Historical Events
Event of Interest
Apr 1 Seven democracy protesters convicted for unauthorized assembly in Hong Kong including Martin Lee and Jimmy Lai
- Apr 5 82nd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Baylor Bears become second consecutive first-time NCAA champions with 86–70 over previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Apr 5 India records over 100,000 new daily COVID cases for the first time, more than half in the state of Maharashtra, which begins a new lockdown
- Apr 5 Italy scraps its 1914 film censorship law that could ban films on moral and religious grounds
- Apr 5 Tropical Cyclone Seroja causes floods and landslides in southeast Indonesia and East Timor, killing at least 113 people according to local authorities [1]
Film & TV History
Apr 6 Jeff Bezos, worth $177 billion, tops Forbes Billionaires list of 2,755 people, including new entry Kim Kardashian
- Apr 6 Recording-breaking price of $3.25 million for a comic book as Action Comics #1, that introduced Superman for the first time, sells at auction [1]
- Apr 7 UK COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 (Alpha) now the dominant variant in the US according to the CDC, as 108 million Americans have received at least one vaccine dose [1]
Event of Interest
Apr 8 Dr. Anthony Fauci thanks American health workers for their sacrifice during the pandemic, acknowledging their more than 3,600 deaths
- Apr 8 Egyptian archaeologists announce their most important find since Tutankhamun's tomb - discovery of a lost 'golden city' the 3,000-years-old ancient city of Aten near Luxor [1]
- Apr 8 Seventh night of unrest in Belfast, Northern Ireland even after joint call for calm by UK PM and Irish Premier
- Apr 9 La Soufrière volcano begins erupting on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent with a plume of ash 20,000 feet into the sky
- Apr 9 San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove no-hits the Texas Rangers, 3-0 at Globe Life Field, Arlington, TX
- Apr 11 20-year-old Daunte Wright shot and killed at a traffic stop by police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, who says they mistook their gun for a taser
BAFTA Awards
Apr 11 74th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) held virtually; "Nomadland" best film, Chloé Zhao best director, Frances McDormand, Anthony Hopkins best acting awards
- Apr 11 85th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Hideki Matsuyama become first Japanese male to win a golf major; hangs on to beat American Will Zalatoris by 1 stroke
- Apr 11 Peruvian general election: Free Peru party wins most seats but not a majority, Pedro Castillo wins presidency (not declared till 19 July)
- Apr 11 Tropical cyclone Seroja makes landfall in Western Australia near the town of Kalbarri with winds up to 170km/h (105mph)
- Apr 12 Great Britain loosens its COVID-19 restrictions, opening pubs and shops after 175 days, the world's longest period of restrictions
- Apr 12 Worst frost conditions in half a century will affect 80% of French vineyards according to industry officials [1]
- Apr 13 US, South Africa and the EU authorities temporarily stop administrating Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines after six women developed blood clots (out of 6.8 million)
Film & TV History
Apr 13 Voice actor Hank Azaria who is white apologizes for voicing Indian character Apu on "The Simpsons" for 30 years
- Apr 14 Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodón no-hits the Cleveland Indians, 8-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago
- Apr 14 Coinbase becomes the first major cryptocurrency company to trade shares on the New York Stock Exchange
- Apr 14 Former Minnesota police officer who shot Daunte Wright with a gun instead of a taser is arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter,
- Apr 14 Human cells grown in monkey cells for 20 days reported by US-Chinese team at the Salk Institute in "Cell" [1]
- Apr 14 US President Biden says "It's time to end America's longest war" confirming his decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by Sept 11
- Apr 15 "The failed response in Brazil has caused a humanitarian catastrophe" reports Dr. Christos Christou, president of Doctors Without Borders, as country records a quarter of world's COVID-19 deaths in last week [1]
- Apr 15 A shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, leaves eight dead and five injured
- Apr 15 Court in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, sentences former warlord Amadé Ouérémi to a life sentence for massacres by his militia after the 2010 election
- Apr 15 India record over 200,000 (200,739) daily new cases of COVID-19 for the first time with 1,038 deaths amid massive second wave
Film & TV History
Apr 16 Gary Sinise hosts the inauguration ceremony of the World War I memorial in Washington D.C.
