April 21#Birth

• 753 BC – Romulus founds Rome (traditional date).
• 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered shortly after.
• 900 – The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (the earliest known written document found in what is now the Philippines): the Commander-in-Chief of the Kingdom of Tondo, as represented by the Honourable Jayadewa, Lord Minister of Pailah, pardons from all debt the Honourable Namwaran and his relations.
• 1092 – The Diocese of Pisa is elevated to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Urban II
• 1506 – The three-day Lisbon Massacre comes to an end with the slaughter of over 1,900 suspected Jews by Portuguese Catholics.
• 1509 – Henry VIII ascends the throne of England on the death of his father, Henry VII.
• 1526 – The last ruler of the Lodi dynasty, Ibrahim Lodi is defeated and killed by Babur in the First Battle of Panipat.

• 1615 – The Wignacourt Aqueduct is inaugurated in Malta.
• 1782 – The city of Rattanakosin, now known internationally as Bangkok, is founded on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River by King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke.
• 1789 – John Adams sworn in as first US Vice President (nine days before George Washington).{{sfn|McCullough|2001|pp=393–394}}
• 1789 – George Washington's reception at Trenton is hosted by the Ladies of Trenton as he journeys to New York City for his first inauguration.{{cite web |last1=Washington |first1=George |author-link=George Washington |title=From George Washington to the Ladies of Trenton, 21 April 1789 |url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-02-02-0095 |publisher=Founders Online, National Archives |date=April 21, 1789}}
• 1792 – Tiradentes, a revolutionary leading a movement for Brazil's independence, is hanged, drawn and quartered.
• 1796 – War of the First Coalition: In the climax of the Montenotte Campaign, Napoleon Bonaparte decisively defeats the army of Piedmont at the Battle of Mondovi, leading to Piedmont's surrender a week later and decisively turning the Italian campaign in France's favor.{{cite web | url=https://www.napoleon-empire.org/en/battles/mondovi.php | title=Battle of Mondovì }}
• 1802 – Twelve thousand Wahhabis sack Karbala, killing over three thousand inhabitants.
• 1806 – Action of 21 April 1806: A French frigate escapes British forces off the coast of South Africa.
• 1809 – Two Austrian army corps are driven from Landshut by a First French Empire army led by Napoleon as two French corps to the north hold off the main Austrian army on the first day of the Battle of Eckmühl.
• 1821 – Benderli Ali Pasha arrives in Constantinople as the new Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire; he remains in power for only nine days before being sent into exile.
• 1836 – Texas Revolution: The Battle of San Jacinto: Republic of Texas forces under Sam Houston defeat troops under Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
• 1856 – Australian labour movement: Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne march from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight-hour day.
• 1894 – Norway formally adopts the Krag–Jørgensen bolt-action rifle as the main arm of its armed forces, a weapon that would remain in service for almost 50 years.
• 1898 – Spanish–American War: The United States Navy begins a blockade of Cuban ports. When the U.S. Congress issued a declaration of war on April 25, it declared that a state of war had existed from this date.

• 1914 – Ypiranga incident: A German arms shipment to Mexico is intercepted by the U.S. Navy near Veracruz.
• 1918 – World War I: German fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as "The Red Baron", is shot down and killed over Vaux-sur-Somme in France.
• 1926 – Al-Baqi cemetery, former site of the mausoleum of four Shi'a Imams, is leveled to the ground by Wahhabis.
• 1934 – The "Surgeon's Photograph", the most famous photo allegedly showing the Loch Ness Monster, is published in the Daily Mail (in 1994, it is revealed to be a hoax).{{cite web |url=http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/nessie.html |title=The Loch Ness Monster and the Surgeon's Photo |publisher=Museumofhoaxes.com |access-date=28 May 2009 |archive-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806122015/http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/nessie.html |url-status=live }}
• 1945 – World War II: Soviet forces south of Berlin at Zossen attack the German High Command headquarters.
• 1946 – The U.S. Weather Bureau records that a tornado which struck Timber Lake, South Dakota was {{convert|4|mi|km}}, among the widest tornadoes on record.{{cite journal |journal=Monthly Weather Review |date=1 April 1946 |volume=74 |issue=4 |page=73 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1946)074<0073:SLSFA>2.0.CO;2 |doi-access=free |title=Severe Local Storms for April 1946 |bibcode=1946MWRv...74...73. }}
• 1948 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 47 relating to Kashmir conflict is adopted.
