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American economist

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

  • 752 – Mayan king Bird Jaguar IV of Yaxchilan in modern-day Chiapas, Mexico assumes the throne.
  • 1294 – John II becomes Duke of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg.
  • 1481 – The largest of three earthquakes strikes the island of Rhodes and causes an estimated 30,000 casualties.
  • 1491 – Kongo monarch Nkuwu Nzinga is baptized by Portuguese missionaries, adopting the baptismal name of João I.
  • 1616 – Treaty of Loudun ends French civil war.
  • 1715 – A total solar eclipse was visible across northern Europe, and northern Asia, as predicted by Edmond Halley to within 4 minutes accuracy.
  • 1791 – The Constitution of May 3 (the first modern constitution in Europe) is proclaimed by the Sejm of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
  • 1802 – Washington, D.C. is incorporated as a city after Congress abolishes the Board of Commissioners, the District’s founding government. The “City of Washington” is given a mayor-council form of government.
  • 1808 – Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia.
  • 1808 – Peninsular War: The Madrid rebels who rose up on May 2 are executed near Príncipe Pío hill.
  • 1815 – Neapolitan War: Joachim Murat, King of Naples is defeated by the Austrians at the Battle of Tolentino, the decisive engagement of the war.
  • 1830 – The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway is opened; it is the first steam-hauled passenger railway to issue season tickets and include a tunnel.
  • 1837 – The University of Athens is founded in Athens, Greece.
  • 1848 – The boar-crested Anglo-Saxon Benty Grange helmet is discovered in a barrow on the Benty Grange farm in Derbyshire.
  • 1849 – The May Uprising in Dresden begins: The last of the German revolutions of 1848–49.
  • 1855 – American adventurer William Walker departs from San Francisco with about 60 men to conquer Nicaragua.
  • 1860 – Charles XV of Sweden–Norway is crowned king of Sweden.
  • 1867 – The Hudson’s Bay Company gives up all claims to Vancouver Island.
  • 1901 – The Great Fire of 1901 begins in Jacksonville, Florida.
  • 1913 – Raja Harishchandra, the first full-length Indian feature film, is released, marking the beginning of the Indian film industry.
  • 1920 – A Bolshevik coup fails in the Democratic Republic of Georgia.
  • 1921 – West Virginia becomes the first state to legislate a broad sales tax, but does not implement it until a number of years later due to enforcement issues.
  • 1921 – The Government of Ireland Act 1920 is passed, dividing Ireland into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
  • 1928 – The Jinan incident begins with the deaths of twelve Japanese civilians by Chinese forces in Jinan, China, which leads to Japanese retaliation and the deaths of over 2,000 Chinese civilians in the following days.
  • 1939 – The All India Forward Bloc is formed by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
  • 1942 – World War II: Japanese naval troops invade Tulagi Island in the Solomon Islands during the first part of Operation Mo that results in the Battle of the Coral Sea between Japanese forces and forces from the United States and Australia.
  • 1945 – World War II: Sinking of the prison ships Cap ArconaThielbek and Deutschland by the Royal Air Force in Lübeck Bay.
  • 1947 – New post-war Japanese constitution goes into effect.
  • 1948 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Shelley v. Kraemer that covenants prohibiting the sale of real estate to blacks and other minorities are legally unenforceable.
  • 1951 – London’s Royal Festival Hall opens with the Festival of Britain.
  • 1951 – The United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations begin their closed door hearings into the relief of Douglas MacArthur by U.S. President Harry Truman.
  • 1952 – Lieutenant Colonels Joseph O. Fletcher and William P. Benedict of the United States land a plane at the North Pole.
  • 1952 – The Kentucky Derby is televised nationally for the first time, on the CBS network.
  • 1957 – Walter O’Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, agrees to move the team from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.
  • 1960 – The Off-Broadway musical comedy The Fantasticks opens in New York City’s Greenwich Village, eventually becoming the longest-running musical of all time.
  • 1960 – The Anne Frank House museum opens in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
  • 1963 – The police force in Birmingham, Alabama switches tactics and responds with violent force to stop the “Birmingham campaign” protesters. Images of the violent suppression are transmitted worldwide, bringing new-found attention to the civil rights movement.
  • 1971 – Erich Honecker becomes First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, remaining in power until 1989
  • 1973 – The 108-story Sears Tower in Chicago is topped out at 1,451 feet as the world’s tallest building.
  • 1978 – The first unsolicited bulk commercial email (which would later become known as “spam”) is sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States.
  • 1986 – Twenty-one people are killed and forty-one are injured after a bomb explodes on Air Lanka Flight 512 at Colombo airport in Sri Lanka.
  • 1987 – A crash by Bobby Allison at the Talladega Superspeedway, Alabama fencing at the start-finish line would lead NASCAR to develop the restrictor plate for the following season both at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega.
  • 1999 – The southwestern portion of Oklahoma City is devastated by an F5 tornado, killing forty-five people, injuring 665, and causing $1 billion in damage. The tornado is one of 66 from the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak. This tornado also produces the highest wind speed ever recorded, measured at 301 +/- 20 mph (484 +/- 32 km/h).
  • 1999 – Infiltration of Pakistani soldiers on Indian side resulted into the kargil war.
  • 2000 – The sport of geocaching begins, with the first cache placed and the coordinates from a GPS posted on Usenet.
  • 2001 – The United States loses its seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission for the first time since the commission was formed in 1947.
  • 2002 – An Indian Air Force MiG-21 crashes into a bank in Jalandhar, killing eight and injuring 17.
  • 2007 – The 3-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann disappears in Praia da Luz, Portugal, starting “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history”.
  • 2015 – Two gunmen launch an attempted attack on an anti-Islam event in Garland, Texas, which was held in response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
  • 2016 – Eighty-eight thousand people were evacuated from their homes in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada as a wildfire ripped through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings.

Births on May 3

  • 490 – K’an Joy Chitam I, ruler of Palenque (d. 565)
  • 612 – Constantine III, Byzantine emperor (d. 641)
  • 1238 – Emilia Bicchieri, Italian saint (d. 1314)
  • 1276 – Louis, Count of Évreux, son of King Philip III of France (d. 1319)
  • 1415 – Cecily Neville, Duchess of York (d. 1495)
  • 1428 – Pedro González de Mendoza, Spanish cardinal (d. 1495)
  • 1446 – Margaret of York (d. 1503)
  • 1461 – Raffaele Riario, Italian cardinal (d. 1521)
  • 1469 – Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian historian and philosopher (d. 1527)
  • 1479 – Henry V, Duke of Mecklenburg (d. 1552)
  • 1481 – Juana de la Cruz Vázquez Gutiérrez, Spanish abbess of the Franciscan Third Order Regular (d. 1534)
  • 1536 – Stephan Praetorius, German theologian (d. 1603)
  • 1632 – Catherine of St. Augustine, French-Canadian nurse and saint, founded the Hôtel-Dieu de Québec (d. 1668)
  • 1662 – Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, German architect, designed the Pillnitz Castle (d. 1736)
  • 1678 – Amaro Pargo, Spanish corsair (d. 1747)
  • 1695 – Henri Pitot, French physicist and engineer, invented the Pitot tube (d. 1771)
  • 1729 – Florian Leopold Gassmann, Czech composer (d. 1774)
  • 1761 – August von Kotzebue, German playwright and author (d. 1819)
  • 1764 – Princess Élisabeth of France (d. 1794)
  • 1768 – Charles Tennant, Scottish chemist and businessman (d. 1838)
  • 1783 – José de la Riva Agüero, Peruvian soldier and politician, 1st President of Peru and 2nd President of North Peru (d. 1858)
  • 1814 – Adams George Archibald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 4th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia (d. 1892)
  • 1826 – Charles XV of Sweden (d. 1872)
  • 1844 – Richard D’Oyly Carte, English talent agent and composer (d. 1901)
  • 1849 – Jacob Riis, Danish-American journalist and photographer (d. 1914)
  • 1849 – Bernhard von Bülow, German soldier and politician, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1929)
  • 1854 – George Gore, American baseball player and manager (d. 1933)
  • 1859 – August Herrmann, American executive in Major League Baseball (d.1931)
  • 1860 – Vito Volterra, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1940)
  • 1867 – Andy Bowen, American boxer (d. 1894)
  • 1867 – J. T. Hearne, English cricketer (d. 1944)
  • 1870 – Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein (d. 1948)
  • 1871 – Emmett Dalton, American criminal (d. 1937)
  • 1873 – Pavlo Skoropadskyi, German-Ukrainian general and politician, Hetman of Ukraine (d. 1945)
  • 1874 – François Coty, French businessman and publisher, founded Coty, Inc. (d. 1934)
  • 1874 – Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Swedish oceanographer and academic (d. 1954)
  • 1877 – Karl Abraham, German psychoanalyst and author (d. 1925)
  • 1879 – Fergus McMaster, Australian businessman and soldier, co-founded Qantas (d. 1950)
  • 1886 – Marcel Dupré, French organist and composer (d. 1971)
  • 1887 – Marika Kotopouli, Greek actress (d. 1954)
  • 1889 – Beulah Bondi, American actress (d. 1981)
  • 1889 – Gottfried Fuchs, German-Canadian Olympic soccer player (d. 1972)
  • 1891 – Tadeusz Peiper, Polish poet and critic (d. 1969)
  • 1891 – Eppa Rixey, American baseball pitcher (d. 1963)
  • 1892 – George Paget Thomson, English physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
  • 1892 – Jacob Viner, Canadian-American economist and academic (d. 1970)
  • 1893 – Konstantine Gamsakhurdia, Georgian author (d. 1975)
  • 1895 – Cornelius Van Til, Dutch philosopher, theologian, and apologist (d. 1987)
  • 1896 – Karl Allmenröder, German soldier and pilot (d. 1917)
  • 1896 – V. K. Krishna Menon, Indian lawyer, jurist, and politician, Indian Minister of Defence (d. 1974)
  • 1896 – Dodie Smith, English author and playwright (d. 1990)
  • 1897 – William Joseph Browne, Canadian lawyer and politician, 20th Solicitor General of Canada (d. 1989)
  • 1898 – Septima Poinsette Clark, American educator and activist (d. 1987)
  • 1898 – Golda Meir, Ukrainian-Israeli educator and politician, 4th Prime Minister of Israel (d. 1978)
  • 1902 – Alfred Kastler, German-French physicist and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1984)
  • 1903 – Bing Crosby, American singer and actor (d. 1977)
  • 1905 – Edmund Black, American hammer thrower (d. 1996)
  • 1905 – Werner Fenchel, German-Danish mathematician and academic (d. 1988)
  • 1905 – Red Ruffing, American baseball pitcher and coach (d. 1986)
  • 1906 – Mary Astor, American actress (d. 1987)
  • 1906 – René Huyghe, French historian and author (d. 1997)
  • 1906 – Anna Roosevelt Halsted, American journalist and author (d. 1975)
  • 1906 – Enrique Laguerre, Puerto Rican journalist, author, and playwright (d. 2005)
  • 1910 – Norman Corwin, American screenwriter and producer (d. 2011)
  • 1912 – Virgil Fox, American organist and composer (d. 1980)
  • 1912 – May Sarton, American poet, novelist and memoirist (d. 1995)
  • 1913 – William Inge, American playwright and novelist (d. 1973)
  • 1914 – Georges-Emmanuel Clancier, French journalist, author, and poet (d. 2018)
  • 1915 – Stu Hart, Canadian wrestler and trainer, founded Stampede Wrestling (d. 2003)
  • 1915 – Richard Lippold, American sculptor and academic (d. 2002)
  • 1916 – Léopold Simoneau, Canadian tenor and actor (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Betty Comden, American screenwriter and librettist (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – George Gaynes, Finnish-American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1918 – Ted Bates, English footballer and manager (d. 2003)
  • 1919 – John Cullen Murphy, American soldier and illustrator (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – Pete Seeger, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and activist (d. 2014)
  • 1920 – John Lewis, American pianist and composer (d. 2001)
  • 1921 – Sugar Ray Robinson, American boxer (d. 1989)
  • 1922 – Len Shackleton, English footballer and journalist (d. 2000)
  • 1923 – George Hadjinikos, Greek pianist, conductor, and educator (d. 2015)
  • 1923 – Ralph Hall, American lieutenant, lawyer, and politician (d. 2019)
  • 1924 – Yehuda Amichai, German-Israeli author and poet (d. 2000)
  • 1924 – Ken Tyrrell, English race car driver, founded Tyrrell Racing (d. 2001)
  • 1925 – Jean Séguy, French sociologist and author (d. 2007)
  • 1926 – Matt Baldwin, Canadian curler and engineer
  • 1928 – Dave Dudley, American singer-songwriter (d. 2003)
  • 1928 – Jacques-Louis Lions, French mathematician (d. 2001)
  • 1929 – Denise Lor, American singer and actress (d. 2015)
  • 1930 – Juan Gelman, Argentinian poet and author (d. 2014)
  • 1930 – David Harrison, English chemist and academic
  • 1931 – Vasily Rudenkov, Belarusian hammer thrower (d. 1982)
  • 1931 – Sait Maden, Turkish translator, poet, painter and graphic designer (d. 2013)
  • 1932 – Robert Osborne, American actor and historian (d. 2017)
  • 1933 – James Brown, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (d. 2006)
  • 1933 – Steven Weinberg, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1934 – Henry Cooper, English boxer and sportscaster (d. 2011)
  • 1934 – Georges Moustaki, Egyptian-French singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2013)
  • 1934 – Frankie Valli, American singer and actor
  • 1935 – Ron Popeil, American businessman, founded the Ronco Company
  • 1937 – Nélida Piñon, Brazilian author and academic
  • 1938 – Omar Abdel-Rahman, Egyptian terrorist
  • 1938 – Chris Cannizzaro, American baseball player
  • 1938 – Napoleon XIV, American singer, songwriter and record producer
  • 1939 – Jonathan Harvey, English composer and educator (d. 2012)
  • 1940 – David Koch, American engineer, businessman, and philanthropist (d. 2019)
  • 1940 – Clemens Westerhof, Dutch footballer and manager
  • 1941 – Alexander Harley, English general
  • 1941 – Edward Malloy, American priest and academic
  • 1942 – Věra Čáslavská, Czech gymnast and coach (d. 2016)
  • 1942 – Dave Marash, American journalist and sportscaster
  • 1942 – Butch Otter, American soldier and politician, 32nd Governor of Idaho
  • 1943 – Yukio Hashi, Japanese singer and actor
  • 1943 – Jim Risch, American lawyer and politician, 31st Governor of Idaho
  • 1943 – Vicente Saldivar, Mexican boxer (d. 1985)
  • 1944 – Peter Doyle, English bishop
  • 1944 – Pete Staples, English bass player
  • 1945 – Jörg Drehmel, German triple jumper and coach
  • 1945 – Davey Lopes, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1946 – Norm Chow, American football player and coach
  • 1946 – Silvino Francisco, South African snooker player
  • 1946 – Greg Gumbel, American sportscaster
  • 1947 – Doug Henning, Canadian magician (d. 2000)
  • 1948 – Denis Cosgrove, British-American academic and geographer (d. 2008)
  • 1948 – Chris Mulkey, American actor
  • 1949 – Liam Donaldson, English physician and academic
  • 1949 – Ruth Lister, Baroness Lister of Burtersett, English academic and politician
  • 1949 – Ron Wyden, American academic and politician
  • 1950 – Mary Hopkin, Welsh singer-songwriter
  • 1950 – Dag Arnesen, Norwegian pianist and composer
  • 1951 – Alan Clayson, English singer-songwriter and journalist
  • 1951 – Christopher Cross, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1951 – Ashok Gehlot, Indian politician, 21st Chief Minister of Rajasthan
  • 1951 – Tatyana Tolstaya, Russian author and publicist
  • 1952 – Chuck Baldwin, American pastor and politician
  • 1952 – Caitlin Clarke, American actress (d. 2004)
  • 1952 – Joseph W. Tobin, American cardinal
  • 1953 – Bruce Hall, American singer-songwriter, bass player, and producer
  • 1953 – Jake Hooker, Israeli-American guitarist and songwriter (d. 2014)
  • 1954 – Angela Bofill, American singer-songwriter
  • 1954 – Jean-Marc Roberts, French author and screenwriter (d. 2013)
  • 1955 – Stephen D. M. Brown, British geneticist
  • 1955 – Colin Deans, Scottish rugby player
  • 1955 – David Hookes, Australian cricketer, coach, and sportscaster (d. 2004)
  • 1955 – Seishirō Nishida, Japanese actor
  • 1956 – Marc Bellemare, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1957 – Alain Côté, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1957 – Rod Langway, Taiwanese-American ice hockey player and coach
  • 1958 – Bill Sienkiewicz, American author and illustrator
  • 1958 – Sandi Toksvig, Danish-English comedian, writer, and broadcaster
  • 1959 – David Ball, English keyboard player and producer
  • 1959 – Uma Bharti, Indian activist and politician, 16th Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
  • 1959 – Ben Elton, English actor, director, and screenwriter
  • 1960 – Kathy Smallwood-Cook, English sprinter and educator
  • 1961 – Steve McClaren, English footballer and manager
  • 1961 – David Vitter, American lawyer and politician
  • 1961 – Leyla Zana, Kurdish activist and politician
  • 1962 – Anders Graneheim, Swedish bodybuilder
  • 1963 – Jeff Hornacek, American basketball player and coach
  • 1963 – Mona Siddiqui, Pakistani-Scottish journalist and academic
  • 1964 – Sterling Campbell, American drummer and songwriter
  • 1964 – Ron Hextall, Canadian-American ice hockey player and manager
  • 1965 – Ignatius Aphrem II, Syrian patriarch
  • 1965 – Mark Cousins, Northern Irish director, writer, cinematographer
  • 1965 – John Jensen, Danish footballer and coach
  • 1965 – Mikhail Prokhorov, Russian businessman
  • 1966 – Giorgos Agorogiannis, Greek footballer
  • 1966 – Frank Dietrich, German politician (d. 2011)
  • 1967 – Daniel Anderson, Australian rugby league coach and manager
  • 1967 – Kenneth Joel Hotz, Canadian producer, writer, director, actor, and comedian
  • 1968 – Viliami Ofahengaue, Tongan-Australian rugby player
  • 1971 – Douglas Carswell, British politician, the first elected MP for the UK Independence Party
  • 1972 – Stephen Barclay, English lawyer and politician
  • 1973 – Jamie Baulch, Welsh sprinter and television host
  • 1975 – Willie Geist, American television journalist and host
  • 1976 – Jeff Halpern, American ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Brad Scott, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1976 – Chris Scott, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1977 – Eric Church, American country music singer-songwriter
  • 1977 – Ryan Dempster, Canadian baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1977 – Tyronn Lue, American basketball player and coach
  • 1977 – Maryam Mirzakhani, Iranian mathematician (d. 2017)
  • 1977 – Ben Olsen, American soccer player and coach
  • 1978 – Christian Annan, Ghanaian-Hong Kong footballer
  • 1978 – Paul Banks, English-American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1978 – Dai Tamesue, Japanese hurdler
  • 1978 – Lawrence Tynes, American football player
  • 1979 – Steve Mack, American wrestler
  • 1979 – Anastasiya Shvedova, Belarusian pole vaulter
  • 1980 – Zuzana Ondrášková, Czech tennis player
  • 1982 – Igor Olshansky, Ukrainian-American football player
  • 1982 – Nick Stavinoha, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Joseph Addai, American football player
  • 1983 – Romeo Castelen, Dutch footballer
  • 1983 – Jérôme Clavier, French pole vaulter
  • 1983 – Márton Fülöp, Hungarian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1985 – Ezequiel Lavezzi, Argentinian footballer
  • 1985 – Kadri Lehtla, Estonian biathlete
  • 1985 – Miko Mälberg, Estonian swimmer
  • 1986 – Moon Byung-woo, South Korean footballer
  • 1987 – Lina Grinčikaitė, Lithuanian sprinter
  • 1988 – Ben Revere, American baseball player
  • 1988 – Paddy Holohan, Irish mixed martial artist
  • 1989 – Jesse Bromwich, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1989 – Katinka Hosszú, Hungarian swimmer
  • 1990 – Brooks Koepka, American golfer
  • 1991 – Samuel Seo, South Korean musician
  • 1992 – Aaron Whitchurch, Australian rugby league player
  • 1995 – Ivan Bukavshin, Russian chess player (d. 2016)
  • 1996 – Mary Cain, American runner
  • 1996 – Alex Iwobi, Nigerian football player
  • 1996 – Domantas Sabonis, Lithuanian basketball player
  • 1997 – Desiigner, American rapper
  • 1997 – Dwayne Haskins, American football player
  • 1997 – Ivana Jorović, Serbian tennis player

