April 6
April 6 is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 269 days remaining until the end of the year.
Events
- 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the battle of Thapsus.
- 402 - Stilicho stymies the Visigoths under Alaric in the Battle of Pollentia.
- 1320 - The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath.
- 1327 - The poet Petrarch first sees his idealized love, Laura, in the church of Saint Clare in Avignon.
- 1385 - John, Master of the Order of Aviz, is made king John I of Portugal.
- 1652 - Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck establishes a resupply camp at the Cape of Good Hope, which eventually becomes Cape Town.
- 1667 - An earthquake devastates Dubrovnik, then an independent city-state.
- 1782 - Rama I succeeds King Taksin of Siam (modern day Thailand), who is overthrown in a coup d'état.
- 1793 - During the French Revolution, the Committee of Public Safety becomes the executive organ of the republic, and the period known as the Reign of Terror begins.
- 1808 - John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company.
- 1814 - Napoleon abdicates and is then exiled to Elba.
- 1830 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized by Joseph Smith, Jr. and others at Fayette, New York.
- 1832 - Indian Wars: The Black Hawk War begins - the Sauk warrior Black Hawk enters into war with the United States.
- 1860 - Joseph Smith III, creates the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by reorganizing the previous church organized by his father, Joseph Smith, Jr.
- 1862 - American Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins - in Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston.
- 1865 - American Civil War: The Battle of Sayler's Creek - Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia fights its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia.
- 1866 - The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956.
- 1869 - Celluloid is patented.
- 1893 - Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is dedicated by Wilford Woodruff.
- 1895 - Oscar Wilde is arrested (in the Cadogan Hotel, London) after losing a libel case against the John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry.
- 1896 - In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games 1,500 years after the original games were banned by Roman Emperor Theodosius I.
- 1903 - The Kishinev pogrom in Kishinev (Bessarabia) begins, forcing tens of thousands of Jews to later seek refuge in Israel and the Western world.
- 1909 - Robert Peary and Matthew Henson allegedly reach the North Pole.
- 1911 - Dedë Gjon Luli Dedvukaj, Leader of the Malësori Albanians, raises the Albanian flag in the town of Tuzi, Montenegro, for the first time after Gjergj Kastrioti (Skenderbeg).
- 1917 - World War I: The United States declares war on Germany (see President Woodrow Wilson's address to Congress).
- 1919 - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi orders a General Strike.
- 1923 - The first Prefects Board in Southeast Asia is formed in Victoria Institution, Malaysia.
- 1926 - Walter Varney Airlines makes its first commercial flight (Varney is the root company of United Airlines).
- 1930 - Gandhi raises a lump of mud and salt and declares, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire." Thus he starts the Salt Satyagraha.
- 1936 - Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak: Another tornado from the same storm system as the Tupelo tornado hits Gainesville, Georgia, killing 203.
- 1941 - World War II: Operation Castigo begins. Germany invades the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Greece.
- 1947 - The first Tony Awards are presented for theatrical achievements.
- 1957 - Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis buys the Hellenic National Airlines (TAE) and founds Olympic Airlines.
- 1965 - Launch of Early Bird, the first communications satellite to be placed in geosynchronous orbit.
- 1968 - In Richmond, Indiana's downtown district, a double explosion kills 41 and injures 150.
- 1970 - Newhall Incident: Four California Highway Patrol officers are killed.
- 1972 - Vietnam War: Easter Offensive - American forces begin sustained air strikes and naval bombardments.
- 1973 - Launch of Pioneer 11 spacecraft.
- 1973 - The American League of Major League Baseball begin using the Designated Hitter
- 1984 - Members of Cameroon's Republican Guard unsuccessfully attempt to overthrow the government headed by Paul Biya.
- 1992 - A general strike is declared by communist groups in Nepal.
- 1994 - The Rwandan Genocide begins when the aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira is shot down.
- 1998 - Pakistan tests medium-range missiles capable of hitting India.
- 2004 - Rolandas Paksas becomes the first president of Lithuania to be peacefully removed from the post by impeachment.
- 2005 - Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani becomes the Iraqi president; Shiite Arab Ibrahim al-Jaafari is named premier the next day.
