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  • April 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    • 1091 – Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
    • 1386 – Battle of the Vikhra River: The Principality of Smolensk is defeated by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and becomes its vassal.
    • 1429 – Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans.
    • 1483 – Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile.
    • 1521 – Swedish War of Liberation: Swedish troops defeat a Danish force in the Battle of Västerås.
    • 1770 – James Cook arrives in Australia at Botany Bay, which he names.
    • 1781 – American Revolutionary War: British and French ships clash in the Battle of Fort Royal off the coast of Martinique.
    • 1861 – American Civil War: Maryland’s House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union.
    • 1862 – American Civil War: The Capture of New Orleans by Union forces under David Farragut.
    • 1864 – Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the only fraternity to be founded during the American Civil War.
    • 1903 – A landslide kills 70 people in Frank, in the District of Alberta, Canada.
    • 1910 – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People’s Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.
    • 1911 – Tsinghua University, one of mainland China’s leading universities, is founded.
    • 1916 – World War I: The UK’s 6th Indian Division surrenders to Ottoman Forces at the Siege of Kut in one of the largest surrenders of British forces up to that point.
    • 1916 – Easter Rising: After six days of fighting, Irish rebel leaders surrender to British forces in Dublin, bringing the Easter Rising to an end.
    • 1944 – World War II: British agent Nancy Wake, a leading figure in the French Resistance and the Gestapo’s most wanted person, parachutes back into France to be a liaison between London and the local maquis group.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Surrender of Caserta is signed by the commander of German forces in Italy.
    • 1945 – World War II: Airdrops of food begin over German-occupied regions of the Netherlands.
    • 1945 – World War II: The Captain-class frigate HMS Goodall (K479) is torpedoed by U-286 outside the Kola Inlet becoming the last Royal Navy ship to be sunk in the European theatre of World War II.
    • 1945 – World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor; Hitler and Braun both commit suicide the following day.
    • 1945 – Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops.
    • 1945 – The Italian commune of Fornovo di Taro is liberated from German forces by Brazilian forces.
    • 1946 – The International Military Tribunal for the Far East convenes and indicts former Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tojo and 28 former Japanese leaders for war crimes.
    • 1951 – Tibetan delegates to the Central People’s Government arrive in Beijing and draft a Seventeen Point Agreement for Chinese sovereignty and Tibetan autonomy.
    • 1953 – The first U.S. experimental 3D television broadcast showed an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV.
    • 1965 – Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) successfully launches its seventh rocket in its Rehber series.
    • 1967 – After refusing induction into the United States Army the previous day, Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.
    • 1968 – The controversial musical Hair, a product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, opens at the Biltmore Theatre on Broadway, with some of its songs becoming anthems of the anti-Vietnam War movement.
    • 1970 – Vietnam War: United States and South Vietnamese forces invade Cambodia to hunt Viet Cong.
    • 1974 – Watergate scandal: United States President Richard Nixon announces the release of edited transcripts of White House tape recordings relating to the scandal.
    • 1975 – Vietnam War: Operation Frequent Wind: The U.S. begins to evacuate U.S. citizens from Saigon before an expected North Vietnamese takeover. U.S. involvement in the war comes to an end.
    • 1975 – Vietnam War: The North Vietnamese army completes its capture of all parts of South Vietnamese-held Trường Sa Islands.
    • 1986 – A fire at the Central library of the City of Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.
    • 1986 – Chernobyl disaster: American and European spy satellites capture the ruins of the 4th Reactor at the Chernobyl Power Plant.
    • 1991 – A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 miles per hour (249 km/h), killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as ten million homeless.
    • 1991 – The 7.0 Mw  Racha earthquake affects Georgia with a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), killing 270 people.
    • 1992 – Riots in Los Angeles, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 63 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.
    • 1997 – The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories.
    • 2011 – The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey in London.
    • 2013 – A powerful explosion occurs in an office building in Prague, believed to have been caused by natural gas, injures 43 people.
    • 2013 – National Airlines Flight 102, a Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft, crashes during takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, killing seven people.
    • 2015 – A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests.

