1917 – Battle of Arras begins
1973 – Otto Kerner, former governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme
1980 – Los Angeles Kings tie NHL record with two shorthanded playoff goals (vs NY Islanders)
1984 – 56th Academy Awards: “Terms of Endearment”, Robert Duvall and Shirley Maclaine win
1992 – Record 18 golfers shoot in 60s in Masters round 1 (old record 12)
1992 – William O Studeman, becomes deputy director of CIA
2021 – Uganda opposition party National Unity Platform Party, headed by Bobi Wine, claims 623 people have been abducted and tortured by the government of President Yoweri Museveni
2023 – Kuwaiti media outlet, Kuwaiti News unveils virtual news presenter on Twitter speaking Arabic, using artificial intelligence (although China was the 1st in 2018)
Author: gil7
Today in History for 9th April 2026
Historical Events
1595 – Spanish Mendaña and Queirós Expedition departs Callao, Peru, led by Alvaro de Mendan accompanied by 378 men, women and children in four ships to colonise the Solomon Islands (find Marquesas instead)
1914 – “World, the Flesh and the Devil,” the first color film, is shown in London
1973 – Otto Kerner, former governor of Illinois, convicted for his role in an illegal racetrack scheme
2017 – Suicide car bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia kills at least 17, Al-Shabaab group claim responsibility
2024 – Simon Harris becomes Ireland’s youngest taoiseach at 37 after the resignation of Leo Varadkar
Famous Birthdays
1773 – Étienne Aignan, French writer, born in Beaugency, France (d. 1824)
1895 – Rudolf Kattnigg, Austrian composer, born in Carinthia, Austria (d. 1955)
1917 – Vincent O’Brien, Irish racehorse trainer (6 x Epsom Derby; 2 x British champion trainer; only British Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky 1970), born in Churchtown, Ireland (d. 2009)
1946 – Alan Knott, English cricket wicket-keeper (1967-81), born in Belvedere, Kent
1967 – Graeme Lloyd, Australian baseball pitcher (World Series 1996, 98 NY Yankees; Olympic silver 2004), born in Geelong, Australia
Famous Deaths
1865 – Thomas Alfred Smyth, Irish/US Union general-major, dies at 32
1879 – Ernst Richter, German musical theorist and composer, dies at 70
1882 – Dante Gabriel Rossetti, English Pre-Raphaelite poet and painter, dies at 53
1992 – Ruth Hammond, American Broadway actress, dies in her sleep at 96
2020 – Jocelyn Barrow, British race relations campaigner (Card) and 1st black female governor of the BBC, dies at 90
Famous Deaths for 8th April 2026
1143 – John II Komnenos, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire (1118-43), dies in an accident at 55
1704 – Hiob Ludolf, German orientalist (Historia Aethiopica, Grammatica Aethiopica), dies at 79
1863 – Joseph Netherclift, English composer (We Happy Shepherd Swains), and lithographer, dies at 70
1959 – Gustave Charlier, Belgian literature historian, dies at 73
1970 – Felix, of Bourbon-Parma and Prince consort of Luxemburg, dies at 76
1993 – Hubertus Earnest, bishop of Breda, dies at 100
2006 – Gerard Reve, Dutch writer (Evenings, Dear Guys), dies at 82
2009 – Herbie Lovelle, America drummer, studio musician (Hot Lips Page) and actor (Law and Order), dies at 85
2013 – Annette Funicello, American actress (Mickey Mouse Club; Beach Blanket Bingo), and singer (“Tall Paul”). dies from multiple sclerosis complications at 70
2022 – Henri Depireux, Belgian soccer midfielder (2 caps; RFC Liège, Standard de Liège) and manager (Cameroon, Congo DR, FC Metz), dies at 78
Historical Events for 8th April 2026
1759 – British troops chase French out of Masulipatam, India
1933 – Manchester Guardian warns of unknown Nazi terror
1939 – King Zog I of Albania flees after Italy invades
1941 – In his 4th title defense in 9 weeks Joe Louis beats Tony Musto by TKO in the 9th round at the Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri to retain NYSAC heavyweight boxing crown