- 2006 - NZSL (New Zealand sign language) is made an official language of New Zealand
Births
- 1483 - Raphael, Italian painter and architect (d. 1520)
- 1613 - Stjepan Gradić, Croatian philosopher and scientist (d. 1683)
- 1632 - Maria Leopoldine of Austria, Holy Roman Empire Empress (d. 1649)
- 1651 - André Dacier, French classical scholar (d. 1722)
- 1664 - Arvid Horn, Swedish statesman (d. 1742)
- 1671 - Jean-Baptiste Rousseau, French poet (d. 1741)
- 1725 - Pasquale Paoli, Corsican patriot and military leader (d. 1807)
- 1773 - James Mill, Scottish philosopher and historian (d. 1836)
- 1812 - Alexander Herzen, Russian writer (d. 1870)
- 1815 - Robert Volkmann, German composer (d. 1883)
- 1818 - Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, Norwegian poet (d. 1870)
- 1820 - Nadar, French photographer (d. 1910)
- 1823 - Joseph Medill, journalist and mayor of Chicago (d. 1899)
- 1826 - Gustave Moreau, French painter (d. 1898)
- 1841 - Karl Binding, German jurist (d. 1920)
- 1849 - John William Waterhouse, British painter (d. 1917)
- 1851 - Guillaume Bigourdan, French astronomer (d. 1932)
- 1878 - Erich Mühsam, German author (d. 1934)
- 1884 - Walter Huston, Canadian-born actor (d. 1950)
- 1886 - Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII, The Last Nizam of Hyderabad state (d. 1967)
- 1890 - Anthony Fokker, Dutch designer of aircraft (d. 1939)
- 1892 - Donald Wills Douglas, Sr., American industrialist (d. 1981)
- 1892 - Lowell Thomas, American travel writer (d. 1981)
- 1894 - Gertrude Baines, American supercentenarian
- 1901 - Pier Giorgio Frassati, Italian Catholic (d. 1925)
- 1902 - Veniamin Kaverin, Russian writer (d. 1989)
- 1903 - Mickey Cochrane, American baseball player (d. 1962)
- 1903 - Harold Edgerton, American electrical engineer (d. 1990)
- 1909 - Hermann Lang, German race car driver (d. 1987)
- 1909 - William M. Branham, American evangelist (d. 1965)
- 1911 - Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist, Nobel laureate (d. 1979)
- 1918 - Alfredo Ovando Candía, Bolivian president (d. 1982)
- 1920 - Edmond H. Fischer, Swiss-American biochemist, Nobel laureate
- 1926 - Sergio Franchi, Italian-born singer and actor (d. 1990)
- 1926 - Gil Kane, Latvian-born cartoonist (d. 2000)
- 1926 - Ian Paisley, Northern Irish politician
- 1927 - Gerry Mulligan, American musician (d. 1996)
- 1928 - James D. Watson, American geneticist, Nobel laureate
- 1929 - Joi Lansing, American model and actress (d. 1972)
- 1929 - André Previn, German-born composer and conductor
- 1931 - Ivan Dixon, American actor and director (d. 2008)
- 1933 - Roy Goode, British lawyer
- 1933 - Eduardo Malapit, American Democratic politician (d. 2007)
- 1934 - Anton Geesink, Dutch judoka
- 1937 - Merle Haggard, American musician
- 1937 - Billy Dee Williams, American actor
- 1938 - Paul Daniels, English magician
- 1938 - Roy Thinnes, American actor
- 1939 - André Ouellet, French Canadian politician
- 1940 - Pedro Armendáriz Jr., Mexican actor
- 1941 - Phil Austin, American comedian
- 1941 - Don "The Snake" Prudhomme, American drag racer
- 1941 - Gheorghe Zamfir, Romanian musician
- 1942 - Barry Levinson, American film producer/director
- 1944 - Felicity Palmer, English soprano
- 1945 - Neal Boortz, American talk radio personality
- 1947 - John Ratzenberger, American actor
- 1948 - Patrika Darbo, American actress
- 1949 - Horst Ludwig Störmer, German-born physicist, Nobel laureate
- 1951 - Bert Blyleven, Dutch-born baseball player
- 1952 - Udo Dirkschneider, German singer
- 1952 - Marilu Henner, American actress
- 1952 - Michel Larocque, Canadian ice hockey player (d. 1992)
- 1953 - Christopher Franke, German musician and composer
- 1955 - Keith Hunter Jesperson, Canadian-born serial killer
- 1955 - Michael Rooker, American actor
- 1956 - Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer and administrator
- 1957 - Paolo Nespoli, Italian astronaut
- 1961 - Rory Bremner, English comedian and impressionist
- 1964 - Phil Gayle, English news presenter
- 1965 - Frank Black, American singer/songwriter
- 1965 - Lieve Slegers, Belgian athlete
- 1966 - Young Man Kang, South Korean film director
- 1967 - Mika Koivuniemi, Finnish ten-pin bowler
- 1967 - Jonathan Firth, British actor
- 1968 - Vanessa Lann, American composer
- 1968 - Affonso Giaffone, Brazilian racing driver
- 1969 - Jack Canfora, American playwright
- 1969 - Bison Dele, American basketball player (disappeared 2002)
- 1969 - Ari Meyers, Puerto Rican-born American actress
- 1969 - Philipp Peter, Austrian racing driver
- 1969 - Paul Rudd, American actor
- 1969 - Bret Boone, Baseball Player
- 1970 - Olaf Kölzig, South African-born ice hockey player
- 1970 - Huang Xiaomin, Chinese swimmer
- 1971 - Lou Merloni, American baseball player
- 1972 - Jason Hervey, American actor
- 1972 - Jo Van Daele, Belgian discus thrower
- 1973 - Donnie Edwards, American football player
- 1973 - Rie Miyazawa, Japanese actress/singer
- 1973 - Sun Wen, Chinese footballer
- 1973 - Gina Yashere, English comedian
- 1974 - Robert Kovač, Croatian footballer
- 1975 - Zach Braff, American actor
- 1975 - Hal Gill, Ice Hockey player
- 1976 - Candace Cameron, American actress
- 1976 - Georg Hólm, Icelandic musician
- 1977 - Andy Phillips, American Baseball Player
- 1978 - Tim Hasselbeck, American football player
- 1978 - Myleene Klass, British singer
- 1978 - Martin Mendez, Uruguayan-born Bassist (Opeth)
- 1978 - Blaine Neal, American baseball player
- 1981 - Robert Earnshaw, Zambian born, Welsh international footballer
- 1982 - Ilan Hall, Israeli-American chef
- 1982 - Bret Harrison, American actor
- 1982 - Michael Guy Chislett, Australian born, American guitarist of The Academy Is...
