April 1

Events

Pre-1600

* 527 – Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne.
* 1081 – Alexios I Komnenos overthrows the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros III Botaneiates, and, after his troops spend three days extensively looting Constantinople, is formally crowned on April 4.
* 1572 – In the Eighty Years' War, the '' Watergeuzen'' capture Brielle from the Seventeen Provinces, gaining the first foothold on land for what would become the Dutch Republic.

1601–1900

* 1725 – J. S. Bach's later '' Easter Oratorio'' in its first version is performed at the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig on Easter Sunday.
* 1789 – In New York City, the United States House of Representatives achieves its first quorum and elects Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker.
* 1833 – The Convention of 1833, a political gathering of settlers in Mexican Texas to help draft a series of petitions to the Mexican government, begins in San Felipe de Austin.
* 1865 – American Civil War: Union troops led by Philip Sheridan decisively defeat Confederate troops led by George Pickett, cutting the Army of Northern Virginia's last supply line during the Siege of Petersburg.
* 1867 – Singapore becomes a British crown colony.
* 1873 – The White Star steamer SS ''Atlantic'' sinks off Nova Scotia, killing 547 in one of the worst marine disasters of the 19th century.
*1900 – Prince George becomes absolute monarch of the Cretan State.

1901–present

* 1908 – The Territorial Force (renamed Territorial Army in 1920) is formed as a volunteer reserve component of the British Army.
*1918 – The Royal Air Force is created by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.
* 1922 – In newly formed Northern Ireland, six Catholics are murdered in the Arnon Street killings, one week after six others were killed in the McMahon killings.
* 1924 – Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years fortress confinement for his participation in the " Beer Hall Putsch" but spends only nine months in jail.
* 1924 – The Royal Canadian Air Force is formed.
*1933 – The recently elected Nazis under Julius Streicher organize a one-day boycott of all Jewish-owned businesses in Germany, ushering in a series of anti-Semitic acts.
*1935 – India's central banking institution, the Reserve Bank of India, is formed.
* 1937 – Aden becomes a British crown colony.
* 1937 – The Royal New Zealand Air Force is formed as an independent service.
* 1939 – Spanish Civil War: Generalísimo Francisco Franco of the Spanish State announces the end of the Spanish Civil War, when the last of the Republican forces surrender.
* 1941 – Fântâna Albă massacre: Between two hundred and two thousand Romanian civilians are killed by Soviet Border Troops.
* 1941 – A military coup in Iraq overthrows the regime of 'Abd al-Ilah and installs Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister.
*1944 – World War II: Navigation errors lead to an accidental American bombing of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen.
* 1945 – World War II: The Tenth United States Army attacks the Thirty-Second Japanese Army on Okinawa.
*1946 – The 8.6 {{M, w Aleutian Islands earthquake shakes the Aleutian Islands with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (''Strong''). A destructive tsunami reaches the Hawaiian Islands resulting in dozens of deaths, mostly in Hilo, Hawaii.
* 1946 – The Malayan Union is established. Protests from locals led to the establishment of the Federation of Malaya two years later.
*1947 – The only mutiny in the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy begins.
*1948 – Cold War: Communist forces respond to the introduction of the ''Deutsche Mark'' by attempting to force the western powers to withdraw from Berlin.
* 1948 – Faroe Islands gain autonomy from Denmark.
*1949 – Chinese Civil War: The Chinese Communist Party holds unsuccessful peace talks with the Nationalist Party in Beijing, after three years of fighting.
* 1949 – The Government of Canada repeals Japanese-Canadian internment after seven years.
*1954 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
* 1955 – The EOKA rebellion against the British Empire begins in Cyprus, with the goal of unifying with Greece.
* 1960 – The TIROS-1 satellite transmits the first television picture from space.
* 1964 – The British Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry are replaced by a unified Defence Council of the United Kingdom.
* 1969 – The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational fighter aircraft with Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing capabilities, enters service with the Royal Air Force.
*1970 – President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law.
*1970 – A Royal Air Maroc Sud Aviation Caravelle crashes near Berrechid, Morocco, killing 61.{{Cite web , title=ASN Aircraft accident Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III CN-CCV Berrechid , url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19700401-1 , access-date=2023-11-19 , website=aviation-safety.net
*1971 – Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army massacre more than a thousand people in Keraniganj Upazila, Bangladesh.
*1973 – Project Tiger, a tiger conservation project, is launched in the Jim Corbett National Park, India.
* 1974 – The Local Government Act 1972 of England and Wales comes into effect.
*1976 – Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer, Inc.
*1979 – Iran becomes an Islamic republic by a 99% vote, officially overthrowing the Shah.
* 1984 – Singer Marvin Gaye is shot to death by his father in his home in Arlington Heights, Los Angeles, California.{{Cite web , title=The tragic story of Marvin Gaye and the untimely death of a soul legend , url=https://www.smoothradio.com/artists/marvin-gaye/marvin-gaye-death-father-explained/ , access-date=31 March 2022 , website=Smooth , language=en
* 1986 – Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal) cadres attack a number of police stations in Kathmandu, seeking to incite a popular rebellion.
*1989 – Margaret Thatcher's new local government tax, the Community Charge (commonly known as the "poll tax"), is introduced in Scotland.
*1993 – NASCAR racer Alan Kulwicki is killed in a plane crash near the Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Blountville, Tennessee.{{cite web , author= , date=16 March 1994 , title=National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident Final Report , url=https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001211X12077&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=MA , access-date=24 October 2017 , website=app.ntsb.gov , publisher=National Transportation Safety Board , id=ATL93MA068 , archive-date=1 December 2020 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201030501/https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001211X12077&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=MA , url-status=dead
*1997 – Comet Hale–Bopp is seen passing at perihelion.
*1999 – Nunavut is established as a Canadian territory carved out of the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.
*2001 – An EP-3E United States Navy surveillance aircraft collides with a Chinese People's Liberation Army Shenyang J-8 fighter jet. The Chinese pilot ejected but is subsequently lost. The Navy crew makes an emergency landing in Hainan, China and is detained.
* 2001 – Former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević surrenders to police special forces, to be tried on war crimes charges.
* 2001 – Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the Netherlands, the first contemporary country to allow it.
*2004 – Google launches its Email service Gmail.
* 2006 – Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) of the Government of the United Kingdom is enforced, but later merged into National Crime Agency on 7 October 2013.
*2011 – After protests against the burning of the Quran turn violent, a mob attacks a United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of fourteen people, including seven UN workers.
*2016 – The 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict begins along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact.

