Historical data April 2024
Published: Friday, Mar 1st 2024, 09:11
Updated At: Saturday, Mar 2nd 2024, 00:59
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MONDAY, APRIL 1
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the French photographer Robert Doisneau died. His picture of two kissing couples ("Le baiser de l'hôtel de ville") is one of the most famous photographs in the world. The original was purchased at auction in 2005 by an unknown Swiss man for 155,000 euros. The photo was first owned by Françoise Bornet, an acting student who is being kissed in the picture by her boyfriend at the time, Jacques Carteaud.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... around 20 US planes bombed Schaffhausen. It was the heaviest air raid on Swiss territory and 40 people died. The USA paid around 62 million francs in compensation for the mistaken attack.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... General Franco announced victory in the Spanish Civil War.
... the musical comedy "Der schwarze Hecht" by Paul Burkhard premiered at the Schauspielhaus Zürich.
... the US actress Ali MacGraw ("Love Story") was born.
- 90 years ago (1934) ... the airline Swissair hired Europe's first stewardess, Nelly Diener. The "Angel of the Skies" was known for her ability to ease passengers' fear of flying, for example by playing cards, knitting or singing. Diener died after 83 flights in the crash of the 14-seater Curtiss AT-32C Condor on July 27, 1934 on the Zurich-Berlin route near Wurmlingen. (*5.2.1912)
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the Czech writer and literary scholar Milan Kundera ("The Unbearable Lightness of Being") was born.
- 100 years ago (1924) ... Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years imprisonment together with several co-defendants in the Hitler trial for his attempted coup on November 9, 1923.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the Swiss environmental and animal rights activist Franz Weber died at the age of 91. Born in Basel, he spent his life collecting signatures, arguing with politicians, organizing demonstrations and leading lawsuits. He is considered the father of the second homes initiative.
- 10 years ago (2014) ... the Swiss author Urs Widmer ("Der blaue Siphon") died. *21.5.1938)
- 20 years ago (2004) ... e-voting was tested for the first time at federal level in a Swiss town. Carouge GE voted online until April 17, 2004 to save a neighborhood cinema.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the US actress Pamela Reed ("Kindergarten Cop") was born.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the former CVP politician Philipp Stähelin was born in Frauenfeld TG. The lawyer was a member of the Council of States and a member of the cantonal government. He also chaired the then Swiss CVP from 2001 to 2004.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the US-American soul singer Marvin Gaye ("I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "What's Going On", "Sexual Healing") was born (†1.4.1984).
WEDNESDAY 3 APRIL
- 20 years ago (2004) ... there was a shootout between Spanish police officers and the suspected perpetrators of the Madrid train bombings of March 11 in the Madrid suburb of Leganés. The wanted men eventually blew themselves up.
- 50 years ago (1974) ... a total of 148 tornadoes ravaged 13 US states in the South and Midwest during a super outbreak on this day and the following day. The disaster claimed 315 lives and caused around 600 million US dollars in property damage.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Swiss actor Max Rüdlinger ("Achtung, fertig, Charlie!", "E Nacht lang Füürland") was born in Flums SG.
... Jordan was the third state after the Kingdom of Egypt and Lebanon to conclude a ceasefire agreement with Israel after the Palestine War. A peace treaty between these two countries did not follow until July 25, 1994.
- 90 years ago (1934) ... the British primatologist Jane Goodall (books "Wild Chimpanzees", "A Heart for Chimpanzees") was born.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... Gerhardt Behrendt, the inventor of the "Sandman", was born. (†26.9.2006)
- 100 years ago (1924) ... the American actress and singer Doris Day was born (films "Pillow Talk", "Pajamas for Two", "Midnight Tips", 1957 Oscar for the song "Que sera, sera" from "The Man Who Knew Too Much").
... the American actor Marlon Brando ("The Godfather") was born in Omaha, Nebraska. (†1.7.2004)
- 125 years ago (1899) ... Adolf Guyer-Zeller, Swiss industrialist, politician and railroad pioneer, builder of the cogwheel railroad to the Jungfraujoch, died. (*1.5.1839)
- 130 years ago (1894) ... the constituent General Assembly of the Swiss Dispatch Agency took place in Berne.
THURSDAY, APRIL 4
- One year ago (2023) ... Finland officially joined NATO. Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto presented his country's certificate of accession in Brussels, thereby completing the accession process.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Kurdish politician and leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, was born.
