What Happened in April 2011

Historical Events

Apr 1 After protests against the burning of the Quran turned violent, a mob attacked a United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan and killed thirteen people, including eight foreign workers.

Film & TV History

Apr 1 Alan Rickman's last performance in "Seminar" on Broadway

Cricket World Cup

Apr 2 Cricket World Cup, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai: India beats Sri Lanka by 6 wickets; first country to win on home soil; MS Dhoni Man of the Match, Yuvraj Singh, Player of Series

Apr 2 ICC Men's Cricket ODI World Cup, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India: India beats Sri Lanka by 6 wickets for their second title; Player of the Match: MS Dhoni (IND) 91 no (79)

Golf Major

Apr 3 Kraft Nabisco Championship Women's Golf, Mission Hills CC: Stacy Lewis shoots final round 69 to win her first major, 3 strokes ahead of defending champion Yani Tseng

WrestleMania

Apr 3 WrestleMania XXVII, Georgia Dome, Atlanta GA (71,617): Edge defeats Alberto Del Rio; The Undertaker downs Triple H; The Miz beats John Cena

Professional Wrestler and Actor John Cena

Apr 4 73rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Butler, 53-41; Huskies' point guard Kemba Walker scores 16 points
Apr 5 30th NCAA Women's Basketball Championship: Texas A&M beats Notre Dame, 76-70; Aggies center Danielle Adams scores 22 of her 30 points in the 2nd half

So Beautiful or So What

Apr 8 Hear Music Records releases "So Beautiful or So What", the twelfth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon

Apr 9 164th Grand National: Jason Maguire wins aboard Irish 14/1 shot Ballabriggs; first GN win for trainer Donald McCain Jr., son of 4-time winning trainer Ginger McCain
Apr 9 Gunman murders five people, injures eleven, and commits suicide in a mall in the Netherlands
Apr 10 75th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Charl Schwartzel of South Africa birdies the final 4 holes to win his first major title, 2 strokes ahead of Australian pair Adam Scott and Jason Day
Apr 11 Minsk Metro bombing in Belarus kills at least 15 and injures over 200

Film & TV History

Apr 13 Gary Sinise narrates the audiobook of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men"

Apr 15 "Black Friday" for online poker in the US: indictment United States v. Scheinberg shuts down sites, accusing companies of fraud and money laundering

Game of Thrones

Apr 17 "Game of Thrones", based on the fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin premieres on HBO

Thor

Apr 17 "Thor", directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, premieres in Sydney, Australia

Apr 18 115th Boston Marathon: Kenyan double; Geoffrey Mutai wins men's race in record 2:03:02; Caroline Kilel takes women's section in 2:22:36

Event of Interest

Apr 19 Fidel Castro resigns his position of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba after 45 years in power [1]

Cuban Revolutionary and President Fidel Castro

Apr 23 Zach Daniels defeated Rick Michaels to become the new TNT Heavyweight Champion.
Apr 25 At least 300 people killed in deadliest tornado outbreak in the Southern United States since the 1974 Super Outbreak.
Apr 27 Deadliest day of the 2011 super outbreak of tornadoes, the largest tornado outbreak in United States history
Apr 27 Mummified remains of American actress Yvette Vickers discovered by a neighbor at her home; she had not been seen since 2010

Event of Interest

Apr 27 U.S. President Barack Obama, coerced by incessant false "birther" accusations, publicly releases a copy of his birth certificate

Apr 28 NFL Draft: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton first pick by Carolina Panthers

Events in 2011

Famous Weddings

Apr 2 "Alias" actor Michael Vartan (42) weds Lauren Skaar at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California; divorce in 2014

Michael Bublé

Apr 2 Grammy Award-winning singer Michael Bublé (35) again weds Argentine actress-model Luisana Lopilato (23) at Villa Maria Paz, a private mansion near Buenos Aires, Argentina

