Historical Events
Lucky" Luciano Arrested
Apr 1 Charles "Lucky" Luciano" is arrested in Arkansas on a criminal warrant from New York
- Apr 1 Orissa constituted a province of British India
- Apr 5 Tupelo, Mississippi virtually annihilated by a tornado, 216 die
3rd Augusta National
Apr 6 3rd Augusta National Invitation Tournament (Masters) Golf: Horton Smith wins his second Masters, 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Harry Cooper, with defending champion Gene Sarazen 3rd
- Apr 6 ANP begins telex service in Amsterdam
- Apr 6 Tornado, kills 203 & injuring 1,800 in Gainesville Georgia
- Apr 10 200" mirror blank arrives from Corning Glass Works of New York at Caltech's optical shop in Pasadena, California for use in Palomar Observatory's Hale Telescope; the work takes 11-1/2 years [1]
- Apr 11 First Butlins holiday camp opens in the UK at Ingoldmells, near Skegness
On Your Toes
Apr 11 George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes", choreographed by George Balanchine, and starring Ray Bolger and Tamara Geva, opens at the Imperial Theatre (later transfers to Majestic), NYC; runs for 515 performances
Red Wings 1st Championship
Apr 11 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Detroit Red Wings beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2 for a 3-1 series win; Red Wings first SC Championship
- Apr 13 Ioannis Metaxas becomes Prime Minister of Greece
Édith Piaf Under Suspicion
Apr 14 French singer Édith Piaf questioned after nightclub owner and her patron Louis Leplée murdered in Paris
Shostakovich's 4th Symphony
Apr 26 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 4th Symphony
- Apr 29 1st pro baseball game in Japan is played Nagoya defeats Daitokyo, 8-5
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 1 Jean-Pascal Delamuraz, Swiss politician, president of the Confederation in 1989 and 1996 (d. 1998)
- Apr 1 Ron Perranoski, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1963, 65; LA Dodgers; AL saves leader 1969, 70) and coach (World Series 1981, 88; LAD), born in Paterson, New Jersey (d. 2020)
- Apr 2 Shaul Ladany, Israeli race walker (world record 50-mile walk 7:23:50 1972; World C'ships gold 100km walk 9:31:00 1972), born in Belgrade, Serbia
- Apr 3 Jerry Krause, American Basketball HOF coach (Eastern Washington University; director basketball operations Gonzaga 1985-2015), born in Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska (d. 2023)
- Apr 3 Jimmy McGriff, American jazz Hammond organist, born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2008)
- Apr 3 Reginald Hill, British crime author (Andrew Dalziel and Peter Pascoe novels), born in West Hartlepool, County Durham (d. 2012)
- Apr 3 Scott LaFaro, American jazz bassist (Bill Evans Trio), born in Irvington, New Jersey (d. 1961)
- Apr 4 Margo J. Sylvia (née Lopez), American pop singer (Tune Weavers - "Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby"), born in Woburn, Massachusetts (d. 1991)
- Apr 5 John Albert, professor (Master of University College Oxford)
- Apr 5 John Kelly, Irish republican politician, born in Belfast, Ireland (d. 2007)
- Apr 5 John White, English-German experimental composer and musical performer (systems music), born in Berlin, Germany (d. 2024)
- Apr 5 Michael Livesay, British admiral, Royal Navy officer, born in Middlesbrough, North Riding, Yorkshire (d. 2003)
- Apr 6 Manfred Schoof, German free jazz trumpeter and composer (Globe United Orchestra), and educator, born in Magdeburg, Germany
- Apr 7 Jean-Pierre Changeux, French neuroscientist
- Apr 8 Klaus Lowitsch, German actor (Despair, Marriage of Marla Braun), born in Berlin, Germany
- Apr 9 Jerzy Maksymiuk, Polish pianist, composer and conductor (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, 1983-93), born in Grodno, Poland
- Apr 9 Michael Somare, British foreign affairs minister (Paupa & New Guinea), born in Rabaul, Territory of New Guinea
- Apr 9 Valerie Solanas, American radical feminist and author of SCUM Manifesto who attempted to assassinate Andy Warhol in 1968, born in Ventnor City, New Jersey (d. 1988)