Births

Pre-1600

* 1220 – Emperor Go-Saga of Japan (died 1272)
* 1282 – Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1347)
* 1328 – Blanche of France, Duchess of Orléans (died 1382)
* 1543 – François de Bonne, Duke of Lesdiguières (died 1626)
* 1578 – William Harvey, English physician and academic (died 1657)

1601–1900

* 1610 – Charles de Saint-Évremond, French soldier and critic (died 1703)
* 1629 – Jean-Henri d'Anglebert, French organist and composer (died 1691)
* 1640 – Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician and academic (died 1697)
* 1647 – John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, English poet and courtier (died 1680)
* 1697 – Antoine François Prévost, French novelist and translator (died 1763)
* 1721 – Pieter Hellendaal, Dutch-English organist, violinist, and composer (died 1799)
* 1741 – George Dance the Younger, English architect and surveyor (died 1825)
* 1753 – Joseph de Maistre, French philosopher, lawyer, and diplomat (died 1821)
* 1765 – Luigi Schiavonetti, Italian engraver and etcher (died 1810)
* 1776 – Sophie Germain, French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (died 1831)
* 1786 – William Mulready, Irish genre painter (died 1863)
* 1815 – Otto von Bismarck, German lawyer and politician, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire (died 1898)
* 1815 – Edward Clark, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (died 1880)
* 1823 – Simon Bolivar Buckner, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Kentucky (died 1891)
*1824 – Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, Canadian bishop (died 1901)
* 1834 – James Fisk, American businessman (died 1872)
* 1852 – Edwin Austin Abbey, American painter and illustrator (died 1911)
* 1858 – Columba Marmion, Irish Benedictine abbot (died 1923)
* 1865 – Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, Austrian-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1929)
* 1866 – William Blomfield, New Zealand cartoonist and politician (died 1938)
* 1866 – Ferruccio Busoni, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1924)
* 1866 – Ève Lavallière, French actress (died 1929)
* 1868 – Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (died 1918)
* 1868 – Walter Mead, English cricketer (died 1954)
* 1871 – F. Melius Christiansen, Norwegian-American violinist and conductor (died 1955)
* 1873 – Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1943)
* 1874 – Ernest Barnes, English mathematician and theologian (died 1953)
* 1874 – Prince Karl of Bavaria (died 1927)
* 1875 – Edgar Wallace, English journalist, author, and playwright (died 1932)
* 1878 – C. Ganesha Iyer, Ceylon Tamil philologist (died 1958)
* 1879 – Stanislaus Zbyszko, Polish wrestler and strongman (died 1967)
* 1881 – Octavian Goga, Romanian Prime Minister (died 1938)
* 1883 – Lon Chaney, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1930)
* 1883 – Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (died 1976)
* 1883 – Laurette Taylor, Irish-American actress (died 1946)
* 1885 – Wallace Beery, American actor (died 1949)
* 1885 – Clementine Churchill, English wife of Winston Churchill (died 1977)
* 1889 – K. B. Hedgewar, Indian physician and activist (died 1940)
* 1893 – Cicely Courtneidge, Australian-English actress (died 1980)
* 1895 – Alberta Hunter, African-American singer-songwriter and nurse (died 1984)
* 1898 – William James Sidis, Ukrainian-Russian Jewish American mathematician, anthropologist, and historian (died 1944)
*1899 – Gustavs Celmiņš, Latvian academic and politician (died 1968)
*1900 – Stefanie Clausen, Danish Olympic diver (died 1981)