... the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in Washington by twelve states.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela ("Grazing In The Grass") was born. (†23.1.2018)
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the German car manufacturer Carl Benz died. His Benz Patent Motor Car Number 1 from 1885 is considered the first practical automobile. He applied for a patent for his motor car on January 29, 1886. (*25.11.1844)
FRIDAY 5 APRIL
- 25 years ago (1999) ... the suspected Lockerbie attackers were extradited to the Netherlands and the UN Security Council sanctions against Libya were suspended.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the US rock musician Kurt Cobain, singer of the band Nirvana ("Smells Like Teen Spirit") died by suicide. (*20.2.1967)
- 40 years ago (1984) ... a silent march of Tamils took place in Bern. Hundreds of Tamil refugees demonstrated against their impending deportation.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the Swiss jazz musician Co Streiff was born.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the US astronaut Judith Resnik was born. She died in the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the Belgian author Hugo Claus ("The Sorrow of Flanders") was born. (†19.3.2008)
SATURDAY, 6 APRIL
- 10 years ago (2014) ... the US actor Mickey Rooney ("Night at the Museum") died. *23.9.1920
- 15 years ago (2009) ... around 300 people lost their lives in a devastating earthquake in central Italy. The magnitude 6.2 quake struck the region of L'Aquila in Abruzzo.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the genocide against the Tutsi minority began in Rwanda, in which an estimated 800,000 people lost their lives.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Swiss painter, musician and artist Anton Bruhin was born. (2014 Prix Meret Oppenheim)
... the Austrian writer Brigitte Schwaiger ("Wie kommt das Salz ins Meer") was born. (†26.7.2010)
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the US manager John Sculley, President and CEO of Apple 1983-93, was born.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the German-American conductor, composer and pianist André Previn (film music Oscars for "Gigi", "Porgy & Bess", "Irma la Douce" and "My Fair Lady") was born in Berlin. (†28.2.2019)
- 100 years ago (1924) ... Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the left-liberal Roman newspaper "La Repubblica", was born in Civitavecchia near Rome. The journalist and politician founded the paper in 1976 and was editor-in-chief for 20 years.
SUNDAY, 7 APRIL
- One year ago (2023) ... former Federal Councillor Elisabeth Kopp died in Zumikon ZH at the age of 86. The lawyer and FDP politician was the first woman to be a member of the Federal Council from 1984 to 1989. A scandal in the fall of 1988 brought Kopp's term of office to a premature end in January 1989.
... climate activists demonstrated in the middle of the Easter traffic jam in front of the north portal of the Gotthard road tunnel on the A2 highway. They blocked several lanes of the important north-south axis on the morning of Good Friday.
- 10 years ago (2014) ... the model Peaches Geldof died. (*13.3.1989)
- 15 years ago (2009) ... the game developer Dave Arneson, one of the fathers of Dungeons & Dragons, died. (*1.10.1947)
- 20 years ago (2004) ... French researchers discovered wreckage of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's (1900-1944) plane in the Mediterranean near Marseille.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the German-Swiss historian and writer Golo Mann ("From Weimar to Bonn. Fifty Years of the German Republic", "The Spirit of America") died in Leverkusen. The son of Thomas Mann emigrated to Switzerland after the Nazis seized power.
- 70 years ago (1954) ... the Chinese stuntman and actor Jackie Chan ("Rush Hour") was born in Hong Kong
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Swiss track and field athlete Meta Antenen was born. She was a multiple Swiss champion in the long jump, 100-meter hurdles, 100-meter dash, pentathlon and high jump. Of her many Swiss records, the one in the long jump stood for 39 years.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder was born.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the American film director and producer Francis Ford Coppola ("Apocalypse Now", "The Godfather") was born.
... Italy invaded Albania and annexed the country after the flight of King Zogu I.
- 100 years ago (1924) ... the Austrian writer Johannes Mario Simmel ("Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein" 1960, "Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen" 1970, "Hurra, wir leben noch" 1978) was born. He died on January 1, 2009 in Lucerne.
MONTAG, APRIL 8.
