What Happened in April 2009

Historical Events

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Apr 4 24th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Jeff Beck; Little Anthony and the Imperials; Metallica; Run-D.M.C.; Bobby Womack; Wanda Jackson; Bill Black; DJ Fontana; and Spooner Oldham

44th Academy of Country Music Awards

Apr 5 44th Academy of Country Music Awards: Carrie Underwood & Brad Paisley win

Kraft Nabisco Championship

Apr 5 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Brittany Lincicome eagles the final hole to win her first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Cristie Kerr

Apr 5 North Korea launches its controversial Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 rocket. The satellite passed over mainland Japan, which prompted an immediate reaction from the United Nations Security Council, as well as participating states of Six-party talks

WrestleMania XXV

Apr 5 WrestleMania XXV, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX (72,744): The Undertaker defeats Shawn Michaels; John Cena beats Edge and The Big Show; Triple H downs Randy Orton

Professional Wrestler and Actor John Cena

Star Trek Premieres

Apr 6 "Star Trek" film reboot directed by J.J. Abrams, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto premieres in Austin, Texas

Director, TV Producer and Writer J. J. Abrams

Apr 6 71st NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: North Carolina beats Michigan State, 89-72; Tar Heels' 5th national title; Ty Lawson 21 points
Apr 6 A 6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes near L'Aquila, Italy, killing at least 253.
Apr 7 28th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Louisville, 76-54; Huskies' 6th national title with center Tina Charles MOP

Fujimori Sentenced

Apr 7 Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces

Parks and Recreation Debuts

Apr 9 Mockumentary "Parks and Recreation" starring Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman and Aziz Ansari debuts on NBC in the US

Event of Interest

Apr 11 Michael van Gerwen wins his first tournament victory in the PDC by beating Vincent van der Voort in the final of the Players Championship in Taunton

Apr 12 73rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ángel Cabrera wins his 2nd major title in a playoff with Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry; Cabrera, first Masters champion from Argentina and South America

Abbas Calls Netanyahu

Apr 12 President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority makes a courtesy phone call to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, restarting the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu

Apr 12 U.S. Navy rescues captain Richard Phillips, killing three pirates and capturing a fourth

Phil Spector Found Guilty

Apr 13 US record producer Phil Spector is found guilty of second-degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson in 2003

Apr 15 Even though official government sources state that Argentina's GDP will actually grow this year, private consulting firms state that Argentine economy has actually been in recession since October 2008

Laureus Awards

Apr 16 Laureus World Sports Awards, (ceremony cancelled GFC): Sportsman: Usain Bolt; Sportswoman: Yelena Isinbayeva; Team: China Olympic team

Helen Clark Appointed to Head UNDP

Apr 17 Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark becomes the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the first woman to lead the organization

Apr 20 113th Boston Marathon: Deriba Merga of Ethiopia wins men's event in 2:08:42; Salina Kosgei of Kenya women's champion in 2:32:16
Apr 23 Gamma ray burst (GRB) 090423 is observed for 10 seconds, the most distant object of any kind and also the oldest known object in the universe

Midnight Award for Elijah Wood

Apr 25 Elijah Wood is honored with the Midnight Award by the San Francisco International Film Festival

NFL Draft

Apr 25 NFL Draft: Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford first pick by Detroit Lions

Apr 26 55th British Academy Television Awards: "Harry and Paul" Best Comedy, "Wallander" Best Drama
Apr 30 Chrysler automobile company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Apr 30 Failed attack on the Dutch Royal Family results in 7 deaths and 17 injured
Apr 30 The United Kingdom formally ends combat operations in Iraq

Events in 2009

Apr 25 TV personality Spencer Pratt (28) weds media personality and singer Heidi Montag (25) at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Pasadena