1901–present

* 1901 – Whittaker Chambers, American journalist and spy (died 1961)
* 1902 – Maria Polydouri, Greek poet (died 1930)
* 1905 – Gaston Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 47th Prime Minister of Belgium (died 1988)
* 1905 – Paul Hasluck, Australian historian, poet, and politician, 17th Governor-General of Australia (died 1993)
* 1906 – Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev, Russian engineer, founded the Yakovlev Design Bureau (died 1989)
*1907 – Shivakumara Swami, Indian religious leader and philanthropist (died 2019)
* 1908 – Abraham Maslow, American psychologist and academic (died 1970)
* 1908 – Harlow Rothert, American shot putter, lawyer, and academic (died 1997)
* 1909 – Abner Biberman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1977)
* 1909 – Eddy Duchin, American pianist and bandleader (died 1951)
* 1910 – Harry Carney, American saxophonist and clarinet player (died 1974)
* 1910 – Bob Van Osdel, American high jumper and soldier (died 1987)
*1911 – Augusta Braxton Baker, African American librarian (died 1998)
* 1913 – Memos Makris, Greek sculptor (died 1993)
* 1915 – O. W. Fischer, Austrian-Swiss actor and director (died 2004)
* 1916 – Sheila May Edmonds, British mathematician (died 2002)
*1917 – Sydney Newman, Canadian screenwriter and producer, co-created ''Doctor Who'' (died 1997)
* 1917 – Melville Shavelson, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2007)
* 1919 – Joseph Murray, American surgeon and soldier, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2012)
* 1920 – Toshiro Mifune, Japanese actor (died 1997)
* 1921 – William Bergsma, American composer and educator (died 1994)
* 1921 – Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, American guitarist, fiddler, and composer (died 2014)
* 1922 – Duke Jordan, American pianist and composer (died 2006)
* 1922 – William Manchester, American historian and author (died 2004)
* 1924 – Brendan Byrne, American lieutenant, judge, and politician, 47th Governor of New Jersey (died 2018)
* 1926 – Anne McCaffrey, American-Irish author (died 2011)
*1927 – Walter Bahr, American soccer player, coach, and manager (died 2018)
* 1927 – Amos Milburn, American R&B singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1980)
* 1927 – Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian footballer and manager (died 2006)
* 1929 – Jonathan Haze, American actor, producer, screenwriter, and production manager (died 2024)
* 1929 – Milan Kundera, Czech-French novelist, poet, and playwright (died 2023)
* 1929 – Payut Ngaokrachang, Thai animator and director (died 2010)
* 1929 – Jane Powell, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2021)
* 1930 – Grace Lee Whitney, American actress and singer (died 2015)
* 1931 – George Baker, Bulgarian-English actor and screenwriter (died 2011)
* 1931 – Rolf Hochhuth, German author and playwright (died 2020)
*1932 – Debbie Reynolds, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2016)
*1933 – Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Algerian-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate
* 1933 – Dan Flavin, American sculptor and educator (died 1996)
* 1933 – Bengt Holbek, Danish folklorist (died 1992)
*1934 – Vladimir Posner, French-American journalist and radio host
*1935 – Larry McDonald, American physician and politician (died 1983)
*1936 – Peter Collinson, English-American director and producer (died 1980)
* 1936 – Jean-Pascal Delamuraz, Swiss politician, 80th President of the Swiss Confederation (died 1998)