- One year ago (2023) ... an avalanche caught 16 people off the marked pistes near Saas-Fee VS. Miraculously, everyone was rescued alive.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the British director John Madden (Oscar for "Shakespeare In Love") was born.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the German writer Christoph Hein (novella "Der fremde Freund") was born in what was then Jasenitz in Silesia (now Jasienica/Poland).
- 95 years ago (1929) ... Jacques Brel, Belgian chansonnier and actor, ("Amsterdam", "Ne me quitte pas"), was born. (†9.10.1978 in Bobigny F)
TUESDAY, 9 APRIL
- 25 years ago (1999) ... President Ibrahim Baré Maïnassara was assassinated in the Republic of Niger during a coup led by Major Daouda Malam Wanké at the airport in the capital Niamey.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the US architect Frank Lloyd Wright died. (*8.6.1867)
... Nasa presented its first astronauts from the Mercury program to the world at a press conference: Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra, Deke Slayton and Gordon Cooper.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the Palestinian terrorist Leila Chaled was born. She was one of the first female hijackers in history.
- 100 years ago (1924) ... the American actor Dennis Quaid ("Suspect", "The Day After Tomorrow", "The Big Easy") was born.
MITTWOCH, 10 APRIL
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the Event Horizon Telescope project succeeded for the first time in creating a direct image of the accretion disk of a black hole (Messier 87).
- 50 years ago (1974) ... Israel's Prime Minister Golda Meir resigned. She was one of the first female heads of government in the world. She was Foreign Minister from 1956 to 1965 and Prime Minister from March 17, 1969 to June 3, 1974.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the US neo-rockabilly musician Brian Setzer was born.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... on Easter Monday around noon, 100,000 cubic meters of rock fell from the Flimserstein near Fidaz GR within a minute at a speed of 120 to 200 kilometers per hour onto the "Sunnehüsli" children's home. 18 of the 29 residents - 13 children and five adults - were killed. One adult and four children are still buried under a boulder today. The mountain "never gave them up", says a memorial stone.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the Swedish actor Max von Sydow ("Pelle the Conqueror", "The Seventh Seal", "The Ten Commandments") was born.
... the US actress Elizabeth Sheridan was born. She was engaged to James Dean ("Beyond Eden") in 1952 and became famous in the 1980s as the nosy neighbor Raquel Ochmonek in the TV series "Alf".
THURSDAY, APRIL 11
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the Australian political activist and WikiLeaks spokesperson Julian Assange was arrested by the British police.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the DAX 100 was introduced in Germany as a new stock market barometer.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the German poet Barbara Köhler was born.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the German filmmaker Bernd Eichinger ("Downfall") was born. (†24.1.2011)
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the US actress Louise Lasser was born. She was married to Woody Allen from 1966-69 and was therefore allowed to act in his early films such as "All You Always Wanted to Know About Sex...".
FRIDAY, APRIL 12
- One year ago (2023) ... the Swiss parliament rejected the urgent emergency loan of CHF 109 billion to rescue the major bank Credit Suisse from its competitor UBS. While the Council of States approved the plan, the National Council rejected it. This did not have any noticeable consequences, as the parliamentary finance delegation had already approved the emergency loans. However, the rejection was a protest note to the Federal Council.
- 15 years ago (2009) ... the US actress Marilyn Chambers died in unexplained circumstances. She became world-famous thanks to the porn film "Behind the Green Door" in 1972. In the 2004 US presidential elections, Marilyn Chambers ran for the office of Vice President for the Personal Choice Party.
- 25 years ago (1999) ... the US country singer Boxcar Willie died. (*1.9.1931)
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the Irish actress Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement") was born.
- 70 years ago (1954) ... the song "Rock Around the Clock" was recorded with Bill Haley in New York. It marked the beginning of the rock 'n' roll era and the birth of modern pop music.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the US author Scott Turow ("For Lack of Evidence") was born.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the British playwright Alan Ayckbourn ("Half Truths", "Family Business", "The Hero of the Day") was born.
SATURDAY, APRIL 13
- One year ago (2023) ... the auctioneer, art collector and author Eberhard W. Kornfeld died in Ostermundigen BE at the age of 99. The house of the Basel native and Berliner-by-choice was one of the most famous addresses in the global auction business. Kornfeld was friends with numerous artists, including Pablo Picasso.
... British fashion designer Mary Quant died at her home in Surrey at the age of 93. She is considered the inventor of the miniskirt.
