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1869

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

On This Day /
  • 1256 – The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV issues a papal bull Licet ecclesiae catholicae.
  • 1415 – Religious reformers John Wycliffe and Jan Hus are condemned as heretics at the Council of Constance.
  • 1436 – Assassination of the Swedish rebel (later national hero) Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson
  • 1471 – Wars of the Roses: The Battle of Tewkesbury: Edward IV defeats a Lancastrian Army and kills Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales.
  • 1493 – Pope Alexander VI divides the New World between Spain and Portugal along the Line of Demarcation.
  • 1626 – Dutch explorer Peter Minuit arrives in New Netherland (present day Manhattan Island) aboard the See Meeuw.
  • 1686 – The Municipality of Ilagan is founded in the Philippines.
  • 1776 – Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III.
  • 1799 – Fourth Anglo-Mysore War: The Battle of Seringapatam: The siege of Seringapatam ends when the city is invaded and Tipu Sultan killed by the besieging British army, under the command of General George Harris.
  • 1814 – Emperor Napoleon arrives at Portoferraio on the island of Elba to begin his exile.
  • 1814 – King Ferdinand VII abolishes the Spanish Constitution of 1812, returning Spain to absolutism.
  • 1836 – Formation of Ancient Order of Hibernians
  • 1859 – The Cornwall Railway opens across the Royal Albert Bridge linking Devon and Cornwall in England.
  • 1869 – The Naval Battle of Hakodate is fought in Japan.
  • 1871 – The National Association, the first professional baseball league, opens its first season in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  • 1886 – Haymarket affair: A bomb is thrown at policemen trying to break up a labor rally in Chicago, United States, killing eight and wounding 60. The police fire into the crowd.
  • 1904 – The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal.
  • 1910 – The Royal Canadian Navy is created.
  • 1912 – Italy occupies the Greek island of Rhodes.
  • 1919 – May Fourth Movement: Student demonstrations take place in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, protesting the Treaty of Versailles, which transferred Chinese territory to Japan.
  • 1926 – The United Kingdom general strike begins.
  • 1927 – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is incorporated.
  • 1932 – In Atlanta, mobster Al Capone begins serving an eleven-year prison sentence for tax evasion.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Battle of the Coral Sea begins with an attack by aircraft from the United States aircraft carrier USS Yorktown on Japanese naval forces at Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese forces had invaded Tulagi the day before.
  • 1945 – World War II: Neuengamme concentration camp near Hamburg is liberated by the British Army.
  • 1945 – World War II: The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath is signed, coming into effect the following day. It encompasses all Wehrmacht units in the Netherlands, Denmark and northwest Germany.
  • 1946 – In San Francisco Bay, U.S. Marines from the nearby Treasure Island Naval Base stop a two-day riot at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Five people are killed in the riot.
  • 1949 – The entire Torino football team (except for two players who did not take the trip: Sauro Tomà, due to an injury and Renato Gandolfi, because of coach request) is killed in a plane crash.
  • 1953 – Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.
  • 1959 – The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held.
  • 1961 – American civil rights movement: The “Freedom Riders” begin a bus trip through the South.
  • 1961 – Malcolm Ross and Victor Prather attain a new altitude record for manned balloon flight ascending in the Strato-Lab V open gondola to 113,740 feet (34.67 km).
  • 1970 – Vietnam War: Kent State shootings: The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University after disturbances in the city of Kent the weekend before, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others. The students were protesting the Cambodian Campaign of the United States and South Vietnam.
  • 1972 – The Don’t Make A Wave Committee, a fledgling environmental organization founded in Canada in 1971, officially changes its name to “Greenpeace Foundation”.
  • 1978 – The South African Defence Force attacks a SWAPO base at Cassinga in southern Angola, killing about 600 people.
  • 1979 – Margaret Thatcher becomes the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  • 1982 – Twenty sailors are killed when the British Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield is hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile during the Falklands War.
  • 1988 – The PEPCON disaster rocks Henderson, Nevada, as tons of Space Shuttle fuel detonate during a fire.
  • 1989 – Iran–Contra affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges; the convictions are later overturned on appeal.
  • 1990 – Latvia proclaims the renewal of its independence after the Soviet occupation.
  • 1994 – Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord, granting self-rule in the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
  • 1998 – A federal judge in Sacramento, California, gives “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski four life sentences plus 30 years after Kaczynski accepts a plea agreement sparing him from the death penalty.
  • 2000 – Ken Livingstone becomes the first Mayor of London (an office separate from that of the Lord Mayor of London).
  • 2007 – Greensburg, Kansas is almost completely destroyed by a 1.7-mile wide EF5 tornado. It was the first-ever tornado to be rated as such with the new Enhanced Fujita scale.
  • 2014 – Three people are killed and 62 injured in a pair of bombings on buses in Nairobi, Kenya.

Births on May 4

  • 1006 – Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Persian mystic and poet (d. 1088)
  • 1008 – Henry I, king of France (d. 1060)
  • 1559 – Alice Spencer, English noblewoman (d. 1637)
  • 1634 – Katherine Ferrers, English aristocrat and heiress (d. 1660)
  • 1649 – Chhatrasal, Indian ruler (d. 1731)
  • 1654 – Kangxi Emperor, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty
  • 1655 – Bartolomeo Cristofori, Italian instrument maker, invented the piano (d. 1731)
  • 1677 – Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, French noblewoman (d.1749)
  • 1715 – Richard Graves, English minister and author (d. 1804)
  • 1733 – Jean-Charles de Borda, French mathematician, physicist, and sailor (d. 1799)
  • 1752 – John Brooks, American soldier and politician, 11th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1825)
  • 1757 – Manuel Tolsá, Spanish sculptor and first director of the Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City (d. 1816)
  • 1767 – Tyagaraja, Indian composer (d. 1847)
  • 1770 – François Gérard, French painter (d. 1837)
  • 1772 – Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus, German publisher (d. 1823)
  • 1796 – Horace Mann, American educator and politician (d. 1859)
  • 1796 – William Pennington, American lawyer and politician, 13th Governor of New Jersey, 23rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1862)
  • 1796 – William H. Prescott, American historian and scholar (d. 1859)
  • 1820 – Julia Gardiner Tyler, American wife of John Tyler, 11th First Lady of the United States (d. 1889)
  • 1820 – John Whiteaker, American soldier, judge, and politician, 1st Governor of Oregon (d. 1902)
  • 1822 – Charles Boucher de Boucherville, Canadian physician and politician, 3rd Premier of Quebec (d. 1915)
  • 1825 – Thomas Henry Huxley, English biologist, anatomist, and academic (d. 1895)
  • 1825 – Augustus Le Plongeon, English-American historian, photographer, and academic (d. 1908)
  • 1826 – Frederic Edwin Church, American painter (d. 1900)
  • 1827 – John Hanning Speke, English soldier and explorer (d. 1864)
  • 1851 – Thomas Dewing, American painter (d. 1938)
  • 1852 – Alice Liddell, English model (d. 1934)
  • 1855 – Greyfriars Bobby, faithful dog (d. 1872)
  • 1883 – Wang Jingwei, Chinese politician (d. 1944)
  • 1884 – Richard Baggallay, English army officer and cricketer (d. 1975)
  • 1887 – Andrew Dasburg, French-American painter (d. 1979)
  • 1889 – Francis Spellman, American cardinal (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Franklin Carmichael, Canadian painter (d. 1945)
  • 1902 – Ronnie Aird, English cricketer and administrator (d. 1986)
  • 1902 – Cola Debrot, Dutch physician, lawyer, and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1903 – Luther Adler, American actor (d. 1984)
  • 1903 – Paul Demel, Czech actor (d. 1951)
  • 1905 – Al Dexter, American country singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1984)
  • 1906 – Gustav Bergmann, Austrian-American philosopher from the Vienna Circle (d. 1987)
  • 1907 – Lincoln Kirstein, American soldier and playwright, co-founded the New York City Ballet (d. 1996)
  • 1907 – Walter Walsh, American target shooter and FBI agent (d. 2014)
  • 1908 – Wolrad Eberle, German decathlete (d. 1949)
  • 1911 – Evald Seepere, Estonian boxer (d. 1990)
  • 1913 – John Broome, American author (d. 1999)
  • 1913 – Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark (d. 2007)
  • 1914 – Maedayama Eigorō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 39th Yokozuna (d. 1971)
  • 1916 – Jane Jacobs, American-Canadian journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
  • 1916 – Richard Proenneke, American soldier, carpenter, and meteorologist (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Edward T. Cone, American pianist and composer (d. 2004)
  • 1917 – Nick Joaquin, Filipino writer, journalist and historian (d. 2004)
  • 1918 – Tom Mead, Australian journalist and politician (d. 2004)
  • 1918 – Kakuei Tanaka, Japanese soldier and politician, 64th Prime Minister of Japan (d. 1993)
  • 1919 – Dory Funk, American wrestler and trainer (d. 1973)
  • 1919 – Basil Yamey, South African-English economist and academic
  • 1921 – Patsy Garrett, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – John van Kesteren, Dutch-American tenor and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Edo Murtić, Croatian painter, sculptor, and illustrator (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Paul-Émile Charbonneau, Canadian archbishop (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Eugenie Clark, American biologist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Stanley Biber, American soldier and physician (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Ed Cassidy, American jazz and rock drummer (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Assi Rahbani, Lebanese composer and producer (d. 1986)
  • 1923 – Eric Sykes, British actor and comedian (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – John Toner, American football player and coach (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Jenő Buzánszky, Hungarian footballer and coach (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Maurice R. Greenberg, American businessman and philanthropist
  • 1926 – David Stoddart, Baron Stoddart of Swindon, English politician
  • 1928 – Maynard Ferguson, Canadian trumpet player and bandleader (d. 2006)
  • 1928 – Thomas Kinsella, Irish poet, translator, and publisher
  • 1928 – Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian air marshal and politician, 4th President of Egypt (d. 2020)
  • 1928 – Betsy Rawls, American golfer
  • 1928 – Wolfgang von Trips, German race car driver (d. 1961)
  • 1929 – Manuel Contreras, Chilean general (d. 2015)
  • 1929 – Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-British actress and humanitarian (d. 1993)
  • 1930 – Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family
  • 1930 – Roberta Peters, American soprano (d. 2017)
  • 1931 – Jan Pesman, Dutch speed skater (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Russian conductor and educator (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – Thomas Stuttaford, English physician, journalist, and politician (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – Harlon Hill, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Alexander MacAra, Scottish epidemiologist and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – J. Fred Duckett, American journalist and educator (d. 2007)
  • 1936 – El Cordobés, Spanish bullfighter
  • 1936 – Med Hondo, Mauritanian filmmaker and actor (d. 2019)
  • 1937 – Ron Carter, American bassist and educator
  • 1937 – Dick Dale, American surf-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1937 – Wim Verstappen, Dutch director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1938 – Tyrone Davis, American blues and soul singer (d. 2005)
  • 1938 – Carlos Monsiváis, Mexican journalist, author, and critic (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Gillian Tindall, English historian and author
  • 1939 – Neil Fox, English rugby league player and coach
  • 1939 – Amos Oz, Israeli journalist and author (d. 2018)
  • 1939 – Leon Rochefort, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1940 – Robin Cook, American physician and author
  • 1940 – Peter Gregg, American race car driver and businessman (d. 1980)
  • 1941 – George Will, American journalist and author
  • 1942 – Nickolas Ashford, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1943 – Georgi Asparuhov, Bulgarian footballer (d. 1971)
  • 1943 – Mihail Chemiakin, Russian painter and sculptor
  • 1943 – Prasanta Pattanaik, Indian economist and academic
  • 1944 – Steve Liebmann, Australian radio and television host
  • 1944 – Russi Taylor, American voice actress (d. 2019)
  • 1945 – Jan Mulder, Dutch footballer and journalist
  • 1946 – John Barnard, English car designer
  • 1946 – Gary Bauer, American political activist
  • 1946 – John Watson, British race car driver
  • 1947 – John Bosley, Canadian businessman and politician, 31st Canadian Speaker of the House of Commons
  • 1947 – Ronald Sørensen, Dutch historian and politician
  • 1947 – Trivimi Velliste, Estonian politician, 17th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1948 – Alison Britton, English sculptor and educator
  • 1948 – Hurley Haywood, American race car driver
  • 1948 – King George Tupou V of Tonga, (d. 2012)
  • 1949 – Graham Swift, English novelist and short story writer
  • 1950 – Darryl Hunt, English bass player
  • 1951 – Colin Bass, English bass player, songwriter, and producer
  • 1951 – Colleen Hanabusa, American lawyer and politician
  • 1951 – Jackie Jackson, American singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1952 – Belinda Green, Australian beauty queen and 1972 Miss World
  • 1953 – Pia Zadora, American actress and singer
  • 1954 – Ryan Cayabyab, Filipino pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1956 – Michael L. Gernhardt, American astronaut and engineer
  • 1956 – David Guterson, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist
  • 1956 – Ken Oberkfell, American baseball player and coach
  • 1957 – Jaak Huimerind, Estonian architect
  • 1957 – Kathy Kreiner, Canadian skier
  • 1957 – Peter Sleep, Australian cricketer
  • 1957 – Marijke Vos, Dutch educator and politician
  • 1958 – Delbert Fowler, American football player
  • 1958 – Keith Haring, American painter (d. 1990)
  • 1958 – Jane Kennedy, English politician
  • 1958 – Caroline Spelman, English politician, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • 1959 – Valdemaras Chomičius, Lithuanian basketball player and coach
  • 1959 – Randy Travis, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1959 – Bob Tway, American golfer
  • 1960 – Werner Faymann, Austrian politician, 28th Chancellor of Austria
  • 1961 – Jay Aston, English singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1964 – Silvia Costa, Cuban high jumper
  • 1966 – Gary Elkins, English footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Jane McGrath, English-Australian activist, co-founded the McGrath Foundation (d. 2008)
  • 1967 – Kate Garraway, English journalist
  • 1967 – Ana Gasteyer, American actress and singer
  • 1969 – Micah Aivazoff, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1969 – Franz Resch, Austrian footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Gregg Alexander, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1970 – Will Arnett, Canadian actor and producer
  • 1970 – Giovanni Mirabassi, Italian jazz musician
  • 1970 – Dawn Staley, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Paul Wiseman, New Zealand cricketer and coach
  • 1971 – Joe Borowski, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1971 – Miles Stewart, Australian triathlete
  • 1972 – Manny Aybar, Dominican baseball player
  • 1972 – Mike Dirnt, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1973 – Matthew Barnaby, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Argentinian footballer and coach
  • 1973 – John Madden, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1974 – Miguel Cairo, Venezuelan baseball player and coach
  • 1974 – Tony McCoy, Northern Irish jockey and sportscaster
  • 1976 – Ben Grieve, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Rory Hamill, Northern Irish international footballer
  • 1976 – Jason Michaels, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Indrek Visnapuu, Estonian basketball player and coach
  • 1977 – John Tripp, Canadian-German ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Erin Andrews, American sportscaster and journalist
  • 1978 – Igor Biscan, Croatian footballer
  • 1978 – Brett Burton, Australian footballer
  • 1978 – Vladimíra Uhlířová, Czech tennis player
  • 1979 – Lance Bass, American singer, dancer, and producer
  • 1979 – Kristin Harmel, American journalist and author
  • 1979 – Marie Poissonnier, French pole vaulter
  • 1979 – Lesley Vainikolo, Tongan rugby player
  • 1980 – Andrew Raycroft, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Eric Djemba-Djemba, Cameroon footballer
  • 1981 – Dallon Weekes, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1982 – Kleopas Giannou, Greek footballer
  • 1982 – Markus Rogan, Austrian swimmer
  • 1982 – Giorgos Tsiaras, Greek basketball player
  • 1983 – Dan Christian, Australian cricketer
  • 1983 – Derek Roy, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Robert Zwinkels, Dutch footballer
  • 1984 – Manjural Islam Rana, Bangladeshi cricketer (d. 2007)
  • 1984 – Brad Maddox, American wrestler and referee
  • 1984 – Sarah Meier, Swiss figure skater
  • 1984 – Montell Owens, American football player
  • 1984 – Kevin Slowey, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Ravi Bopara, English cricketer
  • 1985 – Anthony Fedorov, Ukrainian-born American singer and actor
  • 1985 – Fernandinho, Brazilian footballer
  • 1985 – Lester “Bo” McCalebb, American-Macedonian professional basketball player
  • 1985 – Jamie Adenuga, English MC and rapper
  • 1986 – Devan Dubnyk, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – George Hill, American basketball player
  • 1987 – Cesc Fàbregas, Spanish footballer
  • 1987 – Jorge Lorenzo, Spanish motorcycle racer
  • 1988 – Radja Nainggolan, Belgian footballer
  • 1989 – Dániel Gyurta, Hungarian swimmer
  • 1989 – Henna Lindholm, Finnish figure skater
  • 1989 – Rory McIlroy, Northern Irish golfer
  • 1989 – Aris Tatarounis, Greek basketball player
  • 1989 – James van Riemsdyk, American ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Irina Falconi, American tennis player
  • 1990 – Ryan Morgan, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Duvashen Padayachee, Australian race car driver
  • 1990 – Andrea Torres, Filipino actress and model
  • 1991 – Brianne Jenner, Canadian women’s ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Victor Oladipo, American basketball player
  • 1993 – Jānis Bērziņš, Latvian basketball player
  • 1994 – Abi Masatora, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1994 – Joseph Tapine, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1996 – Pelayo Roza, Spanish sprint canoeist

Deaths on May 4

  • 408 – Venerius, archbishop of Milan
  • 784 – Arbeo, bishop of Freising
  • 1003 – Herman II, duke of Swabia
  • 1038 – Gotthard of Hildesheim, German bishop (b. 960)
  • 1406 – Coluccio Salutati, chancellor of Florence (b. 1331)
  • 1436 – Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, Swedish rebel leader
  • 1471 – Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales, son and heir of Henry VI of England (b. 1453)
  • 1471 – Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset (b. 1438)
  • 1483 – George Neville, Duke of Bedford (b. 1457)
  • 1506 – Husayn Mirza Bayqara, Timurid ruler of Herat (b. 1438)
  • 1519 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, duke of Urbino (b. 1492)
  • 1535 – John Houghton, Carthusian monk and saint
  • 1562 – Lelio Sozzini, Italian Protestant theologian (b. 1525)
  • 1566 – Luca Ghini, Italian physician and botanist (b. 1490)
  • 1571 – Pierre Viret, Swiss theologian and reformer (b. 1511)
  • 1604 – Claudio Merulo, Italian organist and composer (b. 1533)
  • 1605 – Ulisse Aldrovandi, Italian naturalist (b. 1522)
  • 1615 – Adriaan van Roomen, Flemish priest and mathematician (b. 1561)
  • 1626 – Arthur Lake, English bishop and scholar (b. 1569)
  • 1677 – Isaac Barrow, English mathematician and theologian (b. 1630)
  • 1684 – John Nevison, English criminal (b. 1639)
  • 1729 – Louis Antoine de Noailles, French cardinal (b. 1651)
  • 1734 – James Thornhill, English painter and politician (b. 1675)
  • 1737 – Eustace Budgell, English journalist and politician (b. 1686)
  • 1774 – Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick, Prussian nobleman (b. 1714)
  • 1776 – Jacques Saly, French painter and sculptor (b. 1717)
  • 1790 – Matthew Tilghman, American politician (b. 1718)
  • 1799 – Tipu, ruler of Mysore (b. 1750)
  • 1811 – Nikolay Kamensky, Russian general (b. 1776)
  • 1816 – Samuel Dexter, American lawyer and politician, 4th United States Secretary of War, 3rd United States Secretary of the Treasury (b. 1761)
  • 1824 – Joseph Joubert, French author (b. 1754)
  • 1826 – Sebastián Kindelán y O’Regan, colonial governor of East Florida, Santo Domingo and Cuba (b. 1757)
  • 1839 – Denis Davydov, Russian general and poet (b. 1784)
  • 1858 – Aimé Bonpland, French botanist and explorer (b. 1773)
  • 1859 – Joseph Diaz Gergonne, French mathematician and philosopher (b. 1771)
  • 1880 – Edward Clark, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (b. 1815)
  • 1901 – John Jones Ross, Canadian lawyer and politician, 7th Premier of Quebec (b. 1831)
  • 1903 – Gotse Delchev, Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary IMRO (b. 1872)
  • 1912 – Nettie Stevens, American geneticist credited with discovering sex chromosomes (b. 1861)
  • 1916 – Ned Daly, Irish rebel commander (Easter Rising) (b. 1891)
  • 1916 – John Murray, Australian politician, 23rd Premier of Victoria (b. 1851)
  • 1916 – Joseph Plunkett, Irish rebel and writer (b. 1887)
  • 1916 – Willie Pearse, Irish rebel (b. 1891)
  • 1919 – Milan Rastislav Štefánik, Slovak general and politician (b. 1880)
  • 1922 – Viktor Kingissepp, Estonian politician (b. 1888)
  • 1923 – Ralph McKittrick, American golfer and tennis player (b. 1877)
  • 1924 – E. Nesbit, English author and poet (b. 1858)
  • 1938 – Kanō Jigorō, Japanese founder of judo (b. 1860)
  • 1938 – Carl von Ossietzky, German journalist and activist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1889)
  • 1941 – Chris McKivat, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1880)
  • 1945 – Fedor von Bock, German field marshal (b. 1880)
  • 1953 – Alexandre Pharamond, French rugby player (b. 1876)
  • 1955 – George Enescu, Romanian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1881)
  • 1964 – Karl Robert Pusta, Estonian politician, 4th Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1883)
  • 1969 – Osbert Sitwell, English-Italian author and poet (b. 1892)
  • 1972 – Edward Calvin Kendall, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1886)
  • 1973 – Jane Bowles, American author and playwright (b. 1917)
  • 1975 – Moe Howard, American actor, singer, and screenwriter (b. 1897)
  • 1976 – Frank Strahan, Australian public servant (b. 1886)
  • 1980 – Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav field marshal and politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia (b. 1892)
  • 1981 – C. Loganathan, Sri Lankan banker (b. 1913)
  • 1983 – Nino Sanzogno, Italian conductor and composer (b. 1911)
  • 1984 – Diana Dors, English actress (b. 1931)
  • 1985 – Fikri Sönmez, Turkish tailor and politician (b. 1938)
  • 1985 – Clarence Wiseman, English-Canadian 10th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1907)
  • 1987 – Paul Butterfield, American singer and harmonica player (b. 1942)
  • 1987 – Cathryn Damon, American actress (b. 1930)
  • 1988 – Lillian Estelle Fisher, American historian of Spanish America (b. 1891)
  • 1990 – Emily Remler, American guitarist (b. 1957)
  • 1991 – Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Egyptian singer-songwriter and mandolin player (b. 1902)
  • 1992 – Gregor Mackenzie, Scottish politician (b. 1927)
  • 1993 – France Štiglic, Slovenian film director and screenwriter (b. 1919)
  • 1995 – Connie Wisniewski, American baseball player (b. 1922)
  • 2000 – Hendrik Casimir, Dutch physicist and academic (b. 1909)
  • 2001 – Bonnie Lee Bakley, American model, wife of Robert Blake (b. 1956)
  • 2004 – David Reimer, Canadian victim of a botched circumcision and transgender reassignment surgery (b. 1965)
  • 2005 – David Hackworth, American colonel and journalist (b. 1930)
  • 2008 – Fred Baur, American chemist and founder of Pringles (b. 1918)
  • 2009 – Dom DeLuise, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1933)
  • 2011 – Sammy McCrory, Northern Irish footballer (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Mort Lindsey, American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Bob Stewart, American television producer, founded Stewart Tele Enterprises (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Adam Yauch, American rapper and director (b. 1964)
  • 2012 – Rashidi Yekini, Nigerian footballer (b. 1963)
  • 2013 – Otis R. Bowen, American physician and politician, 44th Governor of Indiana (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Christian de Duve, English-Belgian cytologist and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Javier Diez Canseco, Peruvian sociologist and politician (b. 1948)
  • 2013 – Mario Machado, Chinese-American journalist and actor (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Morgan Morgan-Giles, English admiral and politician (b. 1914)
  • 2013 – César Portillo de la Luz, Cuban guitarist and composer (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Dick Ayers, American author and illustrator (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Elena Baltacha, Ukrainian-Scottish tennis player (b. 1983)
  • 2014 – Edgar Cortright, American scientist and engineer (b. 1923)
  • 2014 – Helga Königsdorf, German physicist and author (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Ross Lonsberry, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Jean-Paul Ngoupandé, Central African politician, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – William Bast, American screenwriter and author (b. 1931)
  • 2015 – Ellen Albertini Dow, American actress (b. 1913)
  • 2015 – Marv Hubbard, American football player (b. 1946)
  • 2016 – Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, Burundian politician (b. 1946)
  • 2020 – Don Shula, American football player and coach (b. 1930)
  • 2020 – Greg Zanis, American carpenter and activist (b. 1950)

Holidays and observances on May 4

  • Anti-Bullying Day (United Nations)
  • Bird Day (United States)
  • Cassinga Day (Namibia)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Blessed Ceferino Giménez Malla
    • Blessed Michal Giedroyc
    • English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era (Church of England)
    • F. C. D. Wyneken (Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod)
    • Florian
    • Gotthard of Hildesheim
    • José María Rubio
    • Judas Cyriacus
    • Monica of Hippo (1960 Roman Catholic Calendar)
    • Sacerdos of Limoges
    • Venerius of Milan
    • May 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Dave Brubeck Day
  • Death of Milan Rastislav Štefánik Day (Slovakia)
  • Greenery Day (Japan)
  • International Firefighters’ Day
  • May Fourth Movement commemorations:
    • Literary Day (Republic of China)
    • Youth Day (China)
  • Remembrance Day for Martyrs and Disabled (Afghanistan)
  • Remembrance of the Dead (Netherlands)
  • Restoration of Independence day (Latvia)
  • Star Wars Day (International observance)
  • World Give Day
  • World Naked Gardening Day
  • Youth Day (Fiji)

May 4 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

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

On This Day /
  • 311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends.
  • 313 – Battle of Tzirallum: Emperor Licinius defeats Maximinus II and unifies the Eastern Roman Empire.
  • 642 – Chindasuinth is proclaimed king by the Visigothic nobility and bishops.
  • 1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois.
  • 1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration.
  • 1513 – Edmund de la Pole, Yorkist pretender to the English throne, is executed on the orders of Henry VIII.
  • 1557 – Mapuche leader Lautaro is killed by Spanish forces at the Battle of Mataquito in Chile.
  • 1598 – Juan de Oñate begins the conquest of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.
  • 1598 – Henry IV of France issues the Edict of Nantes, allowing freedom of religion to the Huguenots.
  • 1636 – Eighty Years’ War: Dutch Republic forces recapture a strategically important fort from Spain after a nine-month siege.
  • 1671 – Petar Zrinski, the Croatian Ban from the Zrinski family, is executed.
  • 1789 – On the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City, George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected President of the United States.
  • 1803 – Louisiana Purchase: The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, more than doubling the size of the young nation.
  • 1812 – The Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th U.S. state under the name Louisiana.
  • 1838 – Nicaragua declares independence from the Central American Federation.
  • 1863 – A 65-man French Foreign Legion infantry patrol fights a force of nearly 2,000 Mexican soldiers to nearly the last man in Hacienda Camarón, Mexico.
  • 1871 – The Camp Grant massacre takes place in Arizona Territory.
  • 1885 – Governor of New York David B. Hill signs legislation creating the Niagara Reservation, New York’s first state park, ensuring that Niagara Falls will not be devoted solely to industrial and commercial use.
  • 1897 – J. J. Thomson of the Cavendish Laboratory announces his discovery of the electron as a subatomic particle, over 1,800 times smaller than a proton (in the atomic nucleus), at a lecture at the Royal Institution in London.
  • 1900 – Hawaii becomes a territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as governor.
  • 1904 – The Louisiana Purchase Exposition World’s Fair opens in St. Louis, Missouri.
  • 1905 – Albert Einstein completes his doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich.
  • 1925 – Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc is sold to Dillon, Read & Co. for US$146 million plus $50 million for charity.
  • 1927 – The Federal Industrial Institute for Women opens in Alderson, West Virginia, as the first women’s federal prison in the United States.
  • 1927 – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
  • 1937 – The Commonwealth of the Philippines holds a plebiscite for Filipino women on whether they should be extended the right to suffrage; over 90% would vote in the affirmative.
  • 1938 – The animated cartoon short Porky’s Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing Happy Rabbit, an early version of Bugs Bunny.
  • 1939 – The 1939–40 New York World’s Fair opens.
  • 1939 – NBC inaugurates its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s N.Y. World’s Fair opening day ceremonial address.
  • 1943 – World War II: The British submarine HMS Seraph surfaces near Huelva to cast adrift a dead man dressed as a courier and carrying false invasion plans.
  • 1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for less than 40 hours. Soviet soldiers raise the Victory Banner over the Reichstag building.
  • 1945 – World War II: Stalag Luft I prisoner-of-war camp near Barth, Germany is liberated by Soviet soldiers, freeing nearly 9000 American and British airmen.
  • 1947 – In Nevada, Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam.
  • 1948 – In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established.
  • 1956 – Former Vice President and Democratic Senator Alben Barkley dies during a speech in Virginia.
  • 1957 – Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery entered into force.
  • 1961 – K-19, the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear missiles, is commissioned.
  • 1963 – The Bristol Bus Boycott is held in Bristol to protest the Bristol Omnibus Company’s refusal to employ Black or Asian bus crews, drawing national attention to racial discrimination in the United Kingdom.
  • 1966 – The Church of Satan is formed in The Black House, San Francisco.
  • 1973 – Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces that White House Counsel John Dean has been fired and that other top aides, most notably H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, have resigned.
  • 1975 – Fall of Saigon: Communist forces gain control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Dương Văn Minh.
  • 1980 – Beatrix is inaugurated as Queen of the Netherlands following the abdication of Juliana.
  • 1980 – The Iranian Embassy siege begins in London.
  • 1982 – The Bijon Setu massacre occurs in Calcutta, India.
  • 1993 – CERN announces World Wide Web protocols will be free.
  • 1994 – Formula One racing driver Roland Ratzenberger is killed in a crash during the qualifying session of the San Marino Grand Prix run at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari outside Imola, Italy.
  • 2000 – Canonization of Faustina Kowalska in the presence of 200,000 people and the first Divine Mercy Sunday celebrated worldwide.
  • 2004 – U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
  • 2008 – Two skeletal remains found near Yekaterinburg, Russia are confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei and Anastasia, two of the children of the last Tsar of Russia, whose entire family was executed at Yekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks.
  • 2009 – Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
  • 2009 – Seven civilians and the perpetrator are killed and another ten injured at a Queen’s Day parade in Apeldoorn, Netherlands in an attempted assassination on Queen Beatrix.
  • 2012 – An overloaded ferry capsizes on the Brahmaputra River in India killing at least 103 people.
  • 2013 – Willem-Alexander is inaugurated as King of the Netherlands following the abdication of Beatrix.
  • 2014 – A bomb blast in Ürümqi, China kills three people and injures 79 others.

Births on April 30

  • 1245 – Philip III of France (d. 1285)
  • 1310 – King Casimir III of Poland (d. 1368)
  • 1331 – Gaston III, Count of Foix (d. 1391)
  • 1383 – Anne of Gloucester, English countess, granddaughter of King Edward III of England (d. 1438)
  • 1425 – William III, Landgrave of Thuringia (d. 1482)
  • 1504 – Francesco Primaticcio, Italian painter (d. 1570)
  • 1553 – Louise of Lorraine (d. 1601)
  • 1623 – François de Laval, French-Canadian bishop and saint (d. 1708)
  • 1651 – Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, French priest and saint (d. 1719)
  • 1662 – Mary II of England (d. 1694)
  • 1664 – François Louis, Prince of Conti (d. 1709)
  • 1710 – Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (d. 1795)
  • 1723 – Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French zoologist and philosopher (d. 1806)
  • 1758 – Emmanuel Vitale, Maltese commander and politician (d. 1802)
  • 1770 – David Thompson, English-Canadian cartographer and explorer (d. 1857)
  • 1777 – Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician and physicist (d. 1855)
  • 1803 – Albrecht von Roon, Prussian soldier and politician, 10th Minister President of Prussia (d. 1879)
  • 1829 – Ferdinand von Hochstetter, Austrian geologist and academic (d. 1884)
  • 1857 – Eugen Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist and eugenicist (d. 1940)
  • 1857 – Walter Simon, German banker and philanthropist (d. 1920)
  • 1865 – Max Nettlau, German historian and academic (d. 1944)
  • 1866 – Mary Haviland Stilwell Kuesel, American pioneer dentist (d. 1936)
  • 1869 – Hans Poelzig, German architect, designed the IG Farben Building and Großes Schauspielhaus (d. 1936)
  • 1870 – Franz Lehár, Hungarian composer (d. 1948)
  • 1870 – Dadasaheb Phalke, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1944)
  • 1874 – Cyriel Verschaeve, Flemish priest and author (d. 1949)
  • 1876 – Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist and politician (d. 1937)
  • 1877 – Léon Flameng, French cyclist (d. 1917)
  • 1877 – Alice B. Toklas, American memoirist (d. 1967)
  • 1878 – Władysław Witwicki, Polish psychologist, philosopher, translator, historian (of philosophy and art) and artist (d. 1948)
  • 1880 – Charles Exeter Devereux Crombie, Scottish cartoonist (d. 1967)
  • 1883 – Jaroslav Hašek, Czech soldier and author (d. 1923)
  • 1883 – Luigi Russolo, Italian painter and composer (d. 1947)
  • 1884 – Olof Sandborg, Swedish actor (d. 1965)
  • 1888 – John Crowe Ransom, American poet, critic, and academic (d. 1974)
  • 1893 – Harold Breen, Australian public servant (d. 1966)
  • 1893 – Joachim von Ribbentrop, German soldier and politician, 14th German Reich Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1946)
  • 1895 – Philippe Panneton, Canadian physician, academic, and diplomat (d. 1960)
  • 1896 – Reverend Gary Davis, American singer and guitarist (d. 1972)
  • 1896 – Hans List, Austrian scientist and businessman, founded the AVL Engineering Company (d. 1996)
  • 1897 – Humberto Mauro, Brazilian director and screenwriter (d. 1983)
  • 1900 – Erni Krusten, Estonian author and poet (d. 1984)
  • 1901 – Simon Kuznets, Belarusian-American economist, statistician, and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1985)
  • 1902 – Theodore Schultz, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
  • 1905 – Sergey Nikolsky, Russian mathematician and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1908 – Eve Arden, American actress (d. 1990)
  • 1908 – Bjarni Benediktsson, Icelandic professor of law and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Iceland (d. 1970)
  • 1908 – Frank Robert Miller, Canadian air marshal and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1909 – F. E. McWilliam, Irish sculptor and educator (d. 1992)
  • 1909 – Juliana of the Netherlands (d. 2004)
  • 1910 – Levi Celerio, Filipino pianist, violinist, and composer (d. 2002)
  • 1914 – Charles Beetham, American middle-distance runner (d. 1997)
  • 1914 – Dorival Caymmi, Brazilian singer-songwriter, actor, and painter (d. 2008)
  • 1916 – Paul Kuusberg, Estonian journalist and author (d. 2003)
  • 1916 – Claude Shannon, American mathematician and engineer (d. 2001)
  • 1916 – Robert Shaw, American conductor (d. 1999)
  • 1917 – Bea Wain, American singer (d. 2017)
  • 1920 – Duncan Hamilton, Irish-English race car driver and pilot (d. 1994)
  • 1920 – Tom Moore, British army officer and fundraiser
  • 1921 – Roger L. Easton, American scientist, co-invented the GPS (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Anton Murray, South African cricketer (d. 1995)
  • 1923 – Percy Heath, American bassist (d. 2005)
  • 1923 – Kagamisato Kiyoji, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 42nd Yokozuna (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Uno Laht, Estonian KGB officer and author (d. 2008)
  • 1925 – Corinne Calvet, French actress (d. 2001)
  • 1925 – Johnny Horton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1960)
  • 1926 – Shrinivas Khale, Indian composer (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Cloris Leachman, American actress and comedian
  • 1928 – Hugh Hood, Canadian author and academic (d. 2000)
  • 1928 – Orlando Sirola, Italian tennis player (d. 1995)
  • 1930 – Félix Guattari, French psychotherapist and philosopher (d. 1992)
  • 1933 – Charles Sanderson, Baron Sanderson of Bowden, English politician
  • 1934 – Jerry Lordan, English singer-songwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1934 – Don McKenney, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1937 – Tony Harrison, English poet and playwright
  • 1938 – Gary Collins, American actor and talk show host (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Juraj Jakubisko, Slovak director and screenwriter
  • 1938 – Larry Niven, American author and screenwriter
  • 1940 – Jeroen Brouwers, Dutch journalist and writer
  • 1940 – Michael Cleary, Australian rugby player and politician
  • 1941 – Stavros Dimas, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1941 – Max Merritt, New Zealand-Australian singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Sallehuddin of Kedah, Sultan of Kedah
  • 1943 – Frederick Chiluba, Zambian politician, 2nd President of Zambia (d. 2011)
  • 1943 – Bobby Vee, American pop singer-songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1944 – Jon Bing, Norwegian author, scholar, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Jill Clayburgh, American actress (d. 2010)
  • 1945 – J. Michael Brady, British radiologist
  • 1945 – Annie Dillard, American novelist, essayist, and poet
  • 1945 – Mimi Fariña, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist (d. 2001)
  • 1945 – Michael J. Smith, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1986)
  • 1946 – King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
  • 1946 – Bill Plympton, American animator, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1946 – Don Schollander, American swimmer
  • 1947 – Paul Fiddes, English theologian and academic
  • 1947 – Finn Kalvik, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1947 – Tom Køhlert, Danish footballer and manager
  • 1947 – Mats Odell, Swedish economist and politician, Swedish Minister for Financial Markets
  • 1948 – Wayne Kramer, American guitarist and singer-songwriter
  • 1948 – Pierre Pagé, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1948 – Margit Papp, Hungarian athlete
  • 1949 – Phil Garner, American baseball player and manager
  • 1949 – António Guterres, Portuguese academic and politician, 114th Prime Minister of Portugal and 9th Secretary-General of the United Nations
  • 1949 – Karl Meiler, German tennis player (d. 2014)
  • 1952 – Jacques Audiard, French director and screenwriter
  • 1952 – Jack Middelburg, Dutch motorcycle racer (d. 1984)
  • 1953 – Merrill Osmond, American singer and bass player
  • 1954 – Jane Campion, New Zealand director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Kim Darroch, English diplomat, UK Permanent Representative to the European Union
  • 1954 – Frank-Michael Marczewski, German footballer
  • 1955 – Nicolas Hulot, French journalist and environmentalist
  • 1955 – David Kitchin, English lawyer and judge
  • 1955 – Zlatko Topčić, Bosnian writer and screenwriter
  • 1956 – Lars von Trier, Danish director and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Wonder Mike, American rapper and songwriter
  • 1958 – Charles Berling, French actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1959 – Stephen Harper, Canadian economist and politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada
  • 1960 – Geoffrey Cox, English lawyer and politician
  • 1960 – Kerry Healey, American academic and politician, 70th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
  • 1961 – Arnór Guðjohnsen, Icelandic footballer
  • 1961 – Isiah Thomas, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Andrew Carwood, English tenor and conductor
  • 1963 – Michael Waltrip, American race car driver and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Tony Fernandes, Malaysian-Indian businessman, co-founded Tune Group
  • 1964 – Ian Healy, Australian cricketer, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Lorenzo Staelens, Belgian footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Abhishek Chatterjee, Indian actor
  • 1965 – Daniela Costian, Romanian-Australian discus thrower
  • 1965 – Adrian Pasdar, American actor
  • 1966 – Jeff Brown, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1966 – Dave Meggett, American football player and coach
  • 1967 – Phil Chang, Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1969 – Warren Defever, American bass player and producer
  • 1969 – Justine Greening, English accountant and politician, Secretary of State for International Development
  • 1969 – Paulo Jr., Brazilian bass player
  • 1972 – Takako Tokiwa, Japanese actress
  • 1973 – Leigh Francis, English comedian and actor
  • 1974 – Christian Tamminga, Dutch athlete
  • 1975 – Johnny Galecki, American actor
  • 1976 – Davian Clarke, Jamaican sprinter
  • 1976 – Amanda Palmer, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1976 – Daniel Wagon, Australian rugby league player
  • 1977 – Jeannie Haddaway, American politician
  • 1977 – Meredith L. Patterson, American technologist, journalist, and author
  • 1978 – Liljay, Taiwanese singer
  • 1979 – Gerardo Torrado, Mexican footballer
  • 1980 – Luis Scola, Argentinian basketball player
  • 1980 – Jeroen Verhoeven, Dutch footballer
  • 1981 – Nicole Kaczmarski, American basketball player
  • 1981 – John O’Shea, Irish footballer
  • 1981 – Kunal Nayyar, British-Indian actor
  • 1981 – Justin Vernon, American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer
  • 1982 – Kirsten Dunst, American actress
  • 1982 – Drew Seeley, Canadian-American singer-songwriter, dancer, and actor
  • 1983 – Chris Carr, American football player
  • 1983 – Tatjana Hüfner, German luger
  • 1983 – Marina Tomić, Slovenian hurdler
  • 1983 – Troy Williamson, American football player
  • 1984 – Seimone Augustus, American basketball player
  • 1984 – Shawn Daivari, American wrestler and manager
  • 1984 – Risto Mätas, Estonian javelin thrower
  • 1984 – Lee Roache, English footballer
  • 1985 – Brandon Bass, American basketball player
  • 1985 – Gal Gadot, Israeli actress and model
  • 1985 – Ashley Alexandra Dupré, American journalist, singer, and prostitute
  • 1986 – Dianna Agron, American actress and singer
  • 1986 – Martten Kaldvee, Estonian biathlete
  • 1987 – Alipate Carlile, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Chris Morris, South African cricketer
  • 1987 – Rohit Sharma, Indian cricketer
  • 1988 – Andy Allen, Australian chef
  • 1988 – Sander Baart, Dutch field hockey player
  • 1988 – Liu Xijun, Chinese singer
  • 1988 – Oh Hye-ri, South Korean taekwondo athlete
  • 1989 – Jang Wooyoung, South Korean singer and actor
  • 1990 – Jonny Brownlee, English triathlete
  • 1990 – Mac DeMarco, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1990 – Kaarel Kiidron, Estonian footballer
  • 1991 – Chris Kreider, American ice hockey player
  • 1992 – Travis Scott, American rapper and producer
  • 1992 – Marc-André ter Stegen, German footballer
  • 1993 – Dion Dreesens, Dutch swimmer
  • 1993 – Martin Fuksa, Czech canoeist
  • 1994 – Chae Seo-jin, South Korean actress
  • 1994 – Wang Yafan, Chinese tennis player
  • 1996 – Luke Friend, English singer
  • 1997 – Adam Ryczkowski, Polish footballer
  • 1999 – Jorden van Foreest, Dutch chess grandmaster
  • 2000 – Yui Hiwatashi, Japanese singer
  • 2003 – Jung Yun-Seok, South Korean actor

