On This Day in History — April 4

Highlights of April 4

• 2013 — A building collapsed on tribal land in Thane in Maharashtra, India, causing 74 deaths. Read more
• 2011 — Georgian Airways Flight 834 crashed at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa, killing 32 people and leaving one survivor. Read more
• 1990 — The current flag of Hong Kong (pictured) was adopted for post-colonial use during the Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress. Read more
• 1988 — Evan Mecham, Governor of Arizona, was removed from office after being convicted in his impeachment trial. Read more
• 1975 — Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to develop and sell BASIC interpreters for the Altair 8800. Read more
• 1975 — Vietnam War: On a mission to evacuate children from South Vietnam, a U.S. Air Force plane crash-landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, killing 78 children and 60 others. Read more
• 1973 — A year after the completion of the second of the complex's twin towers, the World Trade Center in New York City was officially dedicated. Read more
• 1973 — A C-141, dubbed the Hanoi Taxi, flew the last mission of Operation Homecoming to return American prisoners of war from Vietnam. Read more
• 1968 — American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (pictured) was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Read more
• 1949 — Twelve nations signed the North Atlantic Treaty, establishing NATO, an international military alliance whereby its member states agree to mutual defense in response to an attack by any external party. Read more
• 1905 — An earthquake hit the Kangra Valley in India, killing at least 20,000 people and destroying 100,000 buildings. Read more
• 1873 — The Kennel Club, the world's oldest kennel club, was founded in the United Kingdom after Sewallis Shirley became frustrated by trying to organise dog shows without a consistent set of rules. Read more
• 1859 — Bryant's Minstrels premiered the minstrel song "Dixie" in New York City as part of their blackface show. Read more
• 1841 — William Henry Harrison became the first U.S. president to die in office, sparking a brief constitutional crisis regarding questions of presidential succession that were unanswered by the U.S. Constitution. Read more
• 1814 — Napoleon abdicated as Emperor of the French and named his son Napoleon II to replace him. Read more
• 1581 — Queen Elizabeth I knighted Francis Drake for completing a circumnavigation of the world. Read more
• 1268 — The Byzantine Empire and the Republic of Venice signed a five-year peace treaty. Read more
• 1081 — The Komnenos dynasty came to full power with the coronation of Alexios I Komnenos (pictured) as Byzantine emperor. Read more
• 503 BC — Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrated a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines. Read more

