What Happened in April 1969

Historical Events

  • Apr 1 Royal Canadian Mint formally forms as a Crown Corporation
  • Apr 1 Seattle Pilots trade little-known minor league outfielder Lou Piniella to KC Royals for 2 prospects; hits .282 with 11 HRs & 68 RBI to win AL Rookie of the Year; becomes leading MLB manager
  • Apr 1 The Hawker Siddeley Harrier (vertical take-off fighter) enters service with the RAF.
  • Apr 2 Toronto center Forbes Kennedy sets a Stanley Cup playoff record for most penalties in one game with 8 as the Maple Leafs crash 10-0 to the Bruins at Boston; Boston’s first NHL playoff victory in 10 years
  • Apr 3 Vietnam War: U.S. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird announces that the United States will start a policy of "Vietnamization", reducing American involvement
  • Apr 4 CBS-TV abruptly cancels "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" three weeks after renewing it, citing the program's failure to provide advance screening for review before airing [1]
  • Apr 4 Haskell Karp receives the 1st temporary artificial heart, implanted by surgeon Denton Cooley at Texas Heart Institute in Houston
  • Apr 5 Massive anti-Vietnam War demonstrations occur in many U.S. cities
  • Apr 7 Dodgers' Bill Singer is credited with 1st official save, against Reds
  • Apr 7 Supreme Court strikes down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material

Sports History

Apr 7 Ted Williams begins managing Washington Senators, they lose to Yanks 8-4

  • Apr 7 The Internet's symbolic birth date: publication of RFC 1
  • Apr 8 Expansion teams Royals, Expos, Padres & Pilots win their 1st games
  • Apr 8 First Major League Baseball game featuring a Canadian team; Montréal Expos beats NY Mets, 11-10 at Shea Stadium; KC Royals, SD Padres and Seattle Pilots also win on debut
  • Apr 9 1st flight of Concorde 002 (Filton-Bristol)
  • Apr 9 Chic Cub Billy Williams hits 4 consecutive doubles beat Phillies 11-3
  • Apr 12 Simon & Garfunkel releases "Boxer"
  • Apr 12 Wales beats England, 30-9 at the National Stadium, Cardiff to clinch their 16th Five Nations Rugby Championship and 11th Triple Crown

US Masters Golf

Apr 13 33rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: George Archer wins his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of runners-up Billy Casper, George Knudson, and Tom Weiskopf

  • Apr 13 Closure of the Brisbane tramway network.
  • Apr 14 First regular-season MLB game played outside the United States; Montreal Expos beat St. Louis Cardinals, 8-7 at Parc Jarry, Montreal
  • Apr 14 KEET TV channel 13 in Eureka, CA (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • Apr 14 Student Afro-American Society seized at Columbia College
  • Apr 14 Tornado strikes Dacca, East Pakistan killing 540
  • Apr 15 North Korea shoots at US airplane above Japanese sea

Event of Interest

Apr 17 Alexander Dubček forced to resign as first secretary of Czechoslovakia's Communist Party

  • Apr 17 Mont Expos Bill Stoneman no-hits Phillies, 7-0
  • Apr 17 People's Democracy activist Bernadette Devlin becomes the youngest woman Member of Parliament ever elected to Westminster at 21 years old
  • Apr 17 The Band (formerly The Hawks), perform their 1st concert, at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, California
  • Apr 18 Greek actress and activist Melina Mercouri establishes Greek Aid Fund
  • Apr 19 Serious rioting in the Bogside area of Derry following clashes between Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association marchers and Loyalists and members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
  • Apr 20 23rd Tony Awards: "The Great White Hope" (play) & "1776" (musical) win

Tony Awards

Apr 20 Al Pacino wins a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?"

