Historical Events
- Apr 1 American television soap opera premieres: "General Hospital" (ABC) & "Doctors" (NBC)
Sports History
Apr 1 NY Mets purchase future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Duke Snider from the LA Dodgers for $40,000; Snider had starred for the Brooklyn Dodgers 1947-57
US Masters Golf
Apr 7 27th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 23-year-old Jack Nicklaus wins the first of his record 6 Green Jackets with a 3-foot par putt on the final hole to finish 1 stroke ahead of Tony Lema
- Apr 7 Public stock offering of 115,000 shares in Milwaukee Braves withdrawn after only 13,000 shares are sold to 1,600 new investors
- Apr 7 Yugoslavia proclaimed a Socialistic republic
Academy Awards
Apr 8 35th Academy Awards: "Lawrence of Arabia", Anne Bancroft & Gregory Peck win
Sports History
Apr 8 Detroit Tigers claim young pitcher Denny McLain on waivers from the Chicago White Sox; McLain goes on the win Cy Young Award 1968, 69 and AL MVP 1968
Event of Interest
Apr 9 Winston Churchill becomes 1st honorary US citizen
- Apr 10 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Apr 10 USS Thresher, a nuclear powered submarine, sinks 220 miles east of Boston killing 129 men, including 17 civilians
Spahn's Left-Handed Record
Apr 11 Milwaukee Braves future Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn beats NY Mets, 6-1 for his 328th win; most by a left-hander in MLB history
Catholic Encyclical
Apr 11 Pope John XXIII publishes encyclical "Pacem in terris", that peace between all peoples must be based on truth, justice, love and freedom
- Apr 11 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Apr 12 Beatles third single, "From Me To You" is released in UK
- Apr 12 Police in Birmingham, Alabama, use dogs & cattle prods on peaceful demonstrators
- Apr 13 Pirate's Bob Friend balks 4 times in a game
Music History
Apr 14 Quiet Beatle George Harrison is impressed by unsigned British blues band "Rolling Stones"
- Apr 15 67th Boston Marathon won by Aurèle Vandendriessche of Belgium in race record 2:18:58
Sophie
Apr 15 Steve Allen's musical "Sophie", based on the life of American singer, and comic actress Sophie Tucker, opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 8 performances
Ring of Fire
Apr 19 Johnny Cash releases single "Ring of Fire" written by his future wife June Carter and Merle Kilgore
- Apr 20 "Sophie" closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 8 performances
- Apr 20 -30] All Africa Conferences of Churches opens in Kampala Uganda
- Apr 20 10th National Film Awards (India): "Dada Thakur" wins the Golden Lotus
Music History
Apr 21 Beatles meet the Rolling Stones for the 1st time
- Apr 21 The Universal House of Justice of the Bahá'í Faith is elected for the first time
PM Lester B. Pearson
Apr 22 Lester B. Pearson is sworn in as the 14th Prime Minister of Canada
- Apr 24 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Apr 27 "Jopie" Pengel forms government in Suriname
Castro Arrives in Moscow
Apr 27 Cuban premier Fidel Castro arrives in Moscow
Golf Tournament
Apr 29 LPGA Titleholders Championship Women's Golf, Augusta CC: Marilynn Smith beats Mickey Wright by 1 shot in 18-hole playoff
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 2 Dermot Reeve, English cricket all-rounder (3 Tests, 29 ODIs), born in Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Apr 2 Karl Beattie, English television director and producer (Most Haunted), born in Guildford, Surrey
- Apr 2 Mike Gascoyne, British motor racing engineer, designer, writer (McLaren, Sauber, Tyrrell, Jordan, Renault, Toyota, Force India) and broadcaster (BBC 5 Live, Sky Sports), born in Norwich, England
- Apr 3 Chris Bosio, American baseball pitcher (Seattle Mariners), born in Carmichael, California
- Apr 3 Criss Oliva, American musician (Savatage), born in Pompton Plains, New Jersey (d. 1993)
- Apr 3 Tsuyoshi Sekito, Japanese video game composer, born in Osaka, Japan
- Apr 3 Zakir Khan, Pakistani cricketer (two Tests for Pakistan 1986-89), born in Bannu, Pakistan
- Apr 4 Anthony Clark, American actor and comedian (Boyd Pritchett-Boston Common), born in Lynchburg, Virginia
- Apr 4 Dale Hawerchuk, Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame center (#1 pick NHL Draft 1981; Calder Trophy 1982; Canada Cup 1987, 91; Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres), born in Toronto, Ontario (d. 2020)
- Apr 4 David Gavurin, English pop guitarist and songwriter (The Sundays - "Here's Where the Story Ends"; "Summertime"), born in the UK
