Historical Events
NBA Record
Apr 1 Boston Celtics captain John Havlicek scores career high 54 points in 134-109 rout of Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of 1st round Eastern Conference playoffs; hits NBA playoff record 24-of-36 field-goal attempts
Sports History
Apr 1 Despite a final round, 5-3 loss to Montreal, Boston Bruins center Phil Esposito wins his third consecutive NHL scoring title with 130 points from 55 goals and 75 assists in the 78-game season
- Apr 1 Japan allows its citizens to own gold
Music History
Apr 1 John Lennon and Yoko Ono form a new country with no laws or boundaries, called Nutopia, its national anthem is silence
- Apr 1 OPEC increases price of petroleum by 5.7 percent
- Apr 2 CBS radio begins on the hour news, 24 hours a day
- Apr 2 ITT admits to asking CIA to influence Chilean presidential election
- Apr 2 Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
- Apr 3 1st mobile phone call is made in downtown Manhattan, NYC by Motorola employee Martin Cooper to the Bell Labs headquarters in New Jersey
- Apr 4 World Trade Center, then the world's tallest building, opens in New York (110 stories). Later destroyed in 9/11 terrorist attacks.
- Apr 5 NFL adopts jersey numbering system (ie QBs, 1-19)
- Apr 5 Pioneer 11 launched to Jupiter
- Apr 6 America launches the Pioneer 11 (Pioneer G) probe to study Jupiter & Saturn
- Apr 6 Dock strike in Gent/Antwerp, Belgium
- Apr 6 Federal court rules in favor of the Smothers Brothers in breach of contract lawsuit against CBS-TV, awarding them $776,300 USD
- Apr 6 Indian troops invade Sikkim
Sports History
Apr 6 Roberto Clemente Day, Pittsburgh Pirates retire his #21
- Apr 6 Yankee Ron Blomberg becomes 1st designated hitter, he walks
- Apr 7 18th Eurovision Song Contest: Anne-Marie David for Luxembourg wins singing "Tu te reconnaitras" in Luxembourg
- Apr 7 Cleveland sets day-game & opening-game attendance records of 74,420
- Apr 7 Doug Walters' best Test Cricket bowling, 5-66 v WI Georgetown
- Apr 8 Thirty-two terrorist bombings in Cyprus
Paper Moon
Apr 9 "Paper Moon" film starring Ryan O'Neal and his daughter, Tatum O'Neal, directed by Peter Bogdanovich premieres in Hollywood, California; Tatum O'Neal becomes youngest (age 10) Academy Award winner (Supporting Actress)
- Apr 9 37th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Due to weather delays final round is played on Monday with Tommy Aaron winning his only major title, 1 stroke ahead of J. C. Snead
- Apr 9 Netherlands recognizes North Vietnam
- Apr 9 Otto Kerner, former governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme
- Apr 10 BEA flight to Basel Switzerland, crashes on landing, killing 104 of 143
- Apr 10 Kansas City Royals open their new park, Royals Stadium with 12-1 rout of the Texas Rangers; attendance 39,476
- Apr 10 Pakistan suspends constitution
- Apr 12 France recognizes North Vietnam
- Apr 12 Sudan adopts constitution
- Apr 12 Swaziland suspends constitution
- Apr 14 Acting FBI director L. Patrick Gray resigns after admitting he destroyed evidence in the Watergate scandal
- Apr 14 Ireland edges France, 6-4 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin to create a 5-way tie for the Five Nations Rugby Championship; each nation wins their 2 home matches
- Apr 16 77th Boston Marathon: American double; Jon Anderson men's champion in 2:16:03; Jacqueline Hansen wins women's title in 3:05:59
- Apr 17 German counter-terrorist unit GSG 9 founded
Event of Interest
Apr 18 US Government ends Mandatory Oil Import Program, established in 1959 by President Eisenhower
Between Yesterday & Tomorrow
Apr 19 Barbra Streisand records "Between Yesterday & Tomorrow"
- Apr 19 USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan
- Apr 20 Canadian ANIK A2 becomes 1st commercial satellite in orbit
- Apr 20 Mass murderer Ed Kemper attempts to dispose of his mother's vocal chords in a domestic waste disposal unit
- Apr 25 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
Apr 26 Galt MacDermot and John Guare's musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" opens at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End, running for 237 performances
