. 2005)
  • 1936 – Jimmy McGriff, American organist and bandleader (d. 2008)
  • 1936 – Harold Vick, American saxophonist and flute player (d. 1987)
  • 1938 – Jeff Barry, American singer-songwriter, and producer
  • 1938 – Phil Rodgers, American golfer (d. 2018)
  • 1939 – François de Roubaix, French composer (d. 1975)
  • 1939 – Hawk Taylor, American baseball player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Paul Craig Roberts, American economist and politician
  • 1941 – Jan Berry, American singer-songwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1941 – Philippé Wynne, American soul singer (d. 1984)
  • 1942 – Marsha Mason, American actress
  • 1942 – Wayne Newton, American singer
  • 1942 – Billy Joe Royal, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2015)
  • 1943 – Mario Lavista, Mexican composer
  • 1943 – Jonathan Lynn, English actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Richard Manuel, Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1986)
  • 1943 – Hikaru Saeki, Japanese admiral, the first female star officer of the Japan Self-Defense Forces
  • 1944 – Peter Colman, Australian biologist and academic
  • 1944 – Tony Orlando, American singer
  • 1945 – Doon Arbus, American author and journalist
  • 1945 – Bernie Parent, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1945 – Catherine Spaak, French actress
  • 1946 – Nicholas Jones, English actor
  • 1946 – Dee Murray, English bass player (d. 1992)
  • 1946 – Hanna Suchocka, Polish lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of Poland
  • 1947 – Anders Eliasson, Swedish composer (d. 2013)
  • 1948 – Arlette Cousture, Canadian author and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Dutch academic, politician, and diplomat, 11th Secretary General of NATO
  • 1948 – Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, German footballer
  • 1948 – Carlos Salinas de Gortari, Mexican economist and politician, 53rd President of Mexico
  • 1949 – Lyle Alzado, American football player and actor (d. 1992)
  • 1949 – A. C. Grayling, English philosopher and academic
  • 1949 – Richard Thompson, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1950 – Indrajit Coomaraswamy, Sri Lankan cricketer and economist
  • 1951 – Brendan Barber, English trade union leader
  • 1951 – Annette Dolphin, British academician and educator
  • 1951 – Mitch Woods, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1952 – Mike Moore, American lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Sandra Boynton, American author and illustrator
  • 1953 – Wakanohana Kanji II, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 56th Yokozuna
  • 1953 – James Smith, American boxer
  • 1953 – Craig Taubman, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1954 – Elisabetta Brusa, Italian composer
  • 1954 – K. Krishnasamy, Indian physician and politician
  • 1956 – Kalle Kulbok, Estonian politician
  • 1956 – Boris Miljković, Serbian director and producer
  • 1956 – Miguel Bosé, Spanish musician and actor
  • 1956 – Ray Combs, American game show host (d. 1996)
  • 1958 – Alec Baldwin, American actor, comedian, producer and television host
  • 1958 – Adam Gussow, American scholar, musician, and memoirist
  • 1958 – Francesca Woodman, Jewish-American photographer (d. 1981)
  • 1959 – David Hyde Pierce, American actor and activist
  • 1960 – Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Dutch singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1961 – Tim Crews, American baseball player (d. 1993)
  • 1961 – Eddie Murphy, American actor and comedian
  • 1962 – Dave Miley, American baseball player and manager
  • 1962 – Mike Ness, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Jaya Prada, Indian actress and politician
  • 1963 – Les Davidson, Australian rugby league player
  • 1963 – Ricky Nixon, Australian footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Criss Oliva, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1964 – Marco Ballotta, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Nigel Farage, English politician
  • 1964 – Claire Perry, English banker and politician
  • 1964 – Bjarne Riis, Danish cyclist and manager
  • 1964 – Andy Robinson, English rugby player and coach
  • 1964 – Jay Weatherill, Australian politician, 45th Premier of South Australia
  • 1965 – Nazia Hassan, Pakistani pop singer-songwriter, lawyer and social activist (d. 2000)
  • 1966 – John de Vries, Australian race car driver
  • 1967 – Cat Cora, American chef and author
  • 1967 – Pervis Ellison, American basketball player
  • 1967 – Brent Gilchrist, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1967 – Cristi Puiu, Romanian director and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Mark Skaife, Australian race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1968 – Sebastian Bach, Bahamian-Canadian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1968 – Charlotte Coleman, English actress (d. 2001)
  • 1968 – Jamie Hewlett, English director and performer
  • 1968 – Tomoaki Kanemoto, Japanese baseball player
  • 1969 – Rodney Hampton, American football player
  • 1969 – Peter Matera, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1969 – Ben Mendelsohn, Australian actor
  • 1969 – Lance Storm, Canadian wrestler and trainer
  • 1971 – Vitālijs Astafjevs, Latvian footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Emmanuel Collard, French race car driver
  • 1971 – Picabo Street, American skier
  • 1972 – Jennie Garth, American actress and director
  • 1972 – Catherine McCormack, English actress
  • 1972 – Sandrine Testud, French tennis player
  • 1973 – Nilesh Kulkarni, Indian cricketer
  • 1973 – Adam Scott, American actor
  • 1974 – Marcus Brown, American basketball player
  • 1974 – Drew Shirley, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1974 – Lee Williams, Welsh model and actor
  • 1975 – Shawn Bates, American ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Michael Olowokandi, Nigerian-American basketball player
  • 1975 – Aries Spears, American comedian and actor
  • 1975 – Yoshinobu Takahashi, Japanese baseball player
  • 1975 – Koji Uehara, Japanese baseball player
  • 1976 – Nicolas Escudé, French tennis player
  • 1978 – Matthew Goode, English actor
  • 1978 – Tommy Haas, German-American tennis player
  • 1978 – John Smit, South African rugby player
  • 1979 – Simon Black, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1980 – Andrei Lodis, Belarusian footballer
  • 1980 – Megan Rohrer, American pastor and transgender activist
  • 1981 – Aaron Bertram, American trumpet player
  • 1981 – DeShawn Stevenson, American basketball player
  • 1982 – Jared Allen, American football player
  • 1982 – Iain Fyfe, Australian footballer
  • 1982 – Cobie Smulders, Canadian actress
  • 1983 – Ben Foster, English footballer
  • 1983 – Stephen Weiss, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Jonathan Blondel, Belgian footballer
  • 1984 – Maxi López, Argentinian footballer
  • 1985 – Jari-Matti Latvala, Finnish race car driver
  • 1985 – Leona Lewis, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1986 – Amanda Bynes, American actress
  • 1986 – Stephanie Cox, American soccer player
  • 1986 – Annalisa Cucinotta, Italian cyclist
  • 1986 – Sergio Sánchez Ortega, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Rachel Bloom, American actress, writer, and producer
  • 1987 – Jay Bruce, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Yileen Gordon, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Jason Kipnis, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Martyn Rooney, English sprinter
  • 1987 – Julie Sokolow, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1988 – Kam Chancellor, American football player
  • 1988 – Brandon Graham, American football player
  • 1988 – Peter Hartley, English footballer
  • 1988 – Tim Krul, Dutch footballer
  • 1989 – Romain Alessandrini, French footballer
  • 1989 – Israel Folau, Australian rugby player and footballer
  • 1989 – Joel Romelo, Australian rugby league player
  • 1989 – Thisara Perera, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1990 – Karim Ansarifard, Iranian footballer
  • 1990 – Madison Brengle, American tennis player
  • 1990 – Sotiris Ninis, Greek footballer
  • 1990 – Natasha Negovanlis, Canadian actress and singer
  • 1991 – Hayley Kiyoko, American actress and singer
  • 1992 – Simone Benedetti, Italian footballer
  • 1992 – Yuliya Yefimova, Russian swimmer
  • 1993 – Pape Moussa Konaté, Senegalese footballer
  • 1994 – Kodi Nikorima, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1996 – Mayo Hibi, Japanese tennis player
  • 1997 – Gabriel Jesus, Brazilian footballer
  • 1998 – Paris Jackson, American actress, model and singer

Deaths on April 3

  • 963 – William III, Duke of Aquitaine (b. 915)
  • 1153 – al-Adil ibn al-Sallar, vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate
  • 1171 – Philip of Milly, seventh Grand Master of the Knights Templar (b. c. 1120)
  • 1203 – Arthur I, Duke of Brittany (b. 1187)
  • 1253 – Saint Richard of Chichester
  • 1287 – Pope Honorius IV (b. 1210)
  • 1325 – Nizamuddin Auliya, Sufi saint (b. 1238)
  • 1350 – Odo IV, Duke of Burgundy (b. 1295)
  • 1538 – Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire (b. 1480)
  • 1545 – Antonio de Guevara, Spanish chronicler and moralist (b. 1481)
  • 1606 – Charles Blount, 8th Baron Mountjoy, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1563)
  • 1630 – Christopher Villiers, 1st Earl of Anglesey, English noble (b. c.  1593)
  • 1680 – Shivaji, Indian emperor, founded the Maratha Empire (b. 1630)
  • 1682 – Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Spanish painter and educator (b. 1618)
  • 1691 – Jean Petitot, French-Swiss painter (b. 1608)
  • 1695 – Melchior d’Hondecoeter, Dutch painter (b. 1636)
  • 1717 – Jacques Ozanam, French mathematician and academic (b. 1640)
  • 1728 – James Anderson, Scottish lawyer and historian (b. 1662)
  • 1792 – George Pocock, English admiral (b. 1706)
  • 1804 – Jędrzej Kitowicz, Polish priest, historian, and author (b. 1727)
  • 1827 – Ernst Chladni, German physicist and academic (b. 1756)
  • 1838 – François Carlo Antommarchi, French physician and author (b. 1780)
  • 1844 – Edward Bigge, English cleric, 1st Archdeacon of Lindisfarne (b. 1807)
  • 1846 – William Braine, English soldier and explorer (b. 1814)
  • 1849 – Juliusz Słowacki, Polish-French poet and playwright (b. 1809)
  • 1868 – Franz Berwald, Swedish composer and surgeon (b. 1796)
  • 1882 – Jesse James, American criminal and outlaw (b. 1847)
  • 1897 – Johannes Brahms, German pianist and composer (b. 1833)
  • 1901 – Richard D’Oyly Carte, English composer and talent agent (b. 1844)
  • 1902 – Esther Hobart Morris, American lawyer and judge (b. 1814)
  • 1930 – Emma Albani, Canadian-English operatic soprano (b. 1847)
  • 1936 – Richard Hauptmann, German-American murderer (b. 1899)
  • 1941 – Tachiyama Mineemon, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 22nd Yokozuna (b. 1877)
  • 1941 – Pál Teleki, Hungarian academic and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Hungary (b. 1879)
  • 1943 – Conrad Veidt, German actor, director, and producer (b. 1893)
  • 1946 – Masaharu Homma, Japanese general (b. 1887)
  • 1950 – Kurt Weill, German-American composer and pianist (b. 1900)
  • 1950 – Carter G. Woodson, American historian, author, and journalist, founded Black History Month (b. 1875)
  • 1951 – Henrik Visnapuu, Estonian poet and playwright (b. 1890)
  • 1952 – Miina Sillanpää, Finnish minister and politician (b. 1866)
  • 1957 – Ned Sparks, Canadian-American actor (b. 1883)
  • 1958 – Jaan Kärner, Estonian poet and author (b. 1891)
  • 1962 – Manolis Kalomiris, Greek composer and educator (b. 1883)
  • 1970 – Avigdor Hameiri, Israeli author (b. 1890)
  • 1971 – Joseph Valachi, American gangster (b. 1904)
  • 1972 – Ferde Grofé, American pianist and composer (b. 1892)
  • 1975 – Mary Ure, Scottish-English actress (b. 1933)
  • 1976 – David M. Dennison, American physicist and academic (b. 1900)
  • 1976 – Claude-Henri Grignon, Canadian journalist and politician (b. 1894)
  • 1978 – Ray Noble, English bandleader, composer, and actor (b. 1903)
  • 1978 – Winston Sharples, American composer (b. 1909)
  • 1981 – Juan Trippe, American businessman, founded Pan American World Airways (b. 1899)
  • 1982 – Warren Oates, American actor (b. 1928)
  • 1983 – Jimmy Bloomfield, English footballer and manager (b. 1934)
  • 1986 – Peter Pears, English tenor and educator (b. 1910)
  • 1987 – Tom Sestak, American football player (b. 1936)
  • 1988 – Milton Caniff, American cartoonist (b. 1907)
  • 1990 – Sarah Vaughan, American singer (b. 1924)
  • 1991 – Charles Goren, American bridge player and author (b. 1901)
  • 1991 – Graham Greene, English novelist, playwright, and critic (b. 1904)
  • 1993 – Pinky Lee, American television host (b. 1907)
  • 1994 – Frank Wells, American businessman (b. 1932)
  • 1995 – Alfred J. Billes, Canadian businessman, co-founded Canadian Tire (b. 1902)
  • 1996 – Ron Brown, American captain and politician, 30th United States Secretary of Commerce (b. 1941)
  • 1998 – Mary Cartwright, English mathematician and academic (b. 1900)
  • 1999 – Lionel Bart, English composer (b. 1930)
  • 1999 – Geoffrey Walsh, Canadian general (b. 1909)
  • 2000 – Terence McKenna, American botanist and philosopher (b. 1946)
  • 2000 – Dina Abramowicz, Librarian and YIVO and Yiddish language expert (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – François Gérin, Canadian lawyer and politician (b. 1944)
  • 2007 – Nina Wang, Chinese businesswoman (b. 1937)
  • 2008 – Hrvoje Ćustić, Croatian footballer (b. 1983)
  • 2012 – Mingote, Spanish cartoonist and journalist (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Richard Descoings, French civil servant (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – Govind Narain, Indian politician, 8th Governor of Karnataka (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – Chief Jay Strongbow, American wrestler (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – José María Zárraga, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Mariví Bilbao, Spanish actress (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, German-American author and screenwriter (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Régine Deforges, French author, playwright, and director (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Fred Kida, American illustrator (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Prince Michael of Prussia (b. 1940)
  • 2014 – Jovan Pavlović, Serbian metropolitan (b. 1936)
  • 2014 – Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith, American guitarist, fiddler, and composer (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – Sarah Brady, American activist and author (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Bob Burns, American drummer and songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 2015 – Shmuel Wosner, Austrian-Israeli rabbi and author (b. 1913)
  • 2016 – Cesare Maldini, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1932)
  • 2016 – Joe Medicine Crow, American anthropologist, historian, and author (b. 1913)
  • 2016 – Koji Wada, Japanese singer and songwriter (b. 1974)
  • 2017 – Kishori Amonkar, Indian Classical Vocalist (b. 1931)

Holidays and observances on April 3

  • Christian feast day:
    • Agape, Chionia, and Irene
    • Burgundofara
    • Luigi Scrosoppi
    • Richard of Chichester
    • April 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

April 2 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sights land in what is now the United States state of Florida.
  • 1755 – Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India.
  • 1792 – The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint.
  • 1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna.
  • 1800 – The Treaty of Constantinople establishes the Septinsular Republic, the first autonomous Greek state since the Fall of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1801 – French Revolutionary Wars: The British capture the Danish fleet.
  • 1851 – Rama IV is crowned King of Thailand.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: The largest in a series of Southern bread riots occurs in Richmond, Virginia.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Defeat at the Third Battle of Petersburg forces the Army of Northern Virginia and the Confederate government to abandon Richmond, Virginia.
  • 1885 – Canadian Cree warriors attack the village of Frog Lake, killing nine.
  • 1900 – The United States Congress passes the Foraker Act, giving Puerto Rico limited self-rule.
  • 1902 – Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated in the Marie Palace, Saint Petersburg.
  • 1902 – “Electric Theatre”, the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles.
  • 1911 – The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the country’s first national census.
  • 1912 – The ill-fated RMS Titanic begins sea trials.
  • 1917 – World War I: United States President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.
  • 1921 – The Autonomous Government of Khorasan, a military government encompassing the modern state of Iran, is established.
  • 1930 – After the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu, Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.
  • 1956 – As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format.
  • 1964 – The Soviet Union launches Zond 1.
  • 1972 – Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist during the Red Scare in the early 1950s.
  • 1973 – Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
  • 1975 – Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from Quảng Ngãi Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops.
  • 1976 – Prince Norodom Sihanouk resigns as leader of Cambodia and is placed under house arrest.
  • 1979 – A Soviet bio-warfare laboratory at Sverdlovsk accidentally releases airborne anthrax spores, killing 66 plus an unknown amount of livestock.
  • 1980 – United States President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act.
  • 1982 – Falklands War: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.
  • 1986 – Alabama governor George Wallace, a former segregationist, best known for the “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door”, announces that he will not seek a fifth four-year term and will retire from public life upon the end of his term in January 1987.
  • 1989 – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba, to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.
  • 1989 – ASUS corporation is founded.
  • 1991 – Rita Johnston becomes the first female Premier of a Canadian province when she succeeds William Vander Zalm (who had resigned) as Premier of British Columbia.
  • 1992 – In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.
  • 1992 – Forty-two civilians are massacred in the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • 2002 – Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem into which armed Palestinians had retreated.
  • 2004 – Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted.
  • 2006 – Over 60 tornadoes break out in the United States; Tennessee is hardest hit with 29 people killed.
  • 2012 – A mass shooting at Oikos University in California leaves seven people dead and three injured.
  • 2014 – A spree shooting occurs at the Fort Hood army base in Texas, with four dead, including the gunman, and 16 others injured.
  • 2015 – Gunmen attack Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others.
  • 2015 – Four men steal items worth up to £200 million from an underground safe deposit facility in London’s Hatton Garden area in what has been called the “largest burglary in English legal history.”

Births on April 2

  • 742 – Charlemagne, Frankish king (d. 814)
  • 1473 – John Corvinus, Hungarian noble (d. 1504)
  • 1545 – Elisabeth of Valois (d. 1568)
  • 1565 – Cornelis de Houtman, Dutch explorer (d. 1599)
  • 1586 – Pietro Della Valle, Italian traveler (d. 1652)
  • 1602 – Mary of Jesus of Ágreda, Franciscan abbess (d. 1665)
  • 1618 – Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1663)
  • 1647 – Maria Sibylla Merian, German-Dutch botanist and illustrator (d. 1717)
  • 1653 – Prince George of Denmark (d. 1708)
  • 1696 – Francesca Cuzzoni, Italian operatic soprano (d. 1778)
  • 1719 – Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet (d. 1803)
  • 1725 – Giacomo Casanova, Italian explorer and author (d. 1798)
  • 1788 – Francisco Balagtas, Filipino poet and author (d. 1862)
  • 1788 – Wilhelmine Reichard, German balloonist (d. 1848)
  • 1789 – Lucio Norberto Mansilla, Argentinian general and politician (d. 1871)
  • 1792 – Francisco de Paula Santander, Colombian general and politician, 4th President of the Republic of the New Granada (d. 1840)
  • 1798 – August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German poet and academic (d. 1874)
  • 1805 – Hans Christian Andersen, Danish novelist, short story writer, and poet (d. 1875)
  • 1814 – Henry L. Benning, American general and judge (d. 1875)
  • 1814 – Erastus Brigham Bigelow, American inventor (d. 1879)
  • 1827 – William Holman Hunt, English soldier and painter (d. 1910)
  • 1835 – Jacob Nash Victor, American engineer (d. 1907)
  • 1838 – Léon Gambetta, French lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of France (d. 1882)
  • 1840 – Émile Zola, French novelist, playwright, journalist (d. 1902)
  • 1841 – Clément Ader, French engineer, designed the Ader Avion III (d. 1926)
  • 1842 – Dominic Savio, Italian Catholic saint, adolescent student of Saint John Bosco (d. 1857)
  • 1861 – Iván Persa, Slovenian priest and author (d. 1935)
  • 1862 – Nicholas Murray Butler, American philosopher and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
  • 1869 – Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (d. 1928)
  • 1875 – Walter Chrysler, American businessman, founded Chrysler (d. 1940)
  • 1875 – William Donne, English cricketer and captain (d. 1942)
  • 1884 – J. C. Squire, English poet, author, and historian (d. 1958)
  • 1891 – Jack Buchanan, Scottish entertainer (d. 1957)
  • 1891 – Max Ernst, German painter, sculptor, and poet (d. 1976)
  • 1891 – Tristão de Bragança Cunha, Indian nationalist and anti-colonial activist from Goa (d. 1958)
  • 1896 – Johnny Golden, American golfer (d. 1936)
  • 1898 – Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Indian poet, actor and politician (d. 1990)
  • 1898 – Chiungtze C. Tsen, Chinese mathematician (d. 1940)
  • 1900 – Roberto Arlt, Argentinian journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1942)
  • 1900 – Anis Fuleihan, Cypriot-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1970)
  • 1900 – Alfred Strange, English footballer (d. 1978)
  • 1902 – Jan Tschichold, German-Swiss graphic designer and typographer (d. 1974)
  • 1903 – Lionel Chevrier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Canadian Minister of Justice (d. 1987)
  • 1906 – Alphonse-Marie Parent, Canadian priest and educator (d. 1970)
  • 1907 – Harald Andersson, American-Swedish discus thrower (d. 1985)
  • 1907 – Luke Appling, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
  • 1908 – Buddy Ebsen, American actor and dancer (d. 2003)
  • 1910 – Paul Triquet, Canadian general, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1980)
  • 1910 – Chico Xavier, Brazilian spiritual medium (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Alec Guinness, English actor (d. 2000)
  • 1919 – Delfo Cabrera, Argentinian runner and soldier (d. 1981)
  • 1920 – Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and civil servant (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Jack Stokes, English animator and director (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Jack Webb, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
  • 1922 – John C. Whitehead, American banker and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of State (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Gloria Henry, American actress
  • 1923 – Johnny Paton, Scottish footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – G. Spencer-Brown, English mathematician, psychologist, and author (d. 2016)
  • 1924 – Bobby Ávila, Mexican baseball player (d. 2004)
  • 1925 – George MacDonald Fraser, Scottish author and screenwriter (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – Hans Rosenthal, German radio and television host (d. 1987)
  • 1926 – Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Rudra Rajasingham, Sri Lankan police officer and diplomat (d. 2006)
  • 1927 – Carmen Basilio, American boxer and soldier (d. 2012)
  • 1927 – Howard Callaway, American soldier and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Army (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Rita Gam, American actress (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Billy Pierce, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2015)
  • 1927 – Kenneth Tynan, English author and critic (d. 1980)
  • 1928 – Joseph Bernardin, American cardinal (d. 1996)
  • 1928 – Serge Gainsbourg, French singer-songwriter, actor, and director (d. 1991)
  • 1928 – Roy Masters, English-American radio host
  • 1928 – David Robinson, Northern Irish horticulturist and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1929 – Ed Dorn, American poet and educator (d. 1999)
  • 1930 – Roddy Maude-Roxby, English actor
  • 1931 – Vladimir Kuznetsov, Russian javelin thrower (d. 1986)
  • 1932 – Edward Egan, American cardinal (d. 2015)
  • 1933 – György Konrád, Hungarian sociologist and author
  • 1934 – Paul Cohen, American mathematician and theorist (d. 2007)
  • 1934 – Brian Glover, English wrestler and actor (d. 1997)
  • 1934 – Carl Kasell, American journalist and game show host (d. 2018)
  • 1934 – Richard Portman, American sound engineer (d. 2017)
  • 1934 – Dovid Shmidel, Austrian-born Israeli rabbi
  • 1936 – Shaul Ladany, Serbian-Israeli race walker and engineer
  • 1937 – Dick Radatz, American baseball player (d. 2005)
  • 1938 – John Larsson, Swedish 17th General of The Salvation Army
  • 1938 – Booker Little, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1961)
  • 1938 – Al Weis, American baseball player
  • 1939 – Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1939 – Anthony Lake, American academic and diplomat, 18th United States National Security Advisor
  • 1939 – Lise Thibault, Canadian journalist and politician, 27th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
  • 1940 – Donald Jackson, Canadian figure skater and coach
  • 1940 – Mike Hailwood, English motorcycle racer (d. 1981)
  • 1940 – Penelope Keith, English actress
  • 1941 – Dr. Demento, American radio host
  • 1941 – Sonny Throckmorton, American country singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Leon Russell, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 2016)
  • 1942 – Roshan Seth, Indian-English actor
  • 1943 – Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce, South African-English admiral and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
  • 1943 – Caterina Bueno, Italian singer (d. 2007)
  • 1943 – Larry Coryell, American jazz guitarist (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Antonio Sabàto, Sr., Italian actor
  • 1944 – Bill Malinchak, American football player
  • 1945 – Jürgen Drews, German singer-songwriter
  • 1945 – Guy Fréquelin, French race car driver
  • 1945 – Linda Hunt, American actress
  • 1945 – Reggie Smith, American baseball player and coach
  • 1945 – Don Sutton, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1945 – Anne Waldman, American poet
  • 1946 – Richard Collinge, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1946 – David Heyes, English politician
  • 1946 – Sue Townsend, English author and playwright (d. 2014)
  • 1946 – Kurt Winter, Canadian guitarist and songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1947 – Paquita la del Barrio, Mexican singer-songwriter
  • 1947 – Tua Forsström, Finnish writer
  • 1947 – Emmylou Harris, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Camille Paglia, American author and critic
  • 1948 – Roald Als, Danish author and illustrator
  • 1948 – Dimitris Mitropanos, Greek singer (d. 2012)
  • 1948 – Daniel Okrent, American journalist and author
  • 1948 – Joan D. Vinge, American author
  • 1949 – Paul Gambaccini, American-English radio and television host
  • 1949 – Bernd Müller, German footballer
  • 1949 – Pamela Reed, American actress
  • 1949 – David Robinson, American drummer
  • 1950 – Lynn Westmoreland, American politician
  • 1951 – Ayako Okamoto, Japanese golfer
  • 1952 – Lennart Fagerlund, Swedish cyclist
  • 1952 – Will Hoy, English race car driver (d. 2002)
  • 1952 – Leon Wilkeson, American bass player and songwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1953 – Jim Allister, Northern Irish lawyer and politician
  • 1953 – Rosemary Bryant Mariner, 20th and 21st-century U.S. Navy aviator
  • 1953 – Malika Oufkir, Moroccan Berber writer
  • 1953 – Debralee Scott, American actress (d. 2005)
  • 1953 – James Vance, American author and playwright (d. 2017)
  • 1954 – Gregory Abbott, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1954 – Donald Petrie, American actor and director
  • 1955 – Michael Stone, Northern Irish loyalist paramilitary
  • 1957 – Caroline Dean, English biologist and academic
  • 1957 – Hank Steinbrenner, American businessman, co-owner of the New York Yankees
  • 1958 – Stefano Bettarello, Italian rugby player
  • 1958 – Larry Drew, American basketball player and coach
  • 1959 – Gelindo Bordin, Italian runner
  • 1959 – David Frankel, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1959 – Juha Kankkunen, Finnish race car driver
  • 1959 – Yves Lavandier, French director and producer
  • 1959 – Badou Ezzaki, Moroccan footballer and manager
  • 1960 – Linford Christie, Jamaican-English sprinter
  • 1960 – Brad Jones, Australian race car driver
  • 1960 – Pascale Nadeau, Canadian journalist
  • 1961 – Buddy Jewell, American singer-songwriter
  • 1961 – Christopher Meloni, American actor
  • 1961 – Keren Woodward, English singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Pierre Carles, French director and producer
  • 1962 – Billy Dean, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Clark Gregg, American actor
  • 1963 – Karl Beattie, English director and producer
  • 1963 – Mike Gascoyne, English engineer
  • 1964 – Pete Incaviglia, American baseball player and coach
  • 1964 – Jonathon Sharkey, American wrestler
  • 1965 – Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (d. 2012)
  • 1966 – Bill Romanowski, American football player and actor
  • 1966 – Teddy Sheringham, English international footballer, striker and coach
  • 1967 – Greg Camp, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1967 – Phil Demmel, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1969 – Ajay Devgan, Indian actor, director, and producer
  • 1971 – Edmundo Alves de Souza Neto, Brazilian footballer
  • 1971 – Jason Lewry, English cricketer
  • 1971 – Todd Woodbridge, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Remo D’Souza, Indian choreographer and dancer
  • 1972 – Calvin Davis, American sprinter and hurdler
  • 1972 – Zane Lamprey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1973 – Dmitry Lipartov, Russian footballer
  • 1973 – Roselyn Sánchez, Puerto Rican-American actress
  • 1973 – Aleksejs Semjonovs, Latvian footballer
  • 1974 – Tayfun Korkut, Turkish football manager and former player
  • 1975 – Randy Livingston, American basketball player
  • 1975 – Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski, German rower
  • 1976 – Andreas Anastasopoulos, Greek shot putter
  • 1976 – Rory Sabbatini, South African golfer
  • 1976 – Pattie Mallette, Canadian author and film producer
  • 1977 – Per Elofsson, Swedish skier
  • 1977 – Michael Fassbender, German-Irish actor and producer
  • 1977 – Hanno Pevkur, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Justice
  • 1978 – Scott Lynch, American author
  • 1978 – Ethan Smith, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1979 – Jesse Carmichael, American keyboard player
  • 1980 – Avi Benedi, Israeli singer and songwriter
  • 1980 – Adam Fleming, Scottish journalist
  • 1980 – Gavin Heffernan, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1980 – Ricky Hendrick, American race car driver (d. 2004)
  • 1980 – Wairangi Koopu, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1980 – Carlos Salcido, Mexican international footballer, defender
  • 1981 – Michael Clarke, Australian cricketer
  • 1981 – Kapil Sharma, Indian stand-up comedian, television presenter and actor
  • 1982 – Marco Amelia, Italian footballer
  • 1982 – Jeremy Bloom, American football player and skier
  • 1982 – Jack Evans, American wrestler
  • 1982 – David Ferrer, Spanish tennis player
  • 1983 – Yung Joc, American rapper
  • 1983 – Maksym Mazuryk, Ukrainian pole vaulter
  • 1984 – Engin Atsür, Turkish basketball player
  • 1984 – Nóra Barta, Hungarian diver
  • 1984 – Jérémy Morel, French footballer
  • 1985 – Thom Evans, Zimbabwean-Scottish rugby player
  • 1985 – Stéphane Lambiel, Swiss figure skater
  • 1986 – Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch footballer
  • 1986 – Andris Biedriņš, Latvian basketball player
  • 1986 – Lee DeWyze, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1987 – Pablo Aguilar, Paraguayan footballer
  • 1987 – Marc Pugh, English footballer
  • 1988 – Jesse Plemons, American actor
  • 1990 – Yevgeniya Kanayeva, Russian gymnast
  • 1990 – Miralem Pjanić, Bosnian footballer
  • 1991 – Quavo, American rapper
  • 1993 – Keshorn Walcott, Trinidadian javelin thrower
  • 1997 – Dillon Bassett, American race car driver
  • 1997 – Abdelhak Nouri, Dutch footballer

