Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift.

Historical Events in April 2018

  • Apr 1 37th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Notre Dame beats Mississippi State, 61-58; Fighting Irish forward Jessica Shepard, 19 points
  • Apr 2 80th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Villanova defeats Michigan, 79–62; Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo 31 points

Golf Major

Apr 2 ANA Inspiration Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden gains her first pro win in a sudden-death playoff against Inbee Park and Jennifer Song that extends to 8 holes

Sports History

Apr 3 Alex Puccio ascends Penrose Step V14 (8B+) in Leavenworth, USA

  • Apr 4 21st Commonwealth Games open in the Gold Coast, Australia
  • Apr 6 Canadian Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team involved in a bus crash outside Tisdale, Saskatchewan that kills 16
  • Apr 7 Suspected gas attack on Douma by Syrian government airforce kills more than 40 people and injuries more than 500
  • Apr 7 Vegas Golden Knights suffer a 7-1 end of regular season defeat at Calgary but finish with an NHL expansion team record 51 victories; previous record 33 by Anaheim Ducks & Florida Panthers 1993-94
  • Apr 8 82nd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Patrick Reed wins his first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Rickie Fowler

Election of Interest

Apr 8 Hungarian parliamentary election won by right-wing Fidesz–KDNP alliance with Viktor Orbán remaining Prime Minister

WrestleMania

Apr 8 WrestleMania XXXIV, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA: Ronda Rousey makes WWE debut, teaming with Kurt Angle to beat Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a mixed tag team match

Music History

Apr 9 Fleetwood Mac announce new members Neil Finn and Mike Campbell after firing long-standing member Lindsey Buckingham

Event of Interest

Apr 9 US Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois becomes the first senator to give birth while in office

Event of Interest

Apr 10 Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg begins testifying before US Congress about data use and security

  • Apr 14 171st Grand National: Davey Russell wins aboard 10/1 Tiger Roll in a photo finish from Pleasant Company

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Apr 14 33rd Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees: Nina Simone; Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Bon Jovi; The Cars; Dire Straits; and Moody Blues

Music Concert

Apr 14 Beyoncé is the first black woman to headline the Coachella Music Festival, her performance on this day the most-watched performance ever on YouTube

  • Apr 14 National Gardening Day, since 2018 and according to the National Day Calendar
  • Apr 14 US, UK and French forces carry out airstrikes on sites associated with Syria's chemical weapons program, in response to Douma gas attack
  • Apr 15 126.2 cm (49.69") of rainfall in a day, Waipā Garden (Kauai). Hawaii (state record, breaking previous record of 1956)
  • Apr 16 122nd Boston Marathon: Yuki Kawauchi of Japan wins men's race in 2:15:58; Desiree Linden (2:39:54) first American to win women's title since 1985

Music History

Apr 16 Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper and non-classical or jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music with his album "Damn"

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership

Apr 17 Former F.B.I. director James Comey publishes his political autobiography “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership”

  • Apr 17 Protests across India at the rape and murder of an 8-year old Muslim girl in Kathua, Bengalu
  • Apr 18 Protests begin in Managua, Nicaragua, over proposed changes to social security, protesters beaten by suspected pro-government gangs
  • Apr 18 “Black Panther” is the first film shown at a commercial cinema in 35 years in Saudi Arabia as cinemas are reopened
  • Apr 19 King Mswati III of Swaziland changes the name of Swaziland to Eswatini, which translates as the “Land of the Swati”

Election of Interest

Apr 19 Miguel Diaz-Canel is elected Cuba's new president, after former president Raúl Castro steps down

  • Apr 19 US Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois-D) is the first parent to bring a baby into the Senate chambers, a day after the Senate votes to allow babies on the chamber's floor
  • Apr 20 Actress Allison Mack arrested on charges of sex trafficking in relation to sex cult NXIVM in New York
  • Apr 20 Arsène Wenger announces he will leave London EPL club Arsenal after 22 years as manager

Charles to Succeed Elizabeth

Apr 20 Commonwealth countries decide Prince Charles will succeed Queen Elizabeth as the next head of the Commonwealth

Frida Kahlo Barbie Banned

Apr 20 Mexican court bars sales of controversial Frida Kahlo Barbie doll

Film Premiere

Apr 21 Léa Seydoux's film "Zoe" premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival

  • Apr 21 Oakland A's left hander Sean Manaea no-hits the Boston Red Sox
  • Apr 22 Bus crash in North Korea kills 36, with most Chinese tourists
  • Apr 22 Gunman opens fire at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee, killing four before James Shaw Jr. wrestled the rifle from the gunman's hands

