- Apr 3 Christopher Fry's "Sleep of Prisoners" premieres in Oxford
Royal Dutch Visit
Apr 4 Dutch Prince Bernhard visits Argentine President Juan and Eva Perón in Buenos Aires
A Place in the Sun
Apr 5 "A Place in the Sun", film adaptation of Theodore Dreiser's "An American Tragedy", directed by George Stevens, starring Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Shelley Winters premieres at the Cannes Film Festival in France
The Rosenberg Trial
Apr 5 Julius & Ethel Rosenberg, atomic spies, sentenced to death
- Apr 7 105th Grand National: John Bullock wins aboard 40/1 shot Nickel Coin; of 36 runners, only 3 complete the course
US Masters Golf
Apr 7 15th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Ben Hogan wins the first of his 2 Masters titles, 2 strokes ahead of runner-up Skee Riegel
- Apr 7 American Bowling Congress begins 1st masters tournament
- Apr 7 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enewetak Atoll
Truman Relieves MacArthur
Apr 11 US President Harry Truman relieves General Douglas MacArthur of command in Korea
Sports History
Apr 17 NY Yankee Mickey Mantle's 1st game, he goes 1 for 4
- Apr 18 Dutch Antilles government of Da Costa Gomez forms
- Apr 18 France, West Germany & Benelux form European Steel & Coal Community
- Apr 18 Hugh Martin and Preston Sturges' musical "Make a Wish" opens at Winter Garden Theater, NYC; runs for 102 performances
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Apr 19 Arthur Schwartz and Dorothy Fields' musical "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" adapted from Betty Smith's novel, and starring Shirley Booth, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 267 performances
- Apr 19 General Douglas MacArthur ends his military career
- Apr 20 4th Cannes Film Festival: "Miss Julie" directed by Alf Sjoberg and "Miracle in Milan" directed by Vittorio De Sica jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
- Apr 20 Huge ticker-tape parade held in NYC for World War II and Korean War General Douglas MacArthur after he was relieved of Command by President Truman
- Apr 20 US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enewetak Atoll
- Apr 20 Velsen city council demands investigation of police collaborators
- Apr 21 NBA Championship: Rochester Royals beat New York Knicks, 79-75 to take series 4 games to 3; first Finals appearance for both teams
- Apr 21 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Toronto Maple Leafs beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-2 for a 4-1 series victory
Brielsche Mausoleum
Apr 26 Queen Juliana of the Netherlands opens Brielsche Mausoleum
Mosaddegh Prime Minister
Apr 28 Mohammad Mosaddegh elected Prime Minister of Iran by the Parliament of Iran (Majlis)
- Apr 29 China seizes the assets of the Asiatic Petroleum Company, a joint venture between the Shell and Royal Dutch oil companies in retaliation for the Hong Kong Government's requisitioning of the tanker Yung Hao
Admirals
Aviators
Gangsters
Generals
Industrialists
Suffragists