- Apr 1 1st weather satellite launched (TIROS 1)
- Apr 1 2nd French atom bomb explodes (Sahara)
- Apr 1 Census determines the resident population of the United States to be 179,245,000
- Apr 1 France performs nuclear test at Reggane Proving Grounds, Algeria
Music Recording
Apr 3 Elvis Presley records ‘It's Now Or Never’, ‘Fever’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee
Academy Awards
Apr 4 32nd Academy Awards: "Ben-Hur", Charlton Heston & Simone Signoret win
- Apr 4 Oscar awarded to Dutch director Bert Haanstra for documentary "Glass"
- Apr 4 Project Ozma begins at Green Bank radio astronomy center
- Apr 4 Senegal declares independence from France
- Apr 8 Netherlands and Germany sign accord concerning war casualties
- Apr 8 US Senate passes Civil Rights Bill with measures against discriminatory voting practices
- Apr 9 14th NBA Championship: Bost Celtics beat St Louis Hawks, 4 games to 3
- Apr 9 South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd survives an assassination attempt by David Pratt despite being twice shot in the face
US Masters Golf
Apr 10 24th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 1958 champion Arnold Palmer birdies the final 2 holes to win by 1 stroke over runner-up Ken Venturi
- Apr 10 Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill
Sports History
Apr 12 MLB Chicago White Sox owner Bill Veeck debuts "Exploding Scoreboard" at Chicago's Comiskey Park
Music History
Apr 14 American record company Motown, founded by Berry Gordy Jr, is incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit. Michigan
Bye Bye Birdie
Apr 14 Lee Adams and Charles Strouse's musical "Bye Bye Birdie", starring Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, and Dick Gautier, opens at Martin Beck Theater NYC; runs for 607 performances
- Apr 14 Stanley Cup Final, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON: Montreal Canadiens beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-0 for a 4 game sweep; 5th consecutive title
- Apr 15 Guy Carawan sings "We Shall Overcome" to a Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Raleigh - popularising the song as a protest anthem
- Apr 15 Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), organizes at Shaw U
- Apr 17 American Samoa sets up a constitutional government
Baseball Trade
Apr 17 MLB Cleveland Indians trade reigning home run champion Rocky Colavito to Detroit Tigers for reigning AL batting champion Harvey Kuenn; fans are unhappy
- Apr 18 64th Boston Marathon won by Paavo Kotila of Finland in 2:20:54
- Apr 19 Baseball uniforms begin displaying players' names on their backs
- Apr 19 Comiskey Park's famed "exploding" scoreboard begins operating
- Apr 20 "From A to Z" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 21 performances
- Apr 21 Brasilia becomes capital of Brazil
- Apr 21 Founding of the Orthodox Bahá'í Faith in Washington, D.C.
- Apr 24 14th Tony Awards: "The Miracle Worker" (play) & "Fiorello!" (musical) win
- Apr 24 Heavy earthquake strikes South Persia, 500 killed
- Apr 24 Record 4 grand slams hit today
- Apr 25 1st submerged circumnavigation of Earth completed by USS submarine Triton in 60 days, 21 hours
- Apr 27 1st atomic powered electric-drive submarine launched (Tullibee)
Syngman Rhee Resigns
Apr 27 South Korean President Syngman Rhee resigns after 12 years in power
- Apr 27 Togo (formerly French Togo) declares independence from French administration
- Apr 28 Webster and Fain's musical "Christine", based on Hilda Wernher's novel "My Indian Family", opens at 46th St Theater, NYC; runs for 12 performances
- Apr 28 WIPM TV channel 3 in Mayaguez, PR (PBS) begins broadcasting
Admirals
Aviators
Gangsters
Generals
Industrialists
Suffragists