Historical Events
- Apr 1 1st British ombudsman Sir Edward Compton begins work
- Apr 1 The United States Department of Transportation begins operation.
- Apr 3 113 East Europeans attending World Amateur hockey championships in Vienna, ask for political asylum
- Apr 3 WNYE TV channel 25 in Brooklyn, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Apr 4 Amsterdam Marines chase "Nozems" or rebellious youth out of Central Station
- Apr 4 Dutch De Young government forms
NBA Record
Apr 5 '76er Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record of 41 rebounds
- Apr 5 ATS II launched but fails to reach orbit
Event of Interest
Apr 6 Premier Georges Pompidou forms new French government
- Apr 7 Israeli Syrian border fights
- Apr 7 Tom Donahue, San Francisco DJ begins new radio format - Progressive (KMPX-FM)
- Apr 8 121st Grand National: John Buckingham aboard rank 100/1 outsider Foinavon avoids famous carnage to win by 15 lengths from favourite Honey End
- Apr 8 12th Eurovision Song Contest: Sandie Shaw for United Kingdom wins singing "Puppet on a String" in Vienna
- Apr 9 "At the Drop of Another Hat" closes at Booth NYC after 105 performances
- Apr 9 1st Boeing 737 (a 100 series) makes its maiden flight
- Apr 9 31st US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Gay Brewer wins his only major title by 1 stroke over runner-up Bobby Nichols
- Apr 9 Shortwave broadcaster Radio NY Worldwide's transmitter burns down
Academy Awards
Apr 10 39th Academy Awards: "A Man For All Seasons," Best Picture, Elizabeth Taylor & Paul Scofield best actress/actor
- Apr 11 "Illya Darling" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 320 performances
Election of Interest
Apr 11 Harlem (NYC) voters defy Congress and re-elect Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in special election to fill the seat from which he had been expelled
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead
Apr 11 Tom Stoppard's play "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead" debuts in London at the Old Vic
Event of Interest
Apr 14 General Gnassingbé Eyadéma becomes President of Togo
- Apr 15 France wins its 4th outright Five Nations Rugby Championship with an 11-6 win over Ireland at Lansdowne Road, Dublin
- Apr 15 Leon Gluckman and Jeremy Taylor's folk music revue "Wait A Minim!" closes at John Golden Theater, NYC, after 457 performances
Music History
Apr 16 Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn's musical "Walking Happy", based on the 1916 novel "Hobson's Choice", "Walking Happy" closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater, NYC, after 161 performances
- Apr 17 71st Boston Marathon: Dave McKenzie of New Zealand wins in 2:15:45; American Bobbi Gibb 1st woman for 2nd straight year in 3:27:17 (unsanctioned)
Sports History
Apr 17 Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti beats American Emile Griffith in a 15 round points decision to win world middleweight crown at Madison Square Garden; start of famous trilogy of fights between the pair
- Apr 17 Shortwave Radio NY Worldwide goes back on the air after a week off
- Apr 17 Surveyor 3 launched; soft lands on Moon, April 20
- Apr 18 Jonathan Frid makes his 1st appearance as 200-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins on TV's "Dark Shadows", show becomes a huge hit
Casino Royale
Apr 19 "Casino Royale" James Bond comedy film starring David Niven and Peter Sellers premieres. Based on the Ian Fleming novel.
- Apr 19 The Beatles sign a contract agreeing to stay together for 10 years (they don't)
- Apr 19 Yugoslav author Mihaljo Mihaljov sentenced 4½ years
- Apr 20 A Globe Air Bristol Britannia turboprop crashes at Nicosia, Cyprus, killing 126.