Apr 17 Actress and model Torrey Devitto (26) weds actor Paul Wesley (28) in New York
Apr 20 "Hollywood Confidential" radio host Leeza Gibbons (54) weds Steven Fenton (41) at the rooftop of the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills

LeAnn Rimes

Apr 22 American actor Eddie Cibrian (37) weds American country and pop singer LeAnn Rimes (28) at a private home in California

Kate Middleton & Prince William

Apr 29 Royal wedding of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton held at Westminister Abbey, London

Lorenzo Lamas

Apr 30 Actor Lorenzo Lamas (53) weds model Shawna Craig at Casa Dorada Resort in Cabo, San Lucas

Famous Divorces

Christina Aguilera

Apr 15 Grammy-winning pop singer Christina Aguilera (29) divorces music executive Jordan Bratman (33) due to irreconcilable differences after 5 years of marriage

Famous Deaths

Apr 1 Lou Gorman, American baseball executive (general manager Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox), dies at 82
Apr 2 George E Mahlberg, American astronomer (Mt Palomar/Mt Wilson, California, 1974-78), movie actor, sound engineer, and DJ (Dr. Cosmo), dies at 56
Apr 2 Larry Finch, American college basketball coach (University of Memphis 1986-97), dies at 60
Apr 3 Calvin Russell [Kosler], American blues, roots, and rock singer-songwriter and guitarist (Dream Of The Dog), dies of liver cancer at 62
Apr 4 Bronisław Kazimierz Przybylski, Polish composer (Requiem, In Memory of the Children – Martyrs of the War) and educator, dies at 69
Apr 4 Juliano Mer-Khamis, Israeli actor, director, filmmaker and political activist, assassinated at 52
Apr 4 Scott Columbus, American heavy metal drummer (Manowar, 1983–91 & 1994–2008), takes his own life at 54
Apr 5 Baruch Samuel Blumberg, American scientist, (1976 Nobel Laureate for Physiology or Medicine, for work on Hepatitis B), dies at 85
Apr 6 Nabi Bux Khan Baloch, Pakistani Sindhi scholar (compiled first Sindhi-English dictionary), dies at 93 [1]
Apr 7 Duke of Grafton, 11th Duke of Grafton, British peer, dies at 92
Apr 7 Pierre Gauvreau, Canadian painter, television writer and producer, dies at 88
Apr 8 Hedda Sterne, Romanian born American artist, dies at 100
Apr 9 Daniel Catán, Mexican composer (Rappaccini's Daughter; Florencia en el Amazonas), dies at 62
Apr 9 Roger Nichols, American recording engineer, producer and inventor (Steely Dan; John Denver), dies of pancreatic cancer at 66

Sidney Lumet (1924-2011)

Apr 9 American film director (Group, Pawnbroker, Fail Safe), dies of lymphoma at 86