    Births on April 29

    • 912 – Minamoto no Mitsunaka, Japanese samurai (d. 997)
    • 1469 – William II, Landgrave of Hesse (d. 1509)
    • 1587 – Sophie of Saxony, Duchess of Pomerania (d. 1635)
    • 1636 – Esaias Reusner, German lute player and composer (d. 1679)
    • 1665 – James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, Irish general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1745)
    • 1667 – John Arbuthnot, Scottish-English physician and polymath (d. 1735)
    • 1686 – Peregrine Bertie, 2nd Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven, English politician, Lord Great Chamberlain (d. 1742)
    • 1727 – Jean-Georges Noverre, French actor and dancer (d. 1810)
    • 1745 – Oliver Ellsworth, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1807)
    • 1758 – Georg Carl von Döbeln, Swedish general (d. 1820)
    • 1762 – Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, French general and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 1833)
    • 1780 – Charles Nodier, French librarian and author (d. 1844)
    • 1783 – David Cox, English landscape painter (d. 1859)
    • 1784 – Samuel Turell Armstrong, American publisher and politician, 14th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1850)
    • 1810 – Thomas Adolphus Trollope, English journalist and author (d. 1892)
    • 1814 – Sadok Barącz, Galician religious leader, historian, folklorist, archivist (d. 1892)
    • 1818 – Alexander II of Russia (d. 1881)
    • 1837 – Georges Ernest Boulanger, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1891)
    • 1842 – Carl Millöcker, Austrian composer and conductor (d. 1899)
    • 1847 – Joachim Andersen, Danish flautist, composer, conductor, and co-founder of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (d. 1907)
    • 1848 – Raja Ravi Varma, Indian painter and academic (d. 1906)
    • 1854 – Henri Poincaré, French mathematician, physicist, and engineer (d. 1912)
    • 1858 – Georgia Hopley, American journalist, temperance advocate, and the first woman prohibition agent (d. 1944)
    • 1863 – Constantine P. Cavafy, Egyptian-Greek journalist and poet (d. 1933)
    • 1863 – William Randolph Hearst, American publisher and politician, founded the Hearst Corporation (d. 1951)
    • 1863 – Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Austrian nun and missionary (d. 1922)
    • 1872 – Harry Payne Whitney, American businessman and lawyer (d. 1930)
    • 1872 – Forest Ray Moulton, American astronomer and academic (d. 1952)
    • 1875 – Rafael Sabatini, Italian-English novelist and short story writer (d. 1950)
    • 1878 – Friedrich Adler, Jewish-German academic, artist and designer (d.1945)
    • 1879 – Thomas Beecham, English conductor (d. 1961, March 8)
    • 1880 – Fethi Okyar, Turkish military officer, diplomat and politician (d. 1943)
    • 1882 – Auguste Herbin, French painter (d. 1960)
    • 1882 – Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer, typographer, and Nazi resister (d. 1945)
    • 1891 – Bharathidasan, Indian poet and activist (d. 1964)
    • 1894 – Marietta Blau, Austrian physicist and academic (d. 1970)
    • 1885 – Egon Erwin Kisch, Czech journalist and author (d. 1948)
    • 1887 – Raymond Thorne, American swimmer (d. 1921)
    • 1893 – Harold Urey, American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1981)
    • 1895 – Vladimir Propp, Russian scholar and critic (d. 1970)
    • 1895 – Malcolm Sargent, English organist, composer, and conductor (d. 1967)
    • 1899 – Duke Ellington, American pianist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1974)
    • 1899 – Mary Petty, American illustrator (d. 1976)
    • 1900 – Concha de Albornoz, Spanish feminist and intellectual, exiled during the Spanish Civil War (d. 1972)
    • 1900 – Amelia Best, Australian politician, one of the first women elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly (d. 1979)
    • 1901 – Hirohito, Japanese emperor (d. 1989)
    • 1907 – Fred Zinnemann, Austrian-American director and producer (d. 1997)
    • 1908 – Jack Williamson, American author and academic (d. 2006)
    • 1909 – Tom Ewell, American actor (d. 1994)
    • 1912 – Richard Carlson, American actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 1977)
    • 1915 – Henry H. Barschall, German-American physicist and academic (d. 1997)
    • 1917 – Maya Deren, Ukrainian-American director, poet, and photographer (d. 1961)
    • 1917 – Celeste Holm, American actress and singer (d. 2012)
    • 1918 – George Allen, American football player and coach (d. 1990)
    • 1919 – Gérard Oury, French actor, director, and screenwriter (d. 2006)
    • 1920 – Edward Blishen, English author and radio host (d. 1996)
    • 1920 – Harold Shapero, American composer (d. 2013)
    • 1922 – Helmut Krackowizer, Austrian motorcycle racer and journalist (d. 2001)
    • 1922 – Toots Thielemans, Belgian guitarist and harmonica player (d. 2016)
    • 1923 – Irvin Kershner, American actor, director, and producer (d. 2010)
    • 1924 – Al Balding, Canadian golfer (d. 2006)
    • 1924 – Zizi Jeanmaire, French ballerina and actress
    • 1925 – John Compton, Saint Lucian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Saint Lucia (d. 2007)
    • 1925 – Iwao Takamoto, American animator, director, and producer (d. 2007)
    • 1926 – Elmer Kelton, American journalist and author (d. 2009)
    • 1927 – Dorothy Manley, English sprinter
    • 1927 – Bill Slater, English footballer (d. 2018)
    • 1928 – Carl Gardner, American singer (d. 2011)
    • 1928 – Heinz Wolff, German-English physiologist, engineer, and academic (d. 2017)
    • 1929 – Walter Kempowski, German author and academic (d. 2007)
    • 1929 – Mickey McDermott, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)
    • 1929 – Peter Sculthorpe, Australian composer and conductor (d. 2014)
    • 1929 – Maurice Strong, Canadian businessman and diplomat (d. 2015)
    • 1929 – Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
    • 1930 – Jean Rochefort, French actor and director (d. 2017)
    • 1931 – Frank Auerbach, British-German painter
    • 1931 – Lonnie Donegan, Scottish-English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2002)
    • 1931 – Chris Pearson, Canadian politician, 1st Premier of Yukon (d. 2014)
    • 1932 – Joy Clements, American soprano and actress (d. 2005)
    • 1932 – David Tindle, English painter and educator
    • 1933 – Ed Charles, American baseball player and coach (d. 2018)
    • 1933 – Mark Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 61st Prime Minister of Belgium
    • 1933 – Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter and poet (d. 2015)
    • 1933 – Willie Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor
    • 1934 – Luis Aparicio, Venezuelan-American baseball player
    • 1934 – Peter de la Billière, English general
    • 1934 – Erika Fisch, German sprinter and hurdler
    • 1934 – Pedro Pires, Cape Verdean politician, 3rd President of Cape Verde
    • 1935 – Otis Rush, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2018)
    • 1936 – Zubin Mehta, Indian bassist and conductor
    • 1936 – Adolfo Nicolás, Spanish priest, 13th Superior General of the Society of Jesus
    • 1936 – Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, English banker and philanthropist
    • 1936 – April Stevens, American pop singer
    • 1937 – Arvo Mets, Estonian-Russian poet and translator (d. 1997)