Event of Interest
Apr 16 Raúl Castro confirms he is resigning as Cuban Communist Party leader, ending his family's six decade leadership of Cuba
COVID-19 Pandemic
Apr 17 Funeral of Prince Philip, consort to Queen Elizabeth II, held under COVID-19 restrictions at Windsor Palace, England
- Apr 17 Global COVID-19 death toll passes three million (Johns Hopkins University figures)
- Apr 17 San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau ties Gordie Howe's NHL record for most regular season games played at 1,767
- Apr 18 12-team European Super League is announced to widespread condemnation amongst governments, non-involved clubs, press and fans; amidst the furore all 6 EPL clubs withdraw within 3 days
- Apr 19 Cuba's Communist party announces Miguel Díaz-Canel will replace Raúl Castro as party leader, after the latter steps down
- Apr 19 In Las Vegas, Nevada: San Jose Sharks forward Patrick Marleau breaks Gordie Howe's NHL record for most games played, now at 1,768 and counting
- Apr 19 NASA successfully flies its drone helicopter Ingenuity on Mars, first powered aircraft to fly on another world
- Apr 19 New Zealand and Australia open a travel bubble between the two countries after more than a year of border closures
- Apr 20 All six EPL clubs withdraw from the controversial European Super League just 3 days after it was announced - Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham
Derek Chauvin Convicted
Apr 20 Former police officer Derek Chauvin convicted of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, in a case that prompted huge nationwide racial justice protests [1]
Idriss Déby Killed in Battle
Apr 20 President of Chad for three decades, Idriss Déby reported to have been killed on a battlefield fighting rebels near the capital of Ndjamena
- Apr 20 Record number of new COVID-19 cases reported (5.24 million) in one week around the world according to WHO, with a third in India [1]
- Apr 21 Indonesian submarine RI Nanggala sinks off the coast of Bali with the loss of all 53 people on board
- Apr 21 Manhattan district attorney's office announces it will no longer prosecute prostitution, dismissing 914 open cases, part of growing movement to change approach to prostitution
Event of Interest
Apr 21 Russian President Vladimir Putin warns the West not to cross a "red line" in his state of the union address, amid massing of 100,000 Russian troops on Ukraine border
- Apr 22 India sets a world record for daily COVID-19 cases recording 314,835 new cases with 2,104 deaths
- Apr 22 US President Joe Biden pledges to cut US carbon emissions by 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030 at a virtual climate summit
- Apr 24 At least 82 COVID-19 patients die in a fire at Ibn Khatib hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, with 100 more injured
- Apr 24 Joe Biden becomes the first US President to officially recognize killing of Armenians in the Ottoman empire during WWII as 'genocide'
Academy Awards
Apr 25 93rd Academy Awards: "Nomadland" wins best film, director (Chloé Zhao), and lead actress (Frances McDormand); Anthony Hopkins best actor
Music History
Apr 26 Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezy 1 Prototype trainers sell for a record $1.8 million in a private sale at Sotheby's
- Apr 26 The US, the EU and other countries announce they are sending pandemic aid to India as it's COVID-19 crisis continues to worsen
- Apr 26 US Census results shows its population growth second slowest in recorded history, population at 331,449,281 with only 7.4% increase on 2010 [1]
COVID-19 Pandemic
Apr 27 Brazil's Senate orders an official inquiry into President Jair Bolsonaro' and government official's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic
- Apr 27 Pfizer announces it is working on a new antiviral therapy to treat COVID-19 at its onset and prevent hospitalization [1]
- Apr 28 NASA's Parker Solar Probe becomes the first spacecraft to cross the Alfvén critical boundary, the outer atmosphere of the Sun [1]
- Apr 28 US President Joe Biden makes a major speech to a joint session of Congress calling for a new era of government spending [1]
- Apr 29 Brazil's official COVID-19 death toll passes 400,000, with daily fatalities at 3,000, down from 4,000
Event of Interest
Apr 29 US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter at the Carters’ home in Plains, Georgia; Carter (96) did not attend the Biden's inauguration due to health concerns