Deaths on April 30

  • AD 65 – Lucan, Roman poet (b. 39)
  • 125 – An, Chinese emperor (b. 94)
  • 535 – Amalasuntha, Ostrogothic queen and regent
  • 783 – Hildegard of the Vinzgau, Frankish queen
  • 1002 – Eckard I, German nobleman
  • 1030 – Mahmud of Ghazni, Ghaznavid emir (b. 971)
  • 1063 – Ren Zong, Chinese emperor (b. 1010)
  • 1131 – Adjutor, French knight and saint
  • 1305 – Roger de Flor, Italian military adventurer (b. 1267)
  • 1341 – John III, duke of Brittany (b. 1286)
  • 1439 – Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, English commander (b. 1382)
  • 1524 – Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, French soldier (b. 1473)
  • 1544 – Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden, English lawyer and judge, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1488)
  • 1550 – Tabinshwehti, Burmese king (b. 1516)
  • 1632 – Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly, Bavarian general (b. 1559)
  • 1632 – Sigismund III Vasa, Swedish-Polish son of John III of Sweden (b. 1566)
  • 1637 – Niwa Nagashige, Japanese daimyō (b. 1571)
  • 1655 – Eustache Le Sueur, French painter (b. 1617)
  • 1660 – Petrus Scriverius, Dutch historian and scholar (b. 1576)
  • 1672 – Marie of the Incarnation, French-Canadian nun and saint, founded the Ursulines of Quebec (b. 1599)
  • 1696 – Robert Plot, English chemist and academic (b. 1640)
  • 1712 – Philipp van Limborch, Dutch theologian and author (b. 1633)
  • 1736 – Johann Albert Fabricius, German scholar and author (b. 1668)
  • 1758 – François d’Agincourt, French organist and composer (b. 1684)
  • 1792 – John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, English politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (b. 1718)
  • 1795 – Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, French archaeologist and author (b. 1716)
  • 1806 – Onogawa Kisaburō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 5th Yokozuna (b. 1758)
  • 1841 – Peter Andreas Heiberg, Danish philologist and author (b. 1758)
  • 1847 – Charles, Austrian commander and duke of Teschen (b. 1771)
  • 1863 – Jean Danjou, French captain (b. 1828)
  • 1865 – Robert FitzRoy, English admiral, meteorologist, and politician, 2nd Governor of New Zealand (b. 1805)
  • 1870 – Thomas Cooke, Canadian bishop and missionary (b. 1792)
  • 1875 – Jean-Frédéric Waldeck, French explorer, lithographer, and cartographer (b. 1766)
  • 1879 – Emma Smith, American religious leader (b. 1804)
  • 1883 – Édouard Manet, French painter (b. 1832)
  • 1891 – Joseph Leidy, American paleontologist and author (b. 1823)
  • 1900 – Casey Jones, American engineer (b. 1863)
  • 1903 – Emily Stowe, Canadian physician and activist (b. 1831)
  • 1910 – Jean Moréas, Greek poet and critic (b. 1856)
  • 1936 – A. E. Housman, English poet and scholar (b. 1859)
  • 1939 – Frank Haller, American boxer (b. 1883)
  • 1943 – Otto Jespersen, Danish linguist and academic (b. 1860)
  • 1943 – Beatrice Webb, English sociologist and economist (b. 1858)
  • 1953 – Jacob Linzbach, Estonian linguist and author (b. 1874)
  • 1956 – Alben W. Barkley, American lawyer and politician, 35th Vice President of the United States (b. 1877)
  • 1970 – Jacques Presser, Dutch historian, writer and poet (b. 1899)
  • 1970 – Inger Stevens, Swedish-American actress (b. 1934)
  • 1972 – Gia Scala, English-American model and actress (b. 1934)
  • 1973 – Václav Renč, Czech poet and playwright (b. 1911)
  • 1974 – Agnes Moorehead, American actress (b. 1900)
  • 1980 – Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican journalist and politician, 1st Governor of Puerto Rico (b. 1898)
  • 1982 – Lester Bangs, American journalist and author (b. 1949)
  • 1983 – George Balanchine, Russian dancer and choreographer (b. 1904)
  • 1983 – Muddy Waters, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and bandleader (b. 1913)
  • 1983 – Edouard Wyss-Dunant, Swiss physician and mountaineer (b. 1897)
  • 1986 – Robert Stevenson, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1905)
  • 1989 – Sergio Leone, Italian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1929)
  • 1993 – Tommy Caton, English footballer (b. 1962)
  • 1994 – Roland Ratzenberger, Austrian race car driver (b. 1960)
  • 1994 – Richard Scarry, American author and illustrator (b. 1919)
  • 1995 – Maung Maung Kha, Burmese colonel and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Burma (b. 1920)
  • 1998 – Nizar Qabbani, Syrian-English poet, publisher, and diplomat (b. 1926)
  • 2000 – Poul Hartling, Danish politician, 36th Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, German philanthropist, founded the Gründerzeit Museum (b. 1928)
  • 2003 – Mark Berger, American economist and academic (b. 1955)
  • 2003 – Possum Bourne, New Zealand race car driver (b. 1956)
  • 2005 – Phil Rasmussen, American lieutenant and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 2006 – Jean-François Revel, French philosopher (b. 1924)
  • 2006 – Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Indonesian author and academic (b. 1925)
  • 2007 – Kevin Mitchell, American football player (b. 1971)
  • 2007 – Tom Poston, American actor, comedian, and game show panelist (b. 1921)
  • 2007 – Gordon Scott, American film and television actor (b. 1926)
  • 2008 – John Cargher, English-Australian journalist and author (b. 1919)
  • 2008 – Juancho Evertsz, Dutch Antillean politician (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Henk Nijdam, Dutch cyclist (b. 1935)
  • 2011 – Dorjee Khandu, Indian politician, 6th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (b. 1955)
  • 2011 – Evald Okas, Estonian painter (b. 1915)
  • 2011 – Ernesto Sabato, Argentinian physicist, author, and painter (b. 1911)
  • 2012 – Tomás Borge, Nicaraguan poet and politician, co-founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front (b. 1930)
  • 2012 – Alexander Dale Oen, Norwegian swimmer (b. 1985)
  • 2012 – Giannis Gravanis, Greek footballer (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – Benzion Netanyahu, Russian-Israeli historian and academic (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – Sicelo Shiceka, South African politician (b. 1966)
  • 2013 – Roberto Chabet, Filipino painter and sculptor (b. 1937)
  • 2013 – Shirley Firth, Canadian skier (b. 1953)
  • 2013 – Viviane Forrester, French author and critic (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Mike Gray, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Khaled Choudhury, Indian painter and set designer (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Julian Lewis, English biologist and academic (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Carl E. Moses, American businessman and politician (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Ian Ross, Australian journalist (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Lennart Bodström, Swedish politician (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Ben E. King, American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1938)
  • 2015 – Steven Goldmann, Canadian director and producer (b. 1961)
  • 2016 – Daniel Berrigan, American priest and activist (b. 1921)
  • 2016 – Harry Kroto, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1939)
  • 2019 – Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (b. 1944)
  • 2020 – Tony Allen, Nigerian drummer and composer (b. 1940)

Holidays and observances on April 30

  • Armed Forces Day (Georgia)
  • Birthday of the King Carl XVI Gustaf, one of the official flag days of Sweden.
  • Camarón Day (French Foreign Legion)
  • Children’s Day (Mexico)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Adjutor
    • Aimo
    • Amator, Peter and Louis
    • Donatus of Evorea
    • Eutropius of Saintes
    • Marie Guyart (Anglican Church of Canada)
    • Marie of the Incarnation (Ursuline)
    • Maximus of Rome
    • Blessed Miles Gerard
    • Pomponius of Naples
    • Pope Pius V
    • Quirinus of Neuss
    • Sarah Josepha Hale (Episcopal Church)
    • Suitbert the Younger
    • April 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Consumer Protection Day (Thailand)
  • Earliest day on which Ascension Day can fall, while June 3 is the latest; celebrated 40 days after Easter (Christianity), and its related observances:
    • Festa della Sensa (Venice)
    • Global Day of Prayer (Western Christianity)
    • Sheep Festival (Cameroon)
  • Honesty Day (United States)
  • International Jazz Day (UNESCO)
  • Martyrs’ Day (Pakistan)
  • May Eve, the eve of the first day of summer in the Northern hemisphere (see May 1):
    • Beltane begins at sunset in the Northern hemisphere, Samhain begins at sunset in the Southern hemisphere. (Neo-Druidic Wheel of the Year)
    • Carodejnice (Czech Republic and Slovakia)
    • Walpurgis Night (Central and Northern Europe)
  • National Persian Gulf Day (Iran)
  • Reunification Day (Vietnam)
  • Russian State Fire Service Day (Russia)
  • Teachers’ Day (Paraguay)

April 30 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day, Uncategorized /
  • 224 – The Battle of Hormozdgan is fought. Ardashir I defeats and kills Artabanus V effectively ending the Parthian Empire.
  • 357 – Emperor Constantius II enters Rome for the first time to celebrate his victory over Magnus Magnentius.
  • 1192 – Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I), King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title to the throne is confirmed by election. The killing is carried out by Hashshashin.
  • 1253 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.
  • 1503 – The Battle of Cerignola is fought. It is noted as one of the first European battles in history won by small arms fire using gunpowder.
  • 1611 – Establishment of the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines, the largest Catholic university in the world.
  • 1758 – The Marathas defeat the Afghans in the Battle of Attock and capture the city.
  • 1788 – Maryland becomes the seventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.
  • 1789 – Mutiny on the Bounty: Lieutenant William Bligh and 18 sailors are set adrift and the rebel crew returns to Tahiti briefly and then sets sail for Pitcairn Island.
  • 1792 – France invades the Austrian Netherlands (present day Belgium and Luxembourg), beginning the French Revolutionary Wars.
  • 1794 – Sardinians, headed by Giovanni Maria Angioy, start a revolution against Savoy domination, expelling Viceroy Balbiano and his officials from Cagliari, the capital and largest city of the island.
  • 1796 – The Armistice of Cherasco is signed by Napoleon Bonaparte and Vittorio Amedeo III, King of Sardinia, expanding French territory along the Mediterranean coast.
  • 1869 – Chinese and Irish laborers for the Central Pacific Railroad working on the First Transcontinental Railroad lay ten miles of track in one day, a feat which has never been matched.
  • 1881 – Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico.
  • 1887 – A week after being arrested by the Prussian Secret Police, French police inspector Guillaume Schnaebelé is released on order of William I, German Emperor, defusing a possible war.
  • 1910 – Frenchman Louis Paulhan wins the 1910 London to Manchester air race, the first long-distance aeroplane race in England.
  • 1920 – Azerbaijan is added to the Soviet Union.
  • 1923 – Wembley Stadium is opened, named initially as the Empire Stadium.
  • 1930 – The Independence Producers hosted the first night game in the history of Organized Baseball in Independence, Kansas.
  • 1941 – The Ustaše massacre nearly 200 Serbs in the village of Gudovac, the first massacre of their genocidal campaign against Serbs of the Independent State of Croatia.
  • 1944 – World War II: Nine German E-boats attacked US and UK units during Exercise Tiger, the rehearsal for the Normandy landings, killing 946.
  • 1945 – Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci are shot dead by Walter Audisio, a member of the Italian resistance movement.
  • 1947 – Thor Heyerdahl and five crew mates set out from Peru on the Kon-Tiki to demonstrate that Peruvian natives could have settled Polynesia.
  • 1948 – Igor Stravinsky conducted the premiere of his American ballet, Orpheus at the New York City Center.
  • 1949 – The Hukbalahap are accused of assassinating former First Lady of the Philippines Aurora Quezon, while she is en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and ten others are also killed.
  • 1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower resigns as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.
  • 1952 – The Treaty of San Francisco comes into effect, restoring Japanese sovereignty and ending its state of war with most of the Allies of World War II.
  • 1952 – The Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty (Treaty of Taipei) is signed in Taipei, Taiwan between Japan and the Republic of China to officially end the Second Sino-Japanese War.
  • 1965 – United States occupation of the Dominican Republic: American troops land in the Dominican Republic to “forestall establishment of a Communist dictatorship” and to evacuate U.S. Army troops.
  • 1967 – Vietnam War: Boxer Muhammad Ali refuses his induction into the United States Army and is subsequently stripped of his championship and license.
  • 1969 – Charles de Gaulle resigns as President of France.
  • 1970 – Vietnam War: U.S. President Richard Nixon formally authorizes American combat troops to take part in the Cambodian campaign.
  • 1973 – The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, recorded in Abbey Road Studios goes to number one on the US Billboard chart, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run.
  • 1975 – General Cao Văn Viên, chief of the South Vietnamese military, departs for the US as the North Vietnamese Army closed in on victory.
  • 1977 – The Red Army Faction trial ends, with Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin and Jan-Carl Raspe found guilty of four counts of murder and more than 30 counts of attempted murder.
  • 1978 – President of Afghanistan, Mohammed Daoud Khan, is overthrown and assassinated in a coup led by pro-communist rebels.
  • 1986 – The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the USS Coral Sea.
  • 1986 – High levels of radiation resulting from the Chernobyl disaster are detected at a nuclear power plant in Sweden, leading Soviet authorities to publicly announce the accident.
  • 1988 – Near Maui, Hawaii, flight attendant Clarabelle “C.B.” Lansing is blown out of Aloha Airlines Flight 243, a Boeing 737, and falls to her death when part of the plane’s fuselage rips open in mid-flight.
  • 1993 – A Zambia Air Force DHC-5 Buffalo crashes off the coast of Libreville, Gabon, killing all 30 passengers, which included the entire Zambia national football team.
  • 1994 – Former Central Intelligence Agency counterintelligence officer and analyst Aldrich Ames pleads guilty to giving U.S. secrets to the Soviet Union and later Russia.
  • 1996 – Whitewater controversy: President Bill Clinton gives a 4½ hour videotaped testimony for the defense.
  • 1996 – Port Arthur massacre, Tasmania: A gunman, Martin Bryant, opens fire at the Broad Arrow Cafe in Port Arthur, Tasmania, killing 35 people and wounding 23 others.
  • 2004 – CBS News released evidence of the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse. The photographs show rape and abuse from the American troops over Iraqi detainees.

Births on April 28

  • AD 32 – Otho, Roman emperor (d. 69 AD)
  • 1402 – Nezahualcoyotl, Acolhuan philosopher, warrior, poet and ruler (d. 1472)
  • 1442 – Edward IV, king of England (d. 1483)
  • 1545 – Yi Sun-sin, Korean commander (d. 1598)
  • 1573 – Charles de Valois, Duke of Angoulême, son of Charles IX (d. 1650)
  • 1604 – Joris Jansen Rapelje, Dutch settler in colonial North America (d. 1662)
  • 1623 – Wilhelmus Beekman, Dutch politician (d. 1707)
  • 1630 – Charles Cotton, English poet and author (d. 1687)
  • 1676 – Frederick I, prince consort and king of Sweden (d. 1751)
  • 1715 – Franz Sparry, Austrian composer and educator (d. 1767)
  • 1758 – James Monroe, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 5th President of the United States (d. 1831)
  • 1761 – Marie Harel, French cheesemaker (d. 1844)
  • 1765 – Sylvestre François Lacroix, French mathematician and academic (d. 1834)
  • 1819 – Ezra Abbot, American scholar and academic (d. 1884)
  • 1827 – William Hall, Canadian soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1904)
  • 1838 – Tobias Asser, Dutch lawyer and scholar, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1913)
  • 1848 – Ludvig Schytte, Danish pianist, composer, and educator (d. 1909)
  • 1854 – Hertha Marks Ayrton, Polish-British engineer, mathematician, and physicist. (d. 1923)
  • 1855 – José Malhoa, Portuguese painter (d. 1933)
  • 1863 – Josiah Thomas, English-Australian miner and politician, 7th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 1933)
  • 1863 – Nikolai von Meck, Russian engineer (d. 1929)
  • 1865 – Charles W. Woodworth, American entomologist and academic (d. 1940)
  • 1868 – Lucy Booth, English composer (d. 1953)
  • 1868 – Georgy Voronoy, Ukrainian-Russian mathematician and academic (d. 1908)
  • 1874 – Karl Kraus, Austrian journalist and author (d. 1936)
  • 1874 – Sidney Toler, American actor and director (d. 1947)
  • 1876 – Nicola Romeo, Italian engineer and businessman (d. 1938)
  • 1878 – Lionel Barrymore, American actor and director (d. 1954)
  • 1886 – Erich Salomon, German-born news photographer (d. 1944)
  • 1886 – Art Shaw, American hurdler (d. 1955)
  • 1888 – Walter Tull, English footballer and soldier (d. 1918)
  • 1889 – António de Oliveira Salazar, Portuguese economist and politician, 100th Prime Minister of Portugal (d. 1970)
  • 1896 – Na Hye-sok, South Korean journalist, poet, and painter (d. 1948)
  • 1896 – Tristan Tzara, Romanian-French poet and critic (d. 1963)
  • 1897 – Ye Jianying, Chinese general and politician, Head of State of the People’s Republic of China (d. 1986)
  • 1900 – Alice Berry, Australian activist (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Heinrich Müller, German SS officer (d. 1945)
  • 1900 – Jan Oort, Dutch astronomer and academic (d. 1992)
  • 1901 – H. B. Stallard, English runner and surgeon (d. 1973)
  • 1902 – Johan Borgen, Norwegian author and critic (d. 1979)
  • 1906 – Kurt Gödel, Czech-American mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1906 – Paul Sacher, Swiss conductor and philanthropist (d. 1999)
  • 1908 – Ethel Catherwood, American-Canadian high jumper and javelin thrower (d. 1987)
  • 1908 – Jack Fingleton, Australian cricketer, journalist, and sportscaster (d. 1981)
  • 1908 – Oskar Schindler, Czech-German businessman (d. 1974)
  • 1909 – Arthur Võõbus, Estonian-American theologist and orientalist (d. 1988)
  • 1910 – Sam Merwin, Jr., American author (d. 1996)
  • 1911 – Lee Falk, American director, producer, and playwright (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Odette Hallowes, French soldier and spy (d. 1995)
  • 1912 – Kaneto Shindō, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1913 – Rose Murphy, American singer (d. 1989)
  • 1914 – Michel Mohrt, French author, historian (d. 2011)
  • 1916 – Ferruccio Lamborghini, Italian businessman, created Lamborghini (d. 1993)
  • 1917 – Robert Cornthwaite, American actor (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Rowland Evans, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Simin Daneshvar, Iranian author and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1923 – Carolyn Cassady, American author (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – William Guarnere, American sergeant (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Dick Ayers, American author and illustrator (d. 2014)
  • 1924 – Blossom Dearie, American singer and pianist (d. 2009)
  • 1924 – Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian educator and politician, 1st President of Zambia
  • 1925 – T. John Lesinski, American judge and politician, 51st Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – John Leonard Thorn, English lieutenant, author, and academic
  • 1926 – James Bama, American artist and illustrator
  • 1926 – Bill Blackbeard, American historian and author (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Harper Lee, American novelist (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Hulusi Sayın, Turkish general (d. 1991)
  • 1928 – Yves Klein, French painter (d. 1962)
  • 1928 – Eugene Merle Shoemaker, American geologist and astronomer (d. 1997)
  • 1930 – James Baker, American lawyer and politician, 61st United States Secretary of State
  • 1930 – Carolyn Jones, American actress (d. 1983)
  • 1933 – Miodrag Radulovacki, Serbian-American neuropharmacologist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Lois Duncan, American journalist and author (d. 2016)
  • 1935 – Pedro Ramos, Cuban baseball player
  • 1935 – Jimmy Wray, Scottish boxer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Tariq Aziz, Iraqi journalist and politician, Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Saddam Hussein, Iraqi general and politician, 5th President of Iraq (d. 2006)
  • 1937 – Jean Redpath, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1937 – John White, Scottish international footballer(d. 1964)
  • 1938 – Madge Sinclair, Jamaican-American actress (d. 1995)
  • 1941 – Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1941 – Lucien Aimar, French cyclist
  • 1941 – John Madejski, English businessman and academic
  • 1941 – Karl Barry Sharpless, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – Iryna Zhylenko, Ukrainian poet and author (d. 2013)
  • 1942 – Mike Brearley, English cricketer and psychoanalyst
  • 1943 – Aryeh Bibi, Iraqi-born Israeli politician
  • 1944 – Elizabeth LeCompte, American director and producer
  • 1944 – Jean-Claude Van Cauwenberghe, Belgian politician, 10th Minister-President of the Walloon Region
  • 1944 – Alice Waters, American chef and author
  • 1946 – Nour El-Sherif, Egyptian actor and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – Ginette Reno, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1946 – Larissa Grunig, American theorist and activist
  • 1947 – Christian Jacq, French historian and author
  • 1947 – Nicola LeFanu, English composer and academic
  • 1947 – Steve Khan, American jazz guitarist
  • 1948 – Terry Pratchett, English journalist, author, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1948 – Marcia Strassman, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
  • 1949 – Jeremy Cooke, English lawyer and judge
  • 1949 – Paul Guilfoyle, American actor
  • 1949 – Bruno Kirby, American actor and director (d. 2006)
  • 1950 – Willie Colón, Puerto Rican-American trombonist and producer
  • 1950 – Jay Leno, American comedian, talk show host, and producer
  • 1950 – Steve Rider, English journalist and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Tim Congdon, English economist and politician
  • 1951 – Larry Smith, Canadian football player and politician
  • 1952 – Chuck Leavell, American singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1952 – Mary McDonnell, American actress
  • 1953 – Roberto Bolaño, Chilean novelist, short-story writer, poet, and essayist (d. 2003)
  • 1953 – Kim Gordon, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1953 – Brian Greenhoff, English footballer and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1954 – Timothy Curley, American educator
  • 1954 – Michael P. Jackson, American politician, 3rd Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
  • 1954 – Vic Sotto, Filipino actor-producer, singer-songwriter, comedian and television personality
  • 1954 – Ron Zook, American football player and coach
  • 1955 – Eddie Jobson, English keyboard player and violinist
  • 1955 – Dieter Rubach, German bass player
  • 1956 – Jimmy Barnes, Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1957 – Wilma Landkroon, Dutch singer
  • 1958 – Hal Sutton, American golfer
  • 1960 – Tom Browning, American baseball player
  • 1960 – Elena Kagan, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • 1960 – Phil King, English bass player
  • 1960 – Ian Rankin, Scottish author
  • 1960 – Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Icelandic strongman and weightlifter (d. 1993)
  • 1960 – Walter Zenga, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Sandrine Dumas, French actress, director, and screenwriter
  • 1963 – Lloyd Eisler, Canadian figure skater and coach
  • 1963 – Marc Lacroix, Belgian biochemist and academic
  • 1964 – Stephen Ames, Trinidadian golfer
  • 1964 – Noriyuki Iwadare, Japanese composer
  • 1964 – Ajay Kakkar, Baron Kakkar, English surgeon and academic
  • 1964 – Barry Larkin, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster
  • 1964 – L’Wren Scott, American model and fashion designer (d. 2014)
  • 1965 – Jennifer Rardin, American author (d. 2010)
  • 1966 – John Daly, American golfer
  • 1966 – Too Short, American rapper, producer and actor
  • 1967 – Chris White, English engineer and politician
  • 1968 – Howard Donald, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1968 – Andy Flower, South-African-Zimbabwean cricketer and coach
  • 1969 – LeRon Perry Ellis, American basketball player
  • 1970 – Richard Fromberg, Australian tennis player
  • 1970 – Nicklas Lidström, Swedish ice hockey player and scout
  • 1970 – Diego Simeone, Argentinian footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Brad McEwan, Australian journalist
  • 1972 – Violent J, American rapper
  • 1972 – Helena Tulve, Estonian composer
  • 1972 – Jean-Paul van Gastel, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1973 – Jorge Garcia, American actor and producer
  • 1973 – Earl Holmes, American football player and coach
  • 1973 – Andrew Mehrtens, South African-New Zealand rugby player
  • 1974 – Penélope Cruz, Spanish actress and producer
  • 1974 – Margo Dydek, Polish basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
  • 1974 – Richel Hersisia, Dutch boxer
  • 1974 – Vernon Kay, English radio and television host
  • 1974 – Dominic Matteo, Scottish footballer and journalist
  • 1975 – Michael Walchhofer, Austrian skier
  • 1976 – Shane Jurgensen, Australian cricketer
  • 1978 – Lauren Laverne, English singer and television host
  • 1978 – Robert Oliveri, American actor
  • 1978 – Nate Richert, American actor
  • 1979 – Scott Fujita, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1980 – Bradley Wiggins, English cyclist
  • 1981 – Jessica Alba, American model and actress
  • 1981 – Pietro Travagli, Italian rugby player
  • 1982 – Nikki Grahame, English model and journalist
  • 1982 – Chris Kaman, American basketball player
  • 1983 – Josh Brookes, Australian motorcycle racer
  • 1983 – David Freese, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Roger Johnson, English footballer
  • 1983 – Graham Wagg, English cricketer
  • 1983 – Thomas Waldrom, New Zealand-English rugby player
  • 1984 – Dmitri Torbinski, Russian footballer
  • 1985 – Lucas Jakubczyk, German sprinter and long jumper
  • 1985 – Deividas Stagniūnas, Lithuanian ice dancer
  • 1986 – Roman Polák, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Jenna Ushkowitz, Korean-American actress, singer, and dancer
  • 1987 – Ryan Conroy, Scottish footballer
  • 1987 – Samantha Akkineni, Indian actress and model
  • 1987 – Bradley Johnson, English footballer
  • 1987 – Zoran Tošić, Serbian footballer
  • 1988 – Jonathan Biabiany, French footballer
  • 1988 – Juan Manuel Mata, Spanish footballer
  • 1988 – Katariina Tuohimaa, Finnish tennis player
  • 1989 – Emil Salomonsson, Swedish footballer
  • 1989 – Kim Sung-kyu, South Korean singer
  • 1990 – Niels-Peter Mørck, Danish footballer
  • 1992 – Blake Bortles, American football player
  • 1992 – DeMarcus Lawrence, American football player
  • 1993 – Craig Garvey, Australian rugby league player
  • 1993 – Eva Samková, Czech snowboarder
  • 1995 – Jonathan Benteke, Belgian footballer
  • 1995 – Melanie Martinez, American singer

Deaths on April 28

  • 224 – Artabanus V of Parthia (b. 191)
  • 948 – Hu Jinsi, Chinese general and prefect
  • 988 – Adaldag, archbishop of Bremen
  • 1109 – Abbot Hugh of Cluny (b. 1024)
  • 1192 – Conrad of Montferrat (b. 1140)
  • 1197 – Rhys ap Gruffydd, prince of Deheubarth (b. 1132)
  • 1257 – Shajar al-Durr, sovereign sultana of Egypt
  • 1260 – Luchesius Modestini, founding member of the Third Order of St. Francis
  • 1400 – Baldus de Ubaldis, Italian jurist (b. 1327)
  • 1489 – Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, English politician (b. 1449)
  • 1533 – Nicholas West, English bishop and diplomat (b. 1461)
  • 1643 – Francisco de Lucena, Portuguese politician (b. 1578)
  • 1710 – Thomas Betterton, English actor and manager (b. 1630)
  • 1716 – Louis de Montfort, French priest and saint (b. 1673)
  • 1726 – Thomas Pitt, English merchant and politician (b. 1653)
  • 1741 – Magnus Julius De la Gardie, Swedish general and politician (b. 1668)
  • 1772 – Johann Friedrich Struensee, German physician and politician (b. 1737)
  • 1781 – Cornelius Harnett, American merchant, farmer, and politician (b. 1723)
  • 1813 – Mikhail Kutuzov, Russian field marshal (b. 1745)
  • 1816 – Johann Heinrich Abicht, German philosopher, author, and academic (b. 1762)
  • 1841 – Peter Chanel, French priest, missionary, and martyr (b. 1803)
  • 1853 – Ludwig Tieck, German author and poet (b. 1773)
  • 1858 – Johannes Peter Müller, German physiologist and anatomist (b. 1801)
  • 1865 – Samuel Cunard, Canadian-English businessman, founded Cunard Line (b. 1787)
  • 1881 – Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon, French sculptor and photographer (b. 1818)
  • 1883 – John Russell, English hunter and dog breeder (b. 1795)
  • 1902 – Cyprien Tanguay, Canadian priest and historian (b. 1819)
  • 1903 – Josiah Willard Gibbs, American scientist (b. 1839)
  • 1905 – Fitzhugh Lee, American general and politician, 40th Governor of Virginia (b. 1835)
  • 1925 – Richard Butler, English-Australian politician, 23rd Premier of South Australia (b. 1850)
  • 1928 – May Jordan McConnel, Australian trade unionist and suffragist (b. 1860)
  • 1929 – Hendrik van Heuckelum, Dutch footballer (b. 1879)
  • 1936 – Fuad I of Egypt (b. 1868)
  • 1944 – Mohammed Alim Khan, Manghud ruler (b. 1880)
  • 1944 – Frank Knox, American journalist and politician, 46th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1874)
  • 1945 – Roberto Farinacci, Italian soldier and politician (b. 1892)
  • 1945 – Hermann Fegelein, German general (b. 1906)
  • 1945 – Benito Mussolini, Italian journalist and politician, 27th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1883)
  • 1946 – Louis Bachelier, French mathematician and academic (b. 1870)
  • 1954 – Léon Jouhaux, French union leader, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879)
  • 1956 – Fred Marriott, American race car driver (b. 1872)
  • 1957 – Heinrich Bär, German colonel and pilot (b. 1913)
  • 1962 – Bennie Osler, South African rugby player (b. 1901)
  • 1963 – Wilhelm Weber, German gymnast (b. 1880)
  • 1970 – Ed Begley, American actor (b. 1901)
  • 1973 – Clas Thunberg, Finnish speed skater (b. 1893)
  • 1976 – Richard Hughes, American author and poet (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Ricardo Cortez, American actor (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Sepp Herberger, German footballer and coach (b. 1897)
  • 1978 – Mohammed Daoud Khan, Afghan commander and politician, 1st President of Afghanistan (b. 1909)
  • 1980 – Tommy Caldwell, American bass player (b. 1949)
  • 1987 – Ben Linder, American engineer and activist (b. 1959)
  • 1991 – Steve Broidy, American film producer (b. 1905)
  • 1992 – Francis Bacon, Irish painter (b. 1909)
  • 1993 – Diva Diniz Corrêa, Brazilian zoologist (b. 1918)
  • 1993 – Jim Valvano, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1946)
  • 1994 – Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (b. 1910)
  • 1996 – Lester Sumrall, American minister, founded LeSEA (b. 1913)
  • 1997 – Ann Petry, American novelist (b. 1908)
  • 1998 – Jerome Bixby, American author and screenwriter (b. 1923)
  • 1999 – Rory Calhoun, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1922)
  • 1999 – Rolf Landauer, German-American physicist and engineer (b. 1927)
  • 1999 – Alf Ramsey, English footballer and manager (b. 1920)
  • 1999 – Arthur Leonard Schawlow, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1921)
  • 2000 – Jerzy Einhorn, Polish-Swedish physician and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2000 – Penelope Fitzgerald, English author and poet (b. 1916)
  • 2002 – Alexander Lebed, Russian general and politician (b. 1950)
  • 2002 – Lou Thesz, American wrestler and trainer (b. 1916)
  • 2005 – Percy Heath, American bassist (b. 1923)
  • 2005 – Chris Candido, American wrestler (b. 1971)
  • 2005 – Taraki Sivaram, Sri Lankan journalist and author (b. 1959)
  • 2006 – Steve Howe, American baseball player (b. 1958)
  • 2007 – Dabbs Greer, American actor (b. 1917)
  • 2007 – René Mailhot, Canadian journalist (b. 1942)
  • 2007 – Tommy Newsom, American saxophonist and bandleader (b. 1929)
  • 2007 – Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, German physicist and philosopher (b. 1912)
  • 2007 – Bertha Wilson, Scottish-Canadian lawyer and jurist (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina and actress (b. 1939)
  • 2009 – Richard Pratt, Polish-Australian businessman (b. 1934)
  • 2011 – Erhard Loretan, Swiss mountaineer (b. 1959)
  • 2012 – Fred Allen, New Zealand rugby player and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Matilde Camus, Spanish poet and author (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Al Ecuyer, American football player (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Patricia Medina, English actress (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Milan N. Popović, Serbian psychiatrist and author (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Aberdeen Shikoyi, Kenyan rugby player (b. 1985)
  • 2013 – Brad Lesley, American baseball player (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – Fredrick McKissack, American author (b. 1939)
  • 2013 – John C. Reynolds, American computer scientist and academic (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Jack Shea, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – János Starker, Hungarian-American cellist and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Paulo Vanzolini, Brazilian singer-songwriter and zoologist (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Bernie Wood, New Zealand journalist and author (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Barbara Fiske Calhoun, American cartoonist and painter (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – William Honan, American journalist and author (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Dennis Kamakahi, American guitarist and composer (b. 1953)
  • 2014 – Edgar Laprade, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Jack Ramsay, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Idris Sardi, Indonesian violinist and composer (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Frederic Schwartz, American architect, co-designed Empty Sky (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Ryan Tandy, Australian rugby player (b. 1981)
  • 2015 – Antônio Abujamra, Brazilian actor and director (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Marcia Brown, American author and illustrator (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Michael J. Ingelido, American general (b. 1916)
  • 2016 – Jenny Diski, English author and screenwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Mariano Gagnon, American Catholic priest and author (b. 1929)
  • 2018 – James Hylton, American race car driver (b. 1934)
  • 2019 – Richard Lugar, American politician (b.1932)
  • 2019 – John Singleton, American film director (b. 1968)

