- Apr 1 Aden becomes a British crown colony
4th Augusta National Invitation
Apr 4 4th Augusta National Invitation Tournament (Masters) Golf: Byron Nelson wins first of his 5 major titles by 2 strokes ahead of Ralph Guldahl
Red, Hot And Blue
Apr 10 Cole Porter's musical "Red, Hot And Blue", starring Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, and Bob Hope, closes at the Alvin Theatre, NYC, after 183 performances
- Apr 12 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft at Rugby, England.
- Apr 15 Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat New York Rangers, 3-0 for a 3-2 series win; back-to-back titles for Red Wings
- Apr 19 41st Boston Marathon won by Walter Young of Canada in 2:33:20
- Apr 22 NYC college students stage 4th annual peace strike
Hubbell Continues Streak
Apr 23 New York Giants pitcher Carl Hubbell's first start of season, a 3-0 win over the Boston Bees, is his 17th straight win; streak continues for league record 24 victories in a row
- Apr 26 German Luftwaffe destroys Basque town of Guernica in Spain
- Apr 27 1st US social security payment made
- Apr 28 1st animated cartoon electric sign displayed (NYC)
- Apr 28 First commercial flight across the Pacific, operated by Pan Am
- Apr 29 Symbolic 'Golden Rivet', completing the Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, is driven (later replaced with a more structurally sound steel version)
- Apr 30 The Philippines holds a plebiscite for Filipino women on whether they should be extended the right to suffrage; over 90% would vote in the affirmative
Admirals
Aviators
Gangsters
Generals
Industrialists
Suffragists