Historical Events
Tarzan the Ape Man
Apr 2 "Tarzan the Ape Man" released starring Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller in the first of his 12 Tarzan films
Lindbergh Pays Ransom
Apr 2 Charles Lindbergh turns over $50,000 as ransom for his kidnapped son
- Apr 4 Charles G. King, University of Pittsburgh isolates Vitamin C, using adrenal samples provided by Hungarian Albert Szent-Györgyi
Too True To Be Good
Apr 4 George Bernard Shaw's comedy play "Too True To Be Good" premieres in NYC; runs for 59 performances
- Apr 5 Dominion of Newfoundland: 10,000 rioters seize the Colonial Building leading to the end of self-government
- Apr 5 Dutch textile strike broken by trade unions
Event of Interest
Apr 9 German banking regulator Hans Luther is shot and suffers a shoulder wound at the Potsdam, Germany train station by an assailant who disliked his fiscal policies
- Apr 9 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat New York Rangers, 6-4 for 3-0 series sweep; Toronto's first SC as the Maple Leafs
Hindenburg President
Apr 10 Paul von Hindenburg is re-elected President of Germany in a runoff election against Adolf Hitler
Grand Hotel
Apr 12 "Grand Hotel" directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Greta Garbo and John Barrymore premieres in New York, includes the line "I want to be alone" (Best Picture/Production 1932)
- Apr 12 Emmanuel Chabriers & Balanchines ballet premieres in Monte Carlo
Jeux d'Enfants
Apr 14 Léonide Massine & Joan Miro's adaptation for dance of Georges Bizet's "Jeux d'Enfants" premieres with the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo
- Apr 14 World's first particle accelerator built by Ernest Walton and John Cockcroft performs the first artificial nuclear fission with Lithium at Cambridge University [1]
The Music Box
Apr 16 Short film "The Music Box" released in the US, starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (1932 Academy Award Best Live Action Short Film)
Haile Selassie Ends Slavery
Apr 17 Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia ends slavery
- Apr 18 36th Boston Marathon won by German runner Paul de Bruyn in 2:33:36.4
Bonnie Parker Captured
Apr 19 Bonnie Parker is captured in a failed hardware store burglary, and subsequently jailed; a grand jury fails to indict her, however, and she is released a few months later
Hoover's Five-Day Week
Apr 19 US President Herbert Hoover suggests five-day work week
- Apr 23 153-year old De Adriaan Windmill in Haarlem, the Netherlands, burns down
Shakespeare Memorial Theatre
Apr 23 Shakespeare Memorial Theatre opens at Stratford-on-Avon, England
The Ermine
Apr 26 Jean Anouilh's play "L'Hermine (The Ermine)" premieres in Paris
- Apr 29 1st broadcast of "One Man's Family" on NBC radio, longest-running dramatic serial on US radio (ends 1959)
Famous Birthdays
Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016)
Apr 1 American actress and singer (Singin' In The Rain -"Kathy Selden"; The Unsinkable Molly Brown), born in El Paso, Texas
- Apr 1 François Moncla, French rugby union flanker (31 Tests; Racing 92, Section Paloise), born in Louvie-Juzon, France (d. 2021)
- Apr 1 Gordon Jump, American actor (WKRP in Cincinnati - "Arthur Carlson"; Growing Pains - "Ed"; Maytag Repairman), born in Dayton, Ohio (d. 2003)
- Apr 1 Jiří Smutný, Czech composer and conductor, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia
- Apr 2 Diane Cilento, Australian actress (Agony & Ecstasy, Wicker Man), born in Brisbane, Queensland (d. 2011)