Holidays and observances on April 28

  • Christian feast day:
    • Aphrodisius and companions
    • Gianna Beretta Molla
    • Kirill of Turov (Orthodox, added to Roman Martyrology in 1969)
    • Louis de Montfort
    • Pamphilus of Sulmona
    • Peter Chanel
    • Vitalis and Valeria of Milan
    • April 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Lawyers’ Day (Odisha, India)
  • Mujahideen Victory Day (Afghanistan)
  • National Heroes Day (Barbados)
  • Restoration of Sovereignty Day (Japan)
  • Sardinia Day (Sardinia)
  • Workers’ Memorial Day and World Day for Safety and Health at Work (international)
    • National Day of Mourning (Canada)

April 28 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day, Uncategorized

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

On This Day /
  • 796 – King Æthelred I of Northumbria is murdered in Corbridge by a group led by his ealdormen, Ealdred and Wada. The patrician Osbald is crowned, but abdicates within 27 days.
  • 1506 – The cornerstone of the current St. Peter’s Basilica is laid.
  • 1518 – Bona Sforza is crowned as queen consort of Poland.
  • 1521 – Trial of Martin Luther begins its second day during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. He refuses to recant his teachings despite the risk of excommunication.
  • 1689 – Bostonians rise up in rebellion against Sir Edmund Andros.
  • 1738 – Real Academia de la Historia (“Royal Academy of History”) is founded in Madrid.
  • 1775 – American Revolution: The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and other riders warn the countryside of the troop movements.
  • 1783 – Three-Fifths Compromise: the first instance of black slaves in the United States of America being counted as three fifths of persons (for the purpose of taxation), in a resolution of the Congress of the Confederation. This was later adopted in the 1787 Constitution.
  • 1831 – The University of Alabama is founded in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
  • 1847 – American victory at the battle of Cerro Gordo opens the way for invasion of Mexico.
  • 1857 – “The Spirits Book” by Allan Kardec is published, marking the birth of Spiritualism in France.
  • 1864 – Battle of Dybbøl: A Prussian-Austrian army defeats Denmark and gains control of Schleswig. Denmark surrenders the province in the following peace settlement.
  • 1897 – The Greco-Turkish War is declared between Greece and the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1899 – The St. Andrew’s Ambulance Association is granted a royal charter by Queen Victoria.
  • 1902 – The 7.5 Mw  Guatemala earthquake shakes Guatemala with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), killing between 800–2,000.
  • 1906 – An earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California.
  • 1909 – Joan of Arc is beatified in Rome.
  • 1912 – The Cunard liner RMS Carpathia brings 705 survivors from the RMS Titanic to New York City.
  • 1915 – French pilot Roland Garros is shot down and glides to a landing on the German side of the lines during World War I.
  • 1923 – Yankee Stadium: “The House that Ruth Built” opens.
  • 1925 – The International Amateur Radio Union is formed in Paris.
  • 1930 – The British Broadcasting Corporation announced that “there is no news” in their evening report.
  • 1939 – Robert Menzies, who became Australia’s longest-serving prime minister, is elected as leader of the United Australia Party after the death of Prime Minister Joseph Lyons.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Doolittle Raid on Japan: Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagoya are bombed.
  • 1942 – Pierre Laval becomes Prime Minister of Vichy France.
  • 1943 – World War II: Operation Vengeance, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is killed when his aircraft is shot down by U.S. fighters over Bougainville Island.
  • 1945 – Over 1,000 bombers attack the small island of Heligoland, Germany.
  • 1946 – The International Court of Justice holds its inaugural meeting in The Hague, Netherlands.
  • 1949 – The Republic of Ireland Act comes into effect.
  • 1949 – The keel for the aircraft carrier USS United States is laid down at Newport News Drydock and Shipbuilding. However, construction is canceled five days later, resulting in the Revolt of the Admirals.
  • 1954 – Gamal Abdel Nasser seizes power in Egypt.
  • 1955 – Twenty-nine nations meet at Bandung, Indonesia, for the first Asian-African Conference.
  • 1980 – The Republic of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) comes into being, with Canaan Banana as the country’s first President. The Zimbabwean dollar replaces the Rhodesian dollar as the official currency.
  • 1983 – A suicide bomber in Lebanon destroys the United States embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people.
  • 1987 – The New York Islanders defeat the Washington Capitals 3–2 in Game 7 of their Patrick Division Semifinal series.
  • 1988 – The United States launches Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian naval forces in the largest naval battle since World War II.
  • 1996 – In Lebanon, at least 106 civilians are killed when the Israel Defense Forces shell the United Nations compound at Qana where more than 800 civilians had taken refuge.
  • 1997 – The Red River flood begins and soon overwhelms the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. Fire breaks out and spreads in downtown Grand Forks, but high water levels hamper efforts to reach the fire, leading to the destruction of 11 buildings.
  • 1999 – Wayne Gretzky, the National Hockey League’s all-time points scorer, plays his final game at Madison Square Garden as a teammate of the New York Rangers in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Gretzky recorded his final career point, an assist, bringing his career point total to 2,857.
  • 2007 – A series of bombings, two of them being suicides, occur in Baghdad, killing 198 and injuring 251.
  • 2013 – A suicide bombing in a Baghdad cafe kills 27 people and injures another 65.
  • 2018 – King Mswati III of Swaziland announces that his country’s name will change to Eswatini.
  • 2019 – A redacted version of the Mueller Report is released to the United States Congress and the public.
  • 2020 – Coronavirus Pandemic: Europe surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 deaths.

Births on April 18

  • 359 – Gratian, Roman emperor (d. 383)
  • 588 – K’an II, Mayan ruler (d. 658)
  • 812 – Al-Wathiq, Abbasid caliph (d. 847)
  • 1446 – Ippolita Maria Sforza, Italian noble (d. 1484)
  • 1480 – Lucrezia Borgia, daughter of Pope Alexander VI
  • 1503 – Henry II of Navarre, (d. 1555)
  • 1534 – William Harrison, English clergyman (d. 1593)
  • 1580 – Thomas Middleton, English Jacobean playwright and poet (d. 1627)
  • 1590 – Ahmed I, Ottoman Emperor (d. 1617)
  • 1605 – Giacomo Carissimi, Italian priest and composer (d. 1674)
  • 1666 – Jean-Féry Rebel, French violinist and composer (d. 1747)
  • 1740 – Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet, English banker and politician (d. 1810)
  • 1759 – Jacques Widerkehr, French cellist and composer (d. 1823)
  • 1771 – Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg (d. 1820)
  • 1772 – David Ricardo, British economist and politician (d. 1823)
  • 1794 – William Debenham, English founder of Debenhams (d. 1863)
  • 1797 – Adolphe Thiers, French historian and politician, 2nd President of France (d. 1877)
  • 1813 – James McCune Smith, African-American physician, apothecary, abolitionist, and author (d. 1865)
  • 1819 – Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Cuban lawyer and activist (d. 1874)
  • 1819 – Franz von Suppé, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1895)
  • 1838 – Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran, French chemist and academic (d. 1912)
  • 1854 – Ludwig Levy, German architect (d. 1907)
  • 1857 – Clarence Darrow, American lawyer (d. 1938)
  • 1858 – Dhondo Keshav Karve, Indian educator and activist, Bharat Ratna Awardee (d. 1962)
  • 1858 – Alexander Shirvanzade, Armenian playwright and author (d. 1935)
  • 1863 – Count Leopold Berchtold, Austrian-Hungarian politician and diplomat, Joint Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary (d. 1942)
  • 1863 – Linton Hope, English sailor and architect (d. 1920)
  • 1864 – Richard Harding Davis, American journalist and author (d. 1916)
  • 1874 – Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, Croatian author and poet (d. 1938)
  • 1877 – Vicente Sotto, Filipino lawyer and politician (d. 1950)
  • 1879 – Korneli Kekelidze, Georgian philologist and scholar (d. 1962)
  • 1880 – Sam Crawford, American baseball player, coach, and umpire (d. 1968)
  • 1882 – Isaac Babalola Akinyele, Nigerian ruler (d. 1964)
  • 1882 – Leopold Stokowski, English conductor (d. 1977)
  • 1884 – Jaan Anvelt, Estonian educator and politician (d. 1937)
  • 1888 – Duffy Lewis, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 1979)
  • 1889 – Jessie Street, Australian activist (d. 1970)
  • 1892 – Eugene Houdry, French-American mechanical engineer and inventor (d. 1962)
  • 1893 – Violette Morris, French shot putter and discus thrower (d. 1944)
  • 1897 – Ardito Desio, Italian geologist and cartographer (d. 2001)
  • 1897 – Per-Erik Hedlund, Swedish skier (d. 1975)
  • 1898 – Patrick Hennessy, Irish soldier and businessman (d. 1981)
  • 1900 – Bertha Isaacs, Bahamian teacher, tennis player, politician and women’s rights activist (d. 1997)
  • 1901 – Al Lewis, American songwriter (d. 1967)
  • 1901 – László Németh, Hungarian dentist, author, and playwright (d. 1975)
  • 1902 – Waldemar Hammenhög, Swedish author (d. 1972)
  • 1902 – Giuseppe Pella, Italian politician, 32nd Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1981)
  • 1904 – Pigmeat Markham, African-American comedian, singer, and dancer (d. 1981)
  • 1905 – Sydney Halter, Canadian lawyer and businessman (d. 1990)
  • 1905 – George H. Hitchings, American physician and pharmacologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
  • 1907 – Miklós Rózsa, Hungarian-American composer and conductor (d. 1995)
  • 1911 – Ilario Bandini, Italian businessman and racing driver (d. 1992)
  • 1911 – Maurice Goldhaber, Ukrainian Jewish-American physicist and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1914 – Claire Martin, Canadian author (d. 2014)
  • 1915 – Joy Davidman, Polish-Ukrainian Jewish American poet and author (d. 1960)
  • 1916 – Carl Burgos, American illustrator (d. 1984)
  • 1916 – Doug Peden, Canadian basketball player (d. 2005)
  • 1917 – Ty LaForest, Canadian-American baseball player (d. 1947)
  • 1918 – Gabriel Axel, Danish-French actor, director, and producer (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – André Bazin, French critic and theorist (d. 1958)
  • 1918 – Shinobu Hashimoto, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2018)
  • 1918 – Clifton Hillegass, American publisher, founded CliffsNotes (d. 2001)
  • 1918 – Tony Mottola, American guitarist and composer (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – Virginia O’Brien, American actress and singer (d. 2001)
  • 1919 – Esther Afua Ocloo, Ghanaian entrepreneur and pioneer of microlending (d. 2002)
  • 1920 – John F. Wiley, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Jean Richard, French actor and singer (d. 2001)
  • 1922 – Barbara Hale, American actress (d. 2017)
  • 1922 – Lord Kitchener, Trinidadian singer (d. 2000)
  • 1923 – Alfred Bieler, Swiss ice hockey player (d. 2013)
  • 1923 – Beryl Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle, English engineer and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2005)
  • 1924 – Henry Hyde, American commander, lawyer, and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Roy Mason, English miner and politician, Secretary of State for Defence (d. 2015)
  • 1925 – Marcus Schmuck, Austrian mountaineer and author (d. 2005)
  • 1926 – Doug Insole, English cricketer (d. 2017)
  • 1927 – Samuel P. Huntington, American political scientist, author, and academic (d. 2008)
  • 1927 – Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Polish journalist and politician, Prime Minister of Poland (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Charles Pasqua, French businessman and politician, French Minister of the Interior (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Karl Josef Becker, German cardinal and theologian (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Otto Piene, German sculptor and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – Peter Hordern, English soldier and politician
  • 1930 – Clive Revill, New Zealand actor and singer
  • 1931 – Bill Miles, American director and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – James Drury, American actor (d. 2020)
  • 1934 – George Shirley, African-American tenor and educator
  • 1935 – Brian Clay, Australian rugby league player (d. 1987)
  • 1935 – Costas Ferris, Egyptian-Greek actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1936 – Roger Graef, American-English criminologist, director, and producer
  • 1936 – Vladimir Hütt, Estonian physicist and philosopher (d. 1997)
  • 1936 – “TV” Tommy Ivo, American actor and drag racer
  • 1937 – Jan Kaplický, Czech architect, designed the Selfridges Building (d. 2009)
  • 1937 – Tatyana Shchelkanova, Russian long jumper and heptathlete (d. 2011)
  • 1937 – Teddy Taylor, Scottish journalist and politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
  • 1939 – Glen Hardin, American pianist and arranger
  • 1939 – Thomas J. Moyer, American lawyer and judge (d. 2010)
  • 1940 – Joseph L. Goldstein, American biochemist and geneticist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1940 – Mike Vickers, English guitarist, saxophonist, and songwriter
  • 1941 – Michael D. Higgins, Irish sociologist and politician, 9th President of Ireland
  • 1942 – Michael Beloff, English lawyer and academic
  • 1942 – Steve Blass, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1942 – Robert Christgau, American journalist and critic
  • 1942 – Jochen Rindt, German-Austrian racing driver (d. 1970)
  • 1944 – Kathy Acker, American author and poet (d. 1997)
  • 1944 – Frances D’Souza, Baroness D’Souza, English academic and politician
  • 1944 – Robert Hanssen, American FBI agent and double agent
  • 1944 – Philip Jackson, Scottish sculptor and photographer
  • 1945 – Bernard Arcand, Canadian anthropologist and author (d. 2009)
  • 1945 – Richard Bausch, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1945 – Robert Bausch, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1946 – Hayley Mills, English actress
  • 1946 – Tommy Shannon, American bass guitarist
  • 1947 – Moses Blah, Liberian general and politician, 23rd President of Liberia (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – Dorothy Lyman, American actress
  • 1947 – Cindy Pickett, American actress
  • 1947 – Jerzy Stuhr, Polish actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – James Woods, American actor and producer
  • 1948 – Régis Wargnier, French director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Geoff Bodine, American race car driver
  • 1950 – Paul Callery, Australian footballer
  • 1950 – Tina Chow, American model and jewelry designer (d. 1992)
  • 1950 – Kenny Ortega, American director, producer, and choreographer
  • 1950 – Grigory Sokolov, Russian pianist and composer
  • 1951 – Ricardo Fortaleza, Australian-Filipino boxer and coach
  • 1951 – Pierre Pettigrew, Canadian businessman and politician, 5th Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1953 – Rick Moranis, Canadian-American actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Robert Greenberg, American pianist and composer
  • 1956 – Chris Jones, English footballer
  • 1956 – Eric Roberts, American actor
  • 1957 – Ian Campbell, Australian jumper
  • 1958 – Gabi Delgado-López, Spanish-German singer, co-founder of D.A.F.
  • 1958 – Malcolm Marshall, Barbadian cricketer and coach (d. 1999)
  • 1959 – Susan Faludi, American journalist and author
  • 1959 – Frank Mulholland, Lord Mulholland, Scottish judge, former Solicitor General for Scotland and Lord Advocate
  • 1960 – John Chiedozie, Nigerian international footballer
  • 1960 – Yelena Zhupiyeva-Vyazova, Ukrainian runner
  • 1961 – Kelly Hansen, American singer-songwriter
  • 1961 – Jane Leeves, English actress and dancer
  • 1961 – John Podhoretz, American journalist and author
  • 1962 – Jeff Dunham, American comedian and ventriloquist
  • 1962 – Nick Farr-Jones, Australian rugby player and sportscaster
  • 1963 – Eric McCormack, Canadian-American actor and producer
  • 1963 – Conan O’Brien, American actor, producer, screenwriter, and talk show host
  • 1963 – Phil Simmons, Trinidadian cricketer
  • 1963 – Peter Van Loan, Canadian lawyer and politician, 16th Canadian Minister of International Trade
  • 1964 – Niall Ferguson, Scottish historian and academic
  • 1964 – Rithy Panh, Cambodian director and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Valeri Kamensky, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1967 – Maria Bello, American actress and writer
  • 1969 – Keith DeCandido, American author
  • 1969 – Stefan Schwarz, Swedish footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Robert Změlík, Czech decathlete
  • 1970 – Rico Brogna, American baseball player and coach
  • 1970 – Greg Eklund, American drummer and guitarist
  • 1970 – Saad Hariri, Saudi Arabian-Lebanese businessman and politician, 33rd Prime Minister of Lebanon
  • 1970 – François Leroux, Canadian ice hockey player and radio host
  • 1970 – Tatiana Stefanidou, Greek journalist and talk show host
  • 1971 – Oleg Petrov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1971 – Graham Rowntree, English rugby player
  • 1971 – David Tennant, Scottish actor
  • 1972 – Rosa Clemente, American journalist and activist
  • 1972 – Eli Roth, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Michael Rutter, English motorcycle racer
  • 1973 – Derrick Brooks, American football player
  • 1973 – Brady Clark, American baseball player
  • 1973 – Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopian runner
  • 1974 – Millie Corretjer, Puerto Rican-American actress and singer
  • 1974 – Mark Tremonti, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1976 – Gavin Creel, American actor and singer
  • 1976 – Melissa Joan Hart, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1976 – Andrew Ilie, Romanian-Australian tennis player
  • 1976 – Justin Ross, American politician
  • 1976 – Staffan Strand, Swedish high jumper
  • 1977 – Dan LaCouture, American ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Cindy Taylor, Paraguayan model and actress
  • 1979 – Michael Bradley, American basketball player and coach
  • 1979 – Ethan Cohn, American actor
  • 1979 – Matt Cooper, Australian rugby league player
  • 1979 – Anthony Davidson, English racing driver
  • 1979 – Kourtney Kardashian, American model and businesswoman
  • 1980 – Rabiu Afolabi, Nigerian footballer and manager
  • 1980 – Justin Levens, American mixed martial artist (d. 2008)
  • 1981 – Brian Buscher, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Milan Jovanović, Serbian footballer
  • 1981 – Aldo Ramírez, Colombian footballer
  • 1981 – Audrey Tang, Taiwanese computer scientist and academic
  • 1982 – Ibrahim al-Asiri, Saudi Arabian terrorist
  • 1982 – Greg Camarillo, American football player
  • 1982 – Ricardo Colclough, Canadian-American football player
  • 1982 – Simone Farina, Italian footballer
  • 1982 – Scott Hartnell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Blair Late, American singer-songwriter and journalist
  • 1982 – Darren Sutherland, Irish boxer (d. 2009)
  • 1982 – Marie-Élaine Thibert, Canadian singer
  • 1983 – Miguel Cabrera, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1983 – Reeve Carney, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1984 – Red Bryant, American football player
  • 1984 – America Ferrera, American actress and producer
  • 1985 – Łukasz Fabiański, Polish footballer
  • 1986 – Billy Butler, American baseball player
  • 1986 – Maurice Edu, American soccer player
  • 1986 – Taylor Griffin, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Conrad Logan, Irish footballer
  • 1986 – Efraín Velarde, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Brett Deledio, Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Danny Guthrie, English footballer
  • 1987 – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, English model and actress
  • 1987 – Samantha Jade, Australian singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1987 – Ivan Tričkovski, Macedonian footballer
  • 1988 – Andre Frolov, Estonian footballer
  • 1988 – Alexander Hauck, South African-German rugby player
  • 1989 – Jessica Jung, Korean American singer, songwriter, actress, and fashion designer
  • 1990 – Henderson Álvarez, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1990 – Anna van der Breggen, Dutch cyclist
  • 1990 – Jake Howells, English footballer
  • 1990 – Wojciech Szczęsny, Polish footballer
  • 1990 – Junior Torunarigha, Nigerian footballer
  • 1993 – Matt Salisbury, English cricketer
  • 1993 – Nathan Sykes, English singer-songwriter
  • 1995 – Divock Origi, Belgian footballer
  • 1996 – Mariah Bell, American figure skater
  • 1996 – Ioana Ducu, Romanian tennis player
  • 1997 – Matthias Blübaum, German chess grandmaster
  • 1997 – Donny van de Beek, Dutch footballer

Deaths on April 18

  • 727 – Agallianos Kontoskeles, Byzantine commander and rebel leader
  • 850 – Perfectus, Spanish monk and martyr
  • 909 – Dionysius II, Syriac Orthodox patriarch of Antioch
  • 943 – Fujiwara no Atsutada, Japanese nobleman and poet (b. 906)
  • 963 – Stephen Lekapenos, co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire
  • 1161 – Theobald of Bec, French-English archbishop (b. 1090)
  • 1176 – Galdino della Sala, Italian archdeacon and saint
  • 1552 – John Leland, English poet and historian (b. 1502)
  • 1555 – Polydore Vergil, English historian (b. 1470)
  • 1556 – Luigi Alamanni, Italian poet and politician (b. 1495)
  • 1567 – Wilhelm von Grumbach, German adventurer (b. 1503)
  • 1587 – John Foxe, English historian and author (b. 1516)
  • 1636 – Julius Caesar, English judge and politician (b. 1557)
  • 1650 – Simonds d’Ewes, English lawyer and politician (b. 1602)
  • 1674 – John Graunt, English demographer and statistician (b. 1620)
  • 1689 – George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys, Welsh judge and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1648)
  • 1732 – Louis Feuillée, French astronomer, geographer, and botanist (b. 1660)
  • 1742 – Arvid Horn, Swedish general and politician (b. 1664)
  • 1763 – Marie-Josephte Corriveau, Canadian murderer (b. 1733)
  • 1794 – Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden, English lawyer, judge, and politician, Lord Chancellor of Great Britain (b. 1714)
  • 1796 – Johan Wilcke, Swedish physicist and academic (b. 1732)
  • 1802 – Erasmus Darwin, English physician and botanist (b. 1731)
  • 1832 – Jeanne-Elisabeth Chaudet, French painter (b. 1761)
  • 1859 – Tatya Tope, Indian general (b. 1814)
  • 1864 – Juris Alunāns, Latvian philologist and linguist (b. 1832)
  • 1873 – Justus von Liebig, German chemist and academic (b. 1803)
  • 1898 – Gustave Moreau, French painter and academic (b. 1826)
  • 1906 – Luis Martín, Spanish religious leader, 24th Superior-General of the Society of Jesus (b. 1846)
  • 1912 – Martha Ripley, American physician (b. 1843)
  • 1917 – Vladimir Serbsky, Russian psychiatrist and academic (b. 1858)
  • 1923 – Savina Petrilli, Italian religious leader (b. 1851)
  • 1936 – Milton Brown, American singer and bandleader (b. 1903)
  • 1936 – Ottorino Respighi, Italian composer and conductor (b. 1879)
  • 1938 – George Bryant, American archer (b. 1878)
  • 1942 – Aleksander Mitt, Estonian speed skater (b. 1903)
  • 1942 – Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, American heiress, sculptor and art collector, founded the Whitney Museum of American Art (b. 1875)
  • 1943 – Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese admiral (b. 1884)
  • 1945 – John Ambrose Fleming, English physicist and engineer, invented the vacuum tube (b. 1849)
  • 1945 – Ernie Pyle, American journalist and soldier (b. 1900)
  • 1947 – Jozef Tiso, Slovak priest and politician, President of Slovakia (b. 1887)
  • 1951 – Óscar Carmona, Portuguese field marshal and politician, 11th President of Portugal (b. 1869)
  • 1955 – Albert Einstein, German-American physicist, engineer, and academic (b. 1879)
  • 1958 – Maurice Gamelin, Belgian-French general (b. 1872)
  • 1959 – Irving Cummings, American actor, director, and producer (b. 1888)
  • 1959 – Percy Smith, English footballer and manager (b. 1880)
  • 1963 – Meyer Jacobstein, American academic and politician (b. 1880)
  • 1964 – Ben Hecht, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1894)
  • 1965 – Guillermo González Camarena, Mexican engineer (b. 1917)
  • 1967 – Karl Miller, German footballer (b. 1913)
  • 1974 – Marcel Pagnol, French author, playwright, and director (b. 1895)
  • 1986 – Marcel Dassault, French businessman, founded Dassault Aviation (b. 1892)
  • 1988 – Pierre Desproges, French journalist and actor (b. 1939)
  • 1988 – Oktay Rıfat Horozcu, Turkish poet and playwright (b. 1914)
  • 1995 – Arturo Frondizi, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 32nd President of Argentina (b. 1908)
  • 1996 – Brook Berringer, American football player (b. 1973)
  • 1996 – Bernard Edwards, American bass player and producer (b. 1952)
  • 1997 – Edward Barker, English cartoonist (b. 1950)
  • 1998 – Terry Sanford, American lieutenant and politician, 65th Governor of North Carolina (b. 1917)
  • 2002 – Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian ethnographer and explorer (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Wahoo McDaniel, American football player and wrestler (b. 1938)
  • 2003 – Edgar F. Codd, English-American soldier, pilot, and computer scientist (b. 1923)
  • 2004 – Kamisese Mara, Fijian politician, 2nd President of Fiji (b. 1920)
  • 2005 – Sam Mills, American football player and coach (b. 1959)
  • 2006 – Mercedes Palomino, Spanish-born Quebec actor and theatre director (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Iccho Itoh, Japanese politician (b. 1945)
  • 2008 – Germaine Tillion, French ethnologist and anthropologist (b. 1907)
  • 2012 – Dick Clark, American television host and producer, founded Dick Clark Productions (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – René Lépine, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (b. 1929)
  • 2012 – K. D. Wentworth, American author (b. 1951)
  • 2013 – Cordell Mosson, American bass player (b. 1952)
  • 2013 – Steuart Pringle, English general (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Goran Švob, Croatian philosopher and author (b. 1947)
  • 2013 – Anne Williams, English activist (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Guru Dhanapal, Indian director and producer (b. 1959)
  • 2014 – Sanford Jay Frank, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1954)
  • 2014 – Eduard Kosolapov, Russian footballer (b. 1976)
  • 2014 – David McClarty, Northern Irish politician (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Brian Priestman, English conductor and academic (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Dylan Tombides, Australian footballer (b. 1994)
  • 2015 – Roger Lobo, Macanese-Hong Kong businessman and politician (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Erwin Waldner, German footballer (b. 1933)
  • 2016 – Aleah Stanbridge, Swedish singer (b. 1977)
  • 2017 – Vic Albury, Major League pitcher (b. 1947)
  • 2018 – Bruno Sammartino, Italian professional wrestler (b. 1935)
  • 2018 – Dale Winton, British television presenter (b. 1955)
  • 2019 – Lorraine Warren, American paranormal investigator. (b. 1927)

Holidays and observances on  April 18

  • Christian feast day:
    • Apollonius the Apologist
    • Corebus
    • Cyril VI of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Eleutherius and Antia
    • Galdino della Sala
    • Molaise of Leighlin
    • Perfectus
    • Plato of Sakkoudion
    • April 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Army Day (Iran)
  • Coma Patients’ Day (Poland)
  • Friend’s Day (Brazil)
  • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Zimbabwe from the United Kingdom in 1980.
  • International Day For Monuments and Sites
  • Invention Day (Japan)
  • Victory over the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of the Ice (Russia)

April 18 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized.
  • 1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of Hasan II.
  • 1362 – Kaunas Castle falls to the Teutonic Order after a month-long siege.
  • 1492 – Spain and Christopher Columbus sign the Capitulations of Santa Fe for his voyage to Asia to acquire spices.
  • 1521 – Trial of Martin Luther over his teachings begins during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. Initially intimidated, he asks for time to reflect before answering and is given a stay of one day.
  • 1524 – Giovanni da Verrazzano reaches New York harbor.
  • 1797 – Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico, in what would be one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in the Americas.
  • 1797 – Citizens of Verona begin an unsuccessful eight-day rebellion against the French occupying forces.
  • 1861 – The state of Virginia’s secession convention votes to secede from the United States, later becoming the eighth state to join the Confederate States of America.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: Grierson’s Raid begins: Troops under Union Army Colonel Benjamin Grierson attack central Mississippi.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Plymouth begins: Confederate forces attack Plymouth, North Carolina.
  • 1869 – Morelos is admitted as the 27th state of Mexico.
  • 1876 – Catalpa rescue: The rescue of six Fenian prisoners from Fremantle Prison in Western Australia.
  • 1895 – The Treaty of Shimonoseki between China and Japan is signed. This marks the end of the First Sino-Japanese War, and the defeated Qing Empire is forced to renounce its claims on Korea and to concede the southern portion of the Fengtien province, Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan.
  • 1905 – The Supreme Court of the United States decides Lochner v. New York, which holds that the “right to free contract” is implicit in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
  • 1907 – The Ellis Island immigration center processes 11,747 people, more than on any other day.
  • 1912 – Russian troops open fire on striking goldfield workers in northeast Siberia, killing at least 150.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.
  • 1942 – French prisoner of war General Henri Giraud escapes from his castle prison in Königstein Fortress.
  • 1944 – Forces of the Communist-controlled Greek People’s Liberation Army attack the smaller National and Social Liberation resistance group, which surrenders. Its leader Dimitrios Psarros is murdered.
  • 1945 – World War II: Montese, Italy, is liberated from Nazi forces.
  • 1946 – The last French troops are withdrawn from Syria.
  • 1951 – The Peak District becomes the United Kingdom’s first National Park.
  • 1961 – Bay of Pigs Invasion: A group of Cuban exiles financed and trained by the CIA lands at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba with the aim of ousting Fidel Castro.
  • 1969 – Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy.
  • 1969 – Communist Party of Czechoslovakia chairman Alexander Dubček is deposed.
  • 1970 – Apollo program: The ill-fated Apollo 13 spacecraft returns to Earth safely.
  • 1971 – The Provisional Government of Bangladesh is formed.
  • 1975 – The Cambodian Civil War ends. The Khmer Rouge captures the capital Phnom Penh and Cambodian government forces surrender.
  • 1978 – Mir Akbar Khyber is assassinated, provoking a communist coup d’état in Afghanistan.
  • 1982 – Constitution Act, 1982 Patriation of the Canadian constitution in Ottawa by Proclamation of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.
  • 1992 – The Katina P is deliberately run aground off of Maputo, Mozambique and 60,000 tons of crude oil spill into the ocean.
  • 2006 – A Palestinian suicide bomber detonates an explosive device in a Tel Aviv restaurant, killing 11 people and injuring 70.
  • 2013 – An explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of West, Texas, kills 15 people and injures 160 others.
  • 2014 – NASA’s Kepler space telescope confirms the discovery of the first Earth-size planet in the habitable zone of another star.

