Historical Events in April
This famous ship sank in the Atlantic ocean, four days after departing from Southampton, England on its maiden voyage.
The "unsinkable" ship left England and sank in the early morning hours of April 15th, two hours after striking an iceberg.
Born April 7th, 1939, this director of the movie the Godfather is considered one of the leaders of the New Hollywood movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
Over his illustrious career he directed 23 films, as well as writing and producing several others. In addition to critical acclaim, he has one five Oscars, and six Golden Globes.
This holiday was first observed in Nebraska on April 10, 1872.
What is Arbor Day?
Founded by zealous tree lover J.S. Morton, who lived in Nebraska City, it is estimated that almost a million trees were planted on that day.
These cheery yellow bloomers, also known by their botanical name narcissus, are early and reliable spring-flowering bulbs.
What are daffodils?
This moth is the most common for solar eclipses, based on data from the last 5000 years.
What is May?
The least common month is November.
Ford unveiled this famous car in April of 1964.
What is the Mustang?
This American singer-turned-actress, who received an Oscar for her role in Funny Girl, was born on April 24th, 1942.
Who is Barbara Streisand?
With a career spanning six decades, she ahs achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers to receive an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT).
Although now observed on April 15th in the United States, the original date of this deadline was March 1st, 1913.
The deadline was pushed back to April 15th in 1955 to allow the IRS a little more time for processing.
The pride of Holland, these bring flowers come in a rainbow of colors.
What are tulips?
This is the largest number of total solar eclipses that can happen each year.
What is two?
There can be up to five solar eclipses in any year, but only two can be total. In the past 3000 years there have only been 13 years that had 5 solar eclipses.
This American war began and ended in April, 4 years apart.
What is the Civil War?
War officially broke out on April 12th, 1861, when Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC. It effectively ended when General Robert E. Lee surrendered at the Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9th, 1865.
This famous playwright was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1554.
While the exact date of his birth is unknown, it is typically celebrated on April 23rd, which is also the date of his death in 1616 at age 52.
Founded in 1970, this holiday is observed every year on April 22nd.
Incredibly fragrant, the most common colors for this bulb flower are pink, purple, and white.
What are hyacinth?
This US state will get the most solar eclipses in the 21st century.
Not all of Alaska's solar eclipses will be total. The two states with the most total solar eclipses in this country are Texas and Georgia, which will both have four total solar eclipses this century.
This express mail delivery service began operations on April 3, 1860, when the first rider departed St. Joseph, Missouri, headed to California.
What is the Pony Express?
For $1 per half ounce (almost $40 in today's money), letters were delivered 2,000 miles to California within ten days. Riders each rode from 75 to 100 miles before handing the letters off to the next rider. Unfortunately the service went bankrupt after only 18 months, in October of 1861, following the establishment of the telegraph service.
Born on April 15, 1452, this Renaissance man is known for painting the Last Supper and the Mona Lisa.
Who is Leonardo da Vinci?
Guinness World Records lists Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa as having the highest insurance value for a painting. On permanent display at the Louvre in Paris, the Mona Lisa was assessed at US$100 million on 14 December 1962. Taking inflation into account, that value would be around US$1.039 billion in 2024.
Following a vote by Congress, the United States officially entered this conflict on April 6, 1917.
What is World War I?
The US had remained neutral at the outbreak of the war in Europe in 1914, although they provided financial and material support to the Allies. However several attacks by German submarines on passenger and merchant ships caused President Woodrow Wilson to ask Congress to declare war.
With hundreds of varieties, this flower is popular in arrangements, bouquets, and gardens. The Peace variety has its own day on April 29.
What is the rose?
National Peace Rose Day honors the peace rose, a popular hybrid tea rose, and its significance as a symbol of peace, particularly after World War II.
In 1882 a team of this sports league named the Louisville Eclipse was founded.
What is Major League Baseball?
The name was changed to the Louisville Colonels in 1885, and the team played through the 1999 season.
"Houston, we have a problem," was famously radioed from this space mission on April 13th, 1970.
What is the Apollo 13?
An oxygen tank ruptured in the service module two days into the mission, disabling the electrical and life support systems. This is actually a misquote: the actual words radioed were "Houston, we've had a problem here."
This late night talk show host known for his top-ten lists turns 78 on April 12, 2025.
Who is David Letterman?
April 9th is a holiday dedicated to celebrating this sparkly mythological creature.
What is the unicorn?
Unicorns have been a popular mythical creature since Ancient Greek times when people believed they lived in exotic India. While they were once considered to be fierce, powerful animals, many now see them as a symbol of love, purity, enchantment, and magic.
This hothouse flower is popular for corsages, but it has a reputation for being difficult to grow at home.
What are orchids?
The word "eclipse" comes from the Greek word "eclipses" meaning this.
What is abandonment?
Bonus fun fact: During a total solar eclipse, the shadow of the moon moves across the earth's surface at more than 1000 mph, faster than the speed of sound.