Graham Norton (61 years old)
Apr 4 Irish comedian and TV presenter, born in Dublin
- Apr 4 Jack Del Rio, American football player, NFL linebacker (Minnesota Vikings), born in Castro Valley, California
- Apr 4 Jane McDonald, British pop singer and television presenter (Loose Women; Cruising with JAne), born in Wakefield, England
- Apr 4 Nigel Preston, British drummer (The Cult), born in Birmingham (d. 1992)
- Apr 6 Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian politician and 43rd President of Ecuador (2007-2017), born in Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Apr 6 Shaun Toub, Persian-American actor (Iron Man; Homeland), born in Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
- Apr 7 Jaime de Marichalar, duke of Lugo, Spanish royalty
- Apr 8 Alec Stewart, English cricketer (son of Micky, opening batter, occasional wicket keeper), born in Merton Park, England
- Apr 8 Donita Sparks, American singer, guitarist, and songwriter (L7), and podcaster (The Hi-Low Show), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Apr 8 Erica Terwillegar, American lugist, born in Nelsonville, New Jersey
- Apr 8 Julian Lennon, English singer-songwriter ("Too Late for Goodbyes"), philanthropist (The White Feather Foundation), photographer, and son of Beatle John Lennon and his 1st wife, Cynthia, born in Liverpool, England
- Apr 8 Seth Tobias, American financial commentator (d. 2007)
- Apr 8 Terry Porter, American basketball point guard and coach (Portland Trail Blazers; Minnesota Timberwolves; NBA All-Star 1991, 93), born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Apr 9 Joe Scarborough, American television personality, born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Apr 9 Marc Jacobs, American fashion designer (Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton), born in New York City
- Apr 10 Doris Leuthard, Swiss politician, President of Switzerland (2017), born in Merenschwand, Switzerland
- Apr 10 Kirk Lowdermilk, American football NFL center (Indianapolis Colts), born in Canton, Ohio
- Apr 10 Mark Oliver Everett, American singer-songwriter, musician and author (Eels), born in Virginia
- Apr 10 Mike Devereaux, American baseball outfielder (Baltimore Orioles), born in Casper, Wyoming
- Apr 10 Peter Morgan [Morganthau], English playwright and screenwriter (The Queen, The Crown), born in London, England
- Apr 10 Warren DeMartini, American heavy metal guitarist (Ratt), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Apr 11 Billy Bowden, New Zealand cricket umpire (84 Tests, 200 ODIs, 24 T20Is), born in Auckland, New Zealand
- Apr 11 Chris Ferguson, American professional poker player, born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 11 Eddy Moya, actor, born in El Paso, Texas
- Apr 11 Elizabeth Smylie, Australian tennis player (Wimbledon doubles [Kathy Jordan] 1985; Wimbledon mixed doubles 1991; US Open mixed doubles 1983, 90) and broadcaster (7 Network), born in Perth, Australia
Garry Kasparov (61 years old)
Apr 13 Russian chess player (world champion 1985-93), born in Baku, Azerbaijan
- Apr 13 Jan Willem van Ede, Dutch soccer player (FC Utrecht, PSV), born in Utrecht, Netherlands
- Apr 13 Mark Leiter, American baseball pitcher (SF Giants), born in Joliet, Illinois
- Apr 14 Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, American WNBA guard (Houston Comets/Olympic gold 1988) and coach, born in Chicago, Illinois
Meg Mallon (61 years old)
Apr 14 American golfer (4 major titles; US Open 1991, 2004), born in Natick, Massachusetts
- Apr 14 Thomas W. Libous, American politician (Senate-R-New York 1989-2015) brought down by scandal, born in Johnson City, New York (d. 2016)
- Apr 15 Manoj Prabhakar, Indian cricketer (Indian opening batsman and opening bowler), born in Ghaziabad, India
- Apr 15 Paula Pell, American comedian and writer (Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock), born in Joliet, Illinois
- Apr 16 Garry Galley, Canadian NHL defenseman (Buffalo Sabres), born in Montreal, Quebec
- Apr 16 Hu Na, Chinese tennis star, born in Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- Apr 16 Jimmy Osmond, American pop singer ("Long Haired Lover from Liverpool"), born in Canoga Park, California
- Apr 16 John Delaney, American politician (Rep-D-Maryland 2013-19), born in Wood-Ridge, New Jersey
- Apr 16 Nick Berry, English actor (Wicksy-EastEnders), born in Woodford, Essex
- Apr 16 Saleem Malik, Pakistani cricketer (memorable Pakistani & Essex batsman), born in Kayerpora, Lahore, Pakistan