Births on April 17

  • 44 – Pope Evaristus (d. 107)
  • 1277 – Michael IX Palaiologos, Byzantine emperor (d. 1320)
  • 1455 – Andrea Gritti, Doge of Venice (d. 1538)
  • 1497 – Pedro de Valdivia, Spanish conquistador, conquered northern Chile (d. 1553)
  • 1573 – Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria (d. 1651)
  • 1586 – John Ford, English poet and playwright (d. 1639)
  • 1598 – Giovanni Battista Riccioli, Italian priest and astronomer (d. 1671)
  • 1620 – Marguerite Bourgeoys, French-Canadian nun and saint, founded the Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal (d. 1700)
  • 1635 – Edward Stillingfleet, British theologian and scholar (d. 1699)
  • 1676 – Frederick I of Sweden (d. 1751)
  • 1683 – Johann David Heinichen, German composer and theorist (d. 1729)
  • 1710 – Henry Erskine, 10th Earl of Buchan, Scottish politician (d. 1767)
  • 1734 – Taksin, King of Thailand (d. 1782)
  • 1741 – Samuel Chase, American lawyer and jurist (d. 1811)
  • 1750 – François de Neufchâteau, French academic and politician, French Minister of the Interior (d. 1828)
  • 1756 – Dheeran Chinnamalai, Indian commander (d. 1805)
  • 1766 – Collin McKinney, American surveyor, merchant, and politician (d. 1861)
  • 1794 – Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, German botanist and explorer (d. 1868)
  • 1798 – Étienne Bobillier, French mathematician and academic (d. 1840)
  • 1814 – Josif Pančić, Serbian botanist and academic (d. 1888)
  • 1816 – Thomas Hazlehurst, English architect and philanthropist (d. 1876)
  • 1820 – Alexander Cartwright, American firefighter and inventor of baseball (d. 1892)
  • 1833 – Jean-Baptiste Accolay, Belgian violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1900)
  • 1837 – J. P. Morgan, American banker and financier, founded J.P. Morgan & Co. (d. 1913)
  • 1842 – Maurice Rouvier, French businessman and politician, 53rd Prime Minister of France (d. 1911)
  • 1849 – William R. Day, American jurist and politician, 36th United States Secretary of State (d. 1923)
  • 1852 – Cap Anson, American baseball player and manager (d. 1922)
  • 1863 – Augustus Edward Hough Love, English mathematician and theorist (d. 1940)
  • 1865 – Ursula Ledóchowska, Polish-Austrian nun and saint, founded the Congregation of the Ursulines of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus (d. 1939)
  • 1866 – Ernest Starling, English physiologist and academic (d. 1927)
  • 1875 – Aleksander Tõnisson, Estonian general and politician, 5th Estonian Minister of War (d. 1941)
  • 1877 – Matsudaira Tsuneo, Japanese diplomat (d. 1949)
  • 1878 – Emil Fuchs, German-American lawyer and businessman (d. 1961)
  • 1878 – Demetrios Petrokokkinos, Greek tennis player (d. 1942)
  • 1879 – Henri Tauzin, French hurdler (d. 1918)
  • 1882 – Artur Schnabel, Jewish-Polish pianist and composer (d. 1951)
  • 1888 – Herms Niel, German soldier, trombonist, and composer (d. 1954)
  • 1891 – George Adamski, Polish-American ufologist and author (d. 1965)
  • 1895 – Robert Dean Frisbie, American soldier and author (d. 1948)
  • 1896 – Señor Wences, Spanish-American ventriloquist (d. 1999)
  • 1897 – Nisargadatta Maharaj, Indian philosopher and educator (d. 1981)
  • 1897 – Thornton Wilder, American novelist and playwright (d. 1975)
  • 1897 – Edouard Wyss-Dunant, Swiss physician and mountaineer (d. 1983)
  • 1899 – Aleksander Klumberg, Estonian decathlete and coach (d. 1958)
  • 1903 – Nicolas Nabokov, Russian-American composer and educator (d. 1978)
  • 1903 – Gregor Piatigorsky, Ukrainian-American cellist and educator (d. 1976)
  • 1903 – Morgan Taylor, American hurdler and coach (d. 1975)
  • 1905 – Louis Jean Heydt, American journalist and actor (d. 1960)
  • 1905 – Arthur Lake, American actor (d. 1987)
  • 1906 – Sidney Garfield, American physician, co-founded Kaiser Permanente (d. 1984)
  • 1909 – Alain Poher, French politician, President of France (d. 1996)
  • 1910 – Evangelos Averoff, Greek historian and politician, Greek Minister of Defence (d. 1990)
  • 1910 – Ivan Goff, Australian screenwriter and producer (d. 1999)
  • 1910 – Helenio Herrera, French footballer and manager (d. 1997)
  • 1911 – Hervé Bazin, French author and poet (d. 1996)
  • 1911 – Lester Rodney, American soldier and journalist (d. 2009)
  • 1912 – Marta Eggerth, Jewish-Hungarian-American actress and singer (d. 2013)
  • 1914 – George Davis, American art director (d. 1984)
  • 1914 – Mac Raboy, American illustrator (d. 1967)
  • 1915 – Martin Clemens, Scottish soldier (d. 2009)
  • 1915 – Joe Foss, American general and politician, 20th Governor of South Dakota (d. 2003)
  • 1915 – Regina Ghazaryan, Armenian painter (d. 1999)
  • 1916 – Win Maung, 3rd President of Union of Myanmar (d. 1989)
  • 1916 – A. Thiagarajah, Sri Lankan educator and politician (d. 1981)
  • 1916 – Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, world’s first female prime minister (d. 2000)
  • 1918 – William Holden, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1919 – Gilles Lamontagne, Canadian lieutenant and politician, 24th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (d. 2016)
  • 1919 – Chavela Vargas, Costa Rican-Mexican singer-songwriter and actress (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Edmonde Charles-Roux, French journalist and author (d. 2016)
  • 1923 – Lindsay Anderson, English actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1994)
  • 1923 – Solly Hemus, American baseball player, coach, and manager (d. 2017)
  • 1923 – Neville McNamara, Australian air marshal (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Gianni Raimondi, Italian lyric tenor (d. 2008)
  • 1923 – Harry Reasoner, American soldier and journalist (d. 1991)
  • 1924 – Kenneth Norman Jones, Australian public servant
  • 1924 – Donald Richie, American-Japanese author and critic (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – René Moawad, Lebanese lawyer and politician, 13th President of Lebanon (d. 1989)
  • 1926 – Joan Lorring, British actress (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Gerry McNeil, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (d. 2004)
  • 1927 – Margot Honecker, East German politician and First Lady (d. 2016)
  • 1928 – Victor Lownes, American businessman (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Cynthia Ozick, American short story writer, novelist, and essayist
  • 1928 – Heinz Putzl, Austrian fencer
  • 1928 – Fabien Roy, Canadian accountant and politician
  • 1929 – James Last, German-American bassist, composer, and bandleader (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Chris Barber, English trombonist and bandleader
  • 1931 – John Barrett, English tennis player and sportscaster
  • 1931 – Malcolm Browne, American journalist and photographer (d. 2012)
  • 1934 – Don Kirshner, American songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1934 – Peter Morris, Australian-English surgeon and academic
  • 1935 – Bud Paxson, American broadcaster, founded Home Shopping Network and Pax TV (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Ronald Hamowy, Canadian historian and academic (d. 2012)
  • 1937 – Ferdinand Piëch, Austrian-German engineer and businessman (d. 2019)
  • 1938 – Ben Barnes, American businessman and politician, 36th Lieutenant Governor of Texas
  • 1938 – Doug Lewis, Canadian lawyer and politician, 41st Canadian Minister of Justice
  • 1938 – Ronald H. Miller, American theologian, author, and academic (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – Kerry Wendell Thornley, American theorist and author (d. 1988)
  • 1939 – Robert Miller, American art dealer (d. 2011)
  • 1940 – Eric Dancer, English businessman and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Devon
  • 1940 – Billy Fury, English singer-songwriter (d. 1983)
  • 1940 – John McCririck, English journalist (d. 2019)
  • 1940 – Chuck Menville, American animator and screenwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1940 – Anja Silja, German soprano and actress
  • 1940 – Agostino Vallini, Italian cardinal and vicar general of Rome
  • 1941 – Lagle Parek, Estonian architect and politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior
  • 1942 – Buster Williams, American jazz bassist
  • 1943 – Richard Allen Epstein, American lawyer, author, and academic
  • 1946 – Clare Francis, English sailor and author
  • 1947 – Nigel Emslie, Lord Emslie, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1947 – Richard Field, English lawyer and judge
  • 1947 – Sherrie Levine, American photographer
  • 1947 – Tsutomu Wakamatsu, Japanese baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1948 – Jan Hammer, Czech pianist, composer, and producer
  • 1948 – Alice Harden, American educator and politician (d. 2012)
  • 1948 – Pekka Vasala, Finnish runner
  • 1951 – Olivia Hussey, Argentinian-English actress
  • 1951 – Börje Salming, Swedish ice hockey player and businessman
  • 1952 – Joe Alaskey, American voice actor (d. 2016)
  • 1952 – Pierre Guité, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1952 – John McColl, English general and politician, Lieutenant Governor of Jersey
  • 1952 – Željko Ražnatović, Serbian commander (d. 2000)
  • 1952 – John Robertson, Scottish businessman and politician
  • 1954 – Riccardo Patrese, Italian race car driver
  • 1954 – Roddy Piper, Canadian professional wrestler and actor (d. 2015)
  • 1954 – Michael Sembello, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Todd Lickliter, American basketball player and coach
  • 1955 – Pete Shelley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2018)
  • 1955 – Mike Stroud, English physician and explorer
  • 1956 – Colin Tyre, Lord Tyre, Scottish lawyer and judge
  • 1957 – Teri Austin, Canadian actress
  • 1957 – Afrika Bambaataa, American disc jockey
  • 1957 – Nick Hornby, English novelist, essayist, lyricist, and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Julia Macur, English lawyer and judge
  • 1957 – Frank McDonough, British historian
  • 1958 – Laslo Babits, Canadian javelin thrower (d. 2013)
  • 1959 – Sean Bean, English actor
  • 1959 – Jimmy Mann, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1959 – Li Meisu, Chinese shot putter
  • 1960 – Vladimir Polyakov, Russian pole vaulter
  • 1961 – Frank J. Christensen, American labor union leader
  • 1961 – Norman Cowans, Jamaican-English cricketer
  • 1961 – Boomer Esiason, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Bella Freud, English fashion designer
  • 1962 – Paul Nicholls, English jockey and trainer
  • 1964 – Ken Daneyko, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Maynard James Keenan, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1964 – Rachel Notley, Canadian politician
  • 1964 – Lela Rochon, American actress
  • 1966 – Vikram, Indian actor and singer
  • 1967 – Kimberly Elise, American actress
  • 1967 – Marquis Grissom, American baseball player and coach
  • 1967 – Ian Jones, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1967 – Barnaby Joyce, Australian politician, 17th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
  • 1967 – Liz Phair, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1968 – Julie Fagerholt, Danish fashion designer
  • 1968 – Phil Henderson, American basketball player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1968 – Eric Lamaze, Canadian jockey
  • 1968 – Roger Twose, New Zealand cricketer
  • 1968 – Richie Woodhall, English boxer and trainer
  • 1970 – Redman, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1971 – Claire Sweeney, English actress
  • 1972 – Gary Bennett, American baseball player
  • 1972 – Tony Boselli, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Jennifer Garner, American actress
  • 1972 – Muttiah Muralitharan, Sri Lankan cricketer
  • 1972 – Yuichi Nishimura, Japanese footballer and referee
  • 1972 – Terran Sandwith, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1973 – Katrin Koov, Estonian architect
  • 1973 – Brett Maher, Australian basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Theo Ratliff, American basketball player
  • 1974 – Mikael Åkerfeldt, Swedish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1974 – Victoria Beckham, English singer and fashion designer
  • 1975 – Heidi Alexander, English politician
  • 1975 – Travis Roy, American ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Maurice Wignall, Jamaican hurdler and long jumper
  • 1977 – Chad Hedrick, American speed skater
  • 1977 – Frederik Magle, Danish composer, organist, and pianist
  • 1978 – Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer, German skier
  • 1978 – Lindsay Hartley, American actress
  • 1978 – Jason White, Scottish rugby player
  • 1979 – Eric Brewer, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Marija Šestak, Serbian-Slovenian triple jumper
  • 1980 – Fabián Vargas, Colombian footballer
  • 1980 – Curtis Woodhouse, English footballer, boxer, and manager
  • 1981 – Jenny Meadows, English runner
  • 1981 – Hanna Pakarinen, Finnish singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Ryan Raburn, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Chris Thompson, English runner
  • 1981 – Zhang Yaokun, Chinese footballer
  • 1982 – Brad Boyes, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Chuck Kobasew, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Stanislav Chistov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Roberto Jiménez, Peruvian footballer
  • 1983 – Andrea Marcato, Italian rugby player
  • 1984 – Pablo Sebastián Álvarez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1984 – Jed Lowrie, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Raffaele Palladino, Italian footballer
  • 1985 – Rooney Mara, American actress
  • 1985 – Luke Mitchell, Australian actor and model
  • 1985 – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, French tennis player
  • 1986 – Romain Grosjean, French race car driver
  • 1988 – Takahiro Moriuchi, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1989 – Paraskevi Papachristou, Greek triple jumper
  • 1989 – Avi Kaplan, singer and songwriter
  • 1990 – Jonathan Brown, Welsh footballer
  • 1992 – Lachlan Maranta, Australian rugby league footballer
  • 1994 – Alanna Goldie, Canadian fencer
  • 1996 – Lorna Fitzgerald, British actress

Deaths on April 17

  • 485 – Proclus, Greek mathematician and philosopher (b. 412)
  • 617 – Donnán of Eigg, Irish priest and saint
  • 648 – Xiao, empress of the Sui Dynasty
  • 744 – Al-Walid II, Umayyad caliph (b. 706)
  • 818 – Bernard of Italy, Frankish king (b. 797)
  • 858 – Benedict III, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 1071 – Manuel Komnenos, Byzantine military commander (b. c. 1045)
  • 1080 – Harald III of Denmark (b. 1041)
  • 1111 – Robert of Molesme, Christian saint and abbot (b. 1027)
  • 1298 – Árni Þorláksson, Icelandic bishop (b. 1237)
  • 1321 – Infanta Branca of Portugal, daughter of King Afonso III of Portugal (b. 1259)
  • 1331 – Robert de Vere, 6th Earl of Oxford, English nobleman (b. 1257)
  • 1344 – Constantine II, King of Armenia
  • 1355 – Marin Falier, Doge of Venice (b. 1285)
  • 1427 – John IV, Duke of Brabant (b. 1403)
  • 1539 – George, Duke of Saxony (b. 1471)
  • 1574 – Joachim Camerarius, German scholar and translator (b. 1500)
  • 1669 – Antonio Bertali, Italian violinist and composer (b. 1605)
  • 1680 – Kateri Tekakwitha, Mohawk-born Native American saint (b. 1656)
  • 1695 – Juana Inés de la Cruz, Mexican poet and scholar (b. 1651)
  • 1696 – Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné, French author (b. 1626)
  • 1711 – Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1678)
  • 1713 – David Hollatz, Polish pastor and theologian (b. 1648)
  • 1764 – Johann Mattheson, German lexicographer and composer (b. 1681)
  • 1790 – Benjamin Franklin, American inventor, publisher, and politician, 6th President of Pennsylvania (b. 1706)
  • 1799 – Richard Jupp, English surveyor and architect (b. 1728)
  • 1840 – Hannah Webster Foster, American journalist and author (b. 1758)
  • 1843 – Samuel Morey, American engineer (b. 1762)
  • 1882 – George Jennings, English engineer and plumber, invented the Flush toilet (b. 1810)
  • 1888 – E. G. Squier, American archaeologist and journalist (b. 1821)
  • 1892 – Alexander Mackenzie, Scottish-Canadian journalist and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Canada (b. 1822)
  • 1921 – Manwel Dimech, Maltese journalist, author, and philosopher (b. 1860)
  • 1923 – Laurence Ginnell, Irish lawyer and politician (b. 1852)
  • 1930 – Alexander Golovin, Russian painter and stage designer (b. 1863)
  • 1933 – Kote Marjanishvili, Georgian director and playwright (b. 1872)
  • 1936 – Charles Ruijs de Beerenbrouck, Dutch lawyer and politician, 28th Prime Minister of the Netherlands (b. 1873)
  • 1942 – Jean Baptiste Perrin, French-American physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1870)
  • 1944 – J. T. Hearne, English cricketer and coach (b. 1867)
  • 1944 – Dimitrios Psarros, Greek lieutenant, founded the National and Social Liberation (b. 1893)
  • 1946 – Juan Bautista Sacasa, Nicaraguan medical doctor, politician and 20th President of Nicaragua (b. 1874)
  • 1948 – Suzuki Kantarō, Japanese admiral and politician, 42nd Prime Minister of Japan (b. 1868)
  • 1954 – Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, Romanian lawyer and politician, Romanian Minister of Justice (b. 1900)
  • 1960 – Eddie Cochran, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1938)
  • 1961 – Elda Anderson, American physicist and health researcher (b. 1899)
  • 1967 – Red Allen, American singer and trumpet player (b. 1908)
  • 1975 – Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Indian philosopher and politician, 2nd President of India (b. 1888)
  • 1976 – Henrik Dam, Danish biochemist and physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1895)
  • 1977 – William Conway, Irish cardinal (b. 1913)
  • 1983 – Felix Pappalardi, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer (b. 1939)
  • 1984 – Claude Provost, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1933)
  • 1987 – Cecil Harmsworth King, English publisher (b. 1901)
  • 1987 – Dick Shawn, American actor (b. 1923)
  • 1988 – Louise Nevelson, Ukrainian-American sculptor and educator (b. 1900)
  • 1990 – Ralph Abernathy, American minister and activist (b. 1936)
  • 1993 – Turgut Özal, Turkish engineer and politician, 8th president of Turkey (b. 1927)
  • 1994 – Roger Wolcott Sperry, American psychologist and biologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1913)
  • 1995 – Frank E. Resnik, American sergeant and businessman (b. 1928)
  • 1996 – Piet Hein, Danish poet and mathematician (b. 1905)
  • 1997 – Chaim Herzog, Israeli general, lawyer, and politician, 6th President of Israel (b. 1918)
  • 1998 – Linda McCartney, American photographer, activist, and musician (b. 1941)
  • 2003 – Robert Atkins, American physician and cardiologist, created the Atkins diet (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – H. B. Bailey, American race car driver (b. 1936)
  • 2003 – John Paul Getty, Jr., American-English philanthropist (b. 1932)
  • 2003 – Earl King, American blues singer, guitarist and songwriter (b. 1934)
  • 2003 – Yiannis Latsis, Greek businessman (b. 1910)
  • 2004 – Edmond Pidoux, Swiss author and poet (b. 1908)
  • 2006 – Jean Bernard, French physician and haematologist (b. 1907)
  • 2006 – Scott Brazil, American director and producer (b. 1955)
  • 2006 – Henderson Forsythe, American actor (b. 1917)
  • 2007 – Kitty Carlisle, American actress, singer, socialite and game show panelist (b. 1910)
  • 2008 – Aimé Césaire, Caribbean-French poet and politician (b. 1913)
  • 2008 – Danny Federici, American organist and accordion player (b. 1950)
  • 2011 – Eric Gross, Austrian-Australian pianist and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Michael Sarrazin, Canadian actor (b. 1940)
  • 2011 – Robert Vickrey, American artist and author (b. 1926)
  • 2012 – Leila Berg, English journalist and author (b. 1917)
  • 2012 – J. Quinn Brisben, American educator and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Dimitris Mitropanos, Greek singer (b. 1948)
  • 2012 – Nityananda Mohapatra, Indian journalist, poet, and politician (b. 1912)
  • 2012 – Jonathan V. Plaut, American rabbi and author (b. 1942)
  • 2012 – Stanley Rogers Resor, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 9th United States Secretary of the Army (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Carlos Graça, São Toméan politician, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Bi Kidude, Tanzanian Taarab singer (b. ≈1910)
  • 2013 – Yngve Moe, Norwegian bass player and songwriter (b. 1957)
  • 2013 – V. S. Ramadevi, Indian politician, 13th Governor of Karnataka (b. 1934)
  • 2014 – Gabriel García Márquez, Colombian journalist and author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Bernat Klein, Serbian-Scottish fashion designer and painter (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Wojciech Leśnikowski, Polish–American architect and academic (b. 1938)
  • 2014 – Karpal Singh, Malaysian lawyer and politician (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Robert P. Griffin, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Scotty Probasco, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1928)
  • 2015 – Jeremiah J. Rodell, American general (b. 1921)
  • 2015 – A. Alfred Taubman, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1924)
  • 2016 – Chyna, American wrestler (b. 1969)
  • 2016 – Doris Roberts, American actress (b. 1925)
  • 2018 – Barbara Bush, former First Lady of the United States (b. 1925)
  • 2018 – Carl Kasell, American radio personality (b. 1934)
  • 2019 – Alan García, Peruvian lawyer and politician, 61st and 64th President of Peru (b. 1949)

Holidays and observances on April 17

  • Christian feast day:
    • Kateri Tekakwitha (Canada)
    • Stephen Harding
    • April 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Store Bededag or General Prayer Day can fall, while May 13 is the latest; observed on the 4th Friday after Easter. (Denmark)
  • Evacuation Day (Syria), celebrates the recognition of the independence of Syria from France in 1946.
  • FAO Day (Iraq)
  • Flag Day (American Samoa)
  • Malbec World Day
  • Women’s Day (Gabon)
  • World Hemophilia Day

April 17 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 240 – Shapur I becomes co-emperor of the Sasanian Empire with his father Ardashir I.
  • 467 – Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire.
  • 627 – King Edwin of Northumbria is converted to Christianity by Paulinus, bishop of York.
  • 1012 – Duke Oldřich of Bohemia deposes and blinds his brother Jaromír who flees to Poland.
  • 1204 – The Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade breach the walls of Constantinople and enter the city, which they completely occupy the following day.
  • 1606 – The Union Flag is adopted as the flag of English and Scottish ships.
  • 1776 – American Revolution: With the Halifax Resolves, the North Carolina Provincial Congress authorizes its Congressional delegation to vote for independence from Britain.
  • 1807 – The Froberg mutiny ends when the remaining mutineers blow up the magazine of Fort Ricasoli.
  • 1820 – Alexander Ypsilantis is declared leader of Filiki Eteria, a secret organization to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece.
  • 1831 – Soldiers marching on the Broughton Suspension Bridge in Manchester, England, cause it to collapse.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Fort Sumter. The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Andrews Raid (the Great Locomotive Chase) occurs, starting from Big Shanty, Georgia (now Kennesaw).
  • 1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Fort Pillow: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Mobile, Alabama, falls to the Union Army.
  • 1877 – The United Kingdom annexes the Transvaal.
  • 1910 – SMS Zrínyi, one of the last pre-dreadnought battleships built by the Austro-Hungarian Navy, is launched.
  • 1917 – World War I: Canadian forces successfully complete the taking of Vimy Ridge from the Germans.
  • 1927 – Shanghai massacre of 1927: Chiang Kai-shek orders the Communist Party of China members executed in Shanghai, ending the First United Front.
  • 1927 – Rocksprings, Texas was hit by an F5 tornado that destroyed 235 of the 247 buildings in the town and killed 72 townspeople and injured 205; third deadliest tornado in Texas history.
  • 1928 – The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, takes off for the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
  • 1934 – The strongest surface wind gust in the world at the time of 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It has since been surpassed.
  • 1934 – The U.S. Auto-Lite strike begins, culminating in a five-day melee between Ohio National Guard troops and 6,000 strikers and picketers.
  • 1937 – Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.
  • 1945 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in office; Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes President upon Roosevelt’s death.
  • 1945 – World War II: The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reached Tangermünde—only 50 miles from Berlin.
  • 1955 – The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
  • 1961 – Cold War: Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first manned orbital flight, Vostok 1.
  • 1963 – The Soviet nuclear-powered submarine K-33 collides with the Finnish merchant vessel M/S Finnclipper in the Danish straits.
  • 1970 – Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.
  • 1980 – The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.
  • 1980 – Transbrasil Flight 303, a Boeing 727, crashes on approach to Hercílio Luz International Airport, in Florianópolis, Brazil. Fifty-five out of the 58 people on board are killed.
  • 1981 – The first launch of a Space Shuttle (Columbia) takes place: The STS-1 mission.
  • 1983 – Harold Washington is elected as the first black mayor of Chicago.
  • 1990 – Jim Gary’s “Twentieth Century Dinosaurs” exhibition opens at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. He is the only sculptor ever invited to present a solo exhibition there.
  • 1992 – The Euro Disney Resort officially opens with its theme park Euro Disneyland; the resort and its park’s name are subsequently changed to Disneyland Paris.
  • 1999 – United States President Bill Clinton is cited for contempt of court for giving “intentionally false statements” in a civil lawsuit; he is later fined and disbarred.
  • 2002 – A suicide bomber blows herself up at the entrance to Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market, killing seven people and wounding 104.
  • 2007 – A suicide bomber penetrates the Green Zone and detonates in a cafeteria within a parliament building, killing Iraqi MP Mohammed Awad and wounding more than twenty other people.
  • 2009 – Zimbabwe officially abandons the Zimbabwean dollar as its official currency.
  • 2010 – Merano derailment: A rail accident in South Tyrol kills nine people and injures a further 28.
  • 2013 – Two suicide bombers kill three Chadian soldiers and injure dozens of civilians at a market in Kidal, Mali.
  • 2014 – The Great Fire of Valparaíso ravages the Chilean city of Valparaíso, killing 16 people, displacing nearly 10,000, and destroying over 2,000 homes.

Births on April 12

  • 811 – Muhammad al-Jawad, the ninth Imam of Shia Islam (d. 835)
  • 959 – En’yū, emperor of Japan (d. 991)
  • 1116 – Richeza of Poland, queen of Sweden and Grand Princess of Minsk (d. 1156)
  • 1432 – Anne of Austria, Landgravine of Thuringia (d. 1462)
  • 1484 – Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Italian architect, designed the Apostolic Palace and St. Peter’s Basilica (d. 1546)
  • 1484 – Maharana Sangram Singh, Rana of Mewar (d. 1527)
  • 1500 – Joachim Camerarius, German scholar and translator (d. 1574)
  • 1526 – Muretus, French philosopher and author (d. 1585)
  • 1550 – Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, English courtier and politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1604)
  • 1577 – Christian IV of Denmark (d. 1648)
  • 1612 – Simone Cantarini, Italian painter and engraver (d. 1648)
  • 1639 – Martin Lister, English naturalist and physician (d. 1712)
  • 1656 – Benoît de Maillet, French diplomat and natural historian (d. 1738)
  • 1705 – William Cookworthy, English minister and pharmacist (d. 1780)
  • 1710 – Caffarelli, Italian actor and singer (d. 1783)
  • 1713 – Guillaume Thomas François Raynal, French historian and author (d. 1796)
  • 1716 – Felice Giardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1796)
  • 1722 – Pietro Nardini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1793)
  • 1724 – Lyman Hall, American physician, clergyman, and politician, 16th Governor of Georgia (d. 1790)
  • 1748 – Antoine Laurent de Jussieu, French botanist and author (d. 1836)
  • 1777 – Henry Clay, American lawyer and politician, 9th United States Secretary of State (d. 1852)
  • 1792 – John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, English soldier and politician, Lord Privy Seal (d. 1840)
  • 1794 – Germinal Pierre Dandelin, Belgian mathematician and engineer (d. 1847)
  • 1796 – George N. Briggs, American lawyer and politician, 19th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1861)
  • 1799 – Henri Druey, Swiss lawyer and politician, 2nd President of the Swiss Confederation (d. 1855)
  • 1801 – Joseph Lanner, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1843)
  • 1816 – Charles Gavan Duffy, Irish-Australian politician, 8th Premier of Victoria (d. 1903)
  • 1823 – Alexander Ostrovsky, Russian playwright and translator (d. 1886)
  • 1839 – Nikolay Przhevalsky, Russian geographer and explorer (d. 1888)
  • 1845 – Gustaf Cederström, Swedish painter (d. 1933)
  • 1851 – José Gautier Benítez, Puerto Rican soldier and poet (d. 1880)
  • 1851 – Edward Walter Maunder, English astronomer and author (d. 1928)
  • 1852 – Ferdinand von Lindemann, German mathematician and academic (d. 1939)
  • 1856 – Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, English mountaineer, cartographer, and politician (d. 1937)
  • 1863 – Raul Pompeia, Brazilian writer (d. 1895)
  • 1868 – Akiyama Saneyuki, Japanese admiral (d. 1918)
  • 1869 – Henri Désiré Landru, French serial killer (d. 1922)
  • 1871 – Ioannis Metaxas, Greek general and politician, 130th Prime Minister of Greece (d. 1941)
  • 1874 – William B. Bankhead, American lawyer and politician, 47th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (d. 1940)
  • 1880 – Addie Joss, American baseball player and journalist (d. 1911)
  • 1883 – Imogen Cunningham, American photographer and educator (d. 1976)
  • 1883 – Dally Messenger, Australian rugby player, cricketer, and sailor (d. 1959)
  • 1884 – Tenby Davies, Welsh runner (d. 1932)
  • 1884 – Otto Meyerhof, German physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1951)
  • 1885 – Robert Delaunay, French painter (d. 1941)
  • 1887 – Harold Lockwood, American actor and director (d. 1918)
  • 1888 – Dan Ahearn, Irish-American long jumper and police officer (d. 1942)
  • 1888 – Cecil Kimber, English automobile engineer (d. 1945)
  • 1892 – Henry Darger, American writer and artist (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Dorothy Cumming, Australian-American actress (d. 1983)
  • 1894 – Francisco Craveiro Lopes, Portuguese field marshal and politician, 13th President of Portugal (d. 1964)
  • 1898 – Lily Pons, French-American soprano and actress (d. 1976)
  • 1901 – Lowell Stockman, American farmer and politician (d. 1962)
  • 1902 – Louis Beel, Dutch academic and politician, 36th Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 1977)
  • 1903 – Jan Tinbergen, Dutch economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1994)
  • 1907 – Zawgyi, Burmese poet, author, literary historian, critic, scholar and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1907 – Felix de Weldon, Austrian-American sculptor, designed the Marine Corps War Memorial (d. 2003)
  • 1908 – Ida Pollock, English author and painter (d. 2013)
  • 1908 – Robert Lee Scott, Jr., American pilot and general (d. 2006)
  • 1910 – Gillo Dorfles, Italian art critic, painter and philosopher (d. 2018)
  • 1910 – Irma Rapuzzi, French politician (d. 2018)
  • 1911 – Mahmoud Younis, Egyptian engineer (d. 1976)
  • 1912 – Frank Dilio, Canadian businessman (d. 1997)
  • 1912 – Hamengkubuwono IX, Indonesian politician, 2nd Vice President of Indonesia (d. 1988)
  • 1912 – Hound Dog Taylor, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1975)
  • 1913 – Keiko Fukuda, Japanese-American martial artist (d. 2013)
  • 1914 – Armen Alchian, American economist and academic (d. 2013)
  • 1916 – Beverly Cleary, American author
  • 1916 – Russell Garcia, American-New Zealander composer and conductor (d. 2011)
  • 1916 – Benjamin Libet, American neuropsychologist and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Helen Forrest, American singer and actress (d. 1999)
  • 1917 – Vinoo Mankad, Indian cricketer (d. 1978)
  • 1917 – Robert Manzon, French racing driver (d. 2015)
  • 1919 – István Anhalt, Hungarian-Canadian composer and educator (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Billy Vaughn, American musician and bandleader (d. 1991)
  • 1921 – Robert Cliche, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (d. 1978)
  • 1922 – Simon Kapwepwe, Zambian politician, 2nd Vice President of Zambia (d. 1980)
  • 1923 – Ann Miller, American actress, singer, and dancer (d. 2004)
  • 1924 – Raymond Barre, French economist and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007)
  • 1924 – Peter Safar, Austrian physician and academic (d. 2003)
  • 1924 – Curtis Turner, American race car driver (d. 1970)
  • 1925 – Evelyn Berezin, American computer scientist and engineer (d. 2018)
  • 1925 – Ned Miller, American country music singer and songwriter (d. 2016)
  • 1925 – Oliver Postgate, English animator, puppeteer, and screenwriter (d. 2008)
  • 1926 – Jane Withers, American actress
  • 1927 – Thomas Hemsley, English baritone (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Alvin Sargent, two-time Academy-Award-winning American screenwriter (d. 2019)
  • 1928 – Hardy Krüger, German actor
  • 1928 – Jean-François Paillard, French conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Elspet Gray, Scottish actress (d. 2013)
  • 1929 – Mukhran Machavariani, Georgian poet and educator (d. 2010)
  • 1930 – John Landy, Australian runner and politician, 26th Governor of Victoria
  • 1930 – Bryan Magee, English philosopher and politician (d. 2019)
  • 1930 – Manuel Neri, American sculptor and painter
  • 1930 – Michał Życzkowski, Polish technician and educator (d. 2006)
  • 1931 – Leonid Derbenyov, Russian poet and songwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1932 – Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 5th Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2005)
  • 1932 – Jean-Pierre Marielle, French actor (d. 2019)
  • 1932 – Tiny Tim, American singer and ukulele player (d. 1996)
  • 1933 – Montserrat Caballé, Spanish soprano and actress (d. 2018)
  • 1934 – Heinz Schneiter, Swiss footballer and manager (d. 2017)
  • 1936 – Charles Napier, American actor (d. 2011)
  • 1936 – Kennedy Simmonds, Kittitian politician, 4th Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • 1937 – Dennis Banks, American author and activist (d. 2017)
  • 1937 – Igor Volk, Ukrainian-Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2017)
  • 1939 – Alan Ayckbourn, English director and playwright
  • 1939 – Johnny Raper, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1940 – Woodie Fryman, American baseball player (d. 2011)
  • 1940 – Herbie Hancock, American pianist, composer, and bandleader
  • 1941 – Bobby Moore, English footballer and manager (d. 1993)
  • 1942 – Bill Bryden, Scottish actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1942 – Carlos Reutemann, Argentinian race car driver and politician
  • 1942 – Jacob Zuma, South African politician, 4th President of South Africa
  • 1943 – Sumitra Mahajan, Indian politician, 16th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
  • 1944 – Lisa Jardine, English historian, author, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1944 – John Kay, German-Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1945 – Lee Jong-wook, South Korean physician and diplomat (d. 2006)
  • 1946 – Ed O’Neill, American actor and comedian
  • 1946 – George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, Scottish politician and diplomat, 10th Secretary General of NATO
  • 1947 – Roy M. Anderson, English epidemiologist, zoologist, and academic
  • 1947 – Martin Brasier, English palaeontologist, biologist, and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Alex Briley, American disco singer
  • 1947 – Tom Clancy, American historian and author (d. 2013)
  • 1947 – Woody Johnson, American businessman and philanthropist
  • 1947 – Dan Lauria, American actor
  • 1947 – David Letterman, American comedian and talk show host
  • 1948 – Jeremy Beadle, English television host and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1948 – Joschka Fischer, German academic and politician
  • 1948 – Marcello Lippi, Italian footballer, manager, and coach
  • 1949 – Scott Turow, American lawyer and author
  • 1950 – Flavio Briatore, Italian businessman
  • 1950 – David Cassidy, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
  • 1950 – Joyce Banda, Malawian politician, 4th president of Malawi
  • 1950 – Nick Sackman, English composer and educator
  • 1951 – Tom Noonan, American actor
  • 1952 – Reuben Gant, American football player
  • 1952 – Leicester Rutledge, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1952 – Gary Soto, American poet, novelist, and memoirist
  • 1952 – Ralph Wiley, American journalist (d. 2004)
  • 1953 – Tanino Liberatore, Italian author and illustrator
  • 1954 – John Faulkner, Australian educator and politician, 52nd Australian Minister for Defence
  • 1954 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician (d. 2015)
  • 1954 – Pat Travers, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Fabian Hamilton, English graphic designer, engineer, and politician
  • 1956 – Andy Garcia, Cuban-American actor, director, and producer
  • 1956 – Herbert Grönemeyer, German singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1957 – Greg Child, Australian mountaineer and author
  • 1957 – Vince Gill, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1957 – Tama Janowitz, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1958 – Will Sergeant, English guitarist
  • 1958 – Klaus Tafelmeier, German javelin thrower
  • 1958 – Ginka Zagorcheva, Bulgarian hurdler
  • 1959 – Howard Stableford, English radio and television host
  • 1961 – Corrado Fabi, Italian racing driver
  • 1961 – Charles Mann, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1961 – Magda Szubanski, English-Australian actress, comedian and writer
  • 1962 – Art Alexakis, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1962 – Carlos Sainz, Spanish racing driver
  • 1962 – Nobuhiko Takada, Japanese mixed martial artist and wrestler, founded Hustle
  • 1963 – Lydia Cacho, Mexican journalist and author
  • 1964 – Chris Fairclough, English footballer and coach
  • 1965 – Amy Ray, American folk-rock singer-songwriter, musician, and music producer
  • 1965 – Kim Bodnia, Danish actor and director
  • 1965 – Chi Onwurah, English politician
  • 1965 – Gervais Rufyikiri, Burundian politician
  • 1965 – Mihai Stoica, Romanian footballer and manager
  • 1966 – Nils-Olav Johansen, Norwegian guitarist and singer
  • 1966 – Lorenzo White, American football player
  • 1967 – Sarah Cracknell, English singer-songwriter
  • 1968 – Alicia Coppola, American actress
  • 1968 – Toby Gad, German songwriter and producer
  • 1968 – Adam Graves, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1969 – Jörn Lenz, German footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Lucas Radebe, South African footballer and sportscaster
  • 1969 – Michael Jackson, American football player and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1970 – Sylvain Bouchard, Canadian speed skater
  • 1971 – Nicholas Brendon, American actor
  • 1971 – Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer
  • 1972 – Paul Lo Duca, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – J. Scott Campbell, American author and illustrator
  • 1973 – Ryan Kisor, American trumpet player and composer
  • 1973 – Antonio Osuna, Mexican-American baseball player
  • 1973 – Christian Panucci, Italian footballer and manager
  • 1974 – Belinda Emmett, Australian actress (d. 2006)
  • 1974 – Bryan Fletcher, Australian rugby league player and sportscaster
  • 1974 – Roman Hamrlík, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1974 – Marley Shelton, American actress
  • 1974 – Sylvinho, Brazilian footballer and manager
  • 1976 – Olga Kotlyarova, Russian runner
  • 1976 – Brad Miller, American basketball player
  • 1977 – Giovanny Espinoza, Ecuadorian footballer
  • 1977 – Sarah Monahan, Australian actress
  • 1977 – Jason Price, Welsh footballer
  • 1977 – Glenn Rogers, Australian-Scottish cricketer
  • 1978 – Guy Berryman, Scottish bass player and producer
  • 1978 – Scott Crary, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Svetlana Lapina, Russian high jumper
  • 1978 – Robin Walker, English businessman and politician
  • 1979 – Claire Danes, American actress
  • 1979 – Elena Grosheva, Russian gymnast
  • 1979 – Mateja Kežman, Serbian footballer
  • 1979 – Jennifer Morrison, American actress
  • 1979 – Cristian Ranalli, Italian footballer
  • 1979 – Lee Soo-young, South Korean singer
  • 1980 – Sara Head, Welsh Paralympic table tennis champion
  • 1980 – Brian McFadden, Irish singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Yuriy Borzakovskiy, Russian runner
  • 1981 – Nicolás Burdisso, Argentinian footballer
  • 1981 – Tulsi Gabbard, American politician
  • 1981 – Grant Holt, English footballer and professional wrestler
  • 1981 – Hisashi Iwakuma, Japanese baseball pitcher
  • 1983 – Jelena Dokic, Serbian-Australian tennis player
  • 1983 – Luke Kibet, Kenyan runner
  • 1984 – Aleksey Dmitrik, Russian high jumper
  • 1985 – Brennan Boesch, American baseball player
  • 1985 – Hitomi Yoshizawa, Japanese singer
  • 1986 – Brad Brach, American baseball pitcher
  • 1986 – Blerim Džemaili, Swiss footballer
  • 1986 – Marcel Granollers, Spanish tennis player
  • 1986 – Jonathan Pitroipa, Burkinabé footballer
  • 1987 – Brooklyn Decker, American model and actress
  • 1987 – Shawn Gore, Canadian football player
  • 1987 – Josh McCrone, Australian rugby league player
  • 1987 – Luiz Adriano, Brazilian professional footballer
  • 1987 – Brendon Urie, American singer, songwriter, musician and multi-instrumentalist
  • 1988 – Ricardo Gabriel Álvarez, Argentinian footballer
  • 1988 – Stephen Brogan, English footballer
  • 1988 – Amedeo Calliari, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Jessie James Decker, American singer-songwriter
  • 1989 – Bethan Dainton, Welsh rugby union player
  • 1989 – Miguel Ángel Ponce, American-Mexican footballer
  • 1989 – Ádám Hanga, Hungarian basketball player
  • 1989 – Kaitlyn Weaver, Canadian-American ice dancer
  • 1989 – Valentin Stocker, Swiss footballer
  • 1990 – Francesca Halsall, English swimmer
  • 1990 – Hiroki Sakai, Japanese footballer
  • 1991 – Torey Krug, American ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Lionel Carole, French professional footballer
  • 1991 – Oliver Norwood, English born Northern Irish international footballer
  • 1991 – Magnus Pääjärvi, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1991 – Jazz Richards, Welsh international footballer
  • 1992 – Chad le Clos, South African swimmer
  • 1993 – Jordan Archer, English-Scottish footballer
  • 1993 – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1994 – Isabelle Drummond, Brazilian actress and singer
  • 1994 – Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress
  • 1994 – Oh Sehun, South Korean musician
  • 1994 – Eric Bailly, Ivorian professional footballer
  • 1994 – Guido Rodríguez, Argentine footballer
  • 1995 – Pedro Cachín, Argentine tennis player
  • 1996 – Elizaveta Kulichkova, Russian tennis player

