April 04

Sunday 04, 2004:

Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army stage an uprising in several towns and cities in Iraq after the Coalition's closure of Sadr's al-Hawza newspaper. Among the dozen or so coalition casualties in this was Casey Sheehan.

Friday 04, 2003:

Sammy Sosa becomes the 18th member of the 500 home run club with a home run at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Monday 04, 1994:

Netscape Communications Corporation is founded (under the name "Mosaic Communications Corporation") by Marc Andreessen and Jim Clark.

Thursday 04, 1991:

Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their plane over Merion, Pennsylvania.

Monday 04, 1988:

Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona is convicted in his impeachment trial and removed from office.

Wednesday 04, 1984:

President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons.

Monday 04, 1983:

Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space.

Saturday 04, 1981:

In Dublin, Ireland, Bucks Fizz win the twenty-sixth Eurovision Song Contest for the United Kingdom singing "Making Your Mind Up".

Wednesday 04, 1979:

President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed.

Sunday 04, 1976:

Prince Norodom Sihanouk resigns as leader of Cambodia and is placed under house arrest.

Friday 04, 1975:

A United States Air Force C-5A Galaxy crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam shortly after takeoff, transporting orphans. 172 people are killed.

Wednesday 04, 1973:

The World Trade Center in New York is officially dedicated.

Friday 04, 1969:

1969 - The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is cancelled after the brothers failed to submit an episode before its broadcast date.

Thursday 04, 1968:

Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6.

Saturday 04, 1964:

The Beatles occupy all of the top five positions on the Billboard singles chart in the United States.

Monday 04, 1949:

Twelve nations sign The North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

Wednesday 04, 1945:

1945 - World War II: Soviet Army liberates Hungary.

Tuesday 04, 1939:

Faisal II becomes King of Iraq.

Thursday 04, 1918:

World War I: Second Battle of the Somme ends.

Tuesday 04, 1905:

In India, an earthquake near Kangra kills 370,000.

Monday 04, 1887:

Argonia, Kansas elects Susanna M. Salter as the first female mayor in the United States.

Wednesday 04, 1866:

Alexander II of Russia narrowly escapes an assassination attempt in the city of Kiev. A design for a city gate to commemorate his escape was the inspiration for Mussorgsky's The Great Gate of Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition.

Tuesday 04, 1865:

American Civil War: A day after Union forces captured Richmond, Virginia, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln visits the Confederate capital.

Thursday 04, 1850:

Los Angeles, California is incorporated as a city.

Sunday 04, 1841:

President William Henry Harrison dies of pneumonia becoming the first President of the United States to die in office and at one month, the elected president with the shortest term served.

Saturday 04, 1818:

The U.S. Congress adopts the flag of the United States as having 13 red and white stripes and one star for each state (20 stars) with additional stars to be added whenever a new state is added to the Union.

Monday 04, 1814:

Napoleon abdicates for the first time.

Saturday 04, 1812:

U.S. President James Madison enacted a ninety-day embargo on trade with the United Kingdom.

Friday 04, 1721:

Sir Robert Walpole enters office as the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom under King George I.

Saturday 04, 1581:

Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I.

More on April, 04

• People Born on April, 04
• They left us on April, 04