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the Czechoslovakian-US-American director Miloš Forman ("Amadeus", *18.2.1932) died
- 15 years ago (2009) ... the US music producer Phil Spector was sentenced to 19 years in prison for murder in Los Angeles.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the Israeli author Zeruya Shalev was born.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Italian author and anarchist Marie-Louise Berneri died in childbirth at the age of 31. (*1.3.1918)
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the Austrian actress Elisabeth Trissenaar ("Berlin Alexanderplatz", "Die Ehe der Maria Braun") was born.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the Swiss cross-country skier and Nordic combined athlete Alois ("Wisel") Kälin was born in Einsiedeln SZ.
... the US actor Paul Sorvino ("Goodfellas") was born.
SONNTAG, 14. APRIL
- One year ago (2023) ... the Federal Supreme Court convicted the French comedian Dieudonné of racial discrimination. It confirmed a conviction by the Geneva cantonal court. During performances in Nyon VD and Geneva in 2019, the artist said that the gas chambers used to exterminate Jews during the Second World War had never existed.
... the Constitutional Council in France gave the green light to President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform. The Council declared the plan to gradually raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 to be largely in line with the constitution.
... India officially replaced China as the world's most populous country. India announced 1,425,775,850 inhabitants. China had a population of 1.4 billion at the time.
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the Swedish film actress Bibi Andersson, known from Bergman films, died. (*11.11.1935)
- 10 years ago (2014) ... the Islamist terrorist organization Boko Haram in Nigeria kidnapped 223 schoolgirls in the small northeastern town of Chibok and took them to an unknown location.
- 25 years ago (1999) ... the Japanese maglev train "Maglev" set a new world speed record of 552 km/h.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, which had been largely destroyed by fire and restored, was inaugurated.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the US actor John Shea (Lex Luthor from the TV series "Superman") was born.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath" was published.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... an automobile race took place in Monaco for the first time. The Monaco Grand Prix developed into one of the most famous races in motor racing.
MONDAY, APRIL 15
- 5 years ago (2019) ... Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris burned down
- 10 years ago (2014) ... Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to nine months of community service for bribery. He had to perform social service once a week in a home for the disabled.
- 20 years ago (2004) ... Hans Gmür, Swiss author, who wrote sketches for Swiss radio and over 50 musicals (including "Bibi Balù" and "Hotel Happy End"), died.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the World Trade Organization (WTO) was founded in Marrakesh/Morocco. The aim was to reduce trade barriers and liberalize international trade.
... British figure skater John Curry, 1976 Olympic champion in Innsbruck, died of AIDS in Stratford-upon-Avon. (*9.9.1949)
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the British actress Emma Thompson was born. ("Sense and Sensibility").
DIENSTAG, 16 APRIL
- 30 years ago (1994) ... Hutu soldiers in Rwanda began to carry out the massacre of Nyarubuye among the Tutsi. Including the following day, up to 2000 people died in the town in this act of genocide.
... the US author Ralph Waldo Ellison died. His novel "The Invisible Man" is considered one of the most important works in recent US literary history. (*1.3.1914)
- 70 years ago (1954) ... the American actress Ellen Barkin ("Sea of Love", "The Big Easy") was born.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the German actor Elmar Wepper ("Cherry Blossom Hanami") was born.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the British singer Dusty Springfield ("Son Of A Preacher Man", "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten") was born. (†2.3.1999)
WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the British actor Sean Bean - Boromir from "Lord of the Rings" - was born.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Swiss Brother Roger Schutz founded the ecumenical Taizé Community. During vespers on August 16, 2005, four days before the 65th anniversary of his arrival in Taizé, Brother Roger was fatally wounded with a knife by a mentally ill woman in the Church of Reconciliation. The prayer was continued to prevent panic. Roger died of his injuries a short time later.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the Swiss writer Urs Berner ("The Miracle of Dublin") was born.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the Swiss writer Helen Meier ("Trockenwiese") was born in Mels SG.
... the German bandleader and composer James Last (song "Games That Lovers Play", LP "Non Stop Dancing") was born. (†9.6.2015)
THURSDAY, APRIL 18
- One year ago (2023) ... a dinosaur skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was auctioned for the first time in Europe. The bones of the 11.4-metre-long and 3.9-metre-high animal, nicknamed "Trinity", were sold in Zurich for over 4.8 million francs to a charitable art foundation in Antwerp, Belgium.
