April 1 in History

The Artemis II lunar flyby mission launches, marking the first crewed flight above low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict begins along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact.

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.

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.

Google launches its Email service Gmail.

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.

Former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević surrenders to police special forces, to be tried on war crimes charges.

Same-sex marriage becomes legal in the Netherlands, the first contemporary country to allow it.

Nunavut is established as a Canadian territory carved out of the eastern part of the Northwest Territories.

Comet Hale–Bopp is seen passing at perihelion.

NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki is killed in a plane crash near the Tri-Cities Regional Airport in Blountville, Tennessee.

Margaret Thatcher's new local government tax, the Community Charge (commonly known as the "poll tax"), is introduced in Scotland.

Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal) cadres attack a number of police stations in Kathmandu, seeking to incite a popular rebellion.

Singer Marvin Gaye is shot to death by his father in his home in Arlington Heights, Los Angeles, California.

Iran becomes an Islamic republic by a 99% vote, officially overthrowing the Shah.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple Computer, Inc.

The Local Government Act 1972 of England and Wales comes into effect.

Project Tiger, a tiger conservation project, is launched in the Jim Corbett National Park, India.

Bangladesh Liberation War: The Pakistan Army massacre more than a thousand people in Keraniganj Upazila, Bangladesh.

President Richard Nixon signs the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act into law.

A Royal Air Maroc Sud Aviation Caravelle crashes near Berrechid, Morocco, killing 61.

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first operational fighter aircraft with Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing capabilities, enters service with the Royal Air Force.

The British Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry are replaced by a unified Defence Council of the United Kingdom.

The TIROS-1 satellite transmits the first television picture from space.

The EOKA rebellion against the British Empire begins in Cyprus, with the goal of unifying with Greece.

United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Government of Canada repeals Japanese-Canadian internment after seven years.

Cold War: Communist forces respond to the introduction of the Deutsche Mark by attempting to force the western powers to withdraw from Berlin.

Faroe Islands gain autonomy from Denmark.

The only mutiny in the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy begins.

The 8.6 Mw 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.

The Malayan Union is established. Protests from locals led to the establishment of the Federation of Malaya two years later.

World War II: The Tenth United States Army attacks the Thirty-Second Japanese Army on Okinawa.

World War II: Navigation errors lead to an accidental American bombing of the Swiss city of Schaffhausen.

Fântâna Albă massacre: Between two hundred and two thousand Romanian civilians are killed by Soviet Border Troops.

A military coup in Iraq overthrows the regime of 'Abd al-Ilah and installs Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister.

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.

Aden becomes a British crown colony.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force is formed as an independent service.

India's central banking institution, the Reserve Bank of India, is formed.

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.

Adolf Hitler is sentenced to five years fortress confinement for his participation in the "Beer Hall Putsch" but spends only nine months in jail.

The Royal Canadian Air Force is formed.

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.

The Royal Air Force is created by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

The Territorial Force (renamed Territorial Army in 1920) is formed as a volunteer reserve component of the British Army.

Prince George becomes absolute monarch of the Cretan State.

The White Star steamer SS Atlantic sinks off Nova Scotia, killing 547 in one of the worst marine disasters of the 19th century.

Singapore becomes a British crown colony.

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.

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.

In New York City, the United States House of Representatives achieves its first quorum and elects Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker.

J. S. Bach's later Easter Oratorio in its first version is performed at the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig on Easter Sunday.

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.

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.

Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne.

Roman emperor Diocletian names Maximian his co-emperor ("Augustus").

Rhian Brewster, English footballer

Gabe Davis, American football player

King Combs, American rapper

Mitchell Robinson, American basketball player

Asa Butterfield, English actor

Álex Palou, Spanish racing driver

Sophia Hutchins, American socialite

Jofra Archer, Barbadian-English cricketer

Logan Paul, American YouTuber, actor and wrestler

Deng Linlin, Chinese gymnast

Duván Zapata, Colombian footballer

Julia Fischer, German discus thrower

Jan Blokhuijsen, Dutch speed skater

David Ngog, French footballer

Christian Vietoris, German racing driver

Brook Lopez, American basketball player

Robin Lopez, American basketball player

Vitorino Antunes, Portuguese footballer

Ding Junhui, Chinese professional snooker player

Gianluca Musacci, Italian footballer

Oliver Turvey, English racing driver

Nikolaos Kourtidis, Greek weightlifter

Hillary Scott, American country singer-songwriter

Daniel Murphy, American baseball player

Beth Tweddle, English gymnast

Gilberto Macena, Brazilian footballer

Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, Icelandic footballer

Sean Taylor, American football player (died 2007)