- Apr 20 French author Régis Debray caught in Bolivia
Baseball History
Apr 20 NY Met pitcher Tom Seaver wins his 1st game, helps beat Cubs, 6-1
- Apr 20 US Surveyor 3 lands on Moon
- Apr 20 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- Apr 21 Dodgers 1st rain out in Los Angeles (after 737 consecutive games)
- Apr 21 Evangelical Broadcasting begins in Netherlands
- Apr 21 Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana Allilueva arrives in New York City after defecting to the US
- Apr 21 Military coup in Greece, Konstantinos Kollias becomes premier
- Apr 22 Martial Law goes into effect in Greece
- Apr 23 Soyuz 1 launched; Vladimir Komarov becomes 1st in-flight casualty
- Apr 24 21st NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers beat SF Warriors, 4 games to 2
Vietnam War
Apr 24 American General William Westmoreland says in a Vietnam War news conference that the enemy has "gained support in the United States that gives him hope that he can win politically that which he cannot win militarily"
- Apr 25 Abortion legalized in Colorado
- Apr 25 Britain grants internal self-government to Swaziland
- Apr 25 Jules Feiffer's "Little Murders" premieres in NYC
- Apr 26 "Hallelujah, Baby!" opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC for 293 performances
- Apr 26 KSPS TV channel 7 in Spokane, WA (PBS) begins broadcasting
- Apr 26 San Marco 2 Launch (1st Equatorial Launch)
- Apr 27 Expo 67 opens in Montreal, Canada, featuring a giant Biosphere designed by Buckminster Fuller
- Apr 27 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
Sports History
Apr 28 Muhammad Ali refuses induction into army & stripped of boxing title
Agreement of Interest
Apr 28 The Douglas Aircraft Company behind schedule with deliveries of the DC-8 and DC-9 and close to bankruptcy agrees to merge with the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation to form McDonnell Douglas
Respect
Apr 29 Aretha Franklin releases her single "Respect" (written by Otis Redding); Billboard Song of the Year, 1967
- Apr 30 MLB Baltimore Orioles' Stu Miller & Steve Barber lose 2-1 despite no-hitting Tigers
Ostankino Tower
Apr 30 Ostankino Tower, the then highest free-standing structure in the world at 540m is finished in Moscow, Russia
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 1 Phil Demmel, American heavy metal guitarist (Machine Head, 2002-18), born in Walnut Creek, California
- Apr 2 Greg Camp, American rock songwriter, guitarist, and singer (Smash Mouth - "All Star"), born in West Covina, California
- Apr 2 Helen Chamberlain, British television presenter (Soccer AM, 1995-2017), born in Street, Somerset, England
- Apr 3 Pervis Ellison, American NBA basketball forward and center, 1989-2000 (Boston Celtics), born in Savannah, Georgia
- Apr 4 Juliana "Juli" Furtado, American cyclist (Olympics 10th 1996), born in New York City
- Apr 5 Gary Gait, Canadian lacrosse player
- Apr 6 Derrick Fenner, American football running back (NFL rushing TD co-leader 1990 Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders), born in Washington, D.C.