• 1950 – The Nainital wedding massacre occurs, killing 22 members of the Harijan caste.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=529YAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EPgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1389,1304611&dq= 22 guests slain], The Bend Bulletin (21 April 1950)[https://newspaperarchive.com/ogden-standard-examiner/1950-04-21/ 22 guests slain as wedding held], The Ogden Standard-Examiner (21 April 1950)[https://web.archive.org/web/20121105104424/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/423532671.html?dids=423532671:423532671&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Apr+22%2C+1950&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Studio+Electrician+Loses+Paternity+Suit+Verdict&pqatl=google Drunk Gurkha Kills 22], Los Angeles Times (22 April 1950)[https://newspaperarchive.com/huntingdon-daily-news/1950-04-22/page-5 Murders 22 at wedding], The Huntingdon Daily News (22 April 1950)
• 1952 – Secretary's Day (now Administrative Professionals' Day) is first celebrated.
• 1958 – United Air Lines Flight 736 collides with a United States Air Force fighter jet near Arden, Nevada in what is now Enterprise, Nevada.{{cite news|title=Fatal Las Vegas crash in 1958 led to modern air safety system|newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal|author=Henry Brean|date=April 20, 2018|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/fatal-las-vegas-crash-in-1958-led-to-modern-air-safety-system/|access-date=2020-04-05}}
• 1960 – Brasília, Brazil's capital, is officially inaugurated. At 09:30, the Three Powers of the Republic are simultaneously transferred from the old capital, Rio de Janeiro.
• 1962 – The Seattle World's Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opens. It is the first World's Fair in the United States since World War II.
• 1963 – The first election of the Universal House of Justice is held, marking its establishment as the supreme governing institution of the Baháʼí Faith.
• 1964 – A Transit-5bn satellite fails to reach orbit after launch; as it re-enters the atmosphere, {{convert|2.1|lb}} of radioactive plutonium in its SNAP RTG power source is widely dispersed.
• 1965 – The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair opens for its second and final season.
• 1966 – Rastafari movement: Haile Selassie of Ethiopia visits Jamaica, an event now celebrated as Grounation Day.
• 1967 – A few days before the general election in Greece, Colonel George Papadopoulos leads a coup d'état, establishing a military regime that lasts for seven years.
• 1972 – Astronauts John Young and Charles Duke fly Apollo 16's Apollo Lunar Module to the Moon's surface, the fifth NASA Apollo Program crewed lunar landing.[https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_16/ Landing site/]. Retrieved 25 March 2019
• 1975 – Vietnam War: President of South Vietnam Nguyễn Văn Thiệu flees Saigon, as Xuân Lộc, the last South Vietnamese outpost blocking a direct North Vietnamese assault on Saigon, falls.
• 1977 – Annie opens on Broadway.
• 1982 – Baseball: Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first pitcher to record 300 saves.
• 1985 – The compound of the militant group The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord surrenders to federal authorities in Arkansas after a two-day government siege.
• 1987 – The Tamil Tigers are blamed for a car bomb that detonates in the Sri Lankan capital city of Colombo, killing 106 people.
• 1989 – Tiananmen Square protests of 1989: In Beijing, around 100,000 students gather in Tiananmen Square to commemorate Chinese reform leader Hu Yaobang.
• 1993 – The Supreme Court in La Paz, Bolivia, sentences former dictator Luis García Meza to 30 years in jail without parole for murder, theft, fraud and violating the constitution.
• 2004 – Five suicide car bombers target police stations in and around Basra, killing 74 people and wounding 160.
• 2010 – The controversial Kharkiv Pact (Russian Ukrainian Naval Base for Gas Treaty) is signed in Kharkiv, Ukraine, by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev; it was unilaterally terminated by Russia on March 31, 2014.