* 1936 – Tarun Gogoi, Indian politician, 14th Chief Minister of Assam (died 2020)
* 1936 – Abdul Qadeer Khan, Indian-Pakistani physicist, chemist, and engineer (died 2021)
* 1937 – Jordan Charney, American actor
*1937 – Yılmaz Güney, Palme d'Or award-winning Kurdish film director, scenarist, actor, novelist and activist (died 1984)
*1937 – Lynn Garrison, Canadian aviator, political advisor, and mercenary
* 1939 – Ali MacGraw, American model and actress
* 1939 – Phil Niekro, American baseball player and manager (died 2020)
* 1940 – Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2011)
* 1941 – Gideon Gadot, Israeli journalist and politician (died 2012)
* 1941 – Ajit Wadekar, Indian cricketer, coach, and manager (died 2018)
*1942 – Samuel R. Delany, American author and critic
* 1942 – Richard D. Wolff, American economist and academic
*1943 – Dafydd Wigley, Welsh academic and politician
* 1943 – Titina Silá, Bissau-Guinean revolutionary (died 1973)
*1946 – Nikitas Kaklamanis, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Health and Social Security
* 1946 – Ronnie Lane, English bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 1997)
* 1946 – Arrigo Sacchi, Italian footballer, coach, and manager
*1947 – Alain Connes, French mathematician and academic
* 1948 – Javier Irureta, Spanish footballer and manager
* 1948 – Peter Law, Welsh politician and independent Member of Parliament (died 2006)
*1949 – Gérard Mestrallet, French businessman
* 1949 – Paul Manafort, American lobbyist, political consultant, and convicted felon
* 1949 – Sammy Nelson, Northern Irish footballer and coach
* 1949 – Gil Scott-Heron, American singer-songwriter and author (died 2011)
*1950 – Samuel Alito, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
* 1950 – Loris Kessel, Swiss racing driver (died 2010)
* 1950 – Daniel Paillé, Canadian academic and politician
*1951 – John Abizaid, American general
*1952 – Annette O'Toole, American actress
* 1952 – Bernard Stiegler, French philosopher and academic (died 2020)
*1953 – Barry Sonnenfeld, American cinematographer, director, and producer
* 1953 – Alberto Zaccheroni, Italian footballer and manager
*1954 – Jeff Porcaro, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (died 1992)
* 1955 – Don Hasselbeck, American football player and sportscaster
* 1955 – Humayun Akhtar Khan, Pakistani politician, 5th Commerce Minister of Pakistan
*1957 – David Gower, English cricketer and sportscaster
* 1957 – Denise Nickerson, American actress (died 2019)
* 1958 – D. Boon, American singer and musician (died 1985)
* 1959 – Helmut Duckadam, Romanian footballer (died 2024)
* 1961 – Susan Boyle, Scottish singer
* 1961 – Sergio Scariolo, Italian professional basketball head coach
* 1961 – Mark White, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
* 1962 – Mark Shulman, American author
*1962 – Chris Grayling, English journalist and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
* 1962 – Samboy Lim, Filipino basketball player and manager (died 2023)
* 1962 – Phillip Schofield, English television host
*1963 – Teodoro de Villa Diaz, Filipino guitarist and songwriter (died 1988)
* 1963 – Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, American aerospace engineer
* 1964 – Erik Breukink, Dutch cyclist and manager
* 1964 – Kevin Duckworth, American basketball player (died 2008)
* 1964 – John Morris, English cricketer
* 1964 – José Rodrigues dos Santos, Portuguese journalist, author, and educator
*1965 – Jane Adams, American film, television, and stage actress
* 1965 – Mark Jackson, American basketball player and coach
*1966 – Chris Evans, English radio and television host
