30 April Moments of History
Same-sex marriage first legalised, Titanic hit the iceberg, premiere of "Game of Thrones" and more!
Appreciating our history and acknowledging the people who came before us and made the life we live today possible is important. Let's check out what historically impactful events took place in the month of April!
April 1, 2001 - Same-sex marriage first legalised
The Netherlands became the first country in the history of the world to legalise same-sex marriage.
April 2, 1982 - The Falkland War began
Argentinian troops seized the Falkland Islands from Great Britain, starting a war that would last for ten weeks and leave hundreds of people dead.
April 3, 1973 - First mobile phone call
The first ever mobile phone call was made in New York City. Motorola employee Martin Cooper called the Bell Labs headquarters in New Jersey.
April 4, 1949 - NATO was founded
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO, was founded in Washington, D.C.
April 5, 1879 - War of the Pacific
Chile declared war on Peru and Bolivia, starting the War of the Pacific. The war lasted for five years and left thousands of people killed or injured.
April 6, 1994 - Rwandan and Burundian presidents murdered
The plane carrying the Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and the Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down by missiles. This abruptly ended their peace negotiations and sparked the Rwandan Genocide.
April 7, 1948 - World Health Organisation formed
The World Health Organisation was formed by the United Nations. The day is now celebrated as World Health Day.
April 8, 2004 - Fall of Ayutthaya
The 417-year-old Ayutthaya kingdom fell to Burmese invaders during the Burmese–Siamese War.
April 9, 2012 - Highest grossing Broadway show
"The Lion King" became the highest grossing Broadway show of all time, as it overtook "The Phantom of the Opera".
April 10, 1815 - Mount Tambora eruption
One of the most powerful cataclysmic eruptions in history happened in the Dutch East Indies at Mount Tambora. It killed around 71 000 people and caused a global volcanic winter.
April 11, 1968 - Civil Rights Act
Then US president Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1968 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited discrimination concerning the rental, sale and financing of housing based on race, national origin and religion, and since 1974, sex.
April 12, 1961 - First person to orbit Earth
The first ever person to orbit Earth was the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, making a 108-minute orbital flight in the spacecraft Vostok 1.
April 13, 1598 - French Huguenots granted rights
The Edict of Nantes documents was signed by King Henry IV and granted political rights to France's Calvinist Protestants, known as Huguenots.
April 14, 1912 - Titanic hit an iceberg
RMS Titanic hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage to New York City, four days after setting off from Southampton. The ship sank around two hours later, leaving an estimated 1500 people dead.
April 15, 1947 - First African-American MLB player
Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
April 16, 1948 - OEEC was formed
The Organisation for European Economic Co-operation was formed in Paris.
April 17, 2011 - "Game of Thrones" premiered
"Game of Thrones" premiered on HBO. The popular show is based on George R.R. Martin's novel series "A Song of Ice and Fire".
April 18, 1783 - End of American Revolution
The fighting stopped in the American Revolution, eight years from when it began.
April 19, 1909 - Joan of Arc was beatified
Joan of Arc, national heroine of France, received beatification by the Roman Catholic Church.
April 20, 2010 - The Deepwater Horizon disaster
The drilling rig Deepwater Horizon exploded, killing eleven people and causing a massive oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico.
April 21, 1956 - "Heartbreak Hotel" becomes #1
Elvis Presley's first hit record, "Heartbreak Hotel", became #1 and ended up being the biggest-selling single of 1956.
April 22, 2016 - The Paris Agreement was signed
The Paris Agreement on climate change was signed in New York City, binding 195 nations to preventing a higher increase than 2°C in global average temperature.
April 23, 1984 - AIDS-virus identified as HTLV-III
The AIDS-virus was identified as HTLV-III (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), with government officials announcing that scientist have now found the likely cause of the disease.
April 24, 1916 - The Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was a failed attempt by Irish republicans to end the British occupation in Ireland. It lasted for six days, during a time where Britain's resources were focused on the First World War. Around 485 people were killed.
April 25, 1953 - The structure of DNA
Scientists Francis Crick and James Watson's discovery of the double helix structure of DNA was published in "Nature" magazine in England.
April 26, 1986 - Chernobyl nuclear disaster
The world's worst nuclear disaster happened in the USSR, when a reactor exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power station. 31 people died, and much of Western Europe was contaminated by radiation.
April 27, 1810 - "Für Elise" was composed
The German composer Ludwig Van Beethoven composed his famous piano piece "Für Elise".
April 28, 1937 - First commercial cross-Pacific flight
The first commercial flight across the Pacific ocean was operated by Pan American World Airways.
April 29, 1991 - Chittagong cyclone
The Chittagong district in Bangladesh was struck by one of the deadliest recorded cyclones. It killed 139 000 people and left 10 million homeless.
April 30, 1789 - George Washington became president
George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States of America.
That was the last of the months, as I've now completed a full year of history. It's been interesting to delve into the rich history of our world, and I hope the articles have sparked curiosity in you to learn more about what our people has been through. Links below to the other months of history.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you enjoyed this article, please share it on your social media and send it to someone you think will like it too!
If you enjoyed this article and would like to support me, you can send me a tip below this story, which would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much for your support!
About the Creator
Tone Breistrand
Hi there! I am a Norwegian writer living in London. I like to write about love, Disney and finding happiness.
Keep reading
More stories from Tone Breistrand and writers in FYI and other communities.
A Failed Artist, A Disillusioned Poet, An Underpaid Game Show Host
I took my son and niece to Gori, a small town in Georgia where Joseph Stalin was born. They talked me into visiting the Stalin's Museum, the largest in the post-Soviet space. I had resisted going there because I just can't stand the monster and know enough about him, or so I thought.
By Lana V Lynx6 days ago in FYI
The Timeless Title: “Olu of Warri” – A Pre-Colonial Legacy Rooted in History, Affirmed by Colonial Recognition Before 1952
The title “Olu of Warri” stands as an enduring symbol of sovereignty, predating colonial rule by centuries and embodying the unbroken monarchy of the Warri Kingdom. Far from being a modern invention, this title traces its origins to the late 15th century, when Prince Ginuwa, son of the Oba of Benin, founded the kingdom in 1480 as “Iwere” – the ancestral homeland of the Itsekiri people. Historical records, maps, and accounts from European explorers unequivocally demonstrate that the monarch was consistently referred to as the Olu or King of Warri long before British colonial interference. The temporary shift to “Olu of Itsekiri” in the 1930s was a colonial administrative concession tied to the creation of Warri Province, but compelling evidence from colonial documents reveals that the British authorities had already recognized and supported the historical validity of “Olu of Warri” as early as 1936 – well before the formal restoration in 1952. Through persuasive evidence from Portuguese decrees, ancient maps, literary accounts, royal narratives, and declassified colonial dispatches, this article affirms that the “Olu of Warri” has always been the rightful designation, reflecting a kingdom’s sovereignty and its king’s dominion, with pre-1952 colonial endorsements underscoring its legitimacy.
By Omasanjuwa Ogharandukunabout 4 hours ago in FYI
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.