Taran Killam, American actor, voice artist, comedian, and writer

Andreas Thorkildsen, Norwegian javelin thrower

Antonis Fotsis, Greek basketball player

Bjørn Einar Romøren, Norwegian ski jumper

Dennis Kruppke, German footballer

Randy Orton, American wrestler

Bijou Phillips, American actress and model

Ruth Beitia, Spanish high jumper

Antonio de Nigris, Mexican footballer (died 2009)

Mirka Federer, Slovak-Swiss tennis player

Anamaria Marinca, Romanian-English actress

Etan Thomas, American basketball player

Vitor Belfort, Brazilian-American boxer and mixed martial artist

Haimar Zubeldia, Spanish cyclist

Hazem El Masri, Lebanese-Australian rugby league player and educator

David Gilliland, American race car driver

Gábor Király, Hungarian footballer

David Oyelowo, English actor

Clarence Seedorf, Dutch-Brazilian footballer and manager

Yuka Yoshida, Japanese tennis player

John Butler, American-Australian singer-songwriter and producer

Magdalena Maleeva, Bulgarian tennis player

Hugo Ibarra, Argentinian footballer and manager

Christian Finnegan, American comedian and actor

Stephen Fleming, New Zealand cricketer and coach

Rachel Maddow, American journalist and author

Darren McCarty, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster

Jesse Tobias, American guitarist and songwriter

Sonia Bisset, Cuban javelin thrower

Shinji Nakano, Japanese racing driver

Brad Meltzer, American author, screenwriter, and producer

Lev Lobodin, Ukrainian-Russian decathlete

Andrew Vlahov, Australian basketball player

Dean Windass, English footballer and manager

Mike Baird, Australian politician, 44th Premier of New South Wales

Andreas Schnaas, German actor and director

Alexander Stubb, Finnish academic and politician, 43rd Prime Minister of Finland and 13th President of Finland

Nicola Roxon, Australian lawyer and politician, 34th Attorney-General for Australia

Chris Evans, English radio and television host

Mehmet Özdilek, Turkish footballer and manager

Jane Adams, American film, television, and stage actress

Mark Jackson, American basketball player and coach

Erik Breukink, Dutch cyclist and manager

Kevin Duckworth, American basketball player (died 2008)

John Morris, English cricketer

José Rodrigues dos Santos, Portuguese journalist, author, and educator

Teodoro de Villa Diaz, Filipino guitarist and songwriter (died 1988)

Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, American aerospace engineer

Mark Shulman, American author

Chris Grayling, English journalist and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain

Samboy Lim, Filipino basketball player and manager (died 2023)

Phillip Schofield, English television host

Susan Boyle, Scottish singer

Sergio Scariolo, Italian professional basketball head coach

Mark White, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Helmut Duckadam, Romanian footballer (died 2024)

D. Boon, American singer and musician (died 1985)

John Farragher, Australian rugby league player (died 2025)

David Gower, English cricketer and sportscaster

Denise Nickerson, American actress (died 2019)

Don Hasselbeck, American football player and sportscaster

Humayun Akhtar Khan, Pakistani politician, 5th Commerce Minister of Pakistan

Jeff Porcaro, American drummer, songwriter, and producer (died 1992)

Barry Sonnenfeld, American cinematographer, director, and producer

Alberto Zaccheroni, Italian footballer and manager

Annette O'Toole, American actress

Bernard Stiegler, French philosopher and academic (died 2020)

John Abizaid, American general

Samuel Alito, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Loris Kessel, Swiss racing driver (died 2010)

Daniel Paillé, Canadian academic and politician

Gérard Mestrallet, French businessman

Paul Manafort, American lobbyist, political consultant, and convicted felon

Sammy Nelson, Northern Irish footballer and coach

Gil Scott-Heron, American singer-songwriter and author (died 2011)

Javier Irureta, Spanish footballer and manager

Peter Law, Welsh politician and independent Member of Parliament (died 2006)