Deaths on April 2

  • 670 – Hasan ibn Ali the second Shia Imam (b. 624)
  • 870 – Æbbe the Younger, Frankish abbess
  • 872 – Muflih al-Turki, Turkish general
  • 968 – Yuan Dezhao, Chinese chancellor (b. 891)
  • 991 – Bardas Skleros, Byzantine general
  • 1118 – Baldwin I, king of Jerusalem
  • 1244 – Henrik Harpestræng, Danish botanical and medical author
  • 1272 – Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English husband of Sanchia of Provence (b. 1209)
  • 1335 – Henry of Bohemia (b. 1265)
  • 1412 – Ruy González de Clavijo, Spanish explorer and author
  • 1416 – Ferdinand I, king of Aragon (b. 1379)
  • 1502 – Arthur, prince of Wales (b. 1486)
  • 1507 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded the Order of the Minims (b. 1416)
  • 1511 – Bernard VII, Lord of Lippe, German nobleman (b. 1428)
  • 1640 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (b. 1595)
  • 1657 – Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1608)
  • 1657 – Jean-Jacques Olier, French priest, founded the Society of Saint-Sulpice (b. 1608)
  • 1672 – Pedro Calungsod, Filipino missionary and saint (b. 1654)
  • 1672 – Diego Luis de San Vitores, Spanish Jesuit missionary (b. 1627)
  • 1720 – Joseph Dudley, English politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1647)
  • 1742 – James Douglas, Scottish physician and anatomist (b. 1675)
  • 1747 – Johann Jacob Dillenius, German-English botanist and mycologist (b. 1684)
  • 1754 – Thomas Carte, English historian and author (b. 1686)
  • 1787 – Thomas Gage, English general and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1719)
  • 1791 – Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, French journalist and politician (b. 1749)
  • 1801 – Thomas Dadford, Jr., English engineer (b. 1761)
  • 1803 – Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet, Scottish judge and politician (b. 1721)
  • 1817 – Johann Heinrich Jung, German author and academic (b. 1740)
  • 1827 – Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus, German physician and educator (b. 1776)
  • 1845 – Philip Charles Durham, Scottish admiral and politician (b. 1763)
  • 1865 – A. P. Hill, American general (b. 1825)
  • 1872 – Samuel Morse, American painter and academic, invented the Morse code (b. 1791)
  • 1891 – Albert Pike, American lawyer and general (b. 1809)
  • 1891 – Ahmed Vefik Pasha, Greek playwright and politician, 249th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1823)
  • 1894 – Achille Vianelli, Italian painter and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1896 – Theodore Robinson, American painter and academic (b. 1852)
  • 1914 – Paul Heyse, German author, poet, and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830)
  • 1917 – Bryn Lewis, Welsh international rugby player (b.1891)
  • 1923 – Topal Osman, Turkish colonel (b. 1883)
  • 1928 – Theodore William Richards, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868)
  • 1930 – Zewditu I of Ethiopia (b. 1876)
  • 1933 – Ranjitsinhji, Indian cricketer (b. 1872)
  • 1936 – Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne, French general (b. 1860)
  • 1942 – Édouard Estaunié, French novelist (b. 1862)
  • 1948 – Sabahattin Ali, Turkish journalist, author, and poet (b. 1907)
  • 1953 – Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (b. 1885)
  • 1966 – C. S. Forester, English novelist (b. 1899)
  • 1972 – Franz Halder, German general (b. 1884)
  • 1972 – Toshitsugu Takamatsu, Japanese martial artist and educator (b. 1887)
  • 1974 – Georges Pompidou, French banker and politician, 19th President of France (b. 1911)
  • 1977 – Walter Wolf, German academic and politician (b. 1907)
  • 1987 – Buddy Rich, American drummer, songwriter, and bandleader (b. 1917)
  • 1989 – Manolis Angelopoulos, Greek singer (b. 1939)
  • 1992 – Juanito, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1954)
  • 1992 – Jan van Aartsen, Dutch politician (b. 1909)
  • 1994 – Betty Furness, American actress, consumer advocate, game show panelist, television journalist and television personality (b. 1916)
  • 1994 – Marc Fitch, British historian and philanthropist (b. 1908)
  • 1995 – Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
  • 1997 – Tomoyuki Tanaka, Japanese director and producer (b. 1910)
  • 1998 – Rob Pilatus, American-German singer-songwriter (b. 1965)
  • 2001 – Charles Daudelin, Canadian sculptor and painter (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Levi Celerio, Filipino composer and songwriter (b. 1910)
  • 2002 – John R. Pierce, American engineer and author (b. 1910)
  • 2003 – Edwin Starr, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
  • 2004 – John Argyris, Greek computer scientist, engineer, and academic (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Lillian O’Donnell, American crime novelist (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – Pope John Paul II (b. 1920)
  • 2006 – Lloyd Searwar, Guyanese anthologist and diplomat (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Henry L. Giclas, American astronomer and academic (b. 1910)
  • 2008 – Yakup Satar, Turkish World War I veteran(b. 1898)
  • 2009 – Albert Sanschagrin, Canadian bishop (b. 1911)
  • 2009 – Bud Shank, American saxophonist and flute player (b. 1926)
  • 2010 – Chris Kanyon, American wrestler (b. 1970)
  • 2011 – John C. Haas, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Jesús Aguilarte, Venezuelan captain and politician (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Elizabeth Catlett, American-Mexican sculptor and illustrator (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Mauricio Lasansky, American graphic designer and academic (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – Fred, French author and illustrator (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Jesús Franco, Spanish director, screenwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Milo O’Shea, Irish-American actor (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Glyn Jones, South African actor and screenwriter (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Urs Widmer, Swiss author and playwright (b. 1938)
  • 2015 – Manoel de Oliveira, Portuguese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 2015 – Robert H. Schuller, American pastor and author (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician, Governor of Limburg (b. 1954)
  • 2016 – Gallieno Ferri, Italian comic book artist and illustrator (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Robert Abajyan, Armenian sergeant (b. 1996)

Holidays and observances on April 2

  • Christian feast day:
    • Abundius of Como
    • Amphianus of Lycia
    • Æbbe the Younger
    • Bronach of Glen-Seichis (Irish martyrology)
    • Francis of Paola
    • Francisco Coll Guitart
    • Henry Budd (Anglican Church of Canada)
    • Nicetius of Lyon
    • Pedro Calungsod
    • Theodosia of Tyre
    • Urban of Langres
    • April 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • International Children’s Book Day (International)
  • Thai Heritage Conservation Day (Thailand)
  • Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day (Belarus)
  • World Autism Awareness Day (International)

April 1 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by

It is the first day of the second quarter of the year, and the midway point of the first half of the year.

  • 33 – According to one historian’s account, Jesus Christ’s Last Supper is held.
  • 286 – Emperor Diocletian elevates his general Maximian to co-emperor with the rank of Augustus and gives him control over the Western regions of the Roman Empire.
  • 325 – Crown Prince Jin Chengdi, age four, succeeds his father Jin Mingdi as emperor of the Eastern Jin dynasty.
  • 457 – Majorian is acclaimed emperor by the Roman army after defeating 900 Alemanni near Lake Maggiore (Italy).
  • 527 – Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne.
  • 528 – The daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei was made the “Emperor” as a male heir of the late emperor by Empress Dowager Hu. Deposed and replaced by Yuan Zhao the next day, she was the first female monarch in the History of China, but is not widely recognised.
  • 988 – Robert II of France is married to Rozala of Italy. The marriage is arranged by his father, King Hugh Capet.
  • 1234 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, is defeated by knights loyal to King Henry III of England in the Battle of the Curragh in Ireland.
  • 1293 – Robert Winchelsey leaves England for Rome, to be consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury.
  • 1318 – Berwick-upon-Tweed is captured by Scotland from England.
  • 1340 – Niels Ebbesen kills Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg in his bedroom, ending the 1332-1340 interregnum in Denmark.
  • 1545 – Potosí, Bolivia, is founded after the discovery of huge silver deposits in the area.
  • 1572 – In the Eighty Years’ War, the Watergeuzen capture Brielle from the Seventeen Provinces, gaining the first foothold on land for what would become the Dutch Republic.
  • 1625 – A combined Spanish and Portuguese fleet of 52 ships commences the recapture of Bahia from the Dutch during the Dutch–Portuguese War.
  • 1789 – In New York City, the United States House of Representatives achieves its first quorum and elects Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker.
  • 1826 – Samuel Morey received a patent for a compressionless “Gas or Vapor Engine”.
  • 1833 – The Convention of 1833, a political gathering of settlers in Mexican Texas to help draft a series of petitions to the Mexican government, begins in San Felipe de Austin.
  • 1854 – Charles Dickens’ novel Hard Times begins serialisation in his magazine Household Words.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Union troops led by Philip Sheridan decisively defeat Confederate troops led by George Pickett, cutting the Army of Northern Virginia’s last supply line.
  • 1867 – Singapore becomes a British crown colony.
  • 1871 – The 3rd Duke of Buckingham opened the Brill Tramway, a short railway line to transport goods between his lands and the national rail network.
  • 1873 – The White Star steamer RMS Atlantic sinks off Nova Scotia, killing 547 in one of the worst marine disasters of the 19th century.
  • 1889 – The University of Northern Colorado was established, as the Colorado State Normal School.
  • 1891 – The Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago, Illinois.
  • 1893 – The rank of Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy is established.
  • 1908 – The Territorial Force (renamed Territorial Army in 1920) is formed as a volunteer reserve component of the British Army.
  • 1918 – The Royal Air Force is created by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
  • 1924 – Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years imprisonment for his participation in the “Beer Hall Putsch” but spends only nine months in jail.
  • 1924 – The Royal Canadian Air Force is formed.
  • 1933 – The recently elected Nazis under Julius Streicher organize a one-day boycott of all Jewish-owned businesses in Germany, ushering in a series of anti-Semitic acts.
  • 1933 – English cricketer Wally Hammond set a record for the highest individual Test innings of 336 not out, during a Test match against New Zealand.
  • 1935 – India’s central banking institution, The Reserve Bank of India, is formed.
  • 1937 – Aden becomes a British crown colony.
  • 1937 – The Royal New Zealand Air Force is formed as an independent service.
  • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Jaén, Spain is bombed by German fascist forces, supporting Francoist Nationalists.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Republican forces surrender.
  • 1941 – Fântâna Albă massacre: Between 200 and 2,000 Romanian civilians are killed by Soviet Border Troops.
  • 1941 – A military coup in Iraq overthrows the regime of ‘Abd al-Ilah and installs Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister.
  • 1944 – Navigation errors lead to an accidental American bombing of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Tenth United States Army attacks the Thirty-Second Japanese Army on Okinawa.
  • 1946 – The 8.6 Mw  Aleutian Islands earthquake shakes the Aleutian Islands with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). A destructive tsunami reaches the Hawaiian Islands resulting in dozens of deaths, mostly in Hilo, Hawaii.
  • 1947 – The only mutiny in the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy begins.
  • 1948 – Cold War: Communist forces respond to the introduction of the Deutsche Mark by attempting to force the western powers to withdraw from Berlin.
  • 1948 – Faroe Islands gain autonomy from Denmark.
  • 1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Chinese Communist Party holds unsuccessful peace talks with the Nationalist Party in Beijing, after three years of fighting.
  • 1949 – The Government of Canada repeals Japanese-Canadian internment after seven years.
  • 1954 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
  • 1955 – The EOKA rebellion against the British Empire begins in Cyprus, with the goal of unifying with Greece.
  • 1960 – The TIROS-1 satellite transmits the first television picture from space.
  • 1969 – The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational fighter aircraft with Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing capabilities, enters service with the Royal Air Force.
  • 1970 – President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law, requiring the Surgeon General’s warnings on tobacco products and banning cigarette advertising on television and radio in the United States, effective 1 January 1971.
  • 1970 – The first of over 670,000 AMC Gremlins are released into North America to compete with foreign imported cars.
  • 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army massacre over 1,000 people in Keraniganj Upazila, Bangladesh.
  • 1973 – Project Tiger, a tiger conservation project, is launched in the Jim Corbett National Park, India.
  • 1974 – The Local Government Act 1972 of England and Wales comes into effect.
  • 1976 – Apple Inc. is formed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in Cupertino, California, USA.
  • 1978 – The Philippine College of Commerce, through a presidential decree, becomes the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
  • 1979 – Iran becomes an Islamic republic by a 99% vote, officially overthrowing the Shah.
  • 1979 – Nickelodeon was launched in United States.
  • 1986 – Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal) cadres attack a number of police stations in Kathmandu, seeking to incite a popular rebellion.
  • 1989 – Margaret Thatcher’s new local government tax, the Community Charge (commonly known as the “poll tax”), is introduced in Scotland.
  • 1993 – Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is founded in Los Angeles, California, USA.
  • 1996 – The government of Nova Scotia amalgamated the City of Halifax and the over 200 communities around the area to create the Halifax Regional Municipality.
  • 1997 – Comet Hale–Bopp is seen passing at perihelion.
  • 1999 – Nunavut is established as a Canadian territory carved out of the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.
  • 2001 – An EP-3E United States Navy surveillance aircraft collides with a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Shenyang J-8 fighter jet. The Navy crew makes an emergency landing in Hainan, China and is detained.
  • 2001 – Former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević surrenders to police special forces, to be tried on war crimes charges.
  • 2001 – Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the Netherlands, the first contemporary country to allow it.
  • 2004 – Google announces Gmail to the public.
  • 2006 – Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) of the Government of the United Kingdom is enforced, but later merged into National Crime Agency on 7 October 2013.
  • 2011 – After protests against the burning of the Quran turn violent, a mob attacks a United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of thirteen people, including eight foreign workers.
  • 2016 – Nagorno-Karabakh clashes: The Four Day War or April War begins along the Nagorno-Karabakh line of contact on April 1.