- Apr 17 Joel Murray, American actor (Mad Men), born in Wilmette, Illinois
- Apr 18 Andrés Reyes [Universo 2000], Mexican pro wrestler (3 x CMLL World Heavyweight Championship), born in Santa Anita, Mexico (d. 2018)
Conan O'Brien (61 years old)
Apr 18 American comedian and TV host (Late Night with Conan O'Brien; Conan), born in Brookline, Massachusetts
- Apr 18 Eric McCormack, Canadian-American actor (Will & Grace), born in Toronto, Ontario
- Apr 18 Phil Simmons, West Indian cricketer (West Indian opening batsman), born in Arima, Trinidad
- Apr 20 Aubrey de Grey, British biomedical gerontologist, born in London
- Apr 20 Brett Garsed, Australian rock guitarist (Nelson; Garsed/Helmerich), born in Victoria, Australia
- Apr 20 Kal Swan, Scottish heavy metal singer-songwriter (Bad Moon Rising), born in Raleigh, Glasgow, Scotland
- Apr 20 Mauricio Gugelmin, Brazilian racing driver, born in Joinville, Brazil
- Apr 20 Rachel Whiteread, English artist (House), born in Ilford, England
- Apr 21 John Cameron Mitchell, American actor (Misplaced; Band of the Hand), born in El Paso, Texas
- Apr 21 Ken Caminiti, MLB third baseman, 1987-2001, (Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and 3 other teams; NL MVP- 1996), born in Hanford, California (d. 2004)
- Apr 21 Roy Dupuis, Canadian actor
- Apr 21 Steve Shapiro, American jazz and session musician vibraphonist, and music producer, born in Hartford, Connecticut
- Apr 22 Sean Lock, British comedian (British Comedy Award, 2000), and television personality, born in Chertsey, Surrey, England (d. 2021)
- Apr 23 Magnús Ver Magnússon, Icelandic powerlifter (World's Strongest Man 1991, 94, 95, 96), born in Egilsstaðir, Iceland
- Apr 24 Billy Gould, American rock bassist (Faith No More - "Epic"; "Easy"), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 24 Joey Vera, American heavy metal rocker (Armored Saint - "Aftermath"), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 24 Mano Solo [Emmanuel Cabut], French singer, born in Châlons-sur-Marne (d. 2010)
- Apr 24 Tõnu Trubetsky, Estonian punk rock musician, born in Tallinn, Estonia
- Apr 25 Marcos Ferrufino, Bolivian soccer defender (9 caps; Bolívar 252 games) and manager (San José, Real Potosí), born in Oruro, Bolivia (d. 2021)
- Apr 26 Bill Wennington, Canadian NBA center (Chicago Bulls), born in Montreal, Quebec
Jet Li (60 years old)
Apr 26 Chinese Singaporean actor and martial artist (Romeo Must Die, Unleashed), born in Beijing, China
- Apr 27 Cali Timmins, Canadian actress (Ryan's Hope), born in Montreal, Quebec
- Apr 27 Russell T. Davies, Welsh TV writer and executive producer (Doctor Who, Queer as Folk), born in Swansea, Wales
- Apr 27 Schae Harrison, American actress (Darla-Bold & Beautiful), born in Anaheim Hills, California
- Apr 28 Obiageli Ezekwesili, Nigerian Accountant and World Bank official (#BringBackOurGirls campaign)
Mike Babcock (60 years old)
Apr 29 Canadian NHL Coach (Anaheim, Detroit, Team Canada), born in Manitouwadge, Ontario
- Apr 30 Michael Waltrip, American auto racer (Daytona 500 2001, 2003), born in Owensboro, Kentucky
- Apr 30 Steve Smith, Scottish-Canadian ice hockey defenseman (NHL All-Star 1991; Canada Cup gold [Canada] 1991; Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames), born in Glasgow, Scotland
Famous Weddings
Anita Ekberg
Apr 6 Actress Anita Ekberg (31) weds actor Rik Van Nutter (33) in Lugano, Switzerland
Jerry Garcia
Apr 23 American guitarist Jerry Garcia (20) weds Sara Ruppenthal in California; divorce in 1967
- Apr 24 English princess Alexandra marries Sir Angus Ogilvy at Westminster Abbey
Famous Deaths
- Apr 4 Jason Robards Sr, American actor (Acapulco, Isle of the Dead), dies from a heart attack at 70
- Apr 5 Jacobus Old, Dutch architect (De Stijl movement), dies at 73
- Apr 5 Julius Harrison, English composer, dies at 78
- Apr 6 Otto Struve, Russian-American astronomer (discoveries in stellar spectroscopy at Yerkes observatory), dies at 65
- Apr 9 Eddie Edwards, American jazz trombonist, dies at 71
- Apr 12 Alfred Métraux, Swiss anthropologist, dies at 60
- Apr 12 Herbie Nichols, American jazz pianist and composer ("Lady Sings the Blues"), dies of leukemia at 43
- Apr 14 Gwen Lally, English pageant master and actress (only played male roles), dies at 81 [1]
- Apr 15 Edward "Carji" Greeves, Australian Rules Football midfielder (winner inaugural Brownlow Medal 1924), dies at 59
- Apr 18 Meyer Jacobstein, American politician, dies at 83
- Apr 30 Bryant Washburn, American actor (Exposure, Millionaire Kid, Nabonga), dies at 74