    • 1937 – Jill Paton Walsh, English author
    • 1938 – Bernard Madoff, American businessman, financier and convicted felon
    • 1938 – Klaus Voormann, German artist, bass player, and producer
    • 1940 – Stephanos of Tallinn, Estonian metropolitan
    • 1940 – Brian Taber, Australian cricketer
    • 1941 – Jonah Barrington, English-Irish squash player
    • 1941 – Dorothy Edgington, British philosopher
    • 1941 – Hanne Darboven, German painter (d. 2009)
    • 1942 – Lynda Chalker, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey, English politician, Minister of State for Europe
    • 1942 – Rennie Fritchie, Baroness Fritchie, English civil servant and academic
    • 1942 – Galina Kulakova, Russian skier
    • 1943 – Duane Allen, American country singer
    • 1943 – Brenda Dean, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, English union leader and politician (d. 2018)
    • 1943 – Ruth Deech, Baroness Deech, English lawyer and academic
    • 1944 – Francis Lee, English footballer and businessman
    • 1945 – Brian Charlesworth, English biologist, geneticist, and academic
    • 1945 – Hugh Hopper, English bass guitarist (d. 2009)
    • 1945 – Catherine Lara, French singer-songwriter and violinist
    • 1945 – Tammi Terrell, American soul singer-songwriter (d. 1970)
    • 1946 – Aleksander Wolszczan, Polish astronomer
    • 1947 – Serge Bernier, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1947 – Tommy James, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1947 – Johnny Miller, American golfer and sportscaster
    • 1947 – Jim Ryun, American runner and politician
    • 1948 – Bruce Cutler, American lawyer
    • 1950 – Paul Holmes, New Zealand journalist (d. 2013)
    • 1950 – Phillip Noyce, Australian director and producer
    • 1950 – Debbie Stabenow, American social worker and politician
    • 1951 – Rick Burleson, American baseball player
    • 1951 – Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver (d. 2001)
    • 1951 – John Holmes, English diplomat, British Ambassador to France
    • 1952 – Nora Dunn, American actress and comedian
    • 1952 – David Icke, English footballer and sportscaster
    • 1952 – Bob McClure, American baseball player and coach
    • 1952 – Rob Nicholson, Canadian lawyer and politician, 11th Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs
    • 1952 – Ron Washington, American baseball player and manager
    • 1954 – Jake Burton Carpenter, American snowboarder and businessman, founded Burton Snowboards
    • 1954 – Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian, actor, and producer
    • 1955 – Don McKinnon, Australian rugby league player
    • 1955 – Kate Mulgrew, American actress
    • 1956 – Karen Barad, American physicist and philosopher
    • 1957 – Daniel Day-Lewis, British-Irish actor
    • 1957 – Mark Kendall, American guitarist and songwriter
    • 1958 – Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress
    • 1958 – Eve Plumb, American actress
    • 1958 – Gary Cohen, American baseball play-by-play announcer
    • 1958 – Kevin Moore, English footballer (d. 2013)
    • 1960 – Bill Glasson, American golfer
    • 1960 – Robert J. Sawyer, Canadian author and academic
    • 1962 – Bruce Driver, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1962 – Rob Druppers, Dutch runner
    • 1962 – Stephan Burger, German Catholic archbishop
    • 1963 – Mike Babcock, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1964 – Federico Castelluccio, Italian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1964 – Radek Jaroš, Czech mountaineer and author
    • 1965 – Michel Bussi, French geographer, author, and academic
    • 1965 – Peter Rauhofer, Austrian-American disc jockey and producer (d. 2013)
    • 1965 – Larisa Turchinskaya, Russian-Australian heptathlete and coach
    • 1965 – Brendon Tuuta, New Zealand rugby league player
    • 1966 – Christian Tetzlaff, German violinist
    • 1966 – Phil Tufnell, English cricketer and radio host
    • 1967 – Marcel Albers, Dutch race car driver (d. 1992)
    • 1967 – Curtis Joseph, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1968 – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, 4th President of Croatia
    • 1968 – Carnie Wilson, American singer-songwriter
    • 1969 – Jack Mackenroth, American swimmer, model, and fashion designer
    • 1970 – Andre Agassi, American tennis player
    • 1970 – Uma Thurman, American actress
    • 1972 – Dustin McDaniel, American lawyer and politician, 55th Arkansas Attorney General
    • 1974 – Jasper Wood, Canadian violinist and educator
    • 1974 – Anggun, Diva Indonesia
    • 1975 – Rafael Betancourt, Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1975 – Artem Yashkin, Ukrainian footballer
    • 1976 – Fabio Liverani, Italian footballer and manager
    • 1976 – Chiyotaikai Ryūji, Japanese sumo wrestler
    • 1977 – Zuzana Hejdová, Czech tennis player
    • 1977 – Claus Jensen, Danish international footballer and manager
    • 1977 – Titus O’Neil, American football player and wrestler
    • 1977 – Attila Zsivoczky, Hungarian decathlete and high jumper
    • 1978 – Tony Armas, Jr., Venezuelan baseball player
    • 1978 – Bob Bryan, American tennis player
    • 1978 – Mike Bryan, American tennis player
    • 1978 – Javier Colon, American singer-songwriter and musician
    • 1978 – Craig Gower, Australian rugby player
    • 1978 – Tyler Labine, Canadian actor and comedian
    • 1979 – Lee Dong-gook, South Korean footballer
    • 1979 – Ryan Sharp, Scottish race car driver and manager
    • 1980 – Mathieu Biron, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1980 – Kelly Shoppach, American baseball player
    • 1981 – Lisa Allen, English chef
    • 1981 – George McCartney, Northern Irish footballer
    • 1981 – Émilie Mondor, Canadian runner (d. 2006)
    • 1983 – Jay Cutler, American football player
    • 1983 – Tommie Harris, American football player
    • 1983 – David Lee, American basketball player
    • 1984 – Kirby Cote, Canadian swimmer
    • 1984 – Paulius Jankūnas, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1984 – Lina Krasnoroutskaya, Russian tennis player
    • 1984 – Vassilis Xanthopoulos, Greek basketball player
    • 1985 – Jean-François Jacques, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1986 – Byun Yo-han, South Korean actor
    • 1986 – Lee Chae-young, South Korean actress
    • 1986 – Viljar Veski, Estonian basketball player
    • 1986 – Sisa Waqa, Fijian rugby league player
    • 1986 – Monique Alfradique, Brazilian actress
    • 1987 – Knut Børsheim, Norwegian golfer
    • 1987 – Sara Errani, Italian tennis player
    • 1988 – Elías Hernández, Mexican footballer
    • 1988 – Alfred Hui, Hong Kong singer
    • 1988 – Jovan Leacock, American football player
    • 1988 – Taoufik Makhloufi, Algerian athlete
    • 1988 – Jonathan Toews, Canadian ice hockey player
    • 1988 – Younha, South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer
    • 1991 – Adam Smith, English footballer
    • 1991 – Jung Hye-sung, South Korean actress
    • 1992 – Emilio Orozco, American soccer player
    • 1992 – Alina Rosenberg, German Paralympic equestrian
    • 1994 – Christina Shakovets, German tennis player
    • 1995 – Victoria Sinitsina, Russian ice dancer
    • 1996 – Katherine Langford, Australian actress
    • 1998 – Kimberly Birrell, Australian tennis player
    • 2007 – Infanta Sofía of Spain, Spanish princess