Deaths on May 3

  • 678 – Tōchi, Japanese princess
  • 738 – Uaxaclajuun Ub’aah K’awiil, Mayan ruler (ajaw)
  • 1152 – Matilda of Boulogne (b. 1105)
  • 1270 – Béla IV of Hungary (b. 1206)
  • 1294 – John I, Duke of Brabant (b. 1252)
  • 1330 – Alexios II Megas Komnenos, Emperor of Trebizond (b. 1282)
  • 1410 – Antipope Alexander V
  • 1481 – Mehmed the Conqueror, Ottoman sultan (b. 1432)
  • 1501 – John Devereux, 8th Baron Ferrers of Chartley, English Baron (b. 1463)
  • 1524 – Richard Grey, 3rd Earl of Kent, English peer (b. 1481)
  • 1534 – Juana de la Cruz Vazquez Gutierrez, Spanish Roman Catholic nun and venerable (b. 1481)
  • 1589 – Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (b. 1528)
  • 1606 – Henry Garnet, English priest and author (b. 1555)
  • 1621 – Elizabeth Bacon, English Tudor gentlewoman (b. 1541)
  • 1679 – James Sharp, Scottish archbishop (b. 1613)
  • 1693 – Claude de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon, French courtier (b. 1607)
  • 1704 – Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber, Czech-Austrian violinist and composer (b. 1644)
  • 1724 – John Leverett the Younger, American lawyer, academic, and politician (b. 1662)
  • 1750 – John Willison, Scottish minister and author (b. 1680)
  • 1752 – Samuel Ogle, English-American captain and politician, 5th Governor of Restored Proprietary Government (b. 1692)
  • 1758 – Pope Benedict XIV (b. 1675)
  • 1763 – George Psalmanazar, French-English author (b. 1679)
  • 1764 – Francesco Algarotti, Italian philosopher, poet, and critic (b. 1712)
  • 1779 – John Winthrop, American mathematician, physicist, and astronomer (b. 1714)
  • 1793 – Martin Gerbert, German historian and theologian (b. 1720)
  • 1839 – Ferdinando Paer, Italian composer (b. 1771)
  • 1856 – Adolphe Adam, French composer and critic (b. 1803)
  • 1856 – Louis-Étienne Saint-Denis, Arab-French servant to Napoleon I (b. 1788)
  • 1882 – Leonidas Smolents, Austrian–Greek general and army minister (b. 1806)
  • 1910 – Howard Taylor Ricketts, American pathologist (b. 1871)
  • 1916 – Tom Clarke, Irish rebel (b. 1858)
  • 1916 – Thomas MacDonagh, Irish poet and rebel (b. 1878)
  • 1916 – Patrick Pearse, Irish teacher and rebel leader (b. 1879)
  • 1918 – Charlie Soong, Chinese businessman and missionary (b. 1863)
  • 1919 – Elizabeth Almira Allen, American educator (b. 1854)
  • 1921 – Théodore Pilette, Belgian race car driver (b. 1883)
  • 1925 – Clément Ader, French engineer, designed the Ader Avion III (b. 1841)
  • 1932 – Charles Fort, American journalist and author (b. 1874)
  • 1935 – Jessie Willcox Smith, American illustrator (b. 1863)
  • 1939 – Madeleine Desroseaux, French author and poet (b. 1873)
  • 1942 – Thorvald Stauning, Danish politician, 24th Prime Minister of Denmark (b. 1873)
  • 1943 – Harry Miller, American engineer (b. 1875)
  • 1948 – Ernst Tandefelt, Finnish assassin of Heikki Ritavuori (b. 1876)
  • 1949 – Fanny Walden, English footballer and cricketer (b. 1888)
  • 1958 – Frank Foster, English cricketer (b. 1889)
  • 1969 – Zakir Husain, Indian academic and politician, 3rd President of India (b. 1897)
  • 1970 – Cemil Gürgen Erlertürk, Turkish footballer, coach, and pilot (b. 1918)
  • 1972 – Kenneth Bailey, Australian lawyer and diplomat, Australian High Commissioner to Canada (b. 1898)
  • 1972 – Emil Breitkreutz, American runner and coach (b. 1883)
  • 1972 – Bruce Cabot, American actor (b. 1904)
  • 1978 – Bill Downs, American journalist (b. 1914)
  • 1981 – Nargis, Indian actress (b. 1929)
  • 1986 – Robert Alda, American actor (b. 1914)
  • 1987 – Dalida, Italian singer, actress, dancer, and model (b. 1933)
  • 1988 – Lev Pontryagin, Russian mathematician and academic (b. 1908)
  • 1989 – Christine Jorgensen, American trans woman (b. 1926)
  • 1991 – Jerzy Kosiński, Polish-American novelist and screenwriter (b. 1933)
  • 1992 – George Murphy, American actor, dancer, and politician (b. 1902)
  • 1996 – Dimitri Fampas, Greek guitarist, composer, and educator (b. 1921)
  • 1996 – Alex Kellner, American baseball player (b. 1924)
  • 1996 – Jack Weston, American actor (b. 1924)
  • 1997 – Sébastien Enjolras, French race car driver (b. 1976)
  • 1997 – Narciso Yepes, Spanish guitarist and composer (b. 1927)
  • 1998 – Gene Raymond, American actor (b. 1908)
  • 1999 – Joe Adcock, American baseball player and manager (b. 1927)
  • 1999 – Steve Chiasson, Canadian-American ice hockey player (b. 1967)
  • 1999 – Godfrey Evans, English cricketer (b. 1920)
  • 2000 – Júlia Báthory, Hungarian glass designer (b. 1901)
  • 2000 – John Joseph O’Connor, American cardinal (b. 1920)
  • 2002 – Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, English politician, First Secretary of State (b. 1910)
  • 2002 – Yevgeny Svetlanov, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1928)
  • 2003 – Suzy Parker, American model and actress (b. 1932)
  • 2004 – Ken Downing, English race car driver (b. 1917)
  • 2004 – Darrell Johnson, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1928)
  • 2006 – Karel Appel, Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet (b. 1921)
  • 2006 – Pramod Mahajan, Indian politician (b. 1949)
  • 2006 – Earl Woods, American colonel, baseball player, and author (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – Warja Honegger-Lavater, Swiss illustrator (b. 1913)
  • 2007 – Wally Schirra, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1923)
  • 2007 – Knock Yokoyama, Japanese politician (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, Spanish engineer and politician, Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1926)
  • 2009 – Renée Morisset, Canadian pianist (b. 1928)
  • 2009 – Ram Balkrushna Shewalkar, Indian author and critic (b. 1931)
  • 2010 – Roy Carrier, American accordion player (b. 1947)
  • 2010 – Peter O’Donnell, English soldier and author (b. 1920)
  • 2010 – Guenter Wendt, German-American engineer (b. 1923)
  • 2011 – Jackie Cooper, American actor, television director, producer and executive (b. 1922)
  • 2011 – Sergo Kotrikadze, Georgian footballer and manager (b. 1936)
  • 2011 – Thanasis Veggos, Greek actor and director (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Jorge Illueca, Panamanian politician, 30th President of Panama (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Felix Werder, German-Australian composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Joe Astroth, American baseball player (b. 1922)
  • 2013 – Herbert Blau, American engineer and academic (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Cedric Brooks, Jamaican-American saxophonist and flute player (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Keith Carter, American swimmer and soldier (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Brad Drewett, Australian tennis player and sportscaster (b. 1958)
  • 2013 – David Morris Kern, American pharmacist, co-invented Orajel (b. 1909)
  • 2013 – Curtis Rouse, American football player (b. 1960)
  • 2013 – Branko Vukelić, Croatian politician, 11th Minister of Defence for Croatia (b. 1958)
  • 2014 – Gary Becker, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Francisco Icaza, Mexican painter (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Jim Oberstar, American educator and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Revaz Chkheidze, Georgian director and screenwriter (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Danny Jones, Welsh rugby player (b. 1986)
  • 2015 – Warren Smith, American golfer and coach (b. 1915)
  • 2016 – Ian Deans, Canadian politician (b. 1937)
  • 2016 – Jadranka Stojaković, Yugoslav singer-songwriter (b. 1950)
  • 2017 – Daliah Lavi, Israeli actress, singer and model (b. 1942)

Holidays and observances on May 3

  • Christian feast day:
    • Abhai (Syriac Orthodox Church)
    • Antonia and Alexander
    • Juvenal of Narni
    • Moura (Coptic Church)
    • Philip and James the Lesser
    • Pope Alexander I
    • Sarah the Martyr (Coptic Church)
    • The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland
    • Theodosius of Kiev (Eastern Orthodox Church)
    • May 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Constitution Memorial Day (Japan)
  • Constitution Day (Poland)
  • Finding of the Holy Cross-related observances:
    • Fiesta de las Cruces (Spain and Hispanic America)
    • Roodmas, or Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross (Gallican Rite of the Catholic Church)
  • Sun Day (International)
  • World Press Freedom Day

May 3 – 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

  • 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 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 29 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
  • 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southern Mexico, defeating queen Yohl Ik’nal and sacking the city.
  • 711 – Dagobert III succeeds his father King Childebert III as King of the Franks.
  • 1014 – Battle of Clontarf: High King of Ireland Brian Boru defeats Viking invaders, but is killed in battle.
  • 1016 – Edmund Ironside succeeds his father Æthelred the Unready as King of England.
  • 1343 – St. George’s Night Uprising commences in the Duchy of Estonia.
  • 1348 – The founding of the Order of the Garter by King Edward III is announced on St. George’s Day.
  • 1516 – The Munich Reinheitsgebot (regarding the ingredients of beer) takes effect in all of Bavaria.
  • 1521 – Battle of Villalar: King Charles I of Spain defeats the Comuneros.
  • 1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston.
  • 1655 – The Siege of Santo Domingo begins during the Anglo-Spanish War, and fails seven days later.
  • 1660 – Treaty of Oliva is established between Sweden and Poland.
  • 1661 – King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland is crowned in Westminster Abbey.
  • 1815 – The Second Serbian Uprising: A second phase of the national revolution of the Serbs against the Ottoman Empire, erupts shortly after the annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire.
  • 1879 – Fire burns down the second main building and dome of the University of Notre Dame, which prompts the construction of the third, and current, Main Building with its golden dome.
  • 1914 – First baseball game at Wrigley Field, then known as Weeghman Park, in Chicago.
  • 1918 – World War I: The British Royal Navy makes a raid in an attempt to neutralise the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge.
  • 1920 – The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) is founded in Ankara. The assembly denounces the government of Sultan Mehmed VI and announces the preparation of a temporary constitution.
  • 1927 – Cardiff City defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup Final, the only time it has been won by a team not based in England.
  • 1935 – The Polish Constitution of 1935 is adopted.
  • 1940 – The Rhythm Club fire at a dance hall in Natchez, Mississippi, kills 198 people.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Greek government and King George II evacuate Athens before the invading Wehrmacht.
  • 1942 – World War II: Baedeker Blitz: German bombers hit Exeter, Bath and York in retaliation for the British raid on Lübeck.
  • 1945 – World War II: Adolf Hitler’s designated successor, Hermann Göring, sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of the Third Reich. Martin Bormann and Joseph Goebbels advise Hitler that the telegram is treasonous.
  • 1946 – Manuel Roxas is elected the last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.
  • 1949 – Chinese Civil War: Establishment of the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
  • 1951 – Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia.
  • 1961 – Algiers putsch by French generals.
  • 1967 – Soviet space program: Soyuz 1 (Russian: Союз 1, Union 1) a manned spaceflight carrying cosmonaut Colonel Vladimir Komarov is launched into orbit.
  • 1968 – Vietnam War: Student protesters at Columbia University in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.
  • 1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army and Razakars massacre approximately 3,000 Hindu emigrants in the Jathibhanga area of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).
  • 1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than three months.
  • 1990 – Namibia becomes the 160th member of the United Nations and the 50th member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
  • 1993 – Eritreans vote overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia in a United Nations-monitored referendum.
  • 1993 – Sri Lankan politician Lalith Athulathmudali is assassinated while addressing a gathering, approximately four weeks ahead of the Provincial Council elections for the Western Province.
  • 1999 – NATO bombs the headquarters of Radio Television of Serbia, as part of their aerial campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
  • 2005 – The first ever YouTube video, titled “Me at the zoo”, was published by co-founder Jawed Karim.
  • 2013 – At least 28 people are killed and more than 70 are injured as violence breaks out in Hawija, Iraq.
  • 2018 – A vehicle-ramming attack kills 10 people and injures 16 in Toronto. A 25-year-old suspect, Alek Minassian, is arrested.
  • 2019 – The 2019 Hpakant jade mine collapse in Myanmar kills four miners and two rescuers.

Births on April 23

  • 1141 (probable) – Malcolm IV of Scotland (d. 1165)
  • 1185 – Afonso II of Portugal (d. 1223)
  • 1408 – John de Vere, 12th Earl of Oxford (d. 1462)
  • 1420 – George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia (d. 1471)
  • 1464 – Joan of France, Duchess of Berry (d. 1505)
  • 1464 – Robert Fayrfax, English Renaissance composer (d. 1521)
  • 1484 – Julius Caesar Scaliger, Italian physician and scholar (d. 1558)
  • 1500 – Alexander Ales, Scottish theologian and academic (d. 1565)
  • 1500 – Johann Stumpf, Swiss writer (d. 1576)
  • 1512 – Henry FitzAlan, 19th Earl of Arundel, Chancellor of the University of Oxford (d. 1580)
  • 1516 – Georg Fabricius, German poet, historian, and archaeologist (d. 1571)
  • 1598 – Maarten Tromp, Dutch admiral (d. 1653)
  • 1621 – William Penn, English admiral and politician (d. 1670)
  • 1628 – Johannes Hudde, Dutch mathematician and politician (d. 1704)
  • 1661 – Issachar Berend Lehmann, German-Jewish banker, merchant and diplomat (d. 1730)
  • 1715 – Johann Friedrich Doles, German composer and conductor (d. 1797)
  • 1720 – Vilna Gaon, Lithuanian rabbi and author (d. 1797)
  • 1744 – Princess Charlotte Amalie Wilhelmine of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön (d. 1770)
  • 1748 – Félix Vicq-d’Azyr, French physician and anatomist (d. 1794)
  • 1791 – James Buchanan, American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 15th President of the United States (d. 1868)
  • 1792 – Thomas Romney Robinson, Irish astronomer and physicist (d. 1882)
  • 1794 – Wei Yuan, Chinese scholar and author (d. 1856)
  • 1805 – Johann Karl Friedrich Rosenkranz, German philosopher and academic (d. 1879)
  • 1812 – Frederick Whitaker, English-New Zealand lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1891)
  • 1813 – Stephen A. Douglas, American educator and politician, 7th Illinois Secretary of State (d. 1861)
  • 1813 – Frédéric Ozanam, Italian-French historian and scholar (d. 1853)
  • 1818 – James Anthony Froude, English historian, novelist, biographer and editor (d. 1894)
  • 1819 – Edward Stafford, Scottish-New Zealand educator and politician, 3rd Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1901)
  • 1853 – Winthrop M. Crane, American businessman and politician, 40th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1920)
  • 1856 – Granville Woods, American inventor and engineer (d. 1910)
  • 1857 – Ruggero Leoncavallo, Italian composer (d. 1919)
  • 1858 – Max Planck, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
  • 1860 – Justinian Oxenham, Australian public servant (d. 1932)
  • 1861 – Edmund Allenby, 1st Viscount Allenby, English field marshal and diplomat, British High Commissioner in Egypt (d. 1936)
  • 1861 – John Peltz, American baseball player and manager (d. 1906)
  • 1865 – Ali-Agha Shikhlinski, Russian-Azerbaijani general (d. 1943)
  • 1867 – Johannes Fibiger, Danish physician and pathologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1928)
  • 1876 – Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, German historian and author (d. 1925)
  • 1880 – Michel Fokine, Russian dancer and choreographer (d. 1942)
  • 1882 – Albert Coates, English composer and conductor (d. 1953)
  • 1888 – Georges Vanier, Canadian general and politician, 19th Governor General of Canada (d. 1967)
  • 1889 – Karel Doorman, Dutch admiral (d. 1942)
  • 1893 – Frank Borzage, American actor and director (d. 1952)
  • 1895 – Ngaio Marsh, New Zealand author and director (d. 1982)
  • 1897 – Folke Jansson, American general (d. 1965)
  • 1897 – Lester B. Pearson, Canadian historian and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Canada, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1972)
  • 1898 – Lucius D. Clay, American general (d. 1978)
  • 1899 – Bertil Ohlin, Swedish economist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1979)
  • 1899 – Minoru Shirota, Japanese physician and microbiologist, invented Yakult (d. 1982)
  • 1900 – Jim Bottomley, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 1959)
  • 1900 – Joseph Green, Polish-American actor and director (d. 1996)
  • 1901 – E. B. Ford, English biologist and geneticist (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Halldór Laxness, Icelandic author and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1998)
  • 1903 – Guy Simonds, English-Canadian general (d. 1974)
  • 1904 – Clifford Bricker, Canadian long-distance runner (d. 1980)
  • 1904 – Louis Muhlstock, Polish-Canadian painter (d. 2001)
  • 1904 – Duncan Renaldo, American actor (d. 1985)
  • 1907 – Lee Miller, American model and photographer (d. 1977)
  • 1907 – Fritz Wotruba, Austrian sculptor, designed the Wotruba Church (d. 1975)
  • 1908 – Myron Waldman, American animator and director (d. 2006)
  • 1910 – Sheila Scott Macintyre, Scottish mathematician (d. 1960)
  • 1910 – Simone Simon, French actress (d. 2005)
  • 1911 – Ronald Neame, English-American director, cinematographer, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2010)
  • 1913 – Diosa Costello, Puerto Rican-American entertainer, producer and club owner (d. 2013)
  • 1915 – Arnold Alexander Hall, English engineer, academic, and businessman (d. 2000)
  • 1916 – Yiannis Moralis, Greek painter and educator (d. 2009)
  • 1916 – Sinah Estelle Kelley, American chemist (d. 1982)
  • 1917 – Dorian Leigh, American model (d. 2008)
  • 1917 – Tony Lupien, American baseball player and coach (d. 2004)
  • 1918 – Maurice Druon, French author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Oleg Penkovsky, Russian colonel (d. 1963)
  • 1920 – Eric Grant Yarrow, 3rd Baronet, English businessman (d. 2018)
  • 1921 – Judy Agnew, Second Lady of the United States (d. 2012)
  • 1921 – Cleto Bellucci, Italian archbishop (d. 2013)
  • 1921 – Janet Blair, American actress and singer (d. 2007)
  • 1921 – Warren Spahn, American baseball player and coach (d. 2003)
  • 1923 – Dolph Briscoe, American lieutenant and politician, 41st Governor of Texas (d. 2010)
  • 1923 – Avram Davidson, American soldier and author (d. 1993)
  • 1924 – Chuck Harmon, American baseball player and scout (d. 2019)
  • 1924 – Bobby Rosengarden, American drummer and bandleader (d. 2007)
  • 1926 – J.P. Donleavy, American-Irish novelist and playwright (d. 2017)
  • 1926 – Rifaat el-Mahgoub, Egyptian politician (d. 1990)
  • 1928 – Shirley Temple, American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat (d. 2014)
  • 1929 – George Steiner, French-American philosopher, author, and critic (d. 2020)
  • 1932 – Halston, American fashion designer (d. 1990)
  • 1932 – Jim Fixx, American runner and author (d. 1984)
  • 1933 – Annie Easley, American computer scientist, mathematician, and engineer (d. 2011)
  • 1934 – George Canseco, Filipino composer and producer (d. 2004)
  • 1936 – Roy Orbison, American singer-songwriter (d. 1988)
  • 1937 – Victoria Glendinning, English author and critic
  • 1937 – David Mills, English cricketer (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Barry Shepherd, Australian cricketer (d. 2001)
  • 1939 – Jorge Fons, Mexican director and screenwriter
  • 1939 – Bill Hagerty, English journalist
  • 1939 – Lee Majors, American actor
  • 1939 – Ray Peterson, American pop singer (d. 2005)
  • 1940 – Michael Copps, American academic and politician
  • 1940 – Dale Houston, American singer-songwriter (d. 2007)
  • 1940 – Michael Kadosh, Israeli footballer and manager (d. 2014)
  • 1941 – Jacqueline Boyer, French singer and actress
  • 1941 – Arie den Hartog, Dutch road bicycle racer (d. 2018)
  • 1941 – Paavo Lipponen, Finnish journalist and politician, 38th Prime Minister of Finland
  • 1941 – Michael Lynne, American film producer, co-founded New Line Cinema
  • 1941 – Ed Stewart, English radio and television host (d. 2016)
  • 1941 – Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer and engineer (d. 2016)
  • 1942 – Sandra Dee, American model and actress (d. 2005)
  • 1943 – Gail Goodrich, American basketball player and coach
  • 1943 – Tony Esposito, Canadian-American ice hockey player, coach, and manager
  • 1943 – Frans Koppelaar, Dutch painter
  • 1943 – Hervé Villechaize, French actor (d. 1993)
  • 1944 – Jean-François Stévenin, French actor and director
  • 1946 – Blair Brown, American actress
  • 1946 – Carlton Sherwood, American soldier and journalist (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Robert Burgess, English sociologist and academic
  • 1947 – Glenn Cornick, English bass player (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Bernadette Devlin McAliskey, Irish civil rights leader and politician
  • 1948 – Pascal Quignard, French author and screenwriter
  • 1948 – Serge Thériault, Canadian actor
  • 1949 – Paul Collier, English economist and academic
  • 1949 – David Cross, English violinist
  • 1949 – John Miles, British rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist
  • 1950 – Rowley Leigh, English chef and journalist
  • 1950 – Barbara McIlvaine Smith, Sac and Fox Nation Native American politician
  • 1951 – Martin Bayerle, American treasure hunter
  • 1952 – Narada Michael Walden, American singer-songwriter, drummer, and producer
  • 1953 – James Russo, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Stephen Dalton, English air marshal
  • 1954 – Michael Moore, American director, producer, and activist
  • 1955 – Judy Davis, Australian actress
  • 1955 – Tony Miles, English chess player (d. 2001)
  • 1955 – Urmas Ott, Estonian journalist and author (d. 2008)
  • 1957 – Neville Brody, English graphic designer, typographer, and art director
  • 1957 – Jan Hooks, American actress and comedian (d. 2014)
  • 1958 – Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Icelandic composer and producer
  • 1958 – Ryan Walter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1959 – Unity Dow, Botswanan judge, author, and rights activist
  • 1960 – Valerie Bertinelli, American actress
  • 1960 – Steve Clark, English guitarist and songwriter (d. 1991)
  • 1960 – Barry Douglas, Irish pianist and conductor
  • 1960 – Léo Jaime, Brazilian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor
  • 1960 – Claude Julien, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1961 – George Lopez, American comedian, actor, and talk show host
  • 1961 – Pierluigi Martini, Italian race car driver
  • 1962 – John Hannah, Scottish actor and producer
  • 1962 – Shaun Spiers, English businessman and politician
  • 1963 – Paul Belmondo, French race car driver
  • 1963 – Robby Naish, American windsurfer
  • 1964 – Gianandrea Noseda, Italian pianist and conductor
  • 1965 – Leni Robredo, Filipina human rights lawyer, 14th Vice President of the Philippines
  • 1966 – Jörg Deisinger, German bass player
  • 1966 – Matt Freeman, American bass player
  • 1966 – Lembit Oll, Estonian chess Grandmaster (d. 1999)
  • 1967 – Rheal Cormier, Canadian baseball player
  • 1967 – Melina Kanakaredes, American actress
  • 1968 – Bas Haring, Dutch philosopher, writer, television presenter and professor.
  • 1968 – Ken McRae, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1968 – Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist, Oklahoma City bombing co-perpetrator (d. 2001)
  • 1969 – Martín López-Zubero, American-Spanish swimmer and coach
  • 1969 – Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast
  • 1970 – Egemen Bağış, Turkish politician, 1st Minister of European Union Affairs
  • 1970 – Dennis Culp, American singer-songwriter and trombonist
  • 1970 – Andrew Gee, Australian rugby league player and manager
  • 1970 – Hans Välimäki, Finnish chef and author
  • 1970 – Tayfur Havutçu, Turkish international footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Uli Herzner, German-American fashion designer
  • 1972 – Pierre Labrie, Canadian poet and playwright
  • 1972 – Peter Dench, English photographer and journalist
  • 1972 – Amira Medunjanin, singer from Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • 1973 – Patrick Poulin, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1974 – Carlos Dengler, American bass player
  • 1974 – Michael Kerr, New Zealand-German rugby player
  • 1975 – Bobby Shaw, American football player
  • 1976 – Aaron Dessner, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1977 – John Cena, American professional wrestler and actor
  • 1977 – David Kidwell, New Zealand rugby league player and coach
  • 1977 – Willie Mitchell, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1977 – John Oliver, English comedian, actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1977 – Kal Penn, Indian-American actor
  • 1977 – Bram Schmitz, Dutch cyclist
  • 1977 – Lee Young-pyo, South Korean international footballer
  • 1978 – Gezahegne Abera, Ethiopian runner
  • 1979 – Barry Hawkins, English snooker player
  • 1979 – Jaime King, American actress and model
  • 1979 – Joanna Krupa, Polish-American model and television personality
  • 1979 – Samppa Lajunen, Finnish skier
  • 1982 – Tony Sunshine, American singer-songwriter
  • 1983 – Leon Andreasen, Danish international footballer
  • 1983 – Daniela Hantuchová, Slovak tennis player
  • 1983 – Ian Henderson, English rugby league player
  • 1984 – Alexandra Kosteniuk, Russian chess player
  • 1984 – Jesse Lee Soffer, American actor
  • 1985 – Angel Locsin, Filipino actress, producer, and fashion designer
  • 1986 – Sven Kramer, Dutch speed skater
  • 1986 – Alysia Montaño, American runner
  • 1986 – Rafael Fernandes, Brazilian baseball player
  • 1987 – Michael Arroyo, Ecuadorian footballer
  • 1987 – John Boye, Ghanaian footballer
  • 1987 – Emily Fox, American basketball player
  • 1988 – Victor Anichebe, Nigerian footballer
  • 1988 – Alistair Brownlee, English triathlete
  • 1988 – Signe Ronka, Canadian figure skater
  • 1988 – Lenka Wienerová, Slovak tennis player
  • 1989 – Nicole Vaidišová, Czech tennis player
  • 1990 – Rui Fonte, Portuguese footballer, winger
  • 1990 – Dev Patel, English actor
  • 1991 – Nathan Baker, English footballer
  • 1991 – Caleb Johnson, American singer-songwriter
  • 1991 – Paul Vaughan, Australian-Italian rugby league player
  • 1994 – Patrick Olsen, Danish footballer
  • 1994 – Song Kang, South Korean actor
  • 1995 – Gigi Hadid, American fashion model and television personality
  • 1997 – Zach Apple, American swimmer

