1572
454 years ago
UK story
England and France sign an alliance against Spain in the treaty of Blois.
On this day: 19 April
120 things happened on 19 April, from AD 531 to 2024. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
In the UK 6
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
1608
418 years ago
UK story
In Ireland, O'Doherty's Rebellion is launched by the Burning of Derry.
1770
256 years ago
UK story
Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern coast of what is now Australia.
1775
251 years ago
UK story
The American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord in the British colony of Massachusetts.
1775
251 years ago
UK story
American Revolutionary War: Following the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Siege of Boston begins with American militias blocking land access to the British-held city.
1984
42 years ago
UK story
"Advance Australia Fair", written by Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, officially replaced "God Save the Queen" as Australia's national anthem.
Around the world 30
AD 531
1,495 years ago
Battle of Callinicum: A Byzantine army under Belisarius is defeated by the Persians at Raqqa (northern Syria).
1042
984 years ago
Following the attempt of Byzantine Emperor Michael V Kalaphates to depose his wife and empress Zoe Porphyrogenita, a popular uprising in Constantinople breaks out with the intention to restore her.
1529
497 years ago
Beginning of the Protestant Reformation: After the Second Diet of Speyer bans Lutheranism, a group of rulers (German: Fürst) and independent cities protest the reinstatement of the Edict of Worms.
1539
487 years ago
The Treaty of Frankfurt between Protestants and the Holy Roman Emperor is signed.
1677
349 years ago
The French army captures the town of Cambrai held by Spanish troops.
1713
313 years ago
With no living male heirs, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, issued the Pragmatic Sanction, allowing the Habsburg hereditary possessions to be inherited by a daughter.
1770
256 years ago
Marie Antoinette marries Louis XVI in a proxy wedding.
1773
253 years ago
The Polish Partition Sejm met to discuss the First Partition of Poland, carried out the previous year by Russia, Prussia and Austria.
1782
244 years ago
The States General of the Dutch Republic received John Adams, and the house he had purchased in The Hague became the first United States embassy.
1809
217 years ago
War of the Fifth Coalition: French general Louis-Nicolas Davout defeated an Austrian force in Lower Bavaria, allowing him to rejoin the main French army.
1810
216 years ago
Venezuela achieves home rule: Vicente Emparán, Governor of the Captaincy General is removed by the people of Caracas and a junta is installed.
1818
208 years ago
French physicist Augustin Fresnel signs his preliminary "Note on the Theory of Diffraction" (deposited on the following day). The document ends with what we now call the Fresnel integrals.
1839
187 years ago
The Treaty of London establishes Belgium as a kingdom and guarantees its neutrality.
1875
151 years ago
The Minute Man was unveiled as part of the centennial celebration of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
1942
84 years ago
World War II: In German-occupied Poland, the Majdan-Tatarski ghetto is established, situated between the Lublin Ghetto and a Majdanek subcamp.
1956
70 years ago
American actress Grace Kelly (pictured) became the princess consort of Monaco upon her marriage to Rainier III.
1960
66 years ago
Students in South Korea hold a nationwide pro-democracy protest against president Syngman Rhee, eventually forcing him to resign.
1971
55 years ago
The Doors (pictured) released L.A. Woman, their final album during their lead vocalist Jim Morrison's lifetime.
1971
55 years ago
Sierra Leone becomes a republic, and Siaka Stevens the president.
1971
55 years ago
Salyut 1, the first space station, was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam in the Soviet Union.
1973
53 years ago
The Portuguese Socialist Party is founded in the German town of Bad Münstereifel.
1975
51 years ago
Aryabhata (pictured), India's first satellite, was launched from Kapustin Yar in the Soviet Union.
1975
51 years ago
South Vietnamese forces withdraw from the town of Xuan Loc in the last major battle of the Vietnam War.
1985
41 years ago
Two hundred ATF and FBI agents lay siege to the compound of the white supremacist survivalist group The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord in Arkansas; the CSA surrenders two days later.
1987
39 years ago
The fictional Simpson family made their first appearance in the short "Good Night", aired in a segment of the The Tracey Ullman Show.