Alain Connes, French mathematician and academic

Nikitas Kaklamanis, Greek academic and politician, Greek Minister of Health and Social Security

Ronnie Lane, English bass player, songwriter, and producer (died 1997)

Arrigo Sacchi, Italian footballer, coach, and manager

Dafydd Wigley, Welsh academic and politician

Titina Silá, Bissau-Guinean revolutionary (died 1973)

Samuel R. Delany, American author and critic

Richard D. Wolff, American economist and academic

Gideon Gadot, Israeli journalist and politician (died 2012)

Ajit Wadekar, Indian cricketer, coach, and manager (died 2018)

Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2011)

Ali MacGraw, American model and actress

Phil Niekro, American baseball player and manager (died 2020)

Jordan Charney, American actor

Yılmaz Güney, Palme d'Or award-winning Kurdish film director, scenarist, actor, novelist and activist (died 1984)

Lynn Garrison, Canadian aviator, political advisor, and mercenary

Peter Collinson, English-American director and producer (died 1980)

Jean-Pascal Delamuraz, Swiss politician, 80th President of the Swiss Confederation (died 1998)

Tarun Gogoi, Indian politician, 14th Chief Minister of Assam (died 2020)

Abdul Qadeer Khan, Indian-Pakistani physicist, chemist, and engineer (died 2021)

Cyril Karabus, South African paediatric oncologist

Larry McDonald, American physician and politician (died 1983)

Vladimir Posner, French-American journalist and radio host

Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Algerian-French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

Dan Flavin, American sculptor and educator (died 1996)

Bengt Holbek, Danish folklorist (died 1992)

Debbie Reynolds, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2016)

George Baker, Bulgarian-English actor and screenwriter (died 2011)

Rolf Hochhuth, German author and playwright (died 2020)

Grace Lee Whitney, American actress and singer (died 2015)

Ásta Sigurðardóttir, Icelandic writer and visual artist (died 1971)

Jonathan Haze, American actor, producer, screenwriter, and production manager (died 2024)

Milan Kundera, Czech-French novelist, poet, and playwright (died 2023)

Payut Ngaokrachang, Thai animator and director (died 2010)

Jane Powell, American actress, singer, and dancer (died 2021)

Walter Bahr, American soccer player, coach, and manager (died 2018)

Amos Milburn, American R&B singer-songwriter and pianist (died 1980)

Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian footballer and manager (died 2006)

Anne McCaffrey, American-Irish author (died 2011)

Brendan Byrne, American lieutenant, judge, and politician, 47th Governor of New Jersey (died 2018)

Duke Jordan, American pianist and composer (died 2006)

William Manchester, American historian and author (died 2004)

William Bergsma, American composer and educator (died 1994)

Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith, American guitarist, fiddler, and composer (died 2014)

Toshiro Mifune, Japanese actor (died 1997)

Joseph Murray, American surgeon and soldier, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2012)

Sydney Newman, Canadian screenwriter and producer, co-created Doctor Who (died 1997)

Melville Shavelson, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2007)

Sheila May Edmonds, British mathematician (died 2002)

O. W. Fischer, Austrian-Swiss actor and director (died 2004)

Memos Makris, Greek sculptor (died 1993)

Augusta Braxton Baker, African American librarian (died 1998)

Harry Carney, American saxophonist and clarinet player (died 1974)

Bob Van Osdel, American high jumper and soldier (died 1987)

Abner Biberman, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1977)

Eddy Duchin, American pianist and bandleader (died 1951)

Abraham Maslow, American psychologist and academic (died 1970)

Harlow Rothert, American shot putter, lawyer, and academic (died 1997)

Shivakumara Swami, Indian religious leader and philanthropist (died 2019)

Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev, Russian engineer, founded the Yakovlev Design Bureau (died 1989)

Gaston Eyskens, Belgian economist and politician, 47th Prime Minister of Belgium (died 1988)

Paul Hasluck, Australian historian, poet, and politician, 17th Governor-General of Australia (died 1993)

Maria Polydouri, Greek poet (died 1930)

Whittaker Chambers, American journalist and spy (died 1961)

Stefanie Clausen, Danish Olympic diver (died 1981)

Gustavs Celmiņš, Latvian academic and politician (died 1968)

William James Sidis, Ukrainian-Russian Jewish American mathematician, anthropologist, and historian (died 1944)

