April 2

April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 273 days remaining until the end of the year.

Events

• 1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León first sights land in what is now Florida.
• 1755 – Commodore William James captures the Maratha fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India.
• 1792 – The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint.
• 1800 – Ludwig van Beethoven leads the premiere of his First Symphony in Vienna.
• 1801 – Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Copenhagen: The British capture the Danish fleet.
• 1851 – Rama IV is crowned King of Thailand.
• 1863 – Richmond Bread Riot: Food shortages incite hundreds of angry women to riot in Richmond, Virginia, and demand that the Confederate government release emergency supplies.
• 1865 – American Civil War: At the Third Battle of Petersburg Virginia, the Siege of Petersburg is broken by Union Army troops capturing trenches and breaking Confederate States Army lines, forcing the Confederates under General Robert E. Lee to retreat in the Appomattox Campaign.
• 1865 – American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet flee the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.
• 1885 – Cree warriors attack the village of Frog Lake, North-West Territories, Canada, killing nine.
• 1900 – The United States Congress passes the Foraker Act, giving Puerto Rico limited self-rule.
• 1902 – Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated in the Marie Palace, St Petersburg.
• 1902 – "Electric Theatre", the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles.
• 1911 – The Australian Bureau of Statistics conducts the country's first national census.
• 1912 – The ill-fated RMS Titanic begins sea trials.
• 1917 – World War I: United States President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.
• 1921 – The Autonomous Government of Khorasan, a military government encompassing the modern state of Iran, is established.
• 1930 – After the mysterious death of Empress Zewditu, Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.
• 1945 – Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Brazil are established.
• 1956 – As the World Turns and The Edge of Night premiere on CBS-TV. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format.
• 1962 – The first official panda crossing is opened outside London Waterloo station.
• 1972 – Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist during the Red Scare in the early 1950s.
• 1973 – Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service.
• 1973 – The Liberal Movement breaks away from the Liberal and Country League in South Australia.
• 1975 – Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from Quảng Ngãi Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops.
• 1975 – Construction of the CN Tower is completed in Toronto, Canada. It reaches 553.33 metres (1,815.4 ft) in height, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure.
• 1980 – United States President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act in an effort to help the U.S. economy rebound.
• 1982 – Falklands War: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.
• 1986 – Alabama governor George Wallace, a former segregationist most widely known for the "Stand in the Schoolhouse Door", announces that he will not seek a fifth four-year term and will retire from public life upon the end of his term in January 1987.
• 1989 – Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba, to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.
• 1991 – Rita Johnston becomes the first female Premier of a Canadian province when she succeeds William Vander Zalm (who had resigned) as Premier of British Columbia.
• 1992 – In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.
• 1992 – 42 civilians were massacred in the town of Bijeljina.
• 1994 – The National Convention of New Sudan of the SPLA/M opens in Chukudum.
• 2002 – Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem into which armed Palestinians had retreated; a siege ensues.
• 2004 – Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid; the attack is thwarted.
• 2006 – Over 60 tornadoes break out in the United States; Tennessee is hardest hit with 29 people killed.
• 2012 – A mass shooting at Oikos University at Oakland, California, leaves seven people dead and three injured.
• 2014 – A spree shooting occurs at the Fort Hood Army Base near the town of Killeen, Texas, with four people dead, including the gunman, and 16 others sustaining injuries.
• 2015 – Gunmen attack Garissa University College in Kenya, killing at least 148 people and wounding 79 others.