- Apr 29 World's longest pedestrian bridge at 516 metres (1,700 feet) opens inside northern Portugal's Arouca Geopark
- Apr 30 45 killed and 150 injured in a crush of people at the Israeli Lag B'Omer festival at Mount Meron
- Apr 30 Australia announces a ban on citizens returning from India, stranding 8,000 people, and making it a criminal offence to return, amid India's COVID-19 crisis - first democratic country to do so
Famous Deaths
Arthur Kopit (1937-2021)
Apr 2 American playwright ('Wings', 'Nine'), dies at 83
- Apr 2 Morris "B. B." Dickerson, American bassist (War - "Why Can't We Be Friends?"; "Low Rider"), dies at 71
- Apr 2 Valentin Afonin, Russian soccer defender (42 caps; SKA Rostov-on-Don, CSKA Moscow), dies at 81
- Apr 3 Gloria Henry [McEniry], American actress (Dennis the Menace), dies at 98
- Apr 3 Jill Corey [Norma Jean Speranza], American pop singer (Your Hit Parade), dies at 85
- Apr 3 Yevgeniy Zagorulko, Russian high jump coach (Andrey Silnov, Yelena Yelesina, Anna Chicherova), dies of COVID-19 at 78
- Apr 5 Paul Ritter [Simon Paul Adams], British actor (Friday Night Dinner; Chernobyl; Quantum of Solace), dies of a brain tumor at 54
- Apr 5 Philip K Chapman, Australian astronaut (Apollo 14 support), dies at 86
- Apr 6 Alcee Hastings, American politician (U.S. House of Representative- Florida), dies at 84
- Apr 6 Hans Küng, Swiss theologian and critic of the Vatican, dies at 93 [1]
- Apr 7 Anne Beatts, American comedy writer (National Lampoon magazine; Saturday Night Live, 1975-79; Square Pegs), dies at 74
- Apr 7 Doug Holden, English soccer winger (5 caps; Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End), dies at 90
- Apr 7 James Hampton, American actor (F Troop - "Bugler Dobbs"; Teen Wolf), writer, and director, dies from Parkinson’s disease complications at 84
- Apr 7 Tommy Raudonikis, Australian rugby league halfback (20 Tests; Rothmans Medal 1972; Wests, Newtown) and coach (Wests, NSW), dies from cancer at 70
- Apr 7 Viktor Kurentsov, Belarusian weightlifter (Olympic gold middleweight 1968; silver 1964; 5 x World C'ship gold middleweight), dies at 80
- Apr 8 Conn Findlay, American rower (Olympic gold coxed pair 1956, 64) and sailor (Olympic bronze Tempest 1976), dies at 90
- Apr 8 Diána Igaly, Hungarian sport shooter (Olympic gold women's skeet 2004; bronze 2000), dies from COVID-19 at 56
DMX (1970-2021)
Apr 9 American rapper (..And Then There Was X), and actor (Romeo Must Die), dies of a heart attack at 50 [1] [2]
- Apr 9 Ekkehard Fasser, Swiss bobsledder (Olympic gold, four-man 1988; World C'ship gold 1983; World Cup champion 1985-86), dies at 68
Prince Philip (1921-2021)
Apr 9 Duke of Edinburgh and consort of Great Britain's Elizabeth II, dies at 99
- Apr 9 Ramsey Clark, American lawyer, US Attorney General (1967-69) and activist, dies at 93
- Apr 11 Colin Baker, Welsh soccer wing half (7 caps; Cardiff City 298 games), dies at 86
- Apr 11 Marco Bollesan, Italian rugby union number 8 (47 caps; CUS Genova, Partenope) and coach (Italy 1985-88), dies at 79
- Apr 11 Massimo Cuttitta, Italian rugby union prop (69 caps [captain 16]; Milano, Harlequins, Bologna), dies from COVID-19 at 54
- Apr 11 Shirley Williams, British politician (Labour Party; Social Democratic Party; Liberal Democrat), dies at 90
- Apr 13 Bobby Leonard, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (ABA C'ship 1970, 72, 73; Indiana Pacers) & point guard (Minneapolis/LA Lakers, Chicago Packers/Zephyrs), dies at 88
Bernie Madoff (1938-2021)
Apr 14 American fraudster and financier who committed the largest fraud in US history, dies in prison of natural causes at 82
- Apr 14 Michel Louvain, French Canadian singer ("Buenas Noches Mi Amor"), dies at 83
- Apr 14 Norman "Rusty" Young, American pedal-steel guitarist, singer and songwriter (Poco - "Rose of Cimarron"; "Crazy Love"), dies of a heart attack at 75
- Apr 15 Leroy Keyes, American College Football Hall of Fame and NFL running back / safety (Purdue; Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs), dies from heart failure at 74
- Apr 16 Charles Geschke, American computer scientist, inventor and businessman (co-founder of Adobe Systems), dies of cancer at 81
- Apr 16 Felix Silla, Italian-American circus performer, Hollywood stuntman, and actor (The Addams Family - "Cousin Itt"), dies of pancreatic cancer at 84
- Apr 16 Helen McCrory, English actress (The Queen, Peaky Blinders), dies of cancer at 52