- Apr 26 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- Apr 27 KC Royals pitcher Steve Busby no-hits Detroit Tigers, 3-0
- Apr 28 Over 6000 Mk. 82 500 pound bombs detonate over 18 hrs in a railyard in northern California. 5500 structures damaged, town of Antelope destroyed, with every building reduced to foundations. Leads to Transportation Safety Act (1974)
Red Rose Speedway
Apr 30 Paul McCartney releases "Red Rose Speedway" album, includes the hit single "My Love"
Event of Interest
Apr 30 US President Nixon announces the resignation of H. R. Haldeman, Ehrlichman and others
- Apr 30 Women's tennis groups end disputes over sanctioning tournaments
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 1 Christian Finnegan, American comedian
- Apr 1 Ferdy Vierklau, Dutch soccer left back (2 caps; FC Utrecht; Ajax), born in Bilthoven, Netherlands
Rachel Maddow (51 years old)
Apr 1 American radio and TV personality and political analyst (MSNBC), born in Castro Valley, California
- Apr 1 Stephen Fleming, New Zealand cricket batsman and captain (111 Tests; 9 x 100, HS 274no; 280 ODIs; Canterbury, Yorkshire CCC, Chennai Super Kings) and coach (Chennai Super Kings), born in Christchurch, New Zealand
- Apr 2 Roselyn Sanchez, Puerto Rican actress, born in San Juan
- Apr 3 Adam Scott, American actor (Parks and Recreation), born in Santa Cruz, California
- Apr 3 Greg DeLong, American football player, NFL tight end (Minnesota Vikings), born in Orefield, Pennsylvania
- Apr 3 Jamie Bamber, English actor (Battlestar Galactica), born in Hammersmith, London
- Apr 3 Kelly Lochbaum, Canadian football linebacker (BC Lions), born in Abbotsford, Canada
- Apr 3 Kelly Price, American R&B and gospel vocalist ("Friend of Mine"), born in Queens, New York
- Apr 3 Matthew Ferguson, Canadian actor (Geometry in Venice), born in Toronto, Ontario
- Apr 4 Chris McCormack, Australian triathlete (ITU World Championships), born in Sydney
David Blaine (51 years old)
Apr 4 American magician and illusionist, born in Brooklyn, New York
- Apr 4 Loris Capirossi, Italian Grand Prix motorcycle racer, born in Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy
- Apr 4 Peter Hoekstra, Dutch soccer player (PSV, Ajax), born in Assen, Netherlands
- Apr 4 Ryan Coughlin, Canadian football offensive linebacker (Montreal Alouettes), born in Renfrew, Ontario
- Apr 4 Tiffany Woosley, American basketball player (Houston Comets), born in Shelbyville, Tennessee
- Apr 5 Élodie Bouchez, French actress
Pharrell Williams (51 years old)
Apr 5 American singer, songwriter ("Happy"), music producer (The Neptunes), and film producer (Hidden Figures), born in Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Apr 5 Spencer Folau, Tongan, American football offensive lineman (Baltimore Ravens), born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
- Apr 5 Tony Banks, quarterback (St Louis Rams)
- Apr 6 Donnie Edwards, linebacker (KC Chiefs)
- Apr 6 Gina Yashere, English comedian
- Apr 6 Randall Godfrey, linebacker (Dallas Cowboys)
- Apr 6 Rie Miyazawa, Dutch-Japanese actress (Seven Day's War; Twilight Samurai), and J-pop singer ("Dream Rush"), born in Tokyo, Japan
- Apr 6 Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
- Apr 7 Brett Tomko, American baseball player
- Apr 7 Carole Montillet, French skier
- Apr 7 Ève Salvail, Canadian model
- Apr 8 Alex Gonzalez, American infielder (Toronto Blue Jays), born in Miami, Florida
- Apr 8 Emma Caulfield, American actress (Anya in Buffy the Vampire Slayer), born in San Diego, California
- Apr 8 Khaled Badra, Tunisian footballer, born in Kairouan, Tunisia
- Apr 9 Spencer "Spenny" Rice, Canadian entertainer, born in Toronto, Ontario
- Apr 10 Aidan Moffat, Scottish rock singer-songwriter (Arab Strap), born in Falkirk, Scotland
- Apr 10 Christopher Simmons, American graphic designer, born in Canada
- Apr 10 Guillaume Canet, French actor and film director (Tell No One), born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Roberto Carlos (51 years old)
Apr 10 Brazilian soccer left back (Brazil 125 caps, Real Madrid), born in Garça, São Paulo, Brazil