- 25 years ago (1999) ... Swiss voters approved the Federal Decree on a new Federal Constitution.
... the Italian-American mathematician Gian-Carlo Rota died. He is considered the founder of modern combinatorics. (*27.4.1932)
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the US actor Moises Arias, Rico in the TV series "Hannah Montana", was born.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Swedish figure skater Ulrich Salchow, ten-time world and nine-time European champion, died. (*7.8.1877). He is still known today for the Salchow jump he invented and named after himself, which he developed during his preparations for the 1910 World Championships in Davos.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Republic of Ireland Act came into force. Ireland thus withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations and became a republic. The first President was Seán Ó Ceallaigh, who had already been inaugurated in 1945.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the US double agent Robert Hanssen, who spied for Russia, was born. He has been in prison for life without the prospect of parole since 2001.
- 90 years ago (1934) ... the first public laundromat was opened in the United States, probably the Washateria in Fort Worth, Texas.
FRIDAY, APRIL 19
- One year ago (2023) ... at least 78 people were killed in a stampede in Yemen. A deadly crush occurred late in the evening during a distribution of donations.
- 15 years ago (2009) ... the British author James Graham Ballard ("Empire often the Sun", made into a movie) died. *15.11.1930
- 25 years ago (1999) ... the Austrian concentration camp guard Hermine Braunsteiner-Ryan, who was notorious for her cruelty towards children, died. She was released in 1950 after only one year in prison. She emigrated to the USA, where she was tracked down by Simon Wiesenthal in 1964. In 1975, she was accused in the third Majdanek trial and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1981. In 1996, at the age of 77, she was pardoned due to her poor state of health.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the city of Los Angeles was ordered by a court to pay compensation of 3.85 million dollars to Rodney King, an African-American man who was beaten up by police officers in 1991.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the German quantum chemist Joachim Sauer, husband of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, was born.
... the French designer Paloma Picasso, daughter of Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot, was born. She has lived in Lausanne since 2001.
- 90 years ago (1934) ... the Swiss sociologist, SP politician, former National Councillor and author Jean Ziegler ("Switzerland washes whiter", "Switzerland, the gold and the dead") was born Hans Ziegler in Thun BE.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the Swiss painter Marco Richterich was born. (†11.5.1997)
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
- One year ago (2023) ... Switzerland imposed sanctions against the Russian mercenary group Wagner. The private organization was founded to carry out military operations in Russia's interests, including in the war against Ukraine. The Russian news agency RIA FAN was also subject to sanctions due to pro-government propaganda.
... Elon Musk's SpaceX "Starship" rocket exploded during a test in Boca Chica, Texas, around four minutes after take-off. It was the largest rocket system ever built in the history of space travel.
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the German film composer Martin Böttcher, known for his compositions for the Karl May film adaptations, died. (*17.6.1927)
- 25 years ago (1999) ... twelve students between the ages of 14 and 18, a teacher and the two 17- and 18-year-old perpetrators Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris died in the Columbine High School shooting near Littleton in the US state of Colorado.
- 60 years ago (1964) ... the first jar of Nutella was produced in Alba, Italy. The nut nougat cream from the Italian confectionery manufacturer Ferrero was also sold outside Italy from 1965.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the US actor Clint Howard ("Solo: A Star Wars Story"), the younger brother of director Ron Howard, was born.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the American film actress Jessica Lange (Oscars for "Tootsie" and "Blue Sky") was born.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the German actor Michael Mendl ("Kleine Haie", "Tatort") was born.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the former Norwegian Prime Minister and Director General of the World Health Organization, Gro Harlem Brundtland, was born.
- 125 years ago (1899) ... the Federal Council of the German Empire decided to admit women to the medical, dental and pharmaceutical state examinations and thus to the license to practice medicine. Prior to this, many German women had studied in Switzerland, where it was possible to study from 1840 and obtain a license to practice medicine from 1867. Examples: Emilie Lehmus, Pauline Rüdin, Franziska Tiburtius, Anita Augspurg, Ricarda Huch and Käthe Schirmacher.