- Apr 7 Artemis Gounaki, Greek-German pop singer-songwriter, vocal coach, and music producer, born in Munich, Germany
- Apr 7 Steve Wisniewski, American football guard (First-team All-Pro 1991, 92; 8 x Pro Bowl; LA/Oakland Raiders 1989–2001), born in Rutland, Vermont
- Apr 8 Arwyn Davies, Welsh actor
- Apr 8 Kenneth Benjamin, West Indian cricketer, born in St John's, Antigua
- Apr 9 Alex Kahn, American visual and performance artist and co-founder of the arts ensemble Processional Arts Workshop
- Apr 9 Graeme Lloyd, Australian baseball pitcher (World Series 1996, 98 NY Yankees; Olympic silver 2004), born in Geelong, Australia
- Apr 10 Donald Dufresne, Canadian ice hockey defenseman (Edmonton Oilers), born in Quebec City, Quebec
- Apr 10 Kay Whitmore Jr., Canadian ice hockey goaltender (NY Rangers), born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
- Apr 11 Jimmy Kim, American taekwondo practitioner (Olympic gold heavyweight 1988; World Cup gold 1987), born in Cerritos, California (d. 2023)
- Apr 11 Lachlan Dreher, Australian field hockey goal keeper (Champions Trophy gold 1999; Olympic silver 1992, bronze 2000), born in Melbourne, Australia
- Apr 11 Stefan Johnstown, Norwegian speed walker (world record 20 km)
- Apr 11 Wendel Suckow, American luger (World C'ship gold men's singles 1993), born in Marquette, Michigan
- Apr 12 Bobby Abrams, American football outside linebacker (NE Patriots), born in Detroit, Michigan
- Apr 12 Donna Andrews, American golfer (Nabisco Dinah Shore 1994), born in Lynchburg, Virginia
- Apr 12 Mellow Man Ace [Ulpiano Reyes], Cuban-American rapper and actor ("Only the Strong"), born in Pinar del Río, Cuba
- Apr 12 Sarah Cracknell, Britiish synth-pop singer-songwriter (Saint Etienne), born in Chelmsford, England
- Apr 13 Dana Barros, American basketball guard (NBA All-Star & Most Improved Player 1995: Boston Celtics), born in Boston, Massachusetts
- Apr 13 Olga Tañón, Puerto Rican singer, born in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Apr 14 Alain Côté, Canadian ice hockey player (Quebec Nordiques), born in Mantane, Quebec
- Apr 14 Barrett Martin, American rock and jazz drummer and composer, born in Olympia, Washington
- Apr 14 Mike Trombley, American MLB baseball pitcher, 1992-2002 (Minnesota Twins and 2 other teams), born in Springfield, Massachusetts
- Apr 14 Nicola Berti, Italian International footballer
- Apr 14 Steve Chiasson, Canadian NHL defenseman (Calgary Flames), born in Barrie, Ontario
- Apr 15 Dara Torres, American swimmer, winner of 12 Olympic medals (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008), born in Beverly Hills, California
- Apr 15 Frankie Poullain [Francis Poullain-Patterson], Scottish bass player (The Darkness - Permission To Land), born in Milnathort, Scotland
- Apr 15 Lance Zeno, American NFL/WLAF football cornerback (Rams, Scottish Claymores), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 15 Mark Mortimer, American actor (Another World - "Nick Hudson"; Killing Cupid), born in Yorkville, Illinois
- Apr 16 Junko Onishi, Japanese post-bop jazz pianist (Fragile; Tea Times), born in Kyoto, Japan
- Apr 17 Birgitta Jonsdottir, Icelandic politician, Head of the Pirate Party, born in Reykjavík, Iceland
- Apr 17 Henry Ian Cusick, Peruvian-Scottish actor (Desmond Hume-Lost), born in Trujillo, Peru
- Apr 17 Kimberly Elise, American actress (Beloved), born in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Apr 17 Leslie Bega, American actress (Maria Tomlinson-Head of the Class), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 17 Liz Phair, American musician and songwriter (Exile In Guyville), born in New Haven, Connecticut
- Apr 17 Marquis Grissom, American baseball outfielder (MLB All-Star 1993, 94; World Series 1995; Gold Glove Award 1993–96; Montreal Expos, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians), born in Atlanta, Georgia