• 2012 – Two trains are involved in a head-on collision near Sloterdijk, Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, killing one person and injuring 116 others.{{Cite news |date=2012-04-22 |title=Dutch train crash: Woman dies of her injuries |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17807697 |access-date=2023-04-19}}
• 2014 – The American city of Flint, Michigan switches its water source to the Flint River, beginning the ongoing Flint water crisis which has caused lead poisoning in up to 12,000 people, and at least 12 deaths from Legionnaires' disease, ultimately leading to criminal indictments against 15 people, five of whom have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
• 2019 – Eight bombs explode at churches, hotels, and other locations in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, killing at least 269.{{cite news |author=Burke |first=Jason |date=2019-04-21 |title='There was utter chaos': Sri Lanka left reeling after wave of bombings |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/21/there-was-utter-chaos-sri-lanka-left-reeling-after-wave-of-bombings |access-date=2019-04-22 |newspaper=The Guardian}}
• 2021 – Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala (402) sinks in the Bali Sea during a military drill, killing all 53 on board.{{Cite web|last1=Beo Da Costa|first1=Agustinus|last2=Lamb|first2=Kate|date=21 April 2021|editor-last=Petty|editor-first=Martin|title=Indonesian navy checking on submarine after failure to report back from exercise|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesian-navy-checking-submarine-after-failure-report-back-exercise-2021-04-21/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421093435/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/indonesian-navy-checking-submarine-after-failure-report-back-exercise-2021-04-21/|archive-date=21 April 2021|access-date=21 April 2021|website=Reuters}}

• 1132 – Sancho VI, king of Navarre (died 1194)
• 1488 – Ulrich von Hutten, German religious reformer (died 1523)
• 1523 – Marco Antonio Bragadin, Venetian lawyer and military officer (died 1571)
• 1555 – Ludovico Carracci, Italian painter and etcher (died 1619)

• 1619 – Jan van Riebeeck, Dutch founder of Cape Town (died 1677)
• 1630 – Pieter Gerritsz van Roestraten, Dutch-English painter (died 1700)
• 1631 – Francesco Maidalchini, Catholic cardinal (died 1700)
• 1642 – Simon de la Loubère, French mathematician, poet, and diplomat (died 1729)
• 1651 – Joseph Vaz, Sri Lankan priest, missionary, and saint (died 1711)
• 1652 – Michel Rolle, French mathematician and academic (died 1719)
• 1671 – John Law, Scottish economist (died 1729)
• 1673 – Wilhelmine Amalia of Brunswick-Lüneburg (died 1742)
• 1713 – Louis de Noailles, French general (died 1793)
• 1730 – Antonín Kammel, Czech violinist and composer (died 1788)
• 1752 – Pierre-Alexandre-Laurent Forfait, French engineer, hydrographer, and politician, French Minister of Marine and the Colonies (died 1807)
• 1752 – Humphry Repton, English gardener and author (died 1818)
• 1774 – Jean-Baptiste Biot, French physicist, astronomer, and mathematician (died 1862)
• 1775 – Alexander Anderson, Scottish-American illustrator and engraver (died 1870)
• 1783 – Reginald Heber, English priest (died 1821){{cite book|last= Montefiore|first= Arthur|title= Reginald Heber, Bishop of Calcutta|url= https://archive.org/stream/reginaldheberbis00bric#page/n5/mode/2up|publisher= Fleming H. Revell Company|location= New York, Chicago and Toronto|year= 1902|oclc= 155604573 |pages=9–10}}; re-printed 2015 by Facsimile Publisher and distributed by Gyan Books, New Delhi.
