Historical Events
- Apr 1 England cricket batsman Wally Hammond smashes 34 fours, 10 sixes in a Test record unbeaten 336 in the drawn 2nd Test against New Zealand in Auckland
Himmler Police Commander
Apr 1 Heinrich Himmler becomes Police Commander of Germany
- Apr 1 Nazi Germany begins persecution of Jews by boycotting Jewish businesses
- Apr 1 Scotland beats Ireland, 8-6 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin to win the Home Nations Rugby Championship and Triple Crown
- Apr 3 1st airplane flight over Mt Everest
- Apr 3 Then longest North American hockey game requires a 1:44:46 overtime as Maple Leaf Ken Doraty scores to beat Canadiens 1-0
- Apr 4 USS Akron dirigible crashes into Atlantic Ocean, off coast of New Jersey, in stormy weather; 73 die including US Navy Rear Admiral William A. Moffett - a major proponent of the airship fleet, there were 3 survivors [1]
- Apr 7 'National Beer Day" Cullen-Harrison act comes into effect legalising sale of low alcohol beer
- Apr 7 1st 2 NAZI anti-Jewish laws, bars Jews from legal & public service
- Apr 7 University Bridge, Seattle opens for traffic
- Apr 8 Manchester Guardian warns of unknown Nazi terror
Goering Premier of Prussia
Apr 11 Hermann Goering becomes Premier of Prussia
Stanley Cup Final
Apr 13 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: New York Rangers beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 1-0 in OT for a 3-1 series win; first best-of-4 Finals series
- Apr 17 37th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:31:01.6
- Apr 17 Chicago Bears win their 1st NFL Game beating NY Giants 23-21
Heidegger Elected Rector
Apr 21 German philosopher Martin Heidegger elected rector of University of Freiburg
- Apr 22 Dutch government forbids left wing radio address
- Apr 23 Dovo soccer team forms in Veenendaal
- Apr 25 NY Yankee Russ Van Atta shuts out Washington Senators 16-0
- Apr 25 Philadelphia Phillies' Dick Bartell is 1st MLB player to get 4 consecutive doubles in 9 innings
- Apr 26 Jewish students are barred from school in Germany
- Apr 27 Adolf Hitler authorizes creation of Ministry of Aviation, in part to revive the German Luftwaffe, under Reichsmarshall Hermann Goering
- Apr 27 Jessop & Son department store in Nottingham, England, acquired by John Lewis Partnership. The partnership's first shop outside London.
- Apr 27 Karl Jansky reports reception of cosmic radio signal in Washington, D.C.
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 1 Dan Flavin, American minimalist sculptor, born in New York City (d. 1996)
- Apr 1 Robert Shavlakadze, Georgian athlete (Olympic gold USSR high jump 1960), born in Tbilisi, Georgia (d. 2020)
- Apr 1 Stan Weston, US toy licensing agent, had concept for G.I. Joe, born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 2017)
- Apr 3 Bob Dornan, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from California, born in New York City
- Apr 3 Rod Funseth, American golfer (US Masters runner-up 1978), born in Spokane, Washington (d. 1985) [1]
- Apr 4 Bill France, Jr., NASCAR pioneer, born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2007)
- Apr 4 Frits Bolkestein, Dutch politician (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy), born in Amsterdam
- Apr 4 Robin Phillips, English multi-millionaire manufacturer (hand-dryer)
- Apr 4 Seóirse Bodley, Irish composer and professor of music (University College Dublin), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 2023) [1]
- Apr 5 Barbara Holland, American author (The Joy of Drinking, Secrets of the Cat: Its Lore, Legend and Lives), born in Washington, D.C. (d. 2010) [1]
- Apr 5 Frank Gorshin, American comedian and impersonator (Riddler-Batman), born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (d. 2005)
- Apr 5 Larry Felser, American sports columnist (Buffalo Courier-Express, The Buffalo Evening News, The Sporting News), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2013)
- Apr 6 Dudley Sutton, British stage and screen actor (Leather Boys; Brimstone & Treacle; Lovejoy - "Tinker Dill"), born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England (d. 2018)
