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
Author: gil7
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
Today in History for 6th April 2026
Historical Events
1924 – Italy fascists receives 65% of vote of parliament
1976 – 1st quadrophonic movie track: “Ladies and Gentlemen the Rolling Stones”
1977 – Judge rules Beatles 1962 Hamburg album can be released
1987 – Middleweight World Boxing Championship bout: Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada
1997 – The Tradition Senior Men’s Golf, GC at Desert Mountain: Gil Morgan wins first of 3 Champions Tour majors by 6 strokes from Isao Aoki
Famous Birthdays
1917 – Leonora Carrington, British-Mexican Surrealist artist, born in Clayton-le-Woods, England (d. 2011)
1928 – James Watson, American molecular biologist who co-discovered DNA’s structure, with Francis Crick (Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, 1962), geneticist and zoologist, born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2025)
1929 – Art Taylor, American jazz drummer (Bud Powell, Red Garland, John Coltrane, Donald Byrd), bandleader (Taylor’s Wailers), and writer (Notes and Tones), born in New York City (d. 1995)
1968 – Vanessa Lann, American composer (Dancing to an Orange Drummer), born in Brooklyn, New York
1996 – Myha’la [Herrold], American actress (Industry, Leave the World Behind), born in San Jose, California
Famous Deaths
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)
1998 – Tammy Wynette [Virginia Pugh], American country singer (“Stand By Your Man”), dies at 55
2004 – Niki Sullivan, American guitarist (The Crickets), dies of a heart attack at 66
2019 – Ernest “Fritz” Hollings, American Democratic Senator from South Carolina (1966-2005) and Governor of South Carolina (1959-63), dies at 97
2020 – James Drury, American actor (The Virginian), dies of natural causes at 85
Famous Deaths for 5th April 2026
1168 – Robert de Beaumont, 2nd Earl of Leicester (b. 1104)
1934 – Salvatore Di Giacomo, Italian poet and songwriter during “Golden Age of Neapolitan Song”, dies at 74
1971 – Earl “Jock” Caruthers American jazz saxophonist (Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra, 1932-47), dies at 60
1989 – William Hibbard, American composer, musician and conductor, dies of an AIDS related illness at 49
1991 – Manley Lanier “Sonny” Carter Jr, American chemist and NASA astronaut (STS 33), dies at 43
1993 – Divya Bharti, Indian actress in Hindi and Telugu movies (Shola Aur Shabnam; Deewana), dies at 19 of injuries and internal bleeding after falling from balcony of her 5th-floor apartment
1994 – Roy Smeck, American vaudeville banjoist, lap steel guitarist, and ukulele player, known as “The Wizard of the Strings”, dies at 94
2001 – Sonya Hedenbratt, Swedish jazz singer, and actress, dies at 70
2007 – Maria Gripe, Swedish writer (Josephine), dies at 83
2020 – Bobby Mitchell, American Pro Football Hall of Fame running back (Pro Bowl 1960, 62–64; First-team All-Pro 1962–64; Cleveland Browns, Washington Redskins), dies at 84
Historical Events for 5th April 2026
1881 – Transvaal regains independence under British suzerainty
1939 – Alexander Gretchaninov’s 5th Symphony premieres at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia with Leopold Stowkowski conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra
1949 – 60 year old St Anthony’s Hospital in Effingham, Illinois, catches fire, killing 77 people
1974 – Last day of Test cricket for Garfield Sobers and Rohan Kanhai
1984 – Galt MacDermot and William Dumaresq’s musical “The Human Comedy”, based on the novel by William Saroyan, opens at Royale Theater, NYC; runs for 13 performances
1992 – WrestleMania VIII, Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN (62,167): Hulk Hogan defeats Sid Justice by DQ; Randy Savage beats Ric Flair for WWF Heavyweight title
2004 – 66th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Connecticut beats Georgia Tech, 82-73; Huskies’ forward Emeka Okafor named tournament Most Outstanding Player
2021 – 82nd NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Baylor Bears become second consecutive first-time NCAA champions with 86–70 over previously undefeated Gonzaga Bulldogs
Today in History for 5th April 2026
Historical Events
1881 – Transvaal regains independence under British suzerainty
1946 – 100th Grand National: Capt. Robert Petre wins aboard 25/1 shot Lovely Cottage; first true GN since 1940 due to World War II; last on a Friday
2012 – Severe storms in Argentina kill 14 people
2012 – International internet group Anonymous hack several Chinese bureaus in opposition to censorship
2016 – 35th NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: Connecticut defeats Syracuse, 82–51; Huskies’ power forward Breanna Stewart, 24 points
Famous Birthdays
1830 – Alexander Muir, Scottish-Canadian composer (The Maple Leaf Forever), born in Lesmahagow, Scotland (d. 1906)
1920 – Rafiq Zakaria, Indian politician and Islamic religious cleric, born in Nala Sopara, British India (d. 2005)
1943 – Max Gail, American Emmy Award winning actor (Barney Miller – “Wojo”; D.C. Cab: General Hospital; 42), born in Detroit, Michigan
1950 – Paul Oscher, American blues musician (Muddy Waters Blues Band), born in Brooklyn, New York
1973 – Spencer Folau, Tongan, American football offensive lineman (Baltimore Ravens), born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
Famous Deaths
1723 – Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, Austrian Baroque architect under the Habsburgs (Schönbrunn Palace), dies at 66
1735 – William Derham, English clergyman, natural theologian and scientist, dies at 77
1935 – Emil Młynarski, Polish conductor and composer, dies at 64
2023 – Ian McIntosh, Zimbabwean rugby union coach (South Africa 1993-94; Natal), dies at 84
2025 – Heikki Hasu, Finnish Nordic skier (Olympic gold individual 1948, 4×10k relay 1952; silver individual 1952), dies at 99
Famous Deaths for 4th April 2026
1617 – John Napier, Scottish mathematician and inventor (logarithms), dies from effects of gout at 67
1714 – Charles, Duke of Berry, French heir presumptive to the Spanish throne (1700-07), dies of injuries from a hunting accident at 27
1870 – Heinrich Gustav Magnus, German chemist and physicist (b. 1802)
1890 – Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau, French Canadian politician (1st Premier of Quebec), dies at 69
1912 – Isaac Kauffman Funk, American publisher (Funk and Wagnalls), dies at 72
1926 – Thomas Burberry, English fashion designer, founder of luxury brand Burberry, and inventor of gabardine, dies at 90
1951 – Al Christie, Canadian-born pioneering film director and producer (Nestor Film Company), dies at 69
2002 – Harry L. O’Connor, Czech film stuntman
2012 – Claude Miller, French director and screenwriter, dies at 70
2023 – Craig Breedlove, American auto racer (5 x world land speed record holder; first to reach 500mph (800km/h) and 600mph (970km/h), dies of cancer at 86