Historical Events
Golf Major
Apr 2 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden gains her first pro win in a sudden-death playoff against Inbee Park and Jennifer Song that extends to 8 holes
- Apr 3 Alex Puccio ascends Penrose Step V14 (8B+) in Leavenworth, USA
- Apr 4 21st Commonwealth Games open in the Gold Coast, Australia
- Apr 6 Canadian Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team involved in a bus crash outside Tisdale, Saskatchewan that kills 16
- Apr 7 Suspected gas attack on Douma by Syrian government airforce kills more than 40 people and injuries more than 500
- Apr 7 Vegas Golden Knights suffer a 7-1 end of regular season defeat at Calgary but finish with an NHL expansion team record 51 victories; previous record 33 by Anaheim Ducks & Florida Panthers 1993-94
- Apr 8 82nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Patrick Reed wins his first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Rickie Fowler
Election of Interest
Apr 8 Hungarian parliamentary election won by right-wing Fidesz–KDNP alliance with Viktor Orbán remaining Prime Minister
WrestleMania
Apr 8 WrestleMania XXXIV, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA: Ronda Rousey makes WWE debut, teaming with Kurt Angle to beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a mixed tag team match
Music History
Apr 9 Fleetwood Mac announce new members Neil Finn and Mike Campbell after firing long-standing member Lindsey Buckingham
Event of Interest
Apr 9 US Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois becomes the first senator to give birth while in office
Event of Interest
Apr 10 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg begins testifying before US Congress about data use and security
- Apr 14 171st Grand National: Davey Russell wins aboard 10/1 Tiger Roll in a photo finish from Pleasant Company
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Apr 14 33rd Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Nina Simone; Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Bon Jovi; The Cars; Dire Straits; and Moody Blues
- Apr 14 National Gardening Day, since 2018 and according to the National Day Calendar
- Apr 14 US, UK and French forces carry out airstrikes on sites associated with Syria's chemical weapons program, in response to Douma gas attack
- Apr 15 126.2 cm (49.69") of rainfall in a day, Waipā Garden (Kauai). Hawaii (state record, breaking previous record of 1956)
- Apr 16 122nd Boston Marathon: Yuki Kawauchi of Japan wins men's race in 2:15:58; Desiree Linden (2:39:54) first American to win women's title since 1985
Music History
Apr 16 Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper and non-classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music with his album "Damn"
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership
Apr 17 Former F.B.I. director James Comey publishes his political autobiography “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership”
- Apr 17 Protests across India at the rape and murder of an 8-year old Muslim girl in Kathua, Bengalu
- Apr 18 Protests begin in Managua, Nicaragua, over proposed changes to social security, protesters beaten by suspected pro-government gangs
- Apr 18 “Black Panther” is the first film shown at a commercial cinema in 35 years in Saudi Arabia as cinemas are reopened
- Apr 19 King Mswati III of Swaziland changes the name of Swaziland to Eswatini, which translates as the “Land of the Swati”
Election of Interest
Apr 19 Miguel Diaz-Canel is elected Cuba's new president, after former president Raúl Castro steps down
- Apr 19 US Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois-D) is the first parent to bring a baby into the Senate chambers, a day after the Senate votes to allow babies on the chamber's floor
- Apr 20 Actress Allison Mack arrested on charges of sex trafficking in relation to sex cult NXIVM in New York
- Apr 20 Arsène Wenger announces he will leave London EPL club Arsenal after 22 years as manager
Charles to Succeed Elizabeth
Apr 20 Commonwealth countries decide Prince Charles will succeed Queen Elizabeth as the next head of the Commonwealth
Frida Kahlo Barbie Banned
Apr 20 Mexican court bars sales of controversial Frida Kahlo Barbie doll
Film Premiere
Apr 21 Léa Seydoux's film "Zoe" premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival
- Apr 21 Oakland A's left hander Sean Manaea no-hits the Boston Red Sox
- Apr 22 Bus crash in North Korea kills 36, with most Chinese tourists
- Apr 22 Gunman opens fire at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee, killing four before James Shaw Jr. wrestled the rifle from the gunman's hands
Footballer of the Year