Events

• 2025 — The impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea in response to his declaration of martial law is unanimously upheld by the country's Constitutional Court, ending his presidency. Read more
• 2024 — Russo-Ukrainian war: The Battle of Chasiv Yar begins. Read more
• 2023 — Finland becomes a member of NATO after Turkey accepts its membership request. Read more
• 2020 — China holds a national day of mourning for martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak. Read more
• 2017 — Syria conducts an air strike on Khan Shaykhun using chemical weapons, killing 89 civilians. Read more
• 2013 — Seventy-four people are killed in a building collapse in Thane, India. Read more
• 2011 — Georgian Airways Flight 834 crashes at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa, killing 32. Read more
• 2010 — A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits south of the Mexico-USA border, killing at least two and damaging buildings across the two countries. Read more
• 2009 — France announces its return to full participation of its military forces within NATO. Read more
• 2002 — The MPLA government of Angola and UNITA rebels sign a peace treaty ending the Angolan Civil War. Read more
• 1997 — Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-83. However, the mission is later cut short due to a fuel cell problem. Read more
• 1996 — Comet Hyakutake is imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous. Read more
• 1994 — Three people are killed when KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 crashes at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Read more
• 1991 — Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their airplane over an elementary school in Merion, Pennsylvania. Read more
• 1991 — Forty-one people are taken hostage inside a Good Guys! Electronics store in Sacramento, California. Three of the hostage takers and three hostages are killed. Read more
• 1990 — The current flag of Hong Kong is adopted for post-colonial Hong Kong during the Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress. Read more
• 1988 — Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona is convicted in his impeachment trial and removed from office. Read more
• 1987 — Garuda Indonesia Flight 032 crashes at Medan Airport, killing 23. Read more
• 1984 — President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons. Read more
• 1983 — Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space on STS-6. Read more
• 1981 — Iran–Iraq War: The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force mounts an attack on H-3 Airbase and destroys about 50 Iraqi aircraft. Read more
• 1979 — Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed. Read more
• 1977 — Southern Airways Flight 242 crashes in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia, killing 72. Read more
• 1975 — Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Read more
• 1975 — Vietnam War: A United States Air Force Lockheed C-5A Galaxy transporting orphans, crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam shortly after takeoff, killing 172 people. Read more
• 1973 — The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City are officially dedicated. Read more
• 1973 — A Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, dubbed the Hanoi Taxi, makes the last flight of Operation Homecoming. Read more
• 1969 — Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart. Read more
• 1968 — Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Read more
• 1968 — Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6. Read more
• 1967 — Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech in New York City's Riverside Church. Read more
• 1964 — The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Read more
• 1963 — Bye Bye Birdie, a musical romantic comedy film directed by George Sidney, was released. Read more
• 1960 — France agrees to grant independence to the Mali Federation, a union of Senegal and French Sudan. Read more
• 1958 — The CND peace symbol is displayed in public for the first time in London. Read more
• 1949 — Cold War: Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Read more
• 1946 — Greek judge and archeologist Panagiotis Poulitsas is appointed Prime Minister of Greece in the midst of the Greek Civil War. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: United States Army troops liberate Ohrdruf forced labor camp in Germany. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: United States Army troops capture Kassel. Read more
• 1945 — World War II: Soviet Red Army troops liberate Hungary from German occupation. Read more
• 1944 — World War II: First bombardment of oil refineries in Bucharest by Anglo-American forces kills 3,000 civilians. Read more
• 1933 — U.S. Navy airship USS Akron is wrecked off the New Jersey coast due to severe weather. Read more
• 1925 — The Schutzstaffel (SS) is founded under Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party in Germany. Read more
• 1920 — The four-day Nebi Musa riots commence. Read more
• 1913 — First Balkan War: Greek aviator Emmanouil Argyropoulos becomes the first pilot to die in the Hellenic Air Force when his plane crashes. Read more
• 1905 — In India, an earthquake hits the Kangra Valley, killing 20,000, and destroying most buildings in Kangra, McLeod Ganj and Dharamshala. Read more
• 1904 — Two Ms ~7.1 earthquakes, among the largest in Europe, strike Bulgaria, killing over 200 people and causing destruction. Read more
• 1894 — Foyot bombing by the Russian or French state during the Ère des attentats. Read more
• 1887 — Argonia, Kansas elects Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States. Read more
• 1866 — Alexander II of Russia narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Dmitry Karakozov in the city of Saint Petersburg. Read more
• 1865 — American Civil War: A day after Union forces capture Richmond, Virginia, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln visits the Confederate capital. Read more
• 1860 — The declaration on the introduction of the Finnish markka as an official currency is read in different parts of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Read more
• 1841 — William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia, becoming the first President of the United States to die in office, and setting the record for the briefest administration. Vice President John Tyler succeeds Harrison as President. Read more
• 1818 — The United States Congress, affirming the Second Continental Congress, adopts the flag of the United States with 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state (20 at that time). Read more
• 1814 — Napoleon abdicates (conditionally) for the first time and names his son Napoleon II as Emperor of the French, followed by unconditional abdication two days later. Read more
• 1796 — Georges Cuvier delivers the first paleontological lecture. Read more
• 1660 — Declaration of Breda by King Charles II of Great Britain promises, among other things, a general pardon to all royalists and opponents of the monarchy for crimes committed during the English Civil War and the Interregnum. Read more
• 1609 — Moriscos are expelled from the Kingdom of Valencia. Read more
• 1581 — Francis Drake is knighted by Queen Elizabeth I for completing a circumnavigation of the world. Read more
• 1423 — Death of the Venetian Doge Tommaso Mocenigo, under whose rule victories were achieved against the Kingdom of Hungary and against the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Gallipoli (1416). Read more

Born on April 4

• 2005 — Lil Mabu, American rapper Read more
• 2003 — Harvey Elliott, English footballer Read more
• 2001 — Anzor Alem, Congolese actor and singer Read more
• 2001 — Jalen Carter, American football player Read more
• 2001 — Angelo Stiller, German footballer Read more
• 1996 — Austin Mahone, American singer-songwriter and actor Read more
• 1994 — Shunsuke Nishikawa, Japanese actor Read more
• 1994 — Risako Sugaya, Japanese singer and actress Read more
• 1993 — Daniela Bobadilla, Mexican-Canadian actress Read more
• 1993 — Samir Carruthers, English footballer Read more
• 1993 — David Soria, Spanish footballer Read more
• 1993 — Frank Kaminsky, American basketball player Read more
• 1992 — Lucy May Barker, English actress and singer Read more
• 1992 — Ricky Dillon, American YouTuber and singer Read more
• 1991 — Yui Koike, Japanese singer and actress Read more
• 1991 — Asia Muhammad, American tennis player Read more
• 1991 — Justin O'Neill, Australian rugby league player Read more
• 1991 — Martín Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player Read more
• 1991 — Jamie Lynn Spears, American actress and singer Read more
• 1991 — Marlon Stöckinger, Filipino race car driver Read more
• 1990 — Elizabeth Booker Houston American lawyer, public health professional, stand‑up comedian, and political commentator. Read more
• 1989 — Vurnon Anita, Dutch footballer Read more
• 1989 — Steven Finn, English cricketer Read more
• 1989 — Chris Herd, Australian footballer Read more
• 1989 — Jens Toornstra, Dutch footballer Read more
• 1988 — Frank Fielding, English footballer Read more
• 1987 — Sami Khedira, German footballer Read more
• 1987 — McDonald Mariga, Kenyan footballer Read more
• 1987 — Cameron Maybin, American baseball player Read more
• 1987 — Marcos Vellidis, Greek footballer Read more
• 1987 — Sarah Gadon, Canadian actress Read more
• 1986 — Eunhyuk, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer Read more
• 1986 — Cameron Barker, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
• 1986 — Maurice Manificat, French skier Read more
• 1986 — Aiden McGeady, Scottish-born Irish footballer Read more
• 1986 — Alexander Tettey, Norwegian footballer Read more
• 1985 — Rudy Fernández, Spanish basketball player Read more
• 1985 — Dudi Sela, Israeli tennis player Read more
• 1985 — Ricardo Vilar, Brazilian footballer Read more
• 1984 — Sean May, American basketball player Read more