Births

• 742 – Charlemagne, Frankish king (d. 814)
• 1348 – Andronikos IV Palaiologos, Byzantine Emperor (d. 1385)
• 1545 – Elisabeth of Valois (d. 1568)
• 1565 – Cornelis de Houtman, Dutch explorer (d. 1599)
• 1614 – Dodo, Chinese prince (d. 1649)
• 1614 – Jahanara Begum, Indian daughter of Shah Jahan (d. 1681)
• 1618 – Francesco Maria Grimaldi, Italian mathematician and physicist (d. 1663)
• 1647 – Maria Sibylla Merian, German-Dutch botanist and illustrator (d. 1717)
• 1653 – Prince George of Denmark (d. 1708)
• 1719 – Johann Wilhelm Ludwig Gleim, German poet (d. 1803)
• 1725 – Giacomo Casanova, Italian explorer and author (d. 1798)
• 1788 – Francisco Balagtas, Filipino poet and author (d. 1862)
• 1788 – Wilhelmine Reichard, German balloonist (d. 1848)
• 1789 – Lucio Norberto Mansilla, Argentinian general and politician (d. 1871)
• 1792 – Francisco de Paula Santander, Colombian general and politician, 4th President of the Republic of the New Granada (d. 1840)
• 1798 – August Heinrich Hoffmann von Fallersleben, German poet and academic (d. 1874)
• 1805 – Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author and poet (d. 1875)
• 1814 – Erastus Brigham Bigelow, American inventor (d. 1879)
• 1827 – William Holman Hunt, English soldier and painter (d. 1910)
• 1835 – Jacob Nash Victor, American engineer (d. 1907)
• 1838 – Léon Gambetta, French lawyer and politician, 45th Prime Minister of France (d. 1882)
• 1840 – Émile Zola, French novelist, playwright, journalist (d. 1902)
• 1841 – Clément Ader, French engineer, designed the Ader Avion III (d. 1926)
• 1861 – Iván Persa, Slovenian priest and author (d. 1935)
• 1862 – Nicholas Murray Butler, American philosopher and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1947)
• 1867 – Eugen Sandow, German-English bodybuilder (d. 1925)
• 1869 – Hughie Jennings, American baseball player and manager (d. 1928)
• 1875 – Walter Chrysler, American businessman, founded Chrysler (d. 1940)
• 1875 – William Donne, English cricketer and captain (d. 1942)
• 1884 – J. C. Squire, English poet, author, and historian (d. 1958)
• 1891 – Jack Buchanan, Scottish actor, singer, director, and producer (d. 1957)
• 1891 – Max Ernst, German painter, sculptor, and poet (d. 1976)
• 1898 – Harindranath Chattopadhyay, Indian poet, actor and politician (d. 1990)
• 1900 – Roberto Arlt, Argentinian journalist, author, and playwright (d. 1942)
• 1900 – Anis Fuleihan, Cypriot-American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1970)
• 1902 – Jan Tschichold, German-Swiss graphic designer and typographer (d. 1974)
• 1903 – Lionel Chevrier, Canadian lawyer and politician, 27th Canadian Minister of Justice (d. 1987)
• 1906 – Alphonse-Marie Parent, Canadian priest and educator (d. 1970)
• 1907 – Harald Andersson, American-Swedish discus thrower (d. 1985)
• 1907 – Luke Appling, American baseball player and manager (d. 1991)
• 1908 – Buddy Ebsen, American actor and dancer (d. 2003)
• 1910 – Paul Triquet, Canadian general, Victoria Cross recipient (d. 1980)
• 1910 – Chico Xavier, Brazilian spiritual medium (d. 2002)
• 1914 – Alec Guinness, English actor and singer (d. 2000)
• 1917 – Dabbs Greer, American actor (d. 2007)
• 1917 – Lou Monte, American singer (d. 1989)
• 1919 – Delfo Cabrera, Argentinian runner and soldier (d. 1981)
• 1920 – Gerald Bouey, Canadian lieutenant and civil servant (d. 2004)
• 1920 – Jack Stokes, English animator and director (d. 2013)
• 1920 – Jack Webb, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1982)
• 1922 – John C. Whitehead, American banker and politician, 9th United States Deputy Secretary of State (d. 2015)
• 1923 – Clifford Scott Green, American sergeant and judge (d. 2007)
• 1923 – Gloria Henry, American actress
• 1923 – Johnny Paton, Scottish footballer, coach, and manager (d. 2015)
• 1923 – G. Spencer-Brown, English mathematician, psychologist, and author
• 1924 – Bobby Ávila, Mexican baseball player (d. 2004)
• 1925 – George MacDonald Fraser, English author and screenwriter (d. 2008)