Apr 22 Liverpool's Egyptian soccer forward Mohamed Salah is named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year
Tennis Open Record
Apr 22 Monte Carlo Tennis Masters: Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to extend his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11)
- Apr 22 Saudi-led coalition airstrike kills more than 20 at a wedding in northwestern Yemen
- Apr 23 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan resigns after 10 years in office after mass protests against him beginning an unconstitutional third term
- Apr 23 Mario Abdo Benítez is elected President of Paraguay
Avengers: Infinity War
Apr 23 Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War" directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr and large ensemble cast premieres in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 23 Van deliberately driven into pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, killing 10 and injuring 13
Music History
Apr 24 Ed Sheeran's "÷" is the best-selling album of 2017, selling 6.1 million copies, according to IFPI
- Apr 24 Golden State Killer suspect Joseph DeAngelo arrested and charged with eight murders after being identified through genealogy websites
- Apr 24 Streaming music services overtake worldwide sales of CDs and vinyl for the first time according to IFPI
- Apr 24 Suffragist Millicent Fawcett is the first woman to have a statue erected in Parliament Square, London, England
Event of Interest
Apr 24 US President Donald Trump hosts his first state dinner for visiting French President Emmanuel Macron
- Apr 25 Danish inventor Peter Madsen found guilty of killing and desecrating body of journalist Kim Wall aboard submarine, sentenced to life imprisonment
- Apr 25 Indian religious leader Asaram Bapu is sentenced to life for raping a 16-year old girl
Film & TV History
Apr 26 Comedian Bill Cosby is found guilty of sexual assault in Pennsylvania
- Apr 26 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield first pick by Cleveland Browns; 4 QBs taken in top 10 selections for first time in history
- Apr 26 Serial killer "Golden State Killer" identified after 40 years as a former police officer, responsible for 12 killings, 50 rapes in California
Event of Interest
Apr 27 German leader Angela Merkel has a 1-day trip to Washington, DC, meeting US President Donald Trump
Summit of Interest
Apr 27 Historic Korean summit, the North's Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in of South Korea agree to officially end Korean war and rid peninsula of nuclear weapons
- Apr 27 Mass protests across Spain after 5 men convicted of sexual abuse but not rape of teenage girl during Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona
- Apr 27 More than 40 Tuareg killed over two days by suspected jihadists in Menaka region, Mali
Film & TV History
Apr 28 Danny DeVito Day declared in Jersey for 17th November by Mayor John Moor of Asbury Park
- Apr 28 Indian government announces electricity has now reached every Indian village
- Apr 28 Shaquem Griffin is the first one-handed person to be drafted into the NFL; selected by Seattle Seahawks
- Apr 28 World's largest child sacrifice, 140 remains uncovered by archaeologists near Trujillo, Peru, dating back 550 years to Chimú civilisation
Film & TV History
Apr 29 Animated series "The Simpsons" surpasses 635-episode count of "Gunsmoke"'; highest number of episodes of any series on TV
- Apr 29 Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal equals his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11 Monte Carlo) with his 11th Barcelona ATP title
- Apr 29 Sweden's official Twitter account confirms Swedish meatballs actually originated in Turkey
- Apr 29 UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigns amid immigration scandal involving the Windrush generation
- Apr 30 Coordinated double suicide attack kills 36 in Kabul, Afghanistan, including nine journalists
- Apr 30 Etienne Terrus art museum in Elne, France, reveals half of its collection are fakes
Film & TV History
Apr 30 New species of water beetle from Malaysian Borneo’s Maliau Basin named after actor Leonardo DiCaprio
- Apr 30 Pakistani city of Nawabshah sets global record for an April temperature, recording high of 50.2C
- Apr 30 Sajid Javid is named UK Home Secretary by Prime Minister Teresa May
- Apr 30 World's oldest known spider, a female trapdoor, dies after being killed by a wasp sting in Western Australia, aged 43
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 23 Prince Louis of Cambridge, second son of Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, 4th in line to the English throne, born in London
Famous Deaths
- Apr 1 Edward Digby, 12th Baron Digby, British Army (Coldstream Guards) officer, dies at 93