Deaths on April 23

  • 303 – Saint George, Roman soldier and martyr (b. 275)
  • 711 – Childebert III, Frankish king (b. 670)
  • 725 – Wihtred of Kent (b. 670)
  • 871 – Æthelred of Wessex (b. 837)
  • 915 – Yang Shihou, Chinese general
  • 944 – Wichmann the Elder, Saxon nobleman
  • 990 – Ekkehard II, Swiss monk and abbot
  • 997 – Adalbert of Prague, Czech bishop, missionary, and saint (b. 956)
  • 1014 – Brian Boru, Irish king (b. 941)
  • 1014 – Domnall mac Eimín, Mormaer of Mar
  • 1016 – Æthelred the Unready, English son of Edgar the Peaceful (b. 968)
  • 1124 – Alexander I of Scotland (b. 1078)
  • 1151 – Adeliza of Louvain (b. 1103)
  • 1170 – Minamoto no Tametomo, Japanese samurai (b. 1139)
  • 1196 – Béla III of Hungary (b. c.1148)
  • 1200 – Zhu Xi, Chinese philosopher (b. 1130)
  • 1217 – Inge II of Norway (b. 1185)
  • 1262 – Aegidius of Assisi, companion of Saint Francis of Assisi
  • 1307 – Joan of Acre (b. 1272)
  • 1400 – Aubrey de Vere, 10th Earl of Oxford, English politician and nobleman (b. c. 1338)
  • 1407 – Olivier de Clisson, French soldier (b. 1326)
  • 1501 – Domenico della Rovere, Catholic cardinal (b. 1442)
  • 1554 – Gaspara Stampa, Italian poet (b. 1523)
  • 1605 – Boris Godunov, Russian ruler (b. 1551)
  • 1616 – William Shakespeare, English playwright and poet (b. 1564)
  • 1625 – Maurice, Prince of Orange (b. 1567)
  • 1695 – Henry Vaughan, Welsh poet and author (b. 1621)
  • 1702 – Margaret Fell, English religious leader, founded the Religious Society of Friends (b. 1614)
  • 1781 – James Abercrombie, Scottish general and politician (b. 1706)
  • 1784 – Solomon I of Imereti (b. 1735)
  • 1792 – Karl Friedrich Bahrdt, German theologian and author (b. 1741)
  • 1794 – Guillaume-Chrétien de Lamoignon de Malesherbes, French lawyer and politician (b. 1721)
  • 1827 – Georgios Karaiskakis, Greek general (b. 1780)
  • 1839 – Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin, French admiral and explorer (b. 1768)
  • 1850 – William Wordsworth, English poet and author (b. 1770)
  • 1889 – Jules Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly, French author and critic (b. 1808)
  • 1895 – Carl Ludwig, German physician and physiologist (b. 1815)
  • 1905 – Gédéon Ouimet, Canadian politician, 2nd Premier of Quebec (b. 1823)
  • 1907 – Alferd Packer, American prospector (b. 1842)
  • 1915 – Rupert Brooke, English poet (b. 1887)
  • 1936 – Teresa de la Parra, French-Venezuelan author (b. 1889)
  • 1951 – Jules Berry, French actor and director (b. 1883)
  • 1951 – Charles G. Dawes, American banker and politician, 30th Vice President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize laureate (b. 1865)
  • 1959 – Bak Jungyang, Korean politician
  • 1965 – George Adamski, Polish-American ufologist and author (b. 1891)
  • 1966 – George Ohsawa, Japanese founder of the Macrobiotic diet (b. 1893)
  • 1981 – Josep Pla, Catalan journalist and author (b. 1897)
  • 1983 – Buster Crabbe, American swimmer and actor (b. 1908)
  • 1984 – Red Garland, American pianist (b. 1923)
  • 1985 – Sam Ervin, American lawyer and politician (b. 1896)
  • 1985 – Frank Farrell, Australian rugby league player and policeman (b. 1916)
  • 1986 – Harold Arlen, American composer (b. 1905)
  • 1986 – Jim Laker, English cricketer and sportscaster (b. 1922)
  • 1986 – Otto Preminger, Ukrainian-American actor, director, and producer (b. 1906)
  • 1990 – Paulette Goddard, American actress (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – Johnny Thunders, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
  • 1992 – Satyajit Ray, Indian director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 1992 – Tanka Prasad Acharya, Nepalese politician, 27th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1912)
  • 1993 – Cesar Chavez, American activist, co-founded the United Farm Workers (b. 1927)
  • 1995 – Douglas Lloyd Campbell, Canadian farmer and politician, 13th Premier of Manitoba (b. 1895)
  • 1995 – Howard Cosell, American lawyer and journalist (b. 1918)
  • 1995 – Riho Lahi, Estonian journalist (b. 1904)
  • 1995 – John C. Stennis, American lawyer and politician (b. 1904)
  • 1996 – Jean Victor Allard, Canadian general (b. 1913)
  • 1996 – P. L. Travers, Australian-English author and actress (b. 1899)
  • 1997 – Denis Compton, English cricketer and footballer (b. 1918)
  • 1998 – Konstantinos Karamanlis, Greek lawyer and politician, 172nd Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1907)
  • 1998 – James Earl Ray, American assassin of Martin Luther King, Jr. (b. 1928)
  • 1998 – Thanassis Skordalos, Greek singer-songwriter and lyra player (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Fernand Fonssagrives, French-American photographer (b. 1910)
  • 2004 – Herman Veenstra, Dutch water polo player (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – Joh Bjelke-Petersen, New Zealand-Australian politician, 31st Premier of Queensland (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – Robert Farnon, Canadian-English trumpet player, composer and conductor (b. 1917)
  • 2005 – Al Grassby, Australian journalist and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2005 – John Mills, English actor (b. 1908)
  • 2005 – Romano Scarpa, Italian author and illustrator (b. 1927)
  • 2005 – Earl Wilson, American baseball player, coach and educator (b. 1934)
  • 2006 – Phil Walden, American record producer and manager, co-founder of Capricorn Records (b. 1940)
  • 2007 – Paul Erdman, Canadian-American economist and author (b. 1932)
  • 2007 – David Halberstam, American journalist, historian and author (b. 1934)
  • 2007 – Peter Randall, English sergeant (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – Boris Yeltsin, Russian politician, 1st President of Russia (b. 1931)
  • 2010 – Peter Porter, Australian-born British poet (b. 1929)
  • 2011 – James Casey, English comedian, radio scriptwriter and producer (b. 1922)
  • 2011 – Tom King, American guitarist and songwriter (b. 1943)
  • 2011 – Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, English businessman and politician (b. 1921)
  • 2011 – Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of State (b. 1924)
  • 2011 – John Sullivan, English screenwriter and producer (b. 1946)
  • 2012 – Lillemor Arvidsson, Swedish trade union leader and politician, 34th Governor of Gotland (b. 1943)
  • 2012 – Billy Bryans, Canadian drummer, songwriter and producer (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Chris Ethridge, American bass player and songwriter (b. 1947)
  • 2012 – Raymond Thorsteinsson, Canadian geologist and paleontologist (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – LeRoy T. Walker, American football player and coach (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Bob Brozman, American guitarist (b. 1954)
  • 2013 – Robert W. Edgar, American educator and politician (b. 1943)
  • 2013 – Tony Grealish, English footballer (b. 1956)
  • 2013 – Antonio Maccanico, Italian banker and politician (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Frank W. J. Olver, English-American mathematician and academic (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Kathryn Wasserman Davis, American philanthropist and scholar (b. 1907)
  • 2014 – Benjamín Brea, Spanish-Venezuelan saxophonist, clarinet player, and conductor (b. 1946)
  • 2014 – Michael Glawogger, Austrian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer (b. 1959)
  • 2014 – Jaap Havekotte, Dutch speed skater and producer of ice skates (b. 1912)
  • 2014 – Connie Marrero, Cuban baseball player and coach (b. 1911)
  • 2014 – F. Michael Rogers, American general (b. 1921)
  • 2014 – Mark Shand, English conservationist and author (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Patric Standford, English composer and educator (b. 1939)
  • 2015 – Richard Corliss, American journalist and critic (b. 1944)
  • 2015 – Ray Jackson, Australian activist (b. 1941)
  • 2015 – Pierre Claude Nolin, Canadian lawyer and politician, Speaker of the Canadian Senate (b. 1950)
  • 2015 – Jim Steffen, American football player (b. 1936)
  • 2015 – Francis Tsai, American author and illustrator (b. 1967)
  • 2016 – Inge King, German-born Australian sculptor (b. 1915)
  • 2016 – Banharn Silpa-archa, Thai politician, Prime Minister from 1995–1996 (b. 1932)
  • 2019 – Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick, American soprano singer and presenter (b.1983)

Holidays and observances on April 23

  • Castile and León Day (Castile and León)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Adalbert of Prague
    • Felix, Fortunatus, and Achilleus
    • George
    • Blessed Giles of Assisi
    • Gerard of Toul
    • Ibar of Beggerin (Meath)
    • Toyohiko Kagawa (Episcopal and Lutheran Church)
    • April 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which the first day of Children’s Day can fall, while April 29 is the latest; celebrated on the last Saturday of April. (Colombia)
  • Independence Day (Conch Republic, Key West, Florida)
  • International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day
  • Khongjom Day (Manipur)
  • National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Turkey and Northern Cyprus)
  • Navy Day (China)
  • St George’s Day (England) and its related observances:
    • Canada Book Day (Canada)
    • La Diada de Sant Jordi (Catalonia, Spain)
    • World Book Day
  • UN English Language Day (United Nations)

April 23 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • AD 65 – The freedman Milichus betrays Piso’s plot to kill Emperor Nero and all the conspirators are arrested.
  • 531 – Battle of Callinicum: A Byzantine army under Belisarius is defeated by the Persians at Raqqa (northern Syria).
  • 797 – Empress Irene organizes a conspiracy against her son, the Byzantine emperor Constantine VI. He is deposed and blinded. Shortly after, Constantine dies of his wounds; Irene proclaims herself basileus.
  • 1506 – The Lisbon Massacre begins, in which accused Jews are being slaughtered by Portuguese Catholics.
  • 1529 – Beginning of the Protestant Reformation: After the Second Diet of Speyer bans Lutheranism, a group of rulers (German: Fürst) and independent cities protests the reinstatement of the Edict of Worms.
  • 1539 – The Treaty of Frankfurt between Protestants and the Holy Roman Emperor is signed.
  • 1608 – In Ireland: O’Doherty’s Rebellion is launched by the Burning of Derry.
  • 1677 – The French army captures the town of Cambrai held by Spanish troops.
  • 1713 – With no living male heirs, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, issues the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 to ensure that Habsburg lands and the Austrian throne would be inheritable by a female; his daughter and successor, Maria Theresa was not born until 1717.
  • 1770 – Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern coast of what is now Australia.
  • 1770 – Marie Antoinette marries Louis XVI of France in a proxy wedding.
  • 1775 – American Revolutionary War: The war begins with an American victory in Concord during the battles of Lexington and Concord.
  • 1782 – John Adams secures the Dutch Republic’s recognition of the United States as an independent government. The house which he had purchased in The Hague, Netherlands becomes the first American embassy.
  • 1809 – An Austrian corps is defeated by the forces of the Duchy of Warsaw in the Battle of Raszyn, part of the struggles of the Fifth Coalition. On the same day the Austrian main army is defeated by a First French Empire Corps led by Louis-Nicolas Davout at the Battle of Teugen-Hausen in Bavaria, part of a four-day campaign that ended in a French victory.
  • 1810 – Venezuela achieves home rule: Vicente Emparán, Governor of the Captaincy General is removed by the people of Caracas and a junta is installed.
  • 1818 – French physicist Augustin Fresnel signs his preliminary “Note on the Theory of Diffraction” (deposited on the following day). The document ends with what we now call the Fresnel integrals.
  • 1839 – The Treaty of London establishes Belgium as a kingdom and guarantees its neutrality.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Baltimore riot of 1861: A pro-Secession mob in Baltimore attacks United States Army troops marching through the city.
  • 1903 – The Kishinev pogrom in Kishinev (Bessarabia) begins, forcing tens of thousands of Jews to later seek refuge in Palestine and the Western world.
  • 1927 – Mae West is sentenced to ten days in jail for obscenity for her play Sex.
  • 1942 – World War II: In Poland, the Majdan-Tatarski ghetto is established, situated between the Lublin Ghetto and a Majdanek subcamp.
  • 1943 – World War II: In Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins, after German troops enter the Warsaw Ghetto to round up the remaining Jews.
  • 1943 – Albert Hofmann deliberately doses himself with LSD for the first time, three days after having discovered its effects on April 16.
  • 1956 – Actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier of Monaco.
  • 1960 – Students in South Korea hold a nationwide pro-democracy protest against president Syngman Rhee, eventually forcing him to resign.
  • 1971 – Sierra Leone becomes a republic, and Siaka Stevens the president.
  • 1971 – Launch of Salyut 1, the first space station.
  • 1971 – Charles Manson is sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment) for conspiracy in the Tate–LaBianca murders.
  • 1973 – The Portuguese Socialist Party is founded in the German town of Bad Münstereifel.
  • 1975 – India’s first satellite Aryabhata launched in orbit from Kapustin Yar, Russia.
  • 1984 – Advance Australia Fair is proclaimed as Australia’s national anthem, and green and gold as the national colours.
  • 1985 – Two hundred ATF and FBI agents lay siege to the compound of the white supremacist survivalist group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord in Arkansas; the CSA surrenders two days later.
  • 1987 – The Simpsons first appear as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, first starting with Good Night.
  • 1989 – A gun turret explodes on the USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors.
  • 1993 – The 51-day FBI siege of the Branch Davidian building in Waco, Texas, USA, ends when a fire breaks out. 76 Davidians, including eighteen children under the age of ten, died in the fire.
  • 1995 – Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, USA, is bombed, killing 168 people including 19 children under the age of six.
  • 1999 – The German Bundestag returns to Berlin.
  • 2000 – Air Philippines Flight 541 crashes in Samal, Davao del Norte, killing all 131 people on board.
  • 2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected to the papacy and becomes Pope Benedict XVI.
  • 2011 – Fidel Castro resigns as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba after holding the title since July 1961.
  • 2013 – Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is killed in a shootout with police. His brother Dzhokhar is later captured hiding in a boat inside a backyard in the suburb of Watertown.
  • 2020 – A killing spree in Nova Scotia, Canada, leaves 22 people and the perpetrator dead, making it the deadliest rampage in the country’s history.