Deaths on April 12

  • 45 BC – Gnaeus Pompeius, Roman general and politician (b. 75 BC)
  • 352 – Julius I, pope of the Catholic Church
  • 434 – Maximianus, archbishop of Constantinople
  • 901 – Eudokia Baïana, Byzantine empress and wife of Leo VI
  • 1125 – Vladislaus I, Duke of Bohemia (b. 1065)
  • 1167 – Charles VII, king of Sweden (b. c. 1130)
  • 1212 – Vsevolod the Big Nest, Grand Prince of Vladimir (b. 1154)
  • 1256 – Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre, regent of Navarre (b. c. 1217)
  • 1443 – Henry Chichele, English archbishop (b. 1364)
  • 1500 – Leonhard of Gorizia, Count of Gorz (b. 1440)
  • 1530 – Joanna La Beltraneja, Princess of Castile (b. 1462)
  • 1550 – Claude, Duke of Guise (b. 1496)
  • 1555 – Joanna of Castile (b. 1479)
  • 1675 – Richard Bennett, English politician, colonial Governor of Virginia (b. 1609)
  • 1684 – Nicola Amati, Italian instrument maker (b. 1596)
  • 1687 – Ambrose Dixon, English-American soldier (b. 1619)
  • 1704 – Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, French bishop and theologian (b. 1627)
  • 1748 – William Kent, English architect, designed Holkham Hall and Chiswick House (b. 1685)
  • 1782 – Metastasio, Italian-Austrian poet and composer (b. 1698)
  • 1788 – Carlo Antonio Campioni, French-Italian composer (b. 1719)
  • 1795 – Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (b. 1710)
  • 1814 – Charles Burney, English composer and historian (b. 1726)
  • 1817 – Charles Messier, French astronomer and academic (b. 1730)
  • 1850 – Adoniram Judson, American lexicographer and missionary (b. 1788)
  • 1866 – Peter Hesketh-Fleetwood, English politician, founded Fleetwood (b. 1801)
  • 1872 – Nikolaos Mantzaros, Greek composer and theorist (b. 1795)
  • 1878 – William M. Tweed, American lawyer and politician (b. 1823)
  • 1879 – Richard Taylor, American general (b. 1826)
  • 1885 – William Crowther, Dutch-Australian politician, 14th Premier of Tasmania (b. 1817)
  • 1898 – Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Canadian cardinal (b. 1820)
  • 1902 – Marie Alfred Cornu, French physicist and academic (b. 1842)
  • 1906 – Mahesh Chandra Nyayratna Bhattacharyya, Indian scholar, academic, and philanthropist (b. 1836)
  • 1912 – Clara Barton, American nurse and humanitarian, founded the American Red Cross (b. 1821)
  • 1933 – Adelbert Ames, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Mississippi (b. 1835)
  • 1937 – Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan, Turkish playwright and poet (b. 1852)
  • 1938 – Feodor Chaliapin, Russian opera singer (b. 1873)
  • 1943 – Viktor Puskar, Estonian colonel (b. 1889)
  • 1945 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, American lawyer and politician, 32nd President of the United States (b. 1882)
  • 1953 – Lionel Logue, Australian actor and therapist (b. 1880)
  • 1962 – Ron Flockhart, Scottish racing driver (b. 1923)
  • 1966 – Sydney Allard, English racing driver and founder of the Allard car company (b. 1910)
  • 1968 – Heinrich Nordhoff, German engineer (b. 1899)
  • 1971 – Ed Lafitte, American baseball player and dentist (b. 1886)
  • 1973 – Arthur Freed, American songwriter and producer (b. 1894)
  • 1975 – Josephine Baker, French actress, activist, and humanitarian (b. 1906)
  • 1977 – Philip K. Wrigley, American businessman, co-founded Lincoln Park Gun Club (b. 1894)
  • 1980 – William R. Tolbert, Jr., Liberian politician, 20th President of Liberia (b. 1913)
  • 1981 – Prince Yasuhiko Asaka of Japan (b. 1887)
  • 1981 – Joe Louis, American boxer and wrestler (b. 1914)
  • 1983 – Jørgen Juve, Norwegian football player and journalist (b. 1906)
  • 1983 – Carl Morton, American baseball player (b. 1944)
  • 1984 – Edwin T. Layton, American admiral and cryptanalyst (b. 1903)
  • 1986 – Valentin Kataev, Russian author and playwright (b. 1897)
  • 1988 – Colette Deréal, French singer and actress (b. 1927)
  • 1988 – Alan Paton, South African historian and author (b. 1903)
  • 1989 – Abbie Hoffman, American activist, co-founded Youth International Party (b. 1936)
  • 1989 – Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer (b. 1921)
  • 1992 – Ilario Bandini, Italian racing driver and businessman (b. 1911)
  • 1997 – George Wald, American neurologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1906)
  • 1998 – Robert Ford, Canadian poet and diplomat (b. 1915)
  • 1999 – Boxcar Willie, American singer-songwriter (b. 1931)
  • 2001 – Harvey Ball, American illustrator, created the smiley (b. 1921)
  • 2002 – George Shevelov, Ukrainian-American linguist and philologist (b. 1908)
  • 2004 – Moran Campbell, Canadian physician and academic, invented the venturi mask (b. 1925)
  • 2006 – William Sloane Coffin, American minister and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2007 – Kevin Crease, Australian journalist (b. 1936)
  • 2008 – Cecilia Colledge, English-American figure skater and coach (b. 1920)
  • 2008 – Patrick Hillery, Irish physician and politician, 6th President of Ireland (b. 1923)
  • 2008 – Jerry Zucker, Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1949)
  • 2010 – Michel Chartrand, Canadian trade union leader (b. 1916)
  • 2010 – Werner Schroeter, German director and screenwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2011 – Karim Fakhrawi, Bahraini journalist, co-founded Al-Wasat (b. 1962)
  • 2012 – Mohit Chattopadhyay, Indian poet and playwright (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Rodgers Grant, American pianist and composer (b. 1935)
  • 2013 – Robert Byrne, American chess player and author (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Johnny du Plooy, South African boxer (b. 1964)
  • 2013 – Michael France, American screenwriter (b. 1962)
  • 2013 – Brennan Manning, American priest and author (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Annamária Szalai, Hungarian journalist and politician (b. 1961)
  • 2013 – Ya’akov Yosef, Israeli rabbi and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Pierre Autin-Grenier, French author and poet (b. 1947)
  • 2014 – Pierre-Henri Menthéour, French cyclist (b. 1960)
  • 2014 – Maurício Alves Peruchi, Brazilian footballer (b. 1990)
  • 2014 – Hal Smith, American baseball player and coach (b. 1931)
  • 2014 – Billy Standridge, American race car driver (b. 1953)
  • 2015 – Paulo Brossard, Brazilian jurist and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – Patrice Dominguez, Algerian-French tennis player and trainer (b. 1950)
  • 2015 – Alfred Eick, German commander (b. 1916)
  • 2015 – André Mba Obame, Gabonese politician (b. 1957)
  • 2016 – Anne Jackson, American actress (b. 1925)
  • 2016 – Mohammad Al Gaz, Emirati politician & diplomat (b. 1930)
  • 2017 – Charlie Murphy, American actor and comedian (b. 1959)
  • 2020 – Tarvaris Jackson, American football player (b. 1983)

Holidays and observances on April 12

  • Children’s Day (Bolivia)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Adoniram Judson (Episcopal Church)
    • Alferius
    • Blessed Angelo Carletti di Chivasso
    • Erkembode
    • Pope Julius I
    • Teresa of the Andes
    • Zeno of Verona
    • April 12 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commemoration of first human in space by Yuri Gagarin:
    • Cosmonautics Day (Russia)
    • International Day of Human Space Flight
    • Yuri’s Night (International observance)
  • Halifax Day (North Carolina)
  • National Redemption Day (Liberia)

April 12 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 491 – Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine emperor, with the name of Anastasius I.
  • 1241 – Batu Khan defeats Béla IV of Hungary at the Battle of Mohi.
  • 1512 – War of the League of Cambrai: French forces led by Gaston de Foix win the Battle of Ravenna.
  • 1544 – Italian War of 1542–46: A French army defeats Habsburg forces at the Battle of Ceresole, but fails to exploit its victory.
  • 1689 – William III and Mary II are crowned as joint sovereigns of Great Britain.
  • 1713 – War of the Spanish Succession (Queen Anne’s War): Treaty of Utrecht.
  • 1727 – Premiere of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St Matthew Passion BWV 244b at the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig
  • 1809 – An incomplete British victory over the French fleet at the Battle of the Basque Roads results in the court-martial of James, Lord Gambier.
  • 1814 – The Treaty of Fontainebleau ends the War of the Sixth Coalition against Napoleon Bonaparte, and forces him to abdicate unconditionally for the first time.
  • 1856 – Second Battle of Rivas: Juan Santamaría burns down the hostel where William Walker’s filibusters are holed up.
  • 1868 – Former shōgun Tokugawa Yoshinobu surrenders Edo Castle to Imperial forces, marking the end of the Tokugawa shogunate.
  • 1876 – The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is organized.
  • 1881 – Spelman College is founded in Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, an institute of higher education for African-American women.
  • 1908 – SMS Blücher, the last armored cruiser to be built by the Imperial German Navy, is launched.
  • 1909 – The city of Tel Aviv is founded.
  • 1921 – Emir Abdullah establishes the first centralised government in the newly created British protectorate of Transjordan.
  • 1945 – World War II: American forces liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp.
  • 1951 – Korean War: President Harry Truman relieves General of the Army Douglas MacArthur of overall command in Korea.
  • 1951 – The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found on the site of the altar of Arbroath Abbey. It had been taken by Scottish nationalist students from its place in Westminster Abbey.
  • 1955 – The Air India Kashmir Princess is bombed and crashes in a failed assassination attempt on Zhou Enlai by the Kuomintang.
  • 1957 – United Kingdom agrees to Singaporean self-rule.
  • 1961 – The trial of Adolf Eichmann begins in Jerusalem.
  • 1963 – Pope John XXIII issues Pacem in terris, the first encyclical addressed to all Christians instead of only Catholics, and which described the conditions for world peace in human terms.
  • 1964 – Brazilian Marshal Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco is elected President by the National Congress.
  • 1965 – The Palm Sunday tornado outbreak of 1965: Fifty-one tornadoes hit in six Midwestern states, killing 256 people.
  • 1968 – President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.
  • 1968 – Assassination attempt on Rudi Dutschke, leader of the German student movement.
  • 1970 – Apollo 13 is launched.
  • 1976 – The Apple I is created.
  • 1977 – London Transport’s Silver Jubilee AEC Routemaster buses are launched.
  • 1979 – Ugandan dictator Idi Amin is deposed.
  • 1981 – A massive riot in Brixton, south London results in almost 300 police injuries and 65 serious civilian injuries.
  • 1986 – FBI Miami Shootout: A gun battle in broad daylight in Dade County, Florida between two bank/armored car robbers and pursuing FBI agents. During the firefight, FBI agents Jerry L. Dove and Benjamin P. Grogan were killed, while five other agents were wounded. As a result, the popular .40 S&W cartridge was developed.
  • 1987 – The London Agreement is secretly signed between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres and King Hussein of Jordan.
  • 1990 – Customs officers in Middlesbrough, England, seize what they believe to be the barrel of a massive gun on a ship bound for Iraq.
  • 1993 – Four hundred fifty prisoners rioted at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio, and continued to do so for ten days, citing grievances related to prison conditions, as well as the forced vaccination of Nation of Islam prisoners (for tuberculosis) against their religious beliefs.
  • 2001 – The detained crew of a United States EP-3E aircraft that landed in Hainan, China after a collision with a J-8 fighter, is released.
  • 2002 – The Ghriba synagogue bombing by al-Qaeda kills 21 in Tunisia.
  • 2002 – Over two hundred thousand people march in Caracas towards the Presidential palace to demand the resignation of President Hugo Chávez. Nineteen protesters are killed.
  • 2006 – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces Iran’s claim to have successfully enriched uranium.
  • 2007 – Algiers bombings: Two bombings in Algiers kill 33 people and wound a further 222 others.
  • 2011 – An explosion in the Minsk Metro, Belarus kills 15 people and injures 204 others.
  • 2012 – A pair of great earthquakes occur in the Wharton Basin west of Sumatra in Indonesia. The maximum Mercalli intensity of this strike-slip doublet earthquake was VII (Very strong). Ten were killed, twelve were injured, and a non-destructive tsunami was observed on the island of Nias.
  • 2018 – An Ilyushin Il-76 which was owned and operated by the Algerian Air Force crashes near Boufarik, Algeria, killing 257.

Births on April 11

  • 145 – Septimius Severus, Roman emperor (probable; d. 211)
  • 1184 – William of Winchester, Lord of Lüneburg (d. 1213)
  • 1348 – Andronikos IV Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor (d. 1385)
  • 1357 – John I of Portugal (d. 1433)
  • 1370 – Frederick I, Elector of Saxony (d. 1428)
  • 1374 – Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, heir to the throne of England (d. 1398)
  • 1493 – George I, Duke of Pomerania (d. 1531)
  • 1591 – Bartholomeus Strobel, Silezian painter (d. 1650)
  • 1592 – John Eliot, English lawyer and politician (d. 1632)
  • 1644 – Marie Jeanne Baptiste of Savoy-Nemours, Duchess of Savoy (d. 1724)
  • 1658 – James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton, Scottish peer (d. 1712)
  • 1683 – Jean-Joseph Mouret, French composer and conductor (d. 1738)
  • 1715 – John Alcock, English organist and composer (d. 1806)
  • 1721 – David Zeisberger, Czech-American clergyman and missionary (d. 1808)
  • 1722 – Christopher Smart, English actor, playwright, and poet (d. 1771)
  • 1749 – Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, French miniaturist and portrait painter (d. 1803)
  • 1755 – James Parkinson, English surgeon, geologist, and paleontologist (d. 1824)
  • 1770 – George Canning, Irish-English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1827)
  • 1794 – Edward Everett, English-American educator and politician, 15th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1865)
  • 1798 – Macedonio Melloni, Italian physicist and academic (d. 1854)
  • 1819 – Charles Hallé, German-English pianist and conductor (d. 1895)
  • 1825 – Ferdinand Lassalle, German philosopher and jurist (d. 1864)
  • 1827 – Jyotirao Phule, Indian scholar, philosopher, and activist (d. 1890)
  • 1854 – Hugh Massie, Australian cricketer (d. 1938)
  • 1856 – Arthur Shrewsbury, English cricketer and rugby player (d. 1903)
  • 1859 – Stefanos Thomopoulos, Greek historian and author (d. 1939)
  • 1862 – William Wallace Campbell, American astronomer and academic (d. 1938)
  • 1862 – Charles Evans Hughes, American lawyer and politician, 44th United States Secretary of State (d. 1948)
  • 1864 – Johanna Elberskirchen, German author and activist (d. 1943)
  • 1866 – Bernard O’Dowd, Australian journalist, author, and poet (d. 1953)
  • 1867 – Mark Keppel, American educator (d. 1928)
  • 1869 – Gustav Vigeland, Norwegian sculptor, designed the Nobel Peace Prize medal (d. 1943)
  • 1871 – Gyula Kellner, Hungarian runner (d. 1940)
  • 1873 – Edward Lawson, English soldier, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1955)
  • 1876 – Paul Henry, Irish painter (d. 1958)
  • 1876 – Ivane Javakhishvili, Georgian historian and academic (d. 1940)
  • 1879 – Bernhard Schmidt, Estonian-German astronomer and optician (d. 1935)
  • 1887 – Jamini Roy, Indian painter (d. 1972)
  • 1893 – Dean Acheson, American lawyer and politician, 51st United States Secretary of State (d. 1971)
  • 1896 – Léo-Paul Desrosiers, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1967)
  • 1899 – Percy Lavon Julian, African-American chemist and academic (d. 1975)
  • 1900 – Sándor Márai, Hungarian journalist and author (d. 1989)
  • 1903 – Misuzu Kaneko, Japanese poet (d. 1930)
  • 1904 – K. L. Saigal, Indian singer and actor (d. 1947)
  • 1905 – Attila József, Hungarian poet and educator (d. 1937)
  • 1906 – Dale Messick, American author and illustrator (d. 2005)
  • 1907 – Paul Douglas, American actor (d. 1959)
  • 1908 – Jane Bolin, American lawyer and judge (d. 2007)
  • 1908 – Masaru Ibuka, Japanese businessman, co-founded Sony (d. 1997)
  • 1908 – Dan Maskell, English tennis player and sportscaster (d. 1992)
  • 1908 – Leo Rosten, Polish-American author and academic (d. 1997)
  • 1910 – António de Spínola, Portuguese general and politician, 14th President of Portugal (d. 1996)
  • 1912 – John Levy, American bassist and businessman (d. 2012)
  • 1913 – Oleg Cassini, French-American fashion designer (d. 2006)
  • 1914 – Norman McLaren, Scottish-Canadian animator, director, and producer (d. 1987)
  • 1914 – Robert Stanfield, Canadian economist, lawyer, and politician, 17th Premier of Nova Scotia (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – Dorothy Lewis Bernstein, American mathematician (d. 1988)
  • 1916 – Alberto Ginastera, Argentinian-Swiss pianist and composer (d. 1983)
  • 1916 – Howard W. Koch, American director and producer (d. 2001)
  • 1917 – David Westheimer, American soldier, journalist, and author (d. 2005)
  • 1918 – Richard Wainwright, English soldier and politician (d. 2003)
  • 1919 – Raymond Carr, English historian and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1920 – Emilio Colombo, Italian lawyer and politician, 40th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – William Royer, American soldier and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Jim Hearn, American baseball player (d. 1998)
  • 1921 – Jack Rayner, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 2008)
  • 1922 – Arved Viirlaid, Estonian-Canadian soldier and author (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – George J. Maloof, Sr., American businessman (d. 1980)
  • 1924 – Mohammad Naseem, Pakistani-English activist and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1925 – Yuriy Lituyev, Russian hurdler and commander (d. 2000)
  • 1925 – Viola Liuzzo, American civil rights activist (d. 1965)
  • 1925 – Viktor Masing, Estonian botanist and ecologist (d. 2001)
  • 1925 – Pierre Péladeau, Canadian businessman, founded Quebecor (d. 1997)
  • 1926 – David Manker Abshire, American commander and diplomat, United States Permanent Representative to NATO (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Victor Bouchard, Canadian pianist and composer (d. 2011)
  • 1926 – Karl Rebane, Estonian physicist and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Lokesh Chandra, Indian historian
  • 1928 – Ethel Kennedy, American philanthropist
  • 1928 – Edwin Pope, American journalist and author (d. 2017)
  • 1928 – Tommy Tycho, Hungarian-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Nicholas F. Brady, American businessman and politician, 68th United States Secretary of the Treasury
  • 1930 – Walter Krüger, German javelin thrower (d. 2018)
  • 1930 – Anton LaVey, American occultist, founded the Church of Satan (d. 1997)
  • 1931 – Lewis Jones, Welsh rugby player and coach
  • 1932 – Joel Grey, American actor, singer, and dancer
  • 1933 – Tony Brown, American journalist and academic
  • 1934 – Mark Strand, Canadian-born American poet, essayist, and translator (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Ron Pember, English actor, director and playwright
  • 1935 – Richard Berry, American singer-songwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1936 – Brian Noble, English bishop (d. 2019)
  • 1937 – Jill Gascoine, English actress and author
  • 1938 – Gerry Baker, American soccer player and manager (d. 2013)
  • 1938 – Michael Deaver, American politician, Deputy White House Chief of Staff (d. 2007)
  • 1938 – Reatha King, American chemist and businesswoman
  • 1939 – Luther Johnson, American singer and guitarist
  • 1939 – Louise Lasser, American actress
  • 1940 – Col Firmin, Australian politician (d. 2013)
  • 1940 – Thomas Harris, American author and screenwriter
  • 1940 – Władysław Komar, Polish shot putter and actor (d. 1998)
  • 1941 – Ellen Goodman, American journalist and author
  • 1941 – Shirley Stelfox, English actress (d. 2015)
  • 1942 – Anatoly Berezovoy, Russian colonel, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2014)
  • 1942 – Hattie Gossett, American writer
  • 1942 – James Underwood, English pathologist and academic
  • 1943 – John Montagu, 11th Earl of Sandwich, English businessman and politician
  • 1943 – Harley Race, American wrestler and trainer (d. 2019)
  • 1944 – Peter Barfuß, German footballer
  • 1944 – John Milius, American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1945 – John Krebs, Baron Krebs, English zoologist and academic
  • 1946 – Chris Burden, American sculptor, illustrator, and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – Bob Harris, English journalist and radio host
  • 1947 – Lev Bulat, Ukrainian-Russian physicist and academic (d. 2016)
  • 1947 – Uli Edel, German director and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Frank Mantooth, American pianist and composer (d. 2004)
  • 1947 – Peter Riegert, American actor, screenwriter and film director
  • 1947 – Michael T. Wright, English engineer and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1949 – Bernd Eichinger, German director and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – Bill Irwin, American actor and clown
  • 1951 – Paul Fox, English singer and guitarist (d. 2007)
  • 1952 – Nancy Honeytree, American singer and guitarist
  • 1952 – Indira Samarasekera, Sri Lankan engineer and academic
  • 1952 – Peter Windsor, English-Australian journalist and sportscaster
  • 1953 – Guy Verhofstadt, Belgian politician, 47th Prime Minister of Belgium
  • 1953 – Andrew Wiles, English mathematician and academic
  • 1954 – Abdullah Atalar, Turkish engineer and academic
  • 1954 – Aleksandr Averin, Azerbaijani cyclist and coach
  • 1954 – Francis Lickerish, English guitarist and composer
  • 1954 – David Perrett, Scottish psychologist and academic
  • 1954 – Ian Redmond, English biologist and conservationist
  • 1954 – Willie Royster, American baseball player (d. 2015)
  • 1955 – Kevin Brady, American lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – Michael Callen, American singer-songwriter and AIDS activist (d. 1993)
  • 1955 – Micheal Ray Richardson, American basketball player and coach
  • 1958 – Stuart Adamson, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2001)
  • 1958 – Lyudmila Kondratyeva, Russian sprinter
  • 1959 – Pierre Lacroix, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1959 – Ana María Polo, Cuban-American lawyer and judge
  • 1959 – Zahid Maleque, Bangladeshi politician
  • 1960 – Jeremy Clarkson, English journalist and television presenter
  • 1961 – Vincent Gallo, American actor, director, producer, and musician
  • 1961 – Doug Hopkins, American guitarist and songwriter (d. 1993)
  • 1961 – Nobuaki Kakuda, Japanese martial artist
  • 1962 – Franck Ducheix, French fencer
  • 1962 – Mark Lawson, English journalist and author
  • 1963 – Billy Bowden, New Zealand cricketer and umpire
  • 1963 – Waldemar Fornalik, Polish footballer and manager
  • 1963 – Elizabeth Smylie, Australian tennis player
  • 1964 – Steve Azar, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1964 – John Cryer, English journalist and politician
  • 1964 – Johann Sebastian Paetsch, American cellist
  • 1964 – Bret Saberhagen, American baseball player and coach
  • 1964 – Patrick Sang, Kenyan runner
  • 1966 – Steve Scarsone, American baseball player and manager
  • 1966 – Shin Seung-hun, South Korean singer-songwriter
  • 1966 – Lisa Stansfield, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1968 – Sergei Lukyanenko, Kazakh-Russian journalist and author
  • 1969 – Cerys Matthews, Welsh singer-songwriter
  • 1969 – Michael von Grünigen, Swiss skier
  • 1970 – Trevor Linden, Canadian ice hockey player and manager
  • 1970 – Delroy Pearson, English singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1971 – John Leech, English politician
  • 1971 – Oliver Riedel, German bass player
  • 1972 – Balls Mahoney, American wrestler (d. 2016)
  • 1972 – Allan Théo, French singer
  • 1972 – Jason Varitek, American baseball player and manager
  • 1973 – Jennifer Esposito, American actress
  • 1973 – Olivier Magne, French rugby player
  • 1974 – Àlex Corretja, Spanish tennis player and coach
  • 1974 – Ashot Danielyan, Armenian weightlifter
  • 1974 – David Jassy, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1974 – Zöe Lucker, English actress
  • 1974 – Tom Thacker, Canadian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1974 – Trot Nixon, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1975 – Olga Hostáková, Czech tennis player
  • 1975 – Walid Soliman, Tunisian author and translator
  • 1976 – Kelvim Escobar, Venezuelan baseball player
  • 1977 – Ivonne Teichmann, German runner
  • 1978 – Josh Hancock, American baseball player (d. 2007)
  • 1979 – Malcolm Christie, English footballer
  • 1979 – Sebastien Grainger, Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Michel Riesen, Swiss ice hockey player
  • 1979 – Josh Server, American actor
  • 1980 – Keiji Tamada, Japanese footballer
  • 1980 – Mark Teixeira, American baseball player
  • 1981 – Alessandra Ambrosio, Brazilian model
  • 1981 – Alexandre Burrows, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Veronica Pyke, Australian cricketer
  • 1982 – Ian Bell, English cricketer
  • 1982 – Peeter Kümmel, Estonian skier
  • 1983 – Jennifer Heil, Canadian skier
  • 1983 – Rubén Palazuelos, Spanish footballer
  • 1983 – Nicky Pastorelli, Dutch race car driver
  • 1984 – Kelli Garner, American actress
  • 1984 – Nikola Karabatić, French handball player
  • 1985 – Pablo Hernández Domínguez, Spanish footballer
  • 1985 – Will Minson, Australian footballer
  • 1986 – Sarodj Bertin, Haitian model and human rights lawyer
  • 1986 – Dai Greene, Welsh hurdler
  • 1986 – Lena Schöneborn, German pentathlete
  • 1987 – Joss Stone, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1987 – Lights, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1988 – Leland Irving, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1989 – Torrin Lawrence, American sprinter (d. 2014)
  • 1989 – Zola Jesus, American singer
  • 1990 – Dimitrios Anastasopoulos, Greek footballer
  • 1990 – Thulani Serero, South African footballer
  • 1991 – Thiago Alcântara, Spanish footballer
  • 1991 – Brennan Poole, American racing driver
  • 1996 – Dele Alli, English international footballer
  • 1997 – Georgia Bohl, Australian swimmer
  • 1997 – Miriam Kolodziejová, a Czech tennis player

Deaths on April 11

  • 618 – Yang Guang, Chinese emperor of the Sui Dynasty (b. 569)
  • 678 – Donus, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 610)
  • 924 – Herman I, chancellor and archbishop of Cologne
  • 1034 – Romanos III Argyros, Byzantine emperor (b. 968)
  • 1077 – Anawrahta, king of Burma and founder of the Pagan Empire (b. 1014)
  • 1079 – Stanislaus of Szczepanów, bishop of Kraków (b. 1030)
  • 1165 – Stephen IV, king of Hungary and Croatia
  • 1240 – Llywelyn the Great, Welsh prince (b. 1172)
  • 1447 – Henry Beaufort, Cardinal, Lord Chancellor of England (b. 1377)
  • 1512 – Gaston de Foix, French military commander (b. 1489)
  • 1554 – Thomas Wyatt the Younger, English rebel leader (b. 1521)
  • 1587 – Thomas Bromley, English lord chancellor (b. 1530)
  • 1609 – John Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley, English noble (b. 1533)
  • 1612 – Emanuel van Meteren, Flemish historian and author (b. 1535)
  • 1612 – Edward Wightman, English minister and martyr (b. 1566)
  • 1626 – Marino Ghetaldi, Ragusan mathematician and physicist (b. 1568)
  • 1712 – Richard Simon, French priest and critic (b. 1638)
  • 1723 – John Robinson, English bishop and diplomat (b. 1650)
  • 1783 – Nikita Ivanovich Panin, Polish-Russian politician, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1718)
  • 1798 – Karl Wilhelm Ramler, German poet and academic (b. 1725)
  • 1856 – Juan Santamaría, Costa Rican soldier (b. 1831)
  • 1861 – Francisco González Bocanegra, Mexican poet and composer (b. 1824)
  • 1873 – Edward Canby, American general (b. 1817)
  • 1890 – David de Jahacob Lopez Cardozo, Dutch Talmudist (b. 1808)
  • 1890 – Joseph Merrick, English man with severe deformities (b. 1862)
  • 1894 – Constantin Lipsius, German architect and theorist (b. 1832)
  • 1895 – Julius Lothar Meyer, German chemist (b. 1830)
  • 1902 – Wade Hampton III, American general and politician, 77th Governor of South Carolina (b. 1818)
  • 1903 – Gemma Galgani, Italian mystic and saint (b. 1878)
  • 1906 – James Anthony Bailey, American businessman, co-founded Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (b. 1847)
  • 1906 – Francis Pharcellus Church, American journalist and publisher, co-founded Armed Forces Journal and The Galaxy Magazine (b. 1839)
  • 1908 – Henry Bird, English chess player and author (b. 1829)
  • 1916 – Richard Harding Davis, American journalist and author (b. 1864)
  • 1918 – Otto Wagner, Austrian architect and urban planner (b. 1841)
  • 1926 – Luther Burbank, American botanist and academic (b. 1849)
  • 1939 – Kurtdereli Mehmet, Turkish wrestler (b. 1864)
  • 1953 – Kid Nichols, American baseball player and manager (b. 1869)
  • 1954 – Paul Specht, American violinist and bandleader (b. 1895)
  • 1958 – Konstantin Yuon, Russian painter and educator (b. 1875)
  • 1960 – Rosa Grünberg, Swedish actress (b. 1878)
  • 1962 – Ukichiro Nakaya, Japanese physicist and academic (b. 1900)
  • 1962 – George Poage, American hurdler and educator (b. 1880)
  • 1967 – Thomas Farrell, American general (b. 1891)
  • 1967 – Donald Sangster, Jamaican lawyer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Jamaica (b. 1911)
  • 1970 – Cathy O’Donnell, American actress (b. 1923)
  • 1970 – John O’Hara, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1905)
  • 1974 – Ernst Ziegler, German actor (b. 1894)
  • 1977 – Jacques Prévert, French poet and screenwriter (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’, Indian author and activist (b. 1921)
  • 1980 – Ümit Kaftancıoğlu, Turkish journalist and producer (b. 1935)
  • 1981 – Caroline Gordon, American author and critic (b. 1895)
  • 1983 – Dolores del Río, Mexican actress (b. 1904)
  • 1984 – Edgar V. Saks, Estonian historian and politician, Estonian Minister of Education (b. 1910)
  • 1985 – Bunny Ahearne, Irish-born English businessman (b. 1900)
  • 1985 – John Gilroy, English artist and illustrator (b. 1898)
  • 1985 – Enver Hoxha, Albanian educator and politician, 21st Prime Minister of Albania (b. 1908)
  • 1987 – Erskine Caldwell, American novelist and short story writer (b. 1903)
  • 1987 – Primo Levi, Italian chemist and author (b. 1919)
  • 1990 – Harold Ballard, Canadian businessman (b. 1903)
  • 1991 – Walker Cooper, American baseball player and manager (b. 1915)
  • 1991 – Bruno Hoffmann. German glass harp player (b. 1913)
  • 1992 – James Brown, American actor and singer (b. 1920)
  • 1992 – Eve Merriam, American author and poet (b. 1916)
  • 1992 – Alejandro Obregón, Colombian painter, sculptor, and engraver (b. 1920)
  • 1996 – Jessica Dubroff, American pilot (b. 1988)
  • 1997 – Muriel McQueen Fergusson, Canadian lawyer and politician, Canadian Speaker of the Senate (b. 1899)
  • 1997 – Wang Xiaobo, contemporary Chinese novelist and essayist (b. 1952)
  • 1999 – William H. Armstrong, American author and educator (b. 1911)
  • 2000 – Diana Darvey, English actress, singer and dancer (b. 1945)
  • 2001 – Harry Secombe, Welsh-English actor (b. 1921)
  • 2003 – Cecil Howard Green, English-American geophysicist and businessman, founded Texas Instruments (b. 1900)
  • 2005 – André François, Romanian-French cartoonist, painter, and sculptor (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Lucien Laurent, French footballer and coach (b. 1907)
  • 2006 – June Pointer, American singer (b. 1953)
  • 2006 – DeShaun Holton, American rapper and actor (b. 1973)
  • 2007 – Roscoe Lee Browne, American actor and director (b. 1922)
  • 2007 – Loïc Leferme, French diver (b. 1970)
  • 2007 – Janet McDonald, American lawyer and author (b. 1954)
  • 2007 – Ronald Speirs, Scottish-American colonel (b. 1920)
  • 2007 – Kurt Vonnegut, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1922)
  • 2008 – Merlin German, American sergeant (b. 1985)
  • 2009 – Gerda Gilboe, Danish actress and singer (b. 1914)
  • 2009 – Vishnu Prabhakar, Indian author and playwright (b. 1912)
  • 2009 – Corín Tellado, Spanish author (b. 1927)
  • 2010 – Julia Tsenova, Bulgarian pianist and composer (b. 1948)
  • 2011 – Larry Sweeney, American wrestler and manager (b. 1981)
  • 2012 – Ahmed Ben Bella, Algerian soldier and politician, 1st President of Algeria (b. 1916)
  • 2012 – Roger Caron, Canadian criminal and author (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – Tippy Dye, American basketball player and coach (b. 1915)
  • 2012 – Hal McKusick, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and flute player (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Agustin Roman, American bishop (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Don Blackman, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer (b. 1953)
  • 2013 – Grady Hatton, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Thomas Hemsley, English actor and singer (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – Hilary Koprowski, Polish-American virologist and immunologist (b. 1916)
  • 2013 – Gilles Marchal, French singer-songwriter (b. 1944)
  • 2013 – Maria Tallchief, American ballerina (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – Clorindo Testa, Italian-Argentinian architect (b. 1923)
  • 2013 – Jonathan Winters, American comedian, actor and screenwriter (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Rolf Brem, Swiss sculptor and illustrator (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Edna Doré, English actress (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Bill Henry, American baseball player (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Lou Hudson, American basketball player and sportscaster (b. 1944)
  • 2014 – Myer S. Kripke, American rabbi and scholar (b. 1914)
  • 2014 – Sergey Nepobedimy, Russian engineer (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Jesse Winchester, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Jimmy Gunn, American football player (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, Bangladeshi journalist and politician (b. 1952)
  • 2015 – François Maspero, French journalist and author (b. 1932)
  • 2015 – Hanut Singh, Indian general (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Tekena Tamuno, Nigerian historian and academic (b. 1932)
  • 2017 – J. Geils, American singer and guitarist (b. 1946)
  • 2017 – Mark Wainberg, Canadian researcher and HIV/AIDS activist (b. 1945)
  • 2020 – John Horton Conway, English mathematician (b. 1937)

Holidays and observances on April 11

  • Christian feast day:
    • Antipas of Pergamum (Greek Orthodox Church)
    • Gemma Galgani
    • Godeberta
    • Guthlac of Crowland
    • George Selwyn (Anglicanism)
    • Stanislaus of Szczepanów
    • April 11 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Juan Santamaría Day, anniversary of his death in the Second Battle of Rivas. (Costa Rica)
  • International Louie Louie Day
  • World Parkinson’s Day

April 11 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 217 – Roman Emperor Caracalla is assassinated. He is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
  • 632 – King Charibert II is assassinated at Blaye (Gironde), along with his infant son Chilperic.
  • 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-‘Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
  • 1093 – The new Winchester Cathedral is dedicated by Walkelin.
  • 1139 – Roger II of Sicily is excommunicated.
  • 1149 – Pope Eugene III takes refuge in the castle of Ptolemy II of Tusculum.
  • 1232 – Mongol–Jin War: The Mongols begin their siege on Kaifeng, the capital of the Jin dynasty.
  • 1271 – In Syria, sultan Baibars conquers the Krak des Chevaliers.
  • 1665 – English colonial patents are granted for the establishment of the Monmouth Tract, for what would eventually become Monmouth County in northeastern New Jersey.
  • 1730 – Shearith Israel, the first synagogue in New York City, is dedicated.
  • 1740 – War of Jenkins’ Ear: Three British ships capture the Spanish third-rate Princesa, taken into service as HMS Princess.
  • 1808 – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (now Louisville) by Pope Pius VII.
  • 1820 – The Venus de Milo is discovered on the Aegean island of Milos.
  • 1832 – Black Hawk War: Around three-hundred United States 6th Infantry troops leave St. Louis, Missouri to fight the Sauk Native Americans.
  • 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Mansfield: Union forces are thwarted by the Confederate army at Mansfield, Louisiana.
  • 1866 – Italy and Prussia ally against the Austrian Empire.
  • 1886 – William Ewart Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill into the British House of Commons.
  • 1895 – In Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan & Trust Co. the Supreme Court of the United States declares unapportioned income tax to be unconstitutional.
  • 1904 – The French Third Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland sign the Entente cordiale.
  • 1904 – Longacre Square in Midtown Manhattan is renamed Times Square after The New York Times.
  • 1906 – Auguste Deter, the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, dies.
  • 1908 – H. H. Asquith of the Liberal Party takes office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.
  • 1908 – Harvard University votes to establish the Harvard Business School.
  • 1911 – Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes discovers superconductivity.
  • 1913 – The 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution, requiring direct election of Senators, becomes law.
  • 1916 – In Corona, California, race car driver Bob Burman crashes, killing three (including himself), and badly injuring five spectators.
  • 1918 – World War I: Actors Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin sell war bonds on the streets of New York City’s financial district.
  • 1924 – Sharia courts are abolished in Turkey, as part of Atatürk’s Reforms.
  • 1929 – Indian independence movement: At the Delhi Central Assembly, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt throw handouts and bombs to court arrest.
  • 1935 – The Works Progress Administration is formed when the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 becomes law.
  • 1942 – World War II: Siege of Leningrad: Soviet forces open a much-needed railway link to Leningrad.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Japanese take Bataan in the Philippines.
  • 1943 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases by common carriers and public utilities.
  • 1943 – Otto and Elise Hampel are executed in Berlin for their anti-Nazi activities.
  • 1945 – World War II: After an air raid accidentally destroys a train carrying about 4,000 Nazi concentration camp internees in Prussian Hanover, the survivors are massacred by Nazis.
  • 1946 – Électricité de France, the world’s largest utility company, is formed as a result of the nationalisation of a number of electricity producers, transporters and distributors.
  • 1950 – India and Pakistan sign the Liaquat–Nehru Pact.
  • 1952 – U.S. President Harry Truman calls for the seizure of all domestic steel mills in an attempt to prevent the 1952 steel strike.
  • 1953 – Mau Mau leader Jomo Kenyatta is convicted by British Kenya’s rulers.
  • 1954 – A Royal Canadian Air Force Canadair Harvard collides with a Trans-Canada Airlines Canadair North Star over Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, killing 37 people.
  • 1954 – South African Airways Flight 201 A de Havilland DH.106 Comet 1 crashes into the sea during night killing 21 people.
  • 1959 – A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL.
  • 1959 – The Organization of American States drafts an agreement to create the Inter-American Development Bank.
  • 1960 – The Netherlands and West Germany sign an agreement to negotiate the return of German land annexed by the Dutch in return for 280 million German marks as Wiedergutmachung.
  • 1961 – A large explosion on board the MV Dara in the Persian Gulf kills 238.
  • 1964 – The Gemini 1 test flight is conducted.
  • 1968 – BOAC Flight 712 catches fire shortly after takeoff. As a result of her actions in the accident, Barbara Jane Harrison is awarded a posthumous George Cross, the only GC awarded to a woman in peacetime.
  • 1970 – Bahr El-Baqar primary school bombing: Israeli bombers strike an Egyptian school. Forty-six children are killed.
  • 1974 – At Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Hank Aaron hits his 715th career home run to surpass Babe Ruth’s 39-year-old record.
  • 1975 – Frank Robinson manages the Cleveland Indians in his first game as major league baseball’s first African American manager.
  • 1987 – Los Angeles Dodgers executive Al Campanis resigns amid controversy over racially charged remarks he had made while on Nightline.
  • 1992 – Retired tennis great Arthur Ashe announces that he has AIDS, acquired from blood transfusions during one of his two heart surgeries.
  • 1993 – The Republic of North Macedonia joins the United Nations.
  • 1999 – Haryana Gana Parishad, a political party in the Indian state of Haryana, merges with the Indian National Congress.
  • 2004 – War in Darfur: The Humanitarian Ceasefire Agreement is signed by the Sudanese government and two rebel groups.
  • 2006 – Shedden massacre: The bodies of eight men, all shot to death, are found in a field in Shedden, Elgin County, Ontario. The murders are soon linked to the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.
  • 2008 – The construction of the world’s first skyscraper to integrate wind turbines is completed in Bahrain.
  • 2013 – The Islamic State of Iraq enters the Syrian Civil War and begins by declaring a merger with the Al-Nusra Front under the name Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham.