Died on April 4

• 2025 — Manoj Kumar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1937) Read more
• 2025 — Tony Rundle, Australian politician, 40th Premier of Tasmania (born 1939) Read more
• 2024 — Lynne Reid Banks, British author (born 1929) Read more
• 2024 — Thomas Gumbleton, American Roman Catholic prelate (born 1930) Read more
• 2024 — Pat Zachry, American baseball player (born 1952) Read more
• 2016 — Chus Lampreave, Spanish actress (born 1930) Read more
• 2015 — Jamaluddin Jarjis, Malaysian engineer and politician (born 1951) Read more
• 2015 — Elmer Lach, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1918) Read more
• 2015 — Donald N. Levine, American sociologist and academic (born 1931) Read more
• 2015 — Klaus Rifbjerg, Danish author and poet (born 1931) Read more
• 2014 — İsmet Atlı, Turkish wrestler and trainer (born 1931) Read more
• 2014 — Wayne Henderson, American trombonist and producer (born 1939) Read more
• 2014 — Kumba Ialá, Bissau-Guinean soldier and politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (born 1953) Read more
• 2014 — Margo MacDonald, Scottish journalist and politician (born 1943) Read more
• 2014 — Curtis Bill Pepper, American journalist and author (born 1917) Read more
• 2014 — Muhammad Qutb, Egyptian author and academic (born 1919) Read more
• 2013 — Bengt Blomgren, Swedish actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1923) Read more
• 2013 — Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter (born 1942) Read more
• 2013 — Carmine Infantino, American illustrator (born 1925) Read more
• 2013 — Tommy Tycho, Hungarian-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1928) Read more
• 2013 — Ian Walsh, Australian rugby player and coach (born 1933) Read more
• 2013 — Noboru Yamaguchi, Japanese author (born 1972) Read more
• 2012 — A. Dean Byrd, American psychologist and academic (born 1948) Read more
• 2012 — Dimitris Christoulas, Greek pensioner who committed suicide in public (born 1935) Read more
• 2012 — Anne Karin Elstad, Norwegian author and educator (born 1938) Read more
• 2012 — Claude Miller, French director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1942) Read more
• 2012 — Dubravko Pavličić, Croatian footballer (born 1967) Read more
• 2012 — Roberto Rexach Benítez, Puerto Rican academic and politician, 10th President of the Senate of Puerto Rico (born 1929) Read more
• 2011 — Scott Columbus, American drummer (born 1956) Read more
• 2011 — Ned McWherter, American politician, 46th Governor of Tennessee (born 1930) Read more
• 2011 — Juliano Mer-Khamis, Israeli actor, director, and activist (born 1958) Read more
• 2009 — Maxine Cooper, American actress, activist and photographer (born 1924) Read more
• 2008 — Francis Tucker, South African race car driver (born 1923) Read more
• 2007 — Bob Clark, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1941) Read more
• 2007 — Karen Spärck Jones, English computer scientist and academic (born 1935) Read more
• 2005 — Edward Bronfman, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (born 1924) Read more
• 2004 — Briek Schotte, Belgian cyclist and coach (born 1919) Read more
• 2003 — Anthony Caruso, American actor (born 1916) Read more
• 2001 — Liisi Oterma, Finnish astronomer (born 1915) Read more
• 2001 — Ed Roth, American illustrator and engineer (born 1932) Read more

Holidays & observances

Children's Day (Hong Kong, Taiwan); Christian feast day: Benedict the Moor; Christian feast day: Gaetano Catanoso; Christian feast day: Isidore of Seville; Christian feast day: Martin Luther King Jr. (Episcopal Church (USA)); Christian feast day: Reginald Heber (Anglican Church of Canada); Christian feast day: Tigernach of Clones; Christian feast day: Plato of Sakkoudion; Christian feast day: April 4 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); Independence Day, celebrates the independence of Senegal from France (1960).; Peace Day (Angola); One of the possible days for Qingming Festival.; NATO Day

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