1999
27 years ago
The German Bundestag returns to Berlin.
2001
25 years ago
Space Shuttle Endeavour is launched on STS-100 carrying the Canadarm2 to the International Space Station.
2005
21 years ago
Joseph Alois Ratzinger was elected Pope Benedict XVI on the second day of the papal conclave.
2011
15 years ago
Fidel Castro resigns as First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba after holding the title since July 1961.
2021
5 years ago
The Ingenuity helicopter becomes the first aircraft to achieve flight on another planet.
Quick quiz
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
-
In which year did this happen: “The American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord”?
- 1954
- 1775
- 1987
Show the answer
B: 1775. 1775 — that’s 251 years ago. Find it on the page
-
In which year did this happen: “"Advance Australia Fair", written by Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds”?
- 1775
- 1984
- 1970
Show the answer
B: 1984. 1984 — that’s 42 years ago. Find it on the page
-
Which of these happened first?
- "Advance Australia Fair", written by Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds
- The American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord
- Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern
Show the answer
C: Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern. 1984: "Advance Australia Fair", written by Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds · 1775: The American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord · 1770: Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern Find it on the page
-
“Captain James Cook, still holding the rank of lieutenant, sights the eastern” happened in 1770. How many years ago was that?
- 266 years
- 256 years
- 246 years
Show the answer
B: 256 years. 2026 − 1770 = 256. Find it on the page
Born on this day 34
Famous people whose birthday is 19 April.
- 1939 Ali Khamenei — Supreme Leader of Iran (died 2026) Read more about Ali Khamenei on Wikipedia
- 1987 Maria Sharapova — Russian tennis player Read more about Maria Sharapova on Wikipedia
- 1946 Tim Curry — English actor and singer (died 2026) UK Read more about Tim Curry on Wikipedia
- 1987 Joe Hart — English footballer UK Read more about Joe Hart on Wikipedia
- 1832 José Echegaray — Spanish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1916) Read more about José Echegaray on Wikipedia
- 1935 Dudley Moore — English actor, comedian, and pianist (died 2002) UK Read more about Dudley Moore on Wikipedia
- 1979 Kate Hudson — American actress Read more about Kate Hudson on Wikipedia
- 1882 Getúlio Vargas — Brazilian lawyer and politician, 14th President of Brazil (died 1954) Read more about Getúlio Vargas on Wikipedia
- 1978 James Franco — American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter Read more about James Franco on Wikipedia
- 1968 Mswati III — King (Ngwenyama) of Eswatini (Swaziland) Read more about Mswati III on Wikipedia
- 1957 Mukesh Ambani — Indian businessman, chairman of Reliance Industries Read more about Mukesh Ambani on Wikipedia
- 1954 Trevor Francis — English footballer and manager (died 2023) UK Read more about Trevor Francis on Wikipedia
- 1972 Rivaldo Vitor Borba Ferreira — Brazilian footballer Read more about Rivaldo Vitor Borba Ferreira on Wikipedia
- 1970 Kelly Holmes — English athlete and double Olympic champion UK Read more about Kelly Holmes on Wikipedia
- 1912 Glenn T. Seaborg — American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1999) Read more about Glenn T. Seaborg on Wikipedia
- 2001 PinkPantheress — British singer-songwriter and record producer UK Read more about PinkPantheress on Wikipedia
- 1960 Gustavo Petro — Colombian politician, 34th and current President of Colombia Read more about Gustavo Petro on Wikipedia
- 1933 Jayne Mansfield — American model and actress (died 1967) Read more about Jayne Mansfield on Wikipedia
- 1793 Ferdinand I of Austria Read more about Ferdinand I of Austria on Wikipedia
- 1968 Ashley Judd — American actress Read more about Ashley Judd on Wikipedia
- 1928 Alexis Korner — British blues musician and radio broadcaster (died 1984) UK Read more about Alexis Korner on Wikipedia