- Apr 10 Bobby Smith, American pop and R&B singer (The Spinners, 1954-2013 - "Working My Way Back To You"), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2013)
John Madden (1936-2021)
Apr 10 American Pro Football HOF coach (Oakland Raiders 1969-78; Super Bowl 1976) and sportscaster (16X Emmy Award winner; CBS, FOX, ABC, NBC; Madden NFL video games), born in Austin, Minnesota [1]
- Apr 10 Michael Naylor, English insurance broker (Endsleigh Insurance), born in Croydon (d. 1995)
- Apr 11 Janet Allen, Headmistress (Benenden School)
- Apr 12 Charles Napier, American actor (Night Stalker, Rambo), born in Mt. Union, Kentucky (d. 2011)
- Apr 12 Kennedy Simmonds, Prime Minister of Saint Kitts & Nevis (1983-95), born in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Apr 13 Henryk Majewski, Polish big band jazz trumpeter (Old Timers), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 2005)
- Apr 14 Bobby Nichols, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1964), born in Louisville, Kentucky
- Apr 14 Frank Serpico, American policeman who blew whistle on NYPD corruption, born in Brooklyn, New York [1]
- Apr 14 Kenneth Mars, American actor (The Producers; What's Up, Doc?; Malcolm in the Middle), born in Chicago Illinois (d. 2011)
- Apr 15 Héctor Quintanar, Mexican composer, born in Mexico City (d. 2013)
- Apr 15 Jack Noreiga, West Indian cricketer (9-95 WI v India 1971), born in Saint Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago (d. 2003)
- Apr 15 Pen Sovann, 1st post-Khmer Rouge Cambodian Prime Minister (1981), born in Takéo (d. 2016)
- Apr 15 Raymond Poulidor, French professional cyclist, born in Masbaraud-Mérignat, France
- Apr 17 Pete Graves [Alexander Walton], American pop and R&B vocalist (The Moonglows - "Blue Velvet"), born in Jemison, Alabama (d. 2006)
- Apr 18 Harold Innocent, English actor (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves), born in Coventry, Warwickshire, England (d. 1993)
- Apr 19 Csaba Szabo, Hungarian composer, born in Ákosfalva, Transylvania (d. 2003)
- Apr 19 Jack Pardee, American College Football Hall of Fame linebacker (Texas A&M; NFL: LA Rams, Washington Redskins) and coach (Houston Oilers), born in Exira, Iowa (d. 2013)
- Apr 19 Ruby Johnson, American soul singer ("I'll Run Your Hurt Away"), born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina (d. 1999)
- Apr 19 Wilfried Martens, 44th Prime Minister of Belgium (1979-81, 1981-92), Sleidinge, Belgium (d. 2013)
- Apr 20 Pat Roberts, US Senator (Rep-R-KS, 1981-1997), born in Topeka, Kansas
- Apr 20 Pauli Ellefsen, Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands (1981-85), born in Miðvágur, Vágar, Faroe Islands (d. 2012)
- Apr 21 Anthony Joseph Gnazzo, American electronic composer (First Things First), born in Plainville, Connecticut
Bob Cleary (1936-2015)
Apr 21 American hockey HOF center (Olympic gold 1960; Harvard University), born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Apr 21 James Dobson, American evangelist
Glen Campbell (1936-2017)
Apr 22 American Grammy Award-winning country-pop singer ("By The Time I Get to Phoenix"; "Wichita Lineman"; "Rhinestone Cowboy"), session guitarist (The Beach Boys; Elvis Presley; The Monkees; Phil Specter), television personality (The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour), and actor (True Grit), born in Delight, Arkansas
- Apr 22 Pierre Hétu, French Canadian conductor and pianist, born in Montreal, Quebec (d. 1998)
- Apr 22 Takeshi Koba, Japanese Baseball HOF infielder (Hiroshima Carp) and manager (Japan Series Champion 1979, 80, 84 Hiroshima Carp), born in Kumamoto, Japan (d. 2021)
- Apr 23 Elias [Etienne Michiels], Flemish painter, born in Ostend, Belgium
- Apr 23 John D'Arcy, New Zealand cricketer (NZ Test batsman on 1958 England tour), born in Christchurch New Zealand
- Apr 23 Joseph Willaert, Flemish painter, born in Diksmuide, Belgium (d. 2014)
Roy Orbison (1936-1988)