Births on April 8

  • 1320 – Peter I of Portugal (d. 1367)
  • 1408 – Jadwiga of Lithuania, Polish princess (d. 1431)
  • 1435 – John Clifford, 9th Baron de Clifford, English noble (d. 1461)
  • 1533 – Claudio Merulo, Italian organist and composer (d. 1604)
  • 1536 – Barbara of Hesse (d. 1597)
  • 1541 – Michele Mercati, Italian physician and archaeologist (d. 1593)
  • 1580 – William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, English noble, courtier and patron of the arts (d. 1630)
  • 1596 – Juan van der Hamen, Spanish artist (d. 1631)
  • 1605 – Philip IV of Spain (d. 1665)
  • 1605 – Mary Stuart, English-Scottish princess (d. 1607)
  • 1641 – Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English general and politician, Secretary of State for the Northern Department (d. 1704)
  • 1692 – Giuseppe Tartini, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1770)
  • 1726 – Lewis Morris, American judge and politician (d. 1798)
  • 1732 – David Rittenhouse, American astronomer and mathematician (d. 1796)
  • 1761 – William Joseph Chaminade, French priest, founded the Society of Mary (d. 1850)
  • 1770 – John Thomas Campbell, Irish-Australian banker and politician (d. 1830)
  • 1798 – Dionysios Solomos, Greek poet and author (d. 1857)
  • 1818 – Christian IX of Denmark (d. 1906)
  • 1818 – August Wilhelm von Hofmann, German chemist and academic (d. 1892)
  • 1826 – Pancha Carrasco, Costa Rican soldier (d. 1890)
  • 1827 – Ramón Emeterio Betances, Puerto Rican ophthalmologist, journalist, and politician (d. 1898)
  • 1842 – Elizabeth Bacon Custer, American author and educator (d. 1933)
  • 1859 – Edmund Husserl, German Jewish-Austrian mathematician and philosopher (d. 1938)
  • 1864 – Carlos Deltour, French rower and rugby player (d. 1920)
  • 1867 – Allen Butler Talcott, American painter and educator (d. 1908)
  • 1869 – Harvey Cushing, American surgeon and academic (d. 1939)
  • 1871 – Clarence Hudson White, American photographer and educator (d. 1925)
  • 1874 – Manuel Díaz, Cuban fencer (d. 1929)
  • 1874 – Stanisław Taczak, Polish general (d. 1960)
  • 1875 – Albert I of Belgium (d. 1934)
  • 1882 (O.S. 27 March) – Dmytro Doroshenko, Lithuanian-Ukrainian historian and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Ukraine (d. 1951)
  • 1883 – R. P. Keigwin, English cricketer and academic (d. 1972)
  • 1883 – Julius Seljamaa, Estonian journalist and politician, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia (d. 1936)
  • 1885 – Dimitrios Levidis, Greek-French soldier, composer, and educator (d. 1951)
  • 1886 – Margaret Ayer Barnes, American author and playwright (d. 1967)
  • 1888 – Dennis Chávez, American journalist and politician (d. 1962)
  • 1889 – Adrian Boult, English conductor (d. 1983)
  • 1892 – Richard Neutra, Austrian-American architect, designed the Los Angeles County Hall of Records (d. 1970)
  • 1892 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-American actress, producer, and screenwriter, co-founded United Artists (d. 1979)
  • 1896 – Yip Harburg, American composer (d. 1981)
  • 1900 – Marie Byles, Australian solicitor (d. 1979)
  • 1902 – Andrew Irvine, English mountaineer and explorer (d. 1924)
  • 1902 – Maria Maksakova Sr., Russian soprano (d. 1974)
  • 1904 – John Hicks, English economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
  • 1904 – Hirsch Jacobs, American horse trainer (d. 1970)
  • 1905 – Joachim Büchner, German sprinter and graphic designer (d. 1978)
  • 1905 – Helen Joseph, English-South African activist (d. 1992)
  • 1905 – Erwin Keller, German field hockey player (d. 1971)
  • 1906 – Raoul Jobin, Canadian tenor and educator (d. 1974)
  • 1908 – Hugo Fregonese, Argentinian director and screenwriter (d. 1987)
  • 1909 – John Fante, American author and screenwriter (d. 1983)
  • 1910 – George Musso, American football player and police officer (d. 2000)
  • 1911 – Melvin Calvin, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1997)
  • 1911 – Emil Cioran, Romanian-French philosopher and academic (d. 1995)
  • 1912 – Alois Brunner, Austrian-German SS officer (d. 2001 or 2010)
  • 1912 – Sonja Henie, Norwegian-American figure skater and actress (d. 1969)
  • 1914 – María Félix, Yaqui/Basque-Mexican actress (d. 2002)
  • 1915 – Ivan Supek, Croatian physicist, philosopher and writer (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Winifred Asprey, American mathematician and computer scientist (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Lloyd Bott, Australian public servant (d. 2004)
  • 1917 – Hubertus Ernst, Dutch bishop (d. 2017)
  • 1917 – Grigori Kuzmin, Russian-Estonian astronomer (d. 1988)
  • 1918 – Betty Ford, American wife of Gerald Ford, 40th First Lady of the United States (d. 2011)
  • 1918 – Glendon Swarthout, American author and academic (d. 1992)
  • 1919 – Ian Smith, Zimbabwean lieutenant and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Rhodesia (d. 2007)
  • 1921 – Franco Corelli, Italian tenor and actor (d. 2003)
  • 1921 – Jan Novák, Czech composer (d. 1984)
  • 1921 – Herman van Raalte, Dutch footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Carmen McRae, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress (d. 1994)
  • 1923 – George Fisher, American cartoonist (d. 2003)
  • 1923 – Edward Mulhare, Irish-American actor (d. 1997)
  • 1924 – Frédéric Back, German-Canadian animator, director, and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Anthony Farrar-Hockley, English general and historian (d. 2006)
  • 1924 – Kumar Gandharva, Hindustani classical singer (d. 1992)
  • 1924 – Sara Northrup Hollister, American occultist (d. 1997)
  • 1926 – Henry N. Cobb, American architect and academic, co-founded Pei Cobb Freed & Partners (d. 2020)
  • 1926 – Shecky Greene, American actor
  • 1926 – Jürgen Moltmann, German theologian and academic
  • 1927 – Tilly Armstrong, English author (d. 2010)
  • 1927 – Ollie Mitchell, American trumpet player and bandleader (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Fred Ebb, American lyricist (d. 2004)
  • 1929 – Jacques Brel, Belgian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1978)
  • 1929 – Renzo De Felice, Italian historian and author (d. 1996)
  • 1930 – Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (d. 2010)
  • 1931 – John Gavin, American actor and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Mexico (d. 2018)
  • 1932 – Iskandar of Johor (d. 2010)
  • 1933 – James Lockhart, American scholar of colonial Latin America, especially Nahua peoples (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Kisho Kurokawa, Japanese architect, designed the Nakagin Capsule Tower and Singapore Flyer (d. 2007)
  • 1935 – Oscar Zeta Acosta, American lawyer and politician (d. 1974)
  • 1935 – Albert Bustamante, American soldier, educator, and politician
  • 1937 – Tony Barton, English footballer, outside right and manager (d. 1993)
  • 1937 – Seymour Hersh, American journalist and author
  • 1937 – Momo Kapor, Serbian author and painter (d. 2010)
  • 1938 – Kofi Annan, Ghanaian economist and diplomat, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations (d. 2018)
  • 1938 – John Hamm, Canadian physician and politician, 25th Premier of Nova Scotia
  • 1938 – Mary W. Gray, American mathematician, statistician, and lawyer
  • 1939 – John Arbuthnott, Scottish microbiologist and academic
  • 1939 – Trina Schart Hyman, American author and illustrator (d. 2004)
  • 1940 – John Havlicek, American basketball player (d. 2019)
  • 1941 – J. J. Jackson, American soul/R&B singer, songwriter, and arranger
  • 1941 – Vivienne Westwood, English fashion designer
  • 1942 – Tony Banks, Baron Stratford, Northern Irish politician, Minister for Sport and the Olympics (d. 2006)
  • 1942 – Roger Chapman, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1942 – Douglas Trumbull, American director, producer, and special effects artist
  • 1943 – Michael Bennett, American dancer, choreographer, and director (d. 1987)
  • 1943 – Miller Farr, American football player
  • 1943 – James Herbert, English author and illustrator (d. 2013)
  • 1943 – Chris Orr, English painter and illustrator
  • 1944 – Hywel Bennett, Welsh actor (d. 2017)
  • 1944 – Odd Nerdrum, Swedish-Norwegian painter and illustrator
  • 1945 – Derrick Walker, Scottish businessman
  • 1945 – Jang Yong, South Korean actor
  • 1946 – Catfish Hunter, American baseball player (d. 1999)
  • 1946 – Tim Thomerson, American actor and producer
  • 1947 – Tom DeLay, American lawyer and politician
  • 1947 – Steve Howe, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1947 – Robert Kiyosaki, American businessman, co-founded Cashflow Technologies
  • 1947 – Pascal Lamy, French businessman and politician, European Commissioner for Trade
  • 1947 – Larry Norman, American singer-songwriter, and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1948 – Barbara Young, Baroness Young of Old Scone, Scottish academic and politician
  • 1949 – K. C. Kamalasabayson, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 39th Attorney General of Sri Lanka (d. 2007)
  • 1949 – John Madden, English director and producer
  • 1949 – Brenda Russell, African-American-Canadian singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1949 – John Scott, English sociologist and academic
  • 1950 – Grzegorz Lato, Polish footballer and coach
  • 1951 – Gerd Andres, German politician
  • 1951 – Geir Haarde, Icelandic economist, journalist, and politician, 23rd Prime Minister of Iceland
  • 1951 – Mel Schacher, American bass player
  • 1951 – Joan Sebastian, Mexican singer-songwriter and actor (d. 2015)
  • 1952 – Ahmet Piriştina, Turkish politician (d. 2004)
  • 1954 – Gary Carter, American baseball player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – Princess Lalla Amina of Morocco (d. 2012)
  • 1954 – G.V. Loganathan, Indian-American engineer and academic (d. 2007)
  • 1955 – Ricky Bell, American football player (d. 1984)
  • 1955 – Gerrie Coetzee, South African boxer
  • 1955 – Ron Johnson, American businessman and politician
  • 1955 – Barbara Kingsolver, American novelist, essayist and poet
  • 1955 – David Wu, Taiwanese-American lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Michael Benton, Scottish-English paleontologist and academic
  • 1956 – Christine Boisson, French actress
  • 1956 – Roman Dragoun, Czech singer-songwriter and keyboard player
  • 1956 – Jim Piddock, English actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1957 – Fred Smerlas, American football player and radio host
  • 1958 – Detlef Bruckhoff, German footballer
  • 1958 – Tom Petranoff, American javelin thrower and coach
  • 1959 – Alain Bondue, French cyclist
  • 1960 – John Schneider, American actor and country singer
  • 1961 – Richard Hatch, American reality contestant
  • 1961 – Brian McDermott, English footballer and manager
  • 1962 – Paddy Lowe, English engineer
  • 1962 – Izzy Stradlin, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1963 – Tine Asmundsen, Norwegian bassist
  • 1963 – Julian Lennon, English singer-songwriter
  • 1963 – Terry Porter, American basketball player and coach
  • 1963 – Donita Sparks, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1963 – Alec Stewart, English cricketer
  • 1963 – Seth Tobias, American businessman (d. 2007)
  • 1964 – Biz Markie, American rapper, producer, and actor
  • 1964 – John McGinlay, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Steven Blaney, Canadian businessman and politician, 5th Canadian Minister of Public Safety
  • 1965 – Michael Jones, New Zealand rugby player and coach
  • 1966 – Iveta Bartošová, Czech singer and actress (d. 2014)
  • 1966 – Mark Blundell, English race car driver
  • 1966 – Andy Currier, English rugby league player
  • 1966 – Charlotte Dawson, New Zealand-Australian television host (d. 2014)
  • 1966 – Dalton Grant, English high jumper
  • 1966 – Mazinho, Brazilian footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1966 – Harri Rovanperä, Finnish race car driver
  • 1966 – Evripidis Stylianidis, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister for the Interior
  • 1966 – Robin Wright, American actress, director, producer
  • 1967 – Kenny Benjamin, Antiguan cricketer
  • 1968 – Patricia Arquette, French-Canadian Russian/Polish Jewish-American actress and director
  • 1968 – Patricia Girard, French runner and hurdler
  • 1968 – Tracy Grammer, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1971 – Darren Jessee, American singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1972 – Paul Gray, American bass player and songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1972 – Sergei Magnitsky, Russian lawyer and accountant (d. 2009)
  • 1973 – Khaled Badra, Tunisian footballer
  • 1973 – Emma Caulfield, American actress
  • 1974 – Toutai Kefu, Tongan-Australian rugby player
  • 1974 – Nnedi Okorafor, Nigerian-American author and educator
  • 1975 – Anouk, Dutch singer
  • 1975 – Francesco Flachi, Italian footballer
  • 1975 – Timo Pérez, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1975 – Funda Arar, Turkish singer
  • 1977 – Ana de la Reguera, Mexican actress
  • 1977 – Mehran Ghassemi, Iranian journalist and author (d. 2008)
  • 1977 – Mark Spencer, American computer programmer and engineer
  • 1978 – Daigo, Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, and voice actor
  • 1978 – Bernt Haas, Austrian-Swiss footballer
  • 1978 – Rachel Roberts, Canadian model and actress
  • 1978 – Jocelyn Robichaud, Canadian tennis player and coach
  • 1978 – Evans Rutto, Kenyan runner
  • 1979 – Alexi Laiho, Finnish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1979 – Amit Trivedi, Indian singer-songwriter
  • 1980 – Manuel Ortega, Austrian singer
  • 1980 – Katee Sackhoff, American actress
  • 1980 – Mariko Seyama, Japanese announcer, photographer, and model
  • 1981 – Frédérick Bousquet, French swimmer
  • 1981 – Ofer Shechter, Israeli model, actor, and screenwriter
  • 1982 – Gennady Golovkin, Kazakhstani boxer
  • 1982 – Brett White, Australian rugby league player
  • 1983 – Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova, Russian runner
  • 1984 – Michelle Donelan, British politician
  • 1984 – Ezra Koenig, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1984 – Pablo Portillo, Mexican singer and actor
  • 1984 – Taran Noah Smith, American actor
  • 1985 – Patrick Schliwa, German rugby player
  • 1985 – Yemane Tsegay, Ethiopian runner
  • 1986 – Igor Akinfeev, Russian footballer
  • 1986 – Félix Hernández, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1987 – Royston Drenthe, Dutch footballer
  • 1987 – Jeremy Hellickson, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Sam Rapira, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1988 – Jenni Asserholt, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Kim Myung-sung, South Korean baseball player
  • 1990 – Kim Jong-hyun, South Korean singer (d. 2017)
  • 1993 – Viktor Arvidsson, Swedish ice hockey player
  • 1993 – Zac Santo, Australian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Josh Chudleigh, Australian rugby league player
  • 1995 – Cedi Osman, Turkish professional basketball player
  • 1997 – Saygrace, Australian singer and songwriter
  • 1997 – Arno Verschueren, Belgian professional football player

Deaths on April 8

  • 217 – Caracalla, Roman emperor (b. 188)
  • 622 – Shōtoku, Japanese prince (b. 572)
  • 632 – Charibert II, Frankish king (b. 607)
  • 894 – Adalelm, Frankish nobleman
  • 944 – Wang Yanxi, Chinese emperor
  • 956 – Gilbert, Frankish nobleman
  • 967 – Mu’izz al-Dawla, Buyid emir (b. 915)
  • 1143 – John II Komnenos, Byzantine emperor (b. 1087)
  • 1150 – Gertrude of Babenberg , duchess of Bohemia (b. 1118)
  • 1321 – Thomas of Tolentino, Italian-Franciscan missionary (b. c. 1255)
  • 1338 – Stephen Gravesend, bishop of London
  • 1364 – John II, French king (b. 1319)
  • 1450 – Sejong the Great, Korean king (b. 1397)
  • 1461 – Georg von Peuerbach, German mathematician and astronomer (b. 1423)
  • 1492 – Lorenzo de’ Medici, Italian ruler (b. 1449)
  • 1551 – Oda Nobuhide, Japanese warlord (b. 1510)
  • 1586 – Martin Chemnitz, Lutheran theologian and reformer (b. 1522)
  • 1608 – Magdalen Dacre, English noble (b. 1538)
  • 1612 – Anne Catherine of Brandenburg (b. 1575)
  • 1691 – Carlo Rainaldi, Italian architect, designed the Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto (b. 1611)
  • 1697 – Niels Juel, Norwegian-Danish admiral (b. 1629)
  • 1704 – Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist and philologist (b. 1624)
  • 1704 – Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, English colonel and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1641)
  • 1709 – Wolfgang Dietrich of Castell-Remlingen, German nobleman (b. 1641)
  • 1725 – John Wise, American minister (b. 1652)
  • 1735 – Francis II Rákóczi, Hungarian prince (b. 1676)
  • 1848 – Gaetano Donizetti, Italian composer (b. 1797)
  • 1860 – István Széchenyi, Hungarian statesman and reformer (b.1791)
  • 1861 – Elisha Otis, American businessman, founded the Otis Elevator Company (b. 1811)
  • 1870 – Charles Auguste de Bériot, Belgian violinist and composer (b. 1802)
  • 1894 – Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Indian journalist, author, and poet (b. 1838)
  • 1906 – Auguste Deter, German woman, first person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (b. 1850)
  • 1919 – Loránd Eötvös, Hungarian physicist, academic, and politician, Hungarian Minister of Education (b. 1848)
  • 1920 – Charles Griffes, American pianist and composer (b. 1884)
  • 1931 – Erik Axel Karlfeldt, Swedish poet Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1864)
  • 1936 – Róbert Bárány, Austrian physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
  • 1936 – Božena Benešová, Czech poet and novelist (b. 1873)
  • 1941 – Marcel Prévost, French novelist and playwright (b. 1862)
  • 1942 – Kostas Skarvelis, Greek guitarist and composer (b. 1880)
  • 1947 – Olaf Frydenlund, Norwegian target shooter (b. 1862)
  • 1950 – Vaslav Nijinsky, Polish dancer and choreographer (b. 1890)
  • 1959 – Marios Makrionitis, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Athens (b. 1913)
  • 1961 – Joseph Carrodus, Australian public servant (b. 1885)
  • 1962 – Juan Belmonte, Spanish bullfighter (b. 1892)
  • 1965 – Lars Hanson, Swedish actor (b. 1886)
  • 1969 – Zinaida Aksentyeva, Ukrainian astronomer (b. 1900)
  • 1973 – Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1881)
  • 1974 – James Charles McGuigan, Canadian cardinal (b. 1894)
  • 1979 – Breece D’J Pancake, American short story writer (b. 1952)
  • 1981 – Omar Bradley, American general (b. 1893)
  • 1983 – Isamu Kosugi, Japanese actor and director (b. 1904)
  • 1984 – Pyotr Kapitsa, Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1894)
  • 1985 – John Frederick Coots, American pianist and composer (b. 1897)
  • 1990 – Ryan White, American activist, inspired the Ryan White Care Act (b. 1971)
  • 1991 – Per Ohlin, Swedish musician (b. 1969)
  • 1992 – Daniel Bovet, Swiss-Italian pharmacologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1907)
  • 1993 – Marian Anderson, American operatic singer (b. 1897)
  • 1994 – François Rozet, French-Canadian actor (b. 1899)
  • 1996 – Ben Johnson, American actor and stuntman (b. 1918)
  • 1996 – León Klimovsky, Argentinian-Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1906)
  • 1996 – Mick Young, Australian politician (b. 1936)
  • 1997 – Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter and pianist (b. 1947)
  • 2000 – František Šťastný, Czech motorcycle racer (b. 1927)
  • 2000 – Claire Trevor, American actress (b. 1910)
  • 2002 – María Félix, Mexican actress (b. 1914)
  • 2002 – Harvey Quaytman, American painter (b. 1937)
  • 2004 – Werner Schumacher, German actor (b. 1921)
  • 2005 – Onna White, Canadian choreographer and dancer (b. 1922)
  • 2006 – Gerard Reve, Dutch author and poet (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Sol LeWitt, American painter and sculptor (b. 1928)
  • 2008 – Kazuo Shiraga, Japanese painter (b. 1924)
  • 2009 – Richard de Mille, American Scientologist, author, investigative journalist, and psychologist (b. 1922)
  • 2009 – Piotr Morawski, Polish mountaineer (b. 1976)
  • 2010 – Malcolm McLaren, English singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2010 – Teddy Scholten, Dutch singer (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Hedda Sterne, Romanian-American painter and photographer (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – Blair Kiel, American football player and coach (b. 1961)
  • 2012 – Jack Tramiel, Polish-American businessman, founded Commodore International (b. 1928)
  • 2012 – Janusz K. Zawodny, Polish-American soldier, historian, and political scientist (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Mikhail Beketov, Russian journalist (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – Annette Funicello, American actress and singer (b. 1942)
  • 2013 – Sara Montiel, Spanish-Mexican actress and singer (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – José Luis Sampedro, Spanish economist and author (b. 1917)
  • 2013 – Margaret Thatcher, English lawyer and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1925)
  • 2014 – Emmanuel III Delly, Iraqi patriarch (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Karlheinz Deschner, German author and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Ivan Mercep, New Zealand architect, designed the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum (b. 1930)
  • 2015 – Jayakanthan, Indian journalist and author (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Rayson Huang, Hong Kong chemist and academic (b. 1920)
  • 2015 – Sergei Lashchenko, Ukrainian kick-boxer (b. 1987)
  • 2015 – David Laventhol, American journalist and publisher (b. 1933)
  • 2015 – Jean-Claude Turcotte, Canadian cardinal (b. 1936)

Holidays and observances on April 8

  • Buddha’s Birthday, also known as Hana Matsuri, “Flower Festival” (Japan)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Anne Ayres (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Constantina
    • Julie Billiart of Namur
    • Perpetuus
    • Walter of Pontoise
    • William Augustus Muhlenberg (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • April 8 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Fast and Prayer Day can fall, while April 14 is the latest; celebrated on the second Friday in April (Liberia)
  • International Romani Day

April 8 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 46 BC – Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger) at the Battle of Thapsus.
  • 402 – Stilicho defeats the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia.
  • 1250 – Seventh Crusade: Ayyubids of Egypt capture King Louis IX of France in the Battle of Fariskur.
  • 1320 – The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.
  • 1327 – The poet Petrarch first sees his idealized love, Laura, in the church of Saint Clare in Avignon.
  • 1385 – John, Master of the Order of Aviz, an illegitimate son of Peter I of Portugal, is made king John I of Portugal.
  • 1453 – Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (Istanbul), which falls on May 29.
  • 1580 – One of the largest earthquakes recorded in the history of England, Flanders, or Northern France, takes place.
  • 1652 – At the Cape of Good Hope, Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp that eventually becomes Cape Town.
  • 1712 – The New York Slave Revolt of 1712 begins near Broadway.
  • 1776 – American Revolutionary War: Ships of the Continental Navy fail in their attempt to capture a Royal Navy dispatch boat.
  • 1782 – King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) of Siam (modern day Thailand) establishes the Chakri dynasty.
  • 1793 – During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic.
  • 1808 – John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, that would eventually make him America’s first millionaire.
  • 1812 – British forces under the command of the Duke of Wellington assault the fortress of Badajoz. This would be the turning point in the Peninsular War against Napoleon-led France.
  • 1814 – Nominal beginning of the Bourbon Restoration; anniversary date that Napoleon abdicates and is exiled to Elba.
  • 1830 – Church of Christ, the original church of the Latter Day Saint movement, is organized by Joseph Smith and others at either Fayette or Manchester, New York.
  • 1841 – U.S. President John Tyler is sworn in, two days after having become President upon William Henry Harrison’s death.
  • 1860 – The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, later renamed Community of Christ, is organized by Joseph Smith III and others at Amboy, Illinois.
  • 1861 – First performance of Arthur Sullivan’s debut success, his suite of incidental music for The Tempest, leading to a career that included the famous Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins: In Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: The Battle of Sailor’s Creek: Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia fights and loses its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia during the Appomattox Campaign.
  • 1866 – The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956.
  • 1869 – Celluloid is patented.
  • 1888 – Thomas Green Clemson dies, bequeathing his estate to the State of South Carolina to establish Clemson Agricultural College.
  • 1893 – Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is dedicated by Wilford Woodruff.
  • 1895 – Oscar Wilde is arrested in the Cadogan Hotel, London, after losing a libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry.
  • 1896 – In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games is celebrated, 1,500 years after the original games are banned by Roman emperor Theodosius I.
  • 1909 – Robert Peary and Matthew Henson become the first people to reach the North Pole; Peary’s claim has been disputed because of failings in his navigational ability.
  • 1911 – During the Battle of Deçiq, Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj, leader of the Malësori Albanians, raises the Albanian flag in the town of Tuzi, Montenegro, for the first time after George Kastrioti (Skanderbeg).
  • 1917 – World War I: The United States declares war on Germany (see President Woodrow Wilson’s address to Congress).
  • 1926 – Varney Airlines makes its first commercial flight (Varney is the root company of United Airlines).
  • 1929 – Huey P. Long, Governor of Louisiana, is impeached by the Louisiana House of Representatives.
  • 1930 – At the end of the Salt March, Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire.”
  • 1936 – Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: Another tornado from the same storm system as the Tupelo tornado hits Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203.
  • 1941 – World War II: Nazi Germany launches Operation 25 (the invasion of Kingdom of Yugoslavia) and Operation Marita (the invasion of Greece).
  • 1945 – World War II: Sarajevo is liberated from German and Croatian forces by the Yugoslav Partisans.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Slater’s Knoll on Bougainville comes to an end.
  • 1947 – The first Tony Awards are presented for theatrical achievement.
  • 1957 – Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis buys the Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founds Olympic Airlines.
  • 1965 – Launch of Early Bird, the first commercial communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.
  • 1968 – In Richmond, Indiana’s downtown district, a double explosion kills 41 and injures 150.
  • 1968 – Pierre Elliott Trudeau wins the Liberal Leadership Election, and becomes Prime Minister of Canada soon after.
  • 1970 – Newhall massacre: Four California Highway Patrol officers are killed in a shootout.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: Easter Offensive: American forces begin sustained air strikes and naval bombardments.
  • 1973 – Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.
  • 1973 – The American League of Major League Baseball begins using the designated hitter.
  • 1974 – The Swedish pop band ABBA wins the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Waterloo”, launching their international career.
  • 1979 – Student protests break out in Nepal.
  • 1984 – Members of Cameroon’s Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya.
  • 1992 – The Bosnian War begins.
  • 1994 – The Rwandan genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down.
  • 1997 – In Greene County, Tennessee, the Lillelid murders occurs when a group of young people abduct and kidnap a religious family before shooting them dead on a rural suburban road.
  • 1998 – Nuclear weapons testing: Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of reaching India.
  • 1998 – Travelers Group announces an agreement to undertake the $76 billion merger between Travelers and Citicorp, and the merger is completed on October 8, of that year, forming Citibank.
  • 2004 – Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from office by impeachment.
  • 2005 – Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day.
  • 2008 – The 2008 Egyptian general strike starts led by Egyptian workers later to be adopted by April 6 Youth Movement and Egyptian activists.
  • 2009 – A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L’Aquila, Italy, killing 307.
  • 2010 – Maoist rebels kill 76 CRPF officers in Dantewada district, India.
  • 2011 – In San Fernando, Tamaulipas, Mexico, over 193 victims of Los Zetas were exhumed from several mass graves.
  • 2012 – Azawad declares itself independent from the Republic of Mali.
  • 2017 – U.S. military launches 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at an airbase in Syria. Russia describes the strikes as an “aggression”, adding they significantly damage US-Russia ties.
  • 2018 – A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior ice hockey team collides with a semi-truck in Saskatchewan, Canada, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others.

Births on April 6

  • 1135 – Maimonides, Jewish philosopher, Torah scholar, physician and astronomer (March 30 also proposed, d. 1204)
  • 1342 – Infanta Maria, Marchioness of Tortosa
  • 1483 – Raphael, Italian painter and architect (d. 1520)
  • 1573 – Margaret of Brunswick-Lüneburg, German noble (d. 1643)
  • 1632 – Maria Leopoldine of Austria (d. 1649)
  • 1651 – André Dacier, French scholar and academic (d. 1722)
  • 1660 – Johann Kuhnau, German organist and composer (d. 1722)
  • 1664 – Arvid Horn, Swedish general and politician, Governor of Västerbotten County (d. 1742)
  • 1671 – Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French poet and playwright (d. 1741)
  • 1672 – André Cardinal Destouches, French composer (d. 1749)
  • 1706 – Louis de Cahusac, French playwright and composer (d. 1759)
  • 1708 – Johann Georg Reutter, Austrian organist and composer (d. 1772)
  • 1725 – Pasquale Paoli, French soldier and politician (d. 1807)
  • 1726 – Gerard Majella, Italian saint (d. 1755)
  • 1741 – Nicolas Chamfort, French author and playwright (d. 1794)
  • 1766 – Wilhelm von Kobell, German painter and educator (d. 1853)
  • 1773 – James Mill, Scottish historian, economist, and philosopher (d. 1836)
  • 1787 – Celestina Cordero, Puerto Rican educator (d. 1862)
  • 1810 – Philip Henry Gosse, English biologist and academic (d. 1888)
  • 1812 – Alexander Herzen, Russian philosopher and author (d. 1870)
  • 1815 – Robert Volkmann, German organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1883)
  • 1818 – Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, Norwegian journalist and poet (d. 1870)
  • 1820 – Nadar, French photographer, journalist, and author (d. 1910)
  • 1823 – Joseph Medill, Canadian-American publisher and politician, 26th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1899)
  • 1824 – George Waterhouse, English-New Zealand politician, 7th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1906)
  • 1826 – Gustave Moreau, French painter and academic (d. 1898)
  • 1844 – William Lyne, Australian politician, 13th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1913)
  • 1851 – Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer and academic (d. 1932)
  • 1852 – Will Crooks, English trade unionist and politician (d. 1921)
  • 1855 – Charles Huot, Canadian painter and illustrator (d. 1930)
  • 1857 – Arthur Wesley Dow, American painter and photographer (d. 1922)
  • 1860 – René Lalique, French sculptor and jewellery designer (d. 1945)
  • 1861 – Stanislas de Guaita, French poet and author (d. 1897)
  • 1864 – William Bate Hardy, English biologist and academic (d. 1934)
  • 1866 – Felix-Raymond-Marie Rouleau, Canadian cardinal (d. 1931)
  • 1869 – Levon Shant, Armenian author, poet, and playwright (d. 1951)
  • 1878 – Erich Mühsam, German author, poet, and playwright (d. 1934)
  • 1881 – Karl Staaf, Swedish pole vaulter and hammer thrower (d. 1953)
  • 1884 – J. G. Parry-Thomas, Welsh race car driver and engineer (d. 1927)
  • 1886 – Athenagoras I of Constantinople (d. 1972)
  • 1886 – Walter Dandy, American physician and neurosurgeon (d. 1946)
  • 1886 – Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, Indian ruler (d. 1967)
  • 1888 – Hans Richter, Swiss painter, illustrator, and director (d. 1976)
  • 1888 – Gerhard Ritter, German historian and academic (d. 1967)
  • 1890 – Anthony Fokker, Dutch engineer and businessman, founded Fokker Aircraft Manufacturer (d. 1939)
  • 1892 – Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American businessman, founded the Douglas Aircraft Company (d. 1981)
  • 1892 – Lowell Thomas, American journalist and author (d. 1981)
  • 1895 – Dudley Nichols, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1960)
  • 1898 – Jeanne Hébuterne, French painter and author (d. 1920)
  • 1900 – Leo Robin, American composer and songwriter (d. 1984)
  • 1901 – Pier Giorgio Frassati, Italian activist (d. 1925)
  • 1902 – Julien Torma, French author, poet, and playwright (d. 1933)
  • 1903 – Mickey Cochrane, American baseball player and manager (d. 1962)
  • 1903 – Harold Eugene Edgerton, American engineer and academic (d. 1990)
  • 1904 – Kurt Georg Kiesinger, German lawyer, politician and Chancellor of Germany (d. 1988)
  • 1904 – Erwin Komenda, Austrian car designer and engineer (d. 1966)
  • 1908 – Marcel-Marie Desmarais, Canadian preacher, missionary, and author (d. 1994)
  • 1909 – William M. Branham, American minister and theologian (d. 1965)
  • 1909 – Hermann Lang, German race car driver (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Barys Kit, Belarusian-American rocket scientist (d. 2018)
  • 1911 – Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1913 – Shannon Boyd-Bailey McCune, American geographer and academic (d. 1993)
  • 1915 – Tadeusz Kantor, Polish director, painter, and set designer (d. 1990)
  • 1916 – Phil Leeds, American actor (d. 1998)
  • 1916 – Vincent Ellis McKelvey, American geologist and author (d. 1987)
  • 1917 – Leonora Carrington, English-Mexican painter and author (d. 2011)
  • 1918 – Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian general and politician, 56th President of Bolivia (d. 1982)
  • 1919 – Georgios Mylonas, Greek politician, 11th Greek Minister of Culture (d. 1998)
  • 1920 – Jack Cover, American pilot and physicist, invented the Taser gun (d. 2009)
  • 1920 – Edmond H. Fischer, Swiss-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1921 – Wilbur Thompson, American shot putter (d. 2013)
  • 1922 – Gordon Chater, English-Australian comedian and actor (d. 1999)
  • 1923 – Herb Thomas, American race car driver (d. 2000)
  • 1926 – Sergio Franchi, Italian-American singer and actor (d. 1990)
  • 1926 – Gil Kane, Latvian-American author and illustrator (d. 2000)
  • 1926 – Ian Paisley, Northern Irish evangelical minister and politician, 2nd First Minister of Northern Ireland (d. 2014)
  • 1926 – Randy Weston, American jazz pianist and composer (d. 2018)
  • 1927 – Gerry Mulligan, American saxophonist, clarinet player, and composer (d. 1996)
  • 1928 – James Watson, American biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1929 – Willis Hall, English playwright and author (d. 2005)
  • 1929 – Joi Lansing, American model, actress and nightclub singer (d. 1972)
  • 1929 – André Previn, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Ram Dass, American author and educator (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Ivan Dixon, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2008)
  • 1932 – Connie Broden, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Helmut Griem, German actor and director (d. 2004)
  • 1933 – Roy Goode, English lawyer and academic
  • 1933 – Tom C. Korologos, American journalist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Belgium
  • 1933 – Eduardo Malapit, American lawyer and politician, Mayor of Kauai (d. 2007)
  • 1934 – Enrique Álvarez Félix, Mexican actor (d. 1996)
  • 1934 – Anton Geesink, Dutch martial artist and wrestler (d. 2010)
  • 1934 – Guy Peellaert, Belgian painter, illustrator, and photographer (d. 2008)
  • 1935 – Douglas Hill, Canadian author and critic (d. 2007)
  • 1936 – Helen Berman, Dutch-Israeli painter and illustrator
  • 1936 – Jean-Pierre Changeux, French neuroscientist, biologist, and academic
  • 1937 – Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2016)
  • 1937 – Tom Veivers, Australian cricketer and politician
  • 1937 – Billy Dee Williams, American actor, singer, and writer
  • 1938 – Paul Daniels, English magician and television host (d. 2016)
  • 1938 – Roy Thinnes, American television and film actor
  • 1939 – André Ouellet, Canadian lawyer and politician, 1st Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • 1939 – John Sculley, American businessman, co-founded Zeta Interactive
  • 1940 – Homero Aridjis, Mexican journalist, author, and poet
  • 1940 – Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., Mexican-American actor and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1941 – Christopher Allsopp, English economist and academic
  • 1941 – Phil Austin, American comedian, actor, and screenwriter (d. 2015)
  • 1941 – Hans W. Geißendörfer, German director and producer
  • 1941 – Don Prudhomme, American race car driver and manager
  • 1941 – Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian flute player and composer
  • 1942 – Barry Levinson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1942 – Anita Pallenberg, Italian-English model, actress, and fashion designer (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Max Clifford, English journalist and publicist (d. 2017)
  • 1943 – Roger Cook, New Zealand-English journalist and academic
  • 1943 – Ian MacRae, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1943 – Mitchell Melton, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1944 – Felicity Palmer, English operatic soprano
  • 1945 – Rodney Bickerstaffe, English trade union leader (d. 2017)
  • 1945 – Peter Hill, English journalist
  • 1946 – Paul Beresford, New Zealand-English dentist and politician
  • 1947 – John Ratzenberger, American actor and director
  • 1947 – André Weinfeld, French-American director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1947 – Mike Worboys, English mathematician and computer scientist
  • 1949 – Alyson Bailes, English academic and diplomat (d. 2016)
  • 1949 – Patrick Hernandez, French singer-songwriter
  • 1949 – Ng Ser Miang, Singaporean athlete, entrepreneur and diplomat
  • 1949 – Horst Ludwig Störmer, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1950 – Claire Morissette, Canadian cycling activist (d. 2007)
  • 1950 – Cleo Odzer, American anthropologist and author (d. 2001)
  • 1951 – Bert Blyleven, Dutch-American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1951 – Jean-Marc Boivin, French skier, mountaineer, and pilot (d. 1990)
  • 1951 – Pascal Rogé, French pianist
  • 1951 – Phil Schaap, American jazz disc jockey and historian
  • 1952 – Udo Dirkschneider, German singer-songwriter
  • 1952 – Marilu Henner, Greek-Polish American actress and author
  • 1952 – Michel Larocque, Canadian ice hockey player and manager (d. 1992)
  • 1953 – Patrick Doyle, Scottish actor and composer
  • 1953 – Christopher Franke, German-American drummer and songwriter
  • 1955 – Rob Epstein, American director and producer
  • 1955 – Michael Rooker, American actor, director, and producer
  • 1955 – Cathy Jones, Canadian actress, comedian, and writer
  • 1956 – Michele Bachmann, American lawyer and politician
  • 1956 – Normand Corbeil, Canadian composer (d. 2013)
  • 1956 – Mudassar Nazar, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1956 – Lee Scott, English politician
  • 1956 – Sebastian Spreng, Argentinian-American painter and journalist
  • 1956 – Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer and coach
  • 1957 – Giorgio Damilano, Italian race walker and coach
  • 1957 – Maurizio Damilano, Italian race walker and coach
  • 1957 – Jaroslava Maxová, Czech soprano and educator
  • 1957 – Paolo Nespoli, Italian soldier, engineer, and astronaut
  • 1958 – Graeme Base, Australian author and illustrator
  • 1959 – Gail Shea, Canadian politician
  • 1960 – Warren Haynes, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Richard Loe, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1960 – John Pizzarelli, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1961 – Rory Bremner, Scottish actor and screenwriter
  • 1961 – Peter Jackson, English footballer and manager
  • 1962 – Iris Häussler, German sculptor and academic
  • 1962 – Marco Schällibaum, Swiss footballer, coach, and manager
  • 1963 – Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian economist and politician, 54th President of Ecuador
  • 1965 – Black Francis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1965 – Sterling Sharpe, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Vince Flynn, American author (d. 2013)
  • 1966 – Young Man Kang, South Korean-American director and producer
  • 1967 – Julian Anderson, English composer and educator
  • 1967 – Kathleen Barr, Canadian voice actress and singer
  • 1967 – Tanya Byron, English psychologist and academic
  • 1967 – Jonathan Firth, English actor
  • 1968 – Archon Fung, American political scientist, author, and academic
  • 1968 – Affonso Giaffone, Brazilian race car driver
  • 1969 – Bret Boone, American baseball player and manager
  • 1969 – Bison Dele, American basketball player (d. 2002)
  • 1969 – Philipp Peter, Austrian race car driver
  • 1969 – Paul Rudd, American actor
  • 1969 – Spencer Wells, American geneticist and anthropologist
  • 1970 – Olaf Kölzig, South African-German ice hockey player and coach
  • 1970 – Roy Mayorga, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
  • 1970 – Huang Xiaomin, Chinese swimmer
  • 1972 – Anders Thomas Jensen, Danish director and screenwriter
  • 1972 – Dickey Simpkins, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1973 – Donnie Edwards, American football player
  • 1973 – Randall Godfrey, American football player
  • 1973 – Rie Miyazawa, Japanese model and actress
  • 1973 – Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
  • 1975 – Zach Braff, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1975 – Hal Gill, American ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Candace Cameron Bure, American actress and talk show panelist
  • 1976 – James Fox, Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1976 – Chris Hoke, American football player
  • 1976 – Georg Hólm, Icelandic bass player
  • 1976 – Hirotada Ototake, Japanese author and educator
  • 1977 – Ville Nieminen, Finnish ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Andy Phillips, American baseball player and coach
  • 1978 – Imani Coppola, American singer-songwriter and violinist
  • 1978 – Robert Glasper, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
  • 1978 – Tim Hasselbeck, American football player and sportscaster
  • 1978 – Myleene Klass, Austrian/Filipino-English singer, pianist, and model
  • 1978 – Martín Méndez, Uruguayan bass player and songwriter
  • 1978 – Blaine Neal, American baseball player
  • 1978 – Igor Semshov, Russian footballer
  • 1979 – Lord Frederick Windsor, English journalist and financier
  • 1979 – Clay Travis, American sports journalist, blogger, and broadcaster
  • 1980 – Tommi Evilä, Finnish long jumper
  • 1980 – Tanja Poutiainen, Finnish skier
  • 1980 – Antonio Thomas, American wrestler
  • 1981 – Robert Earnshaw, Welsh footballer
  • 1981 – Jeff Faine, American football player
  • 1981 – Alex Suarez, American bass player
  • 1982 – Travis Moen, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1982 – Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Spanish actor
  • 1983 – Mehdi Ballouchy, Moroccan footballer
  • 1983 – Jerome Kaino, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1983 – Mitsuru Nagata, Japanese footballer
  • 1983 – Remi Nicole, English singer-songwriter and actress
  • 1983 – James Wade, English darts player
  • 1983 – Katie Weatherston, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Max Bemis, American singer-songwriter
  • 1984 – Michaël Ciani, French footballer
  • 1984 – Siboniso Gaxa, South African footballer
  • 1984 – Diana Matheson, Canadian soccer player
  • 1985 – Clarke MacArthur, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1985 – Frank Ongfiang, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1985 – Sinqua Walls, American basketball player and actor
  • 1986 – Nikolas Asprogenis, Cypriot footballer
  • 1986 – Aaron Curry, American football player
  • 1986 – Goeido Gotaro, Japanese sumo wrestler
  • 1986 – Ryota Moriwaki, Japanese footballer
  • 1987 – Benjamin Corgnet, French footballer
  • 1987 – Heidi Mount, American model
  • 1987 – Juan Adriel Ochoa, Mexican footballer
  • 1987 – Levi Porter, English footballer
  • 1987 – Hilary Rhoda, American model
  • 1988 – Jucilei, Brazilian footballer
  • 1988 – Leigh Adams, Australian footballer
  • 1988 – Daniele Gasparetto, Italian footballer
  • 1988 – Carlton Mitchell, American football player
  • 1988 – Fabrice Muamba, Congolese-English footballer
  • 1988 – Ivonne Orsini, Puerto Rican-American model and television host, Miss World Puerto Rico 2008
  • 1990 – Lachlan Coote, Australian rugby league player
  • 1990 – Charlie McDermott, American actor
  • 1990 – Andrei Veis, Estonian footballer
  • 1992 – Ken, South Korean singer
  • 1992 – Julie Ertz, American soccer player
  • 1994 – Adrián Alonso, Mexican actor
  • 1995 – Darya Lebesheva, Belarusian tennis player
  • 1998 – Peyton List, American actress and model

