Historical Events
Watch on the Rhine
Apr 1 Lillian Hellman's play "Watch on the Rhine" premieres in NYC
- Apr 1 Nazis forbid Jewish access to cafés
- Apr 1 Pro-German Rashid Ali al-Ghailani grabs power in Iraq
- Apr 1 The Blockade Runner Badge for German Kriegsmarine is instituted.
- Apr 1 US Navy takes over Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay
- Apr 2 German occupier disallows Dutch scouting association
Churchill Warns Stalin
Apr 3 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warns Soviet leader Joseph Stalin that a German invasion is imminent
8th US Masters
Apr 6 8th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Craig Wood wins his first major title, 3 strokes ahead of runner-up Byron Nelson; Masters' first wire-to-wire champion
- Apr 6 Beginning of operation Bestrafung - German bombers attack Belgrade (17,000 die)
- Apr 6 British major general Michael Gambier-Parry captured in North Africa
- Apr 6 German bombardment of Piraeus (munitions ship explodes)
- Apr 6 Italian forces holding Addis Ababa surrender to British & Ethiopian forces
- Apr 7 British generals O'Connor & Neame captured in North Africa
Croatia German Puppet Statete
Apr 10 Independent State of Croatia led by Ante Pavelić established as fascist German puppet state
'Hitler Will Have to Break Us or Lose the War'
Apr 11 Germany blitzes Coventry, England
- Apr 11 Jewish Weekly newspaper taken control by Nazis
- Apr 11 Nazi occupiers in Netherlands confiscate Jewish assets
- Apr 12 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Boston Bruins defeat Detroit Red Wings, 3-1 for a 4-0 series sweep
Darlan Consults with Hitler
Apr 12 Vichy-France's head of government Admiral François Darlan consults with Adolf Hitler
- Apr 13 Heavy German assault on Tobruk
- Apr 13 Pact of neutrality between the USSR and Japan is signed.
- Apr 14 1st massive German raid in Paris, 3,600 Jews rounded up
- Apr 14 45th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:30:38; his third victory in the event
- Apr 14 King Peter leaves Yugoslavia
- Apr 15 1st helicopter flight of 1 hr duration, Stratford, Ct
- Apr 16 Little Theater at Adelphi Strand, London closes
- Apr 17 British troop land in Iraq
- Apr 17 Egyptian steamer SS Zamzam attacked and later scuttled by German cruiser Atlantis (all on board rescued)
- Apr 17 US Office of Price Administration forms (handled rationing)
- Apr 17 World War II: The Kingdom of Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany.
Mother Courage and her Children
Apr 19 Bertolt Brecht's play "Mother Courage and her Children" premieres in Zurich
- Apr 19 Bulgarian troops invade Macedonia
- Apr 19 Milk rationed in Holland
- Apr 20 100 German bombers attack Athens
- Apr 20 Dodgers start to wear liners in their caps
- Apr 21 WWII: Greece surrenders to Nazi Germany
- Apr 23 Greek Army surrenders to Germany; British RAF evacuates the Greek King George II to Egypt
- Apr 24 British army begins evacuation of Greece
- Apr 24 Dutch Prince Bernhard becomes an RAF pilot
Operation Mercury
Apr 25 Operation Mercury: Adolf Hitler orders the conquest of the island of Crete, the first mainly airborne invasion in military history
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 1 Ajit Wadekar, Indian cricket batsman and captain (37 Tests; top score 143; Bombay), born in Mumbai, India (d. 2018)
- Apr 3 Carl Boenish, American father of BASE jumping, born in New Castle, Pennsylvania (d. 1984)
- Apr 3 Eric Braeden, German-American actor (Victor Newman-Young & Restless, Colossus), born in Bredenbek, Germany
- Apr 3 Jan Berry, American rock and roll vocalist (Jan and Dean - "Surf City"), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2004)
- Apr 3 Philippé Wynne, American soul singer ("I'll Be Around"), born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 1984)
- Apr 4 Bill Tarmey, English actor (Coronation Street), born in Ardwick, Manchester (d. 2012)
- Apr 5 Dave Swarbrick, British folk fiddler, and songwriter (Fairport Convention; Martin Carthy), born in New Malden, Surrey (d. 2016)
- Apr 5 Michael Moriarty, American-Canadian actor (Bang the Drum Slowly, Q, Stuff), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Apr 5 Viktor Kurentsov, Belarusian weightlifter (Olympic gold middleweight 1968; silver 1964; 5 x World C'ship gold middleweight), born in Tukhinka, Belarus (d. 2021)