- Apr 2 Mahmood Hussain, Pakistan cricket swing bowler (27 Tests, 68 wickets; Karachi, Pakistan Universities), born in Lahore, Pakistan (d. 1991)
- Apr 3 Janet Bately, Prof of English Language (King's College London)
- Apr 3 Martin Nourse, Lord Justice of Appeal of England and Wales (d. 2017)
Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986)
Apr 4 Soviet filmmaker and director (Andrei Rublev: Mirror; Stalker), born in Zavrazhye, Russia, Soviet Union
Anthony Perkins (1932-1992)
Apr 4 American actor (Psycho; Friendly Persuasion;, Fear Strikes Out; Pretty Poison), and singer, born in New York City
- Apr 4 Bapu Nadkarni, Indian cricket all-rounder (41 Tests, top score 122; 88 wickets), born in Nashik, India (d. 2020)
- Apr 4 Clive Davis, American record producer and music industry executive (Columbia, Arista, Sony), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Apr 4 Pierre Lacotte, French choreographer and ballet historian, born in Chatou, France (d. 2023) [1]
- Apr 4 Richard Lugar, American politician (U.S. Senator from Indiana, 1977-2013), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2019)
- Apr 5 Billy Bland, American singer and songwriter, born in Wilmington, North Carolina (d. 2017)
- Apr 7 Mr. Bo [Louis Collins], American electric blues guitarist and singer, born in Indianola, Mississippi (d. 1995)
- Apr 9 Abdul Mati [Matias Klarwein], French artist known for his works used on music album covers (Santana's Abraxus; Miles Davis' Bitches Brew; Osibisa's Heads; Jon Hassel's Dream Theory), born in Hamburg, Germany (d. 2002)
- Apr 9 Armin Jordan, Swiss conductor, born in Luzern, Switzerland (d. 2006)
Carl Perkins (1932-1998)
Apr 9 American rockabilly singer and songwriter ("Blue Suede Shoes"; "Honey Don't"), born in Tiptonville, Tennessee [1]
- Apr 9 Cheetah [Cheeta, Cheta, Chita], chimpanzee actor (1930s Tarzan franchise), is born (d. 2011)
- Apr 9 Jim Fowler, American naturalist, zoologist and Emmy Award-winning TV presenter (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom), born in Albany, Georgia (d. 2019)
- Apr 9 Paul Krassner, American comic, satirist (MAD Magazine; The Realist), and social activist (Youth International Party - Yippies; Merry Pranksters), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2019)
- Apr 9 Peter Moores, British businessman and director (Littlewoods), born in Lancashire, England (d. 2016)
- Apr 9 Vladimir Aleksandrovich Degtyaryov, Russian cosmonaut, born in Voronezh, Russia
- Apr 10 Adrian Henri, British poet and founder of poetry-rock group (Liverpool Scene), born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England (d. 2000)
- Apr 10 Delphine Seyrig, French actress (Freak Orlando, Reperages), born in Beirut Lebanon (d. 1990)
- Apr 10 Hari Rhodes, American actor (Mike-Daktari, Roots), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1992)
- Apr 10 Kishori Amonkar, Indian classical Hindustani singer, born in Bombay, British India (d. 2017)
- Apr 10 Mae Faggs, American athlete (Olympic gold 4 x 100m 1952), born in Mays Landing, New Jersey (d. 2000)
- Apr 10 Nate Nelson, American pop and doo-wop singer (Flamingos - "I Only Have Eyes for You"), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 1984)
- Apr 10 Omar Sharif [Michel Dimitri Shalhoub], Egyptian actor (Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia), born in Alexandria (d. 2015)
- Apr 11 Francis G. Neubeck, USAF pilot and astronaut, born in Washington, D.C.