• 1790 – Manuel Blanco Encalada, Spanish-Chilean admiral and politician, 1st President of Chile (died 1876)
• 1810 – John Putnam Chapin, American politician, 10th Mayor of Chicago (died 1864)
• 1811 – Alson Sherman, American merchant and politician, 8th Mayor of Chicago (died 1903)
• 1814 – Angela Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts, English art collector and philanthropist (died 1906)
• 1816 – Charlotte Brontë, English novelist and poet (died 1855)
• 1837 – Fredrik Bajer, Danish lieutenant and politician, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1922)
• 1838 – John Muir, Scottish-American environmentalist and author (died 1914)
• 1854 – William Stang, German-American bishop (died 1907)
• 1864 – Max Weber, German economist and sociologist (died 1920)
• 1868 – Alfred Henry Maurer, American painter (died 1932)
• 1868 – Mary Rogers Miller, American author and educator (died 1971){{cite book |last1=Stearns |first1=Ezra S. |title=History of Plymouth, New Hampshire|volume= II |date=1906 |publisher=University Press |location=Cambridge, Mass. |page=578 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofplymout22stea/page/n365/mode/2up}}
• 1870 – Edwin Stanton Porter, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1941)
• 1874 – Vincent Scotto, French composer and actor (died 1952)
• 1882 – Percy Williams Bridgman, American physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1961)
• 1885 – Tatu Kolehmainen, Finnish runner (died 1967)
• 1887 – Joe McCarthy, American baseball manager (died 1978)
• 1889 – Marcel Boussac, French businessman (died 1980)
• 1889 – Paul Karrer, Russian-Swiss chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1971)
• 1889 – Efrem Zimbalist, Sr., Russian-American violinist, composer, and conductor (died 1985)
• 1892 – Freddie Dixon, English motorcycle racer and racing driver (died 1956)
• 1893 – Romeo Bertini, Italian runner (died 1973)
• 1897 – Odd Lindbäck-Larsen, Norwegian Army general and war historian (died 1975){{cite encyclopedia|title=Odd Lindbäck-Larsen |first1=Aksel Schreiner |last1=Brakestad |first2=Dag |last2=Leraand |encyclopedia=Store norske leksikon |editor-last=Bolstad | editor-first=Erik |publisher=Norsk nettleksikon |location=Oslo |url=https://snl.no/Odd_Lindbäck-Larsen |language=no|access-date=15 March 2024}}
• 1898 – Maurice Wilson, English soldier, pilot, and mountaineer (died 1934)
• 1899 – Randall Thompson, American composer and academic (died 1984)

• 1903 – Luis Saslavsky, Argentinian director, producer, and screenwriter (died 1995)
• 1904 – Jean Hélion, French painter (died 1987)
• 1904 – Odilo Globocnik, Italian-Austrian SS officer (died 1945)
• 1905 – Pat Brown, American lawyer and politician, 32nd Governor of California (died 1996)
• 1911 – Ivan Combe, American businessman, developed Clearasil (died 2000)
• 1911 – Kemal Satır, Turkish physician and politician (died 1991)
• 1912 – Eve Arnold, Russian-American photojournalist (died 2012)
• 1912 – Marcel Camus, French director and screenwriter (died 1982)
• 1913 – Norman Parkinson, English photographer (died 1990)
• 1914 – Angelo Savoldi, Italian-American wrestler and promoter, co-founded International World Class Championship Wrestling (died 2013)
• 1915 – Garrett Hardin, American ecologist, author, and academic (died 2003)
• 1915 – Anthony Quinn, Mexican-American actor (died 2001)
• 1916 – Estella B. Diggs, American businesswoman and politician (died 2013)
• 1918 – Eddy Christiani, Dutch singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2016)
• 1919 – Don Cornell, American singer (died 2004)
• 1919 – Roger Doucet, Canadian tenor (died 1981)
• 1919 – Licio Gelli, Italian financer (died 2015)
• 1922 – Alistair MacLean, Scottish novelist and screenwriter (died 1987)
• 1922 – Allan Watkins, Welsh-English cricketer (died 2011)
• 1923 – John Mortimer, English lawyer and author (died 2009)
• 1924 – Ira Louvin, American singer-songwriter and mandolin player (died 1965)
• 1925 – Anthony Mason, Australian soldier and judge, 9th Chief Justice of Australia
• 1925 – John Swinton of Kimmerghame, English general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire (died 2018)
• 1926 – Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and her other realms (died 2022){{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-61585886|title=Queen Elizabeth II has died|work=BBC News|date=8 September 2022|access-date=8 September 2022}}
• 1926 – Arthur Rowley, English footballer, manager, and cricketer (died 2002){{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/dec/21/guardianobituaries.football|title=Obituaries: Arthur Rowley |date=21 December 2002 |publisher=theguardian.com |access-date=7 April 2020}}