Footballer of the Year

Apr 22 Liverpool's Egyptian soccer forward Mohamed Salah is named Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year

Tennis Open Record

Apr 22 Monte Carlo Tennis Masters: Rafael Nadal beats Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2 to extend his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11)

  • Apr 22 Saudi-led coalition airstrike kills more than 20 at a wedding in northwestern Yemen
  • Apr 23 Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan resigns after 10 years in office after mass protests against him beginning an unconstitutional third term
  • Apr 23 Mario Abdo Benítez is elected President of Paraguay

Avengers: Infinity War

Apr 23 Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War" directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr and large ensemble cast premieres in Los Angeles, California

  • Apr 23 Van deliberately driven into pedestrians in Toronto, Canada, killing 10 and injuring 13

Music History

Apr 24 Ed Sheeran's "÷" is the best-selling album of 2017, selling 6.1 million copies, according to IFPI

  • Apr 24 Golden State Killer suspect Joseph DeAngelo arrested and charged with eight murders after being identified through genealogy websites
  • Apr 24 Streaming music services overtake worldwide sales of CDs and vinyl for the first time according to IFPI
  • Apr 24 Suffragist Millicent Fawcett is the first woman to have a statue erected in Parliament Square, London, England

Event of Interest

Apr 24 US President Donald Trump hosts his first state dinner for visiting French President Emmanuel Macron

  • Apr 25 Danish inventor Peter Madsen found guilty of killing and desecrating body of journalist Kim Wall aboard submarine, sentenced to life imprisonment
  • Apr 25 Indian religious leader Asaram Bapu is sentenced to life for raping a 16-year old girl

Film & TV History

Apr 26 Comedian Bill Cosby is found guilty of sexual assault in Pennsylvania

  • Apr 26 NFL Draft: Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield first pick by Cleveland Browns; 4 QBs taken in top 10 selections for first time in history
  • Apr 26 Serial killer "Golden State Killer" identified after 40 years as a former police officer, responsible for 12 killings, 50 rapes in California

Event of Interest

Apr 27 German leader Angela Merkel has a 1-day trip to Washington, DC, meeting US President Donald Trump

Summit of Interest

Apr 27 Historic Korean summit, the North's Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in of South Korea agree to officially end Korean war and rid peninsula of nuclear weapons

  • Apr 27 Mass protests across Spain after 5 men convicted of sexual abuse but not rape of teenage girl during Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona
  • Apr 27 More than 40 Tuareg killed over two days by suspected jihadists in Menaka region, Mali

Music History

Apr 27 Swedish band ABBA announce they have recorded new songs for the first time since 1982

Film & TV History

Apr 28 Danny DeVito Day declared in Jersey for 17th November by Mayor John Moor of Asbury Park

  • Apr 28 Indian government announces electricity has now reached every Indian village
  • Apr 28 Shaquem Griffin is the first one-handed person to be drafted into the NFL; selected by Seattle Seahawks
  • Apr 28 World's largest child sacrifice, 140 remains uncovered by archaeologists near Trujillo, Peru, dating back 550 years to Chimú civilisation

Film & TV History

Apr 29 Animated series "The Simpsons" surpasses 635-episode count of "Gunsmoke"'; highest number of episodes of any series on TV

  • Apr 29 Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal equals his Open-era record for most wins at the same event (11 Monte Carlo) with his 11th Barcelona ATP title
  • Apr 29 Sweden's official Twitter account confirms Swedish meatballs actually originated in Turkey
  • Apr 29 UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigns amid immigration scandal involving the Windrush generation
  • Apr 30 Coordinated double suicide attack kills 36 in Kabul, Afghanistan, including nine journalists
  • Apr 30 Etienne Terrus art museum in Elne, France, reveals half of its collection are fakes

Film & TV History

Apr 30 New species of water beetle from Malaysian Borneo’s Maliau Basin named after actor Leonardo DiCaprio

  • Apr 30 Pakistani city of Nawabshah sets global record for an April temperature, recording high of 50.2C
  • Apr 30 Sajid Javid is named UK Home Secretary by Prime Minister Teresa May

Film & TV History

Apr 30 Superhero film "Avengers: Infinity War" sets new record for an opening weekend earning $250 million in the US, $630 million worldwide

  • Apr 30 World's oldest known spider, a female trapdoor, dies after being killed by a wasp sting in Western Australia, aged 43