Births on April 19

  • 1452 – Frederick IV, King of Naples (d. 1504)
  • 1593 – Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet, English politician (d. 1647)
  • 1603 – Michel Le Tellier, French politician, French Minister of Defence (d. 1685)
  • 1613 – Christoph Bach, German musician (d. 1661)
  • 1633 – Willem Drost, Dutch painter (d. 1659)
  • 1655 – George St Lo(e), Royal Navy officer and administrator (d. 1718)
  • 1658 – Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, German husband of Archduchess Maria Anna Josepha of Austria (d. 1716)
  • 1665 – Jacques Lelong, French author (d. 1721)
  • 1686 – Vasily Tatishchev, Russian ethnographer and politician (d. 1750)
  • 1715 – James Nares, English organist and composer (d. 1783)
  • 1721 – Roger Sherman, American lawyer and politician (d. 1793)
  • 1734 – Karl von Ordóñez, Austrian violinist and composer (d. 1786)
  • 1757 – Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, English admiral and politician (d. 1833)
  • 1758 – William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk, Scottish admiral (d. 1831)
  • 1785 – Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, French pianist and composer (d. 1858)
  • 1787 – Deaf Smith, American soldier (d. 1837)
  • 1793 – Ferdinand I of Austria (d. 1875)
  • 1806 – Sarah Bagley, American labor organizer (d. 1889)
  • 1814 – Louis Amédée Achard, French journalist and author (d. 1875)
  • 1832 – José Echegaray, Spanish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1916)
  • 1835 – Julius Krohn, Finnish poet and journalist (d. 1888)
  • 1863 – Hemmo Kallio, Finnish actor (d. 1940)
  • 1872 – Alice Salomon, German social reformer (d. 1948)
  • 1873 – Sydney Barnes, English cricketer (d. 1967)
  • 1874 – Ernst Rüdin, Swiss psychiatrist, geneticist, and eugenicist (d. 1952)
  • 1877 – Ole Evinrude, Norwegian-American engineer, invented the outboard motor (d. 1934)
  • 1879 – Arthur Robertson, Scottish runner (d. 1957)
  • 1882 – Getúlio Vargas, Brazilian lawyer and politician, 14th President of Brazil (d. 1954)
  • 1883 – Henry Jameson, American soccer player (d. 1938)
  • 1883 – Richard von Mises, Austrian-American mathematician and physicist (d. 1953)
  • 1885 – Karl Tarvas, Estonian architect (d. 1975)
  • 1889 – Otto Georg Thierack, German jurist and politician (d. 1946)
  • 1891 – Françoise Rosay, French actress (d. 1974)
  • 1892 – Germaine Tailleferre, French composer and educator (d. 1983)
  • 1894 – Elizabeth Dilling, American author and activist (d. 1966)
  • 1897 – Peter de Noronha, Indian businessman and philanthropist (d. 1970)
  • 1897 – Jiroemon Kimura, Japanese super-centenarian, oldest verified man ever (d. 2013)
  • 1898 – Constance Talmadge, American actress and producer (d. 1973)
  • 1899 – George O’Brien, American actor (d. 1985)
  • 1899 – Cemal Tollu, Turkish lieutenant and painter (d. 1968)
  • 1900 – Iracema de Alencar, Brazilian film actress (d. 1978)
  • 1900 – Richard Hughes, English author, poet, and playwright (d. 1976)
  • 1900 – Roland Michener, Canadian lawyer and politician, 20th Governor General of Canada (d. 1991)
  • 1900 – Rhea Silberta, Yiddish songwriter and singing teacher (d. 1959)
  • 1902 – Veniamin Kaverin, Russian author and screenwriter (d. 1989)
  • 1903 – Eliot Ness, American law enforcement agent (d. 1957)
  • 1907 – Alan Wheatley, English actor (d. 1991)
  • 1908 – Irena Eichlerówna, Polish actress (d. 1990)
  • 1912 – Glenn T. Seaborg, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1999)
  • 1913 – Ken Carpenter, American discus thrower and coach (d. 1984)
  • 1917 – Sven Hassel, Danish-German soldier and author (d. 2012)
  • 1919 – Sol Kaplan, American pianist and composer (d. 1990)
  • 1920 – Gene Leis, American guitarist, composer, and producer (d. 1993)
  • 1920 – Marvin Mandel, American lawyer and politician, 56th Governor of Maryland (d. 2015)
  • 1920 – John O’Neil, American baseball player and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Julien Ries, Belgian cardinal (d. 2013)
  • 1920 – Marian Winters, American actress (d. 1978)
  • 1921 – Anna Lee Aldred, American jockey (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Leon Henkin, American logician (d. 2006)
  • 1921 – Roberto Tucci, Italian Jesuit leader, cardinal, and theologian (d. 2015)
  • 1922 – Erich Hartmann, German colonel and pilot (d. 1993)
  • 1922 – David Smith, politician in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe (d. 1996)
  • 1925 – John Kraaijkamp, Sr., Dutch actor (d. 2011)
  • 1925 – Hugh O’Brian, American actor (d. 2016)
  • 1926 – Rawya Ateya, Egyptian captain and politician (d. 1997)
  • 1928 – John Horlock, English engineer and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1928 – Azlan Shah of Perak, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Walter Stewart, Canadian journalist and author (d. 2004)
  • 1932 – Fernando Botero, Colombian painter and sculptor
  • 1933 – Dickie Bird, English cricketer and umpire
  • 1933 – Jayne Mansfield, American model and actress (d. 1967)
  • 1933 – Philip Lavallin Wroughton, English captain and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire
  • 1934 – Dickie Goodman, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 1989)
  • 1935 – Dudley Moore, English actor, comedian, and pianist (d. 2002)
  • 1935 – Justin Francis Rigali, American cardinal
  • 1936 – Wilfried Martens, Belgian politician, 60th Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2013)
  • 1936 – Jack Pardee, American football player and coach (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Antonio Carluccio, Italian-English chef and author (d. 2017)
  • 1937 – Elinor Donahue, American actress
  • 1937 – Joseph Estrada, Filipino politician, 13th President of the Philippines
  • 1938 – Stanley Fish, American theorist, author, and scholar
  • 1939 – E. Clay Shaw, Jr., American accountant, judge, and politician (d. 2013)
  • 1941 – Roberto Carlos, Brazilian singer-songwriter
  • 1941 – Clark Dimond, American musician and author
  • 1941 – Michel Roux, French-English chef and author (d. 2020)
  • 1941 – Bobby Russell, American singer-songwriter (d. 1992)
  • 1942 – Bas Jan Ader, Dutch-American photographer and director (d. 1975)
  • 1942 – Alan Price, English keyboard player, singer, and composer
  • 1942 – Jack Roush, American businessman, founded Roush Fenway Racing
  • 1942 – Maarten van den Bergh, American-Dutch businessman
  • 1943 – Margo MacDonald, Scottish journalist and politician (d. 2014)[28]
  • 1943 – Lorenzo Sanz, Spanish businessman
  • 1944 – Keith Erickson, American basketball player and sportscaster
  • 1944 – James Heckman, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1944 – Bernie Worrell, American keyboard player and songwriter (d. 2016)[29]
  • 1946 – Duygu Asena, Turkish journalist, author, and activist (d. 2006)
  • 1946 – Tim Curry, English actor[30]
  • 1947 – Murray Perahia, American pianist and conductor
  • 1947 – Wilfrid Stevenson, Baron Stevenson of Balmacara, English civil servant
  • 1947 – Yan Pascal Tortelier, French violinist and conductor
  • 1947 – Mark Volman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1948 – Stuart McLean, Canadian radio host and author (d. 2017)
  • 1948 – Rick Miller, American baseball player and manager
  • 1949 – Paloma Picasso, French-Spanish fashion designer
  • 1949 – Larry Walters, American truck driver and pilot (d. 1993)
  • 1950 – Julia Cleverdon, English businesswoman and philanthropist
  • 1951 – Barry Brown, American actor and playwright (d. 1978)
  • 1951 – Jóannes Eidesgaard, Faroese educator and politician, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands
  • 1952 – Alexis Argüello, Nicaraguan boxer and politician (d. 2009)
  • 1952 – Tony Plana, Cuban-American actor and director
  • 1952 – Michael Trend, English journalist and politician
  • 1953 – Rod Morgenstein, American drummer
  • 1953 – Sara Simeoni, Italian high jumper
  • 1953 – Ruby Wax, British-based American comedian, actress, and screenwriter
  • 1954 – Trevor Francis, English footballer and manager
  • 1954 – Bob Rock, Canadian guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1956 – Sue Barker, English tennis player and journalist
  • 1956 – Randy Carlyle, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
  • 1956 – Anne Glover, Scottish biologist and academic
  • 1957 – Tony Martin, English singer-songwriter
  • 1957 – Mukesh Ambani, Indian businessman, chairman of Reliance Industries and currently the richest man in Asia[31][32]
  • 1958 – Steve Antin, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1958 – Stevie B, American singer-songwriter and record producer
  • 1958 – Denis O’Brien, Irish businessman, founded BT Ireland
  • 1958 – Vytautas Šapranauskas, Lithuanian actor (d. 2013)
  • 1958 – Keith Shine, British academic and educator
  • 1959 – Jane Campbell, Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, English activist
  • 1959 – Teofisto Guingona III, Filipino lawyer and politician
  • 1959 – Donald Markwell, Australian sociologist and academic
  • 1960 – Nicoletta Braschi, Italian actress and producer
  • 1960 – Ara Gevorgyan, Armenian pianist, composer, and producer
  • 1960 – Roger Merrett, Australian footballer and coach
  • 1960 – John Schweitz, American basketball player and coach
  • 1960 – Frank Viola, American baseball player and coach[33]
  • 1961 – Alan Kirschenbaum, American producer and writer (d. 2012)
  • 1961 – Albert Martinez, Filipino actor, director, and producer
  • 1961 – Spike Owen, American baseball player and coach
  • 1962 – Al Unser Jr., American race car driver
  • 1964 – Gordon Marshall, Scottish footballer and coach
  • 1964 – Kim Weaver, American astrophysicist, astronomer, and academic
  • 1965 – Natalie Dessay, French soprano and actress
  • 1965 – Suge Knight, American record producer, co-founded Death Row Records
  • 1966 – Véronique Gens, French soprano and actress
  • 1966 – David La Haye, Canadian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Paul Reiffel, Australian cricketer and umpire
  • 1966 – El Samurai, Japanese wrestler
  • 1967 – Philippe Saint-André, French rugby player and coach
  • 1968 – Ashley Judd, American actress and activist
  • 1968 – Arshad Warsi, Indian film actor and producer
  • 1969 – Andrew Carnie, Canadian-American linguist, author, and academic
  • 1969 – Susan Polgar, Hungarian-American chess player
  • 1970 – Luis Miguel, Mexican singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1970 – Kelly Holmes, English runner
  • 1970 – Abelardo Fernández, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1971 – Brendon Burns, Australian comedian, podcaster, writer and author
  • 1971 – Scott McCord, Canadian voice actor
  • 1972 – Rivaldo, Brazilian footballer
  • 1972 – Jeff Wilkins, American football player
  • 1973 – George Gregan, Zambian-Australian rugby player and coach
  • 1973 – Alessio Scarpi, Italian footballer
  • 1975 – Jason Gillespie, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1975 – Jussi Jääskeläinen, Finnish footballer
  • 1976 – Ruud Jolie, Dutch guitarist
  • 1976 – Scott Padgett, American basketball player, coach, and radio host
  • 1976 – Kim Young-oh, South Korean author and illustrator
  • 1977 – Joe Beimel, American baseball player
  • 1977 – Anju Bobby George, Indian long jumper
  • 1977 – Lucien Mettomo, Cameroonian footballer
  • 1977 – Dennys Reyes, Mexican baseball player
  • 1977 – Jonny Storm, English wrestler and trainer
  • 1978 – James Franco, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Gabriel Heinze, Argentinian footballer
  • 1978 – Amanda Sage, American-Austrian painter and educator
  • 1979 – Rocky Bernard, American football player
  • 1979 – Kate Hudson, American actress
  • 1979 – Zhao Junzhe, Chinese footballer
  • 1980 – Jason Blaine, Canadian singer-songwriter
  • 1980 – Robyn Regehr, Brazilian-Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1981 – Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor and producer
  • 1981 – Ryuta Hara, Japanese footballer
  • 1981 – Martin Havlát, Czech ice hockey player
  • 1981 – James Hibberd, English cricketer
  • 1981 – Troy Polamalu, American football player
  • 1981 – Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
  • 1982 – Joseph Hagerty, American gymnast
  • 1982 – Filip Jícha, Czech handball player
  • 1982 – Samuel C. Morrison, Jr., Liberian-American journalist, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1982 – Rocco Sabato, Italian footballer
  • 1982 – Ignacio Serricchio, Argentinian-American actor
  • 1982 – Sitiveni Sivivatu, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1983 – Alberto Callaspo, Venezuelan-American baseball player
  • 1983 – Zach Duke, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Joe Mauer, American baseball player
  • 1983 – Patrick Platins, German footballer
  • 1983 – Curtis Thigpen, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Christopher Pearce, English cricketer
  • 1985 – Valon Behrami, Swiss footballer
  • 1985 – David Cavazos, Mexican singer-songwriter
  • 1985 – Sabrina Jalees, Canadian comedian, dancer, actress, presenter, and writer
  • 1985 – Jan Zimmermann, German footballer
  • 1986 – Pascal Angan, Beninese footballer
  • 1986 – Candace Parker, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Gabe Pruitt, American basketball player
  • 1986 – Will Thursfield, English-Australian footballer
  • 1987 – Luigi Giorgi, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Joe Hart, English footballer
  • 1987 – Daniel Schuhmacher, German singer-songwriter
  • 1987 – Maria Sharapova, Russian tennis player
  • 1987 – Lauren Wilson, Canadian figure skater
  • 1988 – Enrique Esqueda, Mexican footballer
  • 1989 – Dominik Mader, German footballer
  • 1989 – Daisuke Watabe, Japanese footballer
  • 1989 – Genoveva Añonma, Equatoguinean footballer
  • 1990 – Jackie Bradley, Jr., American baseball player
  • 1990 – Kim Chiu, Filipino actress, singer, and dancer[34]
  • 1990 – Héctor Herrera, Mexican footballer
  • 1990 – Ayaka Takahashi, Japanese badminton player
  • 1991 – Steve Cook, English footballer

Deaths April 19

  • 843 – Judith of Bavaria, Frankish empress
  • 1012 – Ælfheah of Canterbury, English archbishop and saint (b. 954)
  • 1013 – Hisham II, Umayyad caliph of Córdoba (b. 966)
  • 1044 – Gothelo I, duke of Lorraine
  • 1054 – Leo IX, pope of the Catholic Church (b. 1002)
  • 1321 – Gerasimus I, patriarch of Constantinople
  • 1390 – Robert II, king of Scotland (b. 1316)
  • 1405 – Thomas West, 1st Baron West, English nobleman (b. 1335)[35]
  • 1431 – Adolph III, count of Waldeck (b. 1362)
  • 1560 – Philip Melanchthon, German theologian and reformer (b. 1497)
  • 1567 – Michael Stifel, German monk and mathematician (b. 1487)
  • 1578 – Uesugi Kenshin, Japanese samurai and warlord (b. 1530)
  • 1588 – Paolo Veronese, Italian painter (b. 1528)
  • 1608 – Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset, English poet, playwright, and politician, Lord High Treasurer (b. 1536)
  • 1618 – Thomas Bastard, English priest and author (b. 1566)
  • 1619 – Jagat Gosain, Mughal empress (b. 1573)[36]
  • 1629 – Sigismondo d’India, Italian composer (b. 1582)
  • 1632 – Sigismund III Vasa, king of Sweden and Poland (b. 1566)
  • 1686 – Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra, Spanish historian and playwright (b. 1610)
  • 1689 – Christina, queen of Sweden (b. 1626)
  • 1733 – Elizabeth Hamilton, countess of Orkney (b. 1657)
  • 1739 – Nicholas Saunderson, English mathematician and academic (b. 1682)
  • 1768 – Canaletto, Italian painter and etcher (b. 1697)
  • 1776 – Jacob Emden, German rabbi and author (b. 1697)
  • 1791 – Richard Price, Welsh-English preacher and philosopher (b. 1723)
  • 1813 – Benjamin Rush, American physician and educator (b. 1745)
  • 1824 – Lord Byron, English-Scottish poet and playwright (b. 1788)
  • 1831 – Johann Gottlieb Friedrich von Bohnenberger, German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1765)
  • 1833 – James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier, Bahamian-English admiral and politician, 36th Commodore Governor of Newfoundland (b. 1756)
  • 1840 – Jean-Jacques Lartigue, Canadian bishop (b. 1777)
  • 1854 – Robert Jameson, Scottish mineralogist and academic (b. 1774)
  • 1881 – Benjamin Disraeli, English journalist and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (b. 1804)
  • 1882 – Charles Darwin, English biologist and theorist (b. 1809)
  • 1893 – Martin Körber, Estonian-German pastor, composer, and conductor (b. 1817)
  • 1901 – Alfred Horatio Belo, American publisher, founded The Dallas Morning News (b. 1839)
  • 1906 – Pierre Curie, French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1859)
  • 1906 – Spencer Gore, English tennis player and cricketer (b. 1850)
  • 1909 – Signe Rink, Greenland-born Danish writer and ethnologist (b. 1836)
  • 1914 – Charles Sanders Peirce, American mathematician and philosopher (b. 1839)
  • 1915 – Thomas Playford II, English-Australian politician, 17th Premier of South Australia (b. 1837)
  • 1916 – Ephraim Shay, American engineer, designed the Shay locomotive (b. 1839)
  • 1926 – Alexander Alexandrovich Chuprov, Russian-Swiss statistician and theorist (b. 1874)
  • 1930 – Georges-Casimir Dessaulles, Canadian businessman and politician (b. 1827)
  • 1937 – Martin Conway, 1st Baron Conway of Allington, English cartographer and politician (b. 1856)
  • 1937 – William Morton Wheeler, American entomologist and zoologist (b. 1865)
  • 1941 – Johanna Müller-Hermann, Austrian composer (b. 1878)
  • 1949 – Ulrich Salchow, Danish-Swedish figure skater (b. 1877)
  • 1950 – Ernst Robert Curtius, French-German philologist and scholar (b. 1886)
  • 1955 – Jim Corbett, British-Indian colonel, hunter, and author (b. 1875)
  • 1960 – Beardsley Ruml, American economist and statistician (b. 1894)
  • 1961 – Max Hainle, German swimmer (b. 1882)
  • 1967 – Konrad Adenauer, German politician, 1st Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
  • 1971 – Luigi Piotti, Italian race car driver (b. 1913)
  • 1975 – Percy Lavon Julian, American chemist and academic (b. 1899)
  • 1987 – Hugh Brannum, American vocalist, arranger, and composer (b. 1910)
  • 1989 – Daphne du Maurier, English novelist and playwright (b. 1907)
  • 1991 – Stanley Hawes, English-Australian director and producer (b. 1905)
  • 1992 – Frankie Howerd, English actor and screenwriter (b. 1917)
  • 1993 – David Koresh, American religious leader (b. 1959)
  • 1993 – George S. Mickelson, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of South Dakota (b. 1941)
  • 1998 – Octavio Paz, Mexican poet, philosopher, and academic Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1914)
  • 1999 – Hermine Braunsteiner, Austrian-German SS officer (b. 1919)
  • 2000 – Louis Applebaum, Canadian composer and conductor (b. 1918)
  • 2001 – Meldrim Thomson, Jr.. American publisher and politician, 73rd Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1912)
  • 2002 – Reginald Rose, American writer (b. 1920)
  • 2003 – Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Indian-English caliph (b. 1928)
  • 2004 – Norris McWhirter, English author and activist co-founded the Guinness World Records (b. 1925)
  • 2004 – John Maynard Smith, English biologist and geneticist (b. 1920)
  • 2004 – Jenny Pike, Canadian WWII servicewoman and photographer (b. 1922)[37]
  • 2005 – George P. Cosmatos, Italian-Greek director and screenwriter (b. 1941)
  • 2005 – Ruth Hussey, American actress (b. 1911)
  • 2005 – Clement Meadmore, Australian-American sculptor and author (b. 1929)
  • 2005 – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Danish bassist and composer (b. 1946)
  • 2006 – Albert Scott Crossfield, American engineer, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1921)
  • 2007 – Jean-Pierre Cassel, French actor (b. 1932)
  • 2008 – John Marzano, American baseball player and sportscaster (b. 1963)
  • 2008 – Alfonso López Trujillo, Colombian cardinal (b. 1935)
  • 2009 – J. G. Ballard, English novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1930)
  • 2011 – Elisabeth Sladen, English actress (b. 1946)[38]
  • 2012 – Leopold David de Rothschild, English financier and philanthropist (b. 1927)
  • 2012 – Greg Ham, Australian saxophonist, songwriter, and actor (b. 1953)
  • 2012 – Levon Helm, American singer-songwriter, drummer, guitarist, instrumentalist, and actor (b. 1940)
  • 2012 – Valeri Vasiliev, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1949)
  • 2013 – Sivanthi Adithan, Indian businessman (b. 1936)
  • 2013 – Allan Arbus, American actor and photographer (b. 1918)
  • 2013 – Mike Denness, Scottish-English cricketer and referee (b. 1940)
  • 2013 – François Jacob, French biologist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1920)
  • 2013 – E. L. Konigsburg, American author and illustrator (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Al Neuharth, American journalist, author, and publisher, founded USA Today (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Lindy Berry, American football player (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Ian McIntyre, Scottish journalist and producer (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Frits Thors, Dutch journalist (b. 1909)
  • 2015 – Raymond Carr, English historian and academic (b. 1919)
  • 2015 – William Price Fox, American journalist and author (b. 1926)
  • 2015 – Roy Mason, English miner and politician, Secretary of State for Defence (b. 1924)[39]
  • 2015 – Tom McCabe, Scottish social worker and politician (b. 1954)[40]
  • 2015 – Oktay Sinanoğlu, Italian-Turkish chemist and academic (b. 1935)
  • 2016 – Patricio Aylwin, Chilean politician (b. 1918)[41]
  • 2016 – Milt Pappas, American baseball player (b. 1939)[42]
  • 2017 – Aaron Hernandez, American football player (b. 1989)[43]

Holidays and observances on April 19

  • Christian feast day:
    • Ælfheah of Canterbury (Anglican, Catholic)
    • Conrad of Ascoli
    • Emma of Lesum
    • Expeditus
    • George of Antioch
    • Olaus and Laurentius Petri (Lutheran)
    • Pope Leo IX
    • Ursmar
    • April 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which First Day of Summer or Sumardagurinn fyrsti can fall, while April 25 is the latest; celebrated on the first Thursday after April 18. (Iceland)
  • Army Day (Brazil)
  • Beginning of the Independence Movement (Venezuela)
  • Bicycle Day[44]
  • Dutch-American Friendship Day (United States)
  • Holocaust Remembrance Day (Poland)
  • Indian Day (Brazil)
  • King Mswati III’s birthday (Eswatini)
  • Landing of the 33 Patriots Day (Uruguay)
  • Patriots’ Day (Massachusetts, Maine and Wisconsin, United States)

April 19 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • AD 73 – Masada, a Jewish fortress, falls to the Romans after several months of siege, ending the First Jewish–Roman War.
  • 1346 – Stefan Dušan, “the Mighty”, is crowned Emperor of the Serbs at Skopje, his empire occupying much of the Balkans.
  • 1520 – The Revolt of the Comuneros begins in Spain against the rule of Charles V.
  • 1582 – Spanish conquistador Hernando de Lerma founds the settlement of Salta, Argentina.
  • 1746 – The Battle of Culloden is fought between the French-supported Jacobites and the British Hanoverian forces commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, in Scotland.After the battle many highland traditions were banned and the Highlands of Scotland were cleared of inhabitants.
  • 1780 – Franz Friedrich Wilhelm von Fürstenberg founds the University of Münster.
  • 1799 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of Mount Tabor: Napoleon drives Ottoman Turks across the River Jordan near Acre.
  • 1818 – The United States Senate ratifies the Rush–Bagot Treaty, limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.
  • 1847 – Shooting of a Māori by an English sailor results in the opening of the Wanganui Campaign of the New Zealand Wars.
  • 1853 – The Great Indian Peninsula Railway opens the first passenger rail in India, from Bori Bunder to Thane.
  • 1858 – The Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is wound up.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: Battle at Lee’s Mills in Virginia.
  • 1862 – American Civil War: The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act, a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia, becomes law.
  • 1863 – American Civil War: During the Vicksburg Campaign, gunboats commanded by acting Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter run downriver past Confederate artillery batteries at Vicksburg.
  • 1881 – In Dodge City, Kansas, Bat Masterson fights his last gun battle.
  • 1908 – Natural Bridges National Monument is established in Utah.
  • 1910 – The oldest existing indoor ice hockey arena still used for the sport in the 21st century, Boston Arena, opens for the first time.
  • 1912 – Harriet Quimby becomes the first woman to fly an airplane across the English Channel.
  • 1917 – Vladimir Lenin returns to Petrograd, Russia, from exile in Switzerland.
  • 1919 – Mohandas Gandhi organizes a day of “prayer and fasting” in response to the killing of Indian protesters in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by the British colonial troops three days earlier.
  • 1919 – Polish–Soviet War: The Polish army launches the Vilna offensive to capture Vilnius in modern Lithuania.
  • 1922 – The Treaty of Rapallo, pursuant to which Germany and the Soviet Union re-establish diplomatic relations, is signed.
  • 1925 – During the Communist St Nedelya Church assault in Sofia, Bulgaria, 150 are killed and 500 are wounded.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Italian-German Tarigo convoy is attacked and destroyed by British ships.
  • 1941 – World War II: The Nazi-affiliated Ustaše is put in charge of the Independent State of Croatia by the Axis powers after Operation 25 is effected.
  • 1943 – Albert Hofmann accidentally discovers the hallucinogenic effects of the research drug LSD. He intentionally takes the drug three days later on April 19.
  • 1944 – World War II: Allied forces start bombing Belgrade, killing about 1,100 people. This bombing fell on the Orthodox Christian Easter.
  • 1945 – World War II: The Red Army begins the final assault on German forces around Berlin, with nearly one million troops fighting in the Battle of the Seelow Heights.
  • 1945 – The United States Army liberates Nazi Sonderlager (high security) prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C (better known as Colditz).
  • 1945 – More than 7,000 die when the German refugee ship Goya is sunk by a Soviet submarine.
  • 1947 – An explosion on board a freighter in port causes the city of Texas City, Texas, to catch fire, killing almost 600.
  • 1947 – Bernard Baruch first applies the term “Cold War” to describe the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union.
  • 1961 – In a nationally broadcast speech, Cuban leader Fidel Castro declares that he is a Marxist–Leninist and that Cuba is going to adopt Communism.
  • 1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. pens his Letter from Birmingham Jail while incarcerated in Birmingham, Alabama for protesting against segregation.
  • 1972 – Apollo program: The launch of Apollo 16 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  • 1990 – “Doctor Death”, Jack Kevorkian, participates in his first assisted suicide.
  • 2001 – India and Bangladesh begin a five-day border conflict, but are unable to resolve the disputes about their border.
  • 2003 – The Treaty of Accession is signed in Athens admitting ten new member states to the European Union.
  • 2007 – Virginia Tech shooting: Seung-Hui Cho guns down 32 people and injures 17 before committing suicide.
  • 2012 – The trial for Anders Behring Breivik, the perpetrator of the 2011 Norway attacks, begins in Oslo, Norway.
  • 2012 – The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced, it was the first time since 1977 that no book won the Fiction Prize.
  • 2013 – A 7.8-magnitude earthquake strikes Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran, killing at least 35 people and injuring 117 others.
  • 2013 – The 2013 Baga massacre is started when Boko Haram militants engage government soldiers in Baga.
  • 2014 – The South Korean ferry MV Sewol capsizes and sinks near Jindo Island, killing 304 passengers and crew and leading to widespread criticism of the South Korean government, media, and shipping authorities.