- 1932 Fernando Botero — Colombian painter and sculptor (died 2023) Read more about Fernando Botero on Wikipedia
- 1981 Hayden Christensen — Canadian actor Read more about Hayden Christensen on Wikipedia
- 1941 Michel Roux — French-English chef and author (died 2020) UK Read more about Michel Roux on Wikipedia
- 1900 Richard Hughes — English author, poet, and playwright (died 1976) UK Read more about Richard Hughes on Wikipedia
- 1757 Edward Pellew — 1st Viscount Exmouth, English admiral and politician (died 1833) UK Read more about Edward Pellew on Wikipedia
- 1879 Arthur Robertson — Scottish runner (died 1957) UK Read more about Arthur Robertson on Wikipedia
- 1937 Antonio Carluccio — Italian-English chef and author (died 2017) UK Read more about Antonio Carluccio on Wikipedia
- 1937 Joseph Estrada — Filipino politician, 13th President of the Philippines Read more about Joseph Estrada on Wikipedia
- 1943 Margo MacDonald — Scottish journalist and politician (died 2014) UK Read more about Margo MacDonald on Wikipedia
- 1922 Erich Hartmann — German colonel and pilot (died 1993) Read more about Erich Hartmann on Wikipedia
- 1873 Sydney Barnes — English cricketer (died 1967) UK Read more about Sydney Barnes on Wikipedia
- 1883 Richard von Mises — Austrian-American mathematician and physicist (died 1953) Read more about Richard von Mises on Wikipedia
- 1989 Simu Liu — Canadian actor Read more about Simu Liu on Wikipedia
Remembering 22
Well-known people who died on 19 April.
- 1882 Charles Darwin — English biologist and theorist (born 1809) UK Read more about Charles Darwin on Wikipedia
- 1824 Lord Byron — English-Scottish poet and playwright (born 1788) UK Read more about Lord Byron on Wikipedia
- 1881 Benjamin Disraeli — English journalist and politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (born 1804) UK Read more about Benjamin Disraeli on Wikipedia
- 1967 Konrad Adenauer — German politician, 1st Chancellor of Germany (born 1876) Read more about Konrad Adenauer on Wikipedia
- 1906 Pierre Curie — French physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1859) Read more about Pierre Curie on Wikipedia
- 1998 Octavio Paz — Mexican poet, philosopher, and academic Nobel Prize laureate (born 1914) Read more about Octavio Paz on Wikipedia
- 1989 Daphne du Maurier — English novelist and playwright (born 1907) UK Read more about Daphne du Maurier on Wikipedia
- 2009 J. G. Ballard — English novelist, short story writer, and essayist (born 1930) UK Read more about J. G. Ballard on Wikipedia
- 1390 Robert II — king of Scotland (born 1316) UK Read more about Robert II on Wikipedia
- 1689 Christina — queen of Sweden (born 1626) Read more about Christina on Wikipedia
- 1955 Jim Corbett — British-Indian colonel, hunter, and author (born 1875) UK Read more about Jim Corbett on Wikipedia
- 1560 Philip Melanchthon — German theologian and reformer (born 1497) Read more about Philip Melanchthon on Wikipedia
- 2004 John Maynard Smith — English biologist and geneticist (born 1920) UK Read more about John Maynard Smith on Wikipedia
- 1588 Paolo Veronese — Italian painter (born 1528) Read more about Paolo Veronese on Wikipedia
- 1914 Charles Sanders Peirce — American mathematician and philosopher (born 1839) Read more about Charles Sanders Peirce on Wikipedia
- 1768 Canaletto — Italian painter and etcher (born 1697) Read more about Canaletto on Wikipedia
- 2011 Elisabeth Sladen — English actress (born 1946) UK Read more about Elisabeth Sladen on Wikipedia
- 2024 Daniel Dennett — American philosopher and author (born 1942) Read more about Daniel Dennett on Wikipedia
- 1791 Richard Price — Welsh-English preacher and philosopher (born 1723) UK Read more about Richard Price on Wikipedia
- 1854 Robert Jameson — Scottish mineralogist and academic (born 1774) UK Read more about Robert Jameson on Wikipedia
- 1608 Thomas Sackville — 1st Earl of Dorset, English poet, playwright, and politician, Lord High Treasurer (born 1536) UK Read more about Thomas Sackville on Wikipedia
- 1992 Frankie Howerd — English actor and screenwriter (born 1917) UK Read more about Frankie Howerd on Wikipedia
Special days 8
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 19 April somewhere in the world.