Alberta Hunter, African-American singer-songwriter and nurse (died 1984)

Cicely Courtneidge, Australian-English actress (died 1980)

K. B. Hedgewar, Indian physician and activist (died 1940)

Wallace Beery, American actor (died 1949)

Clementine Churchill, English wife of Winston Churchill (died 1977)

Lon Chaney, American actor, director, and screenwriter (died 1930)

Edvard Drabløs, Norwegian actor and director (died 1976)

Laurette Taylor, Irish-American actress (died 1946)

Octavian Goga, Romanian Prime Minister (died 1938)

Stanislaus Zbyszko, Polish wrestler and strongman (died 1967)

C. Ganesha Iyer, Ceylon Tamil philologist (died 1958)

Edgar Wallace, English journalist, author, and playwright (died 1932)

Ernest Barnes, English mathematician and theologian (died 1953)

Prince Karl of Bavaria (died 1927)

Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1943)

F. Melius Christiansen, Norwegian-American violinist and conductor (died 1955)

Edmond Rostand, French poet and playwright (died 1918)

Walter Mead, English cricketer (died 1954)

William Blomfield, New Zealand cartoonist and politician (died 1938)

Ferruccio Busoni, Italian pianist, composer, and conductor (died 1924)

Ève Lavallière, French actress (died 1929)

Richard Adolf Zsigmondy, Austrian-German chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1929)

Columba Marmion, Irish Benedictine abbot (died 1923)

Edwin Austin Abbey, American painter and illustrator (died 1911)

James Fisk, American businessman (died 1872)

Louis-Zéphirin Moreau, Canadian bishop (died 1901)

Simon Bolivar Buckner, American general and politician, 30th Governor of Kentucky (died 1891)

Otto von Bismarck, German lawyer and politician, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire (died 1898)

Edward Clark, American lawyer and politician, 8th Governor of Texas (died 1880)

William Mulready, Irish genre painter (died 1863)

Sophie Germain, French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (died 1831)

Luigi Schiavonetti, Italian engraver and etcher (died 1810)

Joseph de Maistre, French philosopher, lawyer, and diplomat (died 1821)

George Dance the Younger, English architect and surveyor (died 1825)

Pieter Hellendaal, Dutch-English organist, violinist, and composer (died 1799)

Antoine François Prévost, French novelist and translator (died 1763)

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, English poet and courtier (died 1680)

Georg Mohr, Danish mathematician and academic (died 1697)

Jean-Henri d'Anglebert, French organist and composer (died 1691)

Charles de Saint-Évremond, French soldier and critic (died 1703)

William Harvey, English physician and academic (died 1657)

François de Bonne, Duke of Lesdiguières (died 1626)

Blanche of France, Duchess of Orléans (died 1382)

Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor (died 1347)

Emperor Go-Saga of Japan (died 1272)

Val Kilmer, American actor (born 1959)

Johnny Tillotson, American singer-songwriter (born 1938)

Lou Conter, American naval commander (born 1921)

Vontae Davis, American football player (born 1988)

Joe Flaherty, American actor, writer, and comedian (born 1941)

Sami Michael, Iraqi-born Israeli writer and human rights activist (born 1926)

Ed Piskor, American comic book artist (born 1982)

Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Iranian senior military officer (born 1960)

Vonda N. McIntyre, American science fiction author (born 1948)

Steven Bochco, American television writer and producer (born 1943)

Lonnie Brooks, American blues singer and guitarist (born 1933)

Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Soviet and Russian poet and writer (born 1932)

Nicolae Rainea, Romanian footballer and referee (born 1933)

King Fleming, American pianist and bandleader (born 1922)

Jacques Le Goff, French historian and author (born 1924)

Rolf Rendtorff, German theologian and academic (born 1925)

Moses Blah, Liberian general and politician, 23rd President of Liberia (born 1947)

Karen Muir, South African swimmer and physician (born 1952)

Lionel Bowen, Australian soldier, lawyer, and politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia (born 1922)

Giorgio Chinaglia, Italian-American soccer player and radio host (born 1947)

Miguel de la Madrid, Mexican banker, academic, and politician, 52nd President of Mexico (born 1934)

John Forsythe, American actor (born 1918)

Tzannis Tzannetakis, Greek soldier and politician, 175th Prime Minister of Greece (born 1927)