Efraín Ríos Montt (1926-2018)
Apr 1 Guatemalan general and dictator (1982-83) convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity, dies of a heart attack at 91
- Apr 1 Steven Bochco, American TV producer and co-creator of Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue, dies at 74
- Apr 2 Susan Anspach, American actress (Grace-Yellow Rose, Hair, Five Easy Pieces, Play It Again Sam), dies at 75
Winnie Mandela (1936-2018)
Apr 2 South African anti-apartheid activist and ANC politician, dies of a long illness at 81
- Apr 3 David Edgerton, American entrepreneur and founder of Burger King, dies of complications of surgery at 90
- Apr 3 Lill-Babs [Barbro Margareta Svensson], Swedish pop singer, (Eurovision, 1961) actress, and television presenter, dies of heart failure while battling cancer at 80
- Apr 4 Gertrude Jeannette, African American taxi driver, playwright and film and stage actress (Shaft, Cotton Comes to Harlem), dies at 103
- Apr 4 Ray Wilkins, English soccer midfielder (84 caps; Chelsea, Manchester Utd, AC Milan, Rangers, QPR) and manager (QPR, Fulham, Jordan), dies of cardiac arrest, resulting in a fall at 61
- Apr 5 Cecil Taylor, American pianist, poet, and one of the pioneers of free jazz, dies at 89
- Apr 5 Eric Bristow MBE ['The Crafty Cockney'], English darts player (BDO World Champion 1980-81, 84-86), dies of a heart attack at 60
- Apr 5 Isao Takahata, Japanese anime film director, screenwriter and producer (Grave of the Fireflies, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya), dies of lung cancer at 82
- Apr 6 Daniel Akaka, American educator and politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii), dies at 93
- Apr 6 Julien Van Remoortere [Piet Mortelman], Flemish writer (Fist), dies at 87
- Apr 8 Richard Moryl, American composer, pedagogue, and visual artist, dies at 89
- Apr 10 Yvonne Staples, American R&B singer (The Staple Sisters), dies at 80
- Apr 11 Gillian Ayres, British abstract painter and printmaker, dies at 88
- Apr 11 Mitzi Shore [Lillian Saidel], American owner of The Comedy Store and founder of The Comedy Channel, dies at 87
- Apr 12 John Melcher, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana), dies at 93
- Apr 13 Miloš Forman, Czech-American award-winning director (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Amadeus; The Firemen's Ball), dies at 86
- Apr 14 Colin Bland, South African cricket batsman (21 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 144no; Eastern Province, Orange Free State), dies from colon cancer at 80
- Apr 15 R. Lee Ermey, American actor (Full Metal Jacket- Gunnery Sergeant Hartman), dies at 74
- Apr 16 Harry Anderson, American comic, magician, and actor (Night Court - "Judge Harry Stone"; Daves's World), dies at 65
- Apr 16 Henri Landwirth, Belgian-American hotel owner and philanthropist (Give Kids the World), dies at 91
Barbara Bush (1925-2018)
Apr 17 First Lady of the US (1989-93) and wife of George H. W. Bush, dies following long illness at 92
Bruno Sammartino (1935-2018)
Apr 18 Italian-American strongman and professional wrestler, dies at 82
Avicii (1989-2018)
Apr 20 Swedish musician, DJ, remixer and record producer ("Levels"; "Wake Me Up"; "Sunshine"), commits suicide at 28
- Apr 21 Nabi Tajima, Japanese supercentenarian and the last living person certified to have been born in the 19th century, dies at 117
- Apr 21 Nelson Pereira dos Santos, Brazilian movie director (Como Era Gostoso o Meu Francês, Vidas Secas), dies at 89
- Apr 21 Verne Troyer, American actor (Mini-Me in Austin Powers movies), dies at 49
- Apr 22 Dave Nelson, American baseball infielder (MLB All Star 1973 Washington Senators/Texas Rangers) and broadcaster (Milwaukee Brewers Fox Sports Wisconsin), dies of liver cancer at 73
- Apr 23 Bob Dorough, American jazz vocalist, pianist, composer, songwriter, arranger, and producer (Schoolhouse Rock!; Too Much Coffee Man), dies at 94
- Apr 23 Sachio Kinugasa, Japanese baseman nicknamed Tetsujin, meaning "Iron Man", dies of colon cancer at 71
- Apr 26 Charles Neville, American vocalist & saxophonist (Neville Brothers), dies of pancreatic cancer at 79
- Apr 27 Paul Junger Witt, American TV and film producer (Brian's Song; Soap; The Golden Girls; Dead Poets Society), dies of cancer at 77
- Apr 29 Luis García Meza Tejada, Bolivian general and dictator, dies at 88
- Apr 29 Michael Martin, British politician and Speaker of the House of Commons (2000-09), dies at 72
- Apr 29 Robert Mandan, American actor best known for his role as Chester Tate in US sitcom "Soap", dies at 86
- Apr 30 Naresh Sohal, Indian-British composer (Gautama Buddha; The Cosmic Dance; The Divine Song), dies at 78