• 1925 – Hard Boiled Haggerty, American wrestler and actor (d. 2004)
• 1925 – Hans Rosenthal, German radio and television host (d. 1987)
• 1926 – Jack Brabham, Australian race car driver (d. 2014)
• 1926 – Rudra Rajasingham, Sri Lankan police officer and diplomat (d. 2006)
• 1927 – Carmen Basilio, American boxer and soldier (d. 2012)
• 1927 – Howard Callaway, American soldier and politician, 11th United States Secretary of the Army (d. 2014)
• 1927 – Billy Pierce, American baseball player and sportscaster (d. 2015)
• 1927 – Kenneth Tynan, English author and critic (d. 1980)
• 1928 – Joseph Bernardin, American cardinal (d. 1996)
• 1928 – Serge Gainsbourg, French singer-songwriter, actor, and director (d. 1991)
• 1928 – Roy Masters, English-American radio host
• 1928 – David Robinson, Irish horticulturist and academic (d. 2004)
• 1929 – Ed Dorn, American poet and educator (d. 1999)
• 1930 – Roddy Maude-Roxby, English actor
• 1930 – Yelizaveta Yermolayeva, Russian runner
• 1931 – Vladimir Kuznetsov, Russian javelin thrower (d. 1986)
• 1932 – Edward Egan, American cardinal (d. 2015)
• 1933 – György Konrád, Hungarian sociologist and author
• 1934 – Paul Cohen, American mathematician and theorist (d. 2007)
• 1934 – Brian Glover, English wrestler and actor (d. 1997)
• 1934 – Carl Kasell, American journalist and game show host
• 1935 – Sharon Acker, Canadian actress
• 1936 – Shaul Ladany, Serbian-Israeli race walker and engineer
• 1937 – Dick Radatz, American baseball player (d. 2005)
• 1937 – Denis Tuohy, Northern Irish television journalist
• 1938 – John Larsson, Swedish 17th General of The Salvation Army
• 1938 – Booker Little, American trumpet player and composer (d. 1961)
• 1938 – Al Weis, American baseball player
• 1939 – Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter (The Moonglows) (d. 1984)
• 1939 – Anthony Lake, American academic and diplomat, 18th United States National Security Advisor
• 1939 – Lise Thibault, Canadian journalist and politician, 27th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
• 1940 – Donald Jackson, Canadian figure skater and coach
• 1940 – Mike Hailwood, English motorcycle racer (d. 1981)
• 1940 – Penelope Keith, English actress and singer
• 1941 – Dr. Demento, American radio host
• 1942 – Leon Russell, American singer-songwriter and pianist
• 1942 – Hiroyuki Sakai, Japanese chef
• 1942 – Roshan Seth, Indian-English actor
• 1943 – Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce, South African-English admiral and politician, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
• 1943 – Caterina Bueno, Italian singer (d. 2007)
• 1943 – Larry Coryell, American guitarist (The Free Spirits and The Eleventh House)
• 1943 – Antonio Sabàto, Sr., Italian actor
• 1944 – Bill Malinchak, American football player
• 1945 – Jürgen Drews, German singer-songwriter (Les Humphries Singers)
• 1945 – Guy Fréquelin, French race car driver
• 1945 – Linda Hunt, American actress
• 1945 – Reggie Smith, American baseball player and coach
• 1945 – Don Sutton, American baseball player and sportscaster
• 1945 – Anne Waldman, American poet
• 1946 – David Heyes, English politician
• 1946 – Judith Ann Lanzinger, American jurist
• 1946 – Sue Townsend, English author and playwright (d. 2014)
• 1946 – Kurt Winter, Canadian guitarist and songwriter (The Guess Who) (d. 1997)
• 1947 – Paquita la del Barrio, Mexican singer-songwriter
• 1947 – Emmylou Harris, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1947 – Camille Paglia, American author and critic
• 1948 – Roald Als, Danish author and illustrator
• 1948 – Dimitris Mitropanos, Greek singer (d. 2012)
• 1948 – Daniel Okrent, American journalist and author
• 1948 – Joan D. Vinge, American author
• 1949 – Paul Gambaccini, American-English radio and television host
• 1949 – Bernd Müller, German footballer
• 1949 – Ron Palillo, American actor (d. 2012)
• 1949 – Pamela Reed, American actress
• 1949 – David Robinson, American drummer (The Modern Lovers, DMZ, and The Cars)
• 1950 – Lynn Westmoreland, American politician
