Here are 30 newsworthy and notable historical anniversaries in April 2023 (so you have time to write about them)
Historical anniversaries are great for “On This Day in History” features, biographies and anniversary tie-ins. They’re popular with readers and viewers, and editors and producers love them. They’re easy to research too. And you can easily turn them into newspaper and magazine articles, TV/radio features, films, documentaries, and more.
We’ve randomly picked one anniversary for each day of the month from The Date-A-Base Book 2023, which features more than 3,000 anniversaries. . The 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 editions are also available if you work further ahead.
Apr 1, 1948 – 75 years ago
The Big Bang theory was first proposed in a paper by the Russian-born American theoretical physicist and cosmologist George Gamow and his associates. It was published in the magazine Physical Review.
Apr 2, 1963 – 60 years ago
The Soviet Union launched its Luna 4 spacecraft on a mission to the Moon. It missed the Moon by over 5,000 miles after failing to make a mid-course correction.
Apr 3, 1948 – 75 years ago
The USA’s Marshall Plan for European recovery after WWII went into effect.
Apr 4, 1923 – 100 years ago
Death of John Venn, British logician and philosopher. Best known for inventing the Venn diagram.
Apr 5, 1923 – 100 years ago
Death of George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, British aristocrat and Egyptologist who financed the search/excavation of Tutankhamen’s Tomb.
Apr 6, 1993 – 30 years ago
Tomsk-7 nuclear accident, Seversk, Russia. A tank at a nuclear waste reprocessing facility exploded while being cleaned, releasing a cloud of highly radioactive gas. Several villages became permanently uninhabitable as a result.
Apr 7, 1933 – 90 years ago
Prohibition in the USA: the Cullen–Harrison Act came into effect, legalizing the sale of low alcohol beer and wine (up to 3.2% alcohol by weight) for the first time since 1920.
Apr 8, 1973 – 50 years ago
Death of Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist. Co-founder of the Cubism movement. One of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
Apr 9, 1963 – 60 years ago
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was proclaimed the first Honorary Citizen of the United States.
Apr 10, 1998 – 25 years ago
The Good Friday Agreement was signed in Northern Ireland.
Apr 11, 1958 – 65 years ago
Birth of Stuart Adamson, Scottish punk/rock/new wave singer, guitarist and songwriter (Skids, Big Country). (Died 2001.)
Apr 12, 1898 – 125 years ago
Birth of Lily Pons, French-born American operatic soprano.
Apr 13, 1873 – 150 years ago
The Colfax Massacre, Louisiana, USA. More than 60 black men (some sources say 150) were killed by a white Southern militia in a racially motivated attack.
Apr 14, 2003 – 20 years ago
The Human Genome Project was successfully completed, with over 99% of the human genome sequenced and mapped, including all of the genes.
Apr 15, 1923 – 100 years ago
Insulin became generally available for the treatment of diabetes.
Apr 16, 1943 – 80 years ago
Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann first discovered the hallucinogenic effects of LSD after accidentally absorbing some through his fingertips during an experiment at the Sandoz pharmaceutical research laboratory. On April 19th he deliberately took the drug to determine its true effects, but underestimated its potency and experienced an intense psychotic reaction.
Apr 17, 1973 – 50 years ago
FedEx, the courier service, began operating (as Federal Express).
Apr 18, 1973 – 50 years ago
The premiere of the dystopian thriller movie Soylent Green in Los Angeles, California, USA. (New York premiere: April 19th, released: May 9th. UK: June 1973.)
Apr 19 to May 16, 1943 – 80 years ago
Holocaust: the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Poland. The Jewish resistance revolted against Nazi Germany’s efforts to transport those who remained in the ghetto to Treblinka extermination camp.
Apr 20, 1923 – 100 years ago
Birth of Tito Puente, American Latin jazz/mambo musician, songwriter and record producer. He helped popularize Latin dance music and jazz in the USA.
Apr 21, 1923 – 100 years ago
Birth of Sir John Mortimer, British barrister, playwright, novelist, screenwriter and short story writer. Best known for creating Rumpole of the Bailey, and for the stage play A Voyage Round My Father. (Died 2009.)
Apr 22, 1923 – 100 years ago
Birth of Aaron Spelling, American television and film producer (Charlie’s Angels, T. J. Hooker, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart, Beverly Hills 90210 and many more). (Died 2006.)
Apr 23, 1998 – 25 years ago
Death of James Earl Ray, American criminal convicted of assassinating the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Apr 24, 1993 – 30 years ago
An IRA truck bomb exploded in the Bishopsgate financial district in London. One person was killed (a press photographer) and 44 injured. It was the last major IRA bombing in England. Reconstruction cost over $400 million.
Apr 25, 1873 – 150 years ago
Birth of Walter de la Mare, British poet, children’s writer, short story writer and novelist.
Apr 26, 1933 – 90 years ago
The Gestapo, Nazi Germany’s secret police force, was established.
Apr 27, 1848 – 175 years ago
Slavery was abolished in the French colonies.
Apr 28, 1923 – 100 years ago
Wembley Stadium in London opened (as the British Empire Exhibition Stadium, commonly known as the Empire Stadium). It was demolished in 2003. The new Wembley Stadium opened on the same site in March 2007.
Apr 29, 1993 – 30 years ago
Queen Elizabeth II announced that Buckingham Palace would open to the public for the first time, to raise funds to repair fire damage at Windsor Castle.
Apr 30, 1948 – 75 years ago
The Land Rover, a British all-terrain vehicle, was officially launched at the Amsterdam Motor Show in the Netherlands.
More anniversaries:
You’ll find hundreds more anniversaries for this month in The Date-A-Base Book 2023. The 2024, 2025 and 2026 and 2027 editions are also available if you work further ahead. The 2028 edition will be available from April 2023. Find out more at ideas4writers.com.