April 4

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April 4 is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 271 days remain until the end of the year.

Events

• 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I.
• 1660 - Declaration of Breda by King Charles II of England.
• 1721 - Sir Robert Walpole enters office as the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom under King George I.
• 1812 - U.S. President James Madison enacted a ninety-day embargo on trade with the United Kingdom.
• 1814 - Napoleon abdicates for the first time.
• 1818 - The United States Congress adopts the flag of the United States with 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state (then 20).
• 1841 - William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia becoming the first President of the United States to die in office and the one with the shortest term served.
• 1850 - Los Angeles, California is incorporated as a city.
• 1859 - Bryant's Minstrels debut "Dixie" in New York City in the finale of a blackface minstrel show.
• 1865 - American Civil War: A day after Union forces capture Richmond, Virginia, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln visits the Confederate capital.
• 1866 - Alexander II of Russia narrowly escapes an assassination attempt in the city of Kiev.
• 1887 - Argonia, Kansas elects Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States.
• 1905 - In India, an earthquake near Kangra kills 370,000.
• 1913 - The Greek aviator Emmanuel Argyropoulos becomes the first pilot victim of the Hellenic Air Force when his plane crashes.
• 1918 - World War I: Second Battle of the Somme ends.
• 1930 - The Communist Party of Panama is founded.
• 1939 - Faisal II becomes King of Iraq.
• 1945 - World War II: American troops liberate Ohrdruf forced labor camp in Germany.
• 1945 - World War II: Soviet Army takes control of Hungary.
• 1949 - Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
• 1960 - Senegal independence day.
• 1964 - The Beatles occupy all top five positions on the Billboard singles chart in the United States.
• 1965 - The first model of the new Saab Viggen fighter aircraft plane is unveiled.
• 1967 - Martin Luther King, Jr. delivers his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech in New York City's Riverside Church. King billed the speech as a declaration of independence from the war and called the United States "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today."
• 1968 - Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
• 1968 - Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6.
• 1968 - AEK Athens BC becomes the first Greek team to win the European Basketball Cup.
• 1969 - Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart.
• 1973 - The World Trade Center in New York is officially dedicated.
• 1974 - "Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones" opens as the first film with a quadraphonic soundtrack.
• 1975 - Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico
• 1975 - Vietnam War: Operation Baby Lift - A United States Air Force C-5A Galaxy crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam shortly after takeoff, transporting orphans - 172 die.
• 1976 - Prince Norodom Sihanouk resigns as leader of Cambodia and is placed under house arrest.
• 1979 - President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed.
• 1983 - Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space (STS-6).
• 1984 - President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons.
• 1986 - Sigma Lambda Beta was founded at the University of Iowa
• 1988 - Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona is convicted in his impeachment trial and removed from office.
• 1991 - Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their plane over an elementary school in Merion, Pennsylvania.
• 1994 - Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark found Netscape Communications Corporation under the name "Mosaic Communications Corporation".
• 1996 - Comet Hyakutake was imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.
• 2002 - The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign a peace treaty ending the Angolan Civil War.
• 2007 - 15 British Royal Navy personnel held in Iran are released by the Iranian President.