    Deaths on April 29

    • 643 – Hou Junji, Chinese general and politician, Chancellor of the Tang dynasty
    • 926 – Burchard II, Duke of Swabia (b. 883)
    • 1380 – Catherine of Siena, Italian mystic, philosopher, and saint (b. 1347)
    • 1417 – Louis II of Anjou (b. 1377)
    • 1594 – Thomas Cooper, English bishop, lexicographer, and theologian (b. 1517)
    • 1630 – Agrippa d’Aubigné, French soldier and poet (b. 1552)
    • 1658 – John Cleveland, English poet and author (b. 1613)
    • 1676 – Michiel de Ruyter, Dutch admiral (b. 1607)
    • 1688 – Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg (b. 1620)
    • 1698 – Charles Cornwallis, 3rd Baron Cornwallis, English politician, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk (b. 1655)
    • 1707 – George Farquhar, Irish-English actor and playwright (b. 1678)
    • 1743 – Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre, French theorist and author (b. 1658)
    • 1768 – Georg Brandt, Swedish chemist and mineralogist (b. 1694)
    • 1771 – Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, French-Italian architect, designed Winter Palace and Catherine Palace (b. 1700)
    • 1776 – Edward Wortley Montagu, English explorer and author (b. 1713)
    • 1793 – John Michell, English geologist and astronomer (b. 1724)
    • 1798 – Nikolaus Poda von Neuhaus, Austrian entomologist and author (b. 1723)
    • 1833 – William Babington, Anglo-Irish physician and mineralogist (b. 1756)
    • 1854 – Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey, English field marshal and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (b. 1768)
    • 1903 – Paul Du Chaillu, French-American anthropologist and zoologist (b. 1835)
    • 1905 – Ignacio Cervantes, Cuban pianist and composer (b. 1847)
    • 1916 – Jørgen Pedersen Gram, Danish mathematician and academic (b. 1850)
    • 1920 – William H. Seward Jr., American general and banker (b. 1839)
    • 1921 – Arthur Mold, English cricketer (b. 1863)
    • 1933 – Constantine P. Cavafy, Greek poet and journalist (b. 1863)
    • 1937 – William Gillette, American actor and playwright (b. 1853)
    • 1944 – Bernardino Machado, Portuguese academic and politician, 3rd President of Portugal (b. 1851)
    • 1945 – Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, German SS officer (b. 1893)
    • 1947 – Irving Fisher, American economist and statistician (b. 1867)
    • 1951 – Ludwig Wittgenstein, Austrian-English philosopher and academic (b. 1889)
    • 1954 – Kathleen Clarice Groom, Australian-English author and screenwriter (b. 1872)
    • 1956 – Harold Bride, English soldier and operator (b. 1890)
    • 1956 – Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, German field marshal (b. 1876)
    • 1959 – Kenneth Arthur Noel Anderson, India-born English soldier and Governor of Gibraltar (b. 1891)
    • 1964 – Rae Johnstone, Australian jockey (b. 1905)
    • 1966 – William Eccles, English physicist and engineer (b. 1875)
    • 1966 – Paula Strasberg, American actress, acting coach, and member of the Communist Party (b. 1909)
    • 1967 – J. B. Lenoir, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1929)
    • 1968 – Lin Zhao, Chinese dissident and Christian executed during the Cultural Revolution (b. 1932)
    • 1976 – Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (b. 1883)
    • 1978 – Theo Helfrich, German race car driver (b. 1913)
    • 1979 – Muhsin Ertuğrul, Turkish actor and director (b. 1892)
    • 1979 – Hardie Gramatky, American author and illustrator (b. 1907)
    • 1980 – Alfred Hitchcock, English-American director and producer (b. 1899)
    • 1982 – Raymond Bussières, French actor, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 1992 – Mae Clarke, American actress (b. 1910)
    • 1993 – Michael Gordon, American actor and director (b. 1909)
    • 1993 – Mick Ronson, English guitarist, songwriter, and producer (b. 1946)
    • 1997 – Mike Royko, American journalist and author (b. 1932)
    • 1998 – Hal Laycoe, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1922)
    • 2000 – Phạm Văn Đồng, Vietnamese lieutenant and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of Vietnam (b. 1906)
    • 2001 – Arthur B. C. Walker, Jr., American physicist and academic (b. 1936)
    • 2002 – Bob Akin, American race car driver and journalist (b. 1936)
    • 2003 – Janko Bobetko, Croatian Army general and Chief of the General Staff (b. 1919)
    • 2004 – Sid Smith, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1925)
    • 2005 – William J. Bell, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1927)
    • 2005 – Louis Leithold, American mathematician and academic (b. 1924)
    • 2006 – John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to India (b. 1908)
    • 2007 – Milt Bocek, American baseball player and soldier (b. 1912)
    • 2007 – Josh Hancock, American baseball player (b. 1978)
    • 2007 – Dick Motz, New Zealand cricketer and rugby player (b. 1940)
    • 2007 – Ivica Račan, Croatian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (b. 1944)
    • 2008 – Chuck Daigh, American race car driver (b. 1923)
    • 2008 – Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic (b. 1906)
    • 2010 – Sandy Douglas, English computer scientist and academic, designed OXO (b. 1921)
    • 2011 – Siamak Pourzand, Iranian journalist and critic (b. 1931)
    • 2011 – Joanna Russ, American writer, academic and radical feminist (b. 1937)
    • 2012 – Shukri Ghanem, Libyan politician, Prime Minister of Libya (b. 1942)
    • 2012 – Joel Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (b. 1957)
    • 2012 – Roland Moreno. French engineer, invented the smart card (b. 1945)
    • 2012 – Kenny Roberts, American singer-songwriter (b. 1926)
    • 2013 – Alex Elisala, New Zealand-Australian rugby player (b. 1992)
    • 2013 – Pesah Grupper, Israeli politician, 13th Israel Minister of Agriculture (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Parekura Horomia, New Zealand politician, 40th Minister of Māori Affairs (b. 1950)
    • 2013 – John La Montaine, American pianist and composer (b. 1920)
    • 2013 – Ernest Michael, American mathematician and scholar (b. 1925)
    • 2013 – Kevin Moore, English footballer (b. 1958)
    • 2013 – Marianna Zachariadi, Greek pole vaulter (b. 1990)
    • 2014 – Iveta Bartošová, Czech singer and actress (b. 1966)
    • 2014 – Al Feldstein, American author and illustrator (b. 1925)
    • 2014 – Bob Hoskins, English actor (b. 1942)
    • 2014 – Michael Kadosh, Israeli footballer and manager (b. 1940)
    • 2015 – François Michelin, French businessman (b. 1926)
    • 2015 – Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman, co-founded Weight Watchers (b. 1923)
    • 2015 – Calvin Peete, American golfer (b. 1943)
    • 2015 – Dan Walker, American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Illinois (b. 1922)
    • 2016 – Renato Corona, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (b. 1948)
    • 2019 – Josef Šural, Czech footballer (b. 1990)
    • 2020 – Irrfan Khan, Indian film actor (b. 1967)

    Holidays and observances on April 29

    • Christian feast day:
      • Catherine of Siena (Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Church)
      • Endelienta
      • Hugh of Cluny
      • Robert of Molesme
      • Torpes of Pisa
      • April 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (United Nations)
    • International Dance Day (UNESCO)
    • Shōwa Day, traditionally the start of the Golden Week holiday period, which is April 29 and May 3–5. (Japan)

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

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

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

    Births on April 1

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

    Deaths on April 1

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

    Holidays and observances on April 1

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

  • March 20- History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

    Typically the March equinox falls on March 20, marking the vernal point in the Northern Hemisphere and the autumnal point in the Southern Hemisphere.