- Apr 17 Matt Chamberlain, American session drummer (Tori Amos; Edie Brickell; The Slow Music Project; William Shatner; Wallflowers), born in San Pedro, California
- Apr 17 Timothy Gibbs, American actor (Father Murphy, Santa Barbara), born in Burbank, California
- Apr 18 Jayce Fincher Jr, American heavy metal bassist (Southgang - "Tainted Angel"; Marvelous 3), born in Rome, Georgia
- Apr 18 Kenneth Gant, American NFL safety (Super Bowl 1992, 93; Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Bartow, Florida
- Apr 18 Marcel Valk, Dutch soccer player (RKC, Go Ahead Eagles), born in Hazerswoude-Rijndijk, Netherlands
- Apr 18 Maria Bello, American actress (Permanent Midnight), born in Norristown, Pennsylvania
- Apr 19 Dar Williams, American singer-songwriter ("You're Aging Well"; "When I Was A Boy"; The Christians and The Pagans"), born in Mount Kisco, New York
- Apr 19 Steven H. Silver, American sci-fi editor, born in Hinsdale, Illinois
- Apr 20 Alan McLoughlin, Irish soccer midfielder (42 caps Rep of Ireland; Swindon Town, Portsmouth), born in Manchester, England (d. 2021)
- Apr 20 J. D. Roth, American TV host (Fun House), born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey
- Apr 20 Lara Jill Miller, American actress (Samantha-Gimme a Break), born in Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Apr 20 Mike Portnoy, American drummer (Dream Theater), born in Long Beach, New York
- Apr 20 Raymond van Barneveld, Dutch darts player (PDC World C'ship 2007; BDO World C'ship 1998, 99, 2003, 05; Premier League 2014), born in The Hague, Netherlands
- Apr 21 Michael Franti, American musician (The Beatnigs, Spearhead), born in Oakland, California
- Apr 22 Harvey Williams, American NFL running back, 1991-98 (Oakland Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs), born in Hempstead, Texas
- Apr 22 Mike Buck, American NFL quarterback, 1990-96 (Arizona Cardinals, and 2 other teams), born in Long Island, New York
- Apr 22 Sherri Shepherd, American comedian, actress, and television personality (The View, 2007-14), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Apr 22 Sheryl Lee, American stage and screen actress (Twin Peaks; Love, Lies, and Murder), born in Boulder, Colorado
- Apr 23 Brent Muscat, American hard rock musician (Faster Pussycat - "Wake Me When It's Over"), born in Hollywood, California
- Apr 23 Melina Kanakaredes, American actress (Eleni Andros-Guiding Light), born in Akron, Ohio
- Apr 23 Rhéal Cormier, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (St. Louis Cardinals; Philadelphia Phillies; Boston Red Sox), born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada (d. 2021) [1]
- Apr 24 Dino Radja, Croatian basketball player (Boston Celtics), born in Split, Croatia
- Apr 24 Omar Vizquel, Venezuelan shortstop (Seattle Mariners, Indians), born in Caracas
- Apr 24 Patty Schemel, American drummer (Hole, 1992-98), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 25 Angel Martino, American 50m/100m freestyle swimmer (Olympic gold/2 br-92, 96), born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
- Apr 26 Darrin Mooney, British session drummer (Primal Scream; Gary Moore), born in Merton, London
- Apr 26 Kane [Glenn Jacobs], American professional wrestler, born in Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
- Apr 26 Marianne Jean-Baptiste, English actress (Secrets & Lies), born in Camberwell, London
- Apr 27 Aki Avni, Israeli entertainer and TV host, born in Rehovot, Israel
- Apr 27 Bridgette Gordon, American basketball forward (Sacramento Monarchs, Olympic gold, 1988), born in DeLand, Florida
- Apr 27 Erik Thomson, Scottish-New Zealand actor (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys), born in Inverness, Scotland
- Apr 27 Jason Whitlock, American sports journalist, born in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Apr 27 Tommy Smith, Scottish jazz saxophonist, composer, and educator (Scottish National Jazz Orchestra), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