In Tam, Cambodian general and politician, 26th Prime Minister of Cambodia (born 1916)

Paul Bomani, Tanzanian politician and diplomat, 1st Tanzanian Minister of Finance (b 1925)

Robert Coldwell Wood, American political scientist and academic (born 1923)

Ioannis Kyrastas, Greek footballer and manager (born 1952)

Carrie Snodgress, American actress (born 1945)

Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong singer-songwriter and actor (born 1956)

Simo Häyhä, Finnish soldier and sniper (born 1905)

Trịnh Công Sơn, Vietnamese guitarist and composer (born 1939)

Jesse Stone, American pianist, songwriter, and producer (born 1901)

Rozz Williams, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1963)

Makar Honcharenko, Ukrainian footballer and manager (born 1912)

Mário Viegas, Portuguese actor and poetry reciter (born 1948)

H. Adams Carter, American mountaineer, journalist, and educator (born 1914)

Francisco Moncion, Dominican American ballet dancer, choreographer, charter member of the New York City Ballet (born 1918)

Lucie Rie, Austrian-English potter (born 1902)

Robert Doisneau, French photographer (born 1912)

Alan Kulwicki, American race car driver (born 1954)

Michael Havers, Baron Havers, English lawyer and politician, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain (born 1923)

Martha Graham, American dancer and choreographer (born 1894)

Jaime Guzmán, Chilean lawyer and politician (born 1946)

Henri Cochet, French tennis player (born 1901)

Erik Bruhn, Danish actor, director, and choreographer (born 1928)

Edwin Boston, English clergyman, author, and railway preservationist

Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter (born 1939)

Elizabeth Goudge, English author (born 1900)

Eua Sunthornsanan, Thai singer-songwriter and bandleader (born 1910)

Max Ernst, German painter and sculptor (born 1891)

Kathleen Lonsdale, Irish crystallographer and prison reformer (born 1903)

Lev Landau, Azerbaijani-Russian physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1908)

Brian O'Nolan, Irish author (born 1911)

Helena Rubinstein, Polish-American businesswoman (born 1870)

Agnes Mowinckel, Norwegian actress (born 1875)

Jussi Kekkonen, Finnish captain and businessman (born 1910)

Charles R. Drew, American physician and surgeon (born 1904)

Recep Peker, Turkish soldier and politician, 6th Prime Minister of Turkey (born 1889)

George II, king of Greece (born 1890)

Noah Beery, Sr., American actor (born 1882)

Jacob Bolotin, American physician (born 1888)

Lloyd Hildebrand, English cyclist (born 1870)

Stan Rowley, Australian sprinter (born 1876)

Charles I, emperor of Austria (born 1887)

Walter Simon, German banker and philanthropist (born 1857)

Scott Joplin, American pianist and composer (born 1868)

Rube Waddell, American baseball player (born 1876)

Charles Wells, English founder of Charles Wells Ltd (born 1842)

David Wilber, American politician (born 1820)

Alexander Mozhaysky, Russian soldier, pilot, and engineer (born 1825)

John C.W. Daly, English-Canadian soldier and politician (born 1796)

Frederick Denison Maurice, English theologian and academic (born 1805)

Antonios Kriezis, Greek Navy officer and Prime Minister of Greece (born 1796)

Giuditta Pasta, Italian soprano (born 1797)

Benjamin Pierce, American soldier and politician, 11th Governor of New Hampshire (born 1757)

Floyer Sydenham, English scholar and academic (born 1710)

Franz Egon of Fürstenberg, Bavarian bishop (born 1625)

Cristofano Allori, Italian painter and educator (born 1577)

Alonso Mudarra, Spanish guitarist and composer (born 1510)

Sigismund I, king of Poland (born 1467)

Francisco de Peñalosa, Spanish composer (born 1470)

Zbigniew Oleśnicki, Polish cardinal and statesman (born 1389)

Blanche I, queen of Navarre and Sicily (born 1387)

Nuno Álvares Pereira, Portuguese general (born 1360)

Abaqa Khan, ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate (born 1234)

Amalric II, king of Cyprus and Jerusalem

Eleanor of Aquitaine, Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen Consort of France and England (born 1122)

Hugh of Châteauneuf, French bishop (born 1053)

Shen Zong, Chinese emperor (born 1048)

John XV, pope of the Catholic Church