    • 235 – Maximinus Thrax is proclaimed emperor.
    • 673 – Emperor Tenmu of Japan assumes the Chrysanthemum Throne at the Palace of Kiyomihara in Asuka.
    • 1206 – Michael IV Autoreianos is appointed Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
    • 1600 – The Linköping Bloodbath takes place on Maundy Thursday in Linköping, Sweden: five Swedish noblemen are publicly beheaded in the aftermath of the War against Sigismund (1598–1599).
    • 1602 – The Dutch East India Company is established.
    • 1616 – Sir Walter Raleigh is freed from the Tower of London after 13 years of imprisonment.
    • 1760 – The Great Boston Fire of 1760 destroys 349 buildings.
    • 1815 – After escaping from Elba, Napoleon enters Paris with a regular army of 140,000 and a volunteer force of around 200,000, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule.
    • 1848 – German revolutions of 1848–49: King Ludwig I of Bavaria abdicates.
    • 1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published.
    • 1854 – The Republican Party of the United States is organized in Ripon, Wisconsin, US.
    • 1861 – An earthquake destroys Mendoza, Argentina.
    • 1883 – The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property is signed.
    • 1888 – The premiere of the very first Romani language operetta is staged in Moscow, Russia.
    • 1890 – Prime Minister of the German Empire Otto von Bismarck is dismissed by Emperor Wilhelm II.
    • 1896 – With the approval of Emperor Guangxu, the Qing dynasty post office is opened, marking the beginning of a postal service in China.
    • 1913 – Sung Chiao-jen, a founder of the Chinese Nationalist Party, is wounded in an assassination attempt and dies 2 days later.
    • 1915 – Albert Einstein publishes his general theory of relativity.
    • 1921 – The Upper Silesia plebiscite was a plebiscite mandated by the Versailles Treaty to determine a section of the border between Weimar Germany and Poland.
    • 1922 – The USS Langley is commissioned as the first United States Navy aircraft carrier.
    • 1923 – The Arts Club of Chicago hosts the opening of Pablo Picasso’s first United States showing, entitled Original Drawings by Pablo Picasso, becoming an early proponent of modern art in the United States.
    • 1933 – Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ordered the creation of Dachau concentration camp as Chief of Police of Munich and appointed Theodor Eicke as the camp commandant.
    • 1942 – World War II: General Douglas MacArthur, at Terowie, South Australia, makes his famous speech regarding the fall of the Philippines, in which he says: “I came out of Bataan and I shall return”.
    • 1948 – With a Musicians Union ban lifted, the first telecasts of classical music in the United States, under Eugene Ormandy and Arturo Toscanini, are given on CBS and NBC.
    • 1951 – Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded.
    • 1952 – The US Senate ratifies the Security Treaty Between the United States and Japan.
    • 1956 – Tunisia gains independence from France.
    • 1964 – The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organisation) is established per an agreement signed on June 14, 1962.
    • 1972 – The Troubles: The first Provisional IRA car bombing in Belfast kills seven people and injures 148 others in Northern Ireland.
    • 1985 – Libby Riddles becomes the first woman to win the 1,135-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
    • 1985 – Canadian paraplegic athlete and humanitarian Rick Hansen begins his circumnavigation of the globe in a wheelchair in the name of spinal cord injury medical research.
    • 1987 – The Food and Drug Administration approves the anti-AIDS drug, AZT.
    • 1988 – Eritrean War of Independence: Having defeated the Nadew Command, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front enters the town of Afabet, victoriously concluding the Battle of Afabet.
    • 1990 – Ferdinand Marcos’s widow, Imelda Marcos, goes on trial for bribery, embezzlement, and racketeering.
    • 1993 – The Troubles: A Provisional IRA bomb kills two children in Warrington, England. It leads to mass protests in both Britain and Ireland.
    • 1995 – The Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo carries out a sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, killing 13 and wounding over 6,200 people.
    • 1999 – Legoland California, the first Legoland outside of Europe, opens in Carlsbad, California, US.
    • 2000 – Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a former Black Panther once known as H. Rap Brown, is captured after murdering Georgia sheriff’s deputy Ricky Kinchen and critically wounding Deputy Aldranon English.
    • 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: In the early hours of the morning, the United States and three other countries (the UK, Australia and Poland) begin military operations in Iraq.
    • 2006 – Over 150 Chadian soldiers are killed in eastern Chad by members of the rebel UFDC. The rebel movement sought to overthrow Chadian president Idriss Déby.
    • 2012 – At least 52 people are killed and more than 250 injured in a wave of terror attacks across ten cities in Iraq.
    • 2014 – Four suspected Taliban members attack the Kabul Serena Hotel, killing at least nine people.
    • 2015 – A Solar eclipse, equinox, and a supermoon all occur on the same day.

