April 4 in history — What Happened Today in History
April 4 in history is full of turning points. This page walks you through what happened on April 4 in history, who was born on April 4 and who passed away on April 4, so nothing about this day slips past you.
On this page, April 4 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about April 4 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on April 4 in History 40
- 2025
The impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea in response to his declaration of martial law is unanimously upheld by the country's Constitutional Court, ending his presidency.
- 2024
Russo-Ukrainian war: The Battle of Chasiv Yar begins.
- 2023
Finland becomes a member of NATO after Turkey accepts its membership request.
- 2020
China holds a national day of mourning for martyrs who died in the fight against the novel coronavirus disease outbreak.
- 2017
Syria conducts an air strike on Khan Shaykhun using chemical weapons, killing 89 civilians.
- 2013
Seventy-four people are killed in a building collapse in Thane, India.
- 2011
Georgian Airways Flight 834 crashes at N'djili Airport in Kinshasa, killing 32.
- 2010
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits south of the Mexico-USA border, killing at least two and damaging buildings across the two countries.
- 2009
France announces its return to full participation of its military forces within NATO.
- 2002
The MPLA government of Angola and UNITA rebels sign a peace treaty ending the Angolan Civil War.
- 1997
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Columbia is launched on STS-83. However, the mission is later cut short due to a fuel cell problem.
- 1996
Comet Hyakutake is imaged by the USA Asteroid Orbiter Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous.
All entries for April 4（+28）
- 1994
Three people are killed when KLM Cityhopper Flight 433 crashes at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
- 1991
Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania and six others are killed when a helicopter collides with their airplane over an elementary school in Merion, Pennsylvania.
- 1991
Forty-one people are taken hostage inside a Good Guys! Electronics store in Sacramento, California. Three of the hostage takers and three hostages are killed.
- 1990
The current flag of Hong Kong is adopted for post-colonial Hong Kong during the Third Session of the Seventh National People's Congress.
- 1988
Governor Evan Mecham of Arizona is convicted in his impeachment trial and removed from office.
- 1987
Garuda Indonesia Flight 032 crashes at Medan Airport, killing 23.
- 1984
President Ronald Reagan calls for an international ban on chemical weapons.
- 1983
Space Shuttle program: Space Shuttle Challenger makes its maiden voyage into space on STS-6.
- 1981
Iran–Iraq War: The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force mounts an attack on H-3 Airbase and destroys about 50 Iraqi aircraft.
- 1979
Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of Pakistan is executed.
- 1977
Southern Airways Flight 242 crashes in New Hope, Paulding County, Georgia, killing 72.
- 1975
Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
- 1975
Vietnam War: A United States Air Force Lockheed C-5A Galaxy transporting orphans, crashes near Saigon, South Vietnam shortly after takeoff, killing 172 people.
- 1973
The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City are officially dedicated.
- 1973
A Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, dubbed the Hanoi Taxi, makes the last flight of Operation Homecoming.
- 1969
Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart.
- 1968
Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated by James Earl Ray at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
- 1968
Apollo program: NASA launches Apollo 6.
- 1967
Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" speech in New York City's Riverside Church.
- 1964
The Beatles occupy the top five positions on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
- 1963
Bye Bye Birdie, a musical romantic comedy film directed by George Sidney, was released.
- 1960
France agrees to grant independence to the Mali Federation, a union of Senegal and French Sudan.
- 1958
The CND peace symbol is displayed in public for the first time in London.
- 1949
Cold War: Twelve nations sign the North Atlantic Treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
- 1946
Greek judge and archeologist Panagiotis Poulitsas is appointed Prime Minister of Greece in the midst of the Greek Civil War.
- 1945
World War II: United States Army troops liberate Ohrdruf forced labor camp in Germany.
- 1945
World War II: United States Army troops capture Kassel.
- 1945
World War II: Soviet Red Army troops liberate Hungary from German occupation.