Births on April 1

  • 1220 – Emperor Go-Saga of Japan (d. 1272)
  • 1282 – Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1347)
  • 1328 – Blanche of France, Duchess of Orléans (d. 1382)
  • 1543 – François de Bonne, Duke of Lesdiguières (d. 1626)
  • 1578 – William Harvey, English physician and academic (d. 1657)
  • 1610 – Charles de Saint-Évremond, French soldier and critic (d. 1703)
  • 1629 – Jean-Henri d’Anglebert, French organist and composer (d. 1691)
  • 1640 – Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician and academic (d. 1697)
  • 1647 – John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, English poet and courtier (d. 1680)
  • 1697 – Antoine François Prévost, French novelist and translator (d. 1763)
  • 1721 – Pieter Hellendaal, Dutch-English organist, violinist, and composer (d. 1799)
  • 1741 – George Dance the Younger, English architect and surveyor (d. 1825)
  • 1753 – Joseph de Maistre, French philosopher, lawyer, and diplomat (d. 1821)
  • 1755 – Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, French lawyer and politician (d. 1826)
  • 1765 – Luigi Schiavonetti, Italian engraver and etcher (d. 1810)
  • 1776 – Sophie Germain, French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (d. 1831)
  • 1786 – William Mulready, Irish genre painter (d. 1863)
  • 1815 – Otto von Bismarck, German lawyer and politician, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire (d. 1898)
  • 1815 – Edward Clark, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (d. 1880)
  • 1823 – Simon Bolivar Buckner, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Kentucky (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, Canadian bishop (d. 1901)
  • 1834 – James Fisk, American businessman (d. 1872)
  • 1852 – Edwin Austin Abbey, American painter and illustrator (d. 1911)
  • 1865 – Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, Austrian-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1929)
  • 1866 – William Blomfield, New Zealand cartoonist and politician (d. 1938)
  • 1866 – Ferruccio Busoni, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1924)
  • 1866 – Ève Lavallière, French actress (d. 1929)
  • 1868 – Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (d. 1918)
  • 1868 – Walter Mead, English cricketer (d. 1954)
  • 1871 – F. Melius Christiansen, Norwegian-American violinist and conductor (d. 1955)
  • 1873 – Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1943)
  • 1874 – Ernest Barnes, English mathematician and theologian (d. 1953)
  • 1874 – Prince Karl of Bavaria (d. 1927)
  • 1875 – Edgar Wallace, English journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1932)
  • 1878 – C. Ganesha Iyer, Ceylon Tamil philologist (d. 1958)
  • 1879 – Stanislaus Zbyszko, Polish wrestler and strongman (d. 1967)
  • 1881 – Octavian Goga, Romanian Prime Minister (d. 1938)
  • 1883 – Lon Chaney, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1930)
  • 1883 – Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (d. 1976)
  • 1883 – Laurette Taylor, Irish-American actress (d. 1946)
  • 1885 – Wallace Beery, American actor (d. 1949)
  • 1885 – Clementine Churchill, English wife of Winston Churchill (d. 1977)
  • 1889 – K. B. Hedgewar, Indian physician and activist (d. 1940)
  • 1893 – Cicely Courtneidge, Australian-English actress (d. 1980)
  • 1895 – Alberta Hunter, African-American singer-songwriter and nurse (d. 1984)
  • 1898 – William James Sidis, Ukrainian-Russian Jewish American mathematician, anthropologist, and historian (d. 1944)
  • 1899 – Gustavs Celmiņš, Latvian academic and politician (d. 1968)
  • 1900 – Stefanie Clausen, Danish Olympic diver (d. 1981)
  • 1901 – Whittaker Chambers, American journalist and spy (d. 1961)
  • 1905 – Gaston Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 47th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 1988)
  • 1905 – Paul Hasluck, Australian historian, poet, and politician, 17th Governor-General of Australia (d. 1993)
  • 1906 – Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev, Russian engineer, founded the Yakovlev Design Bureau (d. 1989)
  • 1907 – Shivakumara Swami, Indian religious leader and philanthropist (d. 2019)
  • 1908 – Abraham Maslow, American psychologist and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1908 – Harlow Rothert, American shot putter, lawyer, and academic (d. 1997)
  • 1909 – Abner Biberman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
  • 1909 – Eddy Duchin, American pianist and bandleader (d. 1951)
  • 1910 – Harry Carney, American saxophonist and clarinet player (d. 1974)
  • 1910 – Bob Van Osdel, American high jumper and soldier (d. 1987)
  • 1911 – Augusta Braxton Baker, African American librarian (d. 1998)
  • 1913 – Memos Makris, Greek sculptor (d. 1993)
  • 1915 – O. W. Fischer, Austrian-Swiss actor and director (d. 2004)
  • 1916 – Sheila May Edmonds, British mathematician (d. 2002)
  • 1917 – Sydney Newman, Canadian screenwriter and producer, co-created Doctor Who (d. 1997)
  • 1917 – Melville Shavelson, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Joseph Murray, American surgeon and soldier, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Toshiro Mifune, Japanese actor (d. 1997)
  • 1921 – William Bergsma, American composer and educator (d. 1994)
  • 1921 – Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith, American guitarist, fiddler, and composer (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Duke Jordan, American pianist and composer (d. 2006)
  • 1922 – William Manchester, American historian and author (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Brendan Byrne, American lieutenant, judge, and politician, 47th Governor of New Jersey (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Anne McCaffrey, American-Irish author (d. 2011)
  • 1927 – Walter Bahr, American soccer player, coach, and manager (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Amos Milburn, American R&B singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1980)
  • 1927 – Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 2006)
  • 1929 – Jonathan Haze, American actor, producer, screenwriter, and production manager
  • 1929 – Milan Kundera, Czech-born novelist, poet, and playwright
  • 1929 – Payut Ngaokrachang, Thai animator and director (d. 2010)
  • 1929 – Jane Powell, American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1930 – Grace Lee Whitney, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1931 – George Baker, Bulgarian-English actor and screenwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1931 – Rolf Hochhuth, German author and playwright (d. 2020)
  • 1932 – Debbie Reynolds, Scottish-Irish American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2016)
  • 1933 – Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Algerian-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1933 – Dan Flavin, American sculptor and educator (d. 1996)
  • 1934 – Vladimir Posner, French-American journalist and radio host
  • 1935 – Larry McDonald, American physician and politician (d. 1983)
  • 1936 – Peter Collinson, English-American director and producer (d. 1980)
  • 1936 – Jean-Pascal Delamuraz, Swiss politician, 80th President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1998)
  • 1936 – Tarun Gogoi, Indian politician, 14th Chief Minister of Assam
  • 1936 – Abdul Qadeer Khan, Indian-Pakistani physicist, chemist, and engineer
  • 1937 – Jordan Charney, American actor
  • 1939 – Ali MacGraw, American model and actress
  • 1939 – Phil Niekro, American baseball player and manager
  • 1940 – Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2011)
  • 1941 – Gideon Gadot, Israeli journalist and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1941 – Ajit Wadekar, Indian cricketer, coach, and manager (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Samuel R. Delany, American author and critic
  • 1942 – Richard D. Wolff, American economist and academic
  • 1943 – Dafydd Wigley, Welsh academic and politician
  • 1946 – Nikitas Kaklamanis, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Health and Social Security
  • 1946 – Ronnie Lane, English bass player, songwriter, and producer (d. 1997)
  • 1946 – Arrigo Sacchi, Italian footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1947 – Alain Connes, French mathematician and academic
  • 1947 – Philippe Kirsch, Canadian lawyer and judge
  • 1947 – Francine Prose, American novelist, short story writer, and critic
  • 1947 – Norm Van Lier, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2009)
  • 1948 – Jimmy Cliff, Jamaican singer and musician
  • 1948 – Javier Irureta, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1948 – Peter Law, Welsh politician and independent Member of parliament(d. 2006)
  • 1949 – Gérard Mestrallet, French businessman
  • 1949 – Paul Manafort, American lobbyist, political consultant, and convicted felon
  • 1949 – Sammy Nelson, Northern Irish footballer and coach
  • 1949 – Gil Scott-Heron, American singer-songwriter and author (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Samuel Alito, American lawyer and jurist
  • 1950 – Loris Kessel, Swiss racing driver (d. 2010)
  • 1950 – Daniel Paillé, Canadian academic and politician
  • 1951 – John Abizaid, American general
  • 1951 – Frederic Schwartz, American architect, co-designed Empty Sky (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Annette O’Toole, American actress
  • 1952 – Bernard Stiegler, French philosopher and academic
  • 1953 – Barry Sonnenfeld, American cinematographer, director, and producer
  • 1953 – Alberto Zaccheroni, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1954 – Jeff Porcaro, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (d. 1992)
  • 1955 – Don Hasselbeck, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1955 – Humayun Akhtar Khan, Pakistani politician, 5th Commerce Minister of Pakistan
  • 1955 – Terry Nichols, American criminal
  • 1957 – David Gower, English cricketer and sportscaster
  • 1957 – Denise Nickerson, American actress (d. 2019)
  • 1958 – D. Boon, American singer and musician (d. 1985)
  • 1959 – Helmuth Duckadam, Romanian footballer
  • 1961 – Susan Boyle, Scottish singer
  • 1961 – Sergio Scariolo, Italian professional basketball head coach
  • 1961 – Mark White, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1962 – Mark Shulman, American author
  • 1962 – Chris Grayling, English journalist and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
  • 1962 – Samboy Lim, Filipino basketball player and manager
  • 1962 – Phillip Schofield, English television host
  • 1963 – Teodoro de Villa Diaz, Filipino guitarist and songwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1963 – Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, American aerospace engineer
  • 1964 – Erik Breukink, Dutch cyclist and manager
  • 1964 – Kevin Duckworth, American basketball player (d. 2008)
  • 1964 – John Morris, English cricketer
  • 1964 – José Rodrigues dos Santos, Portuguese journalist, author, and educator
  • 1965 – Jane Adams, American film, television, and stage actress
  • 1965 – Mark Jackson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1966 – Chris Evans, English radio and television host
  • 1966 – Mehmet Özdilek, Turkish footballer and manager
  • 1967 – Nicola Roxon, Australian lawyer and politician, 34th Attorney-General for Australia
  • 1968 – Mike Baird, Australian politician, 44th Premier of New South Wales
  • 1968 – Andreas Schnaas, German actor and director
  • 1968 – Alexander Stubb, Finnish academic and politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Finland
  • 1969 – Lev Lobodin, Ukrainian-Russian decathlete
  • 1969 – Andrew Vlahov, Australian basketball player
  • 1969 – Dean Windass, English footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Brad Meltzer, American author, screenwriter, and producer
  • 1971 – Sonia Bisset, Cuban javelin thrower
  • 1971 – Shinji Nakano, Japanese racing driver
  • 1972 – Darren McCarty, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Jesse Tobias, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1973 – Christian Finnegan, American comedian and actor
  • 1973 – Stephen Fleming, New Zealand cricketer and coach
  • 1973 – Rachel Maddow, American journalist and author
  • 1974 – Hugo Ibarra, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1975 – John Butler, American-Australian singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1975 – Magdalena Maleeva, Bulgarian tennis player
  • 1976 – Hazem El Masri, Lebanese-Australian rugby league player and educator
  • 1976 – David Gilliland, American race car driver
  • 1976 – David Oyelowo, English actor
  • 1976 – Clarence Seedorf, Dutch-Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Yuka Yoshida, Japanese tennis player
  • 1977 – Vitor Belfort, Brazilian-American boxer and mixed martial artist
  • 1977 – Haimar Zubeldia, Spanish cyclist
  • 1978 – Antonio de Nigris, Mexican footballer (d. 2009)
  • 1978 – Mirka Federer, Slovak-Swiss tennis player
  • 1978 – Anamaria Marinca, Romanian-English actress
  • 1978 – Etan Thomas, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper
  • 1980 – Dennis Kruppke, German footballer
  • 1980 – Randy Orton, American wrestler
  • 1980 – Bijou Phillips, American actress and model
  • 1981 – Antonis Fotsis, Greek basketball player
  • 1981 – Bjørn Einar Romøren, Norwegian ski jumper
  • 1982 – Taran Killam, American actor, voice artist, comedian, and writer
  • 1982 – Andreas Thorkildsen, Norwegian javelin thrower
  • 1983 – Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, Icelandic footballer
  • 1983 – Sean Taylor, American football player (d. 2007)
  • 1984 – Gilberto Macena, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Daniel Murphy, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Beth Tweddle, English gymnast
  • 1986 – Hillary Scott, American country singer-songwriter
  • 1987 – Ding Junhui, Chinese professional snooker player
  • 1987 – Gianluca Musacci, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Oliver Turvey, English racing driver
  • 1988 – Brook Lopez, American basketball player
  • 1988 – Robin Lopez, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Jan Blokhuijsen, Dutch speed skater
  • 1989 – David N’Gog, French footballer
  • 1989 – Christian Vietoris, German racing driver
  • 1990 – Julia Fischer, German discus thrower
  • 1992 – Deng Linlin, Chinese gymnast
  • 1995 – Logan Paul, American Youtuber and actor
  • 1997 – Álex Palou, Spanish racing driver

Deaths on April 1

  • 996 – John XV, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 1085 – Shen Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1048)
  • 1132 – Hugh of Châteauneuf, French bishop (b. 1053)
  • 1204 – Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of France and England (b. 1122)
  • 1205 – Amalric II, king of Cyprus and Jerusalem
  • 1282 – Abaqa Khan, ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate (b. 1234)
  • 1431 – Nuno Álvares Pereira, Portuguese general (b. 1360)
  • 1441 – Blanche I, queen of Navarre and Sicily (b. 1387)
  • 1455 – Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Polish cardinal and statesman (b. 1389)
  • 1528 – Francisco de Peñalosa, Spanish composer (b. 1470)
  • 1548 – Sigismund I, king of Poland (b. 1467)
  • 1580 – Alonso Mudarra, Spanish guitarist and composer (b. 1510)
  • 1601 – Françoise d’Orléans-Longueville, French princess (b. 1549)
  • 1621 – Cristofano Allori, Italian painter and educator (b. 1577)
  • 1682 – Franz Egon of Fürstenberg, Bavarian bishop (b. 1625)
  • 1787 – Floyer Sydenham, English scholar and academic (b. 1710)
  • 1839 – Benjamin Pierce, American soldier and politician, 11th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1757)
  • 1865 – Giuditta Pasta, Italian soprano (b. 1797)
  • 1872 – Frederick Denison Maurice, English theologian and academic (b. 1805)
  • 1878 – John C.W. Daly, English-Canadian soldier and politician (b. 1796)
  • 1890 – David Wilber, American politician (b. 1820)
  • 1890 – Alexander Mozhaysky, Russian soldier, pilot, and engineer (b. 1825)
  • 1914 – Rube Waddell, American baseball player (b. 1876)
  • 1914 – Charles Wells, English founder of Charles Wells Ltd (b. 1842)
  • 1917 – Scott Joplin, American pianist and composer (b. 1868)
  • 1920 – Walter Simon, German banker and philanthropist (b. 1857)
  • 1922 – Charles I, emperor of Austria (b. 1887)
  • 1922 – Hermann Rorschach, Swiss psychologist and author (b. 1884)
  • 1924 – Jacob Bolotin, American physician (b. 1888)
  • 1924 – Lloyd Hildebrand, English cyclist (b. 1870)
  • 1924 – Stan Rowley, Australian sprinter (b. 1876)
  • 1946 – Noah Beery, Sr., American actor (b. 1882)
  • 1947 – George II, king of Greece (b. 1890)
  • 1950 – Charles R. Drew, American physician and surgeon (b. 1904)
  • 1950 – Recep Peker, Turkish soldier and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Turkey (b. 1889)
  • 1962 – Jussi Kekkonen, Finnish captain and businessman (b. 1910)
  • 1965 – Helena Rubinstein, Polish-American businesswoman (b. 1870)
  • 1966 – Brian O’Nolan, Irish author (b. 1911)
  • 1968 – Lev Landau, Azerbaijani-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
  • 1976 – Max Ernst, German painter and sculptor (b. 1891)
  • 1981 – Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai singer-songwriter and bandleader (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter (b. 1939)
  • 1984 – Elizabeth Goudge, English author (b. 1900)
  • 1986 – Erik Bruhn, Danish actor, director, and choreographer (b. 1928)
  • 1987 – Henri Cochet, French tennis player (b. 1901)
  • 1991 – Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1894)
  • 1991 – Jaime Guzmán, Chilean lawyer and politician (b. 1946)
  • 1992 – Michael Havers, Baron Havers, English lawyer and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1923)
  • 1993 – Alan Kulwicki, American race car driver (b. 1954)
  • 1994 – Robert Doisneau, French photographer (b. 1912)
  • 1995 – H. Adams Carter, American mountaineer, journalist, and educator (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Francisco Moncion, Dominican American ballet dancer, choreographer, charter member of the New York City Ballet (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Lucie Rie, Austrian-English potter (b. 1902)
  • 1997 – Makar Honcharenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (b. 1912)
  • 1998 – Rozz Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1963)
  • 1999 – Jesse Stone, American pianist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1901)
  • 2001 – Trịnh Công Sơn, Vietnamese guitarist and composer (b. 1939)
  • 2002 – Simo Häyhä, Finnish soldier and sniper (b. 1905)
  • 2003 – Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1956)
  • 2004 – Ioannis Kyrastas, Greek footballer and manager (b. 1952)
  • 2004 – Carrie Snodgress, American actress (b. 1945)
  • 2005 – Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Tanzanian Minister of Finance (b 1925)
  • 2005 – Robert Coldwell Wood, American political scientist and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – In Tam, Cambodian general and politician, 26th Prime Minister of Cambodia (b. 1916)
  • 2010 – John Forsythe, American actor (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Tzannis Tzannetakis, Greek soldier and politician, 175th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Lionel Bowen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian-American soccer player and radio host (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican banker, academic, and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Moses Blah, Liberian general and politician, 23rd President of Liberia (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Karen Muir, South African swimmer and physician (b. 1952)
  • 2014 – King Fleming, American pianist and bandleader (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Jacques Le Goff, French historian and author (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Rolf Rendtorff, German theologian and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Nicolae Rainea, Romanian footballer and referee (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Lonnie Brooks, American blues singer and guitarist (b. 1933)
  • 2017 – Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Soviet and Russian poet and writer (b. 1932)
  • 2018 – Steven Bochco, American television writer and producer (b. 1943)
  • 2019 – Vonda N. McIntyre, American science fiction author (b. 1948)

Holidays and observances on April 1

  • Christian feast day:
    • Cellach of Armagh
    • Hugh of Grenoble
    • Frederick Denison Maurice (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Mary of Egypt
    • Melito of Sardis
    • Nuno Álvares Pereira
    • Tewdrig
    • Theodora
    • Walric, abbot of Leuconay
    • April 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Sizdah Be-dar can fall, while April 2 is the latest; celebrated on the 13th day after vernal equinox. (Iran)
  • Iranian Islamic Republic Day (Iran) falls on this day if the Vernal Equinox falls on March 21.
  • Veneralia was held on April 1 during Ancient Rome, however this date does not lock into the modern Gregorian calendar.
  • April Fools’ Day
  • Odisha Day (Odisha, India)
  • Arbor Day (Tanzania)
  • Civil Service Day (Thailand)
  • Cyprus National Day (Cyprus)
  • Edible Book Day
  • Fossil Fools Day
  • Kha b-Nisan, the Assyrian New Year (Assyrian people)
  • National Civil Service Day (Thailand)

March 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 598 – Balkan Campaign: The Avars lift the siege at the Byzantine stronghold of Tomis. Their leader Bayan I retreats north of the Danube River after the Avaro-Slavic hordes are decimated by the plague.
  • 1282 – The people of Sicily rebel against the Angevin king Charles I, in what becomes known as the Sicilian Vespers.
  • 1296 – Edward I sacks Berwick-upon-Tweed, during armed conflict between Scotland and England.
  • 1699 – Guru Gobind Singh establishes the Khalsa in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab.
  • 1815 – Joachim Murat issues the Rimini Proclamation which would later inspire Italian unification.
  • 1818 – Physicist Augustin Fresnel reads a memoir on optical rotation to the French Academy of Sciences, reporting that when polarized light is “depolarized” by a Fresnel rhomb, its properties are preserved in any subsequent passage through an optically-rotating crystal or liquid.
  • 1822 – The Florida Territory is created in the United States.
  • 1841 – The National Bank of Greece is founded in Athens.
  • 1842 – Ether anesthesia is used for the first time, in an operation by the American surgeon Dr. Crawford Long.
  • 1844 – One of the most important battles of the Dominican War of Independence from Haiti takes place near the city of Santiago de los Caballeros.
  • 1855 – Origins of the American Civil War: “Border Ruffians” from Missouri invade Kansas and force election of a pro-slavery legislature.
  • 1856 – The Treaty of Paris is signed, ending the Crimean War.
  • 1861 – Discovery of the chemical elements: Sir William Crookes announces his discovery of thallium.
  • 1863 – Danish prince Wilhelm Georg is chosen as King George of Greece.
  • 1867 – Alaska is purchased from Russia for $7.2 million, about 2-cent/acre ($4.19/km²), by United States Secretary of State William H. Seward.
  • 1870 – Texas is readmitted to the United States Congress following Reconstruction.
  • 1885 – The Battle for Kushka triggers the Panjdeh Incident which nearly gives rise to war between the Russian and British Empire.
  • 1899 – German Society of Chemistry issues an invitation to other national scientific organizations to appoint delegates to the International Committee on Atomic Weights.
  • 1912 – Sultan Abd al-Hafid signs the Treaty of Fez, making Morocco a French protectorate.
  • 1918 – Outburst of bloody March Events in Baku and other locations of Baku Governorate.
  • 1939 – The Heinkel He 100 fighter sets a world airspeed record of 463 mph (745 km/h).
  • 1940 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Japan declares Nanking capital of a new Chinese puppet government, nominally controlled by Wang Jingwei.
  • 1944 – World War II: Allied bombers conduct their most severe bombing run on Sofia, Bulgaria.
  • 1944 – Out of 795 Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitos sent to attack Nuremberg, 95 bombers do not return, making it the largest RAF Bomber Command loss of the war.
  • 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces invade Austria and capture Vienna; Polish and Soviet forces liberate Danzig.
  • 1949 – Cold War: A riot breaks out in Austurvöllur square in Reykjavík, when Iceland joins NATO.
  • 1959 – Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India.
  • 1961 – The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is signed in New York City.
  • 1965 – Vietnam War: A car bomb explodes in front of the United States Embassy, Saigon, killing 22 and wounding 183 others.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: The Easter Offensive begins after North Vietnamese forces cross into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of South Vietnam.
  • 1976 – Israeli-Palestinian conflict: in the first organized response against Israeli policies by a Palestinian collective since 1948, Palestinians create the first Land Day.
  • 1979 – Airey Neave, a British Member of Parliament, is killed by a car bomb as he exits the Palace of Westminster. The Irish National Liberation Army claims responsibility.
  • 1981 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shot in the chest outside a Washington, D.C., hotel by John Hinckley, Jr.; three others are wounded in the same incident.
  • 1982 – Space Shuttle program: STS-3 mission is completed with the landing of Columbia at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
  • 2002 – 2002 Lyon car attack takes place.
  • 2009 – Twelve gunmen attack the Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan.
  • 2017 – SpaceX conducts the world’s first reflight of an orbital class rocket.

Births on March 30

  • 892 – Shi Jingtang, founder of the Later Jin Dynasty (d. 942)
  • 1135 – Maimonides, Spanish rabbi and philosopher (April 6 also proposed, d. 1204)
  • 1326 – Ivan II of Moscow (d. 1359)
  • 1432 – Mehmed the Conqueror, Ottoman sultan (d. 1481)
  • 1510 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish composer and organist (d. 1566)
  • 1551 – Salomon Schweigger, German theologian (d. 1622)
  • 1606 – Vincentio Reinieri, Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1647)
  • 1632 – John Proctor, farmer hanged for witchcraft in the Salem witch trials (d. 1692)
  • 1640 – John Trenchard, English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (d. 1695)
  • 1727 – Tommaso Traetta, Italian composer and educator (d. 1779)
  • 1746 – Francisco Goya, Spanish-French painter and sculptor (d. 1828)
  • 1750 – John Stafford Smith, English organist and composer (d. 1836)
  • 1793 – Juan Manuel de Rosas, Argentinian soldier and politician, 13th Governor of Buenos Aires Province (d. 1877)
  • 1805 – Ferdinand Johann Wiedemann, German-Swedish linguist and botanist (d. 1887)
  • 1811 – Robert Bunsen, German chemist and academic (d. 1899)
  • 1820 – Anna Sewell, English author (d. 1878)
  • 1820 – James Whyte, Scottish-Australian politician, 6th Premier of Tasmania (d. 1882)
  • 1844 – Paul Verlaine, French poet (d. 1896)
  • 1853 – Vincent van Gogh, Dutch-French painter and illustrator (d. 1890)
  • 1853 – Arnoldo Sartorio, German composer, pianist, and teacher (d. 1936)
  • 1857 – Léon Charles Thévenin, French engineer (d. 1926)
  • 1858 – Siegfried Alkan, German composer (d. 1941)
  • 1863 – Mary Calkins, American philosopher and psychologist (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – Franz Oppenheimer, German-American sociologist and economist (d. 1943)
  • 1874 – Charles Lightoller, English 2nd officer on the RMS Titanic (d. 1952)
  • 1874 – Josiah McCracken, American hammer thrower, shot putter, and football player (d. 1962)
  • 1874 – Nicolae Rădescu, Romanian general and politician, Prime Minister of Romania (d. 1953)
  • 1875 – Thomas Xenakis, Greek-American gymnast (d. 1942)
  • 1879 – Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater (d. 1954)
  • 1880 – Seán O’Casey, Irish dramatist, playwright, and memoirist (d. 1964)
  • 1882 – Melanie Klein, Jewish Austrian-English psychologist and author (d. 1960)
  • 1888 – J. R. Williams, Canadian-born cartoonist (d. 1957)
  • 1891 – Chunseong, Korean monk, writer and philosopher (d. 1977)
  • 1892 – Stefan Banach, Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1945)
  • 1892 – Fortunato Depero, Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1960)
  • 1892 – Erhard Milch, German field marshal (d. 1972)
  • 1892 – Johannes Pääsuke, Estonian photographer and director (d. 1918)
  • 1892 – Erwin Panofsky, German historian and academic (d. 1968)
  • 1894 – Tommy Green, English race walker (d. 1975)
  • 1894 – Sergey Ilyushin, Russian engineer, founded Ilyushin Aircraft Company (d. 1977)
  • 1895 – Jean Giono, French author and poet (d. 1970)
  • 1895 – Carl Lutz, Swiss vice-consul to Hungary during WWII, credited with saving over 62,000 Jews (d. 1975)
  • 1895 – Charlie Wilson, English footballer (d. 1971)
  • 1899 – Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay, Indian author, playwright, and screenwriter (d. 1970)
  • 1902 – Brooke Astor, American socialite and philanthropist (d. 2007)
  • 1902 – Ted Heath, English trombonist and composer (d. 1969)
  • 1903 – Joy Ridderhof, American missionary (d. 1984)
  • 1904 – Ripper Collins, American baseball player and coach (d. 1970)
  • 1905 – Archie Birkin, English motorcycle racer (d. 1927)
  • 1905 – Mikio Oda, Japanese triple jumper and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1905 – Albert Pierrepoint, English hangman (d. 1992)
  • 1907 – Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte, German general (d. 1994)
  • 1910 – Józef Marcinkiewicz, Polish soldier, mathematician, and academic (d. 1940)
  • 1911 – Ekrem Akurgal, Turkish archaeologist and academic (d. 2002)
  • 1912 – Jack Cowie, New Zealand cricketer (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Alvin Hamilton, Canadian lieutenant and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Agriculture (d. 2004)
  • 1913 – Marc Davis, American animator (d. 2000)
  • 1913 – Richard Helms, American soldier and diplomat, 8th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 2002)
  • 1913 – Frankie Laine, American singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1913 – Ċensu Tabone, Maltese general, physician, and politician, 4th President of Malta (d. 2012)
  • 1914 – Sonny Boy Williamson I, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player (d. 1948)
  • 1915 – Pietro Ingrao, Italian journalist and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1917 – Els Aarne, Ukrainian-Estonian pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1995)
  • 1919 – McGeorge Bundy, American intelligence officer and diplomat, 6th United States National Security Advisor (d. 1996)
  • 1919 – Robin M. Williams, New Zealand mathematician and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – André Fontaine, French historian and journalist (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Turhan Bey, American actor (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Arthur Wightman, American physicist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Milton Acorn, Canadian poet and playwright (d. 1986)
  • 1926 – Ingvar Kamprad, Swedish businessman, founded IKEA (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Wally Grout, Australian cricketer (d. 1968)
  • 1928 – Robert Badinter, French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Justice
  • 1928 – Colin Egar, Australian cricket umpire (d. 2008)
  • 1928 – Tom Sharpe, English-Spanish author and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Richard Dysart, American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Ray Musto, American soldier and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – István Rózsavölgyi, Hungarian runner (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – John Astin, American actor
  • 1930 – Rolf Harris, Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1933 – Jean-Claude Brialy, French actor and director (d. 2007)
  • 1934 – Paul Crouch, American broadcaster, co-founded the Trinity Broadcasting Network (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Hans Hollein, Austrian architect and academic, designed Haas House (d. 2014)
  • 1935 – Karl Berger, German pianist and composer
  • 1935 – Willie Galimore, American football player (d. 1964)
  • 1935 – Gordon Mumma, American composer
  • 1937 – Warren Beatty, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1937 – Ian MacLaurin, Baron MacLaurin of Knebworth, English businessman
  • 1938 – John Barnhill, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1938 – Klaus Schwab, German economist and engineer, founded the World Economic Forum
  • 1940 – Norman Gifford, English cricketer
  • 1940 – Jerry Lucas, American basketball player and educator
  • 1940 – Hans Ragnemalm, Swedish lawyer and judge (d. 2016)
  • 1941 – Graeme Edge, English singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1941 – Ron Johnston, English geographer and academic
  • 1941 – Wasim Sajjad, Pakistani lawyer and politician, President of Pakistan
  • 1941 – Bob Smith, American soldier and politician
  • 1942 – Ruben Kun, Nauruan lawyer and politician, 14th President of Nauru (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Tane Norton, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1942 – Kenneth Welsh, Canadian actor
  • 1943 – Jay Traynor, American pop and doo-wop singer (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Mark Wylea Erwin, American businessman and diplomat
  • 1944 – Brian Wilshire, Australian radio host
  • 1945 – Eric Clapton, English guitarist and singer-songwriter
  • 1947 – Dick Roche, Irish politician, Minister of State for European Affairs
  • 1947 – Terje Venaas, Norwegian bassist
  • 1948 – Nigel Jones, Baron Jones of Cheltenham, English computer programmer and politician
  • 1948 – Eddie Jordan, Irish racing driver and team owner, founded Jordan Grand Prix
  • 1948 – Mervyn King, English economist and academic
  • 1948 – Jim “Dandy” Mangrum, American rock singer
  • 1949 – Liza Frulla, Canadian talk show host and politician, 3rd Minister of Canadian Heritage
  • 1949 – Dana Gillespie, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1949 – Naomi Sims, American model and author (d. 2009)
  • 1950 – Janet Browne, English-American historian and academic
  • 1950 – Robbie Coltrane, Scottish actor
  • 1950 – Grady Little, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1950 – Warren Snowdon, Australian educator and politician, 39th Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs
  • 1951 – Paul Da Vinci, English singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Stuart Dryburgh, English-New Zealand cinematographer
  • 1952 – Peter Knights, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1955 – Randy VanWarmer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2004)
  • 1956 – Bill Butler, Scottish educator and politician
  • 1956 – Juanito Oiarzabal, Spanish mountaineer
  • 1956 – Shahla Sherkat, Iranian journalist and author
  • 1957 – Marie-Christine Koundja, Chadian author and diplomat
  • 1957 – Paul Reiser, American actor and comedian
  • 1958 – Maurice LaMarche, Canadian voice actor and stand-up comedian
  • 1958 – Joey Sindelar, American golfer
  • 1959 – Martina Cole, English television host and author
  • 1960 – Laurie Graham, Canadian skier
  • 1960 – Bill Johnson, American skier (d. 2016)
  • 1961 – Mike Thackwell, New Zealand racing driver
  • 1961 – Doug Wickenheiser, Canadian-American ice hockey player (d. 1999)
  • 1962 – Mark Begich, American politician
  • 1962 – MC Hammer, American rapper and actor
  • 1962 – Gary Stevens, English international footballer, defender and manager
  • 1963 – Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, Mongolian journalist and politician, 4th President of Mongolia
  • 1963 – Eli-Eri Moura, Brazilian composer and conductor
  • 1963 – Panagiotis Tsalouchidis, Greek footballer
  • 1964 – Vlado Bozinovski, Macedonian-Australian footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Tracy Chapman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Piers Morgan, English journalist and talk show host
  • 1966 – Efstratios Grivas, Greek chess player and author
  • 1966 – Dmitry Volkov, Russian swimmer
  • 1966 – Leonid Voloshin, Russian triple jumper
  • 1967 – Christopher Bowman, American figure skater and coach (d. 2008)
  • 1967 – Richard Hutten, Dutch furniture designer
  • 1967 – Julie Richardson, New Zealand tennis player
  • 1968 – Celine Dion, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1969 – Troy Bayliss, Australian motorcycle racer
  • 1970 – Tobias Hill, English poet and author
  • 1970 – Sylvain Charlebois, Canadian food/agriculture researcher and author
  • 1971 – Mari Holden, American cyclist
  • 1971 – Mark Consuelos, American actor and television personality
  • 1972 – Mili Avital, Israeli-American actress
  • 1972 – Emerson Thome, Brazilian footballer and scout
  • 1972 – Karel Poborský, Czech footballer
  • 1973 – Adam Goldstein, American keyboard player, DJ, and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1973 – Jan Koller, Czech footballer
  • 1973 – Kareem Streete-Thompson, Caymanian-American long jumper
  • 1974 – Martin Love, Australian cricketer
  • 1975 – Paul Griffen, New Zealand-Italian rugby player
  • 1976 – Ty Conklin, American ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Obadele Thompson, Barbadian sprinter
  • 1976 – Troels Lund Poulsen, Danish politician, Minister for Education of Denmark
  • 1977 – Abhishek Chaubey, Indian director and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Paweł Czapiewski, Polish runner
  • 1978 – Chris Paterson, Scottish rugby player and coach
  • 1978 – Bok van Blerk, South African singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1979 – Norah Jones, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1979 – Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1980 – Ricardo Osorio, Mexican footballer
  • 1981 – Jammal Brown, American football player
  • 1981 – Andrea Masi, Italian rugby player
  • 1982 – Mark Hudson, English footballer
  • 1982 – Philippe Mexès, French footballer
  • 1982 – Javier Portillo, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Jason Dohring, American actor
  • 1983 – Jérémie Aliadière, French footballer
  • 1984 – Mario Ančić, Croatian tennis player
  • 1984 – Samantha Stosur, Australian tennis player
  • 1985 – Giacomo Ricci, Italian racing driver
  • 1986 – Sergio Ramos, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Trent Barreta, American wrestler
  • 1987 – Calum Elliot, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – Kwok Kin Pong, Hong Kong footballer
  • 1987 – Marc-Édouard Vlasic, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Will Matthews, Australian rugby league player
  • 1988 – Thanasis Papazoglou, Greek footballer
  • 1988 – Richard Sherman, American football player
  • 1988 – Larisa Yurkiw, Canadian alpine skier
  • 1989 – Chris Sale, American baseball player
  • 1989 – João Sousa, Portuguese tennis player
  • 1990 – Thomas Rhett, American country music singer and songwriter
  • 1990 – Michal Březina, Czech figure skater
  • 1992 – Palak Muchhal, Indian playback singer
  • 1993 – Anitta, Brazilian singer and entertainer
  • 1994 – Jetro Willems, Dutch footballer
  • 1997 – Cha Eun-woo, South Korean singer and actor, A member of the South Korean boy band, Astro
  • 1998 – Kalyn Ponga, Australian rugby league player
  • 2000 – Colton Herta, American race car driver