• 1951 – Ayako Okamoto, Japanese golfer
• 1951 – Moriteru Ueshiba, Japanese martial artist
• 1952 – Lennart Fagerlund, Swedish cyclist
• 1952 – Will Hoy, English race car driver (d. 2002)
• 1952 – Thierry Le Luron, French comedian and actor (d. 1986)
• 1952 – Leon Wilkeson, American bass player and songwriter (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (d. 2001)
• 1953 – Jim Allister, Northern Irish lawyer and politician
• 1953 – Debralee Scott, American actress (d. 2005)
• 1953 – James Vance, American author and playwright
• 1954 – Gregory Abbott, American singer-songwriter and producer
• 1954 – Susumu Hirasawa, Japanese singer-songwriter (P-Model)
• 1954 – Donald Petrie, American actor and director
• 1955 – Michael Stone, English-Irish murderer
• 1957 – Caroline Dean, English biologist and academic
• 1957 – Giuliana De Sio, Italian actress
• 1958 – Stefano Bettarello, Italian rugby player
• 1958 – Larry Drew, American basketball player and coach
• 1958 – Amelia Marshall, American actress
• 1959 – Gelindo Bordin, Italian runner
• 1959 – David Frankel, American director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1959 – Juha Kankkunen, Finnish race car driver
• 1959 – Yves Lavandier, French director and producer
• 1959 – Steve Monarque, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1959 – Badou Ezzaki, Moroccan footballer and manager
• 1960 – Linford Christie, Jamaican-English sprinter
• 1960 – Brad Jones, Australian race car driver
• 1960 – Lee Mi-sook, South Korean actress
• 1960 – Pascale Nadeau, Canadian journalist
• 1961 – Buddy Jewell, American singer-songwriter
• 1961 – Christopher Meloni, American actor
• 1961 – Keren Woodward, English singer-songwriter (Bananarama)
• 1962 – Pierre Carles, French director and producer
• 1962 – Billy Dean, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1962 – Clark Gregg, American actor, director, and screenwriter
• 1963 – Shane Barbi, American model, author, and activist
• 1963 – Sia Barbi, American model, author, and activist
• 1963 – Karl Beattie, English director and producer
• 1963 – Mike Gascoyne, English engineer
• 1963 – Tim Hodge, American voice actor, animator, and screenwriter
• 1963 – Michael Panes, American actor and singer
• 1964 – Pete Incaviglia, American baseball player and coach
• 1964 – Jonathon Sharkey, American wrestler
• 1965 – Rodney King, American victim of police brutality (d. 2012)
• 1966 – Bill Romanowski, American football player and actor
• 1966 – Teddy Sheringham, English footballer and coach
• 1966 – Garnett Silk, Jamaican singer (d. 1994)
• 1967 – Greg Camp, American singer-songwriter, and guitarist (Smash Mouth)
• 1967 – Helen Chamberlain, English television host
• 1967 – Phil Demmel, American guitarist and songwriter (Machine Head and Vio-lence)
• 1967 – Renée Estevez, American actress and screenwriter
• 1967 – Prince Paul, American DJ and producer (Gravediggaz, Stetsasonic, and Handsome Boy Modeling School)
• 1969 – Ajay Devgan, Indian actor, director, and producer
• 1971 – Elton, German comedian and television host
• 1971 – Zeebra, Japanese rapper (King Giddra)
• 1971 – Todd Woodbridge, Australian tennis player and sportscaster
• 1972 – Remo D'Souza, Indian choreographer and dancer
• 1972 – Calvin Davis, American sprinter and hurdler
• 1972 – Stephen Saux, American actor
• 1972 – Chico Slimani, Welsh singer and actor
• 1973 – Dmitry Lipartov, Russian footballer
• 1973 – Roselyn Sánchez, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, producer, and actress
• 1973 – Aleksejs Semjonovs, Latvian footballer
• 1974 – Håkan Hellström, Swedish singer (Broder Daniel)
• 1974 – Harold Hunter, American skateboarder and actor (d. 2006)
• 1974 – Tayfun Korkut, Turkish football manager and former player
• 1975 – Lisa Ann Beley, Canadian voice actress
• 1975 – Randy Livingston, American basketball player
• 1975 – Adam Rodríguez, American actor and director
• 1975 – Katrin Rutschow-Stomporowski, German rower
• 1976 – Andreas Anastasopoulos, Greek shot putter
