- Apr 1 Federal Bankruptcy Referee Sidney Volinn declares MLB's Seattle Pilots bankrupt; car dealer Bud Selig buys franchise for $10.8 million and moves club to Milwaukee (Brewers)
Music History
Apr 1 John Lennon and Yoko Ono release hoax they are having dual sex change operations
- Apr 1 Serious riots continue in the Ballymurphy estate in Belfast between Catholic residents and the British Army
Event of Interest
Apr 1 US President Richard Nixon signs bill limiting cigarette advertisements from 1st Jan 1971
- Apr 2 2 men begin ascent of south face of Annapurna I, highest final stage in a wall climb in world
- Apr 2 Meghalaya becomes autonomous state within India's Assam state
- Apr 3 As part of a new 'get tough' policy in Northern Ireland, Ian Freeland of the British Army, warned that those throwing petrol bombs could be shot dead
- Apr 3 Miriam Hargrave of England passes her drivers test on 40th attempt
- Apr 4 124th Grand National: 15/1 chance Gay Trip wins by 20 lengths, giving Irish jockey Pat Taaffe his second GN winner
- Apr 4 Firestone World Tournament of Champions won by Don Johnson
- Apr 5 WSNS TV channel 44 in Chicago, IL (IND) begins broadcasting
Academy Awards
Apr 7 42nd Academy Awards: "Midnight Cowboy" - Best Picture, John Wayne (True Grit), and Maggie Smith (The Prime of Miss Jane Brody) win
- Apr 7 MLB Milwaukee Brewers (former Seattle Pilots) 1st game, lose to Angels 12-0
- Apr 8 Mitch Leigh, William Alfred and Phyllis Robinson's musical melodrama "Cry for Us All" opens at Broadhurst Theater, NYC; runs for 9 performances
- Apr 8 Senate rejects Nixon's nomination of Judge G. Harrold Carswell to US Supreme Court
Music History
Apr 10 Paul McCartney officially announces the split of The Beatles
- Apr 11 Apollo 13 launched to Moon; unable to land, returns in 6 days
- Apr 11 Beatles' "Let It Be" single goes #1 & stays #1 for 2 weeks
- Apr 11 San Francisco beats Cincinnati 2-1, only day Reds aren't in 1st place in 1970
Sports History
Apr 12 Yankees dedicate plaques to Mickey Mantle & Joe DiMaggio
US Masters Golf
Apr 13 34th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Billy Casper defeats Gene Littler, 69 to 74 in a Monday 18-hole playoff to win his 3rd major title; last 18-hole playoff at the Masters
Academy of Country Music Awards
Apr 13 5th Academy of Country Music Awards: Merle Haggard and Tammy Wynette win
- Apr 13 Apollo 13 announces "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here", as Beech-built oxygen tank explodes en route to Moon
- Apr 13 Greek composer and counter-revolutionary Mikis Theordorakis freed from Oropos concentration camp, and allowed to be exiled to France
- Apr 13 Oakland uses gold-colored bases during the club's home opener: Rules Committee subsequently bans this innovation
- Apr 14 Revival of Sandy Wilson's musical "The Boy Friend", starring Judy Carne and Sandy Duncan, opens at Ambassador Theater, NYC; runs for 111 performances
- Apr 15 Libyan leader Gadaffi launches "Green Revolution"
- Apr 15 Mitch Leigh, William Alfred and Phyllis Robinson's musical melodrama "Cry for Us All" closes at Broadhurst Theater, NYC, after 9 performances
- Apr 15 WMGZ TV channel 16 in Mayaguez, PR ([M]) begins broadcasting
- Apr 15 WPSJ TV channel 14 in Ponce, PR ([P]) begins broadcasting
- Apr 16 70 die in a snow crush (France)
Event of Interest
Apr 16 Protestant Unionist Ian Paisley wins seat formerly held by Terence O'Neill in the Stormont (North Ireland Parliament)
- Apr 17 Apollo 13 limps back safely, Beech-built oxygen tank no help
- Apr 17 Paul McCartney releases his 1st solo album "McCartney"
- Apr 18 France beats England, 35-13 at Stade Colombes, Paris to earn a share of the Five Nations Rugby Championship with Wales
- Apr 19 "Look to the Lilies" closes at Lunt-Fontanne NYC after 25 performances
- Apr 19 24th Tony Awards: "Borstal Boy" (play) & "Applause" (musical) win
- Apr 20 74th Boston Marathon: Englishman Ron Hill wins in 2:10:30 (US record): American Sara Mae Berman 1st woman for 2nd straight year in 3:05:07 (unsanctioned)
- Apr 20 Bruno Kreisky becomes 1st socialist chancellor of Austria
- Apr 21 Reds clout 7 HRs by 6 batters, Braves counter with 3 HRs, 6 for one team & 9 different batters for two teams, all tie or set records
- Apr 21 The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) is formed; it attempts to appeal to Catholics and Protestant to unite in support of moderate policies
- Apr 21 The Principality of Hutt River (previously Hutt River Province) secedes from Australia - it remains unrecognised by Australia or other nations
- Apr 22 First Earth Day celebrated, founded by Gaylord Nelson
- Apr 22 Lance Mulcahy and Paul Cherry's musical "Park" opens at John Golden Theater, NYC; runs for 5 performances
- Apr 22 NY Met Jerry Grote sets record of 20 put outs by a catcher
Baseball Record
Apr 22 NY Met Tom Seaver strikes out last 10 Padres, for a total of 19
- Apr 22 Senators beat Yankees 2-1 in 18 innings
- Apr 24 Gambia becomes a republic within the Commonwealth
- Apr 24 People's Republic of China launches its 1st satellite transmitting song "East is Red"
- Apr 25 Buddha Records releases Melanie's breakthrough single "Lay Down"
- Apr 25 Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus Records releases Freda Payne's signature single "Band of Gold"
- Apr 25 Lance Mulcahy and Paul Cherry's musical "Park" closes at John Golden Theater, NYC, after 5 performances
Company
Apr 26 Stephen Sondheim's musical "Company", directed by Hal Prince, opens at Alvin Theater NYC; runs for 705 performances, wins 6 Tony Awards
Admirals
Aviators
Gangsters
Generals
Industrialists
Suffragists