* 1966 – Mehmet Özdilek, Turkish footballer and manager
*1967 – Nicola Roxon, Australian lawyer and politician, 34th Attorney-General for Australia
* 1968 – Mike Baird, Australian politician, 44th Premier of New South Wales
* 1968 – Andreas Schnaas, German actor and director
* 1968 – Alexander Stubb, Finnish academic and politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Finland and 13th President of Finland
* 1969 – Lev Lobodin, Ukrainian-Russian decathlete
* 1969 – Andrew Vlahov, Australian basketball player
* 1969 – Dean Windass, English footballer and manager
*1970 – Brad Meltzer, American author, screenwriter, and producer
*1971 – Sonia Bisset, Cuban javelin thrower
* 1971 – Shinji Nakano, Japanese racing driver
*1972 – Darren McCarty, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
* 1972 – Jesse Tobias, American guitarist and songwriter
*1973 – Christian Finnegan, American comedian and actor
* 1973 – Stephen Fleming, New Zealand cricketer and coach
* 1973 – Rachel Maddow, American journalist and author
* 1974 – Hugo Ibarra, Argentinian footballer and manager
*1975 – John Butler, American-Australian singer-songwriter and producer
* 1975 – Magdalena Maleeva, Bulgarian tennis player
*1976 – Hazem El Masri, Lebanese-Australian rugby league player and educator
* 1976 – David Gilliland, American race car driver
* 1976 – Gábor Király, Hungarian footballer
* 1976 – David Oyelowo, English actor
* 1976 – Clarence Seedorf, Dutch-Brazilian footballer and manager
* 1976 – Yuka Yoshida, Japanese tennis player
*1977 – Vitor Belfort, Brazilian-American boxer and mixed martial artist
* 1977 – Haimar Zubeldia, Spanish cyclist
*1978 – Antonio de Nigris, Mexican footballer (died 2009)
* 1978 – Mirka Federer, Slovak-Swiss tennis player
* 1978 – Anamaria Marinca, Romanian-English actress
* 1978 – Etan Thomas, American basketball player
*1979 – Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper
*1980 – Dennis Kruppke, German footballer
* 1980 – Randy Orton, American wrestler
* 1980 – Bijou Phillips, American actress and model
* 1981 – Antonis Fotsis, Greek basketball player
* 1981 – Bjørn Einar Romøren, Norwegian ski jumper
* 1982 – Taran Killam, American actor, voice artist, comedian, and writer
* 1982 – Andreas Thorkildsen, Norwegian javelin thrower
*1983 – Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, Icelandic footballer
* 1983 – Sean Taylor, American football player (died 2007)
* 1984 – Gilberto Macena, Brazilian footballer
*1985 – Daniel Murphy, American baseball player
* 1985 – Beth Tweddle, English gymnast
* 1986 – Nikolaos Kourtidis, Greek weightlifter
* 1986 – Hillary Scott, American country singer-songwriter
*1987 – Vitorino Antunes, Portuguese footballer
* 1987 – Ding Junhui, Chinese professional snooker player
* 1987 – Gianluca Musacci, Italian footballer
* 1987 – Oliver Turvey, English racing driver
* 1988 – Brook Lopez, American basketball player
* 1988 – Robin Lopez, American basketball player
*1989 – Jan Blokhuijsen, Dutch speed skater
* 1989 – David Ngog, French footballer
* 1989 – Christian Vietoris, German racing driver
* 1990 – Julia Fischer, German discus thrower
* 1991 – Duván Zapata, Colombian footballer
*1992 – Deng Linlin, Chinese gymnast
* 1995 – Jofra Archer, Barbadian-English cricketer
* 1995 – Logan Paul, American YouTuber, actor and wrestler
*1997 – Asa Butterfield, English actor
* 1997 – Álex Palou, Spanish racing driver
*1998 – Mitchell Robinson, American basketball player
*1999 – Gabe Davis, American football player
*2000 – Rhian Brewster, English footballer