- Apr 6 (William) Louis Shelton, American session guitarist and music producer, born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Apr 6 Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian pan lute player, born in Găești, Romania
- Apr 6 Hans W Geissendorfer, Augsburg Germany, director (Sternsteinhof)
- Apr 7 Cornelia Frances [Zulver], British-Australian actress (Home and Away), born in Liverpool, England (d. 2018)
- Apr 7 Gorden Kaye, British actor (Allo Allo), born in Huddersfield, England (d. 2017)
- Apr 8 Murray Khouri, New Zealand classical clarinet player (Australia Ensemble), writer, and broadcaster, born in Wellington, New Zealand (d. 2018)
- Apr 8 Peggy Lennon, American singer (Lennon Sisters), born in Los Angeles, California
Vivienne Westwood (1941-2022)
Apr 8 English fashion designer (Vivienne Westwood), born in Tintwistle, England [1]
- Apr 9 (Princetta) Kay Adams, American country singer ("I Cried At Your Wedding,"; "Little Pink Mack"), born in Knox City, Texas
- Apr 9 Al Gafa, American jazz and session guitarist (Dizzy Gillespie; Susannah McCorkle), born in New York City
- Apr 9 Chu Song-woong, South Korean stage actor, born in Goseong, South Gyeongsang, South Korea (d. 1985)
- Apr 9 Hannah Gordon, British actress (Oh Alfie), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
- Apr 10 Mike Stratton, American football linebacker (AFL C'ship 1964, 65; AFL All-Star 1963–68; Buffalo Bills; NFL: SD Chargers), born in Vonore, Tennessee (d. 2020)
- Apr 10 Paul Theroux, American travel book writer and novelist (Mosquito Coast), born in Medford, Massachusetts
- Apr 11 Ellen Goodman, American political columnist (Pulitzer 1980), born in Newton, Massachusetts
- Apr 11 Frederick "Rick" Hauck, American astronaut (STS-7, STS 51-A, STS-26), born in Long Beach, California
- Apr 12 Bobby Moore, English football defender (108 caps; captain World Cup 1966; West Ham United), born in Barking, Essex (d. 1993)
- Apr 12 Julio Euson, Aruban-Dutch singer ("I Use The Soap"), born in Aruba
- Apr 13 Michael Stuart Brown, American geneticist (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1985), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Apr 14 Bob McCammon, Canadian ice hockey coach (Philadelphia Fllyers 1978-84, Vancouver Canucks 1987-91), born in Kenora, Ontario (d. 2021)
Pete Rose (82 years old)
Apr 14 American baseball utility (17 × MLB All-Star; NL MVP 1973; World Series 1975 [MVP], 76 Cincinnati Reds, 1980 Philadelphia Phillies) and manager (Cincinnati Reds 1984-89), banned for gambling, born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Apr 15 Howard Berman, American attorney and politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 15 Josep Maria Fusté, Spanish soccer midfielder (8 caps; FC Barcelona), born in Linyola, Spain (d. 2023)
- Apr 15 Roman Balayan, Ukrainian-Armenian director (Filer, Biryuk), born in Nerkin Horatagh, Nagorno-Karabakh AO, Azerbaijan
- Apr 16 Cliff Stearns, American businessman and politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida), born in Washington, D.C.
- Apr 17 Adolphus Hailstork, American composer (EarthRise (A Song of Healing); Ghosts in Grey and Blue), and educator, born in Rochester, New York
- Apr 17 Max Stafford-Clark, English artistic director (Royal Court Theatre), born in Cambridge, England
- Apr 18 Michael D. Higgins, Irish politician (9th President of Ireland 2011-), born in Limerick, Ireland
- Apr 18 Walt Sweeney, American football offensive lineman (9 × Pro Bowl; First-team All-Pro 1967, 68; San Diego Chargers), born in Cohasset, Massachusetts (d. 2013)
- Apr 19 Michel Roux, French chef and restaurateur (Le Gavroche, 1st Michelin three-starred restaurant in Britain), born in Charolles, Saône-et-Loire, Vichy France (d. 2020)
- Apr 19 Roberto Carlos, Brazilian singer and songwriter (Louco por você), born in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Brazil
- Apr 20 Grace Coddington, Welsh born fashion editor and model (American Vogue), born on Anglesey, Wales
- Apr 20 Joni Evans, American publisher (Simon & Schuster, Random House), born in New York City
- Apr 20 Mustafa Hasanagić, Serbian soccer striker (5 caps Yugoslavia; Partizan, Servette FC, FC La Chaux-de-Fonds) and manager (MKE Ankaragücü), born in Priboj, Serbia (d. 2023)
- Apr 20 Ryan O'Neal, American actor (Love Story; Paper Moon; What's Up, Doc?), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 2023) [1]
- Apr 21 David Lyle Boren, American politician, Governor and Senator from Oklahoma, born in Washington, D.C.