SONNTAG, 21. APRIL
- 5 years ago (2019) ... 310 people died in eight bomb attacks on three churches and three luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. Over 500 were injured. Two Swiss nationals were among the dead. The terrorist organization "Islamic State" (IS) claimed responsibility for the attacks.
... the German actress Hannelore Elsner (*26.7.1942) died
- 65 years ago (1959) ... Robert Smith from The Cure was born.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... French women were granted the right to vote by decree of the government-in-exile under de Gaulle.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... Sister Helen Prejean was born, who has been campaigning against the death penalty since 1981. Her autobiographical novel "Dead Man Walking" was made into a film.
- 90 years ago (1934) ... the 18-kilometer railroad tunnel between Bologna and Florence, which runs through the Apennines, was inaugurated in Italy.
MONTAG, 22. APRIL
- 15 years ago (2009) ... the British director Ken Annakin died. ("The Call of the Wild", *10.8.1914)
... British cinematographer ("The Last Days of Pompeii") and director Jack Cardiff died. (*18.9.1914)
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the Republican politician and former American president Richard Nixon died. (*9.1.1913)
... the department store blackmailer known as "Dagobert" was arrested in a telephone booth in Berlin.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the US actor Ryan Stiles - Dr. Herb Melnick from "Two and a Half Men" - was born.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the US adventurer Steve Fossett was born. He was the first person to circumnavigate the earth in a balloon. (†3.9.2007 when his plane crashed in California).
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, a specialist in the development of new fabrics and techniques, was born in Hiroshima (according to other sources on April 22, 1938).
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the Cuban author Guillermo Cabrera Infante ("Three Sad Tigers") was born. (†21.2.2005)
- 125 years ago (1899) ... the Russian author Vladimir Nabokov ("Lolita") was born. (†2.7.1977 in Montreux).
TUESDAY, APRIL 23
- One year ago (2023) ... Switzerland withdrew its embassy staff from the civil war-torn country of Sudan. The embassy in the capital Khartoum was temporarily closed.
- 40 years ago (1984) ... the US Department of Health and Human Services announced the discovery of the AIDS virus by the American virologist Robert Charles Gallo. The French virologist Luc Montagnier also claimed the discovery of the virus.
- 70 years ago (1954) ... the American director and author Michael Moore ("Stupid White Men", Oscar for "Bowling for Columbine") was born in Flint/Michigan.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... Veit Harlan, director of the anti-Semitic propaganda film "Jud Süss", was acquitted in Hamburg.
... the British musician John Miles (world hit "Music" 1976) was born.
- 80 years ago (1944) ... the Swiss film director Niklaus Schilling was born in Basel. (†6.5.2016 in Berlin)
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the US actor Lee Majors ("A Colt for All Seasons") was born.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the Swiss author Max Bolliger, known for his Bible retellings for children, was born. (†10.2.2013)
- 100 years ago (1924) ... 15 people died in a head-on collision between two trains near Bellinzona in the early morning. It was caused by a wrong decision by the stationmaster of Ambri-Piotta and the driver of one of the trains ignoring a stop signal. Among the dead was the right-wing German politician Karl Helfferich.
WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL
- One year ago (2023) ... the Swiss alphorn virtuoso, singer and composer Eliana Burki died of a malignant brain tumor at the age of 39. She made a name for herself by anchoring the alphorn in funk, pop and jazz; she coined the term "Funky Swiss Alphorn". She performed internationally, in Europe, the USA, South America and the Middle and Far East. She lived for a time in Solothurn and Los Angeles.
- 20 years ago (2004) ... the US cosmetics entrepreneur Estée Lauder died. (*1.7.1906)
- 30 years ago (1994) ... Prime Minister Izchak Rabin arrived in Moscow for the first official visit to Russia by an Israeli head of government.
... the German actress Margot Trooger died. ("The Witcher", "Pippi Longstocking"). *2.6.1923
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the French chansonnière Véronique Sanson ("Amoureuse") was born.
- 90 years ago (1934) ... the American actress Shirley MacLaine (Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in "Time of Tenderness", roles in "The Apartment", "Irma La Douce", "Always Trouble with Harry") was born.
THURSDAY, APRIL 25
- One year ago (2023) ... Democratic US President Joe Biden announced his intention to run for another term in the 2024 presidential election. At 78, the 46th President of the United States of America was the oldest US President in history when he took office in 2021.