    Births on March 20

    • 43 BC – Ovid, Roman poet (d. 17)
    • 1253 – Magadu, renamed Wareru, founder of Ramanya Kingdom, renamed Hanthawady Kingdom of Pegu (b. a commoner; d. on a Saturday in January 1307)
    • 1319 – Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke (d. 1348)
    • 1469 – Cecily of York (d. 1507)
    • 1477 – Jerome Emser, German theologian and scholar (d. 1527)
    • 1479 – Ippolito d’Este, Italian cardinal (d. 1520)
    • 1502 – Pierino Belli, Italian soldier and jurist (d. 1575)
    • 1532 – Juan de Ribera, Roman Catholic archbishop (d. 1611)
    • 1612 – Anne Bradstreet, Puritan American poet (d. 1672)
    • 1615 – Dara Shikoh, Indian prince (d. 1659)
    • 1639 – Ivan Mazepa, Ukrainian diplomat, Hetman of Ukraine (d. 1709)
    • 1725 – Abdul Hamid I, Ottoman sultan (d. 1789)
    • 1737 – Rama I, Thai king (d. 1809)
    • 1771 – Heinrich Clauren, German author (d. 1854)
    • 1796 – Edward Gibbon Wakefield, English politician (d. 1862)
    • 1799 – Karl August Nicander, Swedish poet and author (d. 1839)
    • 1800 – Braulio Carrillo Colina, Costa Rican lawyer and politician, President of Costa Rica (d. 1845)
    • 1805 – Thomas Cooper, British poet (d. 1892)
    • 1811 – Napoleon II, French emperor (d. 1832)
    • 1811 – George Caleb Bingham, American painter and politician, State Treasurer of Missouri (d. 1879)
    • 1821 – Ned Buntline, American journalist, author, and publisher (d. 1886)
    • 1824 – Theodor von Heuglin, German explorer and ornithologist (d. 1876)
    • 1828 – Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian poet, playwright, and director (d. 1906)
    • 1831 – Patrick Jennings, Northern Irish-Australian politician, 11th Premier of New South Wales (d. 1897)
    • 1831 – Solomon L. Spink, American lawyer and politician (d. 1881)
    • 1834 – Charles William Eliot, American mathematician and academic (d. 1926)
    • 1836 – Ferris Jacobs, Jr., American general, lawyer, and politician (d. 1886)
    • 1836 – Edward Poynter, English painter, illustrator, and curator (d. 1919)
    • 1840 – Illarion Pryanishnikov, Russian painter (d. 1894)
    • 1851 – Ismail Gasprinski, Ukrainian educator, publisher, and politician (d. 1914)
    • 1856 – John Lavery, Irish painter (d. 1941)
    • 1856 – Frederick Winslow Taylor, American tennis player and engineer (d. 1915)
    • 1870 – Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, German general (d. 1964)
    • 1874 – Börries von Münchhausen, German poet and activist (d. 1945)
    • 1876 – Payne Whitney, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 1927)
    • 1879 – Maud Menten, Canadian physician and biochemist (d. 1960)
    • 1882 – René Coty, French lawyer and politician, 17th President of France (d. 1962)
    • 1882 – Harold Weber, American golfer (d. 1933)
    • 1884 – Philipp Frank, Austrian-American physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1966)
    • 1884 – John Jensen, Australian public servant (d. 1970)
    • 1885 – Vernon Ransford, Australian cricketer (d. 1958)
    • 1888 – Amanda Clement, American baseball player, umpire, and educator (d. 1971)
    • 1890 – Lauritz Melchior, Danish-American tenor and actor (d. 1973)
    • 1894 – Amalie Sara Colquhoun, Australian landscape and portrait painter (d. 1974)
    • 1895 – Fredric Wertham, German-American psychologist and author (d. 1981)
    • 1898 – Eduard Wiiralt, Estonian artist (d. 1954)
    • 1900 – Amelia Chopitea Villa, Bolivia’s first female physician (d. 1942)
    • 1903 – Edgar Buchanan, American actor (d. 1979)
    • 1904 – B. F. Skinner, American psychologist and author (d. 1990)
    • 1905 – Jean Galia, French rugby player and boxer (d. 1949)
    • 1906 – Abraham Beame, American accountant and politician, 104th Mayor of New York City (d. 2001)
    • 1906 – Ozzie Nelson, American actor and bandleader (d. 1975)
    • 1907 – Hugh MacLennan, Canadian author and educator (d. 1990)
    • 1908 – Michael Redgrave, English actor and director (d. 1985)
    • 1910 – Erwin Blask, German hammer thrower (d. 1999)
    • 1911 – Alfonso García Robles, Mexican lawyer and diplomat, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1991)
    • 1912 – Ralph Hauenstein, American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2016)
    • 1913 – Nikolai Stepulov, Russian-Estonian boxer (d. 1968)
    • 1914 – Wendell Corey, American actor and politician (d. 1968)
    • 1915 – Rudolf Kirchschläger, Austrian judge and politician, 8th President of Austria (d. 2000)
    • 1915 – Sviatoslav Richter, Ukrainian pianist and composer (d. 1997)
    • 1915 – Sister Rosetta Tharpe, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1973)
    • 1916 – Pierre Messmer, French lieutenant and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 2007)
    • 1917 – Vera Lynn, English singer, songwriter and actress (d. 2020)
    • 1917 – Yigael Yadin, Israeli archaeologist, general, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1984)
    • 1918 – Jack Barry, American game show host and producer, co-founded Barry & Enright Productions (d. 1984)
    • 1918 – Donald Featherstone, English soldier and author (d. 2013)
    • 1918 – Marian McPartland, English-American pianist and composer (d. 2013)
    • 1918 – Bernd Alois Zimmermann, German composer (d. 1970)
    • 1919 – Gerhard Barkhorn, German fighter ace (d. 1983)
    • 1920 – Pamela Harriman, English-American diplomat, 58th United States Ambassador to France (d. 1997)
    • 1920 – Rosemary Timperley, English author and screenwriter (d. 1988)
    • 1921 – Usmar Ismail, Indonesian filmmaker (d. 1971)
    • 1921 – Dušan Pirjevec, Slovenian historian and philosopher (d. 1977)
    • 1921 – Alfréd Rényi, Hungarian mathematician and theorist (d. 1970)
    • 1922 – Larry Elgart, American saxophonist and bandleader (d. 2017)
    • 1922 – Ray Goulding, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1990)
    • 1922 – Carl Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2020)
    • 1923 – Con Martin, Irish footballer and manager (d. 2013)
    • 1923 – Shaukat Siddiqui, Pakistani journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
    • 1925 – John Ehrlichman, American lawyer, 12th White House Counsel (d. 1999)
    • 1927 – John Joubert, South African-English composer and academic (d. 2019)
    • 1928 – Jerome Biffle, American long jumper and coach (d. 2002)
    • 1928 – James P. Gordon, American physicist and engineer (d. 2013)
    • 1928 – Fred Rogers, American television host and producer (d. 2003)
    • 1929 – William Andrew MacKay, Canadian lawyer and judge (d. 2013)
    • 1929 – Germán Robles, Spanish-Mexican actor and director (d. 2015)
    • 1930 – S. Arasaratnam, Sri Lankan historian, author, and academic (d. 1998)
    • 1931 – Hal Linden, American actor, singer, and director
    • 1931 – Rein Raamat, Estonian director and screenwriter
    • 1933 – Lateef Adegbite, Nigerian lawyer and politician (d. 2012)
    • 1933 – George Altman, American baseball player
    • 1933 – Ian Walsh, Australian rugby league player and coach (d. 2013)
    • 1934 – Willie Brown, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 41st Mayor of San Francisco
    • 1934 – David Malouf, Australian author and playwright
    • 1935 – Ted Bessell, American actor and director (d. 1996)
    • 1935 – Bettye Washington Greene, American chemist (d. 1995)
    • 1936 – Lee “Scratch” Perry, Jamaican singer, songwriter, music producer, and inventor
    • 1936 – Mark Saville, Baron Saville of Newdigate, English lieutenant, lawyer, and judge
    • 1937 – Lois Lowry, American author
    • 1937 – Jerry Reed, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (d. 2008)
    • 1938 – Sergei Novikov, Russian mathematician and academic
    • 1939 – Gerald Curran, American lawyer and politician (d. 2013)
    • 1939 – Don Edwards, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1939 – Walter Jakob Gehring, Swiss biologist and academic (d. 2014)
