Historical Events
- Apr 1 Nescafé introduces their flagship brand in Switzerland
5th Augusta National Invitation
Apr 4 5th Augusta National INvitation (Masters): Henry Picard wins his only Masters, 2 strokes ahead of runners-up Harry Cooper and Ralph Guldahl
Piston's 1st Symphony
Apr 8 Walter Piston's 1st Symphony in E, premieres in Boston, by the Boston Symphony, conducted by the composer
- Apr 10 Austria becomes a state of Germany
- Apr 10 NY makes syphilis test mandatory in order to get a marriage license
Government of Édouard Daladier
Apr 10 Second government of Blum replaced by Édouard Daladier's government in France
- Apr 12 1st US law requiring medical tests for marriage licenses (New York)
- Apr 12 Stanley Cup Final, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL: Chicago Black Hawks beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-1 for a 3-1 series win; only team to win Cup with losing regular season record
- Apr 13 Clifford Goldsmith's play "What a Life" premieres at The Biltmore Theater, NYC
- Apr 15 Anti-Jewish riots break out in in Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Poland
- Apr 16 Great Britain recognizes Italian annexation of Abyssinia
- Apr 18 42nd Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:35:34.8; his second victory in the event
- Apr 18 Headless Mad Butcher victim found in Cleveland
- Apr 19 Baker Bowl, Philadelphia: Phillies infielder Emmett "Heine" Mueller & Brooklyn Dodger outfielder Ernie Koy both homer in their 1st MLB at bats
- Apr 26 Austrian Jews required to register property above 5,000 Reichsmarks
- Apr 30 The first televised FA Cup Final takes place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End
Famous Birthdays
- Apr 1 John Quade, American actor
- Apr 2 John Larsson, Swedish writer and 17th General of The Salvation Army, born in Sweden
- Apr 2 Whirlaway, American thoroughbred racehorse (Triple Crown 1941), born in Lexington, Kentucky (d. 1953)
- Apr 3 Jeff Barry [Joel Adelberg], American pop songwriter ("Do Wah Diddy Diddy"; "Da Doo Ron Ron"; "Chapel Of Love"; "Leader Of The Pack'), born in Brooklyn, New York
- Apr 3 Phil Rodgers, American golfer (5 PGA Tour titles), born in San Diego, California (d. 2018)
- Apr 3 Ray Hunter, Northern Irish cricket all-rounder (28 international matches) and rugby union centre (10 Tests; British & Irish Lions 1962; Portadown RFC), born in Belfast, Northern Ireland (d. 2020)
- Apr 4 A. Bartlett Giamatti, American MLB Commissioner (1989) and President of Yale University (1978-86), born in Boston, Massachusetts (d. 1989)
- Apr 5 Colin Bland, South African cricket batsman (21 Tests, 3 x 100, HS 144no; Eastern Province, Orange Free State), born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (d. 2018)
- Apr 5 Nancy Holt, American artist (land art), born in Worcester, Massachusetts
- Apr 5 Ron Hansen, American baseball shortstop (MLB All Star 1960, 60²; AL Rookie of the Year 1960; Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox), born in Oxford, Nebraska
- Apr 6 Frances Schreuder, American socialite convicted of murder, born in Salt Lake City, Utah (d. 2004)
- Apr 6 Paul Daniels, British magician (The Paul Daniels Magic Show), born in South Bank, Yorkshire (d. 2016)
- Apr 6 Roy Thinnes, actor (Invaders, Falcon Crest, Gen Hospital), born in Chicago, Illinois
- Apr 7 Alexander von Schlippenbach, German jazz pianist and composer (Globe Unity Orchestra), born in Berlin, Germany
- Apr 7 Freddie Hubbard, American jazz trumpeter (Art Blakey), born in Indianapolis, Indiana (d. 2008)
Jerry Brown (86 years old)
Apr 7 American politician and Governor of California (Democrat: 1975-83, 2011-19), born in San Francisco, California
- Apr 7 Spencer Dryden, American drummer (Jefferson Airplane - "White Rabbit"; New Riders of the Purple Sage), born in New York City (d. 2005)