Joel Grey (92 years old)
Apr 11 American Tony, Grammy, and Academy Award-winning actor and singer (Cabaret; Remo Williams; 7% Solution), born in Cleveland, Ohio
- Apr 11 Max Schubel, American composer (Opus One Records), born in New York (d. 2010)
- Apr 12 Dennis Banks, American activist (leader of the American Indian Movement), born in Leech Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota (d. 2017)
- Apr 12 Henri Lazarof, Bulgarian composer, born in Sofia, Bulgaria (d. 2013)
- Apr 12 Jack Gelber, American playwright (The Connection, Apple), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2003)
- Apr 12 Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lankan politician (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka), born in Colombo, British Ceylon (d. 2005)
Tiny Tim (1932-1996)
Apr 12 American singer and ukulele player ("Tiptoe Through The Tulips"), born in Manhattan, New York
- Apr 13 Barney Simon, South African theatre director and writer, born in Johannesburg, South Africa (d. 1995)
- Apr 13 Karl Kroeger, American composer, born in Louisville, Kentucky
- Apr 13 Orlando Letelier, Chilean economist and politician, born in Temuco, Chile (d. 1976)
- Apr 14 Bill Bennett, Canadian politician, Premier of British Columbia (1975-86), born in Kelowna, British Columbia (d. 2015)
- Apr 14 Bob Grant [Robert St Clair Grant], British actor, comedian and writer (on the Buses), born in Hammersmith, London (d. 2003)
- Apr 14 Joseph Pedott, American advertising executive and entrepreneur (Chia Pet; The Clapper), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2023)
Loretta Lynn (1932-2022)
Apr 14 American country singer-songwriter ("Coal Miner's Daughter"; "Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man"), born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky
- Apr 15 Nikolai Porvatkin, Russian cosmonaut, born in Vozdvizhenka, Saratov Oblast (d. 2009)
- Apr 16 Goopy Geer, Warner Bros. cartoon character created by Rudolf Ising (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series), first debuts in "Goopy Geer"
- Apr 16 Imre Polyák, Hungarian featherweight (Olympic gold 1964), born in Kecskemét, Hungary (d. 2010)
- Apr 16 Vince Hill, English pop singer ("Roses of Picardy"; "La Vie en Rose"; "Edelweiss"), born in Holbrooks, Coventry, England (d. 2023)
- Apr 17 Art Ellefson, Canadian jazz saxophonist, born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan (d. 2018)
- Apr 17 Han J. A. Hansen [Jansen], Dutch journalist (King Comes!)
- Apr 19 Andrea Mead-Lawrence, American alpine skier (Olympic gold slalom, giant slalom 1952), born in Rutland, Vermont (d. 2009)
Fernando Botero (1932-2023)
Apr 19 Colombian figurative artist and sculptor known for depicting people in exaggerated large sizes, born in Medellín, Colombia [1]
- Apr 20 Gerry Granahan, American rockabilly singer-songwriter (Dickey Doo & The Dont's - "Click-Clack"), record producer, and label executive, born in Pittston, Pennsylvania (d. 2022)
Angela Mortimer (92 years old)
Apr 21 British tennis player (French C'ships 1955, Australian C'ships 1958, Wimbledon 1961), born in Plymouth, England
- Apr 21 Elaine May, American comedienne, writer and actress (New Leaf, Primary Colors), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Apr 21 Slide Hampton [Locksley Wellington Hampton], American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger, born in Jeanette, Pennsylvania (d. 2021)
- Apr 22 Michael Colgrass, American-Canadian composer ("Déjà vu" - Pulitzer Prize for Music, 1978), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2019)
- Apr 23 Halston [Roy Halston Frowick], American fashion designer (1972 Hall of Fame), born in Des Moines, Iowa (d. 1990)
- Apr 23 Jim Fixx, American jogger and writer (Jim Fixx on Running), born in New York City (d. 1984)