    • 1939 – Brian Mulroney, Canadian lawyer and politician, 18th Prime Minister of Canada
    • 1940 – Stathis Chaitas, Greek footballer and manager
    • 1940 – Mary Ellen Mark, American photographer and journalist (d. 2015)
    • 1940 – Giampiero Moretti, Italian race car driver and businessman, founded the Momo company (d. 2012)
    • 1941 – Pat Corrales, American baseball player and manager
    • 1941 – Kenji Kimihara, Japanese runner
    • 1943 – Gerard Malanga, American poet and photographer
    • 1943 – Douglas Tompkins, American businessman, co-founded The North Face and Esprit Holdings (d. 2015)
    • 1943 – Paul Junger Witt, American director and producer (d. 2018)
    • 1944 – John Cameron, English composer and conductor
    • 1944 – Camille Cosby, American author, producer, and philanthropist
    • 1944 – Alan Harper, English-Irish archbishop
    • 1945 – Henry Bartholomay, American soldier and pilot (d. 2015)
    • 1945 – Jay Ingram, Canadian television host and author
    • 1945 – Pat Riley, American basketball player and coach
    • 1945 – Tim Yeo, English politician, Shadow Secretary of State for Health
    • 1946 – Douglas B. Green, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1946 – Malcolm Simmons, English motorcycle racer (d. 2014)
    • 1947 – John Boswell, American historian, philologist, and academic (d. 1994)
    • 1948 – John de Lancie, American actor
    • 1948 – Bobby Orr, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
    • 1948 – Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2011)
    • 1949 – Marcia Ball, American blues singer-songwriter and pianist
    • 1949 – Richard Dowden, English journalist and educator
    • 1950 – William Hurt, American actor
    • 1950 – Carl Palmer, English drummer, percussionist, and songwriter
    • 1951 – Jimmie Vaughan, American blues-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist
    • 1952 – Geoff Brabham, Australian race car driver
    • 1952 – David Greenaway, English economist and academic
    • 1953 – Phil Judd, New Zealand singer-songwriter, guitarist and painter
    • 1954 – Mike Francesa, American radio talk show host and television commentator
    • 1954 – Liana Kanelli, Greek journalist and politician
    • 1954 – Paul Mirabella, American baseball player
    • 1955 – Nina Kiriki Hoffman, American author
    • 1955 – Ian Moss, Australian guitarist and singer-songwriter
    • 1955 – Mariya Takeuchi, Japanese singer-songwriter
    • 1956 – Catherine Ashton, English politician, Vice-President of the European Commission
    • 1956 – Anne Donahue, American lawyer and politician
    • 1956 – Naoto Takenaka, Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director
    • 1957 – Vanessa Bell Calloway, American actress
    • 1957 – David Foster, Australian woodchopper
    • 1957 – Spike Lee, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1957 – Theresa Russell, American actress
    • 1957 – Chris Wedge, American animator, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor
    • 1958 – Holly Hunter, American actress and producer
    • 1958 – Rickey Jackson, American football player
    • 1958 – Joe Reaiche, Australian rugby player
    • 1959 – Dave Beasant, English footballer and coach
    • 1959 – Mary Roach, American author
    • 1959 – Sting, American wrestler
    • 1959 – Peter Truscott, Baron Truscott, British Labour Party politician and peer
    • 1960 – Norm Magnusson, American painter and sculptor
    • 1960 – Norbert Pohlmann, German computer scientist and academic
    • 1960 – Yuri Shargin, Russian colonel, engineer, and astronaut
    • 1961 – Ingrid Arndt-Brauer, German politician
    • 1961 – Jesper Olsen, Danish footballer and manager
    • 1961 – Sara Wheeler, English author and journalist
    • 1962 – Stephen Sommers, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1963 – Paul Annacone, American tennis player and coach
    • 1963 – Kathy Ireland, American model, actress, and furniture designer
    • 1963 – Yelena Romanova, Russian runner (d. 2007)
    • 1963 – David Thewlis, English-French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1964 – Natacha Atlas, Belgian singer-songwriter
    • 1965 – William Dalrymple, Scottish historian and author
    • 1967 – Xavier Beauvois, French actor, director, and screenwriter
    • 1967 – Mookie Blaylock, American basketball player
    • 1968 – Carlos Almeida, Cape Verdean runner
    • 1968 – A. J. Jacobs, American journalist and author
    • 1968 – Paul Merson, English footballer and manager
    • 1968 – Ultra Naté, American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ, and promoter
    • 1969 – Yvette Cooper, English economist and politician, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
    • 1969 – Fabien Galthie, French rugby player
    • 1970 – Edoardo Ballerini, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1970 – Josephine Medina, Filipino Paralympic table tennis player
    • 1970 – sj Miller, American academic, public speaker, and social justice activist
    • 1970 – Michael Rapaport, American actor, podcast host, and director
    • 1971 – Manny Alexander, Dominican baseball player
    • 1971 – Touré, American journalist and author
    • 1972 – Chilly Gonzales, Canadian-German singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer
    • 1972 – Alex Kapranos, English-Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
    • 1972 – Greg Searle, English rower
    • 1972 – Marco Sejna, German footballer
    • 1972 – Cristel Vahtra, Estonian skier
    • 1973 – Nicky Boje, South African cricketer
    • 1973 – Natalya Khrushcheleva, Russian runner
    • 1973 – Talal Khalifa Aljeri, Kuwaiti businessman
    • 1974 – Carsten Ramelow, German footballer
    • 1975 – Ramin Bahrani, American director, producer, and screenwriter
    • 1975 – Isolde Kostner, Italian skier
    • 1976 – Chester Bennington, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2017)
    • 1978 – Kevin Betsy, English born Seychelles international footballer, midfielder and manager
    • 1978 – Brent Sherwin, Australian rugby league player
    • 1979 – Shinnosuke Abe, Japanese baseball player
    • 1979 – Freema Agyeman, English actress
    • 1979 – Keven Mealamu, New Zealand rugby player
    • 1980 – Jamal Crawford, American basketball player
    • 1980 – Robertas Javtokas, Lithuanian basketball player
    • 1981 – Ian Murray, Scottish footballer
    • 1981 – Carl Webb, Australian rugby league player
    • 1982 – Terrence Duffin, Zimbabwean cricketer
    • 1982 – Tomasz Kuszczak, Polish footballer
    • 1982 – José Moreira, Portuguese footballer
    • 1983 – Carolina Padrón, Venezuelan journalist
    • 1983 – Jenni Vartiainen, Finnish singer
    • 1984 – Vikram Banerjee, English cricketer
    • 1984 – Christy Carlson Romano, American actress and singer
    • 1984 – Fernando Torres, Spanish footballer
    • 1985 – Morgan Amalfitano, French footballer
    • 1985 – Ronnie Brewer, American basketball player
    • 1985 – Nicolas Lombaerts, Belgian footballer
    • 1986 – Dean Geyer, South African-Australian singer-songwriter and actor
    • 1986 – Julián Magallanes, Argentinian footballer
    • 1986 – Ruby Rose, Australian actress and model
    • 1986 – Román Torres, Panamanian footballer
    • 1987 – Daniel Maa Boumsong, Cameroonian footballer
    • 1987 – Jô, Brazilian footballer
    • 1987 – Pedro Ken, Brazilian footballer
    • 1987 – Sergei Kostitsyn, Belarusian ice hockey player
    • 1989 – Xavier Dolan, Canadian actor and director
    • 1989 – Tamim Iqbal, Bangladeshi Cricketer
    • 1990 – Blake Ferguson, Australian rugby league player
    • 1990 – Marcos Rojo, Argentine footballer
    • 1991 – Mattia Destro, Italian footballer
    • 1991 – Michał Kucharczyk, Polish footballer
    • 1991 – Ethan Lowe, Australian rugby league player
    • 1993 – Sloane Stephens, American tennis player
    • 1995 – Jack Bird, Australian rugby league player