- Apr 7 Yvonne Lime, actress (Father Knows Best, Dobie Gillis), born in Glendale, California
- Apr 8 Barton McLean, American electro-acoustic composer (Dimensions), teacher, and performer, born in Poughkeepsie, New York
Kofi Annan (1938-2018)
Apr 8 Ghanaian diplomat and 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997-2006), born in Comassie, Gold Coast
- Apr 8 Lory Patrick, American actress (Trina-Tales of Welles Fargo), born in Beckley West Virginia
- Apr 8 Mohammad Farooq, Pakistani cricket fast bowler (7 Tests, 21 wickets; Karachi), born in Junagadh, India
- Apr 9 Rockin' Sidney [Simien], American zydeco and R&B singer-songwriter, accordionist, guitarist, organist, and harmonica player ("My Toot-Toot"; "You Ain't Nothing But Fine"), born in Lebeau, Louisiana (d. 1998)
- Apr 9 Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russian politician (Prime Minister of Russia), born in Chernyy Otrog, Russia (d. 2010)
- Apr 10 Don Meredith, American NFL quarterback. 1960-68 (Dallas Cowboys, 3 x Pro Bowl), broadcaster (Monday Night Football), and actor, born in Mount Vernon, Texas (d. 2010)
- Apr 11 Kurt Moll, German bass opera singer, born near Cologne, Germany (d. 2017)
- Apr 11 Lamberto Puggelli, Italian stage and opera director (Spoleto Festival), born in Milan, Italy (d. 2013)
- Apr 11 Michael Deaver, Reagan Administration Deputy White House Chief of Staff, born in Bakersfield, California (d. 2007)
- Apr 13 Frederic Rzewski, American concert pianist and composer (Spacecraft), born in Westfield, Massachusetts (d. 2021)
- Apr 13 John Weston, British diplomat, representative for NATO (1992-95) and UN (1995-98)
- Apr 14 Gloria Randle Scott, American educator and administrator (President of Beaumont College, 1987-2001), born in Houston, Texas
- Apr 15 Claudia Cardinale, Italian-Tunisian actress (The Pink Panther, 8½), born in La Goulette, Tunis, Tunisia
- Apr 15 Hso Khan Pha, 1st President of the democratic and newly independent Union of Burma from 1948-52, born in Yawnghwe State, British Burma (d. 2016)
- Apr 16 Gordon Wilson, Scottish politician (Leader of the Scottish National Party), born in Govan, Glasgow (d. 2017)
- Apr 16 Rich Rollins, American MLB third baseman, born in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
- Apr 17 Ben Barnes, American politician (36th Lieutenant Governor of Texas), born in Gorman, Texas
- Apr 17 David Dilks, British historian and vice-chancellor (Hull U), born in Foleshill, Coventry
- Apr 17 Ian Buxton, English football forward (Derby County) and cricket all-rounder (Derbyshire captain), born in Cromford, Derbyshire (d. 2010)
- Apr 17 Kerry Wendell Thornley, Co-founder of Discordianism, born in California (d. 1998)
- Apr 18 Andreas Liebenberg, South African military commander, born in Upington, Cape Province, South Africa (d. 1998)
- Apr 19 Jonathan Tunick, American orchestrato, musical director, and composer (Soundheim musicals), one of 19 'EGOT' winners - having won all four major American show business awards: Emmy; Grammy, Oscar; and Tony, born in New York City
- Apr 20 Bernard Malivoire, French rower (Olympic gold coxed pair 1952), born in Bergerac, France (d. 1982)
Betty Cuthbert (1938-2017)
Apr 20 Australian athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 200m, 4x100m 1956; 400m 1964), born in Sydney, Australia
- Apr 20 Johnny Tillotson, American singer-songwriter ("It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'"; "Poetry In Motion"), born in Jacksonville, Florida
- Apr 22 Adam Raphael, English journalist and author
- Apr 22 Alan Bond, Australian businessman and yachting syndicate owner (America's Cup 1983), born in London, England (d. 2015)
- Apr 22 Deane Beman, American golfer, administrator, writer, course designer (US Open 1969 runner-up; PGA Tour Commissioner 1974-94), born in Washington, D.C.