- Christian saints’ and feast days: Ælfheah of Canterbury (Anglican, Catholic, Orthodox), Pope Leo IX, Olaus and Laurentius Petri (Lutheran), Ursmar, Emma of Lesum, Conrad of Ascoli, George of Antioch, April 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics).
For older readers 20 Show stories about war, disasters, crime and other difficult history
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
- 1861 The first bloodshed of the American Civil War took place when Confederate sympathizers in Baltimore, Maryland, attacked members of the Massachusetts militia en route to Washington, D.C. Read more about American Civil War on Wikipedia
- 1927 American actress Mae West (pictured) was sentenced to ten days in jail for "corrupting the morals of youth" with her play Sex. Read more about Mae West on Wikipedia
- 1989 A gun turret exploded on board the United States Navy battleship Iowa, killing 47 sailors. Read more about Gun turret on Wikipedia
- 2020 A series of attacks in Nova Scotia, Canada, ended when the perpetrator was killed by police, leaving 22 victims dead. Read more about 2020 Nova Scotia attacks on Wikipedia
- AD 65 The freedman Milichus betrays Piso's plot to kill the Emperor Nero and all of the conspirators are arrested. Read more about AD 65 on Wikipedia
- 1903 Anti-Jewish riots broke out in Kishinev, the capital of Bessarabia Governorate, causing the death of nearly 50 Jews and focusing worldwide attention on the persecution of Jews in Russia. Read more about Kishinev pogrom on Wikipedia
- 1506 In Lisbon, Portugal, a crowd began a massacre of Jews who had been forced to convert to Christianity. Read more about Lisbon massacre on Wikipedia
- 2000 Air Philippines Flight 541 crashed in Samal, Davao del Norte, killing all 131 people on board. Read more about Air Philippines Flight 541 on Wikipedia
- 1995 A truck bombing destroyed much of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building (aftermath pictured) in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring more than 680 others. Read more about Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on Wikipedia
- 2015 Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American, died of injuries sustained while in the custody of the Baltimore Police Department. Read more about Killing of Freddie Gray on Wikipedia
- 1971 Charles Manson is sentenced to death (later commuted to life imprisonment) for conspiracy in the Tate–LaBianca murders. Read more about Charles Manson on Wikipedia
- 1925 Colo-Colo, the most successful and popular soccer football team in the South American nation of Chile, was founded at the El Llano Stadium in San Miguel, Santiago, by footballer David Arellano and some of his teammates who had also left the Deportes Magallanes club. Read more about Colo-Colo on Wikipedia
- 1024 Election of Pope John XIX following the death of his brother Pope Benedict VIII. Read more about Pope John XIX on Wikipedia
- 2013 Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is killed in a shootout with police. His brother Dzhokhar is later captured hiding in a boat inside a backyard in the suburb of Watertown. Read more about Boston Marathon bombing on Wikipedia
- 1943 World War II: In German-occupied Poland, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising begins, after German troops enter the Warsaw Ghetto to round up the remaining Jews. Read more about Warsaw Ghetto Uprising on Wikipedia
- 1993 The 51-day FBI siege of the Branch Davidian building in Waco, Texas, US, ends when a fire breaks out. Seventy-six Davidians, including 18 children under age 10, died in the fire. Read more about Waco siege on Wikipedia
- 1936 The Jaffa riots commence, initiating the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine. Read more about Jaffa riots (April 1936) on Wikipedia
- 1976 A violent F5 tornado strikes around Brownwood, Texas, injuring 11 people. Two people were thrown at least 1,000 yards (910 m) by the tornado and survived uninjured. Read more about 1976 Brownwood tornado on Wikipedia
- 2008 The Quito Ultratumba nightclub fire in Quito, Ecuador, kills 19 people and injures at least 24 more. Read more about Quito Ultratumba nightclub fire on Wikipedia
- — Christian feast day: Expeditus Read more about Expeditus on Wikipedia
Where these facts come from
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “April 19” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.