Deaths on March 30

  • 116 – Quirinus of Neuss, Roman martyr and saint
  • 365 – Ai of Jin, emperor of the Jin Dynasty (b. 341)
  • 943 – Li Bian, emperor of Southern Tang (b. 889)
  • 987 – Arnulf II, Count of Flanders (b. 960)
  • 1180 – Al-Mustadi, Caliph (b. 1142)
  • 1202 – Joachim of Fiore, Italian mystic and theologian (b. 1135)
  • 1465 – Isabella of Clermont, queen consort of Naples (b. c. 1424)
  • 1472 – Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy (b. 1435)
  • 1486 – Thomas Bourchier, English cardinal (b. 1404)
  • 1526 – Konrad Mutian, German humanist (b. 1471)
  • 1540 – Matthäus Lang von Wellenburg, German cardinal (b. 1469)
  • 1559 – Adam Ries, German mathematician and academic (b. 1492)
  • 1587 – Ralph Sadler, English politician, Secretary of State for England (b. 1507)
  • 1662 – François le Métel de Boisrobert, French poet and playwright (b. 1592)
  • 1689 – Kazimierz Łyszczyński, Polish atheist and philosopher (b. 1634)
  • 1707 – Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, French general and engineer (b. 1633)
  • 1764 – Pietro Locatelli, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1695)
  • 1783 – William Hunter, Scottish anatomist and physician (b. 1718)
  • 1804 – Victor-François, 2nd duc de Broglie, French general and politician, French Secretary of State for War (b. 1718)
  • 1806 – Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (b. 1757)
  • 1830 – Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden (b. 1763)
  • 1840 – Beau Brummell, English-French fashion designer (b. 1778)
  • 1842 – Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (b. 1755)
  • 1864 – Louis Schindelmeisser, German clarinet player, composer, and conductor (b. 1811)
  • 1873 – Bénédict Morel, Austrian-French psychiatrist and physician (b. 1809)
  • 1879 – Thomas Couture, French painter and educator (b. 1815)
  • 1886 – Joseph-Alfred Mousseau, Canadian judge and politician, 6th Premier of Quebec (b. 1838)
  • 1896 – Charilaos Trikoupis, Greek politician, 55th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1832)
  • 1912 – Karl May, German author (b. 1842)
  • 1925 – Rudolf Steiner, Austrian philosopher and author (b. 1861)
  • 1935 – Romanos Melikian, Armenian composer (b. 1883)
  • 1936 – Conchita Supervía, Spanish soprano and actress (b. 1895)
  • 1940 – Sir John Gilmour, 2nd Baronet Scottish soldier and politician, Secretary of State for Scotland (b. 1876)
  • 1943 – Jan Bytnar, Polish lieutenant; WWII resistance fighter (b. 1921)
  • 1943 – Maciej Aleksy Dawidowski, Polish sergeant; WWII resistance fighter (b. 1920)
  • 1945 – Béla Balogh, Hungarian actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
  • 1949 – Friedrich Bergius, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1884)
  • 1949 – Dattaram Hindlekar, Indian cricketer (b. 1909)
  • 1950 – Léon Blum, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1872)
  • 1952 – Jigme Wangchuck, Bhutanese king (b. 1905)
  • 1955 – Harl McDonald, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1899)
  • 1956 – Edmund Clerihew Bentley, English author and poet (b. 1875)
  • 1959 – Daniil Andreyev, Russian mystic and poet (b. 1906)
  • 1959 – John Auden, English solicitor, deputy coroner and a territorial soldier (b. 1894)
  • 1959 – Riccardo Zanella, Italian politician (b. 1875)
  • 1960 – Joseph Haas, German composer and educator (b. 1879)
  • 1961 – Philibert Jacques Melotte, English astronomer (b. 1880)
  • 1963 – Aleksandr Gauk, Russian conductor and composer (b. 1893)
  • 1964 – Nella Larsen, American nurse and author (b. 1891)
  • 1965 – Philip Showalter Hench, American physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
  • 1966 – Newbold Morris, American lawyer and politician (b. 1902)
  • 1966 – Maxfield Parrish, American painter and illustrator (b. 1870)
  • 1966 – Erwin Piscator, German director and producer (b. 1893)
  • 1967 – Frank Thorpe, Australian public servant (b. 1885)
  • 1967 – Jean Toomer, American poet and novelist (b. 1894)
  • 1969 – Lucien Bianchi, Belgian racing driver (b. 1934)
  • 1970 – Heinrich Brüning, German economist and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1885)
  • 1972 – Mahir Çayan, Turkish politician (b. 1946)
  • 1972 – Gabriel Heatter, American radio commentator (b. 1890)
  • 1973 – Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish pilot and politician (b. 1903)
  • 1973 – Yves Giraud-Cabantous, French racing driver (b. 1904)
  • 1975 – Peter Bamm, German journalist and author (b. 1897)
  • 1977 – Levko Revutsky, Ukrainian composer and educator (b. 1889)
  • 1978 – George Paine, English cricketer and coach (b. 1908)
  • 1978 – Memduh Tağmaç, Turkish general (b. 1904)
  • 1979 – Airey Neave, English colonel, lawyer, and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (b. 1916)
  • 1979 – Ray Ventura, French pianist and bandleader (b. 1908)
  • 1981 – DeWitt Wallace, American publisher, co-founded Reader’s Digest (b. 1889)
  • 1984 – Karl Rahner, German-Austrian priest and theologian (b. 1904)
  • 1985 – Harold Peary, American actor and singer (b. 1908)
  • 1986 – James Cagney, American actor and dancer (b. 1899)
  • 1986 – John Ciardi, American poet and etymologist (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Edgar Faure, French historian and politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1908)
  • 1990 – Harry Bridges, Australian-born American activist and trade union leader (b. 1901)
  • 1992 – Manolis Andronikos, Greek archaeologist and academic (b. 1919)
  • 1993 – S. M. Pandit, Indian painter (b. 1916)
  • 1993 – Richard Diebenkorn, American painter (b. 1922)
  • 1995 – Rozelle Claxton, American pianist (b. 1913)
  • 1995 – Tony Lock, English-Australian cricketer and coach (b. 1929)
  • 1995 – Paul A. Rothchild, American record producer (b. 1935)
  • 1996 – Hugh Falkus, English pilot and author (b. 1917)
  • 1996 – Ryoei Saito, Japanese businessman (b. 1916)
  • 2000 – Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian judge and politician, 8th President of Austria (b. 1915)
  • 2002 – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother of the United Kingdom (b. 1900)
  • 2002 – Anand Bakshi, Indian poet and lyricist (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Michael Jeter, American actor (b. 1952)
  • 2003 – Valentin Pavlov, Russian banker and politician, 11th Prime Minister of the Soviet Union (b. 1937)
  • 2004 – Alistair Cooke, English-American journalist and author (b. 1908)
  • 2004 – Hubert Gregg, English actor and director (b. 1914)
  • 2004 – Michael King, New Zealand historian and author (b. 1945)
  • 2004 – Timi Yuro, American singer and songwriter (b. 1940)
  • 2005 – Robert Creeley, American novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1926)
  • 2005 – Milton Green, American hurdler and soldier (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Fred Korematsu, American political activist (b. 1919)
  • 2005 – O. V. Vijayan, Indian author and illustrator (b. 1930)
  • 2005 – Mitch Hedberg, American stand-up comedian (b. 1968)
  • 2006 – Red Hickey, American football player and coach (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – John McGahern, Irish author and educator (b. 1934)
  • 2007 – John Roberts, Canadian political scientist, academic, and politician, 46th Secretary of State for Canada (b. 1933)
  • 2008 – Roland Fraïssé, French mathematical logician (b. 1920)
  • 2008 – David Leslie, Scottish racing driver (b. 1953)
  • 2008 – Richard Lloyd, English racing driver (b. 1945)
  • 2008 – Dith Pran, Cambodian-American photographer and journalist (b. 1942)
  • 2010 – Jaime Escalante, Bolivian-American educator (b. 1930)
  • 2010 – Morris R. Jeppson, American lieutenant and physicist (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Martin Sandberger, German SS officer (b. 1911)
  • 2012 – Janet Anderson Perkin, Canadian baseball player and curler (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Aquila Berlas Kiani, Indian-Canadian sociologist and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Francesco Mancini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1968)
  • 2012 – Granville Semmes, American businessman, founded 1-800-Flowers (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Leonid Shebarshin, Russian KGB officer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Daniel Hoffman, American poet and academic (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Bobby Parks, American basketball player and coach (b. 1962)
  • 2013 – Phil Ramone, South African-American songwriter and producer, co-founded A & R Recording (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Edith Schaeffer, Chinese-Swiss religious leader and author, co-founded L’Abri (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – Bob Turley, American baseball player and coach (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Ray Hutchison, American lawyer and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2014 – Kate O’Mara, English actress (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Helmut Dietl, German director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Roger Slifer, American author, illustrator, screenwriter, and producer (b. 1954)
  • 2015 – Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld, Dutch astronomer and academic (b. 1921)
  • 2018 – Bill Maynard, English actor (b. 1928)
  • 2020 – Bill Withers, American musician (b. 1938)

Holidays and observances on March 30

  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy
    • Blessed Maria Restituta Kafka
    • John Climacus
    • Mamertinus of Auxerre
    • Quirinus of Neuss
    • Thomas Son Chasuhn, Marie-Nicolas-Antoine Daveluy (part of The Korean Martyrs)
    • Tola of Clonard
    • March 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which the first day of Hocktide can fall, while April 3 is the latest; observed on the second Monday after Easter. (Hungerford, England; popular in medieval England)
  • Land Day (Palestine)
  • National Doctors’ Day (United States)
  • Spiritual Baptist/Shouter Liberation Day (Trinidad and Tobago)
  • School Day of Non-violence and Peace (Spain)

March 27 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized on Ferrara, a papal fiefdom.
  • 1329 – Pope John XXII issues his In Agro Dominico condemning some writings of Meister Eckhart as heretical.
  • 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León reaches the northern end of The Bahamas on his first voyage to Florida.
  • 1625 – Charles I becomes King of England, Scotland and Ireland as well as claiming the title King of France.
  • 1782 – Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • 1794 – The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates.
  • 1809 – Peninsular War: A combined Franco-Polish force defeats the Spanish in the Battle of Ciudad Real.
  • 1814 – War of 1812: In central Alabama, U.S. forces under General Andrew Jackson defeat the Creek at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
  • 1836 – Texas Revolution: On the orders of General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican army massacres 342 Texas POWs at Goliad, Texas.
  • 1866 – President of the United States of America Andrew Johnson vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866. His veto is overridden by Congress and the bill passes into law on April 9.
  • 1871 – The first international rugby football match, when Scotland defeats England in Edinburgh at Raeburn Place.
  • 1884 – A mob in Cincinnati, Ohio, attacks members of a jury which had returned a verdict of manslaughter in what was seen as a clear case of murder; over the next few days the mob would riot and eventually destroy the courthouse.
  • 1886 – Geronimo, Apache warrior, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars.
  • 1899 – Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Marilao River.
  • 1915 – Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States is put in quarantine for the second time, where she would remain for the rest of her life.
  • 1918 – The National Council of Bessarabia proclaims union with the Kingdom of Romania.
  • 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Taierzhuang begins, resulting several weeks later in the war’s first major Chinese victory over Japan.
  • 1941 – World War II: Yugoslav Air Force officers topple the pro-Axis government in a bloodless coup.
  • 1943 – World War II: Battle of the Komandorski Islands: In the Aleutian Islands the battle begins when United States Navy forces intercept Japanese attempting to reinforce a garrison at Kiska.
  • 1945 – World War II: Operation Starvation, the aerial mining of Japan’s ports and waterways begins. Argentina declares war on the Axis Powers.
  • 1958 – Nikita Khrushchev becomes Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.
  • 1964 – The Good Friday earthquake, the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history at a magnitude of 9.2 strikes Southcentral Alaska, killing 125 people and inflicting massive damage to the city of Anchorage.
  • 1975 – Construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System begins.
  • 1977 – Tenerife airport disaster: Two Boeing 747 airliners collide on a foggy runway on Tenerife in the Canary Islands, killing 583 (all 248 on KLM and 335 on Pan Am). Sixty-one survived on the Pan Am flight. This is the deadliest aviation accident in history.
  • 1980 – The Norwegian oil platform Alexander L. Kielland collapses in the North Sea, killing 123 of its crew of 212.
  • 1980 – Silver Thursday: A steep fall in silver prices, resulting from the Hunt Brothers attempting to corner the market in silver, leads to panic on commodity and futures exchanges.
  • 1981 – The Solidarity movement in Poland stages a warning strike, in which at least 12 million Poles walk off their jobs for four hours.
  • 1986 – A car bomb explodes outside Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, Australia, killing one police officer and injuring 21 people.
  • 1990 – The United States begins broadcasting anti-Castro propaganda to Cuba on TV Martí.
  • 1993 – Jiang Zemin is appointed President of the People’s Republic of China.
  • 1993 – Italian former minister and Christian Democracy leader Giulio Andreotti is accused of mafia allegiance by the tribunal of Palermo.
  • 1998 – The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.
  • 1999 – Kosovo War: An American Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is shot down by a Yugoslav SAM, the first and only Nighthawk to be lost in combat.
  • 2000 – A Phillips Petroleum plant explosion in Pasadena, Texas kills one person and injures 71 others.
  • 2002 – Passover massacre: A Palestinian suicide bomber kills 29 people at a Passover seder in Netanya, Israel.
  • 2002 – Nanterre massacre: In Nanterre, France, a gunman opens fire at the end of a town council meeting, resulting in the deaths of eight councilors; 19 other people are injured.
  • 2004 – HMS Scylla, a decommissioned Leander-class frigate, is sunk as an artificial reef off Cornwall, the first of its kind in Europe.
  • 2009 – The dam forming Situ Gintung, an artificial lake in Indonesia, fails, killing at least 99 people.
  • 2014 – Philippines signs a peace accord with the largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades of conflict.
  • 2015 – Al-Shabab militants attack and temporarily occupy a Mogadishu hotel leaving at least 20 people dead.
  • 2016 – A suicide blast in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore claims over 70 lives and leaves almost 300 others injured. The target of the bombing are Christians celebrating Easter.
  • 2020 – North Macedonia becomes the 30th member of NATO.