- Apr 6 Eduardo Malapit, American Democratic politician (d. 2007)
- Apr 6 Roy Goode, British lawyer
- Apr 7 Wayne Rogers, American actor (M*A*S*H, 1972-75 - "Capt. 'Trapper' John McIntyre"; House Calls), born in Birmingham Alabama (d. 2015)
- Apr 8 Jaroslav Smolka, Czech composer (Metamorfosi), music director, dramaturge, pedagogue, and musicologist, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 2011)
- Apr 9 Gian Maria Volontè, Italian actor (Fistful of Dollars), born in Milan, Italy (d. 1994)
- Apr 9 Jacques Molicard, translator and navigator (d. 1995)
Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933-2021)
Apr 9 French actor (Breathless; Casino Royale; Magnifique), born in Paris, France
- Apr 9 Richard Rose, American Professor of Public Policy (Strathclyde University), born in St Louis, Missouri
- Apr 10 Philip Corner, American composer, born in New York City
- Apr 10 Poncie Ponce, American actor (Kazuo Kim-Hawaiian Eye), born in Maui, Hawaii (d. 2013)
- Apr 10 Robert Rhodes James, British politician historian (Gallipoli), born in India (d. 1999)
- Apr 10 Rokusuke Ei, Japanese author and lyricist (Sukiyaki), born in Asakusa, Tokyo (d. 2016)
- Apr 10 Ron Murphy, Canadian NHL player (New York Rangers), born in Ontario, Canada (d. 2014)
- Apr 11 Denis Goldberg, South African anti-apartheid activist (convicted alongside Mandela), born in Cape Town (d. 2020)
- Apr 11 Futoshi Nakanishi, Japanese Baseball HOF infielder (Nishitetsu Lions; Pacific League MVP 1956; 7×Best Nine Award) and manager (Nishitetsu Lions), born in Takamatsu, Japan (d. 2023)
- Apr 11 Tony Brown, American journalist (Tony Brown's Journal), born in Charleston, West Virginia
- Apr 12 Montserrat Caballé, Spanish bel canto operatic soprano, and unlikely pop star (with Freddie Mercury - "Barcelona"), born in Barcelona, Spain (d. 2018)
- Apr 13 Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Cheyenne-American politician (Sen-D Colorado), born in Auburn, California
- Apr 13 Shani Wallis, Irish-American singer and actress (Oliver!), born in Tottenham, Middlesex, England
- Apr 14 Morton Subotnick, American electronic music composer (Silver Apples of the Moon; A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 14 Paddy Hopkirk, Irish rally driver (Monte Carlo Rally 1964), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (d. 2022)
- Apr 15 Boris Strugatsky, Soviet-Russian science fiction author (Tale of Troika), born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 2012)
Elizabeth Montgomery (1933-1995)
Apr 15 American actress (Samantha/Serena-Bewitched), born in Los Angeles, California
- Apr 15 Roy Clark, American country and bluegrass singer, guitarist, and banjo player (Hee Haw; The Tonight Show), born in Meherrin, Virginia (d. 2018)
- Apr 15 Vera Krepkina, Russian athlete (Olympic gold USSR long jump 1960; WR 4×100m relay 1956, tied WR 100m 11.3s 1958), born in Kotelnich, Russia (d. 2023)
- Apr 16 Joan Bakewell, British broadcaster and actress (Cold Comfort Farm), born in Stockport, England
- Apr 16 Perry Botkin Jr, American arranger, composer ("Nadia's Theme"), and producer (Incredible Bongo Band), born in New York City (d. 2021)
- Apr 18 Alan Devereux, British industrialist and CEO (Scottish Tourist Board), born in Frinton-on-Sea, England
- Apr 19 Harold "Dickie" Bird, English cricket umpire (66 Tests, 69 ODI), born in Barnsley, England
Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967)
Apr 19 American actress (The Girl Can't Help It), born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
- Apr 21 Ian Carr, Scottish jazz musician (Nucleus), born in Dumfries, Scotland (d. 2009)
- Apr 22 Anthony Llewellyn, Welsh-American scientist and NASA astronaut, born in Cardiff, Wales (d. 2013)
- Apr 23 Roger Wittevrongel, Flemish painter, born in Blankenberge, Belgium
- Apr 24 Alan Eagleson, Canadian ice hockey agent and promoter, born in St. Catharines, Canada
- Apr 24 Claire Davenport, English actress (The Elephant Man), born in Sale, Cheshire, England (d. 2002)