... the German-Swiss writer Hanna Johansen (real name Hanna Margarete Muschg) died in Horgen ZH at the age of 83. The author of novels, short stories and children's books was the wife of writer Adolf Muschg and published works under the pseudonym Hanna Johansen. She published over 30 books for children and adults and is considered the grande dame of Swiss literature.
... US singer, actor and entertainer Harry Belafonte (film "Carmen Jones", songs "Banana Boat", "Island in the Sun", "Matilda") died in New York at the age of 96.
- 15 years ago (2009) ... the US actress Beatrice Arthur, Dorothy from "Golden Girls", died. (*13.5.1922)
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the former French Minister of Economy and Finance Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Director of the IMF 2007-2011, was born. A series of allegations of sexual offenses ended his political career in 2011.
FREITAG, 26 APRIL
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the German actress Ellen Schwiers died. She initially trained as a baker and gardener, then took lessons from her father, the actor Lutz Schwiers. Her daughter Katerina Jacob is also an actress ("Der Bulle von Tölz")
- 30 years ago (1994) ... the first free elections after the end of the apartheid regime began in South Africa. They lasted until April 29.
... an Airbus A300 of Taiwan's China Airlines coming from Taipei crashed on its approach to Nagoya in Japan. 264 people died and 7 survived the accident.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27
- 25 years ago (1999) ... the US jazz trumpeter Al Hirt died. (*7.11.1922)
- 30 years ago (1994) ... Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa. Free elections were held in the country for the first time. The African National Congress ANC won a resounding victory.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the British singer Sheena Easton was born ("For Your Eyes Only")
SONNTAG, 28. APRIL
- 25 years ago (1999) ... the US actor Rory Calhoun ("River of No Return") died. *8.8.1922.
- 65 years ago (1959) ... the Swiss mountaineer Erhard Loretan was born. In 1995, he was the second person to successfully climb all 14 eight-thousanders without supplemental oxygen. He made headlines in 2001 when he inflicted a fatal shaking trauma on his then seven-month-old son because he would not stop screaming. Loretan was given four months' probation and became involved in raising awareness of the dangers of shaking babies. He died on his 52nd birthday on April 28, 2011, leading a two-person rope team. His companion pulled him into the depths but, unlike him, survived.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the Swiss songwriter and singer Peter Reber ("Grüeni Banane"), once a member of the group Peter, Sue & Marc ("Djambo Djambo"), was born.
... the US actor Paul Guilfoyle was born. Among other roles, he played Jim Brass in "CSI" in 317 episodes.
- 85 years ago (1939) ... the German actor, author and director Burkhard Driest, (novel "Die Verrohung des Franz Blum" (made into a film), director "Annas Mutter") was born.
MONTAG, APRIL 29.
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the Australian poet Les Murray died. (*17.10.1938)
... US director John Singleton ("Boyz n the Hood", *6.1.1968) died as a result of a stroke.
- 70 years ago (1954) ... the US actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld was born.
- 75 years ago (1949) ... the International Olympic Committee (IOC) once again admitted German athletes to the Games.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the German author Walter Kempowski ("Das Echolot") was born. (†5.10.2007)
- 125 years ago (1899) ... the US jazz musician Duke Ellington was born. (†24.5.1974)
DIENSTAG, 30 APRIL
- One year ago (2023) ... Geneva government politician Pierre Maudet, who had once stumbled over an affair, was re-elected to the Geneva State Council after the second round of voting. The 45-year-old had previously been ousted and forced to resign following a controversial trip to Abu Dhabi in 2015. He was subsequently expelled from his party, the FDP at the time. Maudet went into the elections with the newly founded "Liberté et Justice" movement.
- 5 years ago (2019) ... the 86-year-old Japanese Emperor Akihito abdicated and vacated the throne for his son Naruhito.
- 15 years ago (2009) ... eight people were fatally injured in an attack on Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands on Queen's Day in Apeldoorn.
- 30 years ago (1994) ... two racing drivers died at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola: the Austrian Roland Ratzenberger in practice and the Brazilian Ayrton Senna in the actual race.
- 70 years ago (1954) ... the New Zealand film director and screenwriter Jane Campion ("The Piano") was born.
- 95 years ago (1929) ... the German-Austrian actor Klausjürgen Wussow ("Die Schwarzwaldklinik") was born. (†19.6.2007)
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