• 1927 – Ahmed Arif, Turkish poet and author (died 1991)
• 1928 – Jack Evans, Welsh-Canadian ice hockey player and coach (died 1996)
• 1930 – Hilda Hilst, Brazilian author, poet, and playwright (died 2004)
• 1930 – Silvana Mangano, Italian actress (died 1989)
• 1930 – Dieter Roth, German-Swiss illustrator and sculptor (died 1998)
• 1930 – Jack Taylor, English footballer and referee (died 2012)
• 1931 – Morgan Wootten, American high school basketball coach (died 2020){{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/morgan-wootten-winningest-high-school-basketball-coach-dies-at-88/2020/01/22/a7ad57b0-3c61-11ea-baca-eb7ace0a3455_story.html |title=Morgan Wootten, former DeMatha Catholic High School basketball coach, dies at 88 |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Asher |first=Mark |date=22 January 2020 |access-date=19 August 2021 }}
• 1932 – Slide Hampton, African-American trombonist and composer (died 2021)
• 1932 – Elaine May, American actress, comedian, director, and screenwriter
• 1932 – Angela Mortimer, English tennis player
• 1933 – Edelmiro Amante, Filipino lawyer and politician (died 2013)
• 1933 – Easley Blackwood, Jr., American pianist, composer, and educator (died 2023)
• 1933 – Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, Iraqi patriarch (died 2014)
• 1935 – Charles Grodin, American actor and talk show host (died 2021){{cite web |last1=Lowry |first1=Brian |title=Charles Grodin, 'Midnight Run' and 'The Heartbreak Kid' star, dead at 86 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/entertainment/charles-grodin-obit/index.html |website=CNN|date=18 May 2021 }}
• 1935 – Thomas Kean, American academic and politician, 48th Governor of New Jersey
• 1936 – James Dobson, American evangelist, psychologist, and author, founded Focus on the Family
• 1936 – Reg Fleming, Canadian-American ice hockey player (died 2009)
• 1937 – Gary Peters, American baseball player (died 2023)
• 1937 – Ben Zinn, Israeli-born American academic and former international soccer player
• 1939 – John McCabe, English pianist and composer (died 2015)
• 1939 – Sister Helen Prejean, American nun, activist, and author
• 1939 – Reni Santoni, American actor (died 2020)
• 1940 – Jacques Caron, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
• 1940 – Souleymane Cissé, Malian director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1941 – David Boren, American lawyer and politician, 21st Governor of Oklahoma (died 2025){{Cite news |last=McFadden |first=Robert D. |date=February 20, 2025 |title=David Boren, an Oklahoma Eminence as Governor and Senator, Dies at 83 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/us/politics/david-boren-dead.html |access-date=February 23, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
• 1942 – Geoffrey Palmer, New Zealand politician, 33rd Prime Minister of New Zealand
• 1945 – Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan, Indian cricketer and umpire
• 1945 – Mark Wainberg, Canadian researcher and HIV/AIDS activist (died 2017)
• 1945 – Diana Darvey, English actress, singer and dancer (died 2000)
• 1947 – Al Bumbry, American baseball player
• 1947 – Iggy Pop, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor
• 1947 – John Weider, English bass player
• 1948 – Gary Condit, American businessman and politician
• 1948 – Paul Davis, American singer-songwriter and musician (died 2008)
• 1948 – Josef Flammer, Swiss ophthalmologist
• 1948 – Dieter Fromm, German runner
• 1949 – Patti LuPone, American actress and singer
• 1950 – Shivaji Satam, Indian actor
• 1951 – Tony Danza, American actor and producer
• 1951 – Michael Freedman, American mathematician and academic
• 1951 – Bob Varsha, American sportscaster
• 1951 – Steve Vickers, Canadian ice hockey player
• 1952 – Gerald Early, American author and academic
• 1952 – Cheryl Gillan, British businesswoman and politician, Secretary of State for Wales (died 2021)
• 1953 – John Brumby, Australian politician, 45th Premier of Victoria
• 1954 – Ebiet G. Ade, Indonesian singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1954 – James Morrison, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1954 – Mike Wingfield, South African academic and scientist{{Cite web |title=Wingfield, Michael John (1954-....) |url=https://www.idref.fr/116589000 |website=Id Ref |access-date=2022-12-26 |archive-date=2022-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221226130626/https://www.idref.fr/116589000 |url-status=live }}
• 1955 – Murathan Mungan, Turkish author, poet, and playwright
• 1956 – Peter Kosminsky, English director, producer, and screenwriter