Births on April 16

  • 1435 – Jan II the Mad, Duke of Żagań (1439–1449 and 1461–1468 and again in 1472) (d. 1504)
  • 1488 – Jungjong of Joseon (d. 1544)
  • 1495 – Petrus Apianus, German mathematician and astronomer (d. 1557)
  • 1516 – Tabinshwehti, Burmese king (d. 1550)
  • 1569 – John Davies, English poet and lawyer (d. 1626)
  • 1635 – Frans van Mieris the Elder, Dutch painter (d. 1681)
  • 1646 – Jules Hardouin-Mansart, French architect, designed the Château de Dampierre and Grand Trianon (d. 1708)
  • 1660 – Hans Sloane, Irish-English physician and academic (d. 1753)
  • 1661 – Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax, English poet and politician, First Lord of the Treasury (d. 1715)
  • 1682 – John Hadley, English mathematician, invented the octant (d. 1744)
  • 1697 – Johann Gottlieb Görner, German organist and composer (d. 1778)
  • 1728 – Joseph Black, French-Scottish physician and chemist (d. 1799)
  • 1730 – Henry Clinton, English general and politician (d. 1795)
  • 1755 – Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, French painter (d. 1842)
  • 1786 – John Franklin, English admiral and politician, 4th Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (d. 1847)
  • 1800 – George Bingham, 3rd Earl of Lucan, English field marshal and politician (d. 1888)
  • 1808 – Caleb Blood Smith, American journalist, lawyer, and politician, 6th United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1864)
  • 1821 – Ford Madox Brown, French-English soldier and painter (d. 1893)
  • 1823 – Gotthold Eisenstein, German mathematician and academic (d. 1852)
  • 1826 – Sir James Corry, 1st Baronet, British politician (d. 1891)
  • 1827 – Octave Crémazie, Canadian poet and bookseller (d. 1879)
  • 1839 – Antonio Starabba, Marchese di Rudinì, Italian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Italy (d. 1908)
  • 1834 – Charles Lennox Richardson, English merchant (d. 1862)
  • 1844 – Anatole France, French journalist, novelist, and poet, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1924)
  • 1847 – Hans Auer, Swiss-Austrian architect, designed the Federal Palace of Switzerland (d. 1906)
  • 1848 – Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Indian author and activist (d. 1919)
  • 1851 – Ponnambalam Ramanathan, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 3rd Solicitor General of Sri Lanka (d. 1930)
  • 1864 – Rose Talbot Bullard, American medical doctor and professor (d. 1915)
  • 1865 – Harry Chauvel, Australian general (d. 1945)
  • 1866 – José de Diego, Puerto Rican journalist, lawyer, and politician (d. 1918)
  • 1867 – Wilbur Wright, American inventor (d. 1912)
  • 1871 – John Millington Synge, Irish author, poet, and playwright (d. 1909)
  • 1874 – Jōtarō Watanabe, Japanese general (d. 1936)
  • 1878 – R. E. Foster, English cricketer and footballer (d. 1914)
  • 1882 – Seth Bingham, American organist and composer (d. 1972)
  • 1884 – Ronald Barnes, 3rd Baron Gorell, English cricketer, journalist, and politician (d. 1963)
  • 1885 – Leó Weiner, Hungarian composer and educator (d. 1960)
  • 1886 – Michalis Dorizas, Greek-American football player and javelin thrower (d. 1957)
  • 1886 – Ernst Thälmann, German politician (d. 1944)
  • 1888 – Billy Minter, English footballer and manager (d. 1940)
  • 1889 – Charlie Chaplin, English actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (d. 1977)
  • 1890 – Fred Root, English cricketer and umpire (d. 1954)
  • 1890 – Gertrude Chandler Warner, American author and educator (d. 1979)
  • 1891 – Dorothy P. Lathrop, American author and illustrator (d. 1980)
  • 1892 – Howard Mumford Jones, American author, critic, and academic (d. 1980)
  • 1893 – Germaine Guèvremont, Canadian journalist and author (d. 1968)
  • 1893 – John Norton, American hurdler (d. 1979)
  • 1895 – Ove Arup, English-Danish engineer and businessman, founded Arup (d. 1988)
  • 1896 – Robert Henry Best, American journalist (d. 1952)
  • 1896 – Árpád Weisz, Hungarian footballer (d. 1944)
  • 1899 – Osman Achmatowicz, Polish chemist and academic (d. 1988)
  • 1900 – Polly Adler, Russian-American madam and author (d. 1962)
  • 1903 – Paul Waner, American baseball player and manager (d. 1965)
  • 1904 – Fifi D’Orsay, Canadian-American vaudevillian, actress, and singer (d. 1983)
  • 1905 – Frits Philips, Dutch businessman (d. 2005)
  • 1907 – Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Canadian inventor and businessman, founded Bombardier Inc. (d. 1964)
  • 1907 – August Eigruber, Austrian-German politician (d. 1947)
  • 1908 – Ellis Marsalis, Sr., American businessman and activist (d. 2004)
  • 1908 – Ray Ventura, French jazz bandleader (d. 1979)
  • 1910 – Berton Roueché, American journalist and author (d. 1994)
  • 1911 – Guy Burgess, English-Russian spy (d. 1963)
  • 1913 – Les Tremayne, English actor (d. 2003)
  • 1914 – John Hodiak, American actor (d. 1955)
  • 1915 – Robert Speck, Canadian politician, 1st Mayor of Mississauga (d. 1972)
  • 1916 – Behçet Necatigil, Turkish author, poet, and translator (d. 1979)
  • 1917 – Victoria Eugenia Fernández de Córdoba, 18th Duchess of Medinaceli (d. 2013)
  • 1917 – Barry Nelson, American actor (d. 2007)
  • 1918 – Dick Gibson, English racing driver (d. 2010)
  • 1918 – Hsuan Hua, Chinese-American monk and author (d. 1995)
  • 1918 – Juozas Kazickas, Lithuanian-American businessman and philanthropist (d. 2014)
  • 1918 – Spike Milligan, Irish actor, comedian, and writer (d. 2002)
  • 1919 – Merce Cunningham, American dancer and choreographer (d. 2009)
  • 1919 – Nilla Pizzi, Italian singer (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – Thomas Willmore, English geometer and academic (d. 2005)
  • 1920 – Ananda Dassanayake, Sri Lankan politician (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Prince George Valdemar of Denmark (d. 1986)
  • 1921 – Arlin M. Adams, American lawyer and judge (d. 2015)
  • 1921 – Wolfgang Leonhard, German historian and author (d. 2014)
  • 1921 – Peter Ustinov, English actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2004)
  • 1922 – Kingsley Amis, English novelist, poet, and critic (d. 1995)
  • 1922 – John Christopher, English author (d. 2012)
  • 1922 – Lawrence N. Guarino, American colonel (d. 2014)
  • 1922 – Leo Tindemans, Belgian politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Belgium (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Warren Barker, American composer (d. 2006)
  • 1923 – Arch A. Moore Jr., American sergeant, lawyer, and politician, 28th Governor of West Virginia (d. 2015)
  • 1924 – John Harvey-Jones, English academic and businessman (d. 2008)
  • 1924 – Henry Mancini, American composer and conductor (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Rudy Pompilli, American saxophonist (d. 1976)
  • 1924 – Madanjeet Singh, Indian diplomat, author, and philanthropist (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Pierre Fabre, French pharmacist, founded Laboratoires Pierre Fabre (d. 2013)
  • 1927 – Edie Adams, American actress and singer (d. 2008)
  • 1927 – Pope Benedict XVI
  • 1927 – Rolf Schult, German actor (d. 2013)
  • 1928 – Dick Lane, American football player and soldier (d. 2002)
  • 1929 – Roy Hamilton, American singer (d. 1969)
  • 1929 – Ralph Slatyer, Australian biologist and ecologist (d. 2012)
  • 1929 – Ed Townsend, American singer-songwriter and producer (d. 2003)
  • 1930 – Doug Beasy, Australian footballer and educator (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Herbie Mann, American flute player and composer (d. 2003)
  • 1932 – Maury Meyers, American lawyer and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1933 – Marcos Alonso Imaz, Spanish footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – Joan Bakewell, English journalist and author
  • 1933 – Perry Botkin Jr., American composer, arranger and musician
  • 1933 – Vera Krepkina, Russian long jumper
  • 1933 – Ike Pappas, American journalist and actor (d. 2008)
  • 1934 – Vince Hill, English singer-songwriter
  • 1934 – Robert Stigwood, Australian producer and manager (d. 2016)
  • 1934 – Barrie Unsworth, Australian politician, 36th Premier of New South Wales
  • 1934 – Vicar, Chilean cartoonist (d. 2012)
  • 1935 – Marcel Carrière, Canadian director and screenwriter
  • 1935 – Sarah Kirsch, German poet and author (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Lennart Risberg, Swedish boxer (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Dominique Venner, French journalist and historian (d. 2013)
  • 1935 – Bobby Vinton, American singer
  • 1936 – Vadim Kuzmin, Russian physicist and academic (d. 2015)
  • 1937 – Gert Potgieter, South African hurdler and coach
  • 1938 – Rich Rollins, American baseball player
  • 1938 – Gordon Wilson, Scottish lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1939 – John Amabile, American football player and coach (d. 2012)
  • 1939 – Dusty Springfield, English singer and record producer (d. 1999)
  • 1940 – Benoît Bouchard, Canadian academic and politician, 18th Canadian Minister of Transport
  • 1940 – David Holford, Barbadian cricketer
  • 1940 – Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
  • 1940 – Joan Snyder, American painter
  • 1940 – Thomas Stonor, 7th Baron Camoys, English banker and politician, Lord Chamberlain of the United Kingdom
  • 1941 – Allan Segal, American director and producer (d. 2012)
  • 1942 – Jim Lonborg, American baseball pitcher
  • 1942 – Sir Frank Williams, English businessman, founded the Williams F1 Racing Team
  • 1943 – Lonesome Dave Peverett, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 2000)
  • 1943 – Petro Tyschtschenko, Austrian-German businessman
  • 1943 – John Watkins, Australian cricketer
  • 1945 – Tom Allen, American lawyer and politician
  • 1946 – Margot Adler, American journalist and author (d. 2014)
  • 1946 – Ernst Bakker, Dutch politician (d. 2014)
  • 1946 – Johnnie Lewis, Liberian lawyer and politician, 18th Chief Justice of Liberia (d. 2015)
  • 1946 – R. Carlos Nakai, American flute player
  • 1947 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American basketball player and coach
  • 1947 – Gerry Rafferty, Scottish singer-songwriter (d. 2011)
  • 1948 – Reg Alcock, Canadian businessman and politician, 17th Canadian President of the Treasury Board (d. 2011)
  • 1950 – David Graf, American actor (d. 2001)
  • 1950 – Colleen Hewett, Australian singer and actress
  • 1951 – Ioan Mihai Cochinescu, Romanian author and photographer
  • 1951 – David Nutt, English psychiatrist and academic
  • 1952 – Bill Belichick, American football player and coach
  • 1952 – Michel Blanc, French actor and director
  • 1952 – Esther Roth-Shahamorov, Israeli sprinter and hurdler
  • 1952 – Billy West, American voice actor, singer-songwriter, and comedian
  • 1953 – Peter Garrett, Australian singer-songwriter and politician
  • 1953 – Jay O. Sanders, American actor
  • 1954 – Ellen Barkin, American actress
  • 1954 – John Bowe, Australian racing driver
  • 1954 – Mike Zuke, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1955 – Bruce Bochy, American baseball player and manager
  • 1955 – Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
  • 1956 – David M. Brown, American captain, pilot, and astronaut (d. 2003)
  • 1956 – T Lavitz, American keyboard player, composer, and producer (d. 2010)
  • 1956 – Lise-Marie Morerod, Swiss skier
  • 1957 – Patricia De Martelaere, Belgian philosopher, author, and academic (d. 2009)
  • 1958 – Tim Flach, English photographer and director
  • 1958 – Ulf Wakenius, Swedish guitarist
  • 1959 – Alison Ramsay, English-Scottish field hockey player and lawyer
  • 1960 – Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician (d. 2007)
  • 1960 – Rafael Benítez, Spanish footballer and manager
  • 1960 – Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Jarbom Gamlin, Indian lawyer and politician, 7th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (d. 2014)
  • 1961 – Linda Ruth Williams, British film studies academic
  • 1962 – Anna Dello Russo, Italian journalist
  • 1962 – Douglas Elmendorf, American economist and politician
  • 1962 – Ian MacKaye, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1963 – Saleem Malik, Pakistani cricketer
  • 1963 – Jimmy Osmond, American singer
  • 1964 – David Kohan, American screenwriter and producer
  • 1964 – Dave Pirner, American singer, songwriter and producer
  • 1964 – Esbjörn Svensson, Swedish pianist (d. 2008)
  • 1965 – Yves-François Blanchet, Canadian politician
  • 1965 – Jon Cryer, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1965 – Martin Lawrence, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1966 – Jarle Vespestad, Norwegian drummer
  • 1966 – Jeff Varner, American newscaster and reality television personality
  • 1968 – Vickie Guerrero, American wrestler and manager
  • 1968 – Rüdiger Stenzel, German runner
  • 1969 – Patrik Järbyn, Swedish skier
  • 1969 – Fernando Viña, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1970 – Dero Goi, German singer-songwriter and drummer
  • 1970 – Walt Williams, American basketball player
  • 1971 – Cameron Blades, Australian rugby player
  • 1971 – Selena, American singer-songwriter, actress, and fashion designer (d. 1995)
  • 1971 – Seigo Yamamoto, Japanese racing driver
  • 1971 – Natasha Zvereva, Belarusian tennis player
  • 1972 – Conchita Martínez, Spanish-American tennis player
  • 1972 – Tracy K. Smith, American poet and educator
  • 1973 – Akon, Senegalese-American singer, rapper and songwriter
  • 1973 – Charlotta Sörenstam, Swedish golfer
  • 1973 – Teddy Cobeña, Spanish-Ecuadorian expressionist and representational sculptor
  • 1975 – Keon Clark, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Lukas Haas, American actor and musician
  • 1976 – Kelli O’Hara, American actress and singer
  • 1977 – Freddie Ljungberg, Swedish footballer
  • 1979 – Christijan Albers, Dutch racing driver
  • 1979 – Lars Börgeling, German pole vaulter
  • 1979 – Daniel Browne, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1981 – Anestis Agritis, Greek footballer
  • 1981 – Maya Dunietz, Israeli singer-songwriter and pianist
  • 1981 – Matthieu Proulx, Canadian football player
  • 1982 – Gina Carano, American mixed martial artist and actress
  • 1982 – Boris Diaw, French basketball player
  • 1982 – Jonathan Vilma, American football player
  • 1983 – Marié Digby, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actress
  • 1983 – Cat Osterman, American softball player
  • 1984 – Teddy Blass, American composer and producer
  • 1984 – Claire Foy, English actress
  • 1984 – Tucker Fredricks, American speed skater
  • 1984 – Paweł Kieszek, Polish footballer
  • 1984 – Kerron Stewart, Jamaican sprinter
  • 1985 – Luol Deng, Sudanese-English basketball player
  • 1985 – Brendon Leonard, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1985 – Benjamín Rojas, Argentinian singer-songwriter and actor
  • 1985 – Taye Taiwo, Nigerian footballer
  • 1986 – Paul di Resta, Scottish racing driver
  • 1986 – Shinji Okazaki, Japanese footballer
  • 1986 – Peter Regin, Danish ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Epke Zonderland, Dutch gymnast
  • 1987 – Cenk Akyol, Turkish basketball player
  • 1987 – Aaron Lennon, English international footballer
  • 1988 – Kyle Okposo, American ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Reggie Jackson, American basketball player
  • 1990 – Vangelis Mantzaris, Greek basketball player
  • 1990 – Tony McQuay, American sprinter
  • 1990 – Travis Shaw, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Nolan Arenado, American baseball player
  • 1991 – Kim Kyung-jung, South Korean footballer
  • 1993 – Mirai Nagasu, American figure skater
  • 1993 – Chance the Rapper, American rapper
  • 1994 – Albert Almora, American baseball player
  • 1994 – Will Fuller, American football player
  • 2002 – Sadie Sink, American actress

Deaths on April 16

  • AD 69 – Otho, Roman emperor (b. AD 32)
  • 665 – Fructuosus of Braga, French archbishop and saint
  • 1090 – Sikelgaita, duchess of Apulia (b. c. 1040)
  • 1113 – Sviatopolk II of Kiev (b. 1050)
  • 1118 – Adelaide del Vasto, regent of Sicily, mother of Roger II of Sicily, queen of Baldwin I of Jerusalem
  • 1198 – Frederick I, Duke of Austria (b. 1175)
  • 1234 – Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (b. 1191)
  • 1375 – John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, English nobleman and soldier (b. 1347)
  • 1496 – Charles II, Duke of Savoy (b. 1489)
  • 1587 – Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (b. 1497)
  • 1640 – Countess Charlotte Flandrina of Nassau (b. 1579)
  • 1645 – Tobias Hume, Scottish soldier, viol player, and composer (b. 1569)
  • 1687 – George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, English poet and politician, Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding of Yorkshire (b. 1628)
  • 1689 – Aphra Behn, English author and playwright (b. 1640)
  • 1742 – Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, Italian poet and translator (b. 1672)
  • 1756 – Jacques Cassini, French astronomer (b. 1677)
  • 1783 – Christian Mayer, Czech astronomer and educator (b. 1719)
  • 1788 – Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, French mathematician, cosmologist, and author (b. 1707)
  • 1828 – Francisco Goya, Spanish-French painter and illustrator (b. 1746)
  • 1846 – Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (b. 1763)
  • 1850 – Marie Tussaud, French-English sculptor, founded the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum (b. 1761)
  • 1859 – Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and philosopher, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (b. 1805)
  • 1879 – Bernadette Soubirous, French nun and saint (b. 1844)
  • 1888 – Zygmunt Florenty Wróblewski, Polish physicist and chemist (b. 1845)
  • 1899 – Emilio Jacinto, Filipino journalist and activist (b. 1875)
  • 1904 – Maximilian Kronberger, German poet and author (b. 1888)
  • 1904 – Samuel Smiles, Scottish-English author (b. 1812)
  • 1914 – George William Hill, American astronomer and mathematician (b. 1838)
  • 1915 – Nelson W. Aldrich, American businessman and politician (b. 1841)
  • 1925 – Stefan Nerezov, Bulgarian general (b. 1867)
  • 1928 – Henry Birks, Canadian businessman, founded Henry Birks and Sons (b. 1840)
  • 1928 – Roman Steinberg, Estonian wrestler (b. 1900)
  • 1930 – José Carlos Mariátegui, Peruvian journalist, philosopher, and activist (b. 1894)
  • 1935 – Panait Istrati, Romanian journalist and author (b. 1884)
  • 1937 – Jay Johnson Morrow, American military engineer and politician, 3rd Governor of the Panama Canal Zone (b. 1870)
  • 1938 – Steve Bloomer, English footballer and manager (b. 1874)
  • 1941 – Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, English economist and civil servant (b. 1880)
  • 1942 – Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (b. 1878)
  • 1942 – Denis St. George Daly, Irish polo player (b. 1862)
  • 1946 – Arthur Chevrolet, Swiss-American race car driver and engineer (b. 1884)
  • 1947 – Rudolf Höss, German SS officer (b. 1900)
  • 1950 – Eduard Oja, Estonian composer, conductor, and critic (b. 1905)
  • 1950 – Anders Peter Nielsen, Danish target shooter (b. 1867)
  • 1955 – David Kirkwood, Scottish engineer and politician (b. 1872)
  • 1958 – Rosalind Franklin, English biophysicist and academic (b. 1920)
  • 1960 – Mihály Fekete, Hungarian actor, screenwriter and film director (b. 1884)
  • 1961 – Carl Hovland, American psychologist and academic (b. 1912)
  • 1965 – Francis Balfour, English soldier and colonial administrator (b. 1884)
  • 1965 – Sydney Chaplin, English actor, comedian, brother of Charlie Chaplin (b. 1885)
  • 1966 – Eric Lambert, Australian author (b. 1918)
  • 1968 – Fay Bainter, American actress (b. 1893)
  • 1968 – Edna Ferber, American novelist, short story writer, and playwright (b. 1885)
  • 1969 – Hem Vejakorn, Thai illustrator and painter (b. 1904)
  • 1970 – Richard Neutra, Austrian-American architect, designed the Los Angeles County Hall of Records (b. 1892)
  • 1970 – Péter Veres, Hungarian politician, Hungarian Minister of Defence (b. 1897)
  • 1972 – Yasunari Kawabata, Japanese novelist and short story writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1899)
  • 1972 – Frank O’Connor, Australian public servant (b. 1894)
  • 1973 – István Kertész, Hungarian conductor and educator (b. 1929)
  • 1978 – Lucius D. Clay, American officer and military governor in occupied Germany (b. 1898)
  • 1980 – Morris Stoloff, American composer (b. 1898)
  • 1985 – Scott Brady, American actor (b. 1924)
  • 1988 – Khalil al-Wazir, Palestinian commander, founded Fatah (b. 1935)
  • 1988 – Youri Egorov, Russian pianist (b. 1954)
  • 1989 – Jocko Conlan, American baseball player and umpire (b. 1899)
  • 1989 – Kaoru Ishikawa Japanese author and educator (b. 1915)
  • 1989 – Miles Lawrence, English cricketer (b. 1940)
  • 1989 – Hakkı Yeten, Turkish footballer and manager (b. 1910)
  • 1991 – David Lean, English director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
  • 1992 – Neville Brand, American actor (b. 1920)
  • 1992 – Alexandru Nicolschi, Romanian spy and activist (b. 1915)
  • 1992 – Andy Russell, American singer and actor (b. 1919)
  • 1994 – Paul-Émilien Dalpé, Canadian labor unionist (b. 1919)
  • 1994 – Ralph Ellison, American novelist and critic (b. 1913)
  • 1996 – Lucille Bremer, American actress and dancer (b. 1917)
  • 1996 – Stavros Niarchos, Greek-Swiss businessman (b. 1909)
  • 1997 – Esmeralda Arboleda Cadavid, Colombian politician (b. 1921)
  • 1997 – Roland Topor, French actor, director, and painter (b. 1938)
  • 1998 – Alberto Calderón, Argentinian-American mathematician and academic (b. 1920)
  • 1998 – Fred Davis, English snooker player (b. 1913)
  • 1998 – Marie-Louise Meilleur, Canadian super-centenarian (b. 1880)
  • 1999 – Skip Spence, Canadian-American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1946)
  • 2001 – Robert Osterloh, American actor (b. 1918)
  • 2001 – Michael Ritchie, American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1938)
  • 2001 – Alec Stock, English footballer and manager (b. 1917)
  • 2002 – Billy Ayre, English footballer and manager (b. 1952)
  • 2002 – Ruth Fertel, American businesswoman, founded Ruth’s Chris Steak House (b. 1927)
  • 2002 – Robert Urich, American actor (b. 1946)
  • 2003 – Graham Jarvis, Canadian actor (b. 1930)
  • 2003 – Graham Stuart Thomas, English horticulturalist and author (b. 1909)
  • 2005 – Kay Walsh, English actress, singer, and dancer (b. 1911)
  • 2007 – Frank Bateson, New Zealand astronomer (b. 1909)
  • 2007 – Gaétan Duchesne, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1962)
  • 2007 – Maria Lenk, Brazilian swimmer (b. 1915)
  • 2007 – Chandrabose Suthaharan, Sri Lankan journalist
  • 2008 – Edward Norton Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist (b. 1917)
  • 2010 – Rasim Delić, Bosnian general and convicted war criminal (b. 1949)
  • 2010 – Daryl Gates, American police officer, created the D.A.R.E. Program (b. 1926)
  • 2011 – Gerry Alexander, Jamaican cricketer and veterinarian (b. 1928)
  • 2011 – Allan Blakeney, Canadian scholar and politician, 10th Premier of Saskatchewan (b. 1925)
  • 2011 – Sol Saks, American screenwriter and producer (b. 1910)
  • 2012 – Sári Barabás, Hungarian soprano (b. 1914)
  • 2012 – Marian Biskup, Polish author and academic (b. 1922)
  • 2012 – Alan Hacker, English clarinet player and conductor (b. 1938)
  • 2012 – George Kunda, Zambian lawyer and politician, 11th Vice-President of Zambia (b. 1956)
  • 2012 – Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, Danish businessman (b. 1913)
  • 2012 – Carlo Petrini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1948)
  • 2013 – Charles Bruzon, Gibraltarian politician (b. 1938)
  • 2013 – Ali Kafi, Algerian colonel and politician (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Siegfried Ludwig, Austrian politician, 18th Governor of Lower Austria (b. 1926)
  • 2013 – Pentti Lund, Finnish-Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1925)
  • 2013 – George Beverly Shea, Canadian-American singer-songwriter (b. 1909)
  • 2013 – Pat Summerall, American football player and sportscaster (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, Mexican architect, designed the Tijuana Cultural Center and National Museum of Anthropology (b. 1919)
  • 2014 – Gyude Bryant, Liberian businessman and politician (b. 1949)
  • 2014 – Aulis Rytkönen, Finnish footballer and manager (b. 1929)
  • 2014 – Ernst Florian Winter, Austrian-American historian and political scientist (b. 1923)
  • 2015 – Valery Belousov, Russian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1948)
  • 2015 – Attaphol Buspakom, Thai footballer and manager (b. 1962)
  • 2015 – Oles Buzina, Ukrainian journalist and author (b. 1969)
  • 2015 – Stanislav Gross, Czech lawyer and politician, 5th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (b. 1969)
  • 2016 – Charlie Hodge, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1933)
  • 2018 – Harry Anderson, American actor and magician (b. 1952)
  • 2018 – Jim Caine, British jazz pianist (b. 1926)