• 1976 – Geneva Cruz, Filipino singer and actress (Smokey Mountain)
• 1976 – Zane Lamprey, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1976 – Aaron Lohr, American actor and singer
• 1976 – Daisuke Namikawa, Japanese voice actor
• 1976 – Rory Sabbatini, South African golfer
• 1977 – Jelena Abbou, Serbian-American model and personal trainer
• 1977 – Per Elofsson, Swedish skier
• 1977 – Michael Fassbender, German-Irish actor and producer
• 1977 – Annett Louisan, German singer
• 1977 – Nicki Pedersen, Danish motorcycle racer
• 1977 – Hanno Pevkur, Estonian lawyer and politician, Estonian Minister of Justice
• 1977 – Marc Raquil, French sprinter
• 1977 – Aiden Turner, English actor
• 1978 – Nick Berg, American businessman (d. 2004)
• 1978 – John Gall, American baseball player
• 1978 – Scott Lynch, American author
• 1978 – Jaime Ray Newman, American actress and singer
• 1978 – Deon Richmond, American actor and producer
• 1978 – Ethan Smith, American actor, director, and producer
• 1979 – Lindy Booth, Canadian actress
• 1979 – Jesse Carmichael, American keyboard player (Maroon 5)
• 1979 – Stian Westerhus, Norwegian guitarist (Puma)
• 1979 – Aslı Tandoğan, Turkish actress
• 1980 – Adam Fleming, Scottish journalist
• 1980 – Gavin Heffernan, Canadian director and screenwriter
• 1980 – Ricky Hendrick, American race car driver (d. 2004)
• 1980 – Cristian Lizzori, Italian footballer
• 1980 – Carlos Salcido, Mexican footballer
• 1981 – Michael Clarke, Australian cricketer
• 1981 – Bethany Joy Lenz, American actress, singer, director, and producer
• 1982 – Marco Amelia, Italian footballer
• 1982 – Jeremy Bloom, American football player and skier
• 1982 – Bianca Chatfield, Australian netball player
• 1982 – Jack Evans, American wrestler
• 1982 – David Ferrer, Spanish tennis player
• 1982 – Shanti Lowry, American actress and dancer
• 1982 – Leyla Milani, Canadian model and actress
• 1982 – Jenny Ryan, British quizzer
• 1983 – Félix Borja, Ecuadorian footballer
• 1983 – Paul Capdeville, Chilean tennis player
• 1983 – Owen Fussey, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1983 – Yung Joc, American rapper
• 1983 – Maksym Mazuryk, Ukrainian pole vaulter
• 1984 – Engin Atsür, Turkish basketball player
• 1984 – Nóra Barta, Hungarian diver
• 1984 – Meryl Cassie, New Zealand actress and singer
• 1984 – Jérémy Morel, French footballer
• 1984 – Ashley Peldon, American actress
• 1984 – Shawn Roberts, Canadian actor
• 1985 – Barry Corr, Irish footballer
• 1985 – Thom Evans, Zimbabwean-Scottish rugby player
• 1985 – Kahyasi, Irish racehorse (d. 2008)
• 1985 – Stéphane Lambiel, Swiss figure skater
• 1986 – R3hab, Dutch DJ and producer of Moroccan origin
• 1986 – Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch footballer
• 1986 – Andris Biedriņš, Latvian basketball player
• 1986 – Lee DeWyze, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1986 – Drew Van Acker, American actor
• 1986 – Mykki Blanco, American rapper
• 1987 – Pablo Aguilar, Paraguayan footballer
• 1987 – Marc Pugh, English footballer
• 1988 – Ellen Adarna, Filipino model and actress
• 1988 – Francesca Catalano, American actress
• 1988 – Kimber James, American porn actress
• 1988 – Jesse Plemons, American actor
• 1989 – Midhun Jith, Indian martial artist
• 1989 – Christina Masterson, Filipino-American actress and singer
• 1990 – Amy Castle, American actress
• 1990 – Felipe Chalegre, Brazilian footballer
• 1990 – Roscoe Dash, American rapper
• 1990 – Yevgeniya Kanayeva, Russian gymnast
• 1990 – Leho Pent, Estonian weightlifter
• 1990 – Miralem Pjanić, Bosnian footballer
• 1991 – Luke Jones, Australian rugby player
• 1991 – Paulina Schippers, Guatemalan tennis player
• 1992 – Sammi Kane Kraft, American actress (d. 2012)
• 1993 – Aaron Kelly, American singer
• 1993 – Keshorn Walcott, Trinidadian javelin thrower
• 1995 – Abdou Nef, Algerian footballer (d. 2013)
• 1999 – Daniel Seavey, American singer

Deaths

• 872 – Muflih al-Turki, Turkish general
• 1118 – Baldwin I of Jerusalem (b. 1058)