- 1983 - Diora Baird, American actress
- 1983 - Jade Seah, Singaporean model, host and actress
- 1983 - James Wade, English Darts Player
- 1984 - Max Bemis, American musician/songwriter
- 1985 - Garrett Zablocki, American musician
- 1985 - Clarke MacArthur, Canadian-born ice hockey player
- 1987 - Levi Porter, English footballer
- 1988 - Mike Bailey, English actor
- 1988 - Fabrice Muamba, Anglo-Congolese footballer
- 2007 - Princess Haalah bint Hashim, Princess of Jordan
Deaths
- 885 - Saint Methodius (b. ca.815)
- 1147 - Frederick II, Duke of Swabia (b. 1090)
- 1199 - King Richard I of England (b. 1157)
- 1199 - Pierre Basile, French soldier
- 1362 - James I, Count of La Marche, French soldier (b. 1319)
- 1490 - King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary
- 1520 - Raphael, Italian painter and architect (b. 1483)
- 1528 - Albrecht Dürer, German artist (b. 1471)
- 1551 - Joachim Vadian, Swiss humanist (b. 1484)
- 1571 - John Hamilton, Scottish prelate and politician
- 1590 - Francis Walsingham, English spymaster
- 1605 - John Stow, English historian
- 1655 - David Blondel, French Protestant clergyman (b. 1591)
- 1686 - Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, English royalist statesman (b. 1614)
- 1707 - Willem van de Velde, the younger, Dutch painter (b. 1633)
- 1755 - Richard Rawlinson, English minister and antiquarian (b. 1690)
- 1825 - Vladimir Borovikovsky, Russian painter (b. 1757)
- 1829 - Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician (b. 1802)
- 1833 - Adamantios Korais, Greek humanist scholar (b. 1748)
- 1838 - José Bonifácio de Andrade e Silva, Brazilian statesman and geologist (b. 1763)
- 1862 - Albert Sidney Johnston, American Confederate general (b. 1803)
- 1883 - Benjamin Wright Raymond, American politician (b. 1801)
- 1906 - Alexander Kielland, Norwegian author (b. 1849)
- 1933 - Elizabeth Bacon Custer, wife of George Armstrong Custer (b. 1842)
- 1935 - Edwin Arlington Robinson, American poet (b. 1869)
- 1947 - Herbert Backe, German Nazi politician (b. 1896)
- 1953 - Idris Davies, Welsh poet (b. 1905)
- 1961 - Jules Bordet, Belgian immunologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1870)
- 1963 - Otto Struve, Russian-born astronomer (b. 1897)
- 1970 - Sam Sheppard, American accused murderer (b. 1923)
- 1970 - Maurice Stokes, American basketball player (b. 1933)
- 1971 - Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer (b. 1882)
- 1974 - Willem Marinus Dudok, Dutch architect (b. 1884)
- 1974 - Hudson Fysh, Australian aviator and businessman (b.1895)
- 1976 - Sidney Franklin, American bullfighter (b. 1903)
- 1992 - Isaac Asimov, Russian-born author (b. 1920)
- 1994 - Juvénal Habyarimana, Rwandan politician (b. 1937)
- 1994 - Cyprien Ntaryamira, Burundian politician (b. 1956)
- 1996 - Greer Garson, Irish actress (b. 1904)
- 1998 - Wendy O. Williams, American singer (Plasmatics) (b. 1949)
- 1998 - Tammy Wynette, American singer (b. 1942)
- 1999 - Red Norvo, American jazz vibraphonist (b. 1908)
- 2000 - Habib Bourguiba, Tunisian politician (b. 1903)
- 2001 - Charles Pettigrew, American singer (b. 1963)
- 2003 - David Bloom, American reporter (b. 1963)
- 2003 - Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian drummer (b. 1927)
- 2003 - Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter, Canadian religious figure (b. 1912)
- 2004 - Larisa Bogoraz, Soviet dissident (b. 1929)
- 2004 - Niki Sullivan, American guitarist (The Crickets) (b. 1937)
- 2005 - Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (b. 1923), Pope John Paul II
- 2006 - Maggie Dixon, American college basketball coach (b. 1977)
- 2006 - Francis L. Kellogg, U.S. diplomat and prominent socialite (b. 1917)
- 2007 - Luigi Comencini, Italian film director (b. 1916)
Holidays and observances
in the Roman Catholic Church
External links
Why are we here?
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
This page is cache of Wikipedia. History