Holidays and observances on April 16

  • Christian feast day:
    • Benedict Joseph Labre
    • Bernadette Soubirous
    • Drogo
    • Fructuosus of Braga
    • Isabella Gilmore (Church of England)
    • Martyrs of Zaragoza
    • Molly Brant (Konwatsijayenni) (Anglican Church of Canada, Episcopal Church)
    • Turibius of Astorga
    • April 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Birthday of José de Diego (Puerto Rico, United States)
  • Birthday of Queen Margrethe II (Denmark)
  • Emancipation Day (Washington, D.C., United States)
  • Foursquare Day (International observance)
  • Memorial Day for the Victims of the Holocaust (Hungary)
  • National Healthcare Decisions Day (United States)
  • Remembrance of Chemical Attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • World Voice Day

April 16 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 43 BC – Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Caesar’s assassin Decimus Brutus in Mutina, defeats the forces of the consul Pansa, but is then immediately defeated by the army of the other consul, Aulus Hirtius.
  • AD 69 – Vitellius, commander of the Rhine armies, defeats Emperor Otho in the Battle of Bedriacum to take power over Rome.
  • AD 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, surrounds the Jewish capital with four Roman legions.
  • 193 – Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans).
  • 966 – After his marriage to the Christian Doubravka of Bohemia, the pagan ruler of the Polans, Mieszko I, converts to Christianity, an event considered to be the founding of the Polish state.
  • 972 – Co-Emperor Otto II, a son of Otto I (the Great), marries the Byzantine princess Theophanu. She is crowned empress by Pope John XIII at Rome.
  • 1028 – Henry III, son of Conrad, is elected King of Germany.
  • 1205 – Battle of Adrianople between Bulgarians and Crusaders.
  • 1294 – Temür, grandson of Kublai, is elected Khagan of the Mongols and Emperor of the Yuan dynasty with the reigning titles Oljeitu and Chengzong.
  • 1341 – Sack of Saluzzo (Italy) by Italian-Angevine troops under Manfred V, Marquess of Saluzzo.
  • 1434 – The foundation stone of Nantes Cathedral, France is laid.
  • 1471 – In England, the Yorkists under Edward IV defeat the Lancastrians under the Earl of Warwick at the Battle of Barnet; the Earl is killed and Edward IV resumes the throne.
  • 1561 – A celestial phenomenon is reported over Nuremberg, described as an aerial battle.
  • 1639 – Imperial forces are defeated by the Swedes at the Battle of Chemnitz. The Swedish victory prolongs the Thirty Years’ War and allows them to advance into Bohemia.
  • 1699 – Khalsa: The Sikh religion was formalised as the Khalsa – the brotherhood of Warrior-Saints – by Guru Gobind Singh in northern India, in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar.
  • 1775 – The first abolition society in North America is established. The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage is organized in Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Rush.
  • 1816 – Bussa, a slave in British-ruled Barbados, leads a slave rebellion and is killed. For this, he is remembered as the first national hero of Barbados.
  • 1828 – Noah Webster copyrights the first edition of his dictionary.
  • 1849 – Hungary declares itself independent of Austria with Lajos Kossuth as its leader.
  • 1865 – U.S. President Abraham Lincoln is shot in Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth; Lincoln died the next day.
  • 1865 – U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward and his family are attacked at home by Lewis Powell.
  • 1881 – The Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight is fought in El Paso, Texas.
  • 1890 – The Pan-American Union is founded by the First International Conference of American States in Washington, D.C.
  • 1894 – The first ever commercial motion picture house opened in New York City using ten Kinetoscopes, a device for peep-show viewing of films.
  • 1900 – The Exposition Universelle begins.
  • 1902 – James Cash Penney opens his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming.
  • 1906 – The Azusa Street Revival opens and will launch Pentecostalism as a worldwide movement.
  • 1908 – Hauser Dam, a steel dam on the Missouri River in Montana, U.S., fails, sending a surge of water 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 m) high downstream.
  • 1909 – A massacre is organized by the Ottoman Empire against the Armenian population of Cilicia.
  • 1912 – The British passenger liner RMS Titanic hits an iceberg in the North Atlantic at 23:40 (sinks morning of April 15th).
  • 1927 – The first Volvo car premieres in Gothenburg, Sweden.
  • 1928 – The Bremen, a German Junkers W 33 type aircraft, reaches Greenly Island, Canada – the first successful transatlantic aeroplane flight from east to west.
  • 1931 – The Spanish Cortes deposes King Alfonso XIII and proclaims the Second Spanish Republic.
  • 1935 – The Black Sunday dust storm, considered one of the worst storms of the Dust Bowl, swept across the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles and neighboring areas.
  • 1939 – The Grapes of Wrath, by American author John Steinbeck is first published by the Viking Press.
  • 1940 – World War II: Royal Marines land in Namsos, Norway in preparation for a larger force to arrive two days later.
  • 1941 – World War II: German general Erwin Rommel attacks Tobruk.
  • 1944 – Bombay explosion: A massive explosion in Bombay harbor kills 300 and causes economic damage valued then at 20 million pounds.
  • 1945 – Razing of Friesoythe: The 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division deliberately destroyed the German town of Friesoythe on the orders of Major General Christopher Vokes.
  • 1958 – The Soviet satellite Sputnik 2 falls from orbit after a mission duration of 162 days. This was the first spacecraft to carry a living animal, a female dog named Laika, who likely lived only a few hours.
  • 1967 – Gnassingbé Eyadéma overthrows President of Togo Nicolas Grunitzky and installs himself as the new president, a title he would hold for the next 38 years.
  • 1978 – Tbilisi Demonstrations: Thousands of Georgians demonstrate against Soviet attempts to change the constitutional status of the Georgian language.
  • 1981 – STS-1: The first operational Space Shuttle, Columbia completes its first test flight.
  • 1986 – The heaviest hailstones ever recorded (1 kilogram (2.2 lb)) fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92.
  • 1988 – The USS Samuel B. Roberts strikes a mine in the Persian Gulf during Operation Earnest Will.
  • 1988 – In a United Nations ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland, the Soviet Union signs an agreement pledging to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan.
  • 1991 – The Republic of Georgia introduces the post of President after its declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.
  • 1994 – In a U.S. friendly fire incident during Operation Provide Comfort in northern Iraq, two United States Air Force aircraft mistakenly shoot-down two United States Army helicopters, killing 26 people.
  • 1999 – NATO mistakenly bombs a convoy of ethnic Albanian refugees. Yugoslav officials say 75 people were killed.
  • 1999 – A severe hailstorm strikes Sydney, Australia causing A$2.3 billion in insured damages, the most costly natural disaster in Australian history.
  • 2002 – Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez returns to office two days after being ousted and arrested by the country’s military.
  • 2003 – The Human Genome Project is completed with 99% of the human genome sequenced to an accuracy of 99.99%.
  • 2003 – U.S. troops in Baghdad capture Abu Abbas, leader of the Palestinian group that killed an American on the hijacked cruise liner the MS Achille Lauro in 1985.
  • 2005 – The Oregon Supreme Court nullifies marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples a year earlier by Multnomah County.
  • 2006 – Twin blasts triggered by crude bombs during Asr prayer in Jama Masjid, Delhi injure 13 people.
  • 2010 – Nearly 2,700 are killed in a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
  • 2014 – Twin bomb blasts in Abuja, Nigeria, kill at least 75 people and injures 141 others.
  • 2014 – Two hundred seventy-six schoolgirls are abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok, Nigeria.
  • 2016 – In Japan, the foreshock of Kumamoto earthquakes occurs.

Births on April 14

  • 1126 – Averroes, Spanish physician and philosopher (d. 1198)
  • 1204 – Henry I, king of Castile (d. 1217)
  • 1331 – Jeanne-Marie de Maille, French Roman Catholic saint (d. 1414)
  • 1527 – Abraham Ortelius, Flemish cartographer and geographer (d. 1598)
  • 1572 – Adam Tanner, Austrian mathematician, philosopher, and academic (d. 1632)
  • 1578 – Philip III of Spain (d. 1621)
  • 1629 – Christiaan Huygens, Dutch mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (d. 1695)
  • 1668 – Magnus Julius De la Gardie, Swedish general and politician (d. 1741)
  • 1678 – Abraham Darby I, English iron master (d. 1717)
  • 1709 – Charles Collé, French playwright and songwriter (d. 1783)
  • 1714 – Adam Gib, Scottish minister and author (d. 1788)
  • 1738 – William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1809)
  • 1741 – Emperor Momozono of Japan (d. 1762)
  • 1769 – Barthélemy Catherine Joubert, French general (d. 1799)
  • 1773 – Jean-Baptiste de Villèle, French politician, 6th Prime Minister of France (d. 1854)
  • 1788 – David G. Burnet, American politician, 2nd Vice-President of Texas (d. 1870)
  • 1800 – John Appold, English engineer (d. 1865)
  • 1812 – George Grey, Portuguese-New Zealand soldier, explorer, and politician, 11th Prime Minister of New Zealand (d. 1898)
  • 1814 – Dimitri Kipiani, Georgian publicist and author (d. 1887)
  • 1819 – Harriett Ellen Grannis Arey, American educator, author, editor, and publisher (d. 1901)
  • 1827 – Augustus Pitt Rivers, English general, ethnologist, and archaeologist (d. 1900)
  • 1852 – Alexander Greenlaw Hamilton, Australian biologist (d. 1941)
  • 1854 – Martin Lipp, Estonian pastor and poet (d. 1923)
  • 1857 – Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom (d. 1944)
  • 1865 – Alfred Hoare Powell, English architect, and designer and painter of pottery (d. 1960)
  • 1866 – Anne Sullivan, American educator (d. 1936)
  • 1868 – Peter Behrens, German architect, designed the AEG turbine factory (d. 1940)
  • 1870 – Victor Borisov-Musatov, Russian painter and educator (d. 1905)
  • 1870 – Syd Gregory, Australian cricketer and coach (d. 1929)
  • 1872 – Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Indian-English scholar and translator (d. 1953)
  • 1876 – Cecil Chubb, English barrister and one time owner of Stonehenge (d. 1934)
  • 1881 – Husain Salaahuddin, Maldivian poet and scholar (d. 1948)
  • 1882 – Moritz Schlick, German-Austrian physicist and philosopher (d. 1936)
  • 1886 – Ernst Robert Curtius, German philologist and scholar (d. 1956)
  • 1886 – Árpád Tóth, Hungarian poet and translator (d. 1928)
  • 1889 – Arnold J. Toynbee, English historian and academic (d. 1975)
  • 1891 – B. R. Ambedkar, Indian economist, jurist, and politician, 1st Indian Minister of Law and Justice (d. 1956)
  • 1891 – Otto Lasanen, Finnish wrestler (d. 1958)
  • 1892 – Juan Belmonte, Spanish bullfighter (d. 1962)
  • 1892 – V. Gordon Childe, Australian archaeologist and philologist (d. 1957)
  • 1892 – Claire Windsor, American actress (d. 1972)
  • 1902 – Sylvio Mantha, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and referee (d. 1974)
  • 1903 – Henry Corbin, French philosopher and academic (d. 1978)
  • 1903 – Ruth Svedberg, Swedish discus thrower and triathlete (d. 2002)
  • 1904 – John Gielgud, English actor, director, and producer (d. 2000)
  • 1905 – Elizabeth Huckaby, American author and educator (d. 1999)
  • 1905 – Georg Lammers, German sprinter (d. 1987)
  • 1905 – Jean Pierre-Bloch, French author and activist (d. 1999)
  • 1906 – Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabian king (d. 1975)
  • 1907 – François Duvalier, Haitian physician and politician, 40th President of Haiti (d. 1971)
  • 1912 – Robert Doisneau, French photographer and journalist (d. 1994)
  • 1912 – Georg Siimenson, Estonian footballer (d. 1978)
  • 1913 – Jean Fournet, French conductor (d. 2008)
  • 1916 – Don Willesee, Australian telegraphist and politician, 29th Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (d. 2003)
  • 1917 – Valerie Hobson, English actress (d. 1998)
  • 1917 – Marvin Miller, American baseball executive (d. 2012)
  • 1918 – Mary Healy, American actress and singer (d. 2015)
  • 1919 – Shamshad Begum, Pakistani-Indian singer (d. 2013)
  • 1919 – K. Saraswathi Amma, Indian author and playwright (d. 1975)
  • 1920 – Ivor Forbes Guest, English lawyer, historian, and author (d. 2018)
  • 1921 – Thomas Schelling, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2016)
  • 1922 – Audrey Long, American actress (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Roberto De Vicenzo, Argentinian golfer (d. 2017)
  • 1924 – Shorty Rogers, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1994)
  • 1924 – Joseph Ruskin, American actor and producer (d. 2013)
  • 1924 – Mary Warnock, Baroness Warnock, English philosopher, and academic (d. 2019)
  • 1925 – Abel Muzorewa, Zimbabwean minister and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (d. 2010)
  • 1925 – Rod Steiger, American soldier and actor (d. 2002)
  • 1926 – Barbara Anderson, New Zealand author (d. 2013)
  • 1926 – Frank Daniel, Czech director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1996)
  • 1926 – Gloria Jean, American actress and singer (d. 2018)
  • 1926 – Liz Renay, American actress and author (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Alan MacDiarmid, New Zealand chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2007)
  • 1927 – Dany Robin, French actress and singer (d. 1995)
  • 1929 – Gerry Anderson, English director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1929 – Inez Andrews, African-American singer-songwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1930 – Martin Adolf Bormann, German priest and theologian (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – Arnold Burns, American lawyer and politician, 21st United States Deputy Attorney General (d. 2013)
  • 1930 – René Desmaison, French mountaineer (d. 2007)
  • 1930 – Bradford Dillman, American actor and author (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – Geoffrey Dalton, English admiral
  • 1931 – Paul Masnick, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1932 – Bill Bennett, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Premier of British Columbia (d. 2015)
  • 1932 – Atef Ebeid, Egyptian academic and politician, 47th Prime Minister of Egypt (d. 2014)
  • 1932 – Loretta Lynn, American singer-songwriter and musician
  • 1932 – Cameron Parker, Scottish businessman and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire
  • 1933 – Paddy Hopkirk, Northern Irish racing driver
  • 1933 – Boris Strugatsky, Russian author (d. 2012)
  • 1933 – Yuri Oganessian, Armenian-Russian nuclear physicist
  • 1934 – Fredric Jameson, American philosopher and theorist
  • 1935 – Susan Cunliffe-Lister, Baroness Masham of Ilton, English table tennis player, swimmer, and politician
  • 1935 – John Oliver, English bishop
  • 1935 – Erich von Däniken, Swiss historian and author
  • 1936 – Arlene Martel, American actress and singer (d. 2014)
  • 1936 – Bobby Nichols, American golfer
  • 1936 – Frank Serpico, American-Italian soldier, police officer and lecturer
  • 1937 – Efi Arazi, Israeli businessman, founded the Scailex Corporation (d. 2013)
  • 1937 – Sepp Mayerl, Austrian mountaineer (d. 2012)
  • 1938 – Mahmud Esad Coşan, Turkish author and academic (d. 2001)
  • 1940 – Julie Christie, English actress and activist
  • 1940 – David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes, English archbishop and academic
  • 1940 – Richard Thompson, English physician and academic
  • 1941 – Pete Rose, American baseball player and manager
  • 1942 – Valeriy Brumel, Soviet high jumper (d. 2003)
  • 1942 – Valentin Lebedev, Russian engineer and astronaut
  • 1942 – Björn Rosengren, Swedish politician, Swedish Minister of Enterprise and Innovation
  • 1944 – John Sergeant, English journalist
  • 1945 – Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoan economist and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Samoa
  • 1945 – Ritchie Blackmore, English guitarist and songwriter
  • 1945 – Roger Frappier, Canadian producer, director and screenwriter
  • 1946 – Mireille Guiliano, French-American author
  • 1946 – Michael Sarris, Cypriot economist and politician, Cypriot Minister of Finance
  • 1946 – Knut Kristiansen, Norwegian pianist and orchestra leader
  • 1947 – Dominique Baudis, French journalist and politician (d. 2014)
  • 1947 – Bob Massie, Australian cricketer
  • 1948 – Berry Berenson, American model, actress, and photographer (d. 2001)
  • 1948 – Anastasios Papaligouras, Greek lawyer and politician, Greek Minister of Justice
  • 1949 – Dave Gibbons, English author and illustrator
  • 1949 – DeAnne Julius, American-British economist and academic
  • 1949 – Chris Langham, English actor and screenwriter
  • 1949 – Chas Mortimer, English motorcycle racer
  • 1949 – John Shea, American actor and director
  • 1950 – Francis Collins, American physician and geneticist
  • 1950 – Péter Esterházy, Hungarian author (d. 2016)
  • 1951 – Milija Aleksic, English footballer (d. 2012)
  • 1951 – José Eduardo González Navas, Spanish politician
  • 1951 – Julian Lloyd Webber, English cellist, conductor, and educator
  • 1951 – Elizabeth Symons, Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, English politician
  • 1952 – Kenny Aaronson, American bass player
  • 1952 – Mickey O’Sullivan, Irish footballer and manager
  • 1952 – David Urquhart, Scottish bishop
  • 1954 – Sue Hill, English pathologist and civil servant
  • 1954 – Katsuhiro Otomo, Japanese director, screenwriter, and illustrator
  • 1956 – Boris Šprem, Croatian lawyer and politician, 8th President of Croatian Parliament (d. 2012)
  • 1957 – Lothaire Bluteau, Canadian actor
  • 1957 – Mikhail Pletnev, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor
  • 1958 – Peter Capaldi, Scottish actor
  • 1959 – Steve Byrnes, American sportscaster and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1959 – Marie-Thérèse Fortin, Canadian actress
  • 1960 – Brad Garrett, American actor and comedian
  • 1960 – Myoma Myint Kywe, Burmese historian and journalist
  • 1960 – Osamu Sato, Japanese graphic artist, programmer, and composer
  • 1960 – Tina Rosenberg, American journalist and author
  • 1960 – Pat Symcox, South African cricketer
  • 1961 – Robert Carlyle, Scottish actor and director
  • 1961 – Daniel Clowes, American cartoonist and screenwriter
  • 1962 – Guillaume Leblanc, Canadian athlete
  • 1964 – Brian Adams, American wrestler (d. 2007)
  • 1964 – Jeff Andretti, American race car driver
  • 1964 – Greg Battle, American-Canadian football player
  • 1964 – Stuart Duncan, American bluegrass musician
  • 1964 – Jeff Hopkins, Welsh international footballer and manager
  • 1964 – Gina McKee, English actress
  • 1965 – Tom Dey, American director and producer
  • 1965 – Alexandre Jardin, French author
  • 1965 – Craig McDermott, Australian cricketer and coach
  • 1966 – André Boisclair, Canadian lawyer and politician
  • 1966 – Jan Boklöv, Swedish ski jumper
  • 1966 – David Justice, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1966 – Greg Maddux, American baseball player, coach, and manager
  • 1967 – Nicola Berti, Italian international footballer
  • 1967 – Steve Chiasson, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1999)
  • 1967 – Alain Côté, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1967 – Barrett Martin, American drummer, songwriter, and producer
  • 1967 – Julia Zemiro, French-Australian actress, comedian, singer and writer
  • 1968 – Anthony Michael Hall, American actor
  • 1969 – Brad Ausmus, American baseball player and manager
  • 1969 – Martyn LeNoble, Dutch-American bass player
  • 1969 – Vebjørn Selbekk, Norwegian journalist
  • 1970 – Steve Avery, American baseball player
  • 1970 – Shizuka Kudō, Japanese singer and actress
  • 1971 – Miguel Calero, Colombian footballer and manager (d. 2012)
  • 1971 – Carlos Pérez, Dominican-American baseball player
  • 1971 – Gregg Zaun, American baseball player and sportscaster
  • 1972 – Paul Devlin, English-Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1972 – Roberto Mejía, Dominican baseball player
  • 1972 – Dean Potter, American rock climber and BASE jumper (d. 2015)
  • 1973 – Roberto Ayala, Argentinian footballer
  • 1973 – Adrien Brody, American actor
  • 1973 – Hidetaka Suehiro, Japanese video game director and writer
  • 1973 – David Miller, American tenor
  • 1974 – Da Brat, American rapper
  • 1975 – Lita, American wrestler
  • 1975 – Luciano Almeida, Brazilian footballer
  • 1975 – Avner Dorman, Israeli-American composer and academic
  • 1975 – Anderson Silva, Brazilian mixed martial artist and boxer
  • 1976 – Christian Älvestam, Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1976 – Georgina Chapman, English model, actress, and fashion designer, co-founded Marchesa
  • 1976 – Anna DeForge, American basketball player
  • 1976 – Kyle Farnsworth, American baseball player
  • 1976 – Nadine Faustin-Parker, Hatian hurdler
  • 1976 – Jason Wiemer, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1977 – Nate Fox, American basketball player (d. 2014)
  • 1977 – Martin Kaalma, Estonian footballer
  • 1977 – Sarah Michelle Gellar, American actress and producer
  • 1977 – Rob McElhenney, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1978 – Roland Lessing, Estonian biathlete
  • 1979 – Iain Balshaw, English rugby player
  • 1979 – Rebecca DiPietro, American wrestler and model
  • 1979 – Marios Elia, Cypriot footballer
  • 1979 – Ross Filipo, New Zealand rugby player
  • 1979 – Noé Pamarot, French footballer
  • 1979 – Patrick Somerville, American novelist and short story writer
  • 1979 – Kerem Tunçeri, Turkish basketball player
  • 1980 – Win Butler, American-Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1980 – Jeremy Smith, New Zealand rugby league player
  • 1981 – Mustafa Güngör, German rugby player
  • 1981 – Amy Leach, English director and producer
  • 1982 – Uğur Boral, Turkish footballer
  • 1982 – Larissa França, Brazilian volleyball player
  • 1983 – Simona La Mantia, Italian triple jumper
  • 1983 – James McFadden, Scottish footballer
  • 1983 – William Obeng, Ghanaian-American football player
  • 1983 – Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Georgian basketball player
  • 1984 – Blake Costanzo, American football player
  • 1984 – Charles Hamelin, Canadian speed skater
  • 1984 – Harumafuji Kōhei, Mongolian sumo wrestler, the 70th Yokozuna
  • 1984 – Adán Sánchez, American-Mexican musician (d. 2004)
  • 1984 – Tyler Thigpen, American football player
  • 1985 – Grant Clitsome, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1986 – Matt Derbyshire, English footballer
  • 1986 – Goran Gogić, Serbian footballer (d. 2015)
  • 1987 – Michael Baze, American jockey (d. 2011)
  • 1987 – Erwin Hoffer, Austrian footballer
  • 1987 – Wilson Kiprop, Kenyan runner
  • 1987 – Korina Perkovic, German tennis player
  • 1988 – Roberto Bautista Agut, Spanish tennis player
  • 1988 – Eric Gryba, Canadian ice hockey defenseman
  • 1988 – Eliška Klučinová, Czech heptathlete
  • 1988 – Vasileios Pliatsikas, Greek footballer
  • 1988 – Brad Sinopoli, Canadian football player
  • 1989 – Joe Haden, American football player
  • 1990 – Markus Smarzoch, German footballer
  • 1992 – Frederik Sørensen, Danish footballer
  • 1996 – Abigail Breslin, American actress