- Apr 11 Jennifer Esposito, American television actress (Summer of Sam; Crash; Spin City), and baker, born in New York City
- Apr 12 Antonio Osuna, Mexican baseball pitcher (LA Dodgers), born in Sinaloa, Mexico
- Apr 12 Claudia Jordan, American actress (The Real Housewives of Atlanta), born in Providence, Rhode Island
- Apr 12 J. Scott Campbell, American comic book artist, born in East Tawas, Michigan
- Apr 13 Bokeem Woodbine, American actor (Jason's Lyric; Fargo (tv series)), born in Harlem, New York
Adrien Brody (51 years old)
Apr 14 American actor (The Pianist, The Grand Budapest Hotel), born in New York City
- Apr 14 David Miller, American popera tenor (Il Divo), born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Apr 14 Roberto Ayala, Argentine soccer defender (116 caps; Napoli, Valencia, Real Zaragoza; Olympic gold 2004), born in Paraná, Argentina
Akon (51 years old)
Apr 16 Senegalese American singer-songwriter and producer ("Trouble"; "Lonely"; "Smack That"), born in St. Louis, Missouri
- Apr 16 Bonnie Pink [Kaori Asada], Japanese pop singer-songwriter, born in Nantan, Kyoto, Japan
- Apr 17 Gene Makowsky, Canadian football offensive linebacker (Saskatchewan Roughriders), born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- Apr 17 Jeff Lewis, American NFL quarterback (Denver Broncos-Super Bowl 32), born in Columbus, Ohio
- Apr 17 Kaihō Ryōji, Japanese sumo wrestler, born in Aomori, Japan
- Apr 17 Kenneth Carlsen, Danish tennis star, born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Apr 17 Ross Aloisi, Australian soccer midfielder (Olyroos, Olympics 1996), born in Adelaide, South Australia
- Apr 17 Theo Ratliff, American NBA forward and center (Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers), born in Demopolis, Alabama
- Apr 18 Derrick Brooks, American football linebacker (11 × Pro Bowl; Super Bowl 2002; Tampa Bay Buccaneers), born in Pensacola, Florida
- Apr 18 Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopian 10k runner (Olympic gold 1996), born in Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopia
- Apr 18 James "Jamie" Koven, American rower (Olympic 5th 1996), born in Morristown, New Jersey
- Apr 20 Geoff Lloyd, British radio presenter (Geoff Lloyd with Annabel Port), born in Withington, Lancashire, England
- Apr 20 Isabel Dos Santos, Angolan businesswoman, daughter of ex-President José Eduardo dos Santos, Africa's richest woman, born in Baku, Azerbaijan SSR
- Apr 20 Itula Mili, NFL tight end (Seattle Seahawks), born in Kahuku, Hawaii
- Apr 20 Lamond Murray, American basketball forward (LA Clippers), born in Pasadena, California
- Apr 20 Todd Hollandsworth, American baseball outfielder (World Series 2003 Florida Marlins; NL Rookie of the Year 1996 LA Dodgers), born in Dayton, Ohio
- Apr 21 Jonathan Nsenga, Belgian athlete
- Apr 22 Adem Poric, Australian former footballer
- Apr 22 Christopher Sanders, tight end (Washington Redskins)
- Apr 22 Ofer Talker, Israeli footballer
- Apr 22 Scott Fields, NFL linebacker (Atlanta Falcons)
- Apr 23 Patrick Poulin, Canadian NHL left wing (Tampa Bay Lightning), born in Vanier, Quebec, Canada
- Apr 24 Brian Marshall, American rock bassist (Creed - "With Arms Wide Open"; Alter Bridge), born in Jackson, Mississippi
- Apr 24 Eric Snow, American NBA guard (Philadelphia 76ers, Seattle Supersonics), born in Canton, Ohio
- Apr 24 Gabby Logan, British television presenter, born in Leeds, England
- Apr 24 Lee Westwood, English golfer (British Open, US Masters 2010 runner-up), born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire
- Apr 24 Mark Babic, Australian soccer defender (Olyroos, Olympics 1996), born in Sydney, Australia
Sachin Tendulkar (51 years old)
Apr 24 Indian cricket batsman and captain (200 Tests, 15,921 runs @ 53.78, 51 x 100s; highest run scorer in international cricket), born in Mumbai, India
- Apr 25 Alek Stojanov, Canadian NHL right wing (Pitts Penguins), born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Apr 25 Barbara Rittner, German tennis star (1992 Schenectady), born in Krefeld, West Germany
- Apr 25 Fredrik Larzon, Swedish drummer (Millencolin), born in Örebro, Sweden