• 1272 – Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall, English husband of Sanchia of Provence (b. 1209)
• 1335 – Henry of Bohemia (b. 1265)
• 1412 – Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo, Spanish explorer and author
• 1502 – Arthur, Prince of Wales (b. 1486)
• 1507 – Francis of Paola, Italian friar and saint, founded the Order of the Minims (b. 1416)
• 1640 – Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski, Polish author and poet (b. 1595)
• 1657 – Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1608)
• 1657 – Jean-Jacques Olier, French priest, founded the Society of Saint-Sulpice (b. 1608)
• 1672 – Pedro Calungsod, Filipino missionary and saint (b. 1654)
• 1720 – Joseph Dudley, English politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1647)
• 1742 – James Douglas, Scottish physician and anatomist (b. 1675)
• 1747 – Johann Jacob Dillenius, German-English botanist and mycologist (b. 1684)
• 1754 – Thomas Carte, English historian and author (b. 1686)
• 1787 – Thomas Gage, English general and politician, Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay (b. 1719)
• 1791 – Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, French journalist and politician (b. 1749)
• 1801 – Thomas Dadford, Jr., English engineer (b. 1761)
• 1803 – Sir James Montgomery, 1st Baronet, Scottish judge and politician (b. 1721)
• 1817 – Johann Heinrich Jung, German author and academic (b. 1740)
• 1827 – Ludwig Heinrich Bojanus, German physician and educator (b. 1776)
• 1845 – Philip Charles Durham, Scottish admiral and politician (b. 1763)
• 1865 – A. P. Hill, American general (b. 1825)
• 1872 – Samuel Morse, American painter and academic, invented the Morse code (b. 1791)
• 1891 – Albert Pike, American lawyer and general (b. 1809)
• 1891 – Ahmed Vefik Pasha, Greek playwright and politician, 249th Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire (b. 1823)
• 1894 – Achille Vianelli, Italian painter and academic (b. 1803)
• 1896 – Theodore Robinson, American painter and academic (b. 1852)
• 1914 – Paul Heyse, German author, poet, and translator, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1830)
• 1917 – Bryn Lewis, Welsh international rugby player (b.1891)
• 1923 – Topal Osman, Turkish colonel (b. 1883)
• 1928 – Theodore William Richards, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1868)
• 1930 – Zewditu I of Ethiopia (b. 1876)
• 1933 – Ranjitsinhji, Indian cricketer (b. 1872)
• 1936 – Jean Baptiste Eugène Estienne, French general (b. 1860)
• 1948 – Sabahattin Ali, Turkish journalist, author, and poet (b. 1907)
• 1953 – Hugo Sperrle, German field marshal (b. 1885)
• 1958 – Tudor Davies, Welsh tenor and actor (b. 1892)
• 1958 – Jōsei Toda, Japanese educator and activist (b. 1900)
• 1965 – Nils Kihlberg, Swedish actor, singer, and director (b. 1915)
• 1966 – C. S. Forester, Egyptian-American author (b. 1899)
• 1972 – Franz Halder, German general (b. 1884)
• 1972 – Gil Hodges, American baseball player and manager (b. 1924)
• 1972 – Toshitsugu Takamatsu, Japanese martial artist and educator (b. 1887)
• 1974 – Georges Pompidou, French banker and politician, 19th President of France (b. 1911)
• 1977 – Walter Wolf, German academic and politician (b. 1907)
• 1987 – Buddy Rich, American drummer, songwriter, and bandleader (b. 1917)
• 1989 – Manolis Angelopoulos, Greek singer (b. 1939)
• 1990 – Ted Hook, Australian public servant (b. 1910)
• 1992 – Juanito, Spanish footballer and manager (b. 1954)
• 1992 – Tomisaburo Wakayama, Japanese actor, producer, and martial artist (b. 1929)
• 1994 – Betty Furness, American actress and journalist (b. 1916)
• 1995 – Hannes Alfvén, Swedish physicist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
• 1995 – Harvey Penick, American golfer and coach (b. 1904)
• 1997 – Tomoyuki Tanaka, Japanese director and producer (b. 1910)
• 1998 – Rob Pilatus, American singer and dancer (Milli Vanilli and Rob & Fab) (b. 1965)
• 2000 – Tommaso Buscetta, Italian-American mobster (b. 1928)
• 2001 – Charles Daudelin, Canadian sculptor and painter (b. 1920)