Apr 10 Homer Smith, American football coach (b. 1931)
Apr 10 Mikhail Rusyayev, Russian footballer (b. 1964)
Apr 11 Billy Bang [William Walker], American free jazz violinist and composer, dies of lung cancer at 63
Apr 11 La Esterella [Ester Lambrechts], Flemish pop singer ("Oh Lieve Vrouwetoren"), dies at 91
Apr 11 Lacy Gibson, American Chicago-style blues guitarist, singer and songwriter ("Switchy Titchy"), dies of a heart attack at 74
Apr 12 Eddie Joost, American baseball shortstop (MLB All Star 1949, 52; World Series 1940 Cincinnati Reds; Philadelphia Athletics) and manager (Philadelphia A's), dies at 94
Apr 14 Trevor Bannister, British actor (Are You Being Served?), dies at 76
Apr 14 Walter Breuning, American supercentenarian (b. 1896)
Apr 14 William Lipscomb, American chemist working in nuclear magnetic resonance, theoretical chemistry, boron chemistry, and biochemistry (Nobel 1976), dies at 91
Apr 15 Vittorio Arrigoni, Italian peace activist, dies at 36
Apr 16 Allan Blakeney, Canadian politician (10th Premier of Saskatchewan), dies at 85
Apr 16 Bijan, Iranian men's apparel designer (Bijan), dies of stroke at 71
Apr 16 Gerry Alexander, West Indian cricket wicket-keeper (25 Tests, top score 108, 90 dismissals), dies at 82
Apr 16 Harold Volkmer, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri, dies at 80
Apr 16 Paul Des Marais, American composer, dies at 90 [1]
Apr 16 William A. Rusher, American lawyer and columnist, dies at 87
Apr 17 AJ Perez, Filipino teen actor (b. 1993)
Apr 17 Eric Gross, Austrian-Australian pianist, composer (Na shledanou v Praze (Good-bye in Prague); Moonscape), conductor, and educator (University of Sydney, 1960-91), dies at 84
Apr 17 Everard Goodman, English real estate developer (Tops Estates), dies at 79
Apr 17 Michael Sarrazin, Canadian actor (Seduction, They Shoot Horses Don't They), dies at 70
Apr 17 Nikos Papazoglou, Greek singer and songwriter (b. 1948)
Apr 18 Mason Rudolph, American golfer (Ryder Cup 1971; PGA C'ship 1973 3rd), dies at 76
Apr 18 Olubayo Adefemi, Nigerian footballer, dies at 25
Apr 18 William Donald Schaefer, American politician (Gov-D-Md), dies at 89
Apr 19 Elisabeth Sladen, British actress (b. 1946)

Grete Waitz (1953-2011)

Apr 19 Norwegian long distance athlete (9 x NYC Marathon titles; World C'ship gold 1983; 5 x gold World Cross Country; WR x 4), dies of cancer at 57

Apr 19 Jaroslav Smolka, Czech composer (Metamorfosi), music director, dramaturge, pedagogue, and musicologist, dies at 78
Apr 20 Chris Hondros, American photographer (b. 1970)
Apr 20 Madelyn Pugh, American television writer (I Love Lucy), dies at 90
Apr 20 Tim Hetherington, British-American photojournalist (b. 1970)
Apr 20 Zoltán Sztáray, Hungarian writer, dies at 92
Apr 22 Moin Akhter, Pakistani actor, dies at 60
Apr 22 Wiel Coerver, Dutch soccer manager (developer of Coerver Method, football coaching technique), dies of pneumonia at 86
Apr 23 Geoffrey Russell, 4th Baron Ampthill, dies at 89
Apr 23 John Sullivan, British comedy writer, dies at 64
Apr 23 Max van der Stoel, Dutch politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs (PvdA), dies at 86
Apr 23 Peter Lieberson, American composer, dies of cancer at 64
Apr 23 Tom King, American rock guitarist, songwriter, guitarist, and arranger (The Outsiders - "Time Won't Let Me"), dies of congestive heart failure at 68
Apr 24 Colin Snedden, New Zealand cricket spin bowler (1 Test; Auckland), dies at 93
Apr 24 Marie-France Pisier, French actress (b. 1944)
Apr 24 Sathya Sai Baba, Indian guru, spiritual figure, dies at 84
Apr 25 (Fletcher) Joe Perry, American AAFC/NFL Hall of Fame fullback, 1948-63, 3X Pro Bowl (San Francisco 49ers; Baltimore Colts), and US Navy veteran, dies of complications from dementia at 84
Apr 26 Phoebe Snow [Laub], American singer-songwriter ("Poetry Man"), dies at 60
Apr 27 Marian Mercer, American actress and singer (Dean Martin Show), dies at 75
Apr 28 William Campbell, American character actor (Cannonball - "Jerry"; Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte: Dementia 13), dies at 87
Apr 29 David Mason, British orchestral, solo and session trumpet player (The Beatles "Penny Lane"), dies of leukemia at 85
Apr 30 Dorjee Khandu, Indian, Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (b. 1955)
Apr 30 Emilio Navarro, Puerto Rican baseball player, dies at 105
Apr 30 Ernesto Sábato, Argentinian writer (Sábato Report), dies at 99