Events on Apr 8
- 1341Francesco Petrarca crowned in Rome
- 1378Bartolomeo Prignano elected as Pope Urban VI
- 1455Alfonso de Borgia elected as Pope Callistus III
- 1500Battle at Novara: King Louis XII beats Duke Ludovico Sforza
- 1513Explorer Juan Ponce de Leon claimed Florida for Spain
- 17301st Jewish congregation in US forms synagogue, "Shearith Israel, NYC"
- 1759British troops chase French out of Masulipatam India
- 17661st fire escape patented, wicker basket on a pulley and chain
- 1783Catharina II of Russia annexes the Krim
- 1789House of Representives 1st meeting
- 1801Soldiers riot in Bucharest, kill 128 Jews
- 1802French Protestant church becomes state-supported and -controlled
- 1832Charles Darwin begins trip through Rio de Janeiro
- 1838Steamship "Great Western" maiden voyage (Bristol England to NYC)
- 18481st battle at Gioto: Sardinia-Piemonte beats Austrians
- 1848Battle at Xaquixaguana, Peru: Pedro de la Gasca beats Gonzalo Pizarro
- 1861US mint at Dahlonega, Georgia seized by confederacy
- 1862John D Lynde patents aerosol dispenser
- 1864Battle of Mansfield, La Federals routed by General Richard Taylor
- 1865General Robert E Lee surrenders at Appomattox Court House in Virginia
- 1869American Museum of Natural History opens (NYC)
- 1879Khedive Ismael of Egypt fires French / British ministers
- 1879Milk was sold in glass bottles for 1st time
- 1893The Critic reports that ice cream soda is our national drink
- 1898Battle of Atbara River, Anglo-Egyptian forces crush 6,000 Sudanese
- 1904Great Britain and France sign Cordial Entente concerning colonial matter
- 1908Lord Asquith succeeds Henry Campbell-Bannerman as British Premier
- 1912Steamers collide in Nile, drowning 200
- 191317th amendment, requiring direct election of senators, ratified
- 1914US and Colombia sign a treaty concerning Panama Canal Zone
Born on Apr 8
- 1533Claudio Merulo: Organist / composer
- 1582Phienas Fletcher: Poet
- 1605Louis de Vadder: Flemish painter
- 1605Philip IV: King of Spain and Portugal (1621-65)
- 1631Cornelis de Heem: Painter
- 1642Gerard Callenbach: Dutch Admiral
- 1655Louis Willem I: Margrave (Baden-Baden)
- 1697Pierre Prowo: Composer
- 1708Georg Zarth: Composer
- 1726Lewis Morris: US farmer (signed Declaration of Independence)
- 1731William Williams: US Merchant (signed Declaration of Independence)
- 1741Jose B da Gama: Portuguese poet (O Uraguai)
- 1756Joseph Gehot: Composer
- 1776Thaddaus Weigl: Composer
- 1783John Claudius: London, England -- Horticulturist
- 1798Dionysios Solomos: Poet
- 1816Frederick William Burton: Painter
- 1818Christaan IX: King of Denmark (1863-1906)
- 1828George Baird Hodge: Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
- 1831Allard Pierson: Dutch theologiost / philosopher / art historian / poet
- 1832Alfred von Waldersee: Prussian Field Marshal
- 1843Asger Hamerik [Hammerich]: Composer
- 1850William Henry Welch: United States -- Pathologist (founded John Hopkins)
- 1859Edmund Husserl: Germany -- Philosopher (founded Phenomenology)
- 1869Harvey Cushing: United States -- Neurosurgeon (blood pressure studies)
- 1875Albert I LCMM von Saksen-Coburg: King of Belgium (1909-34)
- 1878Rudolf Nelson: Composer
- 1880Victor Schertzinger: Composer / director (Uptown NY)
- 1881Fernand Lamy: Composer
- 1885Dimitrios Levidis: Composer
Died on Apr 8
- 0217Caracalla [Marcus Antoniius]: Roman Emperor (198-217), murdered at 29
- 1143John II Comnenus: Emperor of Byzantium (1118-43), dies in an accident
- 1364Jan II [the Good]: King of France (1350-64), dies at 44
- 1537Willem Aerts: Flemish architect
- 1629Willem Teellinck: Dutch Theologist / vicar, dies at 50
- 1736Pedro Vaz Rego: Composer, dies at 63
- 1759Francois de La Croix: Composer, dies at 76
- 1778Pieter Teyler van der Hulst: Dutch founder (Teyler Museum), dies at 76
- 1794Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nicholas-Caritat: Mathematician dies
- 1844Ignaz Franz von Mosel: Composer, dies at 72
- 1848Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti: Italian composer, dies at 50
- 1848Gaetano Donizetti: Composer, dies at 50
- 1851John Parry: Composer, dies at 75
- 1853Jan W Pieneman: Historical Painter (Battle at Waterloo), dies at 73
- 1861Elisha G Otis: US elevator builder (Otis), dies at 50
- 1863Joseph Netherclift: Composer, dies at 70
- 1865John Park: Composer, dies at 61
- 1870Charles-Auguste de Beriot: Belgian violinist / composer, dies at 68
- 1871Charles-Louis Hanssens: Composer, dies at 68
- 1890Junius Morgan: Philanthropist, dies at 76
- 1894Bankim C Chattopadhyaya: Writer (Mrinalini, Anandamath), dies at 55
- 1897George Garrett: Composer, dies at 62
- 1897Heinrich von Stephan: UK politician
- 1902Sipyagain: Russian Minister of Interior / headed Secret Service, assassinated
- 1920Charles Tomlinson Griffes: US Composer (White Peacock), dies at 35
- 1921Earnest von Possart: German actor / stage manager
- 1931Eric Axel Karlfeldt: Poet
- 1935Edwin Cannan: Economist
- 1937Arthur William Foote: US Organist / composer, dies at 84
- 1937William Henry Hadow: Composer (Studies in Modern Music), dies at 77
Historical events on April 9
- 0715Constantine ends his reign as Catholic Pope
- 1241Battle of Liegnitz - Mongol armies defeat Poles and Germans
- 1454Milan / Venice signs peace of Lodi
- 1474Breisach land guardian Peter von Hagenbach throws out Walloon / Italians
- 1483Edward I (12) succeeds Edward IV as King of England
- 1538Danish King Christian III enters Schmalkaldische Union
- 1555Marcello Cervini elected Pope Marcellus II
- 1609Spain and Netherlands sign 12 Year Resistant Pact
- 1621Spain and Netherlands 12 Year Resistant Pact ends
- 16671st public art exhibition (Palais-Royale, Paris)
- 1682Robert La Salle claims lower Mississippi (Louisiana) for France
- 1691French troops occupy Mons
- 1770Captain James Cook discovers Botany Bay (Australia)
- 1783Tippu Sahib drives out English from Bednore India
- 1808Mayor Wolters offers French King Louis Napoleon townhall as a palace
- 1814Elias Canneman (L) resigns as Minister of Finance
- 1816African Methodist Episcopal Church organizes (Philadelphia)
- 1829Danzig (Gdansk) dike break flood kills 1,200
- 1831Robert Jenkins loses an ear, starts war between Britain and Spain
- 18331st tax-supported public library (Peterborough, NH)
- 1838National Galley opens in London
- 1864Battle of Pleasant Hill LA, 2870 casualities
- 1865Federals capture Ft Blakely, Alabama
- 1865Robert E Lee and 26,765 troops, surrender to US Grant at Appomattox
- 1870American Anti-Slavery Society dissolves
- 1872Samuel R Percy patents dried milk
- 18781st Lady Lucy Hayes begins egg rolling contest on White House lawn
- 19121st exhibition baseball game at Fenway Park (Red Sox vs. Harvard)
- 1912Titanic leaves Queenstown Ireland for New York
- 1914"World, the Flesh & the Devil, " 1st color film, shown in London
Born on April 9
- 1611Giacomo Maria Predieri: Composer
- 1627Johann Kaspar Kerll: Composer
- 1634Albertine Agnes: Princess of Orange-Nassau
- 1649James Scott: Duke of Monmouth, bastard Son of English King Charles II
- 1716Johann Georg Zechner: Composer
- 1717Georg Matthias Monn: Composer
- 1754Antonio Frantisek Becvarovsky: Composer
- 1754Pieter Paulus: Dutch lawyer / CEO (National Convention)
- 1757Wojciech Boguslawski: Composer
- 1785Sibrand Acker Stratingh: Dutch Physician / chemist (electric car 1835)
- 1798Giuditta Pasta [Negri]: Soprano
- 1806Isambard Kingdom Brunel: Designer of 1st transatlantic steamer
- 1812Randolph Barnes Marcy: Bvt Major General (Union Army), died in 1887
- 1821Charles-Pierre Baudelaire: France -- Symbolist poet (Flowers of Evil)
- 1826Thomas Hewson Neill: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1885
- 1830Eadweard Muybridge: England, United Kingdom -- Pioneered study of motion photography
- 1847Francesco Paolo Tosti: Composer
- 1847Francis William Davenport: Composer
- 1848Helena Lange: German feminist
- 1850Herman Zumpe: Composer
- 1851C E Arthur Wichmann: German / Dutch geologist (Netherlands Indies)
- 1854Seaborn M Denson: Composer
- 1855Gyula Reviczky: Hungarian author / poet
- 1861Charles Holroyd: Painter / etcher
- 1865Charles Proteus Steinmetz: Germany -- Experiment with AC electricity
- 1865Erich Ludendorff: General (Germany)
- 1871Arthur Fickenscher: Composer
- 1874Julius Bittner: Austrian composer (Little Violet)
- 1879Gerald Festus Kelly: Artist
- 1883Renzo Bossi: Composer
Died on April 9
- 0715Constantine I: Greek / Syrian Pope (708-15)
- 1024Benedict VIII [Theophylactus van Tusculum]: Pope (1012-24)
- 1483Edward IV: King of England (1461-70, 71-83) dies at 38
- 1553Francois Rabelais: French Author (Gargantua / Pantagruel), dies at 49
- 1557Michael Agricola: Finnish Theologist / church Reformer / Bishop
- 1681Alfonso Marsh: Composer, dies at 54
- 1747Lord Lovat: English jacobiet
- 1747Simon Fraser: 12th Baron Lovat Jacobite, last man beheaded in England
- 1754Christian von Wolff: German philosopher, dies at 75
- 1761William Law: Theologian
- 1765Maria Louise van Hessen-Kassel: Princess of Orange-Nassau, dies at 77
- 1793Ernestus Weinrauch: Composer, dies at 62
- 1804Jacques Necker: Fiancier / statesman
- 1806Willem V Batavus: Prince of Orange-Nassau, dies at 58
- 1807John Opie: Engl Painter / illustrator: Shakespeare gallery, dies at 45
- 1821Felix Maximo Lopez: Composer, dies at 78
- 1850William Prout: Physician / chemist
- 1851Antoine-Charles Glachant: Composer, dies at 80
- 1852John Howard Payne: Actor / playwright (Fair Warning)
- 1862George W Johnson: US planter / Confederate (gov-Ky), dies at about 50
- 1865Thomas Alfred Smyth: Irish / US Union General Major, dies at 32
- 1879Ernst Friedrich Richter: Composer, dies at 70
- 1882D G Rossetti: Writer, dies at 53
- 1882Gabriel Dante Rossetti: English Poet / painter, dies at 53
- 1886Joseph V von Scheffel: German writer (Ekkehard), dies at 60
- 1893Disma Fumagalli: Composer, dies at 66
- 1904Isabella II: Queen of Spain (1833-68), dies at 73
- 1909Charles Conder: Artist
- 1916Vicente Goicoechea Errasti: Composer, dies at 62
- 1917Edward Thomas: Poet, killed in WWI
Events on Apr 10
- 0837Comet 1P / 837 F1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0334 AUs of Earth
- 0847St. Leo IV begins his reign as Catholic Pope
- 0879Louis III, crowned King of France
- 1500France captures Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan
- 15161st ghetto, Jews are compelled to live in specific area of Venice
- 1552Henri II of France occupies Metz
- 1589Spanish troops conquer Geertruidenberg
- 1656Dutch fleet occupiers Colombo Ceylon
- 1694Duke Victor Amadeus of Savoye attacks Casale
- 1739Dick Turpin executed in England for horse stealing
- 1741Prussians defeat Austrians at Mollwitz
- 1790Robert Gray is 1st American to circumnavigate the Earth
- 1790US Patent system forms
- 1815Austria declares war on realm of Naples
- 18162nd Bank of US chartered
- 18251st hotel in Hawaii opens
- 1835Charles Darwin returns to Santiago, Chile
- 1841New York "Tribune" begins publishing under editor Horace Greeley
- 1845More than 1,000 buildings damaged by fire in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- 1849Safety pin patented by Walter Hunt (NYC); sold rights for $100
- 1863Rebel General Earl Van Dorn attacks at Franklin, Tennessee
- 1865At Appomattox, General Lee issues General Order #9, his last
- 1866American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) forms
- 1868Brits defeat King of Abyssinia at Magdala
- 1869Congress increases number of Supreme Court judges from 7 to 9
- 18721st National black convention meets in New Orleans
- 1872Arbor day 1st celebrated in Nebraska, later changed to April 22
- 18771st human cannonball act performed in London
- 1877Federal troops withdrawn from Columbia, South Carolina
- 1878California St. Cable Car RR Co starts service
Born on Apr 10
- 0401Theodosius II [the Younger]: Eastern Roman Emperor
- 1512James I: King of Scotland (1513-42)
- 1569Emilia van Nassau: Daughter of Willem of Orange and Anna of Saxon
- 1583Hugo Grotius: Holland, Netherlands -- Jurist, father of international law
- 1633Werner Fabricius: Composer
- 1695Balthazar Huydecoper: Dutch translator / historian
- 1737Francois Giroust: Composer
- 1755Samuel Hahnemann: German Physician / originator of homeopathy
- 1778William Hazlitt: Maidstone Kent, England -- Essayist / critic
- 1783Hortense E de Beauharnais: French Queen of the Netherlands (1806-10)
- 1794Matthew Calbraith Perry: Commodore, opened Japan
- 1806Leonidas Polk: Lieutenant General (Confederate Army), died in 1864
- 1808Auguste Franchomme: Composer
- 1823Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb: Brigadier General (Confederate Army)
- 1827Lewis Wallace: Major General (Union volunteers) / author (Ben Hur)
- 1829William Booth: Founder (Salvation Army)
- 1833David McMurtrie Gregg: Bvt Major General (Union volunteers)
- 1833James Edward Rains: Brigadier General (Confederate Army), died in 1862
- 1847Charles Swinnerton Heap: Composer
- 1847Joseph Pulitzer: Hungary -- Publisher (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, New York World)
- 1854Jozef M T Orelio: Baritone
- 1857Henry Ernest Dudeney: Mathematician / puzzle maker
- 1864Tully Marshall: Nevada City, California
- 1868George Arliss: London, England -- Actor (Devil, Green Goddess)
- 1877Alfred Kubin: Writer
- 1880Frances Perkins: 1st woman to hold cabinet-level position (Labor)
- 1882Simon F H J Berkelbach Van der Sprenkel: Theologist (Fear & Religion)
- 1886Val Paul
- 1887Bernardo A Houssay: Argentine physiologist (Nobel 1947)
- 1887Heinz Tiessen: Composer
Died on Apr 10
- 0879Louis II [the Stutterer]: King of France (877-79)
- 0947Hugo van Arles: Count of Arles / King of Italy
- 1008Notger: Bishop of Luik (972-1008)
- 1362Machteld: Countess of Holland
- 1533Frederik I: King of Denmark / Norway (1523-33), dies at 61
- 1585Gregory XIII [Ugo Buoncampagni]: Italian Pope (1572-85)
- 1640Agostino Agazzari: Italian composer, dies at 61
- 1640Charlotte Flandrina van Nassau: Daughter of Willem I, dies at 60
- 1712Yusuf Nabi: Turkish Poet (Hayriye), dies at about 77
- 1723Claude F Tserclaes: South Netherlands Earl of Tilly, dies at 74
- 1731Maximilian Dietrich Freisslich: Composer, dies at 58
- 1756Giacomo Antonio Perti: Italian composer, dies at 94
- 1760Gerard George Clifford: Head of East-Indian Company, dies at 75
- 1784Simon Fokke: Book illustrator, dies at 71
- 1810Konrad Back: Composer, dies at 60
- 1848Godert AGP baron van Capellen: Governor-General of Dutch-Indies, dies at 69
- 1862William Harvey Lamb Wallace: US lawyer / Brigadier General, dies at 40
- 1863Giovanni B Amia: Italian astronomer / physicist / botanist, dies at 77
- 1885John H Scholten: Theologist (Free Want), dies at 73
- 1909Algernon Charles Swinburne: English poet, dies at 72
- 1911Mikolajus Konstantinas Ciurlionis: Composer, dies at 35
- 1919Emiliano Zapata: Mexican leader, murdered at 39
- 1920Moritz B Cantor: German mathematician, dies at 90
- 1920Tryggve Andersen: Norwegian writer (Mod Kvaeld), dies at 53
- 1929Edmond Thieffry: Belgium -- WWI pilot, dies at 36
- 1937Algernon Ashton: Composer, dies at 77
- 1938Nana Annor Adjaye: Pan-Africanist, dies in West Nzima, Ghana
- 1939Alfredo Panzini: Ital Author (Il Bacio de Lesba), dies at 75
- 1945Hendrik N Werkman: Resistance / Painter (Blue Boat), executed at 63
- 1954Ludwig Curtius: German archaeologist (Die antike Kunst), dies at 79