Deaths on April 6

  • 861 – Prudentius, bishop of Troyes
  • 885 – Saint Methodius, Byzantine missionary and saint (b. 815)
  • 887 – Pei Che, chancellor of the Tang Dynasty
  • 943 – Liu Churang, Chinese general and chief of staff (b. 881)
  • 943 – Nasr II, ruler (amir) of the Samanid Empire (b. 906)
  • 1147 – Frederick II, duke of Swabia (b. 1090)
  • 1199 – Richard I, king of England (b. 1157)
  • 1231 – William Marshal, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
  • 1250 – Guillaume de Sonnac, Grand Master of the Knights Templar
  • 1252 – Peter of Verona, Italian priest and saint (b. 1206)
  • 1340 – Basil, emperor of Trebizond (Turkey)
  • 1362 – James I, count of La Marche (b. 1319)
  • 1376 – Preczlaw of Pogarell, Cardinal and Bishop of Wrocław (b. 1310)
  • 1490 – Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490 (b. 1443)
  • 1520 – Raphael, Italian painter and architect (b. 1483)
  • 1523 – Henry Stafford, 1st Earl of Wiltshire, English nobleman (b. 1479)
  • 1528 – Albrecht Dürer, German painter, engraver, and mathematician (b. 1471)
  • 1551 – Joachim Vadian, Swiss scholar and politician (b. 1484)
  • 1571 – John Hamilton, Scottish archbishop and academic (b. 1512)
  • 1590 – Francis Walsingham, English politician and diplomat, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (b. 1532)
  • 1593 – Henry Barrowe, English Puritan and separatist (b. 1550)
  • 1605 – John Stow, English historian and author (b. 1525)
  • 1621 – Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford (b. 1539)
  • 1641 – Domenico Zampieri (Domenichino), Italian painter (b. 1581)
  • 1655 – David Blondel, French minister, historian, and scholar (b. 1591)
  • 1676 – John Winthrop the Younger, English politician, 1st Governor of Connecticut (b. 1606)
  • 1686 – Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, Irish-English politician (b. 1614)
  • 1707 – Willem van de Velde the Younger, Dutch-English painter (b. 1633)
  • 1755 – Richard Rawlinson, English minister and historian (b. 1690)
  • 1790 – Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (b. 1719)
  • 1825 – Vladimir Borovikovsky, Ukrainian-Russian painter and educator (b. 1757)
  • 1829 – Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (b. 1802)
  • 1833 – Adamantios Korais, Greek philosopher and scholar (b. 1748)
  • 1838 – José Bonifácio de Andrada, Brazilian poet, academic, and politician (b. 1763)
  • 1860 – James Kirke Paulding, American author and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Navy (b. 1778)
  • 1862 – Albert Sidney Johnston, American general (b. 1803)
  • 1883 – Benjamin Wright Raymond, American merchant and politician, 3rd Mayor of Chicago (b. 1801)
  • 1886 – William Edward Forster, English businessman, philanthropist, and politician, Chief Secretary for Ireland (b. 1818)
  • 1899 – Alvan Wentworth Chapman, American physician and botanist (b. 1809)
  • 1906 – Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author, playwright, and politician, 6th County Governor of Møre og Romsdal (b. 1849)
  • 1913 – Somerset Lowry-Corry, 4th Earl Belmore (b. 1835)
  • 1923 – Kabalega, King of Bunyoro (b.1853)
  • 1927 – Florence Earle Coates, American poet (b. 1850)
  • 1935 – Edwin Arlington Robinson, American poet and playwright (b. 1869)
  • 1944 – Rose O’Neill, American cartoonist, illustrator, artist, and writer (b. 1874)
  • 1947 – Herbert Backe, German agronomist and politician (b. 1896)
  • 1950 – Louis Wilkins, American pole vaulter (b. 1882)
  • 1953 – Idris Davies, Welsh poet and author (b. 1905)
  • 1959 – Leo Aryeh Mayer, Polish-Israeli scholar and academic (b. 1895)
  • 1961 – Jules Bordet, Belgian microbiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1870)
  • 1963 – Otto Struve, Ukrainian-American astronomer and academic (b. 1897)
  • 1970 – Maurice Stokes, American basketball player (b. 1933)
  • 1971 – Igor Stravinsky, Russian-American pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1882)
  • 1974 – Willem Marinus Dudok, Dutch architect (b. 1884)
  • 1974 – Hudson Fysh, Australian pilot and businessman, co-founded Qantas Airways Limited (b. 1895)
  • 1977 – Kōichi Kido, Japanese politician, 13th Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal of Japan (b. 1889)
  • 1979 – Ivan Vasilyov, Bulgarian architect, designed the SS. Cyril and Methodius National Library (b. 1893)
  • 1983 – Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri, Indian General who served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 1962 to 1966 and the Military Governor of Hyderabad State from 1948 to 1949. (b. 1908)
  • 1992 – Isaac Asimov, American science fiction writer (b. 1920)
  • 1994 – Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan banker and politician, 3rd President of Rwanda (b. 1937)
  • 1994 – Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician, 5th President of Burundi (b. 1955)
  • 1995 – Ioannis Alevras, Greek banker and politician, President of Greece (b. 1912)
  • 1996 – Greer Garson, English-American actress (b. 1904)
  • 1998 – Norbert Schmitz, German footballer (b. 1958)
  • 1998 – Tammy Wynette, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
  • 1999 – Red Norvo, American vibraphone player and composer (b. 1908)
  • 2000 – Habib Bourguiba, Tunisian politician, 1st President of Tunisia (b. 1903)
  • 2001 – Charles Pettigrew, American singer-songwriter (b. 1963)
  • 2003 – David Bloom, American journalist (b. 1963)
  • 2003 – Anita Borg, American computer scientist and educator; founded Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (b. 1949)
  • 2003 – Gerald Emmett Carter, Canadian cardinal (b. 1912)
  • 2003 – Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian drummer, educator, and activist (b. 1927)
  • 2004 – Lou Berberet, American baseball player (b. 1929)
  • 2004 – Larisa Bogoraz, Russian linguist and activist (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (b. 1923)
  • 2006 – Maggie Dixon, American basketball player and coach (b. 1977)
  • 2006 – Francis L. Kellogg, American soldier and diplomat (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – Stefanos Stratigos, Greek actor and director (b. 1926)
  • 2007 – Luigi Comencini, Italian director and producer (b. 1916)
  • 2009 – J. M. S. Careless, Canadian historian and academic (b. 1919)
  • 2009 – Shawn Mackay, Australian rugby player and coach (b. 1982)
  • 2010 – Wilma Mankiller, American tribal leader (b. 1945)
  • 2010 – Corin Redgrave, English actor (b. 1939)
  • 2011 – Gerald Finnerman, American director and cinematographer (b. 1931)
  • 2012 – Roland Guilbault, American admiral (b. 1934)
  • 2012 – Thomas Kinkade, American painter and illustrator (b. 1958)
  • 2012 – Fang Lizhi, Chinese astrophysicist and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – Sheila Scotter, Australian fashion designer and journalist (b. 1920)
  • 2012 – Reed Whittemore, American poet and critic (b. 1919)
  • 2013 – Hilda Bynoe, Grenadian physician and politician, 2nd Governor of Grenada (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Bill Guttridge, English footballer and manager (b. 1931)
  • 2013 – Bigas Luna, Spanish director and screenwriter (b. 1946)
  • 2013 – Ottmar Schreiner, German lawyer and politician (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Mary Anderson, American actress (b. 1918)
  • 2014 – Jacques Castérède, French pianist and composer (b. 1926)
  • 2014 – Liv Dommersnes, Norwegian actress (b. 1922)
  • 2014 – Mickey Rooney, American soldier, actor, and dancer (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Chuck Stone, American soldier, journalist, and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Massimo Tamburini, Italian motorcycle designer, co-founded Bimota (b. 1943)
  • 2015 – Giovanni Berlinguer, Italian lawyer and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2015 – James Best, American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter and conductor (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Dollard St. Laurent, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1929)
  • 2016 – Merle Haggard, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1937)
  • 2017 – Don Rickles, American actor and comedian (b. 1926)
  • 2019 – Michael O’Donnell, British physician, journalist, author and broadcaster (b. 1928)

Holidays and observances on April 6

  • Chakri Day, commemorating the establishment of the Chakri dynasty. (Thailand)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach (Lutheran Church).
    • Brychan
    • Eutychius of Constantinople (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • Marcellinus of Carthage
    • Pope Celestine I (Catholic Church)
    • Pope Sixtus I
    • April 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
  • National Fisherman Day (Indonesia)
  • New Beer’s Eve (United States)
  • Tartan Day (United States & Canada)

April 6 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

On This Day /
  • 823 – Lothair I is crowned King of Italy by Pope Paschal I.
  • 919 – The second Fatimid invasion of Egypt begins, when the Fatimid heir-apparent, al-Qa’im bi-Amr Allah, sets out from Raqqada at the head of his army.
  • 1081 – Alexios I Komnenos is crowned Byzantine emperor at Constantinople, bringing the Komnenian dynasty to full power.
  • 1242 – During the Battle on the Ice of Lake Peipus, Russian forces, led by Alexander Nevsky, rebuff an invasion attempt by the Teutonic Knights.
  • 1536 – Royal Entry of Charles V into Rome: The last Roman triumph.
  • 1566 – Two hundred Dutch noblemen, led by Hendrick van Brederode, force themselves into the presence of Margaret of Parma and present the Petition of Compromise, denouncing the Spanish Inquisition in the Seventeen Provinces.
  • 1609 – Daimyō (Lord) Shimazu Tadatsune of the Satsuma Domain in southern Kyūshū, Japan, completes his successful invasion of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in Okinawa.
  • 1614 – In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe.
  • 1621 – The Mayflower sets sail from Plymouth, Massachusetts on a return trip to England.
  • 1710 – The Statute of Anne receives the royal assent establishing the Copyright law of the United Kingdom.
  • 1722 – The Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen discovers Easter Island.
  • 1792 – United States President George Washington exercises his authority to veto a bill, the first time this power is used in the United States.
  • 1795 – Peace of Basel between France and Prussia is made.
  • 1818 – In the Battle of Maipú, Chile’s independence movement, led by Bernardo O’Higgins and José de San Martín, win a decisive victory over Spain, leaving 2,000 Spaniards and 1,000 Chilean patriots dead.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Yorktown begins.
  • 1879 – Chile declares war on Bolivia and Peru, starting the War of the Pacific.
  • 1900 – Archaeologists in Knossos, Crete, discover a large cache of clay tablets with hieroglyphic writing in a script they call Linear B.
  • 1904 – The first international rugby league match is played between England and an Other Nationalities team (Welsh and Scottish players) in Central Park, Wigan, England.
  • 1915 – Boxing challenger Jess Willard knocks out Jack Johnson in Havana, Cuba to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World.
  • 1922 – The American Birth Control League, forerunner of Planned Parenthood, is incorporated.
  • 1932 – Dominion of Newfoundland: Ten thousand rioters seize the Colonial Building leading to the end of self-government.
  • 1933 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs two executive orders: 6101 to establish the Civilian Conservation Corps, and 6102 “forbidding the Hoarding of Gold Coin, Gold Bullion, and Gold Certificates” by U.S. citizens.
  • 1936 – Tupelo–Gainesville tornado outbreak: An F5 tornado kills 233 in Tupelo, Mississippi.
  • 1942 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy launches a carrier-based air attack on Colombo, Ceylon during the Indian Ocean raid. Port and civilian facilities are damaged and the Royal Navy cruisers HMS Cornwall and HMS Dorsetshire are sunk southwest of the island.
  • 1943 – World War II: American bomber aircraft accidentally cause more than 900 civilian deaths, including 209 children, and 1,300 wounded among the civilian population of the Belgian town of Mortsel. Their target was the Erla factory one kilometer from the residential area hit.
  • 1944 – World War II: Two hundred seventy inhabitants of the Greek town of Kleisoura are executed by the Germans.
  • 1945 – Cold War: Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito signs an agreement with the Soviet Union to allow “temporary entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory”.
  • 1946 – Soviet troops end their year-long occupation of the Danish island of Bornholm.
  • 1946 – A Fleet Air Arm Vickers Wellington crashes into a residential area in Rabat, Malta during a training exercise, killing all 4 crew members and 16 civilians on the ground.
  • 1949 – A fire in a hospital in Effingham, Illinois, kills 77 people and leads to nationwide fire code improvements in the United States.
  • 1951 – Cold War: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death for spying for the Soviet Union.
  • 1956 – Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro declares himself at war with Cuban President Fulgencio Batista.
  • 1956 – In Sri Lanka, the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna win the general elections in a landslide and S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike is sworn in as the Prime Minister of Ceylon.
  • 1957 – In India, Communists win the first elections in united Kerala and E. M. S. Namboodiripad is sworn in as the first Chief Minister.
  • 1958 – Ripple Rock, an underwater threat to navigation in the Seymour Narrows in Canada is destroyed in one of the largest non-nuclear controlled explosions of the time.
  • 1969 – Vietnam War: Massive antiwar demonstrations occur in many U.S. cities.
  • 1971 – In Sri Lanka, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna launches a revolt against the United Front government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
  • 1976 – In China, the April Fifth Movement leads to the Tiananmen Incident.
  • 1977 – The US Supreme Court rules that congressional legislation that diminished the size of the Sioux people’s reservation thereby destroyed the tribe’s jurisdictional authority over the area in Rosebud Sioux Tribe v. Kneip.
  • 1986 – Three people are killed in the bombing of the La Belle discotheque in West Berlin, Germany.
  • 1991 – An ASA EMB 120 crashes in Brunswick, Georgia, killing all 23 aboard including Sen. John Tower and astronaut Sonny Carter.
  • 1992 – Alberto Fujimori, president of Peru, dissolves the Peruvian congress by military force.
  • 1992 – Peace protesters Suada Dilberovic and Olga Sučić are killed on the Vrbanja Bridge in Sarajevo, becoming the first casualties of the Bosnian War.
  • 1998 – In Japan, the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge opens to traffic, becoming the longest bridge span in the world.
  • 1999 – Two Libyans suspected of bringing down Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 are handed over for eventual trial in the Netherlands.
  • 2000 – UEFA Cup semi-final violence: Four Galatasaray fans are arrested for the stabbings to death of two Leeds United fans.
  • 2009 – North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks.
  • 2010 – Twenty-nine coal miners are killed in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia.