• 2001 – Jennifer Syme, American actress and production assistant (b. 1972)
• 2002 – Levi Celerio, Filipino composer and songwriter (b. 1910)
• 2002 – John R. Pierce, American engineer and author (b. 1910)
• 2003 – Edwin Starr, American singer-songwriter (b. 1942)
• 2004 – John Argyris, Greek computer scientist, engineer, and academic (b. 1913)
• 2005 – Betty Bolton, English actress (b. 1906)
• 2005 – Pope John Paul II (b. 1920)
• 2006 – Lloyd Searwar, Guyanese anthologist and diplomat (b. 1925)
• 2006 – Bernard Seigal, American guitarist and critic (The Beat Farmers) (b. 1957)
• 2006 – Nina Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, Lithuanian-German wife of Claus von Stauffenberg (b. 1913)
• 2007 – Henry L. Giclas, American astronomer and academic (b. 1910)
• 2007 – Paul Reed, American actor and singer (b. 1909)
• 2008 – Paul Arden, English author (b. 1940)
• 2008 – Ray Poole, American football player and coach (b. 1921)
• 2008 – Yakup Satar, Turkish soldier (b. 1898)
• 2009 – Albert Sanschagrin, Canadian bishop (b. 1911)
• 2009 – Bud Shank, American saxophonist and flute player (The L.A. Four) (b. 1926)
• 2010 – Mike Cuellar, Cuban-American baseball player (b. 1937)
• 2010 – Chris Kanyon, American wrestler (b. 1970)
• 2010 – Thomas J. Moyer, American lawyer and judge (b. 1939)
• 2011 – John C. Haas, American businessman and philanthropist (b. 1918)
• 2012 – Jesús Aguilarte, Venezuelan captain and politician (b. 1959)
• 2012 – Warren Bonython, Australian explorer, author, and engineer (b. 1916)
• 2012 – Elizabeth Catlett, American-Mexican sculptor and illustrator (b. 1915)
• 2012 – Allie Clark, American baseball player and politician (b. 1923)
• 2012 – Mauricio Lasansky, American graphic designer and academic (b. 1914)
• 2012 – Jimmy Little, Australian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (b. 1937)
• 2013 – Fred, French author and illustrator (b. 1931)
• 2013 – Chuck Fairbanks, American football player and coach (b. 1933)
• 2013 – Jesús Franco, Spanish director, screenwriter, producer, and actor (b. 1930)
• 2013 – Jane Henson, American puppeteer and voice actress (b. 1934)
• 2013 – Duke Kimbrough McCall, American pastor and activist (b. 1914)
• 2013 – Milo O'Shea, Irish-American actor (b. 1926)
• 2013 – Benjamin Purcell, American colonel and politician (b. 1928)
• 2013 – Maria Redaelli, Italian super-centenarian (b. 1899)
• 2014 – Al Bolton, American soldier and meteorologist (b. 1925)
• 2014 – Harris Goldsmith, American pianist, educator, and critic (b. 1937)
• 2014 – Lyndsie Holland, English actress and singer (b. 1939)
• 2014 – Lucy Hood, American businesswoman, founded Fox Mobile Entertainment (b. 1957)
• 2014 – Glyn Jones, South African actor and screenwriter (b. 1931)
• 2014 – Miloš Mikeln, Slovene director and playwright (b. 1930)
• 2014 – Carl Epting Mundy, Jr., American general (b. 1935)
• 2014 – David Werdyger, Polish-American singer (b. 1919)
• 2014 – Urs Widmer, Swiss author and playwright (b. 1938)
• 2015 – Per Vilhelm Brüel, Danish physicist and engineer (b. 1915)
• 2015 – Manoel de Oliveira, Portuguese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1908)
• 2015 – Hayley Okines, English activist (b. 1997)
• 2015 – Robert H. Schuller, American pastor and author (b. 1926)
• 2015 – Steve Stevaert, Belgian businessman and politician, Governor of Limburg (b. 1954)

Holidays and observances

• Christian feast day:
  • Abundius of Como
  • Amphianus of Lycia
  • Æbbe the Younger
  • Bronach of Glen-Seichis (Irish martyrology)
  • Francis of Paola
  • Francisco Coll Guitart
  • Henry Budd (Anglican Church of Canada)
  • Nicetius of Lyon
  • Pedro Calungsod
  • Urban of Langres
  • April 2 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

• International Children's Book Day (International)
• Malvinas Day (Argentina)
• Thai Heritage Conservation Day (Thailand)
• Unity of Peoples of Russia and Belarus Day (Belarus)
• World Autism Awareness Day (International)

External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada