Calendar: April 2021
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Monday 29
First London marathon
On this day in 1981, around 6700 runners took part in London’s first marathon.
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Tuesday 30
Vincent Van Gogh's birthday
Vincent Van Gogh was born on this date in 1853.
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Wednesday 31
The Eiffel Tower opened
The Eiffel Tower was first opened on this date in 1889.
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Thursday 01
April Fools' Day
April Fools’ Day is an annual celebration commemorated on April 1 by playing practical jokes and spreading hoaxes.
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Friday 02
Hans Christian Andersen's birthday
Hans Christian Andersen was born on this day in 1805.
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Saturday 03
Emmeline Pankhurst sentenced to 3 years in jail
British suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst was sentenced to 3 years in jail in 1913.
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Sunday 04
Francis Drake knighted
In 1581 Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I aboard Golden Hind at Deptford.
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Monday 05
Birkenhead Park
The first civic public park opened on this day in 1874.
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Tuesday 06
The opening of the first modern Olympics
The first opening occurred on this date in 1896.
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Wednesday 07
World Health Day
Today is World Health Day.
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Thursday 08
International Day of the Roma
This day celebrates Roma life and culture in the many parts of the world in which they have settled.
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Friday 09
Isambard Kingdom Brunel's birthday
The famous British engineer was born in Portsmouth, England, on this day.
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Saturday 10
The first bananas sold in London
On this day in 1633, the first bananas were sold in London.
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Sunday 11
Bob Dylan
The singer Bob Dylan made his first appearance at Folk City on this day in 1961.
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Monday 12
First person in space
Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to travel into space on this day in 1961.
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Tuesday 13
Guy Fawkes born
Guy Fawkes was born on this date in 1570.
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Wednesday 14
3.3 million-year-old stone tools discovered
On this date in 2015, archaeologists announced that they had found 3.3 million-year-old stone tools, the oldest ever discovered and which pre-date the earliest humans.
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Thursday 15
Anniversary of the Titanic sinking
On this day in 1912, the Titanic – the biggest ship in the world at this time – sank after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic ocean.
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Friday 16
Isaac Newton knighted
In 1705 Queen Anne of England knighted Isaac Newton at Trinity College, Cambridge.
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Saturday 17
The Peak District opened on this day in 1951
The Peak District – Britain’s First National Park – opened on this day in 1951.
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Sunday 18
The first crossword puzzle book was published
On this day in 1924, the first crossword puzzle book was published.
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Monday 19
Captain Cook discovered Australia
Cook sailed up the east coast of Australia – which he named New South Wales – and made the first known map of it.
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Tuesday 20
Louis Pasteur and the process of pasteurisation
On this date in 1862, Louis Pasteur and Claude Bernard completed the first pasteurisation test.
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Wednesday 21
National Tea Day
Today is National Tea Day in the United Kingdom.
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Thursday 22
Birthday of forensic scientist Margaret Pereira
Margaret Pereira developed a way of investigating tiny blood stains and became Head of the British Forensic Science Service.
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Friday 23
St George's Day
The patron saint of England is celebrated annually on this date.
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Saturday 24
The Greeks entered Troy using the Trojan Horse on this day
On this day in 1184 BC, the Greeks entered Troy using the Trojan Horse.
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Sunday 25
Ella Fitzgerald's birthday
The famous American jazz singer was particularly known for ‘scat singing’ – a form of vocal improvisation with wordless vocables and nonsense syllables.
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Monday 26
On this day in 1964 Tanzania was formed
On this day in 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form a new country: Tanzania.
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Tuesday 27
National Pet Month
National Pet Month runs from 1 April to 10 May.
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Wednesday 28
International Pay It Forward Day
Today is International Pay It Forward Day.
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Thursday 29
International Dance Day
First introduced in 1982 by the UNESCO International Dance Committee to promote the importance of dance.
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Friday 30
George Washington became president
One of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America became the first US president on this date in 1789.
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Saturday 01
May Day
May Day has been celebrated for over 2000 years as the start of summer.
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Sunday 02