    Deaths on March 20

    • 687 – Cuthbert, Northumbrian (English) monk, bishop, and saint (b. 634)
    • 703 – Wulfram, archbishop of Sens
    • 842 – Alfonso II, king of Asturias (Spain) (b. 759)
    • 851 – Ebbo, archbishop of Reims
    • 1181 – Taira no Kiyomori, Japanese general (b. 1118)
    • 1191 – Pope Clement III (b. 1130)
    • 1239 – Hermann von Salza, German knight and diplomat (b. 1179)
    • 1302 – Ralph Walpole, Bishop of Norwich
    • 1336 – Maurice Csák, Hungarian Dominican friar (b. 1270)
    • 1351 – Muhammad bin Tughluq, Sultan of Delhi
    • 1390 – Alexios III Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1338)
    • 1413 – Henry IV of England (b. 1367)
    • 1440 – Sigismund I of Lithuania
    • 1475 – Georges Chastellain, Burgundian chronicler and poet
    • 1549 – Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, English general and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1508)
    • 1568 – Albert, Duke of Prussia (b. 1490)
    • 1619 – Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1557)
    • 1673 – Augustyn Kordecki, Polish monk (b. 1603)
    • 1688 – Maria of Orange-Nassau, Dutch princess (b. 1642)
    • 1730 – Adrienne Lecouvreur, French actress (b. 1692)
    • 1746 – Nicolas de Largillière, French painter and academic (b. 1656)
    • 1780 – Benjamin Truman, English brewer and businessman (b. 1699)
    • 1793 – William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, Scottish judge and politician, Attorney General for England and Wales (b. 1705)
    • 1835 – Louis Léopold Robert, French painter (b. 1794)
    • 1849 – James Justinian Morier, Turkish-English author and diplomat (b. 1780)
    • 1855 – Joseph Aspdin, English businessman (b. 1788)
    • 1865 – Yamanami Keisuke, Japanese samurai (b. 1833)
    • 1874 – Hans Christian Lumbye, Danish composer and conductor (b. 1810)
    • 1878 – Julius Robert von Mayer, German physician and physicist (b. 1814)
    • 1894 – Lajos Kossuth, Hungarian lawyer, journalist and politician (b. 1802)
    • 1897 – Apollon Maykov, Russian poet and playwright (b. 1821)
    • 1899 – Franz Ritter von Hauer, Austrian geologist and author (b. 1822)
    • 1909 – Friedrich Amelung, Estonian historian and businessman (b. 1842)
    • 1918 – Lewis A. Grant, American general and lawyer (b. 1828)
    • 1925 – George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, English politician, 35th Governor-General of India (b. 1859)
    • 1929 – Ferdinand Foch, French field marshal (b. 1851)
    • 1930 – Arthur F. Andrews, American cyclist (b. 1876)
    • 1931 – Hermann Müller, German journalist and politician, 12th Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
    • 1933 – Giuseppe Zangara, Italian-American assassin of Anton Cermak (b. 1900; executed)
    • 1940 – Alfred Ploetz, German physician, biologist, and eugenicist (b. 1860)
    • 1945 – Dorothy Campbell, Scottish-American golfer (b. 1883)
    • 1946 – Amadeus William Grabau, American-Chinese geologist, paleontologist, and academic (b. 1870)
    • 1947 – Sigurd Wallén, Swedish actor and director (b. 1884)
    • 1952 – Hjalmar Väre, Finnish cyclist (b. 1892)
    • 1958 – Adegoke Adelabu, Nigerian merchant, journalist, and politician (b. 1915)
    • 1964 – Brendan Behan, Irish republican and playwright (b. 1923)
    • 1965 – Daniel Frank, American long jumper (b. 1882)
    • 1966 – Johnny Morrison, American baseball player (b. 1895)
    • 1968 – Carl Theodor Dreyer, Danish director and screenwriter (b. 1889)
    • 1969 – Henri Longchambon, French politician (b. 1896)
    • 1971 – Falih Rıfkı Atay, Turkish journalist and politician (b. 1894)
    • 1972 – Marilyn Maxwell, American actress (b. 1921)
    • 1974 – Chet Huntley, American journalist (b. 1911)
    • 1977 – Charles Lyttelton, 10th Viscount Cobham, English politician, 9th Governor-General of New Zealand (b. 1909)
    • 1977 – Terukuni Manzō, Japanese sumo wrestler, the 38th Yokozuna (b. 1919)
    • 1978 – Jacques Brugnon, French tennis player (b. 1895)
    • 1981 – Gerry Bertier, American football player (b. 1953)
    • 1983 – Ivan Matveyevich Vinogradov, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1891)
    • 1990 – Maurice Cloche, French director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1907)
    • 1990 – Lev Yashin, Russian footballer (b. 1929)
    • 1992 – Georges Delerue, French composer (b. 1925)
    • 1993 – Polykarp Kusch, German-American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1911)
    • 1994 – Lewis Grizzard, American writer and humorist (b. 1946)
    • 1997 – V. S. Pritchett, English short story writer, essayist, and critic (b. 1900)
    • 1999 – Patrick Heron, British painter (b. 1920)
    • 2000 – Gene Eugene, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and producer (b. 1961)
    • 2001 – Luis Alvarado, Puerto Rican-American baseball player (b. 1949)
    • 2004 – Juliana of the Netherlands (b. 1909)
    • 2004 – Pierre Sévigny, Canadian colonel and politician (b. 1917)
    • 2005 – Armand Lohikoski, American-Finnish director and screenwriter (b. 1912)
    • 2007 – Raynald Fréchette, Canadian lawyer, judge, and politician (b. 1933)
    • 2007 – Taha Yassin Ramadan, Iraqi politician, Vice President of Iraq (b. 1938)
    • 2007 – Hawa Yakubu, Ghanaian politician (b. 1948)
    • 2010 – Ai, American poet and academic (b. 1947)
    • 2010 – Girija Prasad Koirala, Indian-Nepalese politician, 30th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1924)
    • 2010 – Stewart Udall, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 37th United States Secretary of the Interior (b. 1920)
    • 2011 – Johnny Pearson, English pianist, conductor, and composer (b. 1925)
    • 2012 – Lincoln Hall, Australian mountaineer and author (b. 1955)
    • 2012 – Noboru Ishiguro, Japanese animator and director (b. 1938)
    • 2012 – Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, Polish-Israeli rabbi and author (b. 1910)
    • 2012 – Jim Stynes, Irish-Australian footballer (b. 1966)
    • 2013 – James Herbert, English author (b. 1943)
    • 2013 – George Lowe, New Zealand-English mountaineer and explorer (b. 1924)
    • 2013 – Zillur Rahman, Bangladeshi lawyer and politician, 19th President of Bangladesh (b. 1929)
    • 2014 – Hennie Aucamp, South African poet, author, and academic (b. 1934)
    • 2014 – Hilderaldo Bellini, Brazilian footballer (b. 1930)
    • 2014 – Tonie Nathan, American politician (b. 1923)
    • 2014 – Khushwant Singh, Indian journalist and author (b. 1915)
    • 2015 – Eva Burrows, Australian 13th General of The Salvation Army (b. 1929)
    • 2015 – Malcolm Fraser, Australian politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1930)
    • 2016 – Anker Jørgensen, Danish politician, Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1922)
    • 2017 – David Rockefeller, American billionaire and philanthropist (b. 1915)
    • 2018 – C. K. Mann, a Ghanaian Highlife musician and producer (b. 1936)
    • 2019 – Mary Warnock, English philosopher & writer (b. 1924)
    • 2020 – Kenny Rogers, American singer (b. 1938)

    Holidays and observances on March 20

    • Christian feast day:
      • Alexandra
      • Blessed John of Parma
      • Clement of Ireland
      • Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
      • Herbert of Derwentwater
      • John of Nepomuk
      • Józef Bilczewski
      • María Josefa Sancho de Guerra
      • Martin of Braga
      • Michele Carcano
      • Wulfram
      • March 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
    • Earliest date for the vernal equinox in the Northern hemisphere:
      • Bahá’í Naw-Rúz, started at sunset on March 20. The end of the 19-day sunrise-to-sunset fast. (Bahá’í Faith)
      • Chunfen (China)
      • Earth Equinox Day
      • International Astrology Day
      • New Year (Thelema)
      • Nowruz (Persian, Gilaki, Kurdish, Zoroastrians, and other Iranian people and countries with an Iranian influence)
      • Ostara in the northern hemisphere, Mabon in the southern hemisphere. (Neo-Druidic Wheel of the Year)
      • Shunbun no Hi (Japan)
      • Sun-Earth Day (United States)
      • Vernal Equinox Day/Kōreisai (Japan)
      • World Storytelling Day
    • Earliest day on which Good Friday can fall, while April 23 is the latest; celebrated on Friday before Easter. (Christianity)
    • Great American Meatout (United States)
    • Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Tunisia from France in 1956.
    • International Day of Happiness (United Nations)
    • International Francophonie Day (Organisation internationale de la Francophonie), and its related observances:
      • UN French Language Day (United Nations)
    • National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (United States)
    • World Sparrow Day