Births

• 186 - Caracalla, Roman emperor (d. 217)
• 1492 - Ambrosius Blarer, German reformer (d. 1564)
• 1593 - Edward Nicholas, English statesman (d. 1669)
• 1646 - Antoine Galland, French archaeologist (d. 1715)
• 1648 - Grinling Gibbons Dutch-born woodcarver (d. 1721)
• 1688 - Joseph-Nicolas Delisle, French astronomer (d. 1768)
• 1718 - Benjamin Kennicott, English churchman and Hebrew scholar (d. 1783)
• 1772 - Nachman of Breslov, founder of Breslov Hasidut (d. 1810)
• 1785 - Bettina von Arnim, German writer (d. 1859)
• 1802 - Dorothea Dix, American social activist (d. 1887)
• 1819 - Queen Maria II of Portugal (d. 1853)
• 1821 - Linus Yale, Jr., American inventor and manufacturer (d. 1868)
• 1826 - Zénobe Gramme, Belgian engineer (d. 1901)
• 1842 - Edouard Lucas, French mathematician (d. 1891)
• 1846 - Comte de Lautréamont, French writer (d. 1870)
• 1858 - Remy de Gourmont, French poet (d. 1915)
• 1875 - Pierre Monteux, French conductor (d. 1964)
• 1876 - Maurice de Vlaminck, French painter (d. 1958)
• 1882 - Kurt von Schleicher, Chancellor of Germany (d. 1934)
• 1884 - Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese naval commander (d. 1943)
• 1888 - Tris Speaker, American baseball player (d. 1958)
• 1888 - Zdzisław Żygulski, Sr., Polish literary historian (d. 1975)
• 1895 - Arthur Murray, American dance teacher (d. 1991)
• 1896 - Robert E. Sherwood, American playwright (d. 1955)
• 1897 - Pierre Fresnay, French stage and film actor (d. 1975)
• 1898 - Agnes Ayres, American actress (d. 1940)
• 1902 - Louise Leveque de Vilmorin, French actress (d. 1969)
• 1906 - Bea Benaderet, American actress (d. 1968)
• 1906 - John Cameron Swayze, American journalist (d. 1995)
• 1908 - Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, American memoirist (Cheaper by the Dozen) (d. 2006)
• 1911 - Max Dupain, Australian photographer (d. 1992)
• 1913 - Frances Langford, American actress (d. 2005)
• 1914 - Marguerite Duras, French writer (d. 1996)
• 1915 - Muddy Waters, American musician (d. 1983)
• 1916 - Edith Fore, old lady in commercial ("I've fallen and I can't get up!") (d. 1997)
• 1916 - Mickey Owen, American baseball player (d. 2005)
• 1916 - David White, American actor (d. 1990)
• 1918 - George Jellicoe, 2nd Earl Jellicoe (d. 2007)
• 1920 - Éric Rohmer, French film director
• 1922 - Elmer Bernstein, American composer (d. 2004)
• 1924 - Gil Hodges, American baseball player and manager (d. 1972)
• 1925 - Claude Wagner, French Canadian politician and judge (d. 1979)
• 1928 - Maya Angelou, American writer
• 1931 - Bobby Ray Inman, American admiral and intelligence director
• 1932 - Clive Davis, American record producer
• 1932 - Estelle Harris, American actress
• 1932 - Richard Lugar, American politician
• 1932 - Anthony Perkins, American actor (d. 1992)
• 1932 - Andrei Tarkovsky, Soviet film director (d. 1986)
• 1938 - A. Bartlett Giamatti, American university president and Commissioner of Baseball (d. 1989)
• 1939 - JoAnne Carner, American golfer
• 1939 - Major Lance, American singer (d. 1994)
• 1939 - Hugh Masekela, South African musician
• 1940 - Sharon Sheeley, American songwriter
• 1942 - Jim Fregosi, American baseball player and manager
• 1942 - Kitty Kelley, American writer
• 1944 - Magda Aelvoet, Belgian politician
• 1944 - Craig T. Nelson, American actor
• 1945 - Daniel Cohn-Bendit, French political activist
• 1945 - Caroline McWilliams, American actress