- Apr 25 Paige Gordon, Canadian diver (Olympics-16-92, 96), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Apr 26 Chris Perry, English footballer (Tottenham Hotspur), born in Carshalton, England
- Apr 27 Andre Gower, American actor (Monster Squad), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 28 Earl Holmes, American linebacker (Pittsburgh Steelers) and coach, born in Tallahassee, Florida
- Apr 28 Elisabeth Röhm, American actress, born in Düsseldorf, Germany
- Apr 28 Francisco Palencia, Mexican footballer
- Apr 28 Ian Murdock, German-born American computer programmer (Debian project, Progeny Linux Systems), born in Konstanz, West Germany (d. 2015)
- Apr 28 Jorge Garcia, American actor (Lost), born in Omaha, Nebraska
- Apr 28 Marc[us] Blake Schneider, American rower (Olympic bronze 1996), born in Lubbock, Texas
- Apr 28 Zhang Enhua, Chinese soccer defender (65 caps; Dalian Wanda FC, Grimsby Town), born in Dalian, China (d. 2021)
- Apr 29 David Belle, French physical educator (founded Parkour), born in Fécamp, France
- Apr 29 Mike Hogan, Irish rock bassist (The Cranberries - "Zombie", "Linger"), born in County Limerick, Ireland
- Apr 30 Keith Lemon [Leigh Francis], English comedian and television presenter (Celebrity Juice), born in Beeston, Leeds, England
Famous Weddings
- Apr 18 American sci-fi writer "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" Philip K Dick marries 5th wife Leslie (Tessa) Busby
Dean Martin
Apr 25 Singer and actor Dean Martin marries third wife Catherine Hawn (divorced 1976)
Famous Deaths
- Apr 1 Arthur Wood, English cricket wicketkeeper (4 Tests, 11 dismissals), dies at 74
- Apr 1 Gus Aiken, American jazz and blues trumpeter (Jenkins Orphanage Band), dies at 70
- Apr 2 Jascha Horenstein, Russian-born American conductor, dies at 74
- Apr 5 John Coleman, Australian rules footballer (b. 1928)
- Apr 7 Nick Stuart, Romanian-born American bandleader and actor (Secrets of Chinatown), dies of cancer at 69
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)
Apr 8 Spanish painter (The Three Dancers, Guernica) and sculptor who co-founded the Cubist movement, dies at 91
- Apr 11 (Edward) "Ted" de Corsia, American actor (The Naked City; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea), dies at 69
- Apr 13 A. A. M. Stols, Dutch publisher (Schoone Book), dies at 73
- Apr 13 Balraj Sahni [Yudhishthir], Indian Bollywood actor (Dharti Ke Lal), dies of cardiac arrest at 59
- Apr 14 Magda Janssens, Flemish actress (Nederlands in 7 Lessons), dies at 88
- Apr 14 Minna Gombell, American actress dies at 80
- Apr 16 István Kertész, Hungarian orchestral and operatic conductor, dies at 43
- Apr 20 Elisabeth Hauptmann, German writer (co-author of The Threepenny Opera), dies at 75
- Apr 20 Hans Kelsen, Austrian legal philosopher and political philosopher, dies at 91
- Apr 20 Robert Armstrong, American actor (Mighty Joe Young, King Kong), dies at 82
- Apr 21 Arthur Fadden, 13th Prime Minister of Australia, dies at 79
Merian C. Cooper (1893-1973)
Apr 21 American film director and producer (King Kong) and aviator (Kościuszko Squadron, Director-Pan American Airways), dies of cancer at 79
- Apr 21 Ursula Jeans, British actress (Cavalcade, Over the Moon, I Lived With You), dies of cancer at 66
- Apr 23 Otto Eissfeldt, German old testament scholar, dies at 85
- Apr 26 Irene Ryan [Noblitt], American actress (Beverly Hillbillies - "Granny"; Pippin), dies of an inoperable brain tumor at 70
- Apr 27 Carlos Menditeguy, Argentine auto racer (11 x F1 GP) and horse trainer, polo player, dies from diabetes and Parkinson's disease at 57
- Apr 27 Jim Sims, English cricket spin bowler (4 Tests, 11 wickets; Middlesex), dies at 69
Clas Thunberg (1893-1973)
Apr 28 Finnish speed skater (Olympic gold 1500m, 5000m, allround 1924; 500m, 1500m 1928), dies at 80
- Apr 28 Jacques Maritain, French Catholic philosopher (exponent of St Thomas), dies at 90
- Apr 28 Pat Henning, American actor (Goodyear TV Playhouse), dies at 64
- Apr 29 Manfred Gurlitt, German composer, dies at 82
- Apr 30 Josie Sedgwick, American actress (The Best Man, Queen of the Round-Up), dies of stroke at 75
- Apr 30 Václav Renč, Czech poet, dramatist and translator, dies at 61