- Apr 16 John Dawes, Welsh rugby union centre (22 caps Wales, 4 caps British & Irish Lions; London Welsh; Barbarians), dies at 80
- Apr 16 Johnny Peirson, Canadian ice hockey right wing (NHL All Star 1950, 51; Boston Bruins) and broadcaster (WBZ and WSBK), dies at 95
- Apr 16 Mike Mitchell, American rock guitarist (The Kingsmen -"Louie, Louie"), dies on his 77th birthday
- Apr 16 Serhiy Novikov, Russian judoka (Olympic gold heavyweight 1976), dies at 71
- Apr 17 Fred Arbanas, American football tight end (All-AFL 1962–67; Super Bowl 1970; Dallas Texans / Kansas City Chiefs), dies at 82
- Apr 18 Iain Watson Gallaway, New Zealand sports broadcaster (Radio Sport; Halberg Award) and author ("Not a Cloud in the Sky"), dies at 98
Jim Steinman (1947-2021)
Apr 19 American Grammy Award-winning songwriter and record producer (Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell; Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart), dies of kidney failure at 73 [1]
- Apr 19 Monica Bandini, Italian racing cyclist (World Championship gold women's team time trial 1988), dies from a heart attack at 56
Walter Mondale (1928-2021)
Apr 19 American politician (US Senator from Minnesota (D), 1964-76 ; 42nd Vice President, 1977-81), dies at 93
- Apr 19 Willy van der Kuijlen, Dutch soccer forward (22 caps; PSV 528 games), dies from Alzheimer's disease at 74
- Apr 20 Atli Heimir Sveinsson, Icelandic composer (Time and Water), dies at 80
Idriss Déby (1952-2021)
Apr 20 Chadian politician and military officer (President of Chad, 1990–2021), dies of injuries inflicted on a battlefield at 68
- Apr 20 Leslie McKeown, Scottish pop vocalist (Bay City Rollers - "Saturday Night"), dies at 65
- Apr 20 Tempest Storm [Annie Blanche Banks], American burlesque and film performer, dies at 93
- Apr 21 Håkon Brusveen, Norwegian cross-country skier (Olympic gold 15 km, silver 4 × 10 km relay 1960), dies at 93
- Apr 23 Bill Whittington, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1979), dies in a plane crash at 71
- Apr 23 Charlie Black, American country music songwriter (Anne Murray - "Shadows in the Moonlight"; K.T. Oslin - "Come Next Monday"), dies at 71
- Apr 24 Christa Ludwig, German soprano (Vienna State Opera, 1955-94; Metropolitan Opera, 1959-93), dies at 93
- Apr 24 John T. Ward Jr., American racehorse trainer (Kentucky Derby 2001 Monarchos; Breeders' Cup Distaff 1999 Beautiful Pleasure), dies at 75
- Apr 24 Sarolta Monspart, Hungarian orienteering competitor (first non-Scandinavian female to win World C'ship 1972; 14 x national titles), dies at 76
- Apr 25 John Konrads, Australian swimmer (Olympic gold 1500m freestyle, bronze 400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle 1960; 26 individual world records), dies at 78
- Apr 25 Rajan Mishra, Indian classical music vocalist, dies of COVID-19 complications at 69
- Apr 26 Albert "Al" Schmitt, American Grammy Award-winning recording engineer and record producer (Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand), dies at 91 [1] [2]
- Apr 26 Dick Mann, American motorcycle racer (A.M.A. Grand National C'ship 1963, 71; Motorcycle Hall of Fame 1998), dies at 86
- Apr 26 Tamara Press, Soviet athlete (Olympic gold shot put 1960, 64; discus 1960, 64), dies at 83
- Apr 28 Anita Lane, Australian rock singer-songwriter (The Bad Seeds - "From Her To Eternity"), dies at 61
Astronaut Michael Collins (1930-2021)
Apr 28 American Major General USAF and astronaut (Gemini 10, Apollo 11), dies of cancer at 90 [1]
- Apr 29 Billie Hayes [Brosch], American stage, film, and television actress Li'l Abner - "Mammy Yokum"; Witchiepoo), dies at 96
- Apr 29 Courtney Hall, American NFL center (San Diego Chargers), dies at 52
- Apr 29 Frank McRae, American actor (Dillinger; 1941; Rocky II; Love's Abiding Joy), dies of a heart attack at 80
- Apr 29 Johnny Crawford, American actor (The Mickey Mouse Club; The Rifleman - "Mark"), singer ("Sandy"), and bandleader (JCO), dies at 75
- Apr 29 Pierce Fulton, American electronic dance music DJ and record producer ("Runaway"; "Better Places"), dies at 28
- Apr 29 Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, Queen of the Zulu nation, dies a month after becoming regent at 65
- Apr 29 Zhang Enhua, Chinese soccer defender (65 caps; Dalian Wanda FC, Grimsby Town), dies from cardiac arrest at 48
- Apr 30 Anthony Payne, British composer (Phoenix Mass; Visions and Journeys), critic, and musicologist, dies at 84
Assassination
Drug Overdose
Gunshot Wound
Murder
Plane Crash
Suicide