- Apr 24 Freddie Scott, American singer and songwriter ("Cry to Me"), born in Providence, Rhode Island (d. 2007)
- Apr 24 Helmuth Lohner, Austrian stage and screen actor and stage director (Mrs. Warren's Profession), born in Vienna, Austria (d. 2015)
- Apr 24 Patricia Bosworth, American actor, journalist, writer, and biographer, born in Oakland, California (d. 2020)
- Apr 25 Jerry Leiber, American songwriter (Leiber & Stoller - "Hound Dog"; "Jailhouse Rock"; "Is That All There Is?"), born in Baltimore, Maryland (d. 2011)
- Apr 26 Arno Penzias, German-born American physicist (1978 Nobel Prize for detecting cosmic microwave background), born in Munich, Germany (d. 2024) [1]
Carol Burnett (91 years old)
Apr 26 American comedian (The Carol Burnett Show) and actress (Annie; The Four Seasons; Mad About You), born in San Antonio, Texas
- Apr 26 Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, Puerto Rican activist (Founder of FALN), born in Río Blanco, Naguabo, Puerto Rico (d. 2005)
- Apr 26 Ilkka Kuusisto, Finnish opera composer and arts administrator (Finnish National Opera, 1984-92), born in Helsinki, Finland
- Apr 27 Bob Bondurant, American auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans GT +3.0 1964; Shelby American, Ferrari, Eagle teams), born in Evanston, Illinois (d. 2021)
- Apr 27 Calvin Newborn, American R&B and jazz guitarist, born in Whiteville, Tennessee (d. 2018)
- Apr 28 Karl Heinz Wahren, German pianist and composer (Nocturnal Dances of the Tuscan Virgins in the Florentine Gardens at the Height of the Inquisition), born in Bonn, Germany (d. 2021)
- Apr 28 Oliver "Bops Junior" Jackson, American jazz drummer, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1994)
- Apr 29 Darijan Božič, Slovenian composer and conductor, born in Slavonski Brod, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (d. 2018)
- Apr 29 Edwin "Ed" Charles, American MLB third baseman (Miracle Mets-1969), born in Daytona Beach, Florida (d. 2018)
- Apr 29 Keith Baxter, Welsh actor (Chimes at Midnight; Killing Time; Barretts at Wimpole Street), born in Newport, Monmouthshire, Wales (d. 2023)
- Apr 29 Mark Eyskens [Marc Maria Frans, Viscount Eyskens], Belgian economist and Prime Minister of Belgium (1981), born in Leuven, Belgium
- Apr 29 Raymond Hill, American tenor saxophonist (Kings of Rhythm), born in Clarksdale, Mississippi (d. 1996)
- Apr 29 Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter ("Love's Been Good to Me"; "Jean"; "Without A Worry In The World"), and poet (Lonesome Cities), born in Oakland, California (d. 2015)
Willie Nelson (91 years old)
Apr 29 American country singer-songwriter ("Crazy"; "On the Road Again"), born in Abbott, Texas
Famous Deaths
- Apr 1 Frederic Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford, 22nd Governor of New South Wales (1908-13) and Viceroy of British India (1916-21), dies at 64
- Apr 2 Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji, Indian cricket batsman (15 Tests, 989 runs @ 44.95, 2 x 100s) and politician (Maharaja of Nawanagar), dies at 60
- Apr 5 Earl Derr Biggers, American author ("Charlie Chan" detective series), dies of a heart attack at 48
- Apr 6 Elizabeth Bacon Custer, American author, public speaker and wife of George Armstrong Custer, dies at 90
- Apr 9 Sigfrid Karg-Elert, German composer, dies at 55
Henry Royce (1863-1933)
Apr 22 English industrialist and automobile founder (Rolls-Royce), dies at 70
- Apr 23 Blair Fairchild, American composer and diplomat, dies at 55
Tim Keefe (1857-1933)
Apr 23 American Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher (Triple Crown 1888; MLB record 0.86 ERA, single season 1880; NY Giants), dies at 76
- Apr 24 Felix Adler, German-American educator of political and social ethics, dies at 81
- Apr 28 Robin Irvine, British actor (Easy Virtue, When Boys Leave Home), dies of pleurisy at 31
- Apr 29 Constantine P. Cavafy, Egyptian Greek poet, journalist and civil servant, dies at 70
- Apr 30 Luis Sanchez Cerro, President of Peru, assassinated by Hurtado de Mendoza