Births on March 27

  • 972 – Robert II, king of France (d. 1031)
  • 1401 – Albert III, duke of Bavaria (d. 1460)
  • 1416 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded Order of the Minims (d. 1507)
  • 1546 – Johannes Piscator, German theologian (d. 1625)
  • 1627 – Stephen Fox, English politician (d. 1716)
  • 1676 – Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian prince (b. 1676)
  • 1679 – Domenico Lalli, Italian poet and librettist (d. 1741)
  • 1681 – Joaquín Fernández de Portocarrero, Spanish-Italian cardinal (d. 1760)
  • 1702 – Johann Ernst Eberlin, German organist and composer (d. 1762)
  • 1710 – Joseph Abaco, Belgian cellist and composer (d. 1805)
  • 1712 – Claude Bourgelat, French surgeon and author (d. 1779)
  • 1714 – Francesco Antonio Zaccaria, Italian historian and theologian (d. 1795)
  • 1724 – Jane Colden, American botanist and author (d. 1766)
  • 1745 – Lindley Murray, American-English Quaker and grammarian (d. 1826)
  • 1746 – Michael Bruce, Scottish poet and composer (d. 1767)
  • 1746 – Carlo Buonaparte, Corsican-French lawyer and politician (d. 1785)
  • 1765 – Franz Xaver von Baader, German philosopher and theologian (d. 1841)
  • 1781 – Alexander Vostokov, Estonian-Russian philologist and academic (d. 1864)
  • 1784 – Sándor Kőrösi Csoma, Hungarian philologist, orientalist, and author (d. 1842)
  • 1785 – Louis XVII of France (d. 1795)
  • 1797 – Alfred de Vigny, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1863)
  • 1801 – Alexander Barrow, American lawyer and politician (d. 1846)
  • 1802 – Charles-Mathias Simons, German-Luxembourger jurist and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of Luxembourg (d. 1874)
  • 1809 – Georges-Eugène Haussmann, French engineer, urban planner, and politician (d. 1891)
  • 1811 – Edward William Cooke, English painter and illustrator (d. 1880)
  • 1814 – Charles Mackay, Scottish journalist, anthologist, and author (d. 1889)
  • 1820 – Edward Augustus Inglefield, English admiral and explorer (d. 1894)
  • 1822 – Henri Murger, French novelist and poet (d. 1861)
  • 1824 – Virginia Minor, American women’s suffrage activist (d. 1894)
  • 1839 – John Ballance, Irish-New Zealand journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1893)
  • 1843 – George Frederick Leycester Marshall, English colonel and entomologist (d. 1934)
  • 1844 – Adolphus Greely, American general and explorer, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 1935)
  • 1845 – Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
  • 1845 – Jakob Sverdrup, Norwegian bishop and politician, Norwegian Minister of Education and Church Affairs (d. 1899)
  • 1847 – Otto Wallach, German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1931)
  • 1851 – Ruperto Chapí, Spanish composer, co-founded Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (d. 1909)
  • 1851 – Vincent d’Indy, French composer and educator (d. 1931)
  • 1852 – Jan van Beers, Belgian painter and illustrator (d. 1927)
  • 1854 – Giovanni Battista Grassi, Italian physician, zoologist, and entomologist (d. 1925)
  • 1855 – William Libbey, American target shooter, colonel, mountaineer, geographer, geologist, and archaeologist (d. 1927)
  • 1857 – Karl Pearson, English mathematician, eugenicist, and academic (d. 1936)
  • 1859 – George Giffen, Australian cricketer and footballer (d. 1927)
  • 1860 – Frank Frost Abbott, American-Swiss scholar and academic (d. 1924)
  • 1862 – Jelena Dimitrijević, Serbian short story writer, novelist, poet, traveller, social worker, feminist and polyglot (d. 1945)
  • 1862 – Arturo Berutti, Argentinian composer (d. 1938)
  • 1863 – Henry Royce, English engineer and businessman, founded Rolls-Royce Limited (d. 1933)
  • 1866 – John Allan, Australian politician, 29th Premier of Victoria (d. 1936)
  • 1868 – Patty Hill, American songwriter and educator (d. 1946)
  • 1869 – James McNeill, Irish politician, 2nd Governor-General of the Irish Free State (d. 1938)
  • 1869 – J. R. Clynes, English trade unionist and politician, Home Secretary (d. 1949)
  • 1871 – Heinrich Mann, German author and poet (d. 1950)
  • 1871 – Joseph G. Morrison, American captain and Nazarene minister (d. 1939)
  • 1871 – Piet Aalberse, Dutch politician, Minister of Labour (d. 1948)
  • 1875 – Albert Marquet, French painter (d. 1947)
  • 1877 – Oscar Grégoire, Belgian water polo player and swimmer (d. 1947)
  • 1878 – Kathleen Scott, British sculptor (d. 1947)
  • 1879 – Sándor Garbai, Hungarian politician, 19th Prime Minister of Hungary (d. 1947)
  • 1879 – Miller Huggins, American baseball player and manager (d. 1929)
  • 1879 – Edward Steichen, Luxembourger-American painter and photographer (d. 1973)
  • 1881 – Arkady Averchenko, Russian playwright and satirist (d. 1925)
  • 1882 – Thomas Graham Brown, Scottish mountaineer and physiologist (d. 1965)
  • 1883 – Marie Under, Estonian author and poet (d. 1980)
  • 1884 – Gordon Thomson, English rower and lieutenant (d. 1953)
  • 1885 – Julio Lozano Díaz, Honduran accountant and politician, 40th President of Honduras (d. 1957)
  • 1885 – Reginald Fletcher, 1st Baron Winster, English navy officer and politician, Secretary of State for Transport (d. 1961)
  • 1886 – Sergey Kirov, Russian politician (d. 1934)
  • 1886 – Wladimir Burliuk, Ukrainian painter and illustrator (d. 1917)
  • 1886 – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, German-American architect, designed IBM Plaza and Seagram Building (d. 1969)
  • 1887 – Väinö Siikaniemi, Finnish javelin thrower, poet, and translator (d. 1932)
  • 1888 – George Alfred Lawrence Hearne, English-South African cricketer (d. 1978)
  • 1889 – Yakup Kadri Karaosmanoğlu, Egyptian-Turkish journalist, author, and politician (d. 1974)
  • 1889 – Leonard Mociulschi, Romanian general (d. 1979)
  • 1890 – Harald Julin, Swedish swimmer and water polo player (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton, Scottish admiral (d. 1974)
  • 1891 – Lajos Zilahy, Hungarian novelist and playwright (d. 1974)
  • 1891 – Klawdziy Duzh-Dushewski, Belarusian-Lithuanian architect, journalist, and diplomat, created the Flag of Belarus (d. 1959)
  • 1892 – Ferde Grofé, American pianist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1892 – Thorne Smith, American author (d. 1934)
  • 1893 – Karl Mannheim, Hungarian-English sociologist and academic (d. 1947)
  • 1893 – G. Lloyd Spencer, American lieutenant and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1893 – George Beranger, Australian-American actor and director (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – René Fonck, French colonel and pilot (d. 1953)
  • 1895 – Roland Leighton, English soldier and poet (d. 1915)
  • 1897 – Douglas Hartree, English mathematician and physicist (d. 1958)
  • 1897 – Fred Keating, American magician, stage and film actor (d. 1961)
  • 1899 – Francis Ponge, French poet and author (d. 1988)
  • 1899 – Herbert Arthur Stuart, German-Swiss physicist and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1899 – Gloria Swanson, American actress and producer (d. 1983)
  • 1901 – Carl Barks, American illustrator and screenwriter (d. 2000)
  • 1901 – Erich Ollenhauer, German politician (d. 1963)
  • 1901 – Eisaku Satō, Japanese politician, 61st Prime Minister of Japan, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
  • 1901 – Kenneth Slessor, Australian journalist and poet (d. 1971)
  • 1902 – Sidney Buchman, American screenwriter and producer (d. 1975)
  • 1902 – Charles Lang, American cinematographer (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – Xavier Villaurrutia, Mexican poet and playwright (d. 1950)
  • 1905 – Leroy Carr, American singer-songwriter and pianist (d. 1935)
  • 1905 – Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff, German general (d. 1980)
  • 1905 – Elsie MacGill, Canadian-American author and engineer (d. 1980)
  • 1906 – Pee Wee Russell, American clarinet player, saxophonist, and composer (d. 1969)
  • 1909 – Golo Mann, German historian and author (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – Ben Webster, American saxophonist (d. 1973)
  • 1909 – Valery Marakou, Belarusian poet and translator (d. 1937)
  • 1910 – Ai Qing, Chinese poet and author (d. 1996)
  • 1911 – Veronika Tushnova, Russian poet and physician (d. 1965)
  • 1912 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Theodor Dannecker, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1914 – Richard Denning, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1914 – Budd Schulberg, American author, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Robert Lockwood, Jr., American guitarist (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Cyrus Vance, American lawyer and politician, 57th United States Secretary of State (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – Colin Rowe, English-American architect, theorist and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1921 – Phil Chess, Czech-American record producer, co-founded Chess Records (d. 2016)
  • 1921 – Moacir Barbosa Nascimento, Brazilian footballer and coach (d. 2000)
  • 1921 – Harold Nicholas, American actor and dancer (d. 2000)
  • 1922 – Dick King-Smith, English author (d. 2011)
  • 1922 – Stefan Wul, French author and surgeon (d. 2003)
  • 1922 – Jules Olitski, Ukrainian-American painter, printmaker, and sculptor (d. 2007)
  • 1923 – Shūsaku Endō, Japanese author (d. 1996)
  • 1923 – Louis Simpson, Jamaican-American poet, translator, and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Sarah Vaughan, American singer (d. 1990)
  • 1924 – Ian Black, Scottish international footballer, goalkeeper and lawn bowls player (d. 2012)
  • 1924 – Margaret K. Butler, American mathematician and computer programmer (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Frank O’Hara, American writer (d. 1966)
  • 1927 – Sylvia Anderson, English voice actress, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2016)
  • 1927 – Anthony Lewis, American journalist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor (d. 2007)
  • 1928 – Jean Dotto, French cyclist (d. 2000)
  • 1929 – Anne Ramsey, American actress (d. 1988)
  • 1929 – Reg Evans, Australian actor (d. 2009)
  • 1930 – Daniel Spoerri, Romanian-Swiss photographer, writer and artist
  • 1931 – David Janssen, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1980)
  • 1932 – Junior Parker, American singer and harmonica player (d. 1971)
  • 1932 – Bailey Olter, Micronesian politician, 3rd President of the Federated States of Micronesia (d. 1999)
  • 1933 – Lê Văn Hưng, South Vietnamese Brigadier general (d. 1975)
  • 1934 – István Csurka, Hungarian journalist, author, and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Stanley Rother, American Roman Catholic priest and missionary (d. 1981)
  • 1935 – Julian Glover, English actor
  • 1936 – Malcolm Goldstein, American violinist and composer
  • 1937 – Alan Hawkshaw, English keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1939 – Jay Kim, South Korean-American engineer and politician
  • 1939 – Cale Yarborough, American race car driver and businessman
  • 1940 – Sandro Munari, Italian race car driver
  • 1940 – Austin Pendleton, American actor, director, and playwright
  • 1941 – Ivan Gašparovič, Slovak lawyer and politician, 3rd President of Slovakia
  • 1941 – Liese Prokop, Austrian pentathlete and politician, Austrian Minister of the Interior (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – Michael Jackson, English journalist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1942 – John Sulston, English biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2018)
  • 1942 – Michael York, English actor
  • 1943 – Mike Curtis, American football player and coach (d. 2020)
  • 1944 – Jesse Brown, American marine and politician, 2nd United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs (d. 2002)
  • 1944 – Bryan Campbell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1946 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (d. 1999)
  • 1947 – Oliver Friggieri, Maltese author, critic, poet and philosopher
  • 1947 – Brian Jones, English balloonist and pilot
  • 1947 – Walt Mossberg, American journalist
  • 1948 – Jens-Peter Bonde, Danish lawyer and politician
  • 1950 – Tony Banks, English keyboardist and songwriter
  • 1950 – Petros Efthymiou, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs
  • 1950 – Maria Ewing, African-American soprano
  • 1950 – Chris Stewart, English musician and author
  • 1950 – Terry Yorath, Welsh international footballer, Midfielder and international manager
  • 1951 – Andrei Kozyrev, Belgian-Russian politician and diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Russia
  • 1952 – Annemarie Moser-Pröll, Austrian skier
  • 1952 – Maria Schneider, French actress (d. 2011)
  • 1953 – Herman Ponsteen, Dutch cyclist
  • 1954 – Gerard Batten, English lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – Patrick McCabe, Irish writer
  • 1955 – Mariano Rajoy, Spanish lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of Spain
  • 1955 – Susan Neiman, Jewish American-German philosopher and author
  • 1956 – Leung Kwok-hung, Hong Kong activist and politician
  • 1956 – Thomas Wassberg, Swedish cross country skier
  • 1957 – Kostas Vasilakakis, Greek footballer and manager
  • 1957 – Stephen Dillane, English actor
  • 1958 – Didier de Radiguès, Belgian race car driver and motorcycle racer
  • 1959 – Andrew Farriss, Australian rock musician and multi-instrumentalist
  • 1960 – Hans Pflügler, German footballer
  • 1960 – Renato Russo, Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1996)
  • 1961 – Ellery Hanley, English rugby league player and coach
  • 1961 – Tony Rominger, Swiss professional cyclist
  • 1962 – Jann Arden, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1962 – Brett French, Australian rugby league player
  • 1962 – Rob Hollink, Dutch poker player
  • 1962 – John O’Farrell, English journalist and author
  • 1962 – Brad Wright, American-Spanish basketball player
  • 1962 – Kevin J. Anderson, American science fiction writer
  • 1963 – Cory Blackwell, American basketball player
  • 1963 – Randall Cunningham, American football player, coach, and pastor
  • 1963 – Filippos Sachinidis, Greek-Canadian economist and politician
  • 1963 – Gary Stevens, English-Australian footballer and physiotherapist
  • 1963 – Quentin Tarantino, American director, producer, screenwriter and actor
  • 1963 – Xuxa, Brazilian actress, singer, businesswoman and television presenter
  • 1965 – Gregor Foitek, Swiss race car driver
  • 1966 – Žarko Paspalj, Serbian basketball player
  • 1967 – Talisa Soto, American actress
  • 1968 – Irina Belova, Russian heptathlete
  • 1969 – Gianluigi Lentini, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Pauley Perrette, American actress
  • 1970 – Leila Pahlavi, Princess of Iran (d. 2001)
  • 1970 – Derek Aucoin, Canadian baseball player
  • 1970 – Mariah Carey, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1970 – Brent Fitz, Canadian-American multi-instrumentalist and recording artist
  • 1970 – Jarrod McCracken, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1970 – Elizabeth Mitchell, American actress
  • 1970 – Uwe Rosenberg, German game designer, created Bohnanza
  • 1971 – David Coulthard, Scottish race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Nathan Fillion, Canadian actor
  • 1972 – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Surinamese-Dutch footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1972 – Charlie Haas, American professional wrestler
  • 1973 – Roger Telemachus, South African cricketer
  • 1974 – Marek Citko, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1974 – George Koumantarakis, Greek-South African footballer
  • 1974 – Gaizka Mendieta, Spanish footballer
  • 1975 – Andrew Blowers, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1975 – Kim Felton, Australian golfer
  • 1975 – Jeff Palmer, American gay porn actor and singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Fergie, American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actress
  • 1975 – Christian Fiedler, German footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Roberta Anastase, Romanian politician, 57th President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania
  • 1976 – Danny Fortson, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Adrian Anca, Romanian footballer
  • 1977 – Vítor Meira, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1978 – Gabriel Paraschiv, Romanian footballer
  • 1978 – Marius Bakken, Norwegian runner
  • 1978 – Amélie Cocheteux, French tennis player
  • 1979 – Tom Palmer, English rugby union player
  • 1979 – Mohsen Moeini, Iranian author and director
  • 1979 – Imran Tahir, Pakistani-South African cricketer
  • 1979 – Jennifer Wilson, Zimbabwean-South African field hockey player
  • 1980 – Sean Ryan, American football player
  • 1980 – Michaela Paštiková, Czech tennis player
  • 1980 – Maksim Shevchenko, Kazakhstani footballer
  • 1981 – Terry McFlynn, Irish footballer
  • 1981 – Akhil Kumar, Indian boxer
  • 1981 – Jukka Keskisalo, Finnish runner
  • 1981 – Hilda Kibet, Kenyan runner
  • 1982 – Shawn Beveney, Guyanese footballer
  • 1983 – Yuliya Golubchikova, Russian pole vaulter
  • 1983 – Vasily Koshechkin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Román Martínez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1984 – Adam Ashley-Cooper, Australian rugby player
  • 1984 – Ben Franks, Australian-born New Zealand rugby player
  • 1984 – Brett Holman, Australian footballer
  • 1985 – Dustin Byfuglien, American ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Danny Vukovic, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Manuel Neuer, German footballer
  • 1987 – Jefferson Bernárdez, Honduran footballer
  • 1987 – Samuel Francis, Nigerian-Qatari sprinter
  • 1987 – Polina Gagarina, Russian singer-songwriter
  • 1987 – Buster Posey, American baseball player
  • 1988 – Jessie J, English singer-songwriter
  • 1988 – Atsuto Uchida, Japanese footballer
  • 1988 – Brenda Song, American actress
  • 1988 – Mauro Goicoechea, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1988 – Holliday Grainger, English actress
  • 1989 – Matt Harvey, American baseball player
  • 1989 – Camilla Lees, New Zealand netball player
  • 1990 – Erdin Demir, Swedish-Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Ben Hunt, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Nicolas Nkoulou, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1990 – Luca Zuffi, Swiss footballer
  • 1990 – Kimbra, New Zealand musician
  • 1990 – Brodha V, Indian Rapper and Music Producer
  • 1992 – Marc Muniesa, Spanish footballer
  • 1995 – Bill Tuiloma, New Zealand footballer

Deaths on March 27

  • 710 – Rupert of Salzburg, Austrian bishop and saint (b. 660)
  • 853 – Haymo of Halberstadt, German bishop and author (b. 778)
  • 913 – Du Xiao, chancellor of Later Liang
  • 913 – Zhang empress of Later Liang
  • 916 – Alduin I, Frankish nobleman
  • 965 – Arnulf I, Count of Flanders (born c. 890)
  • 973 – Hermann Billung, Frankish lieutenant (b. 900)
  • 1045 – Ali ibn Ahmad al-Jarjara’i, Fatimid vizier
  • 1184 – Giorgi III, King of Georgia
  • 1248 – Maud Marshal, English countess (b. 1192)
  • 1350 – Alfonso XI of Castile (b. 1312)
  • 1378 – Pope Gregory XI (b. 1336)
  • 1462 – Vasily II of Moscow (b. 1415)
  • 1472 – Janus Pannonius, Hungarian bishop and poet (b. 1434)
  • 1482 – Mary of Burgundy, Sovereign Duchess regnant of Burgundy, married to Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1457)
  • 1564 – Lütfi Pasha, Turkish historian and politician, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1488)
  • 1572 – Girolamo Maggi, Italian polymath (b. c. 1523)
  • 1598 – Theodor de Bry, Belgian-German engraver, goldsmith, and publisher (b. 1528)
  • 1613 – Sigismund Báthory (b. 1573)
  • 1615 – Margaret of Valois (b. 1553)
  • 1621 – Benedetto Giustiniani, Italian cardinal (b. 1554)
  • 1624 – Ulrik of Denmark, Danish prince-bishop (b. 1578)
  • 1625 – James VI and I of the United Kingdom (b. 1566)
  • 1635 – Robert Naunton, English politician (b. 1563)
  • 1676 – Bernardino de Rebolledo, Spanish poet, soldier, and diplomat (b. 1597)
  • 1679 – Abraham Mignon, Dutch painter (b. 1640)
  • 1697 – Simon Bradstreet, English businessman and politician, 20th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (b. 1603)
  • 1729 – Leopold, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1679)
  • 1757 – Johann Stamitz, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1717)
  • 1770 – Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Italian painter (b. 1696)
  • 1848 – Gabriel Bibron, French zoologist and herpetologist (b. 1805)
  • 1849 – Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford, Irish-Canadian politician, 35th Governor General of Canada (b. 1776)
  • 1850 – Wilhelm Beer, Prussian astronomer and banker (b. 1797)
  • 1864 – Jean-Jacques Ampère, French philologist and academic (b. 1800)
  • 1869 – James Harper, American publisher and politician, 65th Mayor of New York City (b. 1795)
  • 1875 – Juan Crisóstomo Torrico, Peruvian soldier and politician, President of Peru (b. 1808)
  • 1875 – Edgar Quinet, French historian and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1878 – George Gilbert Scott, English architect, designed the Albert Memorial and St Mary’s Cathedral (b. 1811)
  • 1886 – Henry Taylor, English poet and playwright (b. 1800)
  • 1889 – John Bright, English politician, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (b. 1811)
  • 1890 – Carl Jacob Löwig, German chemist and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1898 – Syed Ahmad Khan, Indian philosopher and activist (b. 1817)
  • 1900 – Joseph A. Campbell, American businessman, founded the Campbell Soup Company (b. 1817)
  • 1910 – Alexander Emanuel Agassiz, Swiss-American ichthyologist, zoologist, and engineer (b. 1835)
  • 1913 – Richard Montgomery Gano, American minister, physician, and general (b. 1830)
  • 1918 – Henry Adams, American journalist, historian, and author (b. 1838)
  • 1918 – Martin Sheridan, Irish-American discus thrower and jumper (b. 1881)
  • 1921 – Harry Barron, English general and politician, 16th Governor of Western Australia (b. 1847)
  • 1922 – Nikolay Sokolov, Russian composer and educator (b. 1859)
  • 1923 – James Dewar, Scottish chemist and physicist (b. 1842)
  • 1925 – Carl Neumann, German mathematician and academic (b. 1832)
  • 1926 – Kick Kelly, American baseball player, manager, and umpire (b. 1856)
  • 1926 – Georges Vézina, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1887)
  • 1927 – Joe Start, American baseball player and manager (b. 1842)
  • 1927 – Klaus Berntsen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1844)
  • 1928 – Leslie Stuart, English organist and composer (b. 1863)
  • 1931 – Arnold Bennett, English author and playwright (b. 1867)
  • 1934 – Francis William Reitz, South African lawyer and politician, 5th State President of the Orange Free State (b. 1844)
  • 1938 – William Stern, German-American psychologist and philosopher (b. 1871)
  • 1940 – Michael Joseph Savage, Australian-New Zealand politician, 23rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1872)
  • 1942 – Julio González, Catalan sculptor and painter (b. 1876)
  • 1943 – George Monckton-Arundell, 8th Viscount Galway, English politician, 5th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1882)
  • 1945 – Vincent Hugo Bendix, American engineer and businessman, founded Bendix Corporation (b. 1881)
  • 1945 – Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, Turkish author, poet, and playwright (b. 1866)
  • 1946 – Karl Groos, German psychologist and philosopher (b. 1861)
  • 1949 – Elisheva Bikhovski, Israeli-Russian poet (b. 1888)
  • 1952 – Kiichiro Toyoda, Japanese businessman, founded Toyota (b. 1894)
  • 1956 – Évariste Lévi-Provençal, French orientalist and historian (b. 1894)
  • 1958 – Leon C. Phillips, American lawyer and politician, 11th Governor of Oklahoma (b. 1890)
  • 1960 – Gregorio Marañón, Spanish physician, philosopher, and author (b. 1887)
  • 1967 – Jaroslav Heyrovský, Czech chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
  • 1968 – Yuri Gagarin, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1934)
  • 1968 – Vladimir Seryogin, Russian soldier and pilot (b. 1922)
  • 1973 – Mikhail Kalatozov, Georgian-Russian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (b. 1903)
  • 1974 – Eduardo Santos, Colombian journalist, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of Colombia (b. 1888)
  • 1975 – Arthur Bliss, English conductor and composer (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Georg August Zinn, German lawyer and politician, Minister President of Hesse (b. 1901)
  • 1977 – Shirley Graham Du Bois, American author, playwright, and composer (b. 1896)
  • 1977 – Diana Hyland, American actress (b. 1936)
  • 1977 – Jacob Veldhuyzen van Zanten, Dutch airline pilot (b. 1927)
  • 1978 – Nat Bailey, Canadian businessman, founded the White Spot (b. 1902)
  • 1978 – Kunwar Digvijay Singh, Indian field hockey (b. 1922)
  • 1978 – Sverre Farstad, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1920)
  • 1980 – Steve Fisher, American author and screenwriter (b. 1912)
  • 1981 – Jakob Ackeret, Swiss engineer and academic (b. 1898)
  • 1982 – Fazlur Khan, Bangladeshi-American engineer and architect, designed the John Hancock Center and Willis Tower (b. 1929)
  • 1987 – William Bowers, American journalist and screenwriter (b. 1916)
  • 1988 – Charles Willeford, American author, poet, and critic (b. 1919)
  • 1989 – May Allison, American actress (b. 1890)
  • 1989 – Malcolm Cowley, American novelist, poet, and literary critic (b. 1898)
  • 1990 – Percy Beard, American hurdler and coach (b. 1908)
  • 1991 – Aldo Ray, American actor (b. 1926)
  • 1992 – Colin Gibson, English footballer (b. 1923)
  • 1992 – Lang Hancock, Australian businessman (b. 1909)
  • 1992 – James E. Webb, American colonel and politician, 16th Under Secretary of State (b. 1906)
  • 1993 – Kamal Hassan Ali, Egyptian general and politician, Prime Minister of Egypt (b. 1921)
  • 1993 – Paul László, Hungarian-American architect and interior designer (b. 1900)
  • 1994 – Elisabeth Schmid, German archaeologist and osteologist (b. 1912)
  • 1994 – Lawrence Wetherby, American lawyer and politician, 48th Governor of Kentucky (b. 1908)
  • 1995 – René Allio, French director and screenwriter (b. 1924)
  • 1997 – Lane Dwinell, American businessman and politician, 69th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1906)
  • 1997 – Ella Maillart, Swiss skier, sailor, field hockey player, and photographer (b. 1903)
  • 1998 – David McClelland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1917)
  • 1999 – Michael Aris, Cuban-English author and academic (b. 1946)
  • 2000 – George Allen, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1914)
  • 2000 – Ian Dury, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1942)
  • 2002 – Milton Berle, American comedian and actor (b. 1908)
  • 2002 – Dudley Moore, English actor (b. 1935)
  • 2002 – Billy Wilder, Austrian-born American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 2003 – Edwin Carr, New Zealand composer and educator (b. 1926)
  • 2004 – Robert Merle, French author (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Wilfred Gordon Bigelow, Canadian soldier and surgeon (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Dan Curtis, American director and producer (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Stanisław Lem, Ukrainian-Polish author (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Rudolf Vrba, Czech Holocaust survivor and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Neil Williams, English cricketer (b. 1962)
  • 2007 – Nancy Adams, New Zealand botanist and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Paul Lauterbur, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1929)
  • 2008 – Jean-Marie Balestre, French businessman (b. 1921)
  • 2009 – Irving R. Levine, American journalist and author (b. 1922)
  • 2010 – Dick Giordano, American illustrator (b. 1932)
  • 2011 – Clement Arrindell, Nevisian judge and politician, 1st Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis (b. 1931)
  • 2011 – Farley Granger, American actor (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Adrienne Rich, American poet, essayist and feminist (b. 1929)
  • 2013 – Hjalmar Andersen, Norwegian speed skater (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Yvonne Brill, Canadian-American scientist and engineer (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Fay Kanin, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1917)
  • 2014 – Richard N. Frye, American scholar and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – James R. Schlesinger, American economist and politician, 12th United States Secretary of Defense and first United States Secretary of Energy (b. 1929)
  • 2015 – Johnny Helms, American trumpet player, bandleader, and educator (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – T. Sailo, Indian soldier and politician, 2nd Chief Minister of Mizoram (b. 1922)
  • 2016 – Mother Angelica, American Roman Catholic religious leader and media personality (b. 1923)

Holidays and observances on March 27

  • Christian feast day:
    • Alexander, a Pannonian soldier, martyred in 3rd century.
    • Amador of Portugal
    • Augusta of Treviso
    • Charles Henry Brent (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh
    • John of Egypt
    • Philetus
    • Romulus of Nîmes, a Benedictine abbot, martyred c. 730.
    • Rupert of Salzburg
    • Zanitas and Lazarus of Persia
    • March 27 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Armed Forces Day (Myanmar)
  • International whisk(e)y day
  • World Theatre Day (International)

March 26 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 590 – Emperor Maurice proclaims his son Theodosius as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1027 – Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1169 – Saladin becomes the emir of Egypt.
  • 1344 – The Siege of Algeciras, one of the first European military engagements where gunpowder was used, comes to an end.
  • 1351 – Combat of the Thirty: Thirty Breton knights call out and defeat thirty English knights.
  • 1484 – William Caxton prints his translation of Aesop’s Fables.
  • 1552 – Guru Amar Das becomes the Third Sikh guru.
  • 1636 – Utrecht University is founded in the Netherlands.
  • 1697 – Safavid government troops take control of Basra
  • 1812 – An earthquake devastates Caracas, Venezuela.
  • 1812 – A political cartoon in the Boston Gazette coins the term “gerrymander” to describe oddly shaped electoral districts designed to help incumbents win reelection.
  • 1830 – The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York.
  • 1839 – The first Henley Royal Regatta is held.
  • 1871 – The elections of Commune council of the Paris Commune are held.
  • 1885 – The Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel begin the North-West Rebellion against Canada.
  • 1913 – First Balkan War: Bulgarian forces capture Adrianople.
  • 1915 – The Vancouver Millionaires win the 1915 Stanley Cup Finals, the first championship played between the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and the National Hockey Association.
  • 1917 – World War I: First Battle of Gaza: British troops are halted after 17,000 Turks block their advance.
  • 1922 – The German Social Democratic Party is founded in Poland.
  • 1931 – Swissair is founded as the national airline of Switzerland.
  • 1931 – Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is founded in Vietnam.
  • 1934 – The United Kingdom driving test is introduced.
  • 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Nationalists begin their final offensive of the war.
  • 1942 – World War II: The first female prisoners arrive at Auschwitz concentration camp in German-occupied Poland.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Iwo Jima ends as the island is officially secured by American forces.
  • 1954 – Nuclear weapons testing: The Romeo shot of Operation Castle is detonated at Bikini Atoll. Yield: 11 megatons.
  • 1958 – The United States Army launches Explorer 3.
  • 1958 – The African Regroupment Party is launched at a meeting in Paris.
  • 1967 – Ten thousand people gather for one of many Central Park be-ins in New York City.
  • 1970 – South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu implements a land reform program to solve the problem of land tenancy.
  • 1971 – East Pakistan declares its independence from Pakistan to form Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Liberation War begins.
  • 1975 – The Biological Weapons Convention comes into force.
  • 1979 – Anwar al-Sadat, Menachem Begin and Jimmy Carter sign the Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty in Washington, D.C.
  • 1981 – Social Democratic Party (UK) is founded as a party.
  • 1982 – A groundbreaking ceremony for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is held in Washington, D.C.
  • 1991 – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay sign the Treaty of Asunción, establishing Mercosur, the South Common Market.
  • 1997 – Thirty-nine bodies are found in the Heaven’s Gate mass suicides.
  • 1998 – During the Algerian Civil War, the Oued Bouaicha massacre sees fifty-two people, mostly infants, killed with axes and knives.
  • 2005 – Around 200,000 to 300,000 Taiwanese demonstrate in Taipei in opposition to the Anti-Secession Law of China.
  • 2010 – The South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan is torpedoed, killing 46 sailors. After an international investigation, the President of the United Nations Security Council blames North Korea.
  • 2017 – Russia-wide anti-corruption protests in 99 cities. The Levada Center survey showed that 38% of surveyed Russians supported protests and that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption.