- Apr 22 Henk Groot, Dutch soccer attacking midfielder/forward (39 caps; Ajax, Feyenoord), born in Zaandijk, Netherlands (d. 2022)
- Apr 22 Issey Miyake, Japanese avant-garde fashion designer, born in Hiroshima, Japan (d. 2022) [1]
- Apr 23 Leonard Ernest John Chant, English social worker, born in Yeovil, Somerset (d. 1995)
- Apr 23 Roland White [LeBlanc], American bluegrass mandolin player and vocalist (Kentucky Colonels; Lester Flatt's Nashville Grass), born in Madawaska, Maine (d. 2022)
- Apr 23 Steve Symms, American politician, (Senator-R-Idaho 1981-93, Rep-R-Idaho 1973-81), born in Nampa, Idaho
- Apr 25 Roger Boisjoly, American aerodynamicist (anticipated challenger disaster), born in Lowell, Massachusetts (d. 2012)
- Apr 25 Ton Schulten, Dutch painter (landscapes using bright blocks of colour), born in Ootmarsum, Overijssel, Netherlands
- Apr 26 Duane Eddy, American twangy guitarist ("Rebel Rouser"; Peter Gunn"; "Cannonball"), born in Corning, New York (d. 2024) [1] [2]
- Apr 26 Maurice Williams, American doo-wop singer, and songwriter (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs - "Stay"), born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Nino Benvenuti (86 years old)
Apr 26 Italian boxer (world middleweight champion), born in Izola, Slovenia
- Apr 26 Willie Wood, Scottish bowls player, born in Haddington, East Lothian
Earl Anthony (1938-2001)
Apr 27 American professional bowler (PBA money champ 1974-6, 1981-3), born in Tacoma, Washington
- Apr 28 Fred Dibnah, English steeplejack and television personality, born in Bolton, Lancashire, England (d. 2004)
- Apr 28 Madge Sinclair (née Walters), Jamaican-American actress (Conrack; Roots - "Bell"; Trapper John, M.D. - "Ernestine"; The Lion King), born in Kingston, Colony of Jamaica (d. 1995)
Bernie Madoff (1938-2021)
Apr 29 American fraudster and financier who committed the largest fraud in US history, born in Queens, New York
- Apr 29 Klaus Voormann, German rock bassist (Manfred Mann - "Mighty Quinn"; John Lennon; George Harrison; Harry Nilsson; Carly Simon), and album cover artist (Beatles - Revolver; Ringo Starr - Ringo), born in Berlin, Germany
- Apr 30 Gary Collins, American actor (6th Sense, Home Show), born in Venice, California (d. 2012)
- Apr 30 Juraj Jakubisko, Slovak film director (Crucial Years), born in Kojšov, Czechoslovakia
- Apr 30 Larry Niven, American sci-fi author (5 Hugo, Neutron Star), born in Los Angeles, California
Famous Weddings
Sammy Baugh
Apr 10 NFL quarterback Sammy Baugh (24) weds his college sweetheart Edmonia Smith in Sweetwater, Texas
- Apr 28 King Zog of Albania marries Countess Geraldine of Hungary
Famous Deaths
- Apr 2 Alice Berend, writer, dies
- Apr 4 Cyril Christiani, West Indian cricket wicketkeeper (4 Tests; British Guiana), dies of malaria at 24
- Apr 8 Harold Baumgartner, South African cricketer (took 2-99 lefty in test for South Africa), dies at 54
- Apr 10 Joseph "King" Oliver, American jazz cornet player, composer, bandleader, and mentor to Louis Armstrong, dies of arteriosclerosis at 56 [1]
- Apr 10 Nana Annor Adjaye, Pan-Africanist, dies in W Nzima Ghana
- Apr 11 Cristóbal Torriente, Cuban Baseball HOF outfielder (NgL NL batting champion 1920; NgL NL pennant 1920–22; Chicago American Giants; career batting average: .352), dies from alcoholism & tuberculosis at 44
- Apr 12 Feodor Chaliapine, Russian operatic bass-baritone singer (Man and Mask: Forty Years in the Life of a Singer), dies of leukemia at 65
- Apr 13 Grey Owl [Archibald Belaney], Canadian pioneering conservationist (who pretended to be part Native American), dies of pneumonia at 49 [1]
- Apr 14 Gillis Grafström, Swedish figure skater (Olympic gold 1920, 24, 28), dies of blood poisoning at 44
- Apr 15 César Vallejo, Peruvian-French poet and novelist (Los Heraldos Negros; Trilce; Russia in 1931), dies from recurrence of childhood malaria at 46
- Apr 16 Bertram Mills, British circus proprietor (Bertram Mills Circus), dies at 70
- Apr 16 Steve Bloomer, English footballer (b. 1874)
- Apr 18 Richard Terry, English organist and musicologist, dies at 73
- Apr 19 Henry John Newbolt, English poet and author (Studies Green & Gray), dies at 75
- Apr 21 Muhammad Iqbal, British East Indies lawyer and Pakistan national hero, dies at 65
- Apr 24 George Grey Barnard, American sculptor, dies at 74
- Apr 26 Edmund Husserl, German philosopher (founded School of Phenomenology), dies at 79
- Apr 27 Edmond Rubbens, Belgian minister to Colonies, dies at 44