- Apr 21 [Alfred] "Pee Wee" Ellis, American jazz, funk, and rock saxophonist, arranger (James Brown; Van Morrison; Gotham; Maceo Parker), and songwriter ("The Chicken; "Cold Sweat"), born in Bradenton, Florida (d. 2021)
- Apr 23 Ed Stewart, British DJ and broadcaster (Crackerjack), born in Exmouth, Devon (d. 2016)
- Apr 23 Hal Daub, American lawyer and politician, (US Representative from Nebraska, 1981-89; Mayor of Omaha. 1995-2001), born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina
- Apr 23 Jacqueline Boyer [Eliane Ducos], French pop singer ("Tom Pillibi"), born in Paris
- Apr 23 Michael Lynne, American film producer (The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Apr 23 Paavo Lipponen, Prime Minister of Finland (1995-2003), born in Turtola, Finland
- Apr 23 Ray Tomlinson, American computer programmer (invented email and the @ sign), born in Amsterdam, New York (d. 2016)
- Apr 24 John Williams, Australian classical guitarist, born in Melbourne, Victoria
- Apr 24 Richard Holbrooke, American diplomat (Assistant Secretary of State, UN Ambassador) and author, born in New York City (d. 2010)
- Apr 25 Bertrand Tavernier, French actor (Capt Conan, L627, Daddy Nostalgie), born in Lyon, France
- Apr 25 Lawrence J. Smith, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (1983-93), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Apr 25 Princess Muna al-Hussein, mother of King Abdullah II of Jordan, born in Chelmondiston, Suffolk, England
- Apr 26 John Mitchell, American classical composer, organist, church music director, and opera coach, born in Hollywood, California
- Apr 27 Friedrich Goldmann, German composer and conductor, born in Siegmar-Schönau, Germany (d. 2009)
- Apr 27 Jennings Michael Burch, American writer (They Cage the Animals at Night), born in Manhattan, New York (d. 2013)
- Apr 27 Judith Blegen, American opera singer (The Magic Flute - "Papagena"), born in Lexington, Kentucky
- Apr 27 Lee Roy Jordan, American College Football HOF linebacker (Uni of Alabama; Super Bowl 1971; First-team All-Pro 1969; 5 × Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Excel, Alabama
- Apr 28 Ann-Margret, Swedish-American actress (Bye Bye Birdie, Tommy), born in Valsjöbyn, Sweden
- Apr 28 Iryna Zhylenko, Ukrainian poet (An Evening Party in an Old Winery), born in Kyiv, Ukraine
- Apr 28 K. Barry Sharpless, American chemist (Nobel 2001 - developing the first chiral catalysts, Nobel 2022 - click chemistry), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Apr 28 Lucien Aimar, French cyclist (won 53rd Tour de France 1966), born in Hyères, France
- Apr 29 Jonah Barrington, British World champion squash player (1966-73)
- Apr 30 Johnny Farina, American rocker (Santo & Johnny), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Apr 30 Joseph "Coke" Escovedo, Mexican-American percussionist (Santana; Malo; Azteca), born in Los Angeles, California (d. 1986)
- Apr 30 Wilfried Jentzsh, German composer, born in Dresden, Germany
Famous Weddings
- Apr 19 Youngest Mitford sister Deborah Mitford marries Andrew Cavendish, son of the Duke of Devonshire in London
Famous Deaths
- Apr 1 Hippolyte Delehaye, Flemish historian and hagiographer, dies at 81
- Apr 2 Pál Teleki, prime minister of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920-1 and 1939-41), dies at 61
- Apr 3 Pal Teleki-von Szek, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920-21, 39-41), committed suicide at 61
- Apr 5 Sir Nigel Gresley, Steam locomotive engineer (b. 1876)
Annie Jump Cannon (1863-1941)
Apr 13 American astronomer (Henry Draper catalogues), dies at 77
- Apr 14 Guillermo Kahlo, German-Mexican photographer and father of Frida Kahlo, dies at 69
- Apr 14 Jack Edmonson, Australian corporal in Tobruk (Victoria Cross), dies
- Apr 16 Josiah Stamp, 1st Baron Stamp, British civil servant, industrialist, economist, statistician and banker, dies at 60
- Apr 17 Al Bowlly, South African-British dance band vocalist ("Midnight, The Stars, And You"), and bandleader, dies in a German bombing raid of London at 43
- Apr 18 Alexandros Koryzis, Prime Minister of Greece in 1941, commits suicide at about 65 as German troops closed in on Athens
- Apr 19 Johanna Muller-Hermann, composer, dies at 63
- Apr 20 Barend ter Haar, Dutch lawyer. Indonesian Adat justice, and educator, dies in Buchenwald concentration camp at 49
- Apr 22 (Arthur) "Dooley" Briscoe MC, South African cricket batsman (2 Tests; Transvaal) and soldier (Military Cross, 1941), dies in action in Ethiopia at 30
- Apr 24 Karin Boye, Swedish writer (Kallocain) commits suicide at 40
- Apr 26 Jean Demoor, Belgian physician and physiologist, dies at 74
- Apr 27 Penelope Delta, Greek author, dies at 67
- Apr 30 Edwin S. Porter, American film pioneer and producer (Jack and the Beanstalk), dies at 71