April 10 facts for kids

2025 Calendar

April 10 in recent years

April 10 is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 265 days remain until the end of the year.

April 10th is a day filled with many interesting events throughout history, from comets flying close to Earth to important inventions and big changes in the world. Many famous people were also born or passed away on this day. Let's explore some of the most notable moments that happened on April 10th!

Historical Events on April 10th
Notable Births on April 10th
Notable Deaths on April 10th
Holidays and Celebrations
See also

Historical Events on April 10th

Early History and Discoveries (Before 1600)

837 – Halley's Comet came very close to Earth, about 5.1 million kilometers away. That's like 13 times the distance to the Moon!
1500 – Ludovico Sforza, a powerful duke from Italy, was captured by Swiss soldiers and given to the French.
1545 – The city of Potosí in Bolivia was founded. This happened after huge amounts of silver were found there, making it a very important mining town.

Big Changes and New Beginnings (1601–1900)

1606 – The Virginia Company of London was started by King James I of England. Its goal was to create new settlements in North America.
1710 – The Statute of Anne, the first law to protect copyright for books and other works, began in Great Britain. This law helped authors own their creations.
1741 – In the War of the Austrian Succession, Prussia took control of Silesia after winning the Battle of Mollwitz.
1809 – The Napoleonic Wars continued as the Austrian Empire invaded Bavaria, starting the War of the Fifth Coalition.
1815 – The Mount Tambora volcano started a massive eruption that lasted for three months. This event killed many people and even affected Earth's weather for the next two years, causing a "Year Without a Summer".
1816 – The United States government approved the creation of the Second Bank of the United States.
1821 – The island of Psara joined the Greek War of Independence, fighting for freedom from the Ottoman Empire.
1826 – Most of the people living in the Greek town of Missolonghi had to leave after being surrounded by Turkish forces for a year. Very few survived this difficult journey.
1858 – The famous Big Ben bell for the Palace of Westminster in London was recast. The first one had cracked during testing!
1864 – Maximilian of Habsburg was declared emperor of Mexico during a time when France was involved in Mexico.
1865 – The American Civil War ended. Confederate General Robert E. Lee gave his final speech to his troops the day after surrendering.
1866 – The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded in New York City by Henry Bergh. This group works to protect animals.
1872 – The very first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska. This day encourages planting trees.
1875 – The Arya Samaj was founded in Mumbai, India. This group aimed to bring about social improvements.
1896 – At the 1896 Summer Olympics, the first modern Olympic marathon race was held. Greek athlete Spyridon Louis won the race.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

1912 – The famous ship RMS Titanic began its first and only journey from Southampton, England.
1916 – The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) was created in New York City, becoming a major organization for golf.
1919 – Emiliano Zapata, a leader in the Mexican Revolution, was killed by government forces.
1925 – The classic American novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was first published in New York City.
1939 – The book Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as A.A.'s "Big Book," was first published.
1941 – During World War II, the Axis powers created the Independent State of Croatia.
1944 – Rudolf Vrba and Alfréd Wetzler managed to escape from the Birkenau death camp.
1963 – The American submarine USS Thresher sank at sea, and 129 sailors lost their lives.
1968 – The New Zealand ferry TEV Wahine sank in Wellington harbor during a strong storm. Fifty-three people died.
1970 – Paul McCartney announced that he was leaving The Beatles, one of the most famous bands ever.
1971 – In an effort to improve relations with the United States, China welcomed the U.S. table tennis team for a visit. This event became known as "Ping-pong diplomacy".
1972 – Workers in Shandong, China, discovered ancient tombs containing bamboo slips. These slips included Sun Tzu's The Art of War and a lost military book by Sun Bin.
1979 – A powerful tornado hit Wichita Falls, Texas, killing 42 people.
1991 – An Italian ferry collided with an oil tanker in thick fog off Livorno, Italy, resulting in 140 deaths.
1998 – The Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement, was signed in Northern Ireland. This was a major step towards peace.
2010 – A Polish Air Force plane crashed near Smolensk, Russia, killing 96 people. This included Polish President Lech Kaczyński and his wife.
2019 – Scientists from the Event Horizon Telescope project shared the first-ever image of a black hole. This black hole is located in the center of the M87 galaxy.

Notable Births on April 10th

Many important people were born on April 10th throughout history:

1583 – Hugo Grotius, a Dutch philosopher and expert in law.
1755 – Samuel Hahnemann, a German physician who founded homeopathy.
1778 – William Hazlitt, an English writer and critic.
1829 – William Booth, an English minister who founded The Salvation Army.
1847 – Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and publisher. He created the famous Pulitzer Prizes.
1887 – Bernardo Houssay, an Argentinian scientist who won the Nobel Prize for his work in medicine.
1915 – Harry Morgan, an American actor.
1921 – Chuck Connors, an American baseball player and actor.
1927 – Marshall Warren Nirenberg, an American biochemist and geneticist who won the Nobel Prize.
1929 – Max von Sydow, a Swedish-French actor.
1930 – Dolores Huerta, an American activist who helped found the United Farm Workers.
1932 – Omar Sharif, an Egyptian actor.
1936 – John Madden, an American football player, coach, and sportscaster.
1940 – Gloria Hunniford, a British radio and television host.
1947 – Bunny Wailer, a Jamaican singer-songwriter and drummer, famous for reggae music.
1952 – Steven Seagal, an American actor and martial artist.
1959 – Babyface, an American singer-songwriter and producer.
1959 – Brian Setzer, an American singer and guitarist.
1980 – Charlie Hunnam, an English actor.
1984 – Mandy Moore, an American singer-songwriter and actress.
1987 – Shay Mitchell, a Canadian actress and model.
1988 – Haley Joel Osment, an American actor.
1992 – Daisy Ridley, an English actress.
1993 – Sofia Carson, an American singer and actress.
2001 – Noa Kirel, an Israeli singer.

Notable Deaths on April 10th

Here are some of the well-known people who passed away on April 10th:

1533 – Frederick I of Denmark, king of Denmark and Norway.
1585 – Pope Gregory XIII, a leader of the Catholic Church.
1813 – Joseph-Louis Lagrange, an Italian mathematician and astronomer.
1909 – Algernon Charles Swinburne, an English poet and playwright.
1919 – Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican general and revolutionary leader.
1931 – Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese-American poet and painter.
1954 – Auguste Lumière, one of the French brothers who helped invent cinema.
1962 – Stuart Sutcliffe, a Scottish artist and musician, an early member of The Beatles.
1966 – Evelyn Waugh, an English novelist and journalist.
1970 – Paul McCartney announced he was leaving The Beatles.
1979 – Nino Rota, an Italian composer known for film scores.
1992 – Sam Kinison, an American comedian and actor.
1993 – Chris Hani, a South African activist and politician.
1995 – Morarji Desai, a former Prime Minister of India.
2010 – Lech Kaczyński, the President of Poland, and his wife Maria Kaczyńska, died in a plane crash.
2015 – Richie Benaud, a famous Australian cricketer and sportscaster.
2023 – Al Jaffee, an American cartoonist known for his work in Mad magazine.

Holidays and Celebrations

Day of the Builder (Azerbaijan)
Siblings Day (an International observance to celebrate brothers and sisters)