Historical Events
Spain Declares War Against the United States
Apr 11 President McKinley asks for Spanish–American War declaration
- Apr 12 US Army transfers Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco Bay to Navy
- Apr 18 2nd Boston Marathon won by Canadian Ron McDonald in race record 2:42:00
- Apr 20 US Assay Office in Deadwood, South Dakota opens
- Apr 21 Phillies' pitcher Bill Duggleby hits a grand slam on 1st at bat
- Apr 21 Spanish–American War: The U.S. Congress, on April 25, recognizes that a state of war exists between the United States and Spain
- Apr 22 1st Spanish–American War action sees the USS Nashville capture a Spanish ship
- Apr 22 Baltimore James Hughes no-hits Boston Braves 8-0
- Apr 22 Cincinnati Red Theodore Breitenstein no-hits Pirates 11-0
- Apr 22 Congress passes Volunteer Army Act calling for a Volunteer Cavalry
- Apr 22 US President McKinley orders blockade of Cuban harbors
- Apr 24 Spanish–American War: Spain declares war after rejecting US ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba
Dewey Sails to the Philippines
Apr 24 US fleet under commodore George Dewey sails from Hong Kong to Philippines
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 1 Pola Gojawiczynska, Polish writer (Stolica), born in Warsaw, Poland (d. 1963)
- Apr 1 Roger Bastide, French sociologist (study of Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean religions), born in Nimes, France (d. 1974)
- Apr 1 William James Sidis, American genius (d. 1944)
- Apr 3 George Jessel, American stage and screen actor, singer, producer and host known as "The Toastmaster General", born in New York City (d. 1981)
- Apr 3 Henry Luce, American magazine publisher (Time, Fortune, Life), born in Tengchow, China (d. 1967)
- Apr 4 Agnes Ayres [Hinkle], American actress (Sheik, Souls at Sea), born in Carbondale, Illinois (d. 1940)
- Apr 5 Herb Flemming [Nicolaiih El-Michelle], American jazz trombonist and vocalist, born in Butte, Montana (d. 1976)
- Apr 6 Bobby Gilbert, American actor (Some Like It Hot, The Rebel Set), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1973)
- Apr 6 Pete DePaolo, American auto racer (Indianapolis 500 1925; first driver to average > 100mph at Indy, recording 101.13mph), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1980)
- Apr 8 Achiel H. Acker, Belgian premier (1945-46, 1954-58), born in Bruges, Belgium (d. 1975)
- Apr 8 Maurice Bowra, British classics scholar (Greek experience), born in Jiujiang, China (d. 1971)
Curly Lambeau (1898-1965)
Apr 9 American Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback, coach (founder, first coach Green Bay Packers), born in Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Apr 9 Julius Patzak, Austrian tenor singer, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1974)
Paul Robeson (1898-1976)
Apr 9 American bass-baritone singer ("Old Man River"), actor and civil rights activist, born in Princeton, New Jersey
- Apr 12 (Alice) "Lily" Pons, French-American coloratura soprano opera singer (Metropolitan Opera, 1931-60) and actress (That Girl From Paris), born in Draguignan, France (d. 1976)
- Apr 14 Lee Tracy, American actor (Dinner at Eight, Martin Kane Private Eye), born in Atlanta, Georgia (d. 1968)
- Apr 15 Harry F. V. Edward, British 100m/200m runner (Olympic bronze 1920), born in Berlin (d. 1973)
- Apr 15 Marian Jordan, American actress, radio comedienne (Molly-Fibber McGee & Molly), born in Peoria, Illinois (d. 1961)
- Apr 15 Nini de Boël, Flemish operetta singer (White Horse), born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1982)
- Apr 18 Charles Leatherland, Baron Leatherland, British journalist and Labour Party politician, born in Aston, Birmingham (d. 1992)
- Apr 19 Constance Talmadge, American comedienne and actress (Intolerance), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1973)
- Apr 19 Sybil Andrews, English-Canadian painter, born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England (d. 1992)
- Apr 21 Steve Owen, American Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle (NY Giants) and coach (NFL C'ship 1927, 34, 38; NY Giants), born in Cleo Springs, Oklahoma (d. 1964)
- Apr 23 Edwin Erich Dwinger, German writer (General Vlassov), born in Kiel, Germany (d. 1981)
- Apr 26 John Grierson, Scottish documentary filmmaker (Drifters), born in Deanston, Stirling, Scotland (d. 1972)
- Apr 26 Vicente Aleixandre, Spanish writer (Ambito, Bird of Paper, Nobel 1977), born in Seville, Spain (d. 1984)
- Apr 28 Grantley Herbert Adams, Premier of Barbados (1953-58) and Prime Minister of the West Indies Federation (1958-62), born in St. Michael, British Windward Islands (d. 1971)
Famous Deaths
- Apr 8 William Polk Hardeman, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 81
- Apr 9 James Ronald Chalmers, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 67
- Apr 12 Elzéar-Alexandre Taschereau, Roman catholic archbishop of Quebec (b. 1820)
- Apr 15 Kepa Te Rangihiwinui, Maori military leader, dies in his 70s
- Apr 18 Gustave Moureau, French Symbolist artist, dies at 72
- Apr 21 Louis Théodore Gouvy, French-German composer, dies at 78