Apr 23 American rock singer-songwriter ("Pretty Woman"; "Only The Lonely"; Traveling Wilburys - "Handle With Care"), born in Vernon, Texas
- Apr 24 (Thomas) "Tucker" Smith, American stage and screen dancer, singer and actor (West Side Story - "Ice"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1988)
- Apr 24 Guillermo Escalada, Uruguayan soccer forward (30 caps; Nacional, Gimnasia de La Plata, Montevideo Wanderers FC), born in Montevideo, Uruguay (d. 2023)
- Apr 24 Jill Ireland, English actress (Breakout, Assassination, Chino), born in London, England (d. 1990)
- Apr 25 Leonel Sánchez, Chilean soccer striker (85 caps; Club Universidad de Chile 413 games, 167 goals), born in Santiago, Chile (d. 2022)
- Apr 26 Doug Sax, American mastering engineer (Bob Dylan, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Ray Charles), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2015)
- Apr 26 Edward Cazalet, judge of the High Court of England and Wales, born in Marylebone, London
- Apr 26 Pat Quinn, Scottish soccer forward (4 caps; Motherwell, Hibernian) and manager (East Fife, FH), born in Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2020)
- Apr 27 Geoffrey Shovelton, English opera singer, born in Atherton, Lancashire (d. 2016)
- Apr 27 John Burningham, English author and illustrator of children's books (Mr Grumpy's Outing), born in Farnham, England (d. 2019)
- Apr 28 John Tchicai, Danish jazz saxophonist and composer (New York Art Quartet), born in Copenhagen, Denmark (d. 2012)
- Apr 28 Tariq Aziz, Iraqi politician and close adviser to Saddam Hussein, born in Tel Keppe, Iraq (d. 2015)
- Apr 29 Bernie Parrish, American football cornerback (Pro Bowl 1960, 63; Cleveland Browns; best-selling book, 'They Call It A Game'), born in Long Beach, California (d. 2019)
- Apr 29 Jacob Rothschild, British peer, investment banker and member of the Rothschild banking family, born in Berkshire, England (d. 2024)
- Apr 29 Lane Smith, American actor (Perry White-Lois & Clark), born in Memphis, Tennessee
- Apr 29 Zubin Mehta, Indian conductor (Israel Philharmonic, 1977-2019; NY Philharmonic, 1978-91), born in 84) Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India
- Apr 30 Bernie Clifton [Quinn], British comedian (Oswald the Ostrich), born in St Helens, Lancashire, England
- Apr 30 Bobby Gregg, American drummer and record producer (Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 2014)
Famous Deaths
- Apr 1 Mikhail Vladimirovich Ivanov-Boretsky, composer, dies at 61
- Apr 2 Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne, French general (Father of The Tank), dies at 75
- Apr 3 Bruno Hauptmann, German kidnapper of Charles Augustus Lindbergh III, executed at 36
- Apr 8 Robert Bárány, Austrian physician, Nobel laureate (b. 1876)
- Apr 9 Ferdinand Tönnies, German sociologist and philosopher, dies at 80
- Apr 11 Mitya Stillman, Russian composer and violinist, dies at 44
- Apr 13 Konstantinos Demertzis, Greek premier, dies at 60
- Apr 13 Milton Brown, American swing bandleader, dies at 32
- Apr 17 Charles Ruys de Beerenbrouck, Dutch PM (1918-23, 29-33), dies at 62
- Apr 18 Ottorino Respighi, Italian composer (The Pines of Rome; Belkis), dies at 56
- Apr 18 Seaborn McDaniel Denson, American composer, dies at 82
- Apr 23 Teresa de la Parra, Venezuelan writer (Memorias de Mamá Blanca), dies at 46
- Apr 24 Alphons Diepenbrock, Dutch composer, conductor, and essayist, dies at 73
- Apr 24 Bernard van Dieren, Dutch composer, and music critic, dies at 51
- Apr 24 Finley Peter Dunne, American journalist and humorist (Mr Dooley), dies at 68
- Apr 26 Tammany Young, American actor, dies at 49
- Apr 27 Frederik August Stoett, Dutch linguist (Dutch Proverbs), dies at 72
- Apr 27 Karl Pearson, British statistician (leading founder of the modern field of statistics), dies at 79
- Apr 28 Fuʾād I [Aḥmad Fuʾād Pasha], King of Egypt (1922-36), dies at 68
- Apr 29 Florentinus M. Wibaut, Amsterdam social alderman (building of houses), dies at 76
- Apr 30 A. E. Housman, English poet (A Shropshire Lad), dies at 77
