April 19 facts for kids

For the town in Uruguay, see 19 de Abril.

2025 Calendar

April 19 in recent years

April 19 is the 109th day of the year (110th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 256 days remain until the end of the year.

April 19th is a special day in history, filled with many important events, births, and deaths that have shaped our world. From ancient times to modern days, this date marks moments of discovery, change, and the lives of famous people. Let's explore some of the key events that happened on April 19th.

Historical Events
Famous Births
Notable Deaths
Holidays and observances
See also

Historical Events

Early History (Before 1600)

AD 65 – A plot to kill the Emperor Nero was discovered, and the people involved were arrested.
531 – In the Battle of Callinicum, the Byzantine army was defeated by the Persians in northern Syria.
1529 – The Protestant Reformation began. A group of rulers and cities protested a ban on Lutheranism, standing up for their beliefs.
1539 – The Treaty of Frankfurt was signed between Protestants and the Holy Roman Emperor, aiming for peace.

Important Events (1601–1900)

1608 – O'Doherty's Rebellion started in Ireland.
1677 – The French army captured the town of Cambrai from Spanish troops.
1713 – Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, made a rule called the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. This rule allowed his daughter, Maria Theresa, to inherit his lands and the Austrian throne.
1770 – Captain James Cook saw the eastern coast of what is now Australia for the first time.
1770 – Marie Antoinette married Louis XVI of France in a special ceremony.
1775 – The American Revolutionary War began with an American victory at the battles of Lexington and Concord. This was a very important moment for American independence.
1782 – John Adams helped the Netherlands officially recognize the United States as an independent country. His house in The Hague became the first American embassy.
1810 – Venezuela gained self-rule. The people of Caracas removed the governor and set up their own government.
1818 – French physicist Augustin Fresnel shared his important work on the "Theory of Diffraction," which included what we now call the Fresnel integrals.
1839 – The Treaty of London was signed. This treaty officially made Belgium a kingdom and promised that it would remain neutral in conflicts.
1861 – During the American Civil War, a group of people in Baltimore attacked United States Army troops marching through the city.

Modern History (1901–Present)

1903 – The Kishinev pogrom began in Chișinău. This event led to many Jewish people seeking safety in other parts of the world.
1942 – During World War II, the Majdan-Tatarski ghetto was created in German-occupied Poland.
1943 – Also during World War II, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began in German-occupied Poland. Jewish people bravely fought back against German troops.
1956 – Famous actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco.
1960 – Students in South Korea held large protests for democracy, which eventually led to Syngman Rhee resigning as president.
1971 – Sierra Leone became a republic, and Siaka Stevens became its first president.
1971 – Salyut 1, the first space station, was launched into space.
1973 – The Portuguese Socialist Party was founded in Germany.
1975 – India launched its first satellite, Aryabhata, into orbit from Russia.
1975 – South Vietnamese forces left the town of Xuan Loc in the last major battle of the Vietnam War.
1976 – A very strong tornado hit near Brownwood, Texas, injuring 11 people.
1984 – Advance Australia Fair was officially named Australia's national anthem. Green and gold were also chosen as the national colors.
1987 – The Simpsons first appeared as short cartoons on The Tracey Ullman Show.
1993 – A long standoff at the Branch Davidian building in Waco, Texas, ended in a fire.
1995 – The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed.
1999 – The German Bundestag (parliament) moved back to Berlin.
2005 – Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was chosen as the new Pope and became Pope Benedict XVI.
2011 – Fidel Castro resigned from his leadership role in the Communist Party of Cuba.
2021 – The Ingenuity helicopter made history by becoming the first aircraft to fly on another planet, Mars.

Famous Births

Born Before 1600

1452 – Frederick IV, who became King of Naples.
1593 – Sir John Hobart, 2nd Baronet, an English politician.