  • Apr 20 Bombs planted by Loyalists members of the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Protestant Volunteers explode at Silent Valley reservoir in County Down and at an electricity pylon at Kilmore, County Armagh
  • Apr 21 73rd Boston Marathon: Yoshiaki Unetani of Japan wins in 2:13:49; American Sara Mae Berman 1st woman in 3:22:46 (unsanctioned)
  • Apr 21 The Ministry of Defence in London announces that British troops would be used in Northern Ireland to guard key public installations following a series of bombings
  • Apr 22 1st human eye transplant performed

Joe Frazier KOs Dave Zyglewick

Apr 22 American Joe Frazier KOs American Dave Zyglewick in 1st round to retain heavyweight boxing title, in Houston, Texas

  • Apr 22 Bernadette Devlin, the youngest woman ever to be elected to Westminster, makes a controversial maiden speech in the House of Commons concerning the situation in Northern Ireland

1st Single-Handed Circumnavigation

Apr 22 Robin Knox-Johnston ends 312 days of non-stop sailing to become the 1st person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe

  • Apr 23 ABC Masters Bowling Tournament won by Jim Chestney

NBA Finals

Apr 23 LA Lakers guard Jerry West scores 53 points in 120-118 NBA Finals Game 1 win over Boston Celtics at the LA Forum

  • Apr 23 Over 1000 square miles flooded in Shantung Province, China
  • Apr 23 Sirhan Sirhan sentenced to death for killing US Senator Robert F. Kennedy (later commuted to a life sentence)
  • Apr 23 The Unionist Parliamentary Party votes by 28 to 22 to introduce universal adult suffrage in local government elections in Northern Ireland; the demand for 'one man, one vote' had been one of the most powerful slogans of the civil rights movement
  • Apr 24 Car firm British Leyland launch the Austin Maxi in Oporto Portugal
  • Apr 24 Lebanese army in battle with Palestinians
  • Apr 24 Loyalist members of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and the Ulster Protestant Volunteers (UPV) explode a bomb at a water pipeline between Lough Neagh and Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Apr 24 Marshall Lin Biao named Mao's designated successor as the sole Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China

Music History

Apr 24 Paul McCartney says there is no truth to rumors he is dead

  • Apr 24 US B-52's drop 3,000 ton bombs at Cambodian boundary
  • Apr 25 5,400th & last episode of BBC Radio serial "The Dales" (formerly "Mrs Dale's Diary")
  • Apr 26 "Celebration" closes at Ambassador Theater NYC after 110 performances
  • Apr 26 "George M!" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 435 performances
  • Apr 26 Firestone World Bowling Tournament (Mercury Open) won by Jim Godman

Academy of Country Music Awards

Apr 28 4th Academy of Country Music Awards: Glen Campbell and Cathie Taylor win

  • Apr 28 British progressive rock band King Crimson with Robert Fripp, Greg Lake & Ian McDonald debuts

Event of Interest

Apr 28 Charles de Gaulle resigns as president of France

  • Apr 29 "Trumpets of the Lord" opens at Brooks Atkinson NYC for 7 performances
  • Apr 30 Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jim Maloney records his second MLB no-hitter in 10-0 rout of Houston Astros
  • Apr 30 WEDB TV channel 40 in Berlin, New Hampshire (PBS) begins broadcasting
1969 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Apr 1 Arnaud Boetsch, French tennis player (Davis Cup 1996) and broadcaster (France Télévisions), born in Meulam France
  • Apr 1 Kevin Dean, American ice hockey defenseman (Stanley Cup NJ Devils, NHL All Star 1995), born in Madison, Wisconsin
  • Apr 1 Traci Lin-Tavi, American actress (Ryan's Hope, F/X, Fright Night 2), born in New York City

Ajay Devgan (54 years old)

Apr 2 Indian actor and bollywood star (Phool Aur Kaante, Zakhm), born in New Delhi, Delhi, India

  • Apr 2 Yj Nagata [Yuji], wrestler (NJPW)

Ben Mendelsohn (54 years old)

Apr 3 Australian actor (The Year My Voice Broke; Animal Kingdom; Bloodline), born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