Deaths

Pre-1600

* 996 – John XV, pope of the Catholic Church
* 1085 – Shen Zong, Chinese emperor (born 1048)
* 1132 – Hugh of Châteauneuf, French bishop (born 1053)
* 1204 – Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of France and England (born 1122)
* 1205 – Amalric II, king of Cyprus and Jerusalem
* 1282 – Abaqa Khan, ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate (born 1234)
* 1431 – Nuno Álvares Pereira, Portuguese general (born 1360)
* 1441 – Blanche I, queen of Navarre and Sicily (born 1387)
* 1455 – Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Polish cardinal and statesman (born 1389)
* 1528 – Francisco de Peñalosa, Spanish composer (born 1470)
* 1548 – Sigismund I the Old, Sigismund I, king of Poland (born 1467)
*1580 – Alonso Mudarra, Spanish guitarist and composer (born 1510)

1601–1900

*1621 – Cristofano Allori, Italian painter and educator (born 1577)
*1682 – Franz Egon of Fürstenberg, Bavarian bishop (born 1625)
*1787 – Floyer Sydenham, English scholar and academic (born 1710)
*1839 – Benjamin Pierce (governor), Benjamin Pierce, American soldier and politician, 11th Governor of New Hampshire (born 1757)
* 1865 – Antonios Kriezis, Greek Navy officer and Prime Minister of Greece (born 1796)
* 1865 – Giuditta Pasta, Italian soprano (born 1797)
*1872 – Frederick Denison Maurice, English theologian and academic (born 1805)
* 1878 – John Corry Wilson Daly, John C.W. Daly, English-Canadian soldier and politician (born 1796)
*1890 – David Wilber, American politician (born 1820)
* 1890 – Alexander Mozhaysky, Russian soldier, pilot, and engineer (born 1825)