Births on March 26

  • 1031 – Malcolm III, king of Scotland (d. 1093)
  • 1516 – Conrad Gessner, Swiss botanist and zoologist (d. 1565)
  • 1554 – Charles of Lorraine, duke of Mayenne (d. 1611)
  • 1584 – John II, duke of Zweibrücken (d. 1635)
  • 1633 – Mary Beale, British artist (d. 1699)
  • 1634 – Domenico Freschi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1710)
  • 1656 – Nicolaas Hartsoeker, Dutch mathematician and physicist (d. 1725)
  • 1687 – Sophia Dorothea of Hanover, queen consort of Prussia (d. 1757)
  • 1698 – Prokop Diviš, Czech priest, scientist and inventor (d. 1765)
  • 1749 – William Blount, American politician (d. 1800)
  • 1753 – Benjamin Thompson, American-French physicist and politician, Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (d. 1814)
  • 1773 – Nathaniel Bowditch, American mathematician and navigator (d. 1838)
  • 1794 – Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, German painter (d. 1872)
  • 1804 – David Humphreys Storer, American physician and academic (d. 1891)
  • 1824 – Julie-Victoire Daubié, French journalist (d. 1874)
  • 1829 – Théodore Aubanel, French poet (d. 1886)
  • 1842 – Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, French occultist (d. 1909)
  • 1850 – Edward Bellamy, American author, socialist, and utopian visionary (d. 1898)
  • 1852 – Élémir Bourges, French author (d. 1925)
  • 1854 – Maurice Lecoq, French target shooter (d. 1925)
  • 1856 – William Massey, Irish-New Zealand farmer and politician, 19th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1925)
  • 1857 – Théodore Tuffier, French surgeon (d. 1929)
  • 1859 – A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (d. 1936)
  • 1859 – Adolf Hurwitz, Jewish German-Swiss mathematician and academic (d. 1919)
  • 1860 – André Prévost, French tennis player (d. 1919)
  • 1866 – Fred Karno, English producer and manager (d. 1941)
  • 1868 – King Fuad I of Egypt (d. 1936)
  • 1873 – Dorothea Bleek, South African-German anthropologist and philologist (d. 1948)
  • 1874 – Robert Frost, American poet and playwright (d. 1963)
  • 1875 – Max Abraham, Polish-German physicist and academic (d. 1922)
  • 1875 – Syngman Rhee, South Korean journalist and politician, 1st President of South Korea (d. 1965)
  • 1876 – William of Wied, prince of Albania (d. 1945)
  • 1876 – Kate Richards O’Hare, American Socialist Party activist and editor (d. 1948)
  • 1879 – Othmar Ammann, Swiss-American engineer, designed the George Washington Bridge and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (d. 1965)
  • 1879 – Waldemar Tietgens, German rower (d. 1917)
  • 1881 – Guccio Gucci, Italian fashion designer, founded Gucci (d. 1953)
  • 1882 – Hermann Obrecht, Swiss politician (d. 1940)
  • 1884 – Wilhelm Backhaus, German pianist and educator (d. 1969)
  • 1884 – Georges Imbert, French chemical engineer and inventor (d. 1950)
  • 1886 – Hugh Mulzac, Vincentian-American soldier and politician (d. 1971)
  • 1888 – Elsa Brändström, Swedish nurse and philanthropist (d. 1948)
  • 1893 – James Bryant Conant, American chemist, academic, and diplomat, 1st United States Ambassador to West Germany (d. 1978)
  • 1893 – Palmiro Togliatti, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Justice (d. 1964)
  • 1894 – Viorica Ursuleac, Ukrainian-Romanian soprano and actress (d. 1985)
  • 1895 – Vilho Tuulos, Finnish triple jumper (d. 1967)
  • 1898 – Rudolf Dassler, German businessman, founded Puma SE (d. 1974)
  • 1898 – Charles Shadwell, English conductor and bandleader (d. 1979)
  • 1900 – Angela Maria Autsch, German nun, died in Auschwitz helping Jewish prisoners (d. 1941)
  • 1904 – Joseph Campbell, American mythologist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1904 – Emilio Fernández, Mexican actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1986)
  • 1904 – Attilio Ferraris, Italian footballer (d. 1947)
  • 1905 – Monty Berman, English cinematographer and producer (d. 2006)
  • 1905 – André Cluytens, Belgian-French conductor and director (d. 1967)
  • 1905 – Viktor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist (d. 1997)
  • 1906 – Rafael Méndez, Mexican trumpet player and composer (d. 1981)
  • 1907 – Azellus Denis, Canadian lawyer and politician, Postmaster General of Canada (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Mahadevi Varma, Indian poet and activist (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Franz Stangl, Austrian-German SS officer (d. 1971)
  • 1909 – Chips Rafferty, Australian actor (d. 1971)
  • 1910 – K. W. Devanayagam, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 10th Sri Lankan Minister of Justice (d. 2002)
  • 1911 – Lennart Atterwall, Swedish javelin thrower (d. 2001)
  • 1911 – J. L. Austin, English philosopher and academic (d. 1960)
  • 1911 – Bernard Katz, German-English biophysicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2003)
  • 1911 – Tennessee Williams, American playwright, and poet (d. 1983)
  • 1913 – Jacqueline de Romilly, Jewish Franco-Greek philologist, author, and scholar (d. 2010)
  • 1913 – Paul Erdős, Hungarian-Polish mathematician and academic (d. 1996)
  • 1914 – Toru Kumon, Japanese mathematician and academic (d. 1995)
  • 1914 – William Westmoreland, American general (d. 2005)
  • 1915 – Lennart Strandberg, Swedish sprinter (d. 1989)
  • 1915 – Hwang Sun-won, North Korean author and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Christian B. Anfinsen, American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1995)
  • 1916 – Bill Edrich, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1986)
  • 1916 – Sterling Hayden, American actor and author (d. 1986)
  • 1917 – Rufus Thomas, American R&B singer-songwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1919 – Strother Martin, American actor (d. 1980)
  • 1919 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1965)
  • 1920 – Sergio Livingstone, Chilean footballer and journalist (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – William Milliken, American politician, 44th Governor of Michigan (d. 2019)
  • 1922 – Oscar Sala, Italian-Brazilian physicist and academic (d. 2010)
  • 1922 – Guido Stampacchia, Italian mathematician and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1923 – Gert Bastian, German general and politician (d. 1992)
  • 1923 – Bob Elliott, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Maqsood Ahmed, Pakistani cricketer (d. 1999)
  • 1925 – Pierre Boulez, French pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Vesta Roy, American politician, Governor of New Hampshire (d. 2002)
  • 1925 – Edward Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, English soldier and politician (d. 2020)
  • 1925 – Ben Mondor, Canadian-American businessman (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – James Moody, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Harold Chapman, English photographer
  • 1929 – Edward Sorel, American illustrator and caricaturist
  • 1929 – Edwin Turney, American businessman, co-founded Advanced Micro Devices (d. 2008)
  • 1930 – Sandra Day O’Connor, American lawyer and jurist
  • 1930 – Gregory Corso, American poet (d. 2001)
  • 1931 – Leonard Nimoy, American actor (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Leroy Griffith, American businessman
  • 1932 – James Andrew Harris, American chemist and academic (d. 2000)
  • 1933 – Tinto Brass, Italian director and screenwriter
  • 1934 – Alan Arkin, American actor
  • 1934 – Edvaldo Alves de Santa Rosa, Brazilian footballer (d. 2002)
  • 1937 – Wayne Embry, American basketball player and manager
  • 1937 – Barbara Jones, American sprinter
  • 1937 – James Lee, Canadian businessman and politician, 26th Premier of Prince Edward Island
  • 1938 – Norman Ackroyd, English painter and illustrator
  • 1938 – Anthony James Leggett, English-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1940 – James Caan, American actor and singer
  • 1940 – Nancy Pelosi, American lawyer and politician, 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
  • 1941 – Richard Dawkins, Kenyan-English ethologist, biologist, and academic
  • 1941 – Lella Lombardi, Italian racing driver (d. 1992)
  • 1942 – Erica Jong, American novelist and poet
  • 1943 – Mustafa Kalemli, Turkish physician and politician, Turkish Minister of the Interior
  • 1943 – Bob Woodward, American journalist and author
  • 1944 – Diana Ross, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
  • 1945 – Paul Bérenger, Mauritian politician, Prime Minister of Mauritius
  • 1945 – Mikhail Voronin, Russian gymnast and coach (d. 2004)
  • 1946 – Johnny Crawford, American actor and singer
  • 1946 – Alain Madelin, French politician, French Minister of Finance
  • 1947 – Subhash Kak, Indian-American professor and author
  • 1947 – John Rowles, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1948 – Kyung-wha Chung, South Korean violinist and educator
  • 1948 – Richard Tandy, English pianist and keyboard player (Electric Light Orchestra)
  • 1948 – Steven Tyler, American singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1949 – Jon English, English-Australian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2016)
  • 1949 – Rudi Koertzen, South African cricketer and umpire
  • 1949 – Vicki Lawrence, American actress, comedian, talk show host, and singer
  • 1949 – Fran Sheehan, American bass player
  • 1949 – Patrick Süskind, German author and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Ernest Lee Thomas, American actor
  • 1950 – Teddy Pendergrass, American singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1950 – Graham Barlow, English cricketer
  • 1950 – Martin Short, Canadian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer
  • 1950 – Alan Silvestri, American composer and conductor
  • 1951 – Željko Pavličević, Croatian professional basketball coach and former professional player
  • 1951 – Carl Wieman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1952 – Didier Pironi, French racing driver (d. 1987)
  • 1953 – Lincoln Chafee, American academic and politician, 74th Governor of Rhode Island
  • 1953 – Elaine Chao, Taiwanese-American banker and politician, 24th United States Secretary of Labor
  • 1953 – Tatyana Providokhina, Russian runner
  • 1954 – Clive Palmer, Australian businessman and politician
  • 1954 – Curtis Sliwa, American talk show host and activist, founded Guardian Angels
  • 1954 – Dorothy Porter, Australian poet and playwright (d. 2008)
  • 1956 – Charly McClain, American country singer
  • 1956 – Park Won-soon, South Korean lawyer and politician, 35th Mayor of Seoul
  • 1957 – Fiona Bruce, Scottish lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Leeza Gibbons, American talk show host and television personality
  • 1957 – Paul Morley, English journalist, producer, and author
  • 1957 – Shirin Neshat, Iranian visual artist
  • 1958 – Elio de Angelis, Italian racing driver (d. 1986)
  • 1960 – Marcus Allen, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1960 – Jennifer Grey, American actress and dancer
  • 1960 – Graeme Rutjes, Australian-Dutch footballer
  • 1961 – William Hague, English historian and politician, First Secretary of State
  • 1962 – Richard Coles, English pianist, saxophonist, and priest
  • 1962 – Kevin Seitzer, American baseball player and coach
  • 1962 – Yuri Gidzenko, Russian pilot and cosmonaut
  • 1962 – John Stockton, American basketball player and coach
  • 1962 – Eric Allan Kramer, American-Canadian actor
  • 1963 – Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Japanese author
  • 1964 – Martin Bella, Australian rugby league player
  • 1964 – Martin Donnelly, Irish racing driver
  • 1964 – Maria Miller, English businessman and politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  • 1964 – Ulf Samuelsson, Swedish-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1965 – Trey Azagthoth, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1965 – Violeta Szekely, Romanian runner
  • 1966 – Michael Imperioli, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1967 – Jason Chaffetz, American politician
  • 1968 – Laurent Brochard, French cyclist
  • 1968 – Kenny Chesney, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1968 – James Iha, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1969 – Alessandro Moscardi, Italian rugby player
  • 1970 – Paul Bosvelt, Dutch footballer
  • 1970 – Jelle Goes, Dutch footballer and coach
  • 1970 – Thomas Kyparissis, Greek footballer
  • 1970 – Martin McDonagh, English-born Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director
  • 1971 – Behzad Ghorbani, Iranian zoologist
  • 1971 – Martyn Day, Scottish politician
  • 1971 – Erick Morillo, Colombian-American DJ and producer
  • 1971 – Rennae Stubbs, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Paul Williams, English footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Leslie Mann, American actress
  • 1972 – Jason Maxwell, American baseball player
  • 1973 – Larry Page, American computer scientist and businessman, co-founder of Google
  • 1973 – T. R. Knight, American actor
  • 1973 – Matt Burke, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Irina Spîrlea, Romanian tennis player
  • 1974 – Vadimas Petrenko, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1974 – Michael Peca, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1976 – Amy Smart, American actress and former model
  • 1976 – Alex Varas, Chilean footballer
  • 1976 – Eirik Verås Larsen, Norwegian sprint kayaker
  • 1977 – Kevin Davies, English footballer
  • 1977 – Bianca Kajlich, American actress
  • 1977 – Sylvain Grenier, Canadian wrestler
  • 1978 – Anastasia Kostaki, Greek basketball player
  • 1979 – Nacho Novo, Spanish footballer
  • 1979 – Ben Blair, New Zealand rugby union footballer
  • 1979 – Hiromi Uehara, Japanese pianist and composer
  • 1979 – Pierre Womé, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1979 – Juliana Paes, Brazilian actress
  • 1980 – Margaret Brennan, American journalist
  • 1980 – Son Ho-young, South Korean singer
  • 1980 – Richie Wellens, English footballer
  • 1981 – Sébastien Centomo, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Baruch Dego, Ethiopian-Israeli footballer
  • 1981 – Massimo Donati, Italian footballer
  • 1981 – Josh Wilson, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Mikel Arteta, Spanish footballer
  • 1982 – Brendan Ryan, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Nate Kaeding, American football player
  • 1983 – Andreas Hinkel, German footballer
  • 1983 – Floriana Lima, American actress
  • 1983 – Roman Bednář, Czech footballer
  • 1983 – Mike Mondo, American wrestler
  • 1984 – Jimmy Howard, American ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Drew Mitchell, Australian rugby player
  • 1984 – Felix Neureuther, German skier
  • 1984 – Marco Stier, German footballer
  • 1984 – Gregory Strydom, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1984 – Sara Jean Underwood, American model, television host, and actress
  • 1985 – Keira Knightley, English actress
  • 1985 – Matt Grevers, American swimmer
  • 1985 – Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer
  • 1985 – Prosper Utseya, Zimbabwean cricketer
  • 1986 – Maxime Biset, Belgian footballer
  • 1986 – Rob Kearney, Irish rugby player
  • 1986 – Emma Laine, Finnish tennis player
  • 1987 – Kim Dong-suk, South Korean footballer
  • 1987 – Jermichael Finley, American football player
  • 1987 – Steven Fletcher, Scottish footballer
  • 1989 – Simon Kjær, Danish footballer
  • 1990 – Choi Woo-shik, South Korean actor
  • 1990 – Patrick Ekeng, Cameroonian footballer (d. 2016)
  • 1990 – Yuya Takaki, Japanese idol, singer, dancer, model and actor
  • 1990 – Xiumin, South Korean singer and actor, member of South Korean boy band EXO
  • 1991 – Matt Davidson, American baseball player
  • 1992 – Nina Agdal, Danish model
  • 1992 – Stoffel Vandoorne, Belgian racing driver
  • 1994 – Jed Wallace, English footballer
  • 1996 – Zane Musgrove, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1996 – Kathryn Bernardo, Filipino actress
  • 1998 – Satoko Miyahara, Japanese figure skater
  • 2003 – Bhad Bhabie, American rapper and social media personality

Deaths on March 26

  • 752 – Pope-elect Stephen
  • 809 – Ludger, Frisian missionary
  • 903 – Sugawara no Michizane, Japanese poet
  • 908 – Ai, emperor of the Tang Dynasty (b. 892)
  • 922 – Mansur Al-Hallaj, Persian mystic and poet (b. 858)
  • 929 – Wang Du, Chinese warlord and governor (jiedushi)
  • 973 – Guntram (“the Rich”), Frankish nobleman
  • 983 – ‘Adud al-Dawla, Iranian ruler (b. 936)
  • 1091 – Wallada bint al-Mustakfi, Andalusian poet
  • 1130 – Sigurd the Crusader, Norwegian king (b. 1090)
  • 1132 – Geoffrey of Vendôme, French cardinal and theologian (b. 1065)
  • 1212 – Sancho I of Portugal (b. 1154)
  • 1242 – William de Forz, 3rd Earl of Albemarle
  • 1324 – Marie de Luxembourg, Queen of France (b. 1304)
  • 1326 – Alessandra Giliani, anatomist (b. c. 1307)
  • 1402 – David Stewart, Duke of Rothesay, heir to the throne of Scotland (b. 1378)
  • 1437 – Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl, Scottish nobleman and regicide
  • 1517 – Heinrich Isaac, Flemish composer (b. 1450)
  • 1535 – Georg Tannstetter, Austrian mathematician, astronomer, and cartographer (b. 1482)
  • 1546 – Thomas Elyot, English scholar and diplomat (b. 1490)
  • 1566 – Antonio de Cabezón, Spanish organist and composer (b. 1510)
  • 1625 – Giambattista Marini, Italian poet (b. 1569)
  • 1649 – John Winthrop, English lawyer and politician, 2nd Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
  • 1679 – Johannes Schefferus, Swedish historian and author (b. 1621)
  • 1697 – Godfrey McCulloch, Scottish politician (b. 1640)
  • 1726 – John Vanbrugh, English playwright and architect, designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard (b. 1664)
  • 1772 – Charles Pinot Duclos, French author and politician (b. 1704)
  • 1776 – Samuel Ward, American jurist and politician, 31st Governor of the Colony of Rhode Island (b. 1725)
  • 1780 – Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (b. 1713)
  • 1793 – John Mudge, English physician and engineer (b. 1721)
  • 1797 – James Hutton, Scottish geologist and physician (b. 1726)
  • 1814 – Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, French physician and politician (b. 1738)
  • 1827 – Ludwig van Beethoven, German pianist and composer (b. 1770)
  • 1858 – John Addison Thomas, American lieutenant, engineer, and politician, 3rd United States Assistant Secretary of State (b. 1811)
  • 1862 – Uriah P. Levy, American commander (b. 1792)
  • 1881 – Roman Sanguszko, Polish general and activist (b. 1800)
  • 1885 – Anson Stager, American general and businessman, co-founded Western Union (b. 1825)
  • 1888 – Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar (b. 1837)
  • 1892 – Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist (b. 1819)
  • 1902 – Cecil Rhodes, English-South African colonialist, businessman and politician, 6th Prime Minister of the Cape Colony (b. 1853)
  • 1905 – Maurice Barrymore, American actor (b. 1849)
  • 1910 – Auguste Charlois, French astronomer (b. 1864)
  • 1920 – William Chester Minor, American surgeon and lexicographer (b. 1834)
  • 1923 – Sarah Bernhardt, French actress and screenwriter (b. 1844)
  • 1926 – Constantin Fehrenbach, German lawyer and politician, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1852)
  • 1932 – Henry M. Leland, American machinist, inventor, engineer, automotive entrepreneur and founded of Cadillac and Lincoln (b. 1843)
  • 1934 – John Biller, American jumper and discus thrower (b. 1877)
  • 1940 – Wilhelm Anderson, German-Estonian astrophysicist (b. 1880)
  • 1940 – Spyridon Louis, Greek runner (b. 1873)
  • 1942 – Jimmy Burke, American baseball player and manager (b. 1874)
  • 1942 – Carolyn Wells, American novelist and poet (b. 1862)
  • 1945 – David Lloyd George, English-Welsh lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1863)
  • 1951 – James F. Hinkle, American banker and politician, 6th Governor of New Mexico (b. 1864)
  • 1954 – Charles Perrin, French rower (b. 1875)
  • 1957 – Édouard Herriot, French politician, Prime Minister of France (b. 1872)
  • 1958 – Phil Mead, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1887)
  • 1959 – Raymond Chandler, American crime novelist and screenwriter (b. 1888)
  • 1966 – Victor Hochepied, French swimmer (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – John Kennedy Toole, American novelist (b. 1937)
  • 1973 – Noël Coward, English playwright, actor, and composer (b. 1899)
  • 1973 – Johnny Drake, American football player (b. 1916)
  • 1979 – Beauford Delaney, American-French painter (b. 1901)
  • 1979 – Jean Stafford, American author and academic (b. 1915)
  • 1980 – Roland Barthes, French linguist and critic (b. 1915)
  • 1983 – Anthony Blunt, English historian and spy (b. 1907)
  • 1984 – Ahmed Sékou Touré, Guinean politician, 1st President of Guinea (b. 1922)
  • 1987 – Eugen Jochum, German conductor (b. 1902)
  • 1987 – Walter Abel, American actor (b. 1898)
  • 1990 – Halston, American fashion designer (b. 1932)
  • 1992 – Barbara Frum, American-Canadian journalist and radio host (b. 1937)
  • 1993 – Louis Falco, American dancer and choreographer (b. 1942)
  • 1995 – Eazy-E, American rapper and producer (b. 1964)
  • 1996 – Edmund Muskie, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician, 58th United States Secretary of State (b. 1914)
  • 1996 – David Packard, American engineer and businessman, co-founded Hewlett-Packard (b. 1912)
  • 2000 – Alex Comfort, English physician and author (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Randy Castillo, American drummer and songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 2003 – Daniel Patrick Moynihan, American sociologist and politician, 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (b. 1927)
  • 2004 – Jan Sterling, American actress (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – James Callaghan, English lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1912)
  • 2005 – Frederick Rotimi Williams, Nigerian lawyer and politician (b. 1920)
  • 2006 – Anil Biswas, Indian journalist and politician (b. 1944)
  • 2006 – Paul Dana, American racing driver (b. 1975)
  • 2006 – Nikki Sudden, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1956)
  • 2008 – Robert Fagles, American poet and academic (b. 1933)
  • 2008 – Manuel Marulanda, Colombian rebel leader (b. 1930)
  • 2009 – Shane McConkey, Canadian skier and BASE jumper (b. 1969)
  • 2009 – Arne Bendiksen, Norwegian singer and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2010 – Charles Ryskamp, American art collector and curator (b. 1928)
  • 2011 – Roger Abbott, English-Canadian actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2011 – Geraldine Ferraro, American lawyer and politician (b. 1935)
  • 2011 – Diana Wynne Jones, English author (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Sisto Averno, American football player (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Michael Begley, Irish carpenter and politician (b. 1932)
  • 2012 – Thomas M. Cover, American theorist and academic (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – David Craighead, American organist and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Manik Godghate, Indian poet and educator (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Helmer Ringgren, Swedish theologian and academic (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Tom Boerwinkle, American basketball player and sportscaster (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Krzysztof Kozłowski, Polish journalist and politician, Polish Minister of Interior (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Dave Leggett, American baseball player (b. 1933)
  • 2013 – Don Payne, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1964)
  • 2014 – Roger Birkman, American psychologist and author (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Dick Guidry, American businessman and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Marcus Kimball, Baron Kimball, English politician (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Dinkha IV, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1935)
  • 2015 – Friedrich L. Bauer, German mathematician, computer scientist, and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Tomas Tranströmer, Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1931)
  • 2016 – Jim Harrison, American novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1937)
  • 2018 – Fabrizio Frizzi, Italian television presenter (b. 1958)

Holidays and observances on March 26

  • Christian feast days:
    • Castulus
    • Emmanuel and companions
    • Felicitas
    • Harriet Monsell (Church of England)
    • Larissa
    • Ludger
    • Richard Allen (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • March 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Independence Day and National Day (Bangladesh), celebrates the declaration of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
  • Martyr’s Day or Day of Democracy (Mali)
  • Prince Kūhiō Day (Hawaii, United States)
  • Purple Day (Canada and United States)
  • Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (Eastern Christianity)