- Apr 24 Coen Flink, Dutch actor (Pastorale 1943, Havinck, Honneponnetje), born in Amsterdam (d. 2000)
- Apr 24 Vladimir Yengibaryan, Armenian boxer (Olympic gold light welterweight 1956), born in Yerevan, Armenia (d. 2013)
- Apr 25 (Meadow) "Meadowlark" Lemon, American basketball star (Harlem Globetrotters, 1955-80, 1990, and 3 other teams), and clergyman, born in Wilmington, North Carolina (d. 2015)
- Apr 25 Frene Ginwala, South African politician and ANC activist (1st post-apartheid Speaker of the National Assembly), born in Johannesburg, South Africa (d. 2023) [1]
- Apr 25 Lia Manoliu, Romanian discus thrower (Olympic gold 1968), born in Chişinău, Romania (d. 1998)
- Apr 25 William Roache, British actor (Ken Barlow-Coronation Street), born in Basford, Nottinghamshire, England
- Apr 26 Francis Lai, French film music composer (Love Story), born in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France (d. 2018)
- Apr 26 Michael Smith, English-Canadian biochemist (Nobel 1993- Site-directed mutagenesis), born in Blackpool, England (d. 2000)
- Apr 27 Anouk Aimée, French actress (A Man and A Woman), born in Paris
Casey Kasem (1932-2014)
Apr 27 American radio personality (creator of American Top 40) and the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, born in Detroit, Michigan
- Apr 27 Charles Adkins, American boxer (Olympic gold light welterweight 1952), born in Gary, Indiana (d. 1993)
- Apr 27 Chuck Knox, American football coach (LA Rams, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks; AP NFL Coach of the Year 1973, 80, 84), born in Sewickley, Pennsylvania (d. 2018)
- Apr 27 François Bayle, French electronic music composer, born in Toamasina, Madagascar
- Apr 27 Gian-Carlo Rota, Italian-born American mathematician and philosopher, born in Vigevano, Italy (d. 1999)
- Apr 27 Petar Ozgijan, Yugoslav composer, born in Dubrovnik, Croatia (d. 1979)
- Apr 27 Roelof "Pik" Botha, South African minister of Foreign affairs, born in Rustenburg, Transvaal, South Africa
- Apr 28 Marek Kopelent, Czech contemporary classical composer, artistic director (Musica Viva Pragensis, 1965-73), and educator, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 2023)
- Apr 29 King Hu, Chinese film director and actor (wuxia films), born in Beijing, Republic of China (d. 1997)
- Apr 29 Yevgeni Alekseyevich Zaikin, Russian cosmonaut (Voshkod 2 backup)
- Apr 30 Antón Larrauri, Spanish composer, born in Bilbao, Spain
Famous Weddings
Donald Bradman
Apr 30 Australian Test cricket batsman Don Bradman (23) weds Jessie Martha Menzies at St Paul's Anglican Church in Burwood, Sydney
Famous Deaths
- Apr 2 Bill Pickett, American rodeo performer (invented bulldogging), dies after being kicked in the head by a bronco at 61
- Apr 2 Hugo Kaun, German composer, dies at 69
- Apr 2 John Morrill, American baseball first baseman and manager (National League pennant: 1877, 78, 83; Boston Red Caps/Beaneaters), dies of pneumonia at 77
- Apr 4 Ottokar Czernin, Austro-Hungarian diplomat (Imperial Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary) and politician, dies at 59
- Apr 4 Wilhelm Ostwald, Baltic German physical chemist (Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1909 for work on catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities), dies at 78 [1]
- Apr 7 Erv A Kelley, US policeman, shot to death by Pretty Boy Floyd
- Apr 10 André Baillon, Belgian-French author (& sabots), dies at 56
- Apr 17 Patrick Geddes, Scottish biologist and town planner who coined the term conurbation, dies at 77
- Apr 19 Władysław Rzepko, Polish composer, dies at 77
- Apr 20 Giuseppe Peano, Italian mathematician and glottologist, dies at 73
- Apr 26 Bill Lockwood, English cricket fast bowler (12 Tests, 43 wickets, BB 7/71, 1 x 50; Surrey CCC), dies at 64
- Apr 27 Hart Crane, American poet (The Bridge), commits suicide at 32 by jumping overboard into the Gulf of Mexico