Famous Deaths

Apr 2 Clifford “Bud” Shank, American jazz saxophonist and flute player, dies of a pulmonary embolism at 82
Apr 2 Frank Springer, American comics artist (The Adventures of Phoebe Zeit-Geist), dies at 79
Apr 2 Peter Anderson, English footballer (Plymouth Argyle), dies at 72
Apr 5 George Tribe, Australian cricket spin bowler (3 Tests; Northamptonshire; 66 VFL games Footscray), dies at 88
Apr 6 Shawn Mackay, Brumbies rugby player (b. 1982)
Apr 7 Dave Arneson, American game designer (Dungeons & Dragons), dies of cancer at 61
Apr 7 Philip Moore [Lord Moore of Wolvercote], British Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 88
Apr 8 Herbie Lovelle, America drummer, studio musician (Hot Lips Page) and actor (Law & Order), dies at 85
Apr 8 Lennie Bennett [Michael Berry], British comedian and TV game show host (Lucky Ladders), dies at 70
Apr 8 Wally Baker, American supercentenarian, dies at 111
Apr 9 Nick Adenhart, American baseball player, dies at 22
Apr 9 Randy Cain, American soul singer (4 Gents; Delfonics - "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)"), dies at 63
Apr 10 Deborah Digges, American poet (b. 1950)
Apr 10 Henk Hoekstra, Dutch politician (Dutch Communist Party), dies at 84
Apr 10 Richard Arnell, English classical composer, dies at 91
Apr 11 Corín Tellado, Spanish romance novelist, sold the most books in Spanish (400 million), dies at 81

Apr 12 Edward Harper, English composer and pianist, dies at 68
Apr 12 John Maddox, British science writer and editor (Nature), dies at 83
Apr 12 Kirby Laing, English Construction head (John Laing & Son), dies at 92
Apr 13 Bruce Snyder, American college football coach (Utah State, California, Arizona State), dies from melanoma at 69
Apr 13 Harry Kalas, American sportscaster, dies at 73
Apr 13 Mark Fidrych, American baseball player (Detroit Tigers) nicknamed "The Bird", dies at 54
Apr 14 Gayle Caldwell, American songwriter ("Cycles"), and folk singer (New Christy Minstrels; Jackie & Gayle), dies at 68
Apr 14 Maurice Druon, French writer and journalist (Prix Goncourt), dies at 90
Apr 15 Clement Freud, British writer, broadcaster and former liberal MP, dies at 84
Apr 17 Honoré Desmond Sharrer, American artist (Tribute to the American Working People), dies aged 88
Apr 17 Martin Garrod, British Commandant General Royal Marines, dies at 73
Apr 18 Enrique Franco, Spanish pianist, composer (Cuerda de presos), music promoter, and broadcaster (National Spanish Radio; Radio Clásica), dies at 89
Apr 18 Stephanie Parker, Welsh actress, dies at 22
Apr 19 Doc Blanchard, American College Football Hall of Fame fullback (Heisman Trophy 1945; National C'ship 1944, 45, 46; Army), dies of pneumonia at 84
Apr 19 J.G. Ballard, British novelist (Empire of the Sun; Crash), dies of prostate cancer at 78

Apr 21 Vivian Maier, American street photographer unknown until her death, dies at 83
Apr 22 Jack Cardiff, British cinematographer (Black Narcissus), dies at 94
Apr 24 John Michell, British writer, (b. 1933)
Apr 24 Rev. Timothy Wright, American gospel singer (Been There Done That), and pastor, dies from injuries sustained in a car crash at 61

Bea Arthur (1922-2009)

Apr 25 American Tony and Emmy Award-winning actress (Mame; Maude; The Golden Girls), and singer, dies of lung cancer at 86

Apr 25 John J. Marchi, American politician (NY Senate 1957-2006), dies at 87
Apr 27 Feroz Khan, Indian actor, producer and director (known as Clint Eastwood of Bollywood), dies at 69
Apr 27 Frankie Manning, American dancer, instructor, choreographer, and one of the founding fathers of Lindy Hop, dies at 94
Apr 27 Woo Seung-yeon, South Korean actress and model, dies at 25
Apr 28 Ekaterina Maximova, Russian ballerina, dies at 70
Apr 28 Valeria Peter Predescu, Romanian singer, dies of a heart attack at 62
Apr 28 Vern Gosdin, American country singer ("Set 'Em Up Joe"), dies after a stroke at 74
Apr 30 Ron Richards, British record producer (Gerry and The Pacemakers; The Hollies), dies at 80
Apr 30 Venetia Burney [Phair], British woman credited with naming Clyde Tombaugh's discovered planet "Pluto" (1930), dies at 90