March 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 1068 – An earthquake in the Levant and the Arabian Peninsula, leaves up to 20,000 dead.
  • 1229 – Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, declares himself King of Jerusalem in the Sixth Crusade.
  • 1241 – First Mongol invasion of Poland: Mongols overwhelm Polish armies in Kraków in the Battle of Chmielnik and plunder the city.
  • 1314 – Jacques de Molay, the 23rd and final Grand Master of the Knights Templar, is burned at the stake.
  • 1438 – Albert II of Habsburg becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1608 – Susenyos is formally crowned Emperor of Ethiopia.
  • 1644 – The Third Anglo-Powhatan War begins in the Colony of Virginia.
  • 1741 – New York governor George Clarke’s complex at Fort George is burned in an arson attack, starting the New York Conspiracy of 1741.
  • 1766 – American Revolution: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act.
  • 1793 – The first modern republic in Germany, the Republic of Mainz, is declared by Andreas Joseph Hofmann.
  • 1793 – Flanders Campaign of the French Revolution, Battle of Neerwinden.
  • 1834 – Six farm labourers from Tolpuddle, Dorset, England are sentenced to be transported to Australia for forming a trade union.
  • 1848 – March Revolution: In Berlin there is a struggle between citizens and military, costing about 300 lives.
  • 1850 – American Express is founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: The Congress of the Confederate States adjourns for the last time.
  • 1871 – Declaration of the Paris Commune; President of the French Republic, Adolphe Thiers, orders the evacuation of Paris.
  • 1874 – Hawaii signs a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trade rights.
  • 1892 – Former Governor General Lord Stanley pledges to donate a silver challenge cup as an award for the best hockey team in Canada; it was later named after him as the Stanley Cup.
  • 1900 – AFC Ajax Amsterdam, The Netherlands’s biggest and most successful football club, was founded.
  • 1902 – Macario Sakay issues Presidential Order No. 1 of his Tagalog Republic.
  • 1913 – King George I of Greece is assassinated in the recently liberated city of Thessaloniki.
  • 1915 – World War I: During the Battle of Gallipoli, three battleships are sunk during a failed British and French naval attack on the Dardanelles.
  • 1921 – The second Peace of Riga is signed between Poland and the Soviet Union.
  • 1921 – The Kronstadt rebellion is suppressed by the Red Army.
  • 1922 – In India, Mohandas Gandhi is sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience, of which he serves only two.
  • 1925 – The Tri-State Tornado hits the Midwestern states of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing 695 people.
  • 1937 – The New London School explosion in New London, Texas, kills 300 people, mostly children.
  • 1937 – Spanish Civil War: Spanish Republican forces defeat the Italians at the Battle of Guadalajara.
  • 1938 – Mexico creates Pemex by expropriating all foreign-owned oil reserves and facilities.
  • 1940 – World War II: Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass in the Alps and agree to form an alliance against France and the United Kingdom.
  • 1942 – The War Relocation Authority is established in the United States to take Japanese Americans into custody.
  • 1944 – Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts, killing 26 people, causing thousands to flee their homes, and destroying dozens of Allied bombers.
  • 1948 – Soviet consultants leave Yugoslavia in the first sign of the Tito–Stalin Split.
  • 1953 – An earthquake hits western Turkey, killing 265 people.
  • 1959 – The Hawaii Admission Act is signed into law.
  • 1962 – The Évian Accords end the Algerian War of Independence, which had begun in 1954.
  • 1965 – Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space.
  • 1967 – The supertanker Torrey Canyon runs aground off the Cornish coast.
  • 1968 – Gold standard: The U.S. Congress repeals the requirement for a gold reserve to back US currency.
  • 1969 – The United States begins secretly bombing the Sihanouk Trail in Cambodia, used by communist forces to infiltrate South Vietnam.
  • 1970 – Lon Nol ousts Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia.
  • 1971 – Peru: a landslide crashes into Yanawayin Lake, killing 200 people at the mining camp of Chungar.
  • 1980 – A Vostok-2M rocket at Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 43 explodes during a fueling operation, killing 48 people.
  • 1990 – Germans in the German Democratic Republic vote in the first democratic elections in the former communist dictatorship.
  • 1990 – In the largest art theft in US history, 12 paintings, collectively worth around $500 million, are stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.
  • 1994 – Bosnia’s Bosniaks and Croats sign the Washington Agreement, ending war between the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and establishing the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
  • 1996 – A nightclub fire in Quezon City, Philippines kills 162 people.
  • 1997 – The tail of a Russian Antonov An-24 charter plane breaks off while en route to Turkey causing the plane to crash and killing all 50 people on board.
  • 2014 – The parliaments of Russia and Crimea sign an accession treaty.
  • 2015 – The Bardo National Museum in Tunisia is attacked by gunmen. 23 people, almost all tourists, are killed, and at least 50 other people are wounded.

Births on March 18

  • 1075 – Al-Zamakhshari, Persian scholar and theologian (d. 1144)
  • 1395 – John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter, English military commander (d. 1447)
  • 1495 – Mary Tudor, Queen of France (d. 1533)
  • 1548 – Cornelis Ketel, Dutch painter (d. 1616)
  • 1552 – Polykarp Leyser the Elder, German theologian (d. 1610)
  • 1555 – Francis, Duke of Anjou (d. 1584)
  • 1578 – Adam Elsheimer, German painter (d. 1610)
  • 1590 – Manuel de Faria e Sousa, Portuguese historian and poet (d. 1649)
  • 1597 – Jérôme le Royer de la Dauversière, French religious leader, founded the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal (d. 1659)
  • 1603 – Simon Bradstreet, English colonial magistrate (d. 1697)
  • 1609 – Frederick III of Denmark (d. 1670)
  • 1634 – Madame de La Fayette, French author (d. 1693)
  • 1640 – Philippe de La Hire, French mathematician and astronomer (d. 1719)
  • 1657 – Giuseppe Ottavio Pitoni, Italian organist and composer (d. 1743)
  • 1690 – Christian Goldbach, Prussian-German mathematician and academic (d. 1764)
  • 1701 – Niclas Sahlgren, Swedish businessman and philanthropist, co-founded the Swedish East India Company (d. 1776)
  • 1733 – Christoph Friedrich Nicolai, German author and bookseller (d. 1811)
  • 1780 – Miloš Obrenović, Serbian prince (d. 1860)
  • 1782 – John C. Calhoun, American lawyer and politician, 7th Vice President of the United States (d. 1850)
  • 1789 – Charlotte Elliott, English poet, hymn writer, editor (d. 1871)
  • 1798 – Francis Lieber, German-American jurist and philosopher (d. 1872)
  • 1800 – Harriet Smithson, Irish actress, the first wife and muse of Hector Berlioz (d. 1854)
  • 1813 – Christian Friedrich Hebbel, German poet and playwright (d. 1864)
  • 1814 – Jacob Bunn, American businessman (d. 1897)
  • 1819 – James McCulloch, Scottish-Australian politician, 5th Premier of Victoria (d. 1893)
  • 1820 – John Plankinton, American businessman and industrialist, also noted for philanthropy (d. 1891)
  • 1823 – Antoine Chanzy, French general (d. 1883)
  • 1828 – Randal Cremer, English activist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1908)
  • 1837 – Grover Cleveland, American lawyer and politician, 22nd and 24th President of the United States (d. 1908)
  • 1840 – William Cosmo Monkhouse, English poet and critic (d. 1901)
  • 1842 – Stéphane Mallarmé, French poet and critic (d. 1898)
  • 1844 – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer and academic (d. 1908)
  • 1846 – Kicking Bear, Native American tribal leader (d. 1904)
  • 1848 – Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, American architect and engineer (d. 1938)
  • 1858 – Rudolf Diesel, German engineer, invented the Diesel engine (d. 1913)
  • 1862 – Eugène Jansson, Swedish painter (d. 1915)
  • 1863 – William Sulzer, American lawyer and politician, 39th Governor of New York (d. 1941)
  • 1869 – Neville Chamberlain, English businessman and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1940)
  • 1870 – Agnes Sime Baxter, Canadian mathematician (d. 1917)
  • 1874 – Nikolai Berdyaev, Russian-French philosopher and theologian (d. 1948)
  • 1877 – Edgar Cayce, American mystic and psychic (d. 1945)
  • 1877 – Clem Hill, Australian cricketer and engineer (d. 1945)
  • 1878 – Percival Perry, 1st Baron Perry, English businessman (d. 1956)
  • 1882 – Gian Francesco Malipiero, Italian composer and educator (d. 1973)
  • 1884 – Bernard Cronin, English-Australian journalist and author (d. 1968)
  • 1886 – Edward Everett Horton, American actor, singer, and dancer (d. 1970)
  • 1890 – Henri Decoin, French director and screenwriter (d. 1969)
  • 1893 – Costante Girardengo, Italian cyclist (d. 1978)
  • 1893 – Wilfred Owen, English soldier and poet (d. 1918)
  • 1901 – Manly Palmer Hall, Canadian mystic, author and philosopher (d. 1990)
  • 1901 – William Johnson, American painter (d. 1970)
  • 1903 – Galeazzo Ciano, Italian journalist and politician, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1944)
  • 1903 – E. O. Plauen, German cartoonist (d. 1944)
  • 1904 – Srečko Kosovel, Slovenian poet and author (d. 1926)
  • 1904 – Margaret Tucker, Australian author and activist (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Thomas Townsend Brown, American physicist and engineer (d. 1985)
  • 1905 – Robert Donat, English actor (d. 1958)
  • 1907 – John Zachary Young, English zoologist and neurophysiologist (d. 1997)
  • 1908 – Loulou Gasté, French composer (d. 1995)
  • 1909 – Ernest Gallo, American businessman, co-founded the E & J Gallo Winery (d. 2007)
  • 1909 – C. Walter Hodges, English author and illustrator (d. 2004)
  • 1911 – Smiley Burnette, American singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1967)
  • 1912 – Art Gilmore, American voice actor and announcer (d. 2010)
  • 1913 – René Clément, French director and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1913 – Werner Mölders, German colonel and pilot (d. 1941)
  • 1915 – Richard Condon, American author and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1922 – Egon Bahr, German journalist and politician, Federal Minister for Special Affairs of Germany (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Seymour Martin Lipset, American sociologist and academic (d. 2006)
  • 1922 – Fred Shuttlesworth, American activist, co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (d. 2011)
  • 1923 – Andy Granatelli, American race car driver and businessman (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Alessandro Alessandroni, Italian musician (d. 2017)
  • 1925 – James Pickles, English journalist, lawyer, and judge (d. 2010)
  • 1926 – Peter Graves, American actor and director (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – John Kander, American pianist and composer
  • 1927 – George Plimpton, American journalist and actor (d. 2003)
  • 1927 – Lillian Vernon, German-American businesswoman and philanthropist, founded the Lillian Vernon Company (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Miguel Poblet, Spanish cyclist (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Fidel V. Ramos, Filipino general and politician, 12th President of the Philippines
  • 1929 – Samuel Pisar, Polish-American lawyer and author (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – James J. Andrews, American mathematician and academic (d. 1998)
  • 1931 – John Fraser, Scottish actor
  • 1932 – John Updike, American novelist, short story writer, and critic (d. 2009)
  • 1933 – Unita Blackwell, American civil rights activist and politician (d. 2019)
  • 1934 – Roy Chapman, English footballer and manager (d. 1983)
  • 1934 – Charley Pride, American country music singer and musician
  • 1935 – Ole Barndorff-Nielsen, Danish mathematician and statistician
  • 1935 – Frances Cress Welsing, American psychiatrist and author (d. 2016)
  • 1936 – F. W. de Klerk, South African lawyer and politician, 2nd State President of South Africa, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1937 – Rudi Altig, German cyclist and sportscaster (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Mark Donohue, American race car driver (d. 1975)
  • 1938 – Carl Gottlieb, American actor and screenwriter
  • 1938 – Shashi Kapoor, Indian actor and producer (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Kenny Lynch, English singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2019)
  • 1938 – Timo Mäkinen, Finnish race car driver (d. 2017)
  • 1938 – Machiko Soga, Japanese actress (d. 2006)
  • 1939 – Ron Atkinson, English footballer and manager
  • 1939 – Jean-Pierre Wallez, French violinist and conductor
  • 1941 – Wilson Pickett, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – Kathleen Collins, African-American filmmaker and playwright (d. 1988)
  • 1943 – Dennis Linde, American singer-songwriter (d. 2006)
  • 1944 – Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, Israeli general and politician, 22nd Transportation Minister of Israel (d. 2012)
  • 1944 – Frank McRae, American football player and actor
  • 1944 – Dick Smith, Australian publisher and businessman, founded Dick Smith Electronics and Australian Geographic
  • 1945 – Hiroh Kikai, Japanese photographer
  • 1945 – Michael Reagan, American journalist and radio host
  • 1945 – Susan Tyrrell, American actress (d. 2012)
  • 1945 – Eric Woolfson, Scottish singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 2009)
  • 1946 – Michel Leclère, French race car driver
  • 1947 – Patrick Barlow, English actor and playwright
  • 1947 – Patrick Chesnais, French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – David Lloyd, English cricketer, journalist, and sportscaster
  • 1947 – B. J. Wilson, English rock drummer (d. 1990)
  • 1948 – Guy Lapointe, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1948 – Brian Lloyd, Welsh footballer
  • 1948 – Eknath Solkar, Indian cricketer (d. 2005)
  • 1949 – Åse Kleveland, Norwegian singer and politician, Norwegian Minister of Culture
  • 1950 – James Conlon, American conductor and educator
  • 1950 – Brad Dourif, American actor
  • 1950 – Linda Partridge, English geneticist and academic
  • 1950 – Larry Perkins, Australian race car driver
  • 1951 – Paul Barber, English actor
  • 1951 – Ben Cohen, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Ben and Jerry’s
  • 1951 – Bill Frisell, American guitarist and composer
  • 1951 – Timothy N. Philpot, American lawyer, author, and judge
  • 1952 – Will Durst, American journalist and actor
  • 1952 – Pat Eddery, Irish jockey and trainer (d. 2015)
  • 1952 – Bernie Tormé, Irish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2019)
  • 1952 – Mike Webster, American football player (d. 2002)
  • 1953 – Franz Wright, Austrian-American poet and translator (d. 2015)
  • 1953 – Takashi Yoshimatsu, Japanese composer
  • 1955 – Francis G. Slay, American lawyer and politician, 45th Mayor of St. Louis
  • 1955 – Jeff Stelling, English journalist and game show host
  • 1956 – Rick Martel, Canadian wrestler
  • 1956 – Deborah Jeane Palfrey, American madam (d. 2008)
  • 1956 – Ingemar Stenmark, Swedish skier
  • 1957 – Christer Fuglesang, Swedish physicist and astronaut
  • 1958 – Richard de Zoysa, Sri Lankan journalist and author (d. 1990)
  • 1959 – Luc Besson, French director, producer, and screenwriter, founded EuropaCorp
  • 1960 – Richard Biggs, American actor (d. 2004)
  • 1960 – Guy Carbonneau, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1960 – James Plaskett, Cypriot-English chess player
  • 1961 – Grant Hart, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
  • 1962 – Michael Andrews, Australian rugby league player
  • 1962 – Irene Cara, American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer
  • 1962 – Brian Fisher, American baseball player
  • 1962 – Thomas Ian Griffith, American actor and martial artist
  • 1962 – James McMurtry, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1962 – Etsushi Toyokawa, Japanese actor and director
  • 1962 – Volker Weidler, German race car driver and engineer
  • 1963 – Jeff LaBar, American guitarist
  • 1963 – Vanessa L. Williams, American model, actress, and singer
  • 1964 – Bonnie Blair, American speed skater
  • 1964 – Alex Caffi, Italian race car driver
  • 1964 – Jo Churchill, British politician
  • 1964 – Courtney Pine, English saxophonist and clarinet player
  • 1964 – Isabel Noronha, Mozambican film director
  • 1966 – Jerry Cantrell, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1966 – Peter Jones, English businessman
  • 1966 – Brian Watts, Canadian golfer
  • 1967 – Miki Berenyi, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1968 – Prince Eudes, Duke of Angoulême
  • 1968 – Miguel Herrera, Mexican footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Temur Ketsbaia, Georgian footballer and manager
  • 1968 – Paul Marsden, English businessman and politician
  • 1969 – Andy Cutting, English accordion player and composer
  • 1969 – Vassily Ivanchuk, Ukrainian chess player
  • 1969 – Shaun Udal, English cricketer
  • 1970 – Queen Latifah, American rapper, producer, and actress
  • 1971 – Wayne Arthurs, Australian tennis player
  • 1971 – Mike Bell, American wrestler (d. 2008)
  • 1971 – Mariaan de Swardt, South African-American tennis player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Kitty Ussher, English economist and politician
  • 1972 – Dane Cook, American comedian, actor, director, and producer
  • 1972 – Reince Priebus, American lawyer and politician
  • 1973 – Luci Christian, American voice actress and screenwriter
  • 1974 – Laure Savasta, French basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Stuart Zender, English bass player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1975 – Sutton Foster, American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1975 – Brian Griese, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Kimmo Timonen, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Tomas Žvirgždauskas, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1976 – Giovanna Antonelli, Brazilian actress and producer
  • 1976 – Tomo Ohka, Japanese baseball player
  • 1976 – Scott Podsednik, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Mike Quackenbush, American wrestler, trainer, and author, founded Chikara wrestling promotion
  • 1977 – Zdeno Chára, Slovak ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Danny Murphy, English international footballer, midfielder and sportscaster
  • 1977 – Fernando Rodney, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1977 – Willy Sagnol, French footballer and manager
  • 1977 – Terrmel Sledge, American baseball player and coach
  • 1978 – Fernandão, Brazilian footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1978 – Brooke Hanson, Australian swimmer
  • 1978 – Brian Scalabrine, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1978 – Jonas Wallerstedt, Swedish footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1979 – Adam Levine, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and television personality
  • 1980 – Sébastien Frey, French footballer
  • 1980 – Sophia Myles, English actress
  • 1980 – Alexei Yagudin, Russian figure skater
  • 1981 – Tora Berger, Norwegian biathlete
  • 1981 – Fabian Cancellara, Swiss cyclist
  • 1981 – Leslie Djhone, French sprinter
  • 1981 – Jang Na-ra, South Korean singer and actress
  • 1981 – Kasib Powell, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Tom Starke, German footballer
  • 1981 – Doug Warren, American soccer player
  • 1981 – Lovro Zovko, Croatian tennis player
  • 1982 – Mantorras, Angolan footballer
  • 1982 – Chad Cordero, American baseball player
  • 1982 – Timo Glock, German race car driver
  • 1982 – Adam Pally, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1983 – Ethan Carter III, American wrestler
  • 1983 – Stéphanie Cohen-Aloro, French tennis player
  • 1983 – Andy Sonnanstine, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Tomasz Stolpa, Polish footballer
  • 1984 – Simone Padoin, Italian footballer
  • 1984 – Rajeev Ram, American tennis player
  • 1984 – Vonzell Solomon, American singer and actress
  • 1985 – Ana Beatriz, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1985 – Marvin Humes, English singer
  • 1985 – Vince Lia, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Lykke Li, Swedish singer-songwriter
  • 1986 – Abdennour Chérif El-Ouazzani, Algerian footballer
  • 1987 – Rebecca Soni, American swimmer
  • 1989 – Francesco Checcucci, Italian footballer
  • 1989 – Lily Collins, English-American actress
  • 1989 – Shreevats Goswami, Indian cricketer
  • 1989 – Kana Nishino, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1989 – Paul Marc Rousseau, Canadian guitarist and producer
  • 1989 – Ming Xi, Chinese model
  • 1991 – Dylan Mattingly, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1991 – Sam Williams, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Ryan Truex, American race car driver
  • 1992 – Takuya Terada, Japanese singer, actor, and model
  • 1997 – Ciara Bravo, American actress
  • 1997 – Rieko Ioane, New Zealand rugby union player

Deaths on March 18

  • 978 – Edward the Martyr, English king (b. 962)
  • 1076 – Ermengarde of Anjou, Duchess of Burgundy (b. 1018)
  • 1086 – Anselm of Lucca, Italian bishop (b. 1036)
  • 1227 – Pope Honorius III (b. 1148)
  • 1272 – John FitzAlan, 7th Earl of Arundel (b. 1246)
  • 1308 – Yuri I of Galicia
  • 1314 – Jacques de Molay, Frankish knight (b. 1244)
  • 1314 – Geoffroy de Charney, Preceptor of Normandy for the Knights Templar
  • 1321 – Matthew III Csák, Hungarian oligarch (b. c.1260/5)
  • 1582 – Juan Jauregui, attempted assassin of William I of Orange (b. 1562)
  • 1675 – Arthur Chichester, 1st Earl of Donegall, Irish soldier (b. 1606)
  • 1689 – John Dixwell, English soldier and politician (b. 1607)
  • 1745 – Robert Walpole, English scholar and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1676)
  • 1768 – Laurence Sterne, Irish novelist and clergyman (b. 1713)
  • 1781 – Anne Robert Jacques Turgot, French economist and politician, Controller-General of Finances (b. 1727)
  • 1823 – Jean-Baptiste Bréval, French cellist and composer (b. 1753)
  • 1835 – Christian Günther von Bernstorff, Danish-Prussian politician and diplomat (b. 1769)
  • 1845 – Johnny Appleseed, American gardener and missionary (b. 1774)
  • 1871 – Augustus De Morgan, Indian-English mathematician and academic (b. 1806)
  • 1898 – Matilda Joslyn Gage, American author and activist (b. 1826)
  • 1900 – Hjalmar Kiærskou, Danish botanist (b. 1835)
  • 1907 – Marcellin Berthelot, French chemist and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1827)
  • 1913 – George I of Greece (b. 1845)
  • 1918 – Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, American architect, designed the Plaza Hotel (b. 1847)
  • 1930 – Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, American painter (b. 1863)
  • 1936 – Eleftherios Venizelos, Greek journalist, lawyer, and politician, 93rd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1864)
  • 1939 – Henry Simpson Lunn, English businessman, founded Lunn Poly (b. 1859)
  • 1941 – Henri Cornet, French cyclist (b. 1884)
  • 1947 – William C. Durant, American businessman, co-founded General Motors and Chevrolet (b. 1861)
  • 1954 – Walter Mead, English cricketer (b. 1868)
  • 1956 – Louis Bromfield, American environmentalist and author (b. 1896)
  • 1962 – Walter W. Bacon, American accountant and politician, 60th Governor of Delaware (b. 1880)
  • 1964 – Sigfrid Edström, Swedish businessman, 4th President of the International Olympic Committee (b. 1870)
  • 1965 – Farouk of Egypt (b. 1920)
  • 1973 – Johannes Aavik, Estonian philologist and poet (b. 1880)
  • 1977 – Marien Ngouabi, Congolese politician, President of the Republic of the Congo (b. 1938)
  • 1977 – Carlos Pace, Brazilian race car driver (b. 1944)
  • 1978 – Leigh Brackett, American author and screenwriter (b. 1915)
  • 1978 – Peggy Wood, American actress (b. 1892)
  • 1980 – Erich Fromm, German psychologist and philosopher (b. 1900)
  • 1982 – Patrick Smith, Irish farmer and politician, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (b. 1901)
  • 1983 – Umberto II of Italy (b. 1904)
  • 1984 – Charley Lau, American baseball player and coach (b. 1933)
  • 1986 – Bernard Malamud, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Billy Butterfield, American trumpet player and cornet player (b. 1917)
  • 1990 – Robin Harris, American comedian (b. 1953)
  • 1993 – Kenneth E. Boulding, English-American economist and activist (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – Odysseas Elytis, Greek poet and critic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
  • 2000 – Eberhard Bethge, German theologian and academic (b. 1909)
  • 2001 – John Phillips, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (The Mamas & the Papas) (b. 1935)
  • 2002 – R. A. Lafferty, American soldier and author (b. 1914)
  • 2003 – Karl Kling, German race car driver (b. 1910)
  • 2003 – Adam Osborne, Thai-English engineer and businessman, founded the Osborne Computer Corporation (b. 1939)
  • 2004 – Harrison McCain, Canadian businessman, co-founded McCain Foods (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Dan Gibson, Canadian photographer and cinematographer (b. 1922)
  • 2007 – Bob Woolmer, Indian-English cricketer, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1948)
  • 2008 – Anthony Minghella, English director and screenwriter (b. 1954)
  • 2009 – Omid Reza Mir Sayafi, Iranian journalist and blogger (b. 1980)
  • 2009 – Natasha Richardson, English-American actress (b. 1963)
  • 2010 – Fess Parker, American actor and businessman (b. 1924)
  • 2011 – Warren Christopher, American lawyer and politician, 63rd United States Secretary of State (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Furman Bisher, American journalist and author (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – William R. Charette, American soldier, Medal of Honor recipient (b. 1932)
  • 2012 – William G. Moore Jr., American general (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – George Tupou V of Tonga (b. 1948)
  • 2013 – Muhammad Mahmood Alam, Pakistani general and pilot (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Henry Bromell, American novelist, screenwriter, and director (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Clay Ford, American lawyer and politician (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Catherine Obianuju Acholonu, Nigerian author, playwright, and academic (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Kaiser Kalambo, Zambian footballer, coach, and manager (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – Lucius Shepard, American author and critic (b. 1943)
  • 2015 – Zhao Dayu, Chinese footballer and manager (b. 1961)
  • 2015 – Thomas Hopko, American priest and theologian (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Grace Ogot, Kenyan nurse, journalist, and politician (b. 1930)
  • 2016 – Barry Hines, English author and screenwriter (b. 1939)
  • 2016 – Jan Němec, Czech director and screenwriter (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Tray Walker, American football player (b. 1992)
  • 2016 – Guido Westerwelle, German lawyer and politician, 15th Vice-Chancellor of Germany (b. 1961)
  • 2017 – Chuck Berry, American guitarist, singer and songwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2020 – Alfred Worden, Apollo 15 command module pilot (b. 1932)