  • Apr 3 Jeremy Huw Williams, Welsh baritone opera singer, born in Cardiff, Wales

Mellody Hobson (54 years old)

Apr 3 American businesswoman (Chairman of Dreamworks Animation), born in Chicago, Illinois

  • Apr 3 Rodney Hampton, American football running back (Super Bowl XXV, Pro Bowl 1992, 93 NY Giants), born in Houston, Texas
  • Apr 4 Anthony Tucker, American basketball forward (NY Knicks), born in Washington, D.C.
  • Apr 4 Carlos Reyes, American baseball pitcher (Oakland A's), born in Miami, Florida
  • Apr 4 Dennis de Nooijer, Dutch soccer player (Sparta), born in Oost-Souburg, Netherlands
  • Apr 4 Gerard de Nooijer, Dutch soccer player (Sparta), born in Oost-Souburg, Netherlands
  • Apr 4 Karren Brady, English sporting executive, TV personality and business executive (The Apprentice UK, Birmingham City F.C.), born in Edmonton, London
  • Apr 5 Rochelle Walensky, American physician and medical researcher (Director of the CDC 2021-2023), born in Peabody, Massachusetts
  • Apr 6 Andy Harmon, NFL defensive tackle (Philadelphia Eagles)
  • Apr 6 Ari Meyers, American actress (Emma McArdle-Kate & Allie), born in San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Apr 6 Bret Boone, infielder (Cincinnati Reds), born in El Cajon, California
  • Apr 6 Jack Canfora, American playwright

Paul Rudd (54 years old)

Apr 6 American actor (Clueless, The 40-Year-Old Virgin), born in Passaic, New Jersey

