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What happened in history on this day: April 30?
On April 30 in ...
- 311 - Emperor Galerius recognizes Christians legally in the Roman Empire.
- 313 - Gaius G V Maximus [Daia], Emperor of Rome, dies.
- 535 - Amalaswintha, queen of Ostrogoten, murdered.
- 1006 - Brightest supernova in recorded history is observed.
- 1030 - Mohammud van Ghazna Turkish mayor (G'widen)/Islamic ruler, dies.
- 1063 - Death of Emperor Renzong of China.
- 1064 - German King Henry IV gives away Utrecht county of West Friesland.
- 1196 - Boudouin II bishop of Utrecht (1178-96), dies.
- 1214 - Huguccio/Hugo van Pisa Italian bishop, dies.
- 1309 - Birth of Kazimierz III de Great King of Poland (1333-70).
- 1328 - Meister Johann Eckhard German theologist/mystic, dies.
- 1349 - Jewish community at Radolszell Germany, exterminated.
- 1396 - Crusaders and earl of Nevers depart from Dijon.
- 1492 - Spain and Christopher Columbus sign a contract for him to sail to Asia to get spices.
- 1506 - Philip of Bourgondy and England sign trade agreement.
- 1527 - England and France sign treaty of Westminster.
- 1562 - First French colonists in US: Jean Ribaut and Hugenots at Parris Island North Carolina.
- 1563 - Jews are expelled from France by order of Charles VI.
- 1598 - First theater performance in America (Spanish comedy-Rio Grande).
- 1602 - Birth of William Lilly England, astrologer/author/almanac compiler.
- 1616 - English King Jacob I leaves Brielle/Vlissingen.
- 1630 - Ercole Porta composer, dies at age 44.
- 1632 - Jean de Tilly fieldmarshal, dies.
- 1632 - Sigismund III King of Poland/Sweden, dies at age 65.
- 1650 - French rebel Henri de la Tour Turenne signs treaty with Spain.
- 1651 - Birth of Jean-Baptiste de la Salle; French priest/theorist/saint (dies 1719).
- 1661 - Tsjeng Tsj'eng-Kung begins siege of Dutch fort Zeelandia, Formosa.
- 1671 - Péter Zrinyi Hungarian banished to Croatia, beheaded at age 49.
- 1695 - William Congreve's "Love for Love", premieres in London.
- 1708 - Simon de Vries book seller/writer (Unequal), dies.
- 1712 - Philippus van Limborch remonstrants theologist/vicar, dies at age 78.
- 1722 - The game of Billiards is mentioned in the New England Courant.
- 1725 - Emperor Charles VI and King Philip IV of Spain sign Treaty of Vienna.
- 1748 - Ceasefire at Aken ends.
- 1748 - French troops occupy Maastricht.
- 1763 - London Journalist John Wilkes confined in the Tower.
- 1767 - Birth of Jean Henri Appelius lawyer/minister of Finance.
- 1770 - Birth of David Thompson English/Canadian explorer (Columbia River).
- 1772 - John Clais patents first scale.
- 1774 - Pope Clement XIV proclaims a universal jubilee.
- 1777 - Birth of Carl Friedrich Gauss in Brunswick (Germany); one of the world's great mathematicians (number theory, non-Euclidean geometry, gravitation).
- 1785 - Death of Frederick Philipse III at age 65; land owner (Bronx, Westch and Putnam).
- 1789 - George Washington inaugurated as first President of USA, taking oath of office on alter Bible of Saint John's Masonic Lodge No. 1, New York City.
- 1790 - Colonial troops occupy Bonni's marroon village.
- 1792 - Death of John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich at age 73; English Naval minister.
- 1795 - Death of Jean-Jacques Barthélemy; French historian (Ancient Greece).
- 1796 - Birth of Isaäc M "Isaac A" Crémieux; French lawyer/minister of Justice.
- 1797 - Birth of Andreas V Michiels; Dutch military governor of West-Sumatra.
- 1798 - US Congress establishes the Department of the Navy.
- 1803 - The United States purchases the Louisiana Territory (nearly 1 million square miles) from France for $15 million, doubling the size of the country.
- 1804 - Hague's Theater opens.
- 1805 - Birth of William Kerley Strong; US Brigadier General (Union volunteers) (dies 1867).
- 1808 - First practical typewriter finished by Italian Pellegrini Turri.
- 1812 - (Eastern) Louisiana admitted as 18th US state.
- 1823 - Birth of George JD Campbell; Scottish/British Minister to Indies (1868-74, 1880-85).