Deaths on April 14

  • 911 – Pope Sergius III, pope of the Roman Catholic Church
  • 1070 – Gerard, Duke of Lorraine (b. c. 1030)
  • 1099 – Conrad, Bishop of Utrecht (b. before 1040)
  • 1132 – Mstislav I of Kiev (b. 1076)
  • 1279 – Bolesław the Pious, Duke of Greater Poland (b. 1224)
  • 1322 – Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere, English soldier and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (b. 1275)
  • 1345 – Richard de Bury, English bishop and politician, Lord Chancellor of The United Kingdom (b. 1287)
  • 1424 – Lucia Visconti, English countess (b. 1372)
  • 1433 – Lidwina, Dutch saint (b. 1380)
  • 1471 – Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, English commander and politician (b. 1428)
  • 1471 – John Neville, 1st Marquess of Montagu (b. 1431)
  • 1480 – Thomas de Spens, Scottish statesman and prelate (b. c. 1415)
  • 1488 – Girolamo Riario, Lord of Imola and Forli (b. 1443)
  • 1574 – Louis of Nassau (b. 1538)
  • 1578 – James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, English husband of Mary, Queen of Scots (b. 1534)
  • 1587 – Edward Manners, 3rd Earl of Rutland (b. 1548)
  • 1599 – Henry Wallop, English politician (b. 1540)
  • 1609 – Gasparo da Salò, Italian violin maker (b. 1540)
  • 1662 – William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele, English politician (b. 1582)
  • 1682 – Avvakum, Russian priest and saint (b. 1620)
  • 1721 – Michel Chamillart, French politician, Controller-General of Finances (b. 1652)
  • 1740 – Lady Catherine Jones, English philanthropist (b.1672)
  • 1759 – George Frideric Handel, German-English organist and composer (b. 1685)
  • 1785 – William Whitehead, English poet and playwright (b. 1715)
  • 1792 – Maximilian Hell, Slovak-Hungarian astronomer and priest (b. 1720)
  • 1843 – Joseph Lanner, Austrian violinist and composer (b. 1801)
  • 1864 – Charles Lot Church, American-Canadian politician (b. 1777)
  • 1888 – Emil Czyrniański, Polish chemist (b. 1824)
  • 1910 – Mikhail Vrubel, Russian painter and sculptor (b. 1856)
  • 1911 – Addie Joss, American baseball player and journalist (b. 1880)
  • 1911 – Henri Elzéar Taschereau, Canadian lawyer and jurist, 4th Chief Justice of Canada (b. 1836)
  • 1912 – Henri Brisson, French politician, 50th Prime Minister of France (b. 1835)
  • 1914 – Hubert Bland, English activist, co-founded the Fabian Society (b. 1855)
  • 1916 – Gina Krog, Norwegian suffragist and women’s rights activist (b. 1847)
  • 1917 – L. L. Zamenhof, Polish physician and linguist, created Esperanto (b. 1859)
  • 1919 – Auguste-Réal Angers, Canadian judge and politician, 6th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (b. 1837)
  • 1925 – John Singer Sargent, American painter (b. 1856)
  • 1930 – Vladimir Mayakovsky, Georgian-Russian actor, playwright, and poet (b. 1893)
  • 1931 – Richard Armstedt, German philologist, historian, and educator (b. 1851)
  • 1935 – Emmy Noether, German-American mathematician and academic (b. 1882)
  • 1938 – Gillis Grafström, Swedish figure skater and architect (b. 1893)
  • 1943 – Yakov Dzhugashvili, Georgian-Russian lieutenant (b. 1907)
  • 1950 – Ramana Maharshi, Indian guru and philosopher (b. 1879)
  • 1951 – Al Christie, Canadian-American director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1881)
  • 1962 – M. Visvesvaraya, Indian engineer and scholar (b. 1860)
  • 1963 – Rahul Sankrityayan, Indian monk and historian (b. 1893)
  • 1964 – Tatyana Afanasyeva, Russian-Dutch mathematician and theorist (b. 1876)
  • 1964 – Rachel Carson, American biologist and author (b. 1907)
  • 1968 – Al Benton, American baseball player (b. 1911)
  • 1969 – Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, Spanish actress (b. 1900)
  • 1975 – Günter Dyhrenfurth, German-Swiss mountaineer, geologist, and explorer (b. 1886)
  • 1975 – Fredric March, American actor (b. 1897)
  • 1976 – José Revueltas, Mexican author and activist (b. 1914)
  • 1978 – Joe Gordon, American baseball player and manager (b. 1915)
  • 1978 – F. R. Leavis, English educator and critic (b. 1895)
  • 1983 – Pete Farndon, English bassist (The Pretenders) (b. 1952)
  • 1983 – Gianni Rodari, Italian journalist and author (b. 1920)
  • 1986 – Simone de Beauvoir, French novelist and philosopher (b. 1908)
  • 1990 – Thurston Harris, American singer (b. 1931)
  • 1990 – Olabisi Onabanjo, Nigerian politician, 3rd Governor of Ogun State (b. 1927)
  • 1992 – Irene Greenwood, Australian radio broadcaster and feminist and peace activist (b. 1898)
  • 1994 – Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, Pakistani chemist and scholar (b. 1897)
  • 1995 – Burl Ives, American actor, folk singer, and writer (b. 1909)
  • 1999 – Ellen Corby, American actress and screenwriter (b. 1911)
  • 1999 – Anthony Newley, English singer-songwriter and actor (b. 1931)
  • 1999 – Bill Wendell, American television announcer (b. 1924)
  • 2000 – Phil Katz, American computer programmer, co-created the zip file format (b. 1962)
  • 2000 – August R. Lindt, Swiss lawyer and politician (b. 1905)
  • 2000 – Wilf Mannion, English footballer (b. 1918)
  • 2001 – Jim Baxter, Scottish footballer (b. 1939)
  • 2001 – Hiroshi Teshigahara, Japanese director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1927)
  • 2003 – Jyrki Otila, Finnish politician (b. 1941)
  • 2004 – Micheline Charest, English-Canadian television producer, co-founded the Cookie Jar Group (b. 1953)
  • 2006 – Mahmut Bakalli, Kosovo politician (b. 1936)
  • 2007 – June Callwood, Canadian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1924)
  • 2007 – Don Ho, American singer and ukulele player (b. 1930)
  • 2007 – René Rémond, French historian and economist (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – Tommy Holmes, American baseball player and manager (b. 1917)
  • 2008 – Ollie Johnston, American animator and voice actor (b. 1912)
  • 2009 – Maurice Druon, French author (b. 1918)
  • 2010 – Israr Ahmed, Pakistani theologian and scholar (b. 1932)
  • 2010 – Alice Miller, Polish-French psychologist and author (b. 1923)
  • 2010 – Peter Steele, American singer-songwriter and bass player (b. 1962)
  • 2011 – Jean Gratton, Canadian Roman Catholic bishop (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Émile Bouchard, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1919)
  • 2012 – Jonathan Frid, Canadian actor (b. 1924)
  • 2012 – Piermario Morosini, Italian footballer (b. 1986)
  • 2013 – Efi Arazi, Israeli businessman, founded the Scailex Corporation (b. 1937)
  • 2013 – Colin Davis, English conductor and educator (b. 1927)
  • 2013 – R. P. Goenka, Indian businessman, founded RPG Group (b. 1930)
  • 2013 – George Jackson, American singer-songwriter (b. 1945)
  • 2013 – Armando Villanueva, Peruvian politician, 121st Prime Minister of Peru (b. 1915)
  • 2013 – Charlie Wilson, American politician (b. 1943)
  • 2014 – Nina Cassian, Romanian poet and critic (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Crad Kilodney, American-Canadian author (b. 1948)
  • 2014 – Wally Olins, English businessman and academic (b. 1930)
  • 2014 – Mick Staton, American soldier and politician (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Klaus Bednarz, German journalist and author (b. 1942)
  • 2015 – Mark Reeds, Canadian-American ice hockey player and coach (b. 1960)
  • 2015 – Percy Sledge, American singer (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Roberto Tucci, Italian cardinal and theologian (b. 1921)
  • 2019 – Bibi Andersson, Swedish actress (b.1935)

Holidays and observances on April 14

  • Ambedkar Jayanti (India)
  • Black Day (South Korea)
  • Christian feast day:
    • Anthony, John, and Eustathius
    • Bénézet
    • Henry Beard Delany (Episcopal Church (USA))
    • Domnina of Terni
    • Lidwina
    • Peter González
    • Tiburtius, Valerian, and Maximus
    • April 14 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Commemoration of Anfal Genocide Against the Kurds (Iraqi Kurdistan)
  • Day of Mologa (Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia)
  • Day of the Georgian language (Georgia)
  • Dhivehi Language Day (Maldives)
  • N’Ko Alphabet Day (Mande speakers)
  • Pan American Day (several countries in The Americas)
  • South and Southeast Asian New Year, celebrated on the sidereal vernal equinox. (see April 13):
    • Assamese New Year, or Bohag Bihu (India’s Assam Valley)
    • Bengali New Year, or Pohela Boishakh (Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal state)
    • Burmese New Year, or Thingyan (Myanmar)
    • Hindu and Sikh New Year, or Vaisakhi (Punjab region)
    • Khmer New Year, or Chol Chnam Thmey (Cambodia)
    • Lao New Year, or Pi Mai Lao (Laos)
    • Mahl New Year, or Alathu Aharudhuvas (Maldives and India’s Lakshadweep and Kerala state)
    • Maithili New Year, or Jude Sheetal (Mithila region)
    • Malayali New Year, or Vishu (India’s Kerala state)
    • Nepali New Year, or Navabarsha / Vaishak Ek (Nepal)
    • Oriya/Odia New Year, or Pana Sankranti (India’s Odisha state)
    • Sinhalese New Year, or Aluth Avurudhu (Sri Lanka)
    • Tamil New Year, or Puthandu (India’s Tamil Nadu state)
    • Thai New Year, or Songkran, celebrated from 13 to 15 April (Thailand)
    • Tuluva New Year, or Bisu (India’s Karnataka state)
  • The first day of Takayama Spring Festival (Takayama, Gifu, Japan)
  • Youth Day (Angola)

April 14 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day Read More »

On This Day

April 13 – History, Events, Births, Deaths, Holidays and Observances On This Day

  • 1111 – Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor.
  • 1204 – Constantinople falls to the Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade, temporarily ending the Byzantine Empire.
  • 1612 – Miyamoto Musashi defeats Sasaki Kojirō at Funajima island.
  • 1613 – Samuel Argall, having captured Native American princess Pocahontas in Passapatanzy, Virginia, sets off with her to Jamestown with the intention of exchanging her for English prisoners held by her father.
  • 1742 – George Frideric Handel’s oratorio Messiah makes its world-premiere in Dublin, Ireland.
  • 1777 – American Revolutionary War: American forces are ambushed and defeated in the Battle of Bound Brook, New Jersey.
  • 1829 – The Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 gives Roman Catholics in the United Kingdom the right to vote and to sit in Parliament.
  • 1849 – Lajos Kossuth presents the Hungarian Declaration of Independence in a closed session of the National Assembly.
  • 1861 – American Civil War: Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederate forces.
  • 1865 – American Civil War: Raleigh, North Carolina is occupied by Union Forces.
  • 1870 – The New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art is founded.
  • 1873 – The Colfax massacre, in which more than 60 black men are murdered, takes place.
  • 1909 – The military of the Ottoman Empire reverses the Ottoman countercoup of 1909 to force the overthrow of Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
  • 1919 – Jallianwala Bagh massacre: British Indian Army troops lead by Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer killed approx 379-1000 unarmed demonstrators including men and women in Amritsar, India; and approximately 1,500 injured.
  • 1941 – A pact of neutrality between the USSR and Japan is signed.
  • 1943 – World War II: The discovery of mass graves of Polish prisoners of war killed by Soviet forces in the Katyń Forest Massacre is announced, causing a diplomatic rift between the Polish government-in-exile in London and the Soviet Union, which denies responsibility.
  • 1943 – The Jefferson Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C., on the 200th anniversary of President Thomas Jefferson’s birth.
  • 1944 – Relations between New Zealand and the Soviet Union are established.
  • 1945 – World War II: German troops kill more than 1,000 political and military prisoners in Gardelegen, Germany.
  • 1945 – World War II: Soviet and Bulgarian forces capture Vienna.
  • 1948 – In an ambush, 78 Jewish doctors, nurses and medical students from Hadassah Hospital, and a British soldier, are massacred by Arabs in Sheikh Jarrah. This event came to be known as the Hadassah medical convoy massacre.
  • 1953 – CIA director Allen Dulles launches the mind-control program Project MKUltra.
  • 1958 – American pianist Van Cliburn is awarded first prize at the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
  • 1960 – The United States launches Transit 1-B, the world’s first satellite navigation system.
  • 1964 – At the Academy Awards, Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American male to win the Best Actor award for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field.
  • 1970 – An oxygen tank aboard the Apollo 13 Service Module explodes, putting the crew in great danger and causing major damage to the Apollo command and service module (codenamed “Odyssey“) while en route to the Moon.
  • 1972 – The Universal Postal Union decides to recognize the People’s Republic of China as the only legitimate Chinese representative, effectively expelling the Republic of China administering Taiwan.
  • 1972 – Vietnam War: The Battle of An Lộc begins.
  • 1975 – An attack by the Phalangist resistance kills 26 militia members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, marking the start of the 15-year Lebanese Civil War.
  • 1976 – The United States Treasury Department reintroduces the two-dollar bill as a Federal Reserve Note on Thomas Jefferson’s 233rd birthday as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.
  • 1976 – Forty workers die in an explosion at the Lapua ammunition factory, the deadliest accidental disaster in modern history in Finland.
  • 1992 – Basements throughout the Chicago Loop are flooded, forcing the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to close.
  • 1997 – Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer to win the Masters Tournament.
  • 2003 – A bus near the Vale of Tempe, Greece was involved in a major vehicle accident with a truck and multiple cars, leaving 21 students in the tenth grade of Makrochori, Imathia High School dead and nine injured during their return to their homes from a trip to Athens.
  • 2017 – The US drops the largest ever non-nuclear weapon on Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan.