Born Between 1601 and 1900

1603 – Michel Le Tellier, a French politician and Minister of Defence.
1613 – Christoph Bach, a German musician.
1633 – Willem Drost, a Dutch painter.
1658 – Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, a German ruler.
1686 – Vasily Tatishchev, a Russian historian and politician.
1721 – Roger Sherman, an American lawyer and politician.
1757 – Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, an English admiral.
1793 – Ferdinand I of Austria, an Austrian emperor.
1832 – José Echegaray, a Spanish poet and playwright who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
1877 – Ole Evinrude, a Norwegian-American engineer who invented the outboard motor.
1882 – Getúlio Vargas, who became the 14th President of Brazil.
1897 – Jiroemon Kimura, a Japanese man who was the oldest verified man ever.

Born After 1900

1903 – Eliot Ness, a famous American law enforcement agent.
1912 – Glenn T. Seaborg, an American chemist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
1920 – Marvin Mandel, who became the 56th Governor of Maryland.
1922 – Erich Hartmann, a German pilot who was a top flying ace.
1925 – Hugh O'Brian, an American actor.
1932 – Fernando Botero, a Colombian painter and sculptor known for his unique style.
1933 – Jayne Mansfield, an American model and actress.
1935 – Dudley Moore, an English actor, comedian, and pianist.
1937 – Joseph Estrada, who became the 13th President of the Philippines.
1944 – James Heckman, an American economist who won the Nobel Prize in Economics.
1946 – Tim Curry, an English actor and singer.
1957 – Mukesh Ambani, a very successful Indian businessman.
1968 – Ashley Judd, an American actress.
1968 – Mswati III, the King of Eswatini (Swaziland).
1970 – Kelly Holmes, an English athlete and double Olympic champion.
1972 – Rivaldo Vitor Borba Ferreira, a famous Brazilian footballer.
1978 – James Franco, an American actor and director.
1979 – Kate Hudson, an American actress.
1981 – Hayden Christensen, a Canadian actor.
1987 – Maria Sharapova, a famous Russian tennis player.
1989 – Simu Liu, a Canadian actor.
2002 – Loren Gray, an American singer and internet personality.

Notable Deaths

Died Before 1600

843 – Judith of Bavaria, a Frankish empress.
1012 – Ælfheah of Canterbury, an English archbishop and saint.
1054 – Pope Leo IX, a leader of the Catholic Church.
1390 – Robert II, the King of Scotland.
1560 – Philip Melanchthon, a German theologian and reformer.
1588 – Paolo Veronese, a famous Italian painter.

Died Between 1601 and 1900

1608 – Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset, an English poet and politician.
1689 – Christina, the Queen of Sweden.
1768 – Canaletto, a famous Italian painter.
1791 – Richard Price, a Welsh-English preacher and philosopher.
1813 – Benjamin Rush, an American physician and educator.
1824 – Lord Byron, a very famous English-Scottish poet.
1881 – Benjamin Disraeli, a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
1882 – Charles Darwin, a groundbreaking English biologist known for his theory of evolution.

Died After 1900

1906 – Pierre Curie, a French physicist who won the Nobel Prize.
1914 – Charles Sanders Peirce, an American mathematician and philosopher.
1955 – Jim Corbett, a British-Indian hunter and author.
1967 – Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of Germany.
1975 – Percy Lavon Julian, an American chemist.
1989 – Daphne du Maurier, a famous English novelist.
1998 – Octavio Paz, a Mexican poet and philosopher who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
2004 – Norris McWhirter, an English author who helped create the Guinness World Records.
2009 – J. G. Ballard, an English novelist and short story writer.
2011 – Elisabeth Sladen, an English actress.
2012 – Levon Helm, an American musician and actor.
2013 – François Jacob, a French biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
2016 – Patricio Aylwin, a Chilean politician.
2021 – Walter Mondale, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States.
2022 – Kane Tanaka, a Japanese supercentenarian.
2023 – Moonbin, a South Korean singer and actor.

Holidays and observances

Christian feast day:
- Ælfheah of Canterbury (Anglican, Catholic)
- Conrad of Ascoli
- Emma of Lesum
- Expeditus
- George of Antioch
- Olaus and Laurentius Petri (Lutheran)
- Pope Leo IX
- Ursmar
- April 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)