Births on April 5

  • 1170 – Isabella of Hainault (d. 1190)
  • 1219 – Wonjong of Goryeo, 24th ruler of Goryeo (d. 1274)
  • 1279 – Al-Nuwayri, Egyptian Muslim historian (d. 1333)
  • 1288 – Emperor Go-Fushimi of Japan (d. 1336)
  • 1315 – James III of Majorca (d. 1349)
  • 1365 – William II, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1417)
  • 1472 – Bianca Maria Sforza, Italian wife of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (d. 1510)
  • 1521 – Francesco Laparelli, Italian architect (d. 1570)
  • 1523 – Blaise de Vigenère, French cryptographer and diplomat (d. 1596)
  • 1533 – Giulio della Rovere, Italian Catholic Cardinal (d. 1578)
  • 1539 – George Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (d. 1603)
  • 1549 – Princess Elizabeth of Sweden, (d. 1597)
  • 1568 – Pope Urban VIII (d. 1644)
  • 1588 – Thomas Hobbes, English philosopher (d. 1679)
  • 1591 – Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg (d. 1634)
  • 1595 – John Wilson, English composer and educator (d. 1674)
  • 1604 – Charles IV (d. 1675)
  • 1616 – Frederick, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken (d. 1661)
  • 1622 – Vincenzo Viviani, Italian mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (d. 1703)
  • 1649 – Elihu Yale, American-English merchant and philanthropist (d. 1721)
  • 1656 – Nikita Demidov, Russian industrialist (d. 1725)
  • 1664 – Élisabeth Thérèse de Lorraine, French noblewoman and Princess of Epinoy (d. 1748)
  • 1674 – Margravine Elisabeth Sophie of Brandenburg, (d. 1748)
  • 1691 – Louis VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (d. 1768)
  • 1692 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (d. 1730)
  • 1719 – Axel von Fersen the Elder, Swedish field marshal and politician, Lord Marshal of Sweden (d. 1794)
  • 1726 – Benjamin Harrison V, American politician, planter and merchant (d. 1791)
  • 1727 – Pasquale Anfossi, Italian violinist and composer (d. 1797)
  • 1729 – Frederick Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d. 1809)
  • 1730 – Jean Baptiste Seroux d’Agincourt, French archaeologist and historian (d. 1814)
  • 1732 – Jean-Honoré Fragonard, French painter and etcher (d. 1806)
  • 1735 – Franziskus Herzan von Harras, Czech Roman Catholic cardinal (d. 1804)
  • 1739 – Philemon Dickinson, American lawyer and politician (d. 1809)
  • 1752 – Sébastien Érard, French instrument maker (d. 1831)
  • 1761 – Sybil Ludington, American heroine of the American Revolutionary War (d. 1839)
  • 1769 – Sir Thomas Hardy, 1st Baronet, English admiral (d. 1839)
  • 1773 – José María Coppinger, governor of Spanish East Florida (d. 1844)
  • 1773 – Duchess Therese of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, (d. 1839)
  • 1777 – Marie Jules César Savigny, French zoologist (d. 1851)
  • 1782 – Wincenty Krasiński, Polish nobleman (d. 1858)
  • 1784 – Louis Spohr, German violinist, composer, and conductor (d. 1859)
  • 1788 – Franz Pforr, German painter (d. 1812)
  • 1793 – Casimir Delavigne, French poet and dramatist (d. 1843)
  • 1793 – Felix de Muelenaere, Belgian politician (d. 1862)
  • 1795 – Henry Havelock, British general (d. 1857)
  • 1799 – Jacques Denys Choisy, Swiss clergyman and botanist (d. 1859)
  • 1801 – Félix Dujardin, French biologist (d. 1860)
  • 1801 – Vincenzo Gioberti, Italian philosopher, publicist and politician (d. 1852)
  • 1804 – Matthias Jakob Schleiden, German botanist (d. 1881)
  • 1809 – Karl Felix Halm, German scholar and critic (d. 1882)
  • 1810 – Sir Henry Rawlinson, British East India Company army officer and politician (d. 1895)
  • 1811 – Jules Dupré, French painter (d. 1889)
  • 1814 – Felix Lichnowsky, Czech soldier and politician (d. 1848)
  • 1822 – Émile Louis Victor de Laveleye, Belgian economist (d. 1892)
  • 1827 – Joseph Lister, English surgeon and academic (d. 1912)
  • 1832 – Jules Ferry, French lawyer and politician, 44th Prime Minister of France (d. 1893)
  • 1834 – Prentice Mulford, American humorist and author (d. 1891)
  • 1834 – Wilhelm Olbers Focke, German medical doctor and botanist (d. 1922)
  • 1834 – Frank R. Stockton, American writer and humorist (d. 1902)
  • 1835 – Vítězslav Hálek, Czech poet, writer, journalist, dramatist and theatre critic. (d. 1874)
  • 1837 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic (d. 1909)
  • 1839 – Robert Smalls, African-American ship’s pilot, sea captain, and politician (d. 1915)
  • 1840 – Ghazaros Aghayan, Armenian historian and linguist (d. 1911)
  • 1842 – Hans Hildebrand, Swedish archaeologist (d. 1913)
  • 1845 – Friedrich Sigmund Merkel, German anatomist and histopathologist (d. 1919)
  • 1845 – Jules Cambon, French diplomat (d. 1935)
  • 1846 – Sigmund Exner, Austrian physiologist (d. 1926)
  • 1846 – Henry Wellesley, British peer and politician (d. 1900)
  • 1848 – Thure de Thulstrup, American illustrator (d. 1930)
  • 1848 – Ulrich Wille, Swiss army general (d. 1925)
  • 1850 – Enrico Mazzanti, Italian engineer and cartoonist (d. 1910)
  • 1852 – Émile Billard, French sailor (d. 1930)
  • 1852 – Walter W. Winans, American marksman and sculptor (d. 1920)
  • 1852 – Franz Eckert, German composer and musician (d. 1916)
  • 1856 – Booker T. Washington, African-American educator, essayist and historian (d. 1915)
  • 1857 – Alexander of Battenberg (d. 1893)
  • 1858 – Washington Atlee Burpee, Canadian businessman, founded Burpee Seeds (d. 1915)
  • 1859 – Reinhold Seeberg, German theologian (d. 1935)
  • 1860 – Harry S. Barlow, British tennis player (d. 1917)
  • 1862 – Louis Ganne, French conductor (d. 1923)
  • 1862 – Leo Stern, English cellist (d. 1904)
  • 1863 – Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (d. 1950)
  • 1867 – Ernest Lewis, British tennis player (d. 1930)
  • 1869 – Sergey Chaplygin, Russian physicist, mathematician, and engineer (d. 1942)
  • 1869 – Albert Roussel, French composer (d. 1937)
  • 1870 – Motobu Chōki, Japanese karateka (d. 1944)
  • 1871 – Stanisław Grabski, Polish economist and politician (d. 1949)
  • 1872 – Samuel Cate Prescott, American microbiologist and chemist (d. 1962)
  • 1873 – Joseph Rheden, Austrian astronomer (d. 1946)
  • 1874 – Emmanuel Célestin Suhard, French Cardinal of the Catholic Church (d. 1949)
  • 1874 – Manuel María Ponce Brousset, President of Peru (d. 1966)
  • 1878 – Albert Champion, French cyclist (d. 1927)
  • 1878 – Georg Misch, German philosopher (d. 1965)
  • 1878 – Paul Weinstein, German high jumper (d. 1964)
  • 1879 – Arthur Berriedale Keith, Scottish lawyer (d. 1944)
  • 1879 – Nikolaus zu Dohna-Schlodien, German naval officer and author (d. 1956)
  • 1880 – Eric Carlberg, Swedish Army officer, diplomat, shooter, fencer and modern pentathlete (d. 1963)
  • 1880 – Vilhelm Carlberg, Swedish Army officer and shooter (d. 1970)
  • 1882 – Song Jiaoren, Chinese revolutionary (d. 1913)
  • 1882 – Natalia Sedova, 2nd wife of Leon Trotsky (d. 1962)
  • 1883 – Walter Huston, Canadian-American actor and singer (d. 1950)
  • 1884 – Ion Inculeț, Bessarabian academic and politician, President of Moldova (d. 1940)
  • 1885 – Dimitrie Cuclin, Romanian composer (d. 1978)
  • 1886 – Gotthelf Bergsträsser, German linguist (d. 1933)
  • 1886 – Frederick Lindemann, British physicist (d. 1957)
  • 1886 – Gustavo Jiménez, Peruvian colonel and politician, 73rd President of Peru (d. 1933)
  • 1887 – William Cowhig, British gymnast (d. 1964)
  • 1889 – Vicente Ferreira Pastinha, Brazilian martial artist (d. 1981)
  • 1890 – Karl Kirk, Danish gymnast (d. 1955)
  • 1890 – William Moore, British track and field athlete (d. 1956)
  • 1891 – Arnold Jackson, English runner, soldier, and lawyer (d. 1972)
  • 1891 – Laura Vicuña, Chilean nun (d. 1904)
  • 1892 – Raymond Bonney, American ice hockey player (d. 1964)
  • 1893 – Frithjof Andersen, Norwegian wrestler (d. 1975)
  • 1893 – Clas Thunberg, Finnish speed skater (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Lawrence Dale Bell, American industrialist and founder of Bell Aircraft Corporation (d. 1956)
  • 1894 – Hans Hüttig, German SS officer (d. 1980)
  • 1894 – Carl Rudolf Florin, Swedish botanist (d. 1965)
  • 1895 – Mike O’Dowd, American boxer (d. 1957)
  • 1896 – Einar Lundborg, Swedish aviator (d. 1931)
  • 1897 – Hans Schuberth, German politician (d. 1976)
  • 1899 – Alfred Blalock, American surgeon and academic (d. 1964)
  • 1900 – Herbert Bayer, Austrian-American graphic designer, painter, and photographer (d. 1985)
  • 1900 – Roman Steinberg, Estonian wrestler (d. 1928)
  • 1900 – Spencer Tracy, American actor (d. 1967)
  • 1901 – Curt Bois, German actor (d. 1991)
  • 1901 – Chester Bowles, American diplomat and ambassador (d. 1986)
  • 1901 – Melvyn Douglas, American actor (d. 1981)
  • 1901 – Doggie Julian, American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach (d. 1967)
  • 1902 – Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Russian-American rabbi (d. 1994)
  • 1903 – Marion Aye, American actress (d. 1951)
  • 1904 – Richard Eberhart, American poet and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1906 – Albert Charles Smith, American botanist (d. 1999)
  • 1906 – Fernando Germani, Italian organist (d. 1998)
  • 1906 – Ted Morgan, New Zealand boxer (d. 1952)
  • 1907 – Sanya Dharmasakti, Thai jurist (d. 2002)
  • 1908 – Bette Davis, American actress (d. 1989)
  • 1908 – Kurt Neumann, German director (d. 1958)
  • 1908 – Jagjivan Ram, Indian politician, 4th Deputy Prime Minister of India (d. 1986)
  • 1908 – Herbert von Karajan, Austrian conductor and manager (d. 1989)
  • 1909 – Albert R. Broccoli, American film producer, co-founded Eon Productions (d. 1996)
  • 1909 – Giacomo Gentilomo, Italian film director and painter (d. 2001)
  • 1909 – Károly Sós, Hungarian footballer and manager (d. 1991)
  • 1909 – Erwin Wegner, German hurdler (d. 1945)
  • 1910 – Sven Andersson, Swedish politician (d. 1987)
  • 1910 – Oronzo Pugliese, Italian football manager (d. 1990)
  • 1911 – Hedi Amara Nouira, Tunisian politician (d. 1993)
  • 1911 – Johnny Revolta, American golfer (d. 1991)
  • 1912 – Jehan Buhan, French fencer (d. 1999)
  • 1912 – Habib Elghanian, Iranian businessman (d. 1979)
  • 1912 – Antonio Ferri, Italian scientist (d. 1975)
  • 1912 – Carlos Guastavino, Argentine composer (d. 2000)
  • 1912 – Makar Honcharenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (d. 1997)
  • 1912 – John Le Mesurier, English actor (d. 1983)
  • 1912 – István Örkény, Hungarian author and playwright (d. 1979)
  • 1912 – Bill Roberts, English sprinter and soldier (d. 2001)
  • 1913 – Antoni Clavé, Catalan artist (d. 2005)
  • 1913 – Nicolas Grunitzky, 2nd President of Togo (d. 1969)
  • 1913 – Ruth Smith, Faroese artist (d. 1958)
  • 1914 – Felice Borel, Italian footballer (d. 1993)
  • 1916 – Gregory Peck, American actor, political activist, and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Robert Bloch, American author (d. 1994)
  • 1917 – Frans Gommers, Belgian footballer (d. 1996)
  • 1919 – Lester James Peries, Sri Lankan director, screenwriter, and producer (d. 2018)
  • 1920 – Barend Biesheuvel, Dutch politician, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (d. 2001)
  • 1920 – Arthur Hailey, English-Canadian soldier and author (d. 2004)
  • 1920 – Alfonso Thiele, Turkish-Italian race car driver (d. 1986)
  • 1920 – John Willem Gran, Swedish bishop (d. 2008)
  • 1921 – Christopher Hewett, English actor and theatre director (d. 2001)
  • 1922 – Tom Finney, English footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Harry Freedman, Polish-Canadian horn player, composer, and educator (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Andy Linden, American race car driver (d. 1987)
  • 1922 – Gale Storm, American actress and singer (d. 2009)
  • 1923 – Ernest Mandel, German-born Belgian Marxist economist, Trotskyist activist and theorist (d. 1995)
  • 1923 – Michael V. Gazzo, American actor (d. 1995)
  • 1923 – Nguyễn Văn Thiệu, Vietnamese general and politician, 5th President of South Vietnam (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Igor Borisov, Soviet rower (d. before 2005)
  • 1925 – Janet Rowley, American human geneticist (d. 2013)
  • 1925 – Pierre Nihant, Belgian cyclist (d. 1993)
  • 1926 – Roger Corman, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1926 – Liang Yusheng, Chinese writer (d. 2009)
  • 1927 – Thanin Kraivichien, Thai lawyer and politician
  • 1927 – Arne Hoel, Norwegian ski jumper (d. 2006)
  • 1928 – Enzo Cannavale, Italian actor (d. 2011)
  • 1928 – Tony Williams, American singer (d. 1992)
  • 1929 – Hugo Claus, Belgian author, poet, and painter (d. 2008)
  • 1929 – Ivar Giaever, Norwegian-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1929 – Nigel Hawthorne, English actor and producer (d. 2001)
  • 1929 – Joe Meek, English songwriter and producer (d. 1967)
  • 1929 – Mahmoud Mollaghasemi, Iranian wrestler
  • 1930 – Mary Costa, American singer and actress
  • 1930 – Pierre Lhomme, French director of photography (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Jack Clement, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1931 – Héctor Olivera, Argentine director, producer and screenwriter
  • 1933 – Feridun Buğeker, Turkish footballer (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Frank Gorshin, American actor (d. 2005)
  • 1933 – Barbara Holland, American author (d. 2010)
  • 1933 – K. Kailasapathy, Sri Lankan journalist and academic (d. 1982)
  • 1934 – John Carey, English author and critic
  • 1934 – Roman Herzog, German lawyer and politician, 7th President of Germany (d. 2017)
  • 1934 – Moise Safra, Brazilian businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Banco Safra (d. 2014)
  • 1934 – Stanley Turrentine, American saxophonist and composer (d. 2000)
  • 1935 – Giovanni Cianfriglia, Italian actor
  • 1935 – Peter Grant, English talent manager (d. 1995)
  • 1935 – Donald Lynden-Bell, English astrophysicist and astronomer (d. 2018)
  • 1935 – Frank Schepke, German rower (d. 2017)
  • 1936 – Ronnie Bucknum, American race car driver (d. 1992)
  • 1936 – Glenn Jordan, American director and producer
  • 1936 – Dragoljub Minić, Yugoslavian chess Grandmaster (d. 2005)
  • 1937 – Joseph Lelyveld, American journalist and author
  • 1937 – Jean-Pierre Petit, French scientist
  • 1937 – Colin Powell, American general and politician, 65th United States Secretary of State
  • 1937 – Andrzej Schinzel, Polish mathematician
  • 1937 – Arie Selinger, Israeli volleyball player and manager
  • 1937 – Juan Vicente Lezcano, Paraguayan footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Colin Bland, Zimbabwean-South African cricketer (d. 2018)
  • 1938 – Mal Colston, Australian educator and politician (d. 2003)
  • 1938 – Nancy Holt, American sculptor and painter (d. 2014)
  • 1938 – Natalya Kustinskaya, Soviet actress (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Leka I, Crown Prince of Albania (d. 2011)
  • 1939 – Crispian St. Peters, English singer-songwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1939 – Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Prime Minister of Yemen
  • 1939 – Ronald White, American singer-songwriter (d. 1995)
  • 1939 – David Winters, English-American actor, choreographer and producer (d. 2019)
  • 1940 – Tommy Cash, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1940 – Gilles Proulx, Canadian journalist, historian, and radio host
  • 1941 – Michael Moriarty, American-Canadian actor
  • 1941 – Dave Swarbrick, English singer-songwriter and fiddler (d. 2016)
  • 1942 – Allan Clarke, English singer-songwriter
  • 1942 – Pascal Couchepin, Swiss politician
  • 1942 – Juan Gisbert Sr., Spanish tennis player
  • 1942 – Peter Greenaway, Welsh director and screenwriter
  • 1943 – Dean Brown, Australian politician, 41st Premier of South Australia
  • 1943 – Max Gail, American actor and director
  • 1943 – Fighting Harada, Japanese boxer
  • 1943 – Miet Smet, Belgian politician
  • 1943 – Jean-Louis Tauran, French cardinal (d. 2018)
  • 1944 – Willeke van Ammelrooy, Dutch actress and director
  • 1944 – János Martonyi, Hungarian politician
  • 1944 – Evan Parker, British musician
  • 1944 – Douangchay Phichit, Laotian politician (d. 2014)
  • 1944 – Willy Planckaert, Belgian cyclist
  • 1944 – Pedro Rosselló, Puerto Rican physician and politician, 7th Governor of Puerto Rico
  • 1944 – Peter T. King, American soldier, lawyer, and politician
  • 1945 – Ove Bengtson, Swedish tennis player
  • 1945 – Steve Carver, American director and producer
  • 1945 – Cem Karaca, Turkish musician (d. 2004)
  • 1945 – Tommy Smith, English footballer (d. 2019)
  • 1946 – Jane Asher, English actress
  • 1946 – Julio Ángel Fernández, Uruguayan astronomer
  • 1946 – Björn Granath, Swedish actor (d. 2017)
  • 1946 – Georgi Markov, Bulgarian Greco-Roman wrestler
  • 1947 – Đurđica Bjedov, Yugoslav swimmer
  • 1947 – Willy Chirino, Cuban-American musician
  • 1947 – Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Filipino academic and politician, 14th President of the Philippines
  • 1947 – Ramón Mifflin, Peruvian footballer
  • 1947 – Virendra Sharma, Indian-English lawyer and politician
  • 1948 – Pierre-Albert Chapuisat, Swiss footballer
  • 1948 – Dave Holland, English drummer (d. 2018)
  • 1948 – Roy McFarland, English footballer and manager
  • 1949 – Stanley Dziedzic, American wrestler
  • 1949 – Larry Franco, American film producer
  • 1949 – Judith Resnik, Ukrainian-American engineer and astronaut (d. 1986)
  • 1950 – Ann C. Crispin, American writer (d. 2013)
  • 1950 – Franklin Chang Díaz, Costa Rican-Chinese American astronaut and physicist
  • 1950 – Agnetha Fältskog, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1950 – Toshiko Fujita, Japanese actress, singer and narrator (d. 2018)
  • 1950 – Miki Manojlović, Serbian actor
  • 1951 – Les Binks, Irish drummer and songwriter
  • 1951 – Yevgeniy Gavrilenko, Belarusian hurdler
  • 1951 – Nedim Gürsel, Turkish writer
  • 1951 – Dean Kamen, American inventor and businessman, founded Segway Inc.
  • 1951 – Dave McArtney, New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1951 – Ubol Ratana, Thai Princess
  • 1952 – Alfie Conn, Scottish international footballer, midfielder
  • 1952 – John C. Dvorak, American author and editor
  • 1952 – Sandy Mayer, American tennis player
  • 1952 – Dennis Mortimer, English footballer
  • 1952 – Mitch Pileggi, American actor
  • 1953 – Frank Gaffney, American journalist and radio host
  • 1953 – Keiko Han, Japanese actress
  • 1953 – Tae Jin-ah, South Korean singer
  • 1953 – Raleb Majadele, Israeli politician
  • 1953 – Ian Swales, English accountant and politician
  • 1954 – Guy Bertrand, Canadian linguist and radio host
  • 1954 – Peter Case, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Mohamed Ben Mouza, Tunisian footballer
  • 1954 – Stan Ridgway, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Yoshiichi Watanabe, Japanese footballer
  • 1955 – Charlotte de Turckheim, French actress, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Ricardo Ferrero, Argentine footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1955 – Christian Gourcuff, French footballer and manager
  • 1955 – Anthony Horowitz, English author and screenwriter
  • 1955 – Bernard Longley, English prelate
  • 1955 – Akira Toriyama, Japanese illustrator
  • 1955 – Takayoshi Yamano, Japanese footballer
  • 1956 – Diamond Dallas Page, American wrestler and actor
  • 1956 – Leonid Fedun, Russian businessman
  • 1956 – Reid Ribble, American politician
  • 1957 – Sebastian Adayanthrath, Indian bishop
  • 1957 – Karin Roßley, German hurdler
  • 1958 – Henrik Dettmann, Finnish basketball coach
  • 1958 – Ryoichi Kawakatsu, Japanese footballer
  • 1958 – Johan Kriek, South African-American tennis player
  • 1958 – Daniel Schneidermann, French journalist
  • 1958 – Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lankan lawyer and journalist (d. 2009)
  • 1959 – Paul Chung, Hong Kong actor and host (d. 1989)
  • 1960 – Asteris Koutoulas, Romanian-German record producer, manager, and author
  • 1960 – Larry McCray, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1960 – Ian Redford, Scottish footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1960 – Hiromi Taniguchi, Japanese long-distance runner
  • 1960 – Adnan Terzić, Bosnian politician
  • 1961 – Andrea Arnold, English filmmaker and actress
  • 1961 – Anna Caterina Antonacci, Italian soprano
  • 1961 – Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, Bahraini-Danish human rights activist
  • 1961 – Lisa Zane, American actress and singer
  • 1962 – Lana Clarkson, American actress and model (d. 2003)
  • 1962 – Sara Danius, Swedish scholar of literature and aesthetics
  • 1962 – Richard Gough, Swedish born Scottish international footballer
  • 1962 – Arild Monsen, Norwegian cross-country skier
  • 1962 – Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Russian businessman and politician, 1st President of Kalmykia
  • 1963 – Arthur Adams, American comic book artist and writer
  • 1964 – Neil Eckersley, British judoka
  • 1964 – Vakhtang Iagorashvili, Soviet modern pentathlete
  • 1964 – Levon Julfalakyan, Soviet Armenian Greco-Roman wrestler
  • 1964 – Marius Lăcătuș, Romanian footballer and coach
  • 1965 – Aykut Kocaman, Turkish footballer and manager
  • 1965 – Lang Tzu-yun, Taiwanese actress
  • 1965 – Elizabeth McIntyre, American freestyle skier
  • 1965 – Svetlana Paramygina, Belarusian biathlete
  • 1966 – Yoon Hyun, South Korean judoka
  • 1966 – Mike McCready, American guitarist and songwriter
  • 1967 – Troy Gentry, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2017)
  • 1967 – Franck Silvestre, French footballer
  • 1967 – Erland Johnsen, Norwegian footballer
  • 1967 – Laima Zilporytė, Soviet cyclist
  • 1968 – Paula Cole, American singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1969 – Dinos Angelidis, Greek basketball player
  • 1969 – Viatcheslav Djavanian, Russian cyclist
  • 1969 – Pontus Kåmark, Swedish footballer
  • 1969 – Pavlo Khnykin, Ukrainian swimmer
  • 1969 – Tomislav Piplica, Bosnian footballer and manager
  • 1969 – Ravindra Prabhat, Indian writer and journalist
  • 1970 – Soheil Ayari, French race car driver
  • 1970 – Valérie Bonneton, French actress
  • 1970 – Diamond D, American hip hop producer
  • 1970 – Petar Genov, Bulgarian chess grandmaster
  • 1970 – Thea Gill, Canadian actress
  • 1970 – Miho Hatori, Japanese singer-songwriter
  • 1970 – Irina Timofeyeva, Russian long-distance runner
  • 1971 – Dong Abay, Filipino singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1971 – Austin Berry, Costa Rican footballer
  • 1971 – Simona Cavallari, Italian actress
  • 1971 – Victoria Hamilton, English actress
  • 1971 – Nelson Parraguez, Chilean footballer
  • 1971 – Kim Soo-nyung, South Korean archer
  • 1972 – Krista Allen, American actress
  • 1972 – Nima Arkani-Hamed, American-Canadian theoretical physicist
  • 1972 – Tom Coronel, Dutch race car driver
  • 1972 – Paul Okon, Australian footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Yasuhiro Takemoto, Japanese animator and director (d. 2019)
  • 1972 – Junko Takeuchi, Japanese actress
  • 1973 – Élodie Bouchez, French-American actress
  • 1973 – Lidia Trettel, Italian snowboarder
  • 1973 – Pharrell Williams, American singer, songwriter and rapper
  • 1974 – Sandra Bagarić, Croatian opera singer and actress
  • 1974 – Julien Boutter, French tennis player
  • 1974 – Katja Holanti, Finnish biathlete
  • 1974 – Oleg Khodkov, Russian handball player
  • 1974 – Ariel López, Argentine footballer
  • 1974 – Lukas Ridgeston, Slovak actor and director
  • 1974 – Vyacheslav Voronin, Russian high jumper
  • 1975 – Sarah Baldock, English organist and conductor
  • 1975 – John Hartson, Welsh footballer and coach
  • 1975 – Juicy J, American rapper and producer
  • 1975 – Serhiy Klymentiev, Ukrainian ice hockey player
  • 1975 – Caitlin Moran, English journalist, author, and critic
  • 1975 – Marcos Vales, Spanish footballer
  • 1975 – Shammond Williams, American basketball player and coach
  • 1976 – Luis de Agustini, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1976 – Péter Biros, Hungarian water polo player
  • 1976 – Sterling K. Brown, American actor
  • 1976 – Aleksei Budõlin, Estonian judoka
  • 1976 – Simone Inzaghi, Italian footballer
  • 1976 – Fernando Morientes, Spanish footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Natascha Ragosina, Russian boxer
  • 1976 – Henrik Stenson, Swedish golfer
  • 1976 – Valeria Straneo, Italian long-distance runner
  • 1976 – Indrek Tobreluts, Estonian biathlete
  • 1976 – Anouska van der Zee, Dutch cyclist
  • 1977 – Jonathan Erlich, Israeli tennis player
  • 1977 – Trevor Letowski, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1977 – Daniel Majstorović, Swedish footballer
  • 1978 – Dwain Chambers, British track sprinter
  • 1978 – Marcone Amaral Costa, Qatari footballer
  • 1978 – Tarek El-Said, Egyptian footballer
  • 1978 – Jairo Patiño, Colombian footballer
  • 1978 – Sohyang, South Korean singer
  • 1978 – Stephen Jackson, American basketball player
  • 1978 – Arnaud Tournant, French cyclist
  • 1978 – Franziska van Almsick, German swimmer
  • 1978 – Günther Weidlinger, Austrian long-distance runner
  • 1979 – Vlada Avramov, Serbian footballer
  • 1979 – Josh Boone, American screenwriter and director
  • 1979 – Song Dae-nam, South Korean judoka
  • 1979 – Timo Hildebrand, German footballer
  • 1979 – Imany, French singer
  • 1979 – Barel Mouko, Congolese footballer
  • 1979 – Cesare Natali, Italian footballer
  • 1979 – Mitsuo Ogasawara, Japanese footballer
  • 1979 – Alexander Resch, German luger
  • 1979 – Andrius Velička, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1979 – Dante Wesley, American football player
  • 1979 – Chen Yanqing, Chinese weightlifter
  • 1980 – Matt Bonner, American basketball player
  • 1980 – Alberta Brianti, Italian tennis player
  • 1980 – Rafael Cavalcante, Brazilian mixed martial artist
  • 1980 – David Chocarro, Argentinian baseball player and actor
  • 1980 – Mike Glumac, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1980 – Mario Kasun, Croatian basketball player
  • 1980 – Lee Jae-won, South Korean DJ and singer
  • 1980 – Joris Mathijsen, Dutch footballer
  • 1980 – Rasmus Quist Hansen, Danish rower
  • 1980 – Odlanier Solís, Cuban boxer
  • 1981 – Matthew Emmons, American rifle shooter
  • 1981 – Michael A. Monsoor, American sailor, Medal of Honor recipient (d. 2006)
  • 1981 – Mariqueen Maandig, Filipino-American musician and singer-songwriter
  • 1981 – Daba Modibo Keïta, Malian taekwondo athlete
  • 1981 – Marissa Nadler, American musician
  • 1981 – Tom Riley, English actor and producer
  • 1981 – Mompati Thuma, Botswana footballer
  • 1981 – Pieter Weening, Dutch cyclist
  • 1982 – Hayley Atwell, English-American actress
  • 1982 – Matheus Coradini Vivian, Brazilian footballer
  • 1982 – Thomas Hitzlsperger, German footballer
  • 1982 – Kelly Pavlik, American boxer
  • 1982 – Matt Pickens, American soccer player
  • 1982 – Alexandre Prémat, French race car driver
  • 1982 – Danylo Sapunov, Ukrainian-Kazakhstani triathlete
  • 1982 – Hubert Schwab, Swiss cyclist
  • 1982 – Marcel Seip, Dutch former footballer
  • 1983 – Jaime Castrillón, Colombian footballer
  • 1983 – Jorge Andrés Martínez, Uruguayan footballer
  • 1983 – Brock Radunske, Canadian-South Korean ice hockey player
  • 1983 – Yohann Sangaré, French basketball player
  • 1983 – Cécile Storti, French cross-country skier
  • 1983 – Shikha Uberoi, Indian-American tennis player
  • 1984 – Marshall Allman, American actor
  • 1984 – Aram Mp3, Armenian singer and comedian
  • 1984 – Rune Brattsveen, Norwegian biathlete
  • 1984 – Alexei Glukhov, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1984 – Maartje Goderie, Dutch field hockey player
  • 1984 – Darija Jurak, Croatian tennis player
  • 1984 – Dejan Kelhar, Slovenian footballer
  • 1984 – Dmitry Kozonchuk, Russian cyclist
  • 1984 – Shin Min-a, South Korean actress
  • 1984 – Jess Sum, Hong Kong actress
  • 1984 – Peter Penz, Austrian luger
  • 1984 – Samuele Preisig, Swiss footballer
  • 1984 – Cristian Săpunaru, Romanian footballer
  • 1984 – Fabio Vitaioli, San Marinese footballer
  • 1984 – Kisho Yano, Japanese footballer
  • 1984 – Saba Qamar, Pakistani actress-model
  • 1985 – Daniel Congré, French footballer
  • 1985 – Erwin l’Ami, Dutch chess player
  • 1985 – Jolanda Keizer, Dutch heptathlete
  • 1985 – Sergey Khachatryan, Armenian violinist
  • 1985 – Linas Pilibaitis, Lithuanian footballer
  • 1985 – Jan Smeets, Dutch chess grandmaster
  • 1985 – Kristof Vandewalle, Belgian cyclist
  • 1986 – Anna Sophia Berglund, American model and actress
  • 1986 – Anzor Boltukayev, Chechen wrestler
  • 1986 – Diego Chará, Colombian footballer
  • 1986 – Charlotte Flair, American wrestler, author and actress
  • 1986 – Róbert Kasza, Hungarian Modern pentathlete
  • 1986 – Eetu Muinonen, Finnish footballer
  • 1986 – Manuel Ruz, Spanish footballer
  • 1986 – Albert Selimov, Azerbaijani boxer
  • 1987 – Max Grün, German footballer
  • 1987 – Balázs Hárai, Hungarian water polo player
  • 1987 – Anton Kokorin, Russian sprint athlete
  • 1987 – Fyodor Kudryashov, Russian footballer
  • 1987 – Etiënne Reijnen, Dutch footballer
  • 1988 – Gerson Acevedo, Chilean footballer
  • 1988 – Teresa Almeida, Angolan handball player
  • 1988 – Quade Cooper, New Zealand rugby player and boxer
  • 1988 – Jonathan Davies, Welsh rugby union player
  • 1988 – Gevorg Ghazaryan, Armenian footballer
  • 1988 – Alisha Glass, American ex-indoor volleyball player
  • 1988 – Vurğun Hüseynov, Azerbaijani footballer
  • 1988 – Matthias Jaissle, German footballer and manager
  • 1988 – Jon Kwang-ik, North Korean footballer
  • 1988 – Christopher Papamichalopoulos, Cypriot skier
  • 1988 – Zack Smith, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1988 – Pape Sy, French basketball player
  • 1988 – Alexey Volkov, Russian biathlete
  • 1989 – Kader Amadou, Nigerien footballer
  • 1989 – Yémi Apithy, Beninese fencer
  • 1989 – Liemarvin Bonevacia, Dutch sprinter
  • 1989 – Freddie Fox, English actor
  • 1989 – Emre Güral, Turkish footballer
  • 1989 – Justin Holiday, American basketball player
  • 1989 – Rachel Homan, Canadian curler
  • 1989 – Lily James, English actress
  • 1989 – Trevor Marsicano, American speed skater
  • 1989 – Jonathan Rossini, Swiss footballer
  • 1989 – Kiki Sukezane, Japanese actress
  • 1989 – Sosuke Takatani, Japanese wrestler
  • 1990 – Alex Cuthbert, Welsh rugby player
  • 1990 – Amer Said Al-Shatri, Omani footballer
  • 1990 – Fredy Hinestroza, Colombian footballer
  • 1990 – Chen Huijia, Chinese swimmer
  • 1990 – Haruma Miura, Japanese actor and singer
  • 1990 – Ismaeel Mohammad, Qatari footballer
  • 1990 – Iryna Pamialova, Belarusian canoeist
  • 1990 – Jakub Sedláček, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Sercan Yıldırım, Turkish footballer
  • 1990 – Género Zeefuik, Dutch footballer
  • 1991 – Yassine Bounou, Moroccan footballer
  • 1991 – Nathaniel Clyne, English footballer
  • 1991 – Adriano Grimaldi, Italian-German footballer
  • 1991 – Joël Mall, Swiss footballer
  • 1991 – Guilherme dos Santos Torres, Brazilian footballer
  • 1992 – Emmalyn Estrada, Canadian singer-songwriter and dancer
  • 1992 – Shintaro Kurumaya, Japanese footballer
  • 1992 – Kaveh Rezaei, Iranian footballer
  • 1992 – Dmytro Ryzhuk, Ukrainian footballer
  • 1993 – Andreas Bouchalakis, Greek footballer
  • 1993 – Maya DiRado, American swimmer
  • 1993 – Laura Feiersinger, Austrian footballer
  • 1993 – Scottie Wilbekin, American-born naturalized Turkish basketball player
  • 1994 – Mateusz Bieniek, Polish volleyball player
  • 1994 – Edem Rjaïbi, Tunisian footballer
  • 1994 – Richard Sánchez, Mexican footballer
  • 1995 – Viliame Kikau, Fijian rugby league player
  • 1995 – Sei Muroya, Japanese footballer
  • 1995 – Gleb Rassadkin, Belarusian footballer
  • 1995 – Sebastian Starke Hedlund, Swedish footballer
  • 1996 – Nicolas Beer, Danish race car driver
  • 1996 – Raouf Benguit, Algerian footballer
  • 1997 – Borja Mayoral, Spanish footballer
  • 1998 – Jeremy Olson
  • 1999 – Andrea Buwalda
  • 2000 – Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, Indian actor
  • 2001 – Thylane Blondeau, French model and actress

Deaths on April 5

  • 517 – Timothy I, Byzantine patriarch
  • 582 – Eutychius, Byzantine patriarch
  • 584 – Ruadán of Lorrha, Irish abbot
  • 828 – Nikephoros I, Byzantine patriarch
  • 902 – Al-Mu’tadid, Abbasid caliph
  • 1168 – Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester, English politician (b. 1104)
  • 1183 – Ramon Berenguer III, Spanish count of Cerdanya and Provence
  • 1205 – Isabella I of Jerusalem, queen regent of Jerusalem (b. 1172)
  • 1258 – Juliana of Liège, Belgian canoness and saint
  • 1308 – Ivan Kőszegi, Hungarian baron and oligarch
  • 1325 – Ralph de Monthermer, 1st Baron of Monthermer and Earl of Gloucester (b. c.1270)
  • 1419 – Vincent Ferrer, Spanish missionary and saint (b. 1350)
  • 1431 – Bernard I, margrave of Baden-Baden (b. 1364)
  • 1512 – Lazzaro Bastiani, Italian painter (b. 1429)
  • 1534 – Jan Matthys, Dutch anabaptist reformer
  • 1594 – Catherine of Palma, Spanish nun (b. 1533)
  • 1617 – Alonso Lobo, Spanish composer (b. 1555)
  • 1626 – Anna Koltovskaya, Russian tsarina
  • 1673 – François Caron, Belgian-French explorer and politician, 8th Governor of Formosa (b. 1600)
  • 1674 – George Frederick, prince of Nassau-Siegen (b. 1606)
  • 1679 – Anne Geneviève de Bourbon, French princess (b. 1619)
  • 1684 – William Brouncker, English mathematician (b. 1620)
  • 1684 – Karl Eusebius, prince of Liechtenstein (b. 1611)
  • 1693 – Anne Marie Louise d’Orléans, French noblewoman (b. 1627)
  • 1693 – Philip William August, German nobleman (b. 1668)
  • 1695 – George Savile, English politician, Lord President of the Council (b. 1633)
  • 1697 – Charles XI, king of Sweden (b. 1655)
  • 1704 – Christian Ulrich I, German nobleman and Duke of Württemberg-Oels (b. 1652)
  • 1708 – Christian Heinrich, German prince and member of the House of Hohenzollern (b. 1661)
  • 1709 – Roger de Piles, French painter, engraver, art critic and diplomat (b. 1635)
  • 1712 – Jan Luyken, Dutch poet, illustrator and engraver (b. 1649)
  • 1717 – Jean Jouvenet, French painter (b. 1647)
  • 1723 – Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Austrian architect, sculptor and historian (b. 1656)
  • 1735 – William Derham, English minister and philosopher (b. 1657)
  • 1751 – Frederick I, prince consort and king of Sweden (b. 1676)
  • 1765 – Edward Young, English poet and author (b. 1683)
  • 1767 – Princess Charlotte Wilhelmine of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, German princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. 1685)
  • 1768 – Egidio Forcellini, Italian philologist (b. 1688)
  • 1769 – Marc-Antoine Laugier, Jesuit priest (b. 1713)
  • 1794 – Georges Danton, French lawyer and politician, French Minister of Justice (b. 1759)
  • 1794 – François Chabot, French politician (b. 1756)
  • 1794 – Camille Desmoulins, French journalist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1760)
  • 1794 – Fabre d’Églantine, French actor, dramatist, poet and politician (b. 1750)
  • 1794 – Marie-Jean Hérault de Séchelles, French judge and politician (b. 1759)
  • 1794 – Pierre Philippeaux, French lawyer (b. 1754)
  • 1794 – François Joseph Westermann, French general (b. 1751)
  • 1799 – Johann Christoph Gatterer, German historian (b. 1727)
  • 1804 – Jean-Charles Pichegru, French general (b. 1761)
  • 1808 – Johann Georg Wille, German engraver (b. 1715)
  • 1830 – Richard Chenevix, Irish chemist and playwright (b. 1774)
  • 1831 – Pierre Léonard Vander Linden, Belgian entomologist (b. 1797)
  • 1842 – Shah Shujah Durrani, 5th Emir of Afghanistan (b. 1785)
  • 1852 – Prince Felix of Schwarzenberg, (b. 1800)
  • 1861 – Ferdinand Joachimsthal, German mathematician (b. 1818)
  • 1862 – Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, Dutch artist (b. 1803)
  • 1865 – Manfredo Fanti, Italian general (b. 1806)
  • 1866 – Thomas Hodgkin, British physician (b. 1798)
  • 1868 – Karel Purkyně, Czech painter (b. 1834)
  • 1871 – Paolo Savi, Italian geologist and ornithologist (b. 1798)
  • 1872 – Paul-Auguste-Ernest Laugier, French astronomer (b. 1812)
  • 1873 – Milivoje Blaznavac, Serbian soldier and politician (b. 1824)
  • 1882 – Pierre Guillaume Frédéric le Play, (b. 1806)
  • 1888 – Vsevolod Garshin, Russian author (b. 1855)
  • 1891 – Johann Hermann Bauer, (b. 1861)
  • 1900 – Joseph Bertrand, French mathematician, economist, and academic (b. 1822)
  • 1900 – Osman Nuri Pasha, Ottoman field marshal and the hero of the Siege of Plevna in 1877 (b. 1832)
  • 1901 – Angelo Messedaglia, Italian social scientist and statistician (b. 1820)
  • 1902 – Hans Ernst August Buchner, German bacteriologist (b. 1850)
  • 1904 – Ernst Leopold, 4th Prince of Leiningen (b. 1830)
  • 1904 – Frances Power Cobbe, Irish writer (b. 1822)
  • 1906 – Eastman Johnson, American painter (b. 1824)
  • 1914 – Bernard Borggreve, German forestry scientist (b. 1836)
  • 1916 – Maksim Kovalevsky, Russian sociologist (b. 1851)
  • 1918 – George Tupou II, King of Tonga (b. 1874)
  • 1918 – Paul Vidal de La Blache, French geographer (b. 1845)
  • 1920 – Laurent Marqueste, French sculptor (b. 1848)
  • 1921 – Alphons Diepenbrock, Dutch composer (b. 1862)
  • 1921 – Sophie Elkan, Swedish-Jewish writer and translator (b. 1853)
  • 1923 – George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, English archaeologist and businessman (b. 1866)
  • 1924 – Victor Hensen, German zoologist (b. 1835)
  • 1928 – Roy Kilner, English cricketer and soldier (b. 1890)
  • 1928 – Viktor Oliva, Czech painter and illustrator (b. 1861)
  • 1929 – Francis Aidan Gasquet, English Benedictine monk (b. 1846)
  • 1929 – Ludwig von Sybel, German archeologist (b. 1846)
  • 1932 – María Blanchard, Spanish painter (b. 1881)
  • 1933 – Earl Derr Biggers, American novelist and playwright (b. 1884)
  • 1933 – Hjalmar Mellin, Finnish mathematician and functional theorist (b. 1854)
  • 1934 – Salvatore Di Giacomo, Italian poet, playwright, songwriter and fascist intellectual (b. 1860)
  • 1934 – Jiro Sato, Japanese tennis player (b. 1908)
  • 1935 – Achille Locatelli, Roman Catholic cardinal (b. 1856)
  • 1935 – Emil Młynarski, Polish conductor, violinist, composer, and pedagogue (b. 1870)
  • 1935 – Franz von Vecsey, Hungarian violinist and composer (b. 1893)
  • 1936 – Chandler Egan, American golfer and architect (b. 1884)
  • 1937 – Gustav Adolf Deissmann, (b. 1866)
  • 1937 – José Benlliure y Gil, Spanish painter (b. 1858)
  • 1938 – Helena Westermarck, Finnish artist and writer (b. 1857)
  • 1938 – Verner Lehtimäki, Finnish revolutionary (b. 1890)
  • 1940 – Charles Freer Andrews, English-Indian priest, missionary, and educator (b. 1871)
  • 1940 – Robert Maillart, Swiss civil engineer (b. 1872)
  • 1940 – Jay O’Brien, American bobsledder (b. 1883)
  • 1940 – Song Zheyuan, Chinese general (b. 1885)
  • 1941 – Parvin E’tesami, Persian poet (b. 1907)
  • 1941 – Nigel Gresley, Scottish-English engineer (b. 1876)
  • 1941 – Franciszek Kleeberg, Polish general (b. 1888)
  • 1945 – Heinrich Borgmann, German officer (b. 1912)
  • 1945 – Karl-Otto Koch, German SS officer (b. 1897)
  • 1946 – Vincent Youmans, American composer and producer (b. 1898)
  • 1947 – Bernhard Pankok, German painter, artist and architect (b. 1872)
  • 1947 – Elis Strömgren, Swedish-Danish astronomer (b. 1870)
  • 1948 – Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, American socialite and philanthropist (b. 1874)
  • 1949 – Erich Zeigner, Prime Minister of Saxony (b. 1886)
  • 1950 – Hiroshi Yoshida, Japanese painter (b. 1876)
  • 1952 – Agnes Morton, British tennis player (b.
  • 1954 – Princess Märtha of Sweden, (b. 1901)
  • 1954 – Claude Delvincourt, French pianist and composer (b. 1888)
  • 1956 – William Titt, British gymnast (b. 1881)
  • 1958 – Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria, (b. 1884)
  • 1958 – Ásgrímur Jónsson, Icelandic painter (b. 1876)
  • 1958 – Isidora Sekulić, Serbian writer (b. 1877)
  • 1961 – Nikolai Kryukov, Russian composer (b. 1908)
  • 1962 – Boo Kullberg, Swedish gymnast (b. 1889)
  • 1963 – Jacobus Oud, Dutch architect (b. 1890)
  • 1964 – James Chapin, American ornithologist (b. 1889)
  • 1964 – Aloïse Corbaz, Swiss artist (b. 1886)
  • 1964 – Douglas MacArthur, American general (b. 1880)
  • 1965 – Pedro Sernagiotto, Italian-Brazilian footballer (b. 1908)
  • 1965 – Sándor Szalay, Hungarian figure skater (b. 1893)
  • 1967 – Mischa Elman, Ukrainian-American violinist (b. 1891)
  • 1967 – Johan Falkberget, Norwegian author (b. 1879)
  • 1967 – Hermann Joseph Muller, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1890)
  • 1967 – Herbert Johnston, British runner (b. 1902)
  • 1968 – Félix Couchoro, Togolese writer (b. 1900)
  • 1968 – Lajos Csordás, Hungarian footballer
  • 1968 – Giuseppe Paris, Italian gymnast (b. 1895)
  • 1969 – Alberto Bonucci, Italian actor and director (b. 1918)
  • 1969 – Rómulo Gallegos, Venezuelan novelist and politician (b. 1917)
  • 1969 – Ain-Ervin Mere, Estonian SS officer (b. 1903)
  • 1970 – Louisa Bolus, South African botanist and taxonomist (b. 1877)
  • 1970 – Alfred Sturtevant, American geneticist and academic (b. 1891)
  • 1970 – Karl von Spreti, German diplomat (b. 1907)
  • 1971 – José Cubiles, Spanish pianist and conductor (b. 1894)
  • 1972 – Brian Donlevy, American actor and producer (b. 1901)
  • 1973 – David Murray, British race car driver (b. 1909)
  • 1973 – Isabel Jewell, American actress and singer (b. 1907)
  • 1973 – Alla Tarasova, Russian ballerina (b. l898)
  • 1974 – Bino Bini, Italian fencer (b. 1900)
  • 1974 – A. Y. Jackson, Canadian painter (b. 1882)
  • 1975 – Tell Berna, American middle and long-distance runner (b. 1891)
  • 1975 – Victor Marijnen, Dutch politician (b. 1917)
  • 1975 – Chiang Kai-shek, Chinese general and politician, 1st President of the Republic of China (b. 1887)
  • 1975 – Harold Osborn, American track and fielder (b. 1899)
  • 1976 – Howard Hughes, American pilot, engineer, and director (b. 1905)
  • 1976 – Wilder Penfield, American-Canadian surgeon and academic (b. 1891)
  • 1976 – Harry Wyld, British cyclist (b. 1900)
  • 1977 – Carlos Prío Socarrás, President of Cuba, (b. 1903)
  • 1977 – Yuri Zavadsky, Russian actor and director (b. 1894)
  • 1981 – Émile Hanse, Belgian footballer (b. 1892)
  • 1981 – Bob Hite, American singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 1981 – Pinchus Kremegne, French artist (b. 1890)
  • 1982 – Abe Fortas, American lawyer and jurist (b. 1910)
  • 1984 – Hans Lunding, Danish military officer (b. 1899)
  • 1984 – Giuseppe Tucci, Italian scholar of oriental cultures (b. 1894)
  • 1986 – Manly Wade Wellman, American writer (b. 1903)
  • 1987 – Leabua Jonathan, 2nd Prime Minister of Lesotho (b. 1914)
  • 1988 – Alf Kjellin, Swedish actor and director (b. 1920)
  • 1989 – Frank Foss, American pole vaulter (b. 1895)
  • 1989 – Karel Zeman, Czech director, artist, production designer and animator (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Sonny Carter, American soccer player, physician, and astronaut (b. 1947)
  • 1991 – Jay Miller, American basketball player (b. 1943)
  • 1991 – Jiří Mucha, Czech journalist, writer and screenwriter (b. 1915)
  • 1991 – William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L’Isle (b. 1909)
  • 1991 – John Tower, American soldier, academic, and politician (b. 1925)
  • 1992 – Takeshi Inoue, Japanese footballer (b. 1928)
  • 1992 – Molly Picon, American actress (b. 1898)
  • 1992 – Sam Walton, American businessman, founded Walmart and Sam’s Club (b. 1918)
  • 1993 – Divya Bharti, Indian actress (b. 1974)
  • 1994 – Kurt Cobain, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1967)
  • 1995 – Nicolaas Cortlever, Dutch chess player (b. 1915)
  • 1995 – Emilio Greco, Italian sculptor and engraver (b. 1913)
  • 1995 – Christian Pineau, French Resistance fighter (b. 1904)
  • 1996 – Charlene Holt, American actress (b. 1928)
  • 1997 – Allen Ginsberg, American poet (b. 1926)
  • 1998 – Frederick Charles Frank, British theoretical physicist (b. 1911)
  • 1998 – Cozy Powell, English drummer (b. 1947)
  • 1999 – Giulio Einaudi, Italian book publisher (b. 1912)
  • 2000 – Heinrich Müller, Austrian footballer (b. 1909)
  • 2000 – Lee Petty, American race car driver (b. 1914)
  • 2001 – Aldo Olivieri, Italian footballer (b. 1910)
  • 2002 – Layne Staley, American singer-songwriter (b. 1967)
  • 2002 – Kim Won-gyun, North Korean composer and politician (b. 1917)
  • 2003 – Keizo Morishita, Japanese painter (b. 1944)
  • 2004 – Fernand Goyvaerts, Belgian footballer (b. 1938)
  • 2004 – Sławomir Rawicz, Polish lieutenant (b. 1915)
  • 2004 – Heiner Zieschang, German mathematician and academic (b. 1936)
  • 2005 – Saul Bellow, Canadian-American novelist, essayist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1915)
  • 2005 – Robert Borg, American military officer and equestrian (b. 1913)
  • 2005 – Chung Nam-sik, South Korean footballer (b. 1917)
  • 2006 – Allan Kaprow, American painter and educator (b. 1927)
  • 2006 – Gene Pitney, American singer-songwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2006 – Yevgeny Seredin, Russian swimmer (b. 1958)
  • 2006 – Pasquale Macchi, Roman Catholic archbishop (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Maria Gripe, Swedish journalist and author (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Leela Majumdar, Indian author and academic (b. 1908)
  • 2007 – Werner Maser, German historian and journalist (b. 1922)
  • 2007 – Mark St. John, American guitarist (b. 1956)
  • 2007 – Thomas Stoltz Harvey, American pathologist (b. 1912)
  • 2008 – Charlton Heston, American actor, director, and political activist (b. 1923)
  • 2009 – I. J. Good, British mathematician (b. 1916)
  • 2010 – Vitaly Sevastyanov, Soviet cosmonaut and engineer (b. 1935)
  • 2011 – Baruch Samuel Blumberg, American physician and geneticist (b. 1925)
  • 2011 – Ange-Félix Patassé, Central African politician (b. 1937)
  • 2012 – Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, German designer (b. 1935)
  • 2012 – Pedro Bartolomé Benoit, Dominican Republican politician military officer
  • 2012 – Jim Marshall, English businessman, founded Marshall Amplification (b. 1923)
  • 2012 – Barney McKenna, Irish musician (b. 1939)
  • 2012 – Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawian economist and politician, 3rd President of Malawi (b. 1934)
  • 2013 – Regina Bianchi, Italian actress (b. 1921)
  • 2013 – Piero de Palma, Italian tenor and actor (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Alan Davie, Scottish saxophonist and painter (b. 1920)
  • 2014 – Mariano Díaz, Spanish cyclist (b. 1939)
  • 2014 – Peter Matthiessen, American novelist, short story writer, editor, co-founded The Paris Review (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – John Pinette, American comedian (b. 1964)
  • 2014 – José Wilker, Brazilian actor, director, and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2015 – Fredric Brandt, American dermatologist and author (b. 1949)
  • 2015 – Juan Carlos Cáceres, Argentinian singer and pianist (b. 1936)
  • 2016 – Koço Kasapoğlu, Turkish footballer (b. 1936)
  • 2017 – Attilio Benfatto, Italian cyclist (b. 1943)
  • 2017 – Arthur Bisguier, American chess Grandmaster (b. 1929)
  • 2017 – Paul G. Comba, Italian-American computer scientist and astronomer (b. 1926)
  • 2017 – Makoto Ōoka, Japanese poet and literary critic (b. 1931)
  • 2017 – Paul O’Neill, American rock composer and producer (b. 1956)
  • 2017 – Tim Parnell, British race car driver (b. 1932)
  • 2017 – Memè Perlini, Italian actor and director (b. 1947)
  • 2017 – Atanase Sciotnic, Romanian sprint canoeist (b. 1942)
  • 2017 – Ilkka Sinisalo, Finnish ice hockey player (b. 1958)
  • 2018 – Isao Takahata, Japanese director (b. 1935)
  • 2019 – Sydney Brenner, South African biologist (b. 1927)[16]

Holidays and observances on April 5

  • Christian feast day:
    • Albert of Montecorvino
    • Derfel Gadarn
    • Æthelburh of Kent
    • Gerald of Sauve-Majeure
    • Juliana of Liège
    • Maria Crescentia Höss
    • Blessed Mariano de la Mata
    • Pandita Mary Ramabai (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Ruadhán of Lorrha
    • Vincent Ferrer
    • April 5 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Cold Food Festival, held on April 4 if it is a leap year (China); and its related observances:
  • Earliest day on which Sham el-Nessim can fall, while May 9 is the latest; celebrated on Monday after the Orthodox Easter (Egypt)
  • Children’s Day (Palestinian territories)
  • Sikmogil (South Korea)
  • National Maritime Day is observed in India, in commemoration of the first voyage of SS Loyalty of the Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. in 1919.

April 5 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day