Willem-Alexander (56 years old)
Apr 27 King of the Netherlands (2013-present), born in Utrecht, Netherlands
- Apr 28 Pete Stoyanovich, American football placekicker (All Pro 1992; PFW Golden Toe Award 1997; Miami Dolphins, KC Chiefs), born in Dearborn Heights, Michigan
- Apr 29 Curtis Joseph, Canadian NHL goalie (Team Canada, Edmonton Oilers), born in Keswick, Ontario
- Apr 29 Elizabeth "Betsy" McCagg, American rower (Olympic 4th 1992, 96), born in Kirkland, Washington
- Apr 29 Mary McCagg, American rower (Olympic 4th 1992, 96), born in Seattle, Washington
- Apr 29 Master P, [Percy Miller] American rapper, actor and record producer, born in New Orleans, Louisiana
- Apr 29 Rachel Williams, American model (Absolut Vodka, Elle), born in Greenwich Village, New York
- Apr 30 John Robert "J. R." Richards, American singer-songwriter, record producer, and TV and film composer (Dishwalla), born in Santa Barbara, California
- Apr 30 Steven Mackintosh, British actor
Famous Weddings
Lynn Redgrave
Apr 2 British–American actress Lynn Redgrave (24) marries British actor John Clark (34); divorce in 2000
Rupert Murdoch
Apr 28 Media proprietor Rupert Murdoch (36) weds second wife journalist Anna Torv (22) (divorced 1999)
Famous Divorces
Harry Nilsson
Apr 6 American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (25) divorces Sandi McTaggart (23) in Los Angeles, California, after 2-1/2 years of marriage
Famous Deaths
- Apr 4 Al Lewis, American lyricist, songwriter and music publisher (Blueberry Hill, You Gotta Be a Football Hero), dies at 65
- Apr 4 Guy Chamberlin, American College/Pro Football HOF end (Uni of Nebraska; 5×NFL C'ship; First-team All-Pro 1920), dies at 73
- Apr 4 Héctor Scarone, Uruguayan soccer forward (51 caps; Nacional, FC Barcelona, FC Inter Milan, Palermo FC), dies at 68
- Apr 4 Mischa Elman, Ukraine-American violinist, dies at 76
- Apr 5 Hermann Joseph Muller, American geneticist, Nobel laureate (b. 1890)
- Apr 7 Anne Morrison Chapin, American playwright, actress, (The Wild Westcotts), and screenwriter (The Sailor Takes A Wife), dies at 75
- Apr 11 Donald Sangster, Jamaican prime-minister (b. 1911)
- Apr 13 Luis Somoza Debayle, President of Nicaragua (1956-63), dies at 44
- Apr 15 Totò [Antonio De Curtis], Italian actor (Motorizzate; Noi Duri) commonly referred to as the most popular Italian comedian of all time, dies from a heart attack at 69
- Apr 16 Jean Alexandre Barré, French neurologist who helped identify the Guillain-Barré-Strohl syndrome, dies at 86
- Apr 17 Giorgio Cesana, Italian coxswain (Olympic gold 1906), dies at 75
- Apr 17 Henry "Red" Allen, American jazz trumpeter, dies of pancreatic cancer at 59
- Apr 18 Karl Miller, German soccer defender (12 caps; Dresdner SC), dies at 53
Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967)
Apr 19 Chancellor of West Germany (CDU: 1949-63), dies at 91
- Apr 21 André-Louis Danjon, French astronomer (invented Danjon astrolabe), dies at 77
- Apr 22 Tom Conway [Sanders], British radio and screen actor (The Falcon's Brother; I Cheated The Law; The Betty Hutton Show), dies of cirrhosis of the liver at 62
- Apr 24 Frank Overton, American actor (Fail Safe; 12 O'Clock High (TV series, not film)), dies of a heart attack at 49
- Apr 24 Vladimir Komarov, Soviet cosmonaut (Voshkod I, Soyuz 1) and the 1st human to die in a space flight, dies in Soyuz 1 at 40
- Apr 28 Oscar Comras, American drummer, bandleader, and namesake of Comras Mall in Bronx Park, dies at 51
- Apr 29 Anthony Mann, American film actor and director (El Cid, Winchester '73, The Glenn Miller Story), dies from a heart attack at 60
- Apr 29 J. B. Lenoir, African American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, active in the 1950s, dies from injuries sustained in a car crash at 38