Births on April 13

  • 1229 – Louis II, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1294)
  • 1350 – Margaret III, Countess of Flanders (d. 1405)
  • 1506 – Peter Faber, French priest and theologian, co-founded the Society of Jesus (d. 1546)
  • 1519 – Catherine de’ Medici, Italian-French wife of Henry II of France (d. 1589)
  • 1570 – Guy Fawkes, English soldier, planned the Gunpowder Plot (probable; d. 1606)
  • 1573 – Christina of Holstein-Gottorp (d. 1625)
  • 1593 – Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, English soldier and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (d. 1641)
  • 1618 – Roger de Rabutin, Comte de Bussy, French author (d. 1693)
  • 1636 – Hendrik van Rheede, Dutch botanist (d. 1691)
  • 1648 – Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon, French mystic (d. 1717)
  • 1713 – Pierre Jélyotte, French tenor (d. 1797)
  • 1729 – Thomas Percy, Irish bishop and poet (d. 1811)
  • 1732 – Frederick North, Lord North, English politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1792)
  • 1735 – Isaac Low, American merchant and politician, founded the New York Chamber of Commerce (d. 1791)
  • 1743 – Thomas Jefferson, American lawyer and politician, 3rd President of the United States (d. 1826)
  • 1747 – Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (d. 1793)
  • 1764 – Laurent de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, French general and politician, French Minister of War (d. 1830)
  • 1769 – Thomas Lawrence, English painter and educator (d. 1830)
  • 1771 – Richard Trevithick, Cornish-English engineer and explorer (d. 1833)
  • 1780 – Alexander Mitchell, Irish engineer, invented the Screw-pile lighthouse (d. 1868)
  • 1784 – Friedrich Graf von Wrangel, Prussian field marshal (d. 1877)
  • 1787 – John Robertson, American lawyer and politician (d. 1873)
  • 1794 – Jean Pierre Flourens, French physiologist and academic (d. 1867)
  • 1802 – Leopold Fitzinger, Austrian zoologist and herpetologist (d. 1884)
  • 1808 – Antonio Meucci, Italian-American engineer (d. 1889)
  • 1810 – Félicien David, French composer (d. 1876)
  • 1824 – William Alexander, Irish archbishop, poet, and theologian (d. 1911)
  • 1825 – Thomas D’Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist and politician (d. 1868)
  • 1828 – Josephine Butler, English feminist and social reformer (d. 1906)
  • 1828 – Joseph Lightfoot, English bishop and theologian (d. 1889)
  • 1832 – Juan Montalvo, Ecuadorian author and diplomat (d. 1889)
  • 1841 – Louis-Ernest Barrias, French sculptor and academic (d. 1905)
  • 1850 – Arthur Matthew Weld Downing, Irish astronomer (d. 1917)
  • 1851 – Robert Abbe, American surgeon and radiologist (d. 1928)
  • 1851 – William Quan Judge, Irish occultist and theosophist (d. 1896)
  • 1852 – Frank Winfield Woolworth, American businessman, founded the F. W. Woolworth Company (d. 1919)
  • 1854 – Lucy Craft Laney, Founder of the Haines Normal and Industrial School, Augusta, Georgia (d. 1933)
  • 1860 – James Ensor, English-Belgian painter (d. 1949)
  • 1866 – Butch Cassidy, American criminal (d. 1908)
  • 1872 – John Cameron, Scottish international footballer and manager (d. 1935)
  • 1872 – Alexander Roda Roda, Austrian-Croatian journalist and author (d. 1945)
  • 1873 – John W. Davis, American lawyer and politician, 14th United States Solicitor General (d. 1955)
  • 1875 – Ray Lyman Wilbur, American physician, academic, and politician, 31st United States Secretary of the Interior (d. 1949)
  • 1879 – Edward Bruce, American lawyer and painter (d. 1943)
  • 1879 – Oswald Bruce Cooper, American type designer, lettering artist, graphic designer, and educator (d. 1940)
  • 1880 – Charles Christie, Canadian-American businessman, co-founded the Christie Film Company (d. 1955)
  • 1885 – Vean Gregg, American baseball player (d. 1964)
  • 1885 – Juhan Kukk, Estonian politician, Head of State of Estonia (d. 1942)
  • 1885 – György Lukács, Hungarian philosopher and critic (d. 1971)
  • 1885 – Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy, Dutch politician (d. 1961)
  • 1887 – Gordon S. Fahrni, Canadian physician and golfer (d. 1995)
  • 1889 – Herbert Yardley, American cryptologist and author (d. 1958)
  • 1890 – Frank Murphy, American jurist and politician, 56th United States Attorney General (d. 1949)
  • 1890 – Dadasaheb Torne, Indian director and producer (d. 1960)
  • 1891 – Maurice Buckley, Australian sergeant, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1921)
  • 1891 – Nella Larsen, Danish/African-American nurse, librarian, and author (d. 1964)
  • 1891 – Robert Scholl, German accountant and politician (d. 1973)
  • 1892 – Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet, English air marshal (d. 1984)
  • 1892 – Robert Watson-Watt, Scottish engineer, invented Radar (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Arthur Fadden, Australian accountant and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1973)
  • 1894 – Joie Ray, American runner (d. 1978)
  • 1896 – Fred Barnett, English footballer (d. 1982)
  • 1897 – Werner Voss, German lieutenant and pilot (d. 1917)
  • 1899 – Alfred Mosher Butts, American architect and game designer, created Scrabble (d. 1993)
  • 1899 – Harold Osborn, American high jumper and decathlete (d. 1975)
  • 1900 – Sorcha Boru, American potter and ceramic sculptor (d. 2006)
  • 1900 – Pierre Molinier, French painter and photographer (d. 1976)
  • 1901 – Jacques Lacan, French psychiatrist and psychoanalyst (d. 1981)
  • 1901 – Alan Watt, Australian public servant and diplomat, Australian Ambassador to Japan (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Philippe de Rothschild, French Grand Prix driver, playwright, and producer (d. 1988)
  • 1902 – Marguerite Henry, American author (d. 1997)
  • 1904 – David Robinson, English businessman and philanthropist (d. 1987)
  • 1905 – Rae Johnstone, Australian jockey (d. 1964)
  • 1906 – Samuel Beckett, Irish novelist, poet, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1989)
  • 1906 – Bud Freeman, American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader (d. 1991)
  • 1907 – Harold Stassen, American lawyer and politician, 25th Governor of Minnesota (d. 2001)
  • 1909 – Eudora Welty, American short story writer and novelist (d. 2001)
  • 1911 – Ico Hitrec, Croatian footballer and manager (d. 1946)
  • 1911 – Jean-Louis Lévesque, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (d. 1994)
  • 1911 – Nino Sanzogno, Italian conductor and composer (d. 1983)
  • 1913 – Dave Albritton, American high jumper and coach (d. 1994)
  • 1913 – Kermit Tyler, American lieutenant and pilot (d. 2010)
  • 1914 – Orhan Veli Kanık, Turkish poet and author (d. 1950)
  • 1916 – Phyllis Fraser, Welsh-American actress, journalist, and publisher, co-founded Beginner Books (d. 2006)
  • 1917 – Robert Orville Anderson, American businessman, founded Atlantic Richfield Oil Co. (d. 2007)
  • 1917 – Bill Clements, American soldier, engineer, and politician, 15th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense (d. 2011)
  • 1919 – Roland Gaucher, French journalist and politician (d. 2007)
  • 1919 – Howard Keel, American actor and singer (d. 2004)
  • 1919 – Madalyn Murray O’Hair, American activist, founded American Atheists (d. 1995)
  • 1920 – Roberto Calvi, Italian banker (d. 1982)
  • 1920 – Claude Cheysson, French lieutenant and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (d. 2012)
  • 1920 – Liam Cosgrave, Irish lawyer and politician, 6th Taoiseach of Ireland (d. 2017)
  • 1920 – Theodore L. Thomas, American chemical engineer, Patent attorney and writer (d. 2005)
  • 1922 – Heinz Baas, German footballer and manager (d. 1994)
  • 1922 – John Braine, English librarian and author (d. 1986)
  • 1922 – Julius Nyerere, Tanzanian politician and teacher, 1st President of Tanzania (d. 1999)
  • 1922 – Valve Pormeister, Estonian architect (d. 2002)
  • 1923 – Don Adams, American actor and director (d. 2005)
  • 1923 – A. H. Halsey, English sociologist and academic (d. 2014)
  • 1923 – Stanley Tanger, American businessman and philanthropist, founded the Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (d. 2010)
  • 1924 – John T. Biggers, American painter (d. 2001)
  • 1924 – Jack T. Chick, American author, illustrator, and publisher (d. 2016)
  • 1924 – Stanley Donen, American film director and choreographer (d. 2019)
  • 1926 – Ellie Lambeti, Greek actress (d. 1983)
  • 1926 – John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, English businessman (d. 2014)
  • 1927 – Rosemary Haughton, English philosopher, theologian, and author
  • 1927 – Antonino Rocca, Italian-American wrestler (d. 1977)
  • 1927 – Maurice Ronet, French actor and director (d. 1983)
  • 1928 – Alan Clark, English historian and politician, Minister of State for Trade (d. 1999)
  • 1928 – Gianni Marzotto, Italian racing driver and businessman (d. 2012)
  • 1929 – Marilynn Smith, American golfer (d. 2019)
  • 1931 – Anita Cerquetti, Italian soprano (d. 2014)
  • 1931 – Robert Enrico, French director and screenwriter (d. 2001)
  • 1931 – Dan Gurney, American race car driver and engineer (d. 2018)
  • 1931 – Jon Stone, American composer, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1997)
  • 1932 – Orlando Letelier, Chilean-American economist and politician, Chilean Minister of National Defense (d. 1976)
  • 1933 – Ben Nighthorse Campbell, American soldier and politician
  • 1934 – John Muckler, Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
  • 1936 – Pierre Rosenberg, French historian and academic
  • 1937 – Col Joye, Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1937 – Edward Fox, English actor
  • 1937 – Lanford Wilson, American playwright, co-founded the Circle Repertory Company (d. 2011)
  • 1938 – Klaus Lehnertz, German pole vaulter
  • 1938 – John Weston, English poet and diplomat
  • 1939 – Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2013)
  • 1939 – Paul Sorvino, American actor and singer
  • 1940 – Mike Beuttler, Egyptian-English racing driver (d. 1988)
  • 1940 – Lester Chambers, American singer and musician
  • 1940 – J. M. G. Le Clézio, Breton French-Mauritian author and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1940 – Vladimir Cosma, French composer, conductor and violinist
  • 1940 – Jim McNab, Scottish footballer (d. 2006)
  • 1940 – Max Mosley, English racing driver and engineer, co-founded March Engineering, former president of the FIA
  • 1940 – Ruby Puryear Hearn, African-American biophysicist
  • 1941 – Michael Stuart Brown, American geneticist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1941 – Jean-Marc Reiser, French author and illustrator (d. 1983)
  • 1942 – Bill Conti, American composer and conductor
  • 1943 – Alan Jones, Australian rugby coach, radio host, and educator
  • 1943 – Billy Kidd, American skier
  • 1943 – Tim Krabbé, Dutch journalist and author
  • 1943 – Philip Norman, English journalist, author, and playwright
  • 1944 – Franco Arese, Italian runner
  • 1944 – Charles Burnett, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1944 – Jack Casady, American bass guitarist
  • 1944 – Susan Davis, Russian-American social worker and politician
  • 1945 – Ed Caruthers, American high jumper
  • 1945 – Tony Dow, American actor
  • 1945 – Lowell George, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (d. 1979)
  • 1945 – Bob Kalsu, American football player and lieutenant (d. 1970)
  • 1945 – Judy Nunn, Australian actress and author
  • 1946 – Al Green, American singer-songwriter, producer, and pastor
  • 1947 – Rae Armantrout, American poet and academic
  • 1947 – Mike Chapman, Australian-English songwriter and producer
  • 1947 – Jean-Jacques Laffont, French economist and academic (d. 2004)
  • 1947 – Yves Landry, Canadian cyclist
  • 1948 – Nam Hae-il, South Korean admiral
  • 1948 – Drago Jančar, Slovenian author and playwright
  • 1948 – Mikhail Shufutinsky, Soviet and Russian singer, actor, TV presenter
  • 1949 – Len Cook, New Zealand-English mathematician and statistician
  • 1949 – Frank Doran, Scottish lawyer and politician (d. 2017)
  • 1949 – Christopher Hitchens, English-American essayist, literary critic, and journalist (d. 2011)
  • 1949 – Ricardo Zunino, Argentinian racing driver
  • 1950 – Ron Perlman, American actor
  • 1950 – Tommy Raudonikis, Australian rugby league player and coach
  • 1951 – Leszek Borysiewicz, Welsh immunologist and academic
  • 1951 – Peabo Bryson, American singer-songwriter and producer
  • 1951 – Peter Davison, English actor
  • 1951 – Joachim Streich, German footballer and manager
  • 1951 – Max Weinberg, American drummer
  • 1952 – Sam Bush, American mandolin player
  • 1952 – David Drew, English lawyer and politician
  • 1952 – Gabrielle Gourdeau, Canadian writer (d. 2006)
  • 1952 – Jonjo O’Neill, Irish jockey and trainer
  • 1953 – Stephen Byers, English politician
  • 1953 – Dany Laferrière, Haitian-Canadian journalist and author
  • 1954 – Jimmy Destri, American keyboard player and songwriter
  • 1954 – Niels Olsen, Danish singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1954 – Barbara Roche, English lawyer and politician
  • 1955 – Steve Camp, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1955 – Muwenda Mutebi II, current King of Buganda Kingdom
  • 1955 – Louis Johnson, American bass player and producer (d. 2015)
  • 1955 – Lupe Pintor, Mexican boxer
  • 1955 – Ole von Beust, German lawyer and politician, 1st Mayor of Hamburg
  • 1956 – Possum Bourne, New Zealand racing driver (d. 2003)
  • 1956 – Alan Devonshire, English footballer and manager
  • 1956 – Edward Forbes Smiley III, American art thief and map dealer
  • 1957 – Amy Goodman, American journalist and author
  • 1957 – Saundra Santiago, American actress
  • 1960 – Lyn Brown, English social worker and politician
  • 1960 – Bob Casey, Jr., American lawyer and politician, senior senator of Pennsylvania
  • 1960 – Olaf Ludwig, German cyclist and manager
  • 1960 – Rudi Völler, German footballer and manager
  • 1961 – Hiro Yamamoto, American bass player and songwriter
  • 1962 – Hillel Slovak, Israeli-American guitarist (d. 1988)
  • 1963 – Garry Kasparov, Russian chess player and author
  • 1964 – Davis Love III, American golfer and sportscaster
  • 1964 – Caroline Rhea, Canadian actress and comedian
  • 1964 – John Swinney, Scottish businessman and politician, Deputy First Minister of Scotland
  • 1965 – Patricio Pouchulu, Argentinian architect and educator
  • 1966 – Ali Boumnijel, Tunisian footballer
  • 1966 – Marc Ford, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer
  • 1967 – Dana Barros, American basketball player, coach, and sportscaster
  • 1967 – Michael Eisen, American biologist and academic
  • 1967 – Olga Tañón, Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter
  • 1968 – Ted Washington, American football player
  • 1969 – Dirk Muschiol, German footballer
  • 1970 – Monty Brown, American football player and wrestler
  • 1970 – Gerry Creaney, Scottish footballer and manager
  • 1970 – Nick Garrett, English singer
  • 1970 – Szilveszter Csollány, Hungarian gymnast
  • 1970 – Ricardo Rincón, Mexican-American baseball player
  • 1970 – Ricky Schroder, American actor
  • 1971 – Franck Esposito, French swimmer
  • 1971 – Danie Mellor, Australian painter and sculptor
  • 1971 – Bo Outlaw, American basketball player
  • 1971 – Valensia, Dutch singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
  • 1972 – Mariusz Czerkawski, Polish ice hockey player and golfer
  • 1972 – Aaron Lewis, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
  • 1974 – Valentina Cervi, Italian actress
  • 1974 – Sergei Gonchar, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1974 – Darren Turner, English racing driver
  • 1974 – David Zdrilic, Australian footballer and manager
  • 1975 – Jasey-Jay Anderson, Canadian snowboarder
  • 1975 – Lou Bega, German singer-songwriter
  • 1975 – Bruce Dyer, English footballer
  • 1975 – Tatiana Navka, Russian ice dancer
  • 1976 – Jonathan Brandis, American actor (d. 2003)
  • 1976 – Patrik Eliáš, Czech-American ice hockey player
  • 1976 – Glenn Howerton, American actor, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1977 – Margus Tsahkna, Estonian lawyer and politician
  • 1978 – Arron Asham, Canadian ice hockey player
  • 1978 – Carles Puyol, Spanish footballer
  • 1978 – Raemon Sluiter, Dutch tennis player
  • 1978 – Keydrick Vincent, American football player
  • 1979 – Gréta Arn, Hungarian tennis player
  • 1979 – Baron Davis, American basketball player
  • 1979 – Tony Lundon, Irish singer-songwriter, producer, and dancer
  • 1979 – Meghann Shaughnessy, American tennis player
  • 1980 – Colleen Clinkenbeard, American voice actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1980 – Jason Maguire, Irish jockey
  • 1980 – Alan Melikdjanian, American independent filmmaker and YouTuber
  • 1980 – Quentin Richardson, American basketball player
  • 1981 – Nat Borchers, American soccer player
  • 1981 – Gemma Doyle, Scottish politician
  • 1982 – Nellie McKay, British-American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress
  • 1983 – Claudio Bravo, Chilean footballer
  • 1983 – Schalk Burger, South African rugby player
  • 1983 – Nicole Cooke, Welsh cyclist
  • 1983 – Hunter Pence, American baseball player
  • 1984 – Jarmo Ahjupera, Estonian footballer
  • 1984 – Anders Lindegaard, Danish footballer
  • 1985 – Anna Jennings-Edquist, Australian actress, director, and playwright
  • 1985 – Algo Kärp, Estonian skier
  • 1985 – Cody Nickson, American reality television personality
  • 1986 – Michael Bingham, American-English sprinter
  • 1986 – Lorenzo Cain, American baseball player
  • 1987 – Brandon Hardesty, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
  • 1987 – Massimiliano Pesenti, Italian footballer
  • 1987 – Allison Weiss, American singer-songwriter
  • 1988 – Anderson, Brazilian footballer
  • 1988 – Petteri Koponen, Finnish basketball player
  • 1988 – Allison Williams, American actress and singer
  • 1989 – Ryan Bailey, American sprinter
  • 1989 – Dong Dong, Chinese trampolinist
  • 1989 – Nastassia Mironchyk-Ivanova, Belarusian long jumper
  • 1989 – Josh Reynolds, Australian rugby league player
  • 1989 – Vladislav Yegin, Russian ice hockey player
  • 1990 – Anastasija Sevastova, a professional tennis player from Latvia
  • 1991 – Akeem Adams, Trinidadian footballer (d. 2013)
  • 1991 – Ulises Dávila, Mexican footballer
  • 1991 – Josh Gordon, American football player
  • 1992 – Denis Kudryavtsev, Russian hurdler
  • 1992 – Jordan Silk, Australian cricketer
  • 1993 – Tony Wroten, American basketball player
  • 1994 – Ángelo Henríquez, Chilean footballer
  • 1994 – Elvis Merzļikins, Latvian ice hockey player
  • 1997 – Kyle Walker-Peters, English footballer

Deaths on April 13

  • 548 – Lý Nam Đế, Vietnamese emperor (b. 503)
  • 585 – Hermenegild, Visigothic prince and saint
  • 799 – Paul the Deacon, Italian monk and historian (b. 720)
  • 814 – Krum, khan of the Bulgarian Khanate
  • 862 – Donald I, king of the Picts (b. 812)
  • 989 – Bardas Phokas, Byzantine general
  • 1035 – Herbert I, Count of Maine
  • 1093 – Vsevolod I of Kiev (b. 1030)
  • 1113 – Ida of Lorraine, saint and noblewoman (b. c. 1040)
  • 1138 – Simon I, Duke of Lorraine (b. 1076)
  • 1213 – Guy of Thouars, regent of Brittany
  • 1275 – Eleanor of England (b. 1215)
  • 1367 – John Tiptoft, 2nd Baron Tibetot (b. 1313)
  • 1592 – Bartolomeo Ammannati, Italian architect and sculptor (b. 1511)
  • 1605 – Boris Godunov, Tsar of Russia (b. 1551)
  • 1612 – Sasaki Kojirō, Japanese samurai (b. 1585)
  • 1635 – Fakhr-al-Din II, Ottoman prince (b. 1572)
  • 1638 – Henri, Duke of Rohan (b. 1579)
  • 1641 – Richard Montagu, English bishop (b. 1577)
  • 1695 – Jean de La Fontaine, French author and poet (b. 1621)
  • 1716 – Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington, English admiral and politician (b. 1648)
  • 1722 – Charles Leslie, Irish priest and theologian (b. 1650)
  • 1793 – Pierre Gaspard Chaumette, French botanist, lawyer, and politician (b. 1763)
  • 1794 – Nicolas Chamfort, French playwright and poet (b. 1741)
  • 1826 – Franz Danzi, German cellist, composer, and conductor (b. 1763)
  • 1853 – Leopold Gmelin, German chemist and academic (b. 1788)
  • 1853 – James Iredell, Jr., American lawyer and politician, 23rd Governor of North Carolina (b. 1788)
  • 1855 – Henry De la Beche, English geologist and palaeontologist (b. 1796)
  • 1868 – Tewodros II of Ethiopia (b. 1818)
  • 1880 – Robert Fortune, Scottish botanist and author (b. 1813)
  • 1882 – Bruno Bauer, German historian and philosopher (b. 1809)
  • 1886 – John Humphrey Noyes, American religious leader, founded the Oneida Community (b. 1811)
  • 1890 – Samuel J. Randall, American captain, lawyer, and politician, 33rd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (b. 1828)
  • 1899 – James Service, Scottish-Australian politician, 12th Premier of Victoria (b. 1823)
  • 1909 – Whitley Stokes, Anglo-Irish lawyer and scholar (b. 1830)
  • 1910 – William Quiller Orchardson, Scottish-English painter and educator (b. 1835)
  • 1911 – John McLane, Scottish-American politician, 50th Governor of New Hampshire (b. 1852)
  • 1911 – George Washington Glick, American lawyer and politician, 9th Governor of Kansas (b. 1827)
  • 1912 – Takuboku Ishikawa, Japanese poet and author (b. 1886)
  • 1917 – Diamond Jim Brady, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1856)
  • 1918 – Lavr Kornilov, Russian general (b. 1870)
  • 1927 – Georg Voigt, German politician, Mayor of Frankfurt (b. 1866)
  • 1936 – Konstantinos Demertzis, Greek politician 129th Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1876)
  • 1938 – Grey Owl, English-Canadian environmentalist and author (b. 1888)
  • 1941 – Annie Jump Cannon, American astronomer and academic (b. 1863)
  • 1941 – William Twaits, Canadian soccer player (b. 1879)
  • 1942 – Henk Sneevliet, Dutch politician (b. 1883)
  • 1942 – Anton Uesson, Estonian engineer and politician, 17th Mayor of Tallinn (b. 1879)
  • 1944 – Cécile Chaminade, French pianist and composer (b. 1857)
  • 1945 – Ernst Cassirer, Polish-American philosopher and academic (b. 1874)
  • 1954 – Samuel Jones, American high jumper (b. 1880)
  • 1954 – Angus Lewis Macdonald, Canadian lawyer and politician, 12th Premier of Nova Scotia (b. 1890)
  • 1956 – Emil Nolde, Danish-German painter and educator (b. 1867)
  • 1959 – Eduard van Beinum, Dutch pianist, violinist, and conductor (b. 1901)
  • 1961 – John A. Bennett, American soldier (b. 1935)
  • 1962 – Culbert Olson, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of California (b. 1876)
  • 1966 – Abdul Salam Arif, Iraqi colonel and politician, 2nd President of Iraq (b. 1921)
  • 1966 – Carlo Carrà, Italian painter (b. 1881)
  • 1966 – Georges Duhamel, French soldier and author (b. 1884)
  • 1967 – Nicole Berger, French actress (b. 1934)
  • 1969 – Alfred Karindi, Estonian pianist and composer (b. 1901)
  • 1971 – Michel Brière, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1949)
  • 1971 – Juhan Smuul, Estonian author, poet, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
  • 1975 – Larry Parks, American actor and singer (b. 1914)
  • 1975 – François Tombalbaye, Chadian soldier, academic, and politician, 1st President of Chad (b. 1918)
  • 1978 – Jack Chambers, Canadian painter and director (b. 1931)
  • 1978 – Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Nigerian educator and women’s rights activist (b. 1900)
  • 1980 – Markus Höttinger, Austrian racing driver (b. 1956)
  • 1983 – Gerry Hitchens, English footballer (b. 1934)
  • 1983 – Theodore Stephanides, Greek physician, author, and poet (b. 1896)
  • 1984 – Ralph Kirkpatrick, American harp player and musicologist (b. 1911)
  • 1988 – Jean Gascon, Canadian actor and director (b. 1920)
  • 1992 – Maurice Sauvé, Canadian economist and politician (b. 1923)
  • 1992 – Feza Gürsey, Turkish mathematician and physicist (b. 1921)
  • 1992 – Daniel Pollock, Australian actor (b. 1968)
  • 1993 – Wallace Stegner, American novelist, short story writer, and essayist (b. 1909)
  • 1996 – Leila Mackinlay, English author and educator (b. 1910)
  • 1997 – Bryant Bowles, American soldier and activist, founded the National Association for the Advancement of White People (b. 1920)
  • 1997 – Alan Cooley, Australian public servant (b. 1920)
  • 1997 – Dorothy Frooks, American author and actress (b. 1896)
  • 1997 – Voldemar Väli, Estonian wrestler (b. 1903)
  • 1998 – Patrick de Gayardon, French skydiver and base jumper (b. 1960)
  • 1999 – Ortvin Sarapu, Estonian-New Zealand chess player and author (b. 1924)
  • 1999 – Willi Stoph, German engineer and politician, 2nd Prime Minister of East Germany (b. 1914)
  • 2000 – Giorgio Bassani, Italian author and poet (b. 1916)
  • 2000 – Frenchy Bordagaray, American baseball player and manager (b. 1910)
  • 2004 – Caron Keating, Northern Irish television host (b. 1962)
  • 2005 – Don Blasingame, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1932)
  • 2005 – Johnnie Johnson, American pianist and songwriter (b. 1924)
  • 2005 – Phillip Pavia, American painter and sculptor (b. 1912)
  • 2005 – Philippe Volter, Belgian actor and director (b. 1959)
  • 2006 – Bill Baker, American baseball player, coach, and umpire (b. 1911)
  • 2006 – Muriel Spark, Scottish novelist, poet, and critic (b. 1918)
  • 2008 – John Archibald Wheeler, American physicist and academic (b. 1911)
  • 2009 – Mark Fidrych, American baseball player (b. 1954)
  • 2009 – Bruce Snyder, American football player and coach (b. 1940)
  • 2009 – George Feigley, American sex cult leader, convicted rapist and two-time prison escapee (b. 1940)
  • 2012 – William B. Buffum, American soldier and diplomat, United States Ambassador to Lebanon (b. 1921)
  • 2012 – Cecil Chaudhry, Pakistani pilot, academic, and activist (b. 1941)
  • 2012 – Shūichi Higurashi, Japanese illustrator (b. 1936)
  • 2012 – David S. Smith, American diplomat, United States Ambassador to Sweden (b. 1918)
  • 2012 – Robert Wigmore, Cook Islander politician, 14th Deputy Prime Minister of the Cook Islands (b. 1949)
  • 2013 – Chi Cheng, American bass player (b. 1970)
  • 2013 – Stephen Dodgson, English composer and educator (b. 1924)
  • 2013 – Dean Drummond, American composer and conductor (b. 1949)
  • 2013 – Vincent Montana, Jr., American drummer and composer (b. 1928)
  • 2013 – Lin Yang-kang, Taiwanese politician, 29th Vice Premier of the Republic of China (b. 1927)
  • 2014 – Fred Enke, American football player (b. 1924)
  • 2014 – Ernesto Laclau, Argentinian-Spanish philosopher and theorist (b. 1935)
  • 2014 – Michael Ruppert, American journalist and author (b. 1951)
  • 2014 – Rafał Sznajder, Polish fencer (b. 1972)
  • 2015 – Gerald Calabrese, American basketball player and politician (b. 1925)
  • 2015 – Ronnie Carroll, Irish singer and politician (b. 1934)
  • 2015 – Thelma Coyne Long, Australian tennis player and captain (b. 1918)
  • 2015 – Eduardo Galeano, Uruguayan journalist and author (b. 1940)
  • 2015 – Günter Grass, German novelist, poet, playwright, and illustrator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1927)
  • 2015 – Herb Trimpe, American author and illustrator (b. 1939)
  • 2016 – Nera White, American basketball player (b. 1935)
  • 2017 – Dan Rooney, American football executive and former United States Ambassador to Ireland (b. 1932)
  • 2018 – Art Bell, American broadcaster and author (b. 1945)
  • 2019 – Neus Català, Anti-fascist activist (b. 1915)
  • 2019 – Yvette Williams, New Zealand athlete (b. 1929)

Holidays and observances on April 13

  • Christian feast day:
    • Hermenegild
    • Blessed Ida of Louvain
    • Pope Martin I
    • April 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Jefferson’s Birthday (United States)
  • Katyn Memorial Day (Poland)
  • South and Southeast Asian New Year. (see April 14)
  • Teacher’s Day (Ecuador)
  • Unfairly Prosecuted Persons Day (Slovakia)

April 13 – 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

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

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

Births on April 10

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

Deaths on April 10

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

Holidays and observances on April 10

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

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