Holidays and observances on March 18

  • Anniversary of the Oil Expropriation (Mexico)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Alexander of Jerusalem
    • Anselm of Lucca
    • Cyril of Jerusalem
    • Edward the Martyr
    • Fridianus
    • Salvator
    • March 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • The earliest date on which Holy Wednesday can fall, while April 21 is the latest; celebrated on the week before Easter. (Christianity)
  • Flag Day (Aruba)
  • Gallipoli Memorial Day (Turkey)
  • Men’s and Soldiers’ Day (Mongolia)
  • Ordnance Factories’ Day (India)
  • Sheelah’s Day (Ireland, Canada, Australia)
  • Teacher’s Day (Syria)

March 17- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

by
  • 45 BC – In his last victory, Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda.
  • 180 – Commodus becomes sole emperor of the Roman Empire at the age of eighteen, following the death of his father, Marcus Aurelius.
  • 455 – Petronius Maximus becomes, with support of the Roman Senate, emperor of the Western Roman Empire; he forces Licinia Eudoxia, the widow of his predecessor, Valentinian III, to marry him.
  • 1001 – The Raja of Butuan in what is now the Philippines sends a tributary mission to the Song dynasty.
  • 1337 – Edward, the Black Prince is made Duke of Cornwall, the first Duchy in England.
  • 1452 – The Battle of Los Alporchones is fought in the context of the Spanish Reconquista between the Emirate of Granada and the combined forces of the Kingdom of Castile and Murcia resulting in a Christian victory.
  • 1560 – Fort Coligny on Villegagnon Island in Rio de Janeiro is attacked and destroyed during the Portuguese campaign against France Antarctique.
  • 1677 – The Siege of Valenciennes, during the Franco-Dutch War, ends with France’s taking of the city.
  • 1776 – American Revolution: The British Army evacuates Boston, ending the Siege of Boston, after George Washington and Henry Knox place artillery in positions overlooking the city.
  • 1780 – American Revolution: George Washington grants the Continental Army a holiday “as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence”.
  • 1805 – The Italian Republic, with Napoleon as president, becomes the Kingdom of Italy, with Napoleon as King of Italy.
  • 1824 – The Anglo-Dutch Treaty is signed in London, dividing the Malay archipelago. As a result, the Malay Peninsula is dominated by the British, while Sumatra and Java and surrounding areas are dominated by the Dutch.
  • 1842 – The Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is formed.
  • 1852 – Annibale De Gasparis discovers in Naples the asteroid Psyche from the north dome of the Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte
  • 1860 – The First Taranaki War begins in Taranaki, New Zealand, a major phase of the New Zealand Wars.
  • 1861 – The Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed.
  • 1891 – SS Utopia collides with HMS Anson in the Bay of Gibraltar and sinks, killing 562 of the 880 passengers on board.
  • 1921 – The Second Polish Republic adopts the March Constitution.
  • 1939 – Second Sino-Japanese War: Battle of Nanchang between the Kuomintang and Japan begins.
  • 1941 – In Washington, D.C., the National Gallery of Art is officially opened by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  • 1942 – Holocaust: The first Jews from the Lvov Ghetto are gassed at the Belzec death camp in what is today eastern Poland.
  • 1945 – The Ludendorff Bridge in Remagen, Germany, collapses, ten days after its capture.
  • 1947 – First flight of the B-45 Tornado strategic bomber.
  • 1948 – Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Brussels, a precursor to the North Atlantic Treaty establishing NATO.
  • 1950 – Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley announce the creation of element 98, which they name “californium”.
  • 1957 – A plane crash in Cebu, Philippines kills Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay and 24 others.
  • 1958 – The United States launches the first solar-powered satellite.
  • 1960 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program that will ultimately lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
  • 1963 – Mount Agung erupted on Bali killing more than 1,100 people.
  • 1966 – Off the coast of Spain in the Mediterranean, the DSV Alvin submarine finds a missing American hydrogen bomb.
  • 1968 – As a result of nerve gas testing by the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in Skull Valley, Utah, over 6,000 sheep are found dead.
  • 1969 – Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel.
  • 1973 – The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph Burst of Joy is taken, depicting a former prisoner of war being reunited with his family, which came to symbolize the end of United States involvement in the Vietnam War.
  • 1979 – The Penmanshiel Tunnel collapses during engineering works, killing two workers.
  • 1985 – Serial killer Richard Ramirez, aka the “Night Stalker”, commits the first two murders in his Los Angeles murder spree.
  • 1988 – A Colombian Boeing 727 jetliner, Avianca Flight 410, crashes into a mountainside near the Venezuelan border killing 143.
  • 1988 – Eritrean War of Independence: The Nadew Command, an Ethiopian army corps in Eritrea, is attacked on three sides by military units of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front in the opening action of the Battle of Afabet.
  • 1992 – Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires: Car bomb attack kills 29 and injures 242.
  • 1992 – A referendum to end apartheid in South Africa is passed 68.7% to 31.2%.
  • 2000 – Five hundred and thirty members of the Ugandan cult Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God die in a fire, considered to be a mass murder or suicide orchestrated by leaders of the cult. Elsewhere another 248 members are later found dead.
  • 2003 – Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Robin Cook, resigns from the British Cabinet in disagreement with government plans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
  • 2004 – Unrest in Kosovo: More than 22 are killed and 200 wounded. Thirty-five Serbian Orthodox shrines in Kosovo and two mosques in Serbia are destroyed.

Births on March 17

  • 763 – Harun al-Rashid, Abbasid caliph (d. 809)
  • 1231 – Emperor Shijō of Japan (d. 1242)
  • 1473 – James IV of Scotland (d. 1513)
  • 1523 – Giovanni Francesco Commendone, Catholic cardinal (d. 1584)
  • 1537 – Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japanese daimyō (d. 1598)
  • 1611 – Robert Douglas, Count of Skenninge, Swedish field marshal (d. 1662)
  • 1665 – Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, French harpsichord player and composer (d. 1729)
  • 1676 – Thomas Boston, Scottish philosopher and theologian (d. 1732)
  • 1686 – Jean-Baptiste Oudry, French painter and engraver (d. 1755)
  • 1725 – Lachlan McIntosh, Scottish-American general and politician (d. 1806)
  • 1777 – Patrick Brontë, Irish-English priest and author (d. 1861)
  • 1777 – Roger B. Taney, American politician and jurist, 5th Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1864)
  • 1780 – Thomas Chalmers, Scottish minister, economist, and educator (d. 1847)
  • 1781 – Ebenezer Elliott, English poet and educator (d. 1849)
  • 1804 – Jim Bridger, American fur trader and explorer (d. 1881)
  • 1806 – Norbert Rillieux, African American inventor and chemical engineer (d. 1894)
  • 1820 – Jean Ingelow, English poet and author (d. 1897)
  • 1834 – Gottlieb Daimler, German engineer and businessman, co-founded Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (d. 1900)
  • 1839 – Josef Rheinberger, Liechtensteiner-German organist and composer (d. 1901)
  • 1846 – Kate Greenaway, English author and illustrator (d. 1901)
  • 1849 – Charles F. Brush, American businessman and philanthropist, co-invented the Arc lamp (d. 1929)
  • 1849 – Cornelia Clapp, American marine biologist (d. 1934)
  • 1856 – Mikhail Vrubel, Russian painter (d. 1910)
  • 1862 – Silvio Gesell, Belgian merchant and economist (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – Joseph Baptista, Indian engineer, lawyer, and politician (d. 1930)
  • 1866 – Pierce Butler, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1939)
  • 1867 – Patrice Contamine de Latour, Spanish poet (d. 1926)
  • 1877 – Edith New, British militant suffragette (d. 1951)
  • 1877 – Otto Gross, Austrian-German psychoanalyst and philosopher (d. 1920)
  • 1880 – Patrick Hastings, English lawyer and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (d. 1952)
  • 1880 – Lawrence Oates, English lieutenant and explorer (d. 1912)
  • 1881 – Walter Rudolf Hess, Swiss physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1973)
  • 1884 – Alcide Nunez, American clarinet player (d. 1934)
  • 1885 – Ralph Rose, American track and field athlete (d. 1913)
  • 1886 – Princess Patricia of Connaught (d. 1974)
  • 1888 – Paul Ramadier, French lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1961)
  • 1889 – Harry Clarke, Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator (d. 1931)
  • 1891 – Ross McLarty, Australian politician, 17th Premier of Western Australia (d. 1962)
  • 1892 – Sayed Darwish, Egyptian singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1923)
  • 1894 – Paul Green, American playwright and academic (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – Lloyd Rees, Australian painter (d. 1988)
  • 1901 – Alfred Newman, American composer and conductor (d. 1970)
  • 1902 – Bobby Jones, American golfer and lawyer (d. 1971)
  • 1904 – Chaim Gross, Austrian-American sculptor and educator (d. 1991)
  • 1906 – Brigitte Helm, German-Swiss actress (d. 1996)
  • 1907 – Jean Van Houtte, Belgian academic and politician, 50th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Takeo Miki, Japanese politician, 41st Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Sonny Werblin, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Bayard Rustin, American activist (d. 1987)
  • 1914 – Sammy Baugh, American football player and coach (d. 2008)
  • 1915 – Robert S. Arbib Jr., American ornithologist, writer and conservationist (d. 1987)
  • 1915 – Ray Ellington, English drummer and bandleader (d. 1985)
  • 1915 – Bill Roycroft, Australian equestrian rider (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Nat King Cole, American singer, pianist, and television host (d. 1965)
  • 1920 – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladeshi politician, 1st President of Bangladesh (d. 1975)
  • 1921 – Meir Amit, Israeli general and politician, 12th Israeli Minister of Communications (d. 2009)
  • 1922 – Patrick Suppes, American psychologist and philosopher (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Stephen Dodgson, English composer and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Gabriele Ferzetti, Italian actor (d. 2015)
  • 1926 – Siegfried Lenz, Polish-German author and playwright (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Betty Allen, American soprano and educator (d. 2009)
  • 1928 – William John McKeag, Canadian businessman and politician, 17th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – Paul Horn, American-Canadian flute player and saxophonist (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – James Irwin, American colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1991)
  • 1931 – Patricia Breslin, American actress (d. 2011)
  • 1931 – David Peakall, English-American chemist and toxicologist (d. 2001)
  • 1933 – Myrlie Evers-Williams, American journalist and activist
  • 1933 – Penelope Lively, English author
  • 1935 – Fred T. Mackenzie, American biologist and academic
  • 1935 – Adam Wade, American singer, drummer, and actor
  • 1936 – Ida Kleijnen, Dutch chef (d. 2019)
  • 1936 – Ladislav Kupkovič, Slovakian composer and conductor (d. 2016)
  • 1936 – Ken Mattingly, American admiral, pilot, and astronaut
  • 1937 – Galina Samsova, Russian ballerina
  • 1938 – Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-French dancer and choreographer (d. 1993)
  • 1938 – Keith O’Brien, Northern Ireland-born Scottish cleric, theologian, and cardinal (d. 2018)
  • 1938 – Zola Taylor, American singer (d. 2007)
  • 1939 – Jim Gary, American sculptor (d. 2006)
  • 1939 – Bill Graham, Canadian academic and politician, 4th Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1939 – Robin Knox-Johnston, English sailor and first person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe
  • 1939 – Giovanni Trapattoni, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1940 – Mark White, American lawyer and politician, 43rd Governor of Texas (d. 2017)
  • 1941 – Wang Jin-pyng, Taiwanese soldier and politician
  • 1941 – Paul Kantner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
  • 1941 – Max Stafford-Clark, English director and academic
  • 1942 – John Wayne Gacy, American serial killer and rapist (d. 1994)
  • 1943 – Jeff Banks, Welsh fashion designer
  • 1943 – Andrew Brook, Canadian philosopher, author, and academic
  • 1944 – Pattie Boyd, English model, author, and photographer
  • 1944 – Cito Gaston, American baseball player and manager
  • 1944 – John Sebastian, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1945 – Michael Hayden, American general, 20th Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
  • 1947 – Dennis Bond, English footballer, midfielder
  • 1947 – Yury Chernavsky, Russian-American songwriter and producer
  • 1948 – William Gibson, American-Canadian author and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Alex MacDonald, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Patrick Duffy, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1949 – Pat Rice, Irish footballer and coach
  • 1949 – Stuart Rose, English businessman
  • 1951 – Scott Gorham, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1951 – Craig Ramsay, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1951 – Kurt Russell, American actor and producer
  • 1952 – Barry Horne, English activist (d. 2001)
  • 1953 – Filemon Lagman, Filipino activist (d. 2001)
  • 1953 – Chuck Muncie, American football player (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Lesley-Anne Down, English actress
  • 1955 – Cynthia McKinney, American activist and politician
  • 1955 – Paul Overstreet, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Gary Sinise, American actor, director, and bass player
  • 1956 – Patrick McDonnell, American author and illustrator
  • 1956 – Rory McGrath, British comedian, television personality, and writer
  • 1957 – Michael Kelly, American journalist and author (d. 2003)
  • 1958 – Christian Clemenson, American actor
  • 1959 – Danny Ainge, American baseball and basketball player
  • 1959 – Paul Black, American singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1960 – Arye Gross, American actor
  • 1960 – Vicki Lewis, American actress and singer
  • 1961 – Sam Bowie, American basketball player
  • 1961 – Dana Reeve, American actress, singer, and activist (d. 2006)
  • 1961 – Casey Siemaszko, American actor
  • 1962 – Carsten Almqvist, Swedish business executive
  • 1962 – Ank Bijleveld, Dutch politician
  • 1962 – Janet Gardner, American singer and guitarist
  • 1962 – Clare Grogan, Scottish singer and actress
  • 1962 – Rob Sitch, Australian actor, director, and producer
  • 1963 – Roger Harper, Guyanese cricketer and coach
  • 1964 – Stefano Borgonovo, Italian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1964 – Lee Dixon, English footballer and journalist
  • 1964 – Rob Lowe, American actor and producer
  • 1964 – Jacques Songo’o, Cameroonian footballer and coach
  • 1965 – Andrew Hudson, South African cricketer
  • 1966 – Andrew Rosindell, English journalist and politician
  • 1967 – Jason Alchin, Australian rugby league player
  • 1967 – Billy Corgan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and producer
  • 1967 – Barry Minkow, American pastor and businessman
  • 1968 – Eri Nitta, Japanese singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1968 – Mathew St. Patrick, American actor and producer
  • 1969 – Edgar Grospiron, French skier
  • 1969 – Alexander McQueen, English fashion designer, founded own eponymous brand (d. 2010)
  • 1970 – Patrick Lebeau, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1970 – Gene Ween, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1971 – Bill Mueller, American baseball player and coach
  • 1972 – Melissa Auf der Maur, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and bass player
  • 1972 – Torquil Campbell, English-Canadian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1972 – Mia Hamm, American soccer player
  • 1973 – Rico Blanco, Filipino singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
  • 1973 – Caroline Corr, Irish singer and drummer
  • 1973 – Vance Wilson, American baseball player and manager
  • 1974 – Mark Dolan, English comedian and television host
  • 1975 – Justin Hawkins, English singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Puneeth Rajkumar, Indian actor, singer, and producer
  • 1975 – Test, Canadian-American wrestler (d. 2009)
  • 1975 – Natalie Zea, American actress
  • 1976 – Scott Downs, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Stephen Gately, Irish singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2009)
  • 1976 – Álvaro Recoba, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1977 – Tamar Braxton, American singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1978 – Zachery Kouwe, American journalist
  • 1979 – Stormy Daniels, born Stephanie Gregory, American adult film actress
  • 1979 – Andrew Ference, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Stephen Kramer Glickman, Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and fashion designer
  • 1979 – Samoa Joe, American professional wrestler
  • 1980 – Danny Califf, American soccer player
  • 1980 – Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, Pakistani tennis player
  • 1981 – Aaron Baddeley, American-Australian golfer
  • 1981 – Servet Çetin, Turkish footballer
  • 1981 – Kyle Korver, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Nicky Jam, American-Puerto-Rican singer and songwriter
  • 1982 – Steven Pienaar, South African footballer
  • 1983 – James Heath, English golfer
  • 1983 – Raul Meireles, Portuguese footballer
  • 1983 – Attila Vajda, Hungarian sprint canoeist
  • 1984 – Ryan Rottman, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1985 – Tuğba Karademir, Turkish-Canadian figure skater
  • 1986 – Chris Davis, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Edin Džeko, Bosnian footballer
  • 1986 – Miles Kane, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1986 – Silke Spiegelburg, German pole vaulter
  • 1987 – Federico Fazio, Argentinian international footballer, centre backland rugby league player
  • 1987 – Ryan Parent, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Bobby Ryan, American ice hockey player
  • 1987 – Emmanuel Sanders, American football player
  • 1988 – Rasmus Elm, Swedish footballer
  • 1988 – Fraser Forster, English footballer
  • 1988 – Grimes, Canadian artist, musician and music video director
  • 1988 – Ryan White, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Shinji Kagawa, Japanese footballer
  • 1990 – Hozier, Irish singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1990 – Saina Nehwal, Indian badminton player
  • 1991 – Jack De Belin, Australian rugby league player
  • 1992 – Patrick Cantlay, American golfer
  • 1992 – John Boyega, English actor
  • 1993 – Matteo Bianchetti, Italian footballer
  • 1994 – Dean Britt, Australian rugby league player
  • 1995 – Ashley Taylor, Australian rugby league player
  • 1997 – Katie Ledecky, American swimmer

Deaths on March 17

  • 45 BC – Titus Labienus, Roman general (b. 100 BC)
  • 45 BC – Publius Attius Varus, Roman governor of Africa
  • 180 – Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor (b. 121)
  • 624 – Amr ibn Hishām, Arab polytheist
  • 659 – Gertrude of Nivelles, Frankish abbess
  • 836 – Haito, bishop of Basel
  • 905 – Li Yu, Prince of De, prince and emperor of the Tang Dynasty
  • 1008 – Kazan, emperor of Japan (b. 968)
  • 1040 – Harold Harefoot, king of England
  • 1058 – Lulach, king of Scotland
  • 1199 – Jocelin of Glasgow, Scottish monk and bishop (b. 1130)
  • 1267 – Pierre de Montreuil, French architect
  • 1270 – Philip of Montfort, French knight and nobleman
  • 1272 – Go-Saga, emperor of Japan (b. 1220)
  • 1361 – An-Nasir Hasan, Mamluk sultan of Egypt
  • 1394 – Louis of Enghien, French nobleman
  • 1406 – Ibn Khaldun, Tunisian sociologist, historian, and scholar (b. 1332)
  • 1425 – Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shōgun (b. 1407)
  • 1516 – Giuliano de’ Medici, Italian nobleman (b. 1479)
  • 1527 – Rana Sanga, Indian ruler (b. 1482)
  • 1565 – Alexander Ales, Scottish theologian and academic (b. 1500)
  • 1611 – Sophia of Sweden, duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg (b. 1547)
  • 1620 – John Sarkander, Polish-Moravian priest and saint (b. 1576)
  • 1640 – Philip Massinger, English playwright (b. 1583)
  • 1649 – Gabriel Lalemant, French missionary and saint (b. 1610)
  • 1663 – Jerome Weston, 2nd Earl of Portland, English diplomat (b. 1605)
  • 1680 – François de La Rochefoucauld, French author (b. 1613)
  • 1704 – Menno van Coehoorn, Dutch soldier and engineer (b. 1641)
  • 1715 – Gilbert Burnet, Scottish bishop and historian (b. 1643)
  • 1741 – Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French poet and playwright (b. 1671)
  • 1764 – George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield, English astronomer and politician (b. 1695)
  • 1782 – Daniel Bernoulli, Dutch-Swiss mathematician and physicist (b. 1700)
  • 1828 – James Edward Smith, English botanist and entomologist (b. 1759)
  • 1829 – Sophia Albertina, princess-abbess of Quedlinburg (b. 1753)
  • 1830 – Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, French general and politician (b. 1764)
  • 1846 – Friedrich Bessel, German astronomer, mathematician, and physicist (b. 1784)
  • 1849 – William II, Dutch sovereign prince and king (b. 1792)
  • 1853 – Christian Doppler, Austrian physicist and mathematician (b. 1803)
  • 1871 – Robert Chambers, Scottish geologist and publisher, co-founded Chambers Harrap (b. 1802)
  • 1875 – Ferdinand Laub, Czech violinist and composer (b. 1832)
  • 1893 – Jules Ferry, French lawyer and politician, 44th Prime Minister of France (b. 1832)
  • 1917 – Franz Brentano, German philosopher and psychologist (b. 1838)
  • 1926 – Aleksei Brusilov, Georgian-Russian general (b. 1853)
  • 1937 – Austen Chamberlain, English politician, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1863)
  • 1940 – Philomène Belliveau, Canadian artist (b. 1854)
  • 1946 – Dai Li, Chinese general (b. 1897)
  • 1949 – Aleksandra Ekster, Russian-French painter and set designer (b. 1882)
  • 1956 – Fred Allen, American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and author (b. 1894)
  • 1956 – Irène Joliot-Curie, French physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1897)
  • 1957 – Ramon Magsaysay, Filipino captain and politician, 7th President of the Philippines (b. 1907)
  • 1958 – John Pius Boland, Irish tennis player and politician (b. 1870)
  • 1958 – Bertha De Vriese, Belgian physician (b. 1877)
  • 1961 – Susanna M. Salter, American activist and politician (b. 1860)
  • 1965 – Amos Alonzo Stagg, American football player and coach (b. 1862)
  • 1974 – Louis Kahn, American architect and academic, designed Jatiyo Sangsad Bhaban (b. 1901)
  • 1976 – Luchino Visconti, Italian director and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 1981 – Paul Dean, American baseball player (b. 1913)
  • 1983 – Haldan Keffer Hartline, American physiologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1903)
  • 1983 – Louisa E. Rhine, American botanist and parapsychologist (b. 1891)
  • 1986 – Clarence D. Lester, African-American fighter pilot (b.1923)
  • 1990 – Capucine, French model and actress (b. 1928)
  • 1992 – Grace Stafford, American actress (b. 1903)
  • 1993 – Helen Hayes, American actress (b. 1900)
  • 1994 – Mai Zetterling, Swedish-English actress and director (b. 1925)
  • 1996 – René Clément, French director and screenwriter (b. 1913)
  • 1996 – Terry Stafford, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
  • 1997 – Jermaine Stewart, American singer-songwriter and dancer (b. 1957)
  • 1999 – Ernest Gold, Austrian-American composer (b. 1921)
  • 1999 – Jean Pierre-Bloch, French activist (b. 1905)
  • 2002 – Rosetta LeNoire, American actress and producer (b. 1911)
  • 2002 – Văn Tiến Dũng, Vietnamese general and politician, 6th Minister of Defence for Vietnam (b. 1917)
  • 2002 – Sylvester “Pat” Weaver, American television broadcaster and producer (b. 1908)
  • 2005 – Royce Frith, Canadian lawyer, politician, and diplomat, Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – George F. Kennan, American historian and diplomat, United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union (b. 1904)
  • 2005 – Andre Norton, American author (b. 1912)
  • 2006 – Oleg Cassini, French-American fashion designer (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – Ray Meyer, American basketball player and coach (b. 1913)
  • 2006 – İstemihan Taviloğlu, Turkish composer and educator (b. 1945)
  • 2007 – John Backus, American mathematician and computer scientist, designed Fortran (b. 1924)
  • 2007 – Roger Bennett, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1959)
  • 2008 – Roland Arnall, French-American businessman and diplomat, 63rd United States Ambassador to the Netherlands (b. 1939)
  • 2009 – Clodovil Hernandes, Brazilian television host and politician (b. 1937)
  • 2010 – Alex Chilton, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1950)
  • 2010 – Sid Fleischman, American author and screenwriter (b. 1920)
  • 2011 – Michael Gough, English actor (b. 1916)
  • 2011 – Ferlin Husky, American country music singer (b. 1925)
  • 2012 – Shenouda III, pope of Alexandria (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Margaret Whitlam, Australian swimmer and author (b. 1919)
  • 2013 – William B. Caldwell III, American general (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Lawrence Fuchs, American scholar and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – A.B.C. Whipple, American journalist and historian (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Marek Galiński, Polish cyclist (b. 1974)
  • 2014 – Joseph Kerman, American musicologist and critic (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Rachel Lambert Mellon, American gardener, philanthropist, art collector and political patron (b. 1910)
  • 2015 – Frank Perris, Canadian motorcycle racer (b. 1931)
  • 2016 – Meir Dagan, Israeli general (b. 1945)
  • 2016 – Zoltán Kamondi, Hungarian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1960)
  • 2018 – Mike MacDonald, Canadian comedian (b. 1954)
  • 2018 – Phan Văn Khải, the fifth Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1933)

Holidays and observances on March 17

  • Children’s Day (Bangladesh)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Alexius of Rome (Eastern Church)
    • Gertrude of Nivelles
    • John Sarkander
    • Joseph of Arimathea (Western Church)
    • Patrick of Ireland
    • March 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Evacuation Day (Suffolk County, Massachusetts)
  • Saint Patrick’s Day, a public holiday in Ireland, Montserrat and the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, widely celebrated in the English-speaking world and to a lesser degree in other parts of the world.