Famous Birthdays on April 4 in History 25
- 2005
Lil Mabu, American rapper
- 2003
Harvey Elliott, English footballer
- 2001
Anzor Alem, Congolese actor and singer
- 2001
Jalen Carter, American football player
- 2001
Angelo Stiller, German footballer
- 1996
Austin Mahone, American singer-songwriter and actor
- 1994
Shunsuke Nishikawa, Japanese actor
- 1994
Risako Sugaya, Japanese singer and actress
- 1993
Daniela Bobadilla, Mexican-Canadian actress
- 1993
Samir Carruthers, English footballer
- 1993
David Soria, Spanish footballer
- 1993
Frank Kaminsky, American basketball player
All entries for April 4（+13）
- 1992
Lucy May Barker, English actress and singer
- 1992
Ricky Dillon, American YouTuber and singer
- 1991
Yui Koike, Japanese singer and actress
- 1991
Asia Muhammad, American tennis player
- 1991
Justin O'Neill, Australian rugby league player
- 1991
Martín Pérez, Venezuelan baseball player
- 1991
Jamie Lynn Spears, American actress and singer
- 1991
Marlon Stöckinger, Filipino race car driver
- 1990
Elizabeth Booker Houston American lawyer, public health professional, stand‑up comedian, and political commentator.
- 1989
Vurnon Anita, Dutch footballer
- 1989
Steven Finn, English cricketer
- 1989
Chris Herd, Australian footballer
- 1989
Jens Toornstra, Dutch footballer
Notable Deaths on April 4 in History 25
- 2025
Manoj Kumar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1937)
- 2025
Tony Rundle, Australian politician, 40th Premier of Tasmania (born 1939)
- 2024
Lynne Reid Banks, British author (born 1929)
- 2024
Thomas Gumbleton, American Roman Catholic prelate (born 1930)
- 2024
Pat Zachry, American baseball player (born 1952)
- 2016
Chus Lampreave, Spanish actress (born 1930)
- 2015
Jamaluddin Jarjis, Malaysian engineer and politician (born 1951)
- 2015
Elmer Lach, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (born 1918)
- 2015
Donald N. Levine, American sociologist and academic (born 1931)
- 2015
Klaus Rifbjerg, Danish author and poet (born 1931)
- 2014
İsmet Atlı, Turkish wrestler and trainer (born 1931)
- 2014
Wayne Henderson, American trombonist and producer (born 1939)
All entries for April 4（+13）
- 2014
Kumba Ialá, Bissau-Guinean soldier and politician, President of Guinea-Bissau (born 1953)
- 2014
Margo MacDonald, Scottish journalist and politician (born 1943)
- 2014
Curtis Bill Pepper, American journalist and author (born 1917)
- 2014
Muhammad Qutb, Egyptian author and academic (born 1919)
- 2013
Bengt Blomgren, Swedish actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1923)
- 2013
Roger Ebert, American journalist, critic, and screenwriter (born 1942)
- 2013
Carmine Infantino, American illustrator (born 1925)
- 2013
Tommy Tycho, Hungarian-Australian pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1928)
- 2013
Ian Walsh, Australian rugby player and coach (born 1933)
- 2013
Noboru Yamaguchi, Japanese author (born 1972)
- 2012
A. Dean Byrd, American psychologist and academic (born 1948)
- 2012
Dimitris Christoulas, Greek pensioner who committed suicide in public (born 1935)
- 2012
Anne Karin Elstad, Norwegian author and educator (born 1938)
That is the story of April 4 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on April 4 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on April 4 in history?
The biggest event on April 4 in history is: 2025 — The impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea in response to his declaration of martial law is unanimously upheld by the country's Constitutional Court, ending his presidency.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on April 4?
25 famous people were born on April 4 in history, the best known being 2005 — Lil Mabu, American rapper.
Who died on April 4?
25 notable people died on April 4 in history, including 2025 — Manoj Kumar, Indian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1937).
Why should I read about April 4 in history?
Exploring April 4 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
Take a random trip through time
What happened on your birthday?
Enter your date of birth and travel back to the day you were born.