1901–present

*1914 – Rube Waddell, American baseball player (born 1876)
* 1914 – Charles Wells (brewer), Charles Wells, English founder of Charles Wells Ltd (born 1842)
*1917 – Scott Joplin, American pianist and composer (born 1868)
* 1920 – Walter Simon (philanthropist), Walter Simon, German banker and philanthropist (born 1857)
* 1922 – Charles I of Austria, Charles I, emperor of Austria (born 1887)
* 1924 – Jacob Bolotin, American physician (born 1888)
*1924 – Lloyd Hildebrand, English cyclist (born 1870)
* 1924 – Stan Rowley, Australian sprinter (born 1876)
*1946 – Noah Beery, Sr., American actor (born 1882)
*1947 – George II of Greece, George II, king of Greece (born 1890)
*1950 – Charles R. Drew, American physician and surgeon (born 1904)
* 1950 – Recep Peker, Turkish soldier and politician, 6th List of Prime Ministers of Turkey, Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1889)
*1962 – Jussi Kekkonen, Finnish captain and businessman (born 1910)
*1963 – Agnes Mowinckel, Norwegian actress (born 1875)
*1965 – Helena Rubinstein, Polish-American businesswoman (born 1870)
*1966 – Brian O'Nolan, Irish author (born 1911)
* 1968 – Lev Landau, Azerbaijani-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1908)
*1971 – Kathleen Lonsdale, Irish crystallographer and prison reformer (born 1903)
*1976 – Max Ernst, German painter and sculptor (born 1891)
* 1981 – Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai singer-songwriter and bandleader (born 1910)
* 1984 – Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter (born 1939)
* 1984 – Elizabeth Goudge, English author (born 1900)
* 1986 – Erik Bruhn, Danish actor, director, and choreographer (born 1928)
* 1986 – Edwin Boston, English clergyman, author, and railway preservationist
*1987 – Henri Cochet, French tennis player (born 1901)
* 1991 – Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer (born 1894)
* 1991 – Jaime Guzmán, Chilean lawyer and politician (born 1946)
*1992 – Michael Havers, Baron Havers, English lawyer and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (born 1923)
*1993 – Alan Kulwicki, American race car driver (born 1954)
*1994 – Robert Doisneau, French photographer (born 1912)
* 1995 – H. Adams Carter, American mountaineer, journalist, and educator (born 1914)
* 1995 – Francisco Moncion, Dominican American ballet dancer, choreographer, charter member of the New York City Ballet (born 1918)
* 1995 – Lucie Rie, Austrian-English potter (born 1902)
*1996 – Mário Viegas, Portuguese actor and poetry reciter (born 1948)
*1997 – Makar Honcharenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (born 1912)
*1998 – Rozz Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1963)
*1999 – Jesse Stone (musician), Jesse Stone, American pianist, songwriter, and producer (born 1901)
*2001 – Trịnh Công Sơn, Vietnamese guitarist and composer (born 1939)
*2002 – Simo Häyhä, Finnish soldier and sniper (born 1905)
*2003 – Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor (born 1956)
*2004 – Ioannis Kyrastas, Greek footballer and manager (born 1952)
* 2004 – Carrie Snodgress, American actress (born 1945)
*2005 – Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Minister of Finance (Tanzania), Tanzanian Minister of Finance (b 1925)
* 2005 – Robert Coldwell Wood, American political scientist and academic (born 1923)
* 2006 – In Tam, Cambodian general and politician, 26th Prime Minister of Cambodia (born 1916)
*2010 – John Forsythe, American actor (born 1918)
* 2010 – Tzannis Tzannetakis, Greek soldier and politician, 175th Prime Minister of Greece (born 1927)
*2012 – Lionel Bowen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (born 1922)
* 2012 – Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian-American soccer player and radio host (born 1947)
* 2012 – Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican banker, academic, and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (born 1934)
*2013 – Moses Blah, Liberian general and politician, 23rd President of Liberia (born 1947)
* 2013 – Karen Muir, South African swimmer and physician (born 1952)
*2014 – King Fleming, American pianist and bandleader (born 1922)
* 2014 – Jacques Le Goff, French historian and author (born 1924)
* 2014 – Rolf Rendtorff, German theologian and academic (born 1925)
*2015 – Nicolae Rainea, Romanian footballer and referee (born 1933)
*2017 – Lonnie Brooks, American blues singer and guitarist (born 1933)
* 2017 – Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Soviet and Russian poet and writer (born 1932)
*2018 – Steven Bochco, American television writer and producer (born 1943)
*2019 – Vonda N. McIntyre, American science fiction author (born 1948)
*2024 – Lou Conter, American naval commander (born 1921)
*2024 – Vontae Davis, American football player (born 1988)
*2024 – Joe Flaherty, American actor, writer, and comedian (born 1941)
*2024 – Sami Michael, Iraqi-born Israeli writer and human rights activist (born 1926)
*2024 – Ed Piskor, American comic book artist (born 1982)
*2024 – Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Iranian senior military officer (born 1960)
*2025 – Val Kilmer, American actor (born 1959)
*2025 – Johnny Tillotson, American singer-songwriter (born 1938)

Holidays and observances

*Christian feast day:
**Cellach of Armagh
**Hugh of Châteauneuf, Hugh of Grenoble
**Frederick Denison Maurice (Church of England)
**Mary of Egypt
**Melito of Sardis
**Tewdrig
**Theodora (Roman martyr), Theodora
**Walric, abbot of Leuconay
**April 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
*April Fools' Day
*Odisha Day (Odisha, India)
*Arbor Day#Tanzania, Arbor Day (Tanzania)
*Civil Service Day (Thailand)
*Public holidays in Cyprus, Cyprus National Day (Cyprus)
*Edible Book Day
*Fossil Fools Day
*Kha b-Nisan, the Assyrian New Year (Assyrian people){{cite web , url=https://ajammc.com/2017/04/05/the-joys-of-akitu/ , title=The Joys of Akitu, the Assyrian New Year , last=Shams , first=Alex , date=5 April 2023 , website=Ajam Media Collective , access-date=20 February 2023

References

{{Reflist

External links

{{commons

BBC: On This Day
* {{NYT On this day, month=4, day=1

Historical Events on April 1

{{months

Days of April