1972 – Alvin Kallicharran scores 100* in his 1st Test Cricket innings v NZ
1983 – In front of a live audience of 20 tourists, David Copperfield makes the Statue of Liberty disappear
1989 – California Angels pitcher Jim Abbott, born without his right hand, makes MLB debut, lasting only 4 2/3 innings
2018 – 82nd US Masters Tournament: Patrick Reed wins his first major title, 1 stroke ahead of fellow American Rickie Fowler
Today in History for 8th April 2026
Historical Events
1796 – Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, proves the quadratic reciprocity law (the ability to determine the solvability of any quadratic equation in modular arithmetic)
1963 – Detroit Tigers claim young pitcher Denny McLain on waivers from the Chicago White Sox; McLain goes on the win Cy Young Award 1968, 69 and American League MVP 1968
1964 – Unmanned Gemini 1 launched
1966 – American Football League votes in 36-year-old Al Davis as commissioner after Joe Foss resigns; appointment lasts 3 months when AFL merges with NFL
2007 – 71st US Masters Tournament: Zach Johnson wins his first major title, 2 strokes ahead of Retief Goosen, Rory Sabbatini and Tiger Woods
Famous Birthdays
1902 – Arthur Wellard, English cricket all-rounder (2 Tests, 7 wickets, BB 4/81; Somerset CCC), born in Southfleet, England (d. 1980)
1921 – Jan Novák, Czech classical composer and contemporary Latin poet, born in Nová Říše, Moravia, First Czechoslovak Republic (d. 1984)
1944 – Hywel Bennett, Welsh, actor (Family Way, Shelley), born in Garnant, Wales (d. 2017)
1966 – Mark Blundell, British auto racer (24 Hours of Le Mans 1992), born in London, England
1984 – Kirsten Storms, American actress (General Hospital; Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century), born in Orlando, Florida
Famous Deaths
1537 – Willem Aerts, Flemish architect and sculptor (Bruges School), dies
1942 – Alfred Mombert, German poet, dies at 70
1994 – François Rozet, French Canadian actor (b. 1899)
1997 – Charles Hayes, American politician (Rep-D-IL, 1983-93), dies at 79
1997 – Laura Nyro, American singer-songwriter (“Wedding Bell Blues”; “Stoned Soul Picnic”; “And When I Die”), dies of ovarian cancer at 49
Famous Deaths for 7th April 2026
1801 – Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer, dies at 76
1868 – Thomas D’Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist and Father of Confederation, assassinated at 42
1871 – Alexander Lloyd, Mayor of Chicago (b. 1805)
1947 – Henry Ford, American industrialist and auto maker (Ford Model T), dies at 83
1950 – Walter Huston, Canadian actor (Maltese Falcon, Treasure of Sierra Madre), dies from an aneurysm at 67
1994 – Evert Hartman, Dutch writer (War Without Friends), dies at 56
2015 – Geoffrey Lewis, American actor (Earl-Flo, Gun Shy), dies at 79
2020 – Harv Schmidt, American college basketball coach (University of Illinois 1967-74), dies at 83
2021 – Doug Holden, English soccer winger (5 caps; Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End), dies at 90
2023 – John Regan, American session and touring rock bassist (Frehley’s Comet; Peter Frampton), dies at 71
Historical Events for 7th April 2026
1655 – Fabio Chigi replaces Pope Innocent X as Pope Alexander VII
1724 – Johann Sebastian Bach’s “St John Passion” premieres on Good Friday at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany)
1939 – Italy invades Albania
1978 – Guttenberg bible sells for $2,000,000 in New York City
1984 – Detroit Tiger Jack Morris no-hits Chicago White Sox, 4-0
1999 – The World Trade Organization rules in favor of the United States in its long-running trade dispute with the European Union over bananas
2012 – Joyce Banda becomes President of Malawi