- 1828 - Shaka, the great Zulu king, is killed.
- 1830 - Birth of Davis Tillson; US Brevet Major General (Union volunteers) (dies 1895).
- 1838 - Nicaragua declares independence from Central American federation.
- 1847 - Charles, archduke of Austria/Governor-General (Austria-Netherlands), dies.
- 1848 - Friedrich Freiherr Gagern, German/Dutch army commandant, dies at age 53.
- 1851 - Birth of Indrið Einarsson; Iceland playwright (Nyjársnóttin).
- 1859 - Sergei T Aksakov, Russian writer (Bagrova-vnuka), dies at age 67.
- 1860 - Navaho Indians attack Fort Defiance (Canby).
- 1861 - US President Abraham Lincoln orders federal troops to evacuate Indian Territory.
- 1864 - Birth of Frans Netscher; Dutch writer/journalist (Studies of nude model).
- 1864 - New York becomes first state to charge a hunting license fee.
- 1864 - Battle of Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas; General William Read Scurry is killed.
- 1865 - US Congress authorizes the copper-nickel 3-cent coin.
- 1865 - General Tecumseh Sherman's "Haines's Bluff" at Snyder's Mill, Virginia.
- 1870 - Birth of Franz Lehar; operetta composer (Naughty Marietta).
- 1871 - Apaches in Arizona surrender to white and Mexican adventurers; 144 die.
- 1882 - Birth of Trijntje "Nine" van de Schaaf; author (To the Invisible).
- 1883 - Birth of Jaroslav Hasekin Prague, Austria-Hungary; writer (Brave soldier Schweik).
- 1887 - First game played at Broad and Huntingdon Saint Park (Baker Bowl) in Philadelphia; Philadelphia Phillies beat New York Giants 19-10.
- 1888 - Birth of John Crowe Ransom; American poet/critic (God Without Thunder).
- 1888 - Hailstones kill about 250 in Moradabad district of Delhi, India.
- 1889 - First US national holiday, on centennial of George Washington's Presidential inauguration.
- 1891 - Birth of Watze Cuperus; Frisian author (Swart mar leaflik).
- 1893 - Birth of Joachim von Ribbentrop; German SS führer/foreign minister.
- 1893 - Edouard Manet, French painter (Olympia), dies at age 61.
- 1896 - Birth of Reverend Gary Davis in Laurens, South Carolina, USA; blues/folk guitarist ("A Little More Faith").
- 1899 - Birth of Jannetje Fisherman-Roosendaal; author (regional novels).
- 1899 - Birth of Lucie Mannheim in Berlin, Germany; actress (East Meets West, 39 Steps).
- 1900 - 165-pound Robert Fitzsimmons knocks out 305-pound Ed Dunkhost in a boxing match.
- 1900 - John Luther Jones AKA Casey Jones dies in Cannonball Express train wreck in Vaughan, Mississippi, USA.
- 1903 - Birth of Günther Raphael; German composer (Symphony Breve).
- 1904 - The Louisiana Purchase Exposition opens in Saint Louis, Missouri.
- 1905 - First official soccer game between Belgium and Netherlands (1-4).
- 1905 - Birth of Henrich Schläppi in Switzerland; four man bobsled (Olympics-gold-1924).
- 1908 - Birth of Eve Arden AKA Eunice Quedens in Mill Valley, California, USA; actress (Connie - Our Miss Brooks radio and TV show (Emmy award)).
- 1909 - Birth of Juliana; Queen of Netherlands (1948-80).
- 1910 - Birth of Al Lewis in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Grampa - The Munsters TV show, Leo Schnauser - Car 54 Where are You?).
- 1911 - Portugal approves women's suffrage.
- 1913 - Birth of Bernard Charles Sendall; deputy director general (ITA).
- 1915 - Birth of Johnny Galecki; actor (Danny - American Dreamer).
- 1916 - Birth of Robert Shaw in Red Bluff, California, USA; chorale conductor (Robert Shaw Chorale).
- 1917 - Birth of Bea Wain; US singer/radio host (Lucky Strike Hit Parade).
- 1918 - Birth of W Donald McNeill; tennis champion (US Open-1940).
- 1919 - Henry Wood, English cricket wicket keeper (in four Tests 1888-92), dies.
- 1919 - Philadelphia Phillies beat Brooklyn Dodgers 9-0 in 20 innings.
- 1921 - American Professional Football Association reorganizes in Akron, Ohio.
- 1921 - Pope Benedict XV encyclical "On Dante" published.
- 1922 - Birth of Anton Murray; cricket player (South African batsman in ten Tests 1951-55).
- 1923 - Birth of Al Lewis; actor (Grandpa - The Munsters).
- 1923 - Birth of Alan Wharton; cricket player (England batsman once versus New Zealand 1949, scored 7 and 13).
- 1924 - Birth of Sheldon Harnick in Chicago, Illinois, USA; Broadway lyricist (Fiorello, Fiddler on the Roof).
- 1925 - Birth of Corinne Calvet in Paris, France; actress (Phantom of Hollywood).
- 1926 - Birth of Cloris Leachman in Des Moines, Iowa, USA; actress (Phyllis, Last Picture Show, High Anxiety, Mary Tyler Moore, Malcolm in the Middle).
- 1926 - Birth of Corinne Calvet in France; actress (Apache Uprising).
- 1926 - Birth of Edmund Cooper in United Kingdom; sci-fi author (Seed of Light, All Fool's Day).
- 1927 - Birth of Johnny Horton in Los Angeles, California, USA; rockabilly singer ("The Battle of New Orleans", "North to Alaska", "Sink the Bismark").
- 1927 - Birth of Lars Hall in Sweden; pentathlete (Olympics-gold-1952).
- 1927 - Princess Juliana gets seat in Dutch Council of State.
- 1928 - Cherkess Autonomous Region is established in RSFSR (until 1957).
- 1929 - Birth of Peter Carsten in Weissenberg, Bavaria, Germany; actor (Mr Super Invisible).
- 1929 - Earnest Streeruwitz becomes chancellor of Austria.
- 1929 - Friedrich Lienhard, German publisher (Türmer), dies at age 63.
- 1931 - Birth of William L [Bill] Clay; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Missouri, 1969-).
- 1931 - Sammy Woods, English cricket player (3 Tests for Australia, three for England), dies (born 1867).
- 1933 - Birth of Willie Nelson in Abbott, Texas, USA; country singer ("On the Road Again").
- 1933 - Luis Sanchez Cerro, President of Peru, assassinated by Hurtado de Mendoza.
- 1934 - Austria gets "Austrian fascist" constitution.
- 1934 - Dr William Henry Welch, pathologist who played a major role in the introduction of modern medical practice and education, dies at age 75.
- 1935 - World Congress for Women's Rights concludes in Istanbul, Turkey.
- 1936 - Birth of Zohra Lampert; actress (Doctors' Hospital, Girl With Something Extra).
- 1938 - Birth of Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard; Queen of Netherlands (1980-).
- 1938 - Birth of Gary Collins in Venice, California, USA; actor/host (Sixth Sense, Home Show, Hour Magazine).
- 1938 - Birth of Larry [Van Cott] Niven; American sci-fi author (5 Hugo, Neutron Star, Flash Crowd).
- 1938 - Donald Bradman scores 258 Australia versus Worcestershire, 293 minutes, 33 fours 1 five.
- 1939 - Birth of Ellen Taafe Zwilich in Miami, Florida, USA; composer, Pulitzer 1982.
- 1939 - Lou Gehrig plays his 2130th consecutive game with the New York Yankees.
- 1939 - NBC and RCA give first public television demonstration with US President Franklin Roosevelt at opening of New York World's Fair.
- 1939 - Tropicana ballet of Havana, Cuba forms.
- 1940 - Birth of Burt Young in New York City, New York, USA; actor (Convoy, Rocky, The Last Don, Roomies, Sopranos).
- 1940 - Brooklyn Dodgers' Tex Carleton no-hits Cincinnati Reds, 3-0.
- 1941 - Birth of Johnny Farina; rocker (Santo and Johnny).
- 1941 - US President Franklin Roosevelt purchases first Defence Savings Bond from Secretary of Treasury.
- 1941 - Spread of Judaism begins in Croatia.
- 1942 - First submarine built on Great Lakes is launched, (Peto), Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA.
- 1943 - Beatrice Potter Webb, British writer (My Apprenticeship), dies at age 85.
- 1943 - Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp for Jews forms.
- 1943 - Birth of Robert Thomas Velline AKA Bobby Vee in Fargo, North Dakota, USA; pop music singer ("Devil or Angel", "Night has a Thousand Eyes").
- 1943 - Birth of Robert L Livingston; American politician (Representative-Republican-Louisiana, 1977-).
- 1943 - Dutch strike begins against forced labor in Germany's war industry.
- 1944 - Birth of Jill Clayburgh in New York City, New York, USA; actress (Unmarried Woman, Semi-Tough, Ally McBeal, Leap of Faith, Search for Tomorrow).
- 1944 - Birth of Richard Shoff; rocker (Sandpipers).
- 1944 - New York Giants' Phil Weintraub gets 11 RBIs.
- 1944 - New York Giants' Mel Ott scores six runs in one game drawing five walks for fourth time.
- 1945 - (morning) In Milan, Italy, partisans execute former chief of staff for the Italian Army Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, following a quick trial.
- 1945 - (1530 hours) In the command bunker in Berlin, Germany, a single shot is heard from Adolf Hitler's quarters. Hitler's valet Heinz Linge and an orderly emerge with a blanket-covered body. Martin Bormann, Hitler's private secretary, follows with the body of a woman. The corpses are burned with gasoline in a shell crater in a garden area.
- 1945 - Birth of Annie Dillard; American writer (An American Childhood).
- 1945 - Birth of Claude van de Berge [Rony MF Pauwels]; Flemish writer (Graph Theory).
- 1945 - Birth of Michael J Smith in Beaufort, North Carolina, USA; Commander US Navy, astronaut (51L-Challenger disaster).
- 1945 - Birth of Mike Beacon; rocker (Ox).
- 1945 - Birth of Mimi Farina; rocker ("Reflections in a Crystal Wind").
- 1945 - Concentration camp München-Allag freed.
- 1945 - Eva Braun, mistress/wife of Hitler, commits suicide at age 33.
- 1945 - Lord Haw-Haw calls for crusade against the bolsheviks.
- 1945 - The Soviet Red Army occupies Demmin.
- 1945 - (2250 hours) The Soviet Red Army troops capture the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany.
- 1945 - Russian Army frees Ravensbrück concentration camp.
- 1945 - US troops attack the Elbe.
- 1946 - Birth of Karl Gustaf in Haga Palace, Sweden to Prince Gustaf Adolf and Sibylla; King of Sweden (1973-).
- 1946 - Birth of Donald Schollander in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; 100 metre/400 metre freestyle swimmer (Olympics-gold-1964).
- 1946 - Cleveland Indians' Bob Feller's second no-hitter beats New York Yankees, 1-0.
- 1947 - Birth of Robert Scott; American politician (Representative-Democrat-Virginia).
- 1947 - Boulder Dam in Colorado, USA, renamed Hoover Dam in honor of Herbert Hoover.
- 1948 - The US Mint releases the 1948 Franklin half dollar to circulation.
- 1948 - Birth of Perry King in Alliance, Ohio, USA; actor (Cody - Riptide, Andy Warhol's Bad, Titans, Melrose Place).
- 1948 - Birth of Wayne Kramer; jazz artist ("Dangerous Madness").
- 1948 - Organization of American States charter signed at Bogotá, Colombia.
- 1948 - US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Enwetak.
- 1950 - Babe Didrikson-Zaharias wins LPGA 144-hole Golf Weathervane.
- 1951 - Birth of Panuta Rosani in Poland; discus (Olympics 1976, drug disqualified).
- 1952 - Birth of Tom Pesek; computer programmer (creator of HAL 9000 program).
- 1952 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Stockton Golf Open.
- 1953 - Birth of Merrill Osmond in Ogden, Utah, USA; singer (Osmond Brothers, Donnie and Marie).
- 1953 - Little-Bigger League changes its name to Babe Ruth League.
- 1954 - Birth of Günther Tiersch in German Democratic Republic; 8 man cox (Olympics-gold-1968).
- 1955 - Birth of Dimitra Papandreau in Greece; wife of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreau.
- 1955 - Element 101, Mendelevium, is announced.
- 1955 - Imperial Bank of India is nationalized.
- 1955 - Perez Prado's song "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" goes #1 for ten weeks.
- 1955 - West German unions protest for 40-hour work week and more wages.
- 1956 - Alben W Barkley (US Vice President-Democrat-1949-53), dies at age 78.
- 1956 - Birth of Richard Farina; folk singer (Reflections in a Crystal Wind).
- 1957 - Birth of Duane G Carey in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Major US Air Force/astronaut.
- 1957 - Ludwig Schiedermair, German musicologist (Beethoven), dies at age 80.
- 1958 - Ted Williams is 10th major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits.
- 1959 - Birth of Kamaran Abdalla; Iraq/England/Netherlands actor (Goede Tijden Selechte Tijden).
- 1959 - Birth of Paul Gross in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; actor (Slings and Arrows, Due South).
- 1961 - First shuttle flights between Washington DC, Boston Massachusetts and New York City, New York begin (Eastern Airlines).
- 1961 - Birth of Isiah Thomas; NBA forward (Detroit Pistons, 1990 NBA playoff Most Valuable Player).
- 1961 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship.
- 1961 - Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba receives Lenin-Peace Prize.
- 1961 - San Francisco Giants' Willie Mays hits four homeruns in a game.
- 1962 - NASA civilian pilot Joseph A Walker takes X-15 to an altitude of 75,190 metres.
- 1962 - Birth of Robert Reynolds; bassist (The Mavericks).
- 1963 - Birth of Steve Smith in Glasgow, Scotland; NHL defenseman (Chicago Blackhawks).
- 1963 - Bryant Washburn, actor (Nabonga, Millionaire Kid), dies at age 74.
- 1964 - Birth of Ian Healy; cricket wicket-keeper (Australian since 1988).
- 1964 - Birth of Jeff Reboulet in Dayton, Ohio, USA; infielder (Minnesota Twins).
- 1965 - Birth of Adrian Pasdar in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA; actor (C Oliver Resor - Feds, Top Gun, Heroes).
- 1965 - Birth of Daniela Costian; Australian discus/shot putter (Olympics-1996).
- 1965 - Helen Chandler, actress (Dracula, Salute, Last Flight), dies at age 56.
- 1966 - Birth of Aundray Bruce; defensive end (Oakland Raiders).
- 1966 - Birth of David Meggett; NFL running back (New York Giants, New England Patriots).
- 1966 - Birth of Jeff Brown in Ottawa, Canada; NHL defenseman (Hartford Whalers).
- 1967 - Baltimore Orioles' Stu Miller and Steve Barber lose 2-1 despite no-hitting Detroit Tigers.
- 1967 - Highest tower in the world finished, 537 metres (USSR).
- 1967 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Shreveport Kiwanis Club Golf Invitational.
- 1967 - New York Mets' pitcher Tom Seaver wins his first game.
- 1967 - Birth of Turbo B; rapper (Snap).
- 1968 - Three Baltimore Orioles pitchers walk 14 New York Yankees in a 9-inning game.
- 1968 - Birth of Babette Van Veen in the Netherlands; actress (Linda - GTST, Blueberry Hill).
- 1968 - Birth of Paulo Junior; Brazilian pop bassist (Sepultura, Morbid Visions).
- 1968 - Birth of Richard Pilon in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada; NHL defenseman (New York Islanders).
- 1968 - Birth of Roger Mar in Seattle, Washington, USA; rapid fire pistol (Olympics-1996).
- 1968 - Birth of Sandra Beikoff in Mackay, Queensland; golfer (1990 Sunshine Coast Open).
- 1969 - Birth of Dexter Rogers in Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA; volleyball opposite hitter (Olympics-1996).
- 1969 - Birth of Joey Restivo in Brooklyn, New York, USA; rocker (Linear - "I Never Felt This Way", "Lies").
- 1969 - Cincinnati Reds' Jim Maloney third no-hitter, beats Houston Astros, 10-0.
- 1969 - Birth of Clark Vogeler; guitarist (The Toadies).
- 1970 - Birth of Brad Layton in Seymour, Indiana, USA; rower (Olympics-1996).
- 1970 - Birth of Debbie D in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; actress (Attack of Vampire Mermaid).
- 1970 - Chicago Cubs' Billy Williams is first National League player to play in 1,000 consecutive games.
- 1970 - Death of Inger Stevens AKA Inger Stensland at age 35 by suicide overdose of sleeping pills; actress (Katy - The Farmer's Daughter TV show).
- 1970 - Jacob Presser, historian/writer (Doom, Ondergang), dies at age 71.
- 1971 - Birth of Chris Henderson; guitarist (3 Doors Down).
- 1971 - 25th NBA Championship: Milwaukee Bucks beat Baltimore Bullets in four games.
- 1971 - Birth of B J Tyler; NBA guard (Toronto Raptors).
- 1971 - Birth of Matt Martin in Hamden, Connecticut, USA; NHL defenseman (Toronto Maple Leafs, Olympics-US-1994).
- 1971 - Birth of Randy Bierman; WLAF tackle (Scottish Claymores).
- 1971 - Birth of Ryan Hawblitzel in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; pitcher (Colorado Rockies).
- 1971 - Birth of Ty Hallock; fullback (Jacksonville Jaguars).
- 1971 - Elmo Roper, pollster (Roper Poll), dies at age 70.
- 1971 - Birth of Chris "Choc" Dalyrimple; singer (Soul for Real).
- 1972 - Arthur Godfrey Time ends a 27-year run on radio.
- 1972 - Birth of Kendricke Bullard; NFL wide receiver (New England Patriots).
- 1972 - Birth of Mario Schaden; hockey forward (Team Austria 1998).
- 1972 - Gia Scala, actress (Garment Jungle, I Aim at the Stars), dies at age 38.
- 1972 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Alamo Ladies Golf Open.
- 1972 - Birth of J.R. Richards; singer (Dishwalla).
- 1972 - Birth of Lisa Dean Ryan; actress (Class of 96, Doogie Howser MD).
- 1973 - Josie Sedgwick, actress (White Moth), dies of stroke at age 75.
- 1973 - US President Richard Nixon announces resignation of Chief of Staff Harry Haldeman, Ehrlichman, et al.
- 1973 - Women's tennis groups end disputes over sanctioning tournaments.
- 1973 - Birth of Jeff Timmons; singer (98 Degrees).
- 1974 - Death of Agnes Moorehead at age 73 of lung cancer; actress (Mercury Players radio show, Suspense, The Mayor of the Town radio show, Endora - Bewitched TV show, The Wild Wild West TV show (Emmy award)).
- 1974 - Birth of Cedric Jones; defensive end (New York Giants).
- 1974 - Birth of Chris Darkins; NFL running back (Green Bay Packers-Superbowl 31).
- 1974 - US President Richard Nixon hands over partial transcripts of Watergate tape recordings.
- 1975 - Birth of Johnny Galecki in Bree, Belgium; actor (American Dreamer, David - Roseanne, Big Bang Theory).
- 1975 - Last US helicopter leaves US embassy grounds in Vietnam; Saigon surrenders. The army of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam takes over the Republic of Vietnam. During the decade of fighting, 58,000 American soldiers died.
- 1975 - ABC airs the pilot episode of the TV show Starsky and Hutch.
- 1976 - Muhammad Ali beats Jimmy Young in 15 round for heavyweight boxing title.
- 1976 - Royal Canadian Mint opens a branch in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- 1977 - Billy Graham beats Bruno Sammartino in Baltimore, Maryland, to become WWF champion.
- 1977 - Led Zeppelin breaks the world attendance record at a concert, playing to 76,229 people at the Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan, USA.
- 1978 - Janet Coles wins LPGA Natural Light Lady Tara Golf Classic.
- 1978 - The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan is proclaimed, under pro-communist leader Nur Mohammed Taraki.
- 1979 - Mary Therese Friel of New York crowned 28th Miss USA.
- 1980 - Six Iranian-born terrorists take over the Iranian embassy in London, England.
- 1980 - Mary McCarty, actress (French Line), dies.
- 1980 - Queen Juliana of the Netherlands abdicates.
- 1980 - Queen Beatrix of Netherlands, Wilhelmina Armgard, ascends to the throne.
- 1980 - Luis Muñoz Marín, the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico, dies at the age of 82.
- 1981 - 16th Academy of Country Music Awards: Barbara Mandrell and George Jones win.
- 1982 - Alvaro Magana chosen to succeed Jose N Duarte as President of El Salvador.
- 1982 - Atlanta Braves win record 12th straight from beginning of season.
- 1982 - Birth of Kirsten Dunst; American actress (Interview with the Vampire, ER, Sisters, Loving).
- 1982 - Herman Tholen, Dutch cabaret performer (Juveniles), dies.
- 1982 - Iranian offensive in Khusistan.
- 1982 - Taisen Deshimaru, founder of several Zen centers in France, dies at age 67.
- 1983 - Jerry Hatsuo, Fujikawa actor (Uncle Matsu - Mr T and Tina), dies at age 71.
- 1983 - Death of McKinley "Muddy Waters" Morganfield, American blues singer/guitarist (Mad Love), dies at age 68 (born 1915).
- 1984 - 1700 skiers participate in an alpine event at Are, Sweden.
- 1984 - Muddy Waters, blues singer/guitarist ("Hoochie Coochie Man"), dies at age 68.
- 1984 - Birth of Tyler Wilkinson; country singer (The Wilkinsons).
- 1985 - Dale Murphy drives in record tying 28th and 29th runs of April.
- 1985 - France performs nuclear test at Muruora Island.
- 1985 - George Pravada, Czechoslovakian actor (Felscher - Holocaust), dies at age 66 (born 1918).
- 1985 - Last edition of Brink Daily Mail / Sunday Express in South Africa.
- 1986 - Ashrita Furman peforms 8,341 somersaults over 12 miles.
- 1986 - Seattle Mariners strike out 16 times, set record of 36 in two consecutive games.
- 1986 - In Michoacan, Mexico, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake occurs.
- 1987 - Hugh Dempster, actor (Anna Karenina, Candles at Nine), dies.
- 1987 - Lou Lamoriello is named New Jersey Devils' president.
- 1987 - NASCAR driver Bill Elliott sets all time fastest lap at Talladega Motor Speedway: 211 mph (340 km/h).
- 1987 - New York Islanders' Mike Bossy plays his final game.
- 1988 - Baltimore Orioles win record 14th straight from beginning of season.
- 1988 - Birth of Molloko at the San Diego Zoo, first California condor chick conceived in captivity.
- 1988 - Largest banana split ever, at 4.55 miles long, is made in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
- 1988 - New Jersey Devils beat Washington Capitals 3-2 taking 7th game of Patrick Division final.
- 1988 - New York Knights' first arena football game; beat Los Angeles Cobras 60-52 in Los Angeles.
- 1988 - New York Yankees' Dave Winfield gets his 29th RBI of April; sets American League and ties major league record.
- 1988 - World Expo '88 opens in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The exhibition runs for six months, hosting pavilions from over 70 countries.
- 1989 - Critics Siskel and Ebert film their 500th TV movie-review show.
- 1989 - Kathy Postlewait wins LPGA Sara Lee Golf Classic.
- 1989 - Pope John Paul II beatifies Victoire Rasoamanarivo of Madagascar.
- 1989 - Death of Yi, Bang-ja, Crown Princess of Korea (born 1901).
- 1989 - Sergio Leone, Italian director (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), dies at age 60 (born 1929).
- 1989 - US beats Costa Rica 1-0, in third round of 1990 world soccer cup.
- 1990 - As New York Mets pitcher David Cone argues a call at first base, two Atlanta Braves' players score.
- 1990 - Seattle Mariners' Brian Holman's perfect game broken up with two outs in 9th.
- 1990 - US 66th manned space mission STS 31 (Discovery 10) returns from space.
- 1990 - US hostage Frank Reed freed after four years in hands of pro-Iranians.
- 1991 - George Sperti, inventor (Preparation H), dies at age 91.
- 1991 - Michael G Hagerty, actor (Overboard), dies at age 39.
- 1992 - NBC-TV airs the 208th and final episode of The Cosby Show.
- 1992 - Daan van Driel, Dutch cartoonist/WWII resistance fighter (Trouw), dies.
- 1993 - The Walt Disney Company announces an agreement to acquire Miramax Film Corporation. Disney will acquire Miramax's library of over 200 films.
- 1993 - Virgin Radio (then Virgin 1215) launches in the United Kingdom at 12:15 pm.
- 1993 - The World Wide Web is born at CERN.
- 1993 - David Waymer, NFL player (New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders), dies at age 34.
- 1993 - Eric Rowan, cricket player (26 Tests for South Africa), dies.
- 1993 - Tennis star Monica Seles is stabbed in the back by an obsessed fan of rival Steffi Graf at a tournament in Hamburg, Germany.
- 1994 - Ferdinando Scarfiotti, Italian set designer (Last Emperor), dies at age 53.
- 1994 - Austrian Formula One race car driver Roland Ratzenberger is killed in an accident during the qualifying session for the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
- 1994 - Croatia replaces the dinar with the kuna as monetary unit.
- 1995 - Royal Dutch/Shell begins towing oil-storage platform Brent Spar out to sea, to sink it 150 miles off the coast of Scotland in the Atlantic Ocean. A helicopter with Greenpeace activists attempts to land on the platform, with Shell firing water cannons. The event is captured on videotape, and shown to the world. A public outcry leads to protests at Shell gas stations, and boycott in Great Britain, Denmark, Austria, Netherlands, Germany, resulting in a 20-50 percent sales drop.
- 1995 - Blood Brothers closes at Music Box Theater in New York City after 839 performances.
- 1995 - After 120 years the last 15 A&S department stores close.
- 1995 - Val Skinner wins LPGA Sprint Golf Championship.
- 1996 - David Opatoshu, actor (Torn Curtian, Raid on Entebbe), dies at age 78.
- 1996 - Dutch/Italian Beppo-SAX launches from Cape Canaveral.
- 1996 - Julio Cesar Mendez Montenegro, President of Guatemala (1966-70), dies.
- 1997 - Big Ben tower clock in London, England, stops at 12:11 PM for 54 minutes.
- 1997 - Tajik President Imomali Rakhmonov wounded in assassination attempt.
- 1999 - Cambodia joins the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), bringing the total members to ten.
- 1999 - A third nail bomb explodes in the Admiral Duncan pub in Old Compton Street, Soho, London, killing a pregnant woman and two friends and injuring 70 others, including the woman's husband. This is part of a hate campaign against ethnic minorities and gay people by David Copeland.
- 1999 - Death of Darrell Sweet at age 51 of a heart attack in New Albany, Indiana, USA; drummer (Nazareth).
- 1999 - Death of Sir Alf Ramsey, 1966 England World Cup winning football manager (born 1920).
- 2001 - Blanche Barton, High Priestess of the Church of Satan, steps down and gives her position to Peter H. Gilmore and Peggy Nadramia.
- 2002 - Birth of Miguel Urdangarín y de Borbón, grandson of Juan Carlos I of Spain.
- 2002 - Pakistani voters approve a referendum granting a five-year term for Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf.
- 2005 - Attacks on tourists in the Egyptian capital Cairo leave three militants dead and at least ten people injured.
- 2005 - Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig asks players to agree to a 50-game suspension for the first offense for the use of steroids, 100-game suspension for the second offense, and a lifelong ban after the third offense.
- 2006 - In the Australian Football League, a match between Saint Kilda and Fremantle ends in controversial circumstances after Saint Kilda's Steven Baker is alleged to have kicked a behind after the final siren had went. Following an investigation, the Saints are stripped of two competition points and the full win is handed to Fremantle.
- 2007 - Death of Tom Poston at age 85 of respiratory failure; comedy actor (Steve Allen Show TV show, Bob Newhart Show TV show, Family Matters TV show, Murphy Brown TV show, Home Improvement TV show, Cosby TV show, Malcolm and Eddie TV show, ER TV show, Grace Under Fire TV show, That '70s Show TV show, Will and Grace TV show).
- 2008 - Inaugural celebrations and official naming ceremony of Royal Caribbean International's cruise ship Independence of the Seas in Southampton, England.
- 2008 - The skeletal remains of Alexei Nikolaevich and one of his sisters (possibly Anastasia) are found in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
- 2009 - The World Health Organization raises its global pandemic alert to Level 5 from Level 4 due to the spread of H1N1 flu virus. In the USA, about 300 schools are closed. In Mexico, the death toll reaches 176, and President Felipe Calderon tells government offices and private businesses not crucial to the economy to stop work on May 1 for five days, to avoid further spreading the virus.
- 2009 - Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announces a deal with Fiat. The US government announces it will provide up to US$3.5 billion in debtor-in-possession financing and up to US$4.5 billion in exit financing. The company is expected to continue under a new ownershop arrangement: 55 percent United Auto Workers' healthcare trust fund, Fiat 20 percent, U.S. and Canadian governments with a combined stake of 10 percent.
- 2009 - The United Kingdom officially ends its six-year military mission in Iraq.
- 2011 - In Tokyo, Japan, Taisei Coins auctions a Chinese 1991 Proof 10,000-yuan 5kg 0.999 fine gold coin for 127,600,000 yen (US$1.567 million).
- 2018 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses Iran of not holding up its end of the Iran nuclear deal after presenting a cache of over 100,000 documents detailing the extent of Iran's nuclear program. Iran denounces Netanyahu's presentation as "propaganda".
- 2019 - Emperor Akihito of Japan abdicates from his throne, the first abdication by a Japanese monarch in almost two centuries. The abdication ends the Heisei era of Japan and ushers in the Reiwa era with new emperor Naruhito ascending the throne on May 1.
- 2019 - Venezuelan opposition leader and disputed interim President Juan Guaidó leads an attempted uprising against President Nicolás Maduro.
- 2020 - Bulgaria applies for ERM II (the "waiting room" for the Eurozone), due to join along with Croatia in July 2020.
- 2020 - NASA officially selects SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics to build its next-generation lunar lander to carry American astronauts to the Moon by 2024.
- 2022 - Death of Naomi Judd AKA Diana Ellen Judd by suicide at age 76; American country singer (The Judds - "Love Can Build a Bridge" song, "Mama He's Crazy" (1983), "Let Me Tell You About Love" (1989), five Grammy awards), actor (Rio Diablo movie (1993)).
- 2022 - Death of Mino Raiola at age 54; Dutch football agent (Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Erling Haaland).
- 2023 - Presidential election in Paraguay, won by Santiago Peña of the Colorado Party.
- 2023 - Death of Jock Zonfrillo at age 46; author, chef, reality show judge (MasterChef Australia TV show).
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