• 1946 - Dave Hill, English guitarist (Slade)
• 1946 - Katsuaki Sato, Japanese martial artist
• 1947 - Luke Halpin, American actor
• 1947 - Wiranto, Indonesian general
• 1948 - Michael Blassie, U.S. Air Force officer (d. 1972)
• 1948 - Berry Oakley, American bassist (The Allman Brothers Band) (d. 1972)
• 1948 - Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party
• 1948 - Dan Simmons, American writer
• 1948 - Derek Thompson, Northern Irish actor
• 1949 - Junior Braithwaite, Jamaican singer (The Wailers) (d. 1999)
• 1949 - Shing-Tung Yau, Chinese mathematician
• 1950 - Christine Lahti, American actress
• 1951 - Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia
• 1952 - Rosemarie Ackermann, German athlete
• 1952 - Pat Burns, Canadian ice hockey coach
• 1952 - Gary Moore, Irish guitarist (Thin Lizzy)
• 1953 - Robert Bertrand, Canadian politician
• 1956 - David E. Kelley, American writer and television producer
• 1956 - Tom Herr, American baseball player
• 1957 - Ali El Haggar, Egyptian singer and actor
• 1957 - Aki Kaurismäki, Finnish film director
• 1957 - Graeme Kelling, Scottish musician (Deacon Blue) (d. 2004)
• 1957 - Kelso, American racehorse (d. 1983)
• 1957 - Nobuyoshi Kuwano, Japanese musician (Rats & Star)
• 1958 - Cazuza, Brazilian poet, singer and composer (d. 1990)
• 1958 - Mary-Margaret Humes, American actress
• 1960 - Jane Eaglin, English soprano
• 1960 - Hugo Weaving, Nigerian-born English-Australian actor
• 1963 - Jack Del Rio, American football player and coach
• 1963 - Graham Norton, Irish talk show host
• 1963 - Dale Hawerchuk, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1964 - David Cross, American actor and comedian
• 1964 - Branco, Brazilian football player and coach
• 1964 - Robbie Rist, American actor
• 1965 - Robert Downey Jr., American actor
• 1966 - Nancy McKeon, American actor
• 1968 - Jennifer Lynch, American director
• 1970 - Barry Pepper, Canadian actor
• 1971 - John Zandig, American professional wrestler
• 1971 - Yanic Perreault, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1973 - David Blaine, American illusionist
• 1974 - Dave Mirra, American athlete
• 1975 - Pamela Ribon, American author, actress, and comedy writer
• 1975 - Thobias Fredriksson, Swedish cross-country skier
• 1975 - Scott Rolen, American baseball player
• 1975 - Delphine Arnault, French billionaire businesswoman
• 1976 - Emerson, Brazilian footballer
• 1977 - Adam Dutkiewicz, American guitarist (Killswitch Engage)
• 1978 - Jason Ellison, American baseball player
• 1978 - Lemar, English R'n'B singer
• 1978 - Alan Mahon, Irish footballer
• 1978 - Irene Skliva, Greek 1996 Miss World winner
• 1979 - Heath Ledger, Australian actor
• 1979 - Roberto Luongo, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1979 - Natasha Lyonne, American actress
• 1980 - Johnny Borrell, English singer (Razorlight)
• 1980 - Björn Wirdheim, Swedish race car driver
• 1983 - Doug Lynch, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1982 - Fabian Geiser, Swiss footballer
• 1984 - Arkady Vyatchanin, Russian swimmer
• 1986 - Aiden McGeady, Republic Of Ireland and Celtic Footballer
• 1987 - Sarah Gadon, Canadian actress
• 1987 - Devon Anderson, English actor
• 1991 - Jamie Lynn Spears, American actress
• 1991 - Ben Jukes Wilkins, English bodybuilder, CEO of PurlNetwork Corporation
• 1992 - Alexa Nikolas, American actress
• 1994 - Risako Sugaya, Japanese singer