2019 – Retiring NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) and Dwyane Wade (Miami) play their final home games, both victories; Magic Johnson sensationally quits as LA Lakers president of basketball operations; Houston Rockets convert NBA record 27 three-point field goals in 149-113 win over Phoenix
Today in History for 7th April 2026
Historical Events
611 – Forces from Maya city Calakmul invade and conquer the neighbouring city of Palenque, holding it as a vassal state for five years
1865 – Battle of Farmville, Virginia
1979 – Houston Astro Ken Forsch no-hits Atlanta Braves, 6-0, becoming with his brother Bob Forsch the only MLB siblings to accomplish the feat
1983 – WIBC Championship Tournament in Las Vegas, attracts 75,480 women bowlers for 83-day event
2022 – Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi transfers power to an eight-member council to negotiate with the Houthis in attempt to end country’s seven-year civil war
Famous Birthdays
1727 – Michel Adanson, French botanist known for his work on plant classifications, born in Aix-en Provence, France (d. 1806)
1873 – John McGraw, American Baseball Hall of Fame infielder/manager (manager NY Giants World Series champions 1905, 21-22), born in Truxton, New York (d. 1934)
1882 – Bert Ironmonger, Australian cricket spin bowler (14 Tests; 74 wickets @ 17.97; Queensland, Victoria), born in Pine Mountain, Australia (d. 1971)
1889 – Gabriela Mistral [Lucila Godoy Alcayaga], Chilean poet (Nobel Prize for Literature, 1945), educator and diplomat, born in Vicuña, Chile (d. 1957)
1909 – Robert Charroux, French writer (Legacy of the Gods, The Mysterious Past), born in Payroux, France (d. 1978)
Famous Deaths
1880 – Diederich Krug, German pianist and composer (Le petit Chevalier), dies at 60
1986 – Leonid Kantorovich, Russian Soviet economist (Father of linear programming, Nobel Prize for Economics 1975), dies at 74
1997 – Luis Aloma, Cuban baseball player, dies at 73
2020 – Herb Stempel, American game show contestant and television industry whistleblower (Twenty-One), dies at 93
2023 – Ian Bairnson, Scottish session and touring guitarist (Alan Parsons Project; Kate Bush), dies at 69
Famous Deaths for 6th April 2026
1348 – Laure de Noves, “Petrarch’s Laura”, Italian muse of poet Petrarch, wife of Count Hugues II de Sade, dies of the plague at about 38 (b. 1310)
1825 – Vladimir Borovikovsky [Vоlоdymyr Borovyk], Russian painter, died at 67
1838 – José Bonifácio de Andrada, Brazilian statesman, dies at 74
1906 – Alexander Lange Kielland, Norwegian writer (Gist; Fortuna; St. Hans Fest), and politician (mayor; governor), dies at 57
1943 – Jimmy Collins, American Baseball HOF third baseman (World Series 1903 Boston Americans; NL HR leader 1898 Boston Beaneaters) and manager (Boston Americans 1901–06), dies at 73
1985 – Mark Lothar [Lothar Hundertmark], German composer (The Story of the Lazy Bear), dies at 82
1997 – Jack Kent Cooke, Canadian entrepreneur, NFL team owner (Washington Redskins), dies at 84
1998 – Tammy Wynette [Virginia Pugh], American country singer (“Stand By Your Man”), dies at 55
2009 – Shawn Mackay, Brumbies rugby player (b. 1982)
2021 – Alcee Hastings, American politician (U.S. House of Representative- Florida), dies at 84
Historical Events for 6th April 2026
1634 – Heeren XIX (the directors of the Dutch West India Company) ask “to secure Eylands Curacao”
1843 – William Wordsworth is appointed British Poet Laureate by Queen Victoria
1973 – Indian troops invade Sikkim
1984 – Members of Cameroon’s Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya.
1987 – Middleweight World Boxing Championship bout: Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada
2006 – New Zealand Sign Language is made an official language of New Zealand
2014 – 49th Academy of Country Music Awards: George Strait, Jason Aldean, and Miranda Lambert win
2015 – 77th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Duke beats Wisconsin, 68-63; Blue Devils’ point guard Tyus Jones, 23 points