April 1 is the 91st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 274 days remain until the end of the year.
We have some interesting facts & historic events all about April 1st, including areas in religion, crime, health and more.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about April 1st in history!
Table of Contents
Global Celebrations
- April Fools Day
- National Atheist Day
- National Sourdough Bread Day
- Reading is Funny Day
- National One Cent Day
Historic Events
What Happened On This Day – April 1
2001: The Netherlands becomes the first country to allow same-sex marriage
Despite opposition from conservative factions, gay and lesbian couples are today allowed to marry in many other countries also.
2001: Slobodan Milošević is arrested
The former President of Serbia was arrested on corruption charges. Later he was put on trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague for war crimes during the Yugoslav wars.
1976: Apple Inc. is founded
The computer company, which has evolved into a multinational corporation and whose best-known product is the iPhone, was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. In 2012, the company’s global revenue amounted to $156 billion.
1957: The BBC broadcasts the spaghetti tree hoax
The 3-minute film shown on the current affairs program, Panorama, portrayed a Swiss family apparently harvesting spaghetti from a tree. A number of viewers later contacted the BBC to inquire where to find and how to grow such a plant. The hoax is regarded as one of the best April Fools jokes ever pulled.
1939: General Franco proclaims victory in the Spanish civil war
The dictator ruled Spain until his death in 1975. His regime was responsible for gross human rights violations, including murdering numerous political opponents.
1979: On this day, in 1979, Apple Inc was established. Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs found Apple Computer in the garage of Jobs’ parents house in Cupertino, California. It was one of the revolutionary technology of the last century.
1978: Sandra Elaine Allen On the Wildwood New Jersey boardwalk in 1978
she was an tallest woman in the world during her life according to the Guinness World Records. She was 7 feet 7 inches tall.
1952: Big Bang theory was proposed in Physical Review by Alpher, Bethe & George Gamow in 1952.
1937: Robert Wadlow was the tallest person in recorded history. He reached 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) in height and weighed 439 lb (199 kg) at his death at age 22.
Here’s a picture of Robert chatting with a friend after appearing at a charity event in Omaha, Nebraska. April 1, 1937.
1935: Ethiopian female soldier preparing to fight against Benito Mussolini’s fascist Italy in 1935.
1640: Jeweled Falcon made with gold, enamel rubies, emeralds, diamonds, sapphires and onyx, Mughal Empire, 1640 A.D.
Famous Birthdays
Births On This Day, April 1
1961: Susan Boyle, Scottish singer
1940: Wangari Maathai, Kenyan environmentalist, Nobel Prize laureate
1875: Edgar Wallace, English journalist, author, playwright
1873: Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian pianist, composer, conductor
1815: Otto von Bismarck, German politician, 1st Chancellor of the German Empire
Logan Paul was born
Randy Orton was born
Otto von Bismarck was born
Heartbreaking Deaths
Deaths On This Day, April 1
2010: John Forsythe, American actor
1984: Marvin Gaye, American singer-songwriter
1976: Max Ernst, German painter, sculptor, poet
1930: Cosima Wagner
1917: Scott Joplin, American pianist, composer
Charles I of Austria died
Cynthia Lennon died
Scott Joplin died