  • Apr 7 Jeremy Lincoln, NFL cornerback (Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks)
  • Apr 7 Peggy Clasen, speed skater (Olympics 1994), born in Saint Paul, Minnesota
  • Apr 7 Ricky Bones, pitcher (Milwaukee Brewers, NY Yanks), born in Salinas, Puerto Rico
  • Apr 7 Ricky Watters, NFL running back (Philadelphia Eagles)
  • Apr 8 Steve Jackson, American NFL cornerback (Houston/Tennessee Oilers), born in Houston, Texas
  • Apr 9 Karl Krikken, English cricketer (Derbyshire 1989-, wicketkeeper), born in Bolton, Lancashire
  • Apr 10 Billy Jacoby, actor (Brad-Silver Spoons, Maggie), born in Flushing, New York
  • Apr 10 Dennis Vial, Canadian NHL defenseman (Ottawa Senators), born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
  • Apr 10 Ekaterini Koffa, Greek sprinter, born in Karditsa, Greece
  • Apr 10 William Jayne, American actor (Parker Lewis Can't Lose), born in Flushing, New York
  • Apr 11 Cerys Matthews, Welsh singer and songwriter (Catatonia), born in Cardiff, Wales
  • Apr 11 Chisato Moritaka, Japanese singer, born in Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
  • Apr 11 Gavin Briant, Zimbabwean cricket wicketkeeper (1 Test, 5 ODIs; Mashonaland), born in Harare, Zimbabwe
  • Apr 11 Janeth Arcain, Brazilian basketball guard (WNBA C'ship 1997–2000; WNBA All-Star & All-WNBA First Team 2001 Houston Comets; Olympic silver 1996, bronze 2000), born in São Paulo, Brazil
  • Apr 12 Michael Jackson, American NFL wide receiver (NFL receiving TD leader 1996; Baltimore Ravens), born in Tangipahoa, Louisiana (d. 2017)
  • Apr 13 Harold Pruett, American actor (Sybil, Embrace of the Vampire), born in Anchorage, Alaska (d. 2002)
  • Apr 13 Stephen Heywood, American architect, builder, and subject of documentary film "So Much So Fast", born in Newton, Massachusetts (d. 2006)
  • Apr 14 Brad Ausmus, American catcher (Detroit Tigers), born in New Haven, Connecticut
  • Apr 14 Brad Pennington, American pitcher (California Angels), born in Salem, Indiana
  • Apr 14 David Archibald, Chilliwack, NHL center (Ottawa Senators)
  • Apr 14 Mark Macon, American NBA guard (Detroit Pistons), born in Saginaw, Michigan
  • Apr 14 Martyn LeNoble, Dutch musician, born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands
  • Apr 14 Vebjørn Selbekk, Norwegian journalist (Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy), born in Trondheim, Norway
  • Apr 15 Jeromy Burnitz, American baseball outfielder (MLB All Star 1999; Milwaukee Brewers), born in Westminster, California
  • Apr 15 Michael Jones, American NFL linebacker (Oakland Raiders, St Louis Rams), born in Kansas City, Missouri
  • Apr 15 Phillippi Sparks, American NFL cornerback (NY Giants), born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  • Apr 16 Fernando Viña, Cuban-American infielder (Milwaukee Brewers), born in Sacramento, California
  • Apr 18 Keith DeCandido, American sci-fi author (Star Trek), born in New York City
  • Apr 18 Sayako Kuroda, Japanese Imperial Shinto priestess and Supreme Priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine who gave up her imperial title for marriage, born in Chiyoda, Tokyo
  • Apr 18 Vladimir Tsyplakov, Belarusian NHL left wing (LA Kings, Belarus 1998), born in Inta, Soviet Union
  • Apr 19 Jesse James, American television personality (Jesse James Is a Dead Man), born in Long Beach, California
  • Apr 20 Chris Jarvis, English children's TV personality, born in Romford, London
  • Apr 20 Jan van Halst, Dutch soccer player (FC Twente), born in Utrecht, Netherlands
  • Apr 21 Conrad Clarks, NFL center (Indianapolis Colts)
  • Apr 21 Robin Meade, American reporter
  • Apr 22 Bobby Olive, NFL wide receiver (Indianapolis Colts)
  • Apr 22 Craig Logan, Scottish rock bassist (Bros.), songwriter, producer, label executive, and artist manager, born in Scotland
  • Apr 22 Dion Dublin, English footballer
  • Apr 22 Roger Jones, NFL center (Cincinnati Bengals)
  • Apr 23 Manoj Bajpayee [Bajpai], Indian actor (Satya, Road), born in Narkatiaganj, Bihar
  • Apr 23 Martín López-Zubero, Spanish backstroke swimmer (world record 200m), born in Jacksonville, Florida
  • Apr 23 Nadeem Shahid, English cricketer, born in Karachi, Pakistan
  • Apr 23 Richard Wolstencroft, Australian filmmaker and founder of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival (MUFF), born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Apr 23 Yelena Shushunova, Russian gymnast (Olympic gold USSR Team, All-around 1988; World C'ship gold x 5), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 2018)
  • Apr 24 Elias Atmatsidis, Greek soccer goalkeeper (47 caps; Pontioi Veria, AEK Athens , PAOK, born in Kozani, Greece
  • Apr 24 Melinda Clarke, American actress (Days of Our Lives), born in Dana Point, California
  • Apr 24 Viveca Paulin, Swedish actress, born in Askim, Sweden
  • Apr 25 Darren Woodson, American NFL safety (5 x Pro Bowl; Super Bowl 1992, 93, 95; Dallas Cowboys), born in Phoenix, Arizona
  • Apr 25 Gavin Bruk-Jackson, Zimbabwean cricketer (Zimbabwe Test batsman 1993)
  • Apr 25 Gina Torres, American actress (Firefly, Suits), born in New York City
  • Apr 25 Joe Buck, American sports broadcaster, born in St. Petersburg, Florida
  • Apr 25 Jon Olsen, American 100m freestyle/400m/800m medley (Olymp-gold-1992, 96), born in New Britain, Connecticut
  • Apr 25 Nir Shental, Israeli Men's 470 sailor (Olympic 15th-1996), born in Jaffa, Israel

Renée Zellweger (54 years old)

Apr 25 American actress (Bridget Jones), born in Katy, Texas

  • Apr 25 Sanjeeva Ranatunga, Sri Lankan cricketer (Sri Lankan Test batsman 1994-97), born in Colombo, Sri Lanka
  • Apr 25 Travis Fryman, American baseball infielder (5 × MLB All-Star; Gold Glove Award 2000; Silver Slugger Award 1992; Detroit Tigers), born in Lexington, Kentucky
  • Apr 27 Cory Booker, American politician (Senator-D-NJ 2013-, Mayor of Newark 2006-13), born in Washington, D.C.
  • Apr 27 Darcey Bussell, British ballerina (Strictly Come Dancing), born in London
  • Apr 27 Grahame Cheney, Australian boxer, born in Lithgow, Australia
  • Apr 27 Mica Paris, British Rhythm & Blues singer (So Good), born in London
  • Apr 27 Tyrone Rodgers, American football defensive linebacker (Winnipeg Blue Bombers), born in Longview, Texas
  • Apr 29 Arthur Marshall, American NFL wide receiver (NY Giants), born in Fort Gordon, Georgia
  • Apr 29 Paul Adelstein, American actor (Prison Break), born in Chicago, Illinois
  • Apr 30 Joey Restivo, American pop-rock percussionist (Linear - "Sending All My Love"), born in Brooklyn, New York
  • Apr 30 Paulo Jr, [Paulo Pinto Júnior] Brazilian heavy metal bassist (Sepultura; Morbid Visions), born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
  • Apr 30 Warren Defever, American musician (His Name Is Alive), born in Livonia, Michigan
Born in 1969

Famous Weddings

F. W. de Klerk

Apr 11 Future South African president F. W. de Klerk marries Marike Willemse

Famous Deaths

  • Apr 2 Fortunio Bonanova, Spanish actor and opera singer (My Best Gal, Havana Rose), dies at 74
  • Apr 3 Rex Evans, British actor (Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman; Zara; Matchmaker), dies after surgery at 65
  • Apr 5 Ain-Ervin Mere, Estonian Nazi (b. 1903)
  • Apr 5 Gabriel M-E-R Chevallier, French author (La Peur), dies at 73
  • Apr 5 Rómulo Gallegos, 48th President of Venezuela (1948), dies at 84
  • Apr 5 Shelby Storck, American television producer, dies at 52
  • Apr 8 Arthur Walter Kramer, American composer, dies at 78
  • Apr 8 Haskell Karp, American heart transplant patient, who received 1st fully artificial heart, dies after 65 hours at 48
  • Apr 10 Harley Earl, American automobile designer (1st head of design at General Motors), dies at 75
  • Apr 11 Ludvig Irgens-Jensen, Norwegian composer, dies at 74
  • Apr 15 Victoria von Battenberg, Queen of Spain, wife of King Alfonso XIII, dies at 81
  • Apr 18 Piotr F. Scharoff, Russian-Italian actor and director (Chechov), dies at 82
  • Apr 20 William "Benny" Benjamin, American session drummer (Motown's Funk Brothers), dies of a stroke at 43 [1]
  • Apr 23 Krzysztof Komeda, Polish jazz pianist and film composer (Rosemary's Baby), dies of head injuries as the result of a fall at 37
  • Apr 25 Margarita Xirgu, Catalan stage actress, director and political radical (Bloody Wedding, Mariana Pineda), dies at 80
  • Apr 26 Morihei Ueshiba, Japanese martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido, dies at 85
  • Apr 27 Dino Terranova, American actor (Young Dillinger), dies at 65
  • Apr 27 René Barrientos, President of Bolivia, dies at 49
  • Apr 28 Johannes Röntgen, Dutch composer, dies at 70