Deaths

• 397 - St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
• 636 - Saint Isidore of Seville, Church Father and the proposed patron of Internet
• 896 - Pope Formosus (b. 816)
• 1284 - King Alfonso X of Castile (b. 1221)
• 1292 - Pope Nicholas IV (b. 1227)
• 1305 - Jeanne of Navarre, wife of Philip IV of France
• 1536 - Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach (b. 1460)
• 1588 - King Frederick II of Denmark (b. 1534)
• 1609 - Charles de L'Ecluse, Flemish botanist (b. 1526)
• 1617 - John Napier, Scottish mathematician (b. 1550)
• 1643 - Simon Episcopius, Dutch theologian (b. 1583)
• 1661 - Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven, Scottish soldier
• 1701 - Joseph Haines, entertainer and author
• 1743 - Daniel Neal, English historian (b. 1678)
• 1761 - Theodore Gardelle, Swiss painter and enameler (b. 1722)
• 1766 - John Taylor, English classical scholar (b. 1704)
• 1774 - Oliver Goldsmith, English writer (b. 1728)
• 1792 - James Sykes, American politician (b. 1725)
• 1807 - Joseph Jérôme Lefrançais de Lalande, French astronomer (b. 1732)
• 1817 - André Masséna, Duke of Rivoli, Prince of Essling and Marshal of France (b. 1758)
• 1841 - William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States (b. 1773)
• 1842 - Jean Moufot, French philosopher and mathematician (b. 1784)
• 1846 - Solomon Sibley, Senator from Michigan Territory (b. 1769)
• 1861 - John McLean, U.S. Supreme Court Justice (b. 1785)
• 1863 - Ludwig Emil Grimm, German painter and engraver (b. 1790)
• 1864 - Joseph Pitty Couthouy, American naval officer (b. 1808)
• 1870 - Heinrich Gustav Magnus, German chemist and physicist (b. 1802)
• 1874 - Charles Ernest Beulé, French archaeologist and politician (b. 1826)
• 1879 - Heinrich Wilhelm Dove, German physicist (b. 1803)
• 1883 - Peter Cooper, American Industrialist, inventor and philanthropist (b. 1791)
• 1884 - Marie Bashkirtseff, Russian artist and diarist (b. 1860)
• 1890 - Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, Quebec politician (b. 1820)
• 1890 - Edmond Hébert, French geologist (b. 1812)
• 1919 - William Crookes, English chemist and physicist (b. 1832)
• 1923 - John Venn, British mathematician (b. 1834)
• 1929 - Karl Benz,German engine designer and automobile engineer (b. 1844)
• 1931 - André Michelin, French industrialist (b. 1853)
• 1932 - Wilhelm Ostwald, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1853)
• 1951 - Al Christie, Canadian film director and producer (b. 1881)
• 1951 - George Albert Smith, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS or Mormon Church) (b. 1870)
• 1953 - King Carol II of Romania (b. 1893)
• 1957 - E. Herbert Norman, Canadian diplomat (b. 1909)
• 1958 - Johnny Stompanato, American organized crime figure (b. 1925)
• 1961 - Simion Stoilow, Romanian mathematician (b. 1873)
• 1967 - Héctor Scarone, Uruguayan footballer (b. 1898)
• 1967 - Al Lewis, American songwriter (b. 1901)
• 1968 - Martin Luther King, Jr., American civil rights activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1929)
• 1972 - Adam Clayton Powell Jr., American politician (b. 1908)
• 1972 - Stefan Wolpe, German-born composer (b. 1902)
• 1976 - Harry Nyquist, contributor to information theory (b. 1889)
• 1979 - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, President and Prime Minister of Pakistan (b. 1928)
• 1979 - Edgar Buchanan, American actor (b. 1903)
• 1980 - Red Sovine, American country music singer (b. 1917)
• 1983 - Gloria Swanson, American actress (b. 1897)
• 1984 - Oleg Antonov, Soviet airplane engineer (b. 1906)
• 1985 - Kate Roberts, Welsh nationalist and writer (b. 1891)
• 1987 - C.L. Moore, American writer (b. 1911)
• 1991 - Edmund Adamkiewicz, German footballer (b. 1920)
• 1991 - Max Frisch, Swiss writer (b. 1911)
• 1991 - H. John Heinz III, U.S. Senator (b. 1938)
• 1991 - Forrest Towns, American hurdler (b. 1914)
• 1992 - Yvette Brind'Amour, French Canadian stage actress and artistic director (b. 1918)
• 1992 - Arthur Russell, American cellist (b. 1951)
• 1993 - Alfred Butts, American architect and inventor (Scrabble) (b. 1899)
• 1995 - Kenny Everett, British radio DJ and television entertainer (b. 1944)
• 1995 - Priscilla Lane, American singer and actress (b. 1915)
• 1996 - Barney Ewell, American athlete (b. 1918)
• 1996 - Larry LaPrise, American songwriter (b. 1913)
• 1999 - Faith Domergue, American actor (b. 1924)
• 1999 - Early Wynn, American baseball player (b. 1920)
• 2000 - Tommaso Buscetta, Sicilian mafioso and pentito (b. 1928)
• 2001 - Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, American custom car designer (b. 1932)
• 2002 - Harry L. O'Connor, Czech-born film stuntman
• 2003 - Anthony Caruso, American actor (b. 1916)
• 2003 - Resortes, Mexican comedian (b. 1916)
• 2004 - Alberic Schotte, Belgian cyclist (b. 1919)
• 2004 - Casey Sheehan, American soldier, son of Cindy Sheehan (b. 1979)
• 2005 - Edward Bronfman, Canadian businessman (b. 1924)
• 2007 - Bob Clark, American film director (b. 1941)
• 2007 - Terry Hall, English ventriloquist (b. 1927)

Holidays and observances

• International Day for Landmine Awareness and Assistance
• Lesotho - Heroes' Day
• Taiwan and Hong Kong - Children's Day

Liturgical Feast days

• Saint Isidore of Seville
• Saint Hildebert of Ghent (died 752)
• Blessed Alice (d. 1105)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada

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