• 1956 – Phillip Longman, German-American demographer and journalist
• 1957 – Hervé Le Tellier, French linguist and author
• 1957 – Herbert Wetterauer, German painter, sculptor, and author
• 1958 – Andie MacDowell, American model, actress, and producer
• 1958 – Yoshito Usui, Japanese illustrator (died 2009)
• 1958 – Michael Zarnock, American author
• 1959 – Tim Jacobus, American illustrator and painter
• 1959 – Robert Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
• 1961 – David Servan-Schreiber, French physician, neuroscientist, and author (died 2011)
• 1963 – Ken Caminiti, American baseball player (died 2004){{cite web |title=Ken Caminiti |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/ken-caminiti-111908 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=11 April 2023}}
• 1965 – Fiona Kelleghan, American academic, critic and librarian
• 1969 – Toby Stephens, English actor
• 1970 – Rob Riggle, American actor and comedian{{cite web |last1=Vergun |first1=David |title=Comedian, Game Show Host Is a Retired Marine |url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/2820091/comedian-game-show-host-is-a-retired-marine/ |publisher=United States Department of Defense |access-date=11 April 2023 |date=1 November 2021}}
• 1971 – Michael Turner, American author and illustrator (died 2008)
• 1973 – Steve Backshall, English naturalist, writer, and television presenter
• 1974 – David Peachey, Australian rugby league player[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/David_Peachey.html Rugby League Project]
• 1976 – Petero Civoniceva, Fijian-Australian rugby league player[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Petero_Civoniceva.html Rugby League Project]
• 1977 – Gyula Koi, Hungarian scholar and educator
• 1977 – Jamie Salé, Canadian figure skater{{Cite web |last=Boyd |first=Alex |date=2023-02-05 |title=Jamie Salé was Canada's sweetheart on ice. Now the Olympian is championing something darker |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/02/05/jamie-sale-was-canadas-sweetheart-on-ice-now-the-olympian-is-championing-something-darker.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307004454/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/02/05/jamie-sale-was-canadas-sweetheart-on-ice-now-the-olympian-is-championing-something-darker.html |archive-date=March 7, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-15 |website=Toronto Star |language=en}}
• 1979 – Virginie Basselot, French chef
• 1979 – James McAvoy, Scottish actor{{cite web |title=James McAvoy · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards |url=https://www.bifa.film/people/james-mcavoy/ |website=BIFA · British Independent Film Awards |access-date=8 September 2022 |date=12 October 2018}}
• 1980 – Tony Romo, American football player and announcer{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/the-40-year-old-qb|title=The 40-Year-Old QB|work=Fox Sports|date=21 April 2020|accessdate=18 April 2020}}
• 1983 – Tarvaris Jackson, American football player (died 2020){{cite web |last1=Pattra |first1=Kevin |title=Former NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson dies in car crash |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/former-nfl-qb-tarvaris-jackson-dies-in-car-crash-0ap3000001109122 |website=NFL |access-date=13 April 2020}}
• 1983 – Kim Wall, British sprinter{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/kim-wall-14276636 |title=Kim WALL |website=worldathletics.org}}
• 1988 – Ricky Berens, American swimmer{{cite web|title=Ricky Berens|url=https://www.olympic.org/ricky-berens|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=21 May 2020}}
• 1988 – Jencarlos Canela, American singer-songwriter and actor
• 1989 – Nikki Cross, Scottish wrestler{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Jeffrey |title=WWE News: Nikki Cross Turns 32, Top 10 Cesaro Feats of Strength, Mustafa Ali Chats About Fasting During Ramadan |url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/wwe-news-nikki-cross-turns-32-top-10-cesaro-feats-of-strength/ |publisher=411Mania |access-date=11 April 2023 |date=21 April 2021}}
• 1992 – Isco, Spanish footballer{{cite web |title=Isco |url=https://www.realmadrid.com/en/about-real-madrid/history/football-legends/francisco-roman-alarcon-suarez |publisher=Real Madrid CF |access-date=11 April 2023}}
• 1992 – Joc Pederson, American baseball player{{cite web |title=Joc Pederson |url=https://www.mlb.com/player/joc-pederson-592626 |publisher=Major League Baseball |access-date=11 April 2023}}
• 1994 – Ludwig Augustinsson, Swedish footballer{{cite web |title=Ludwig Augustinsson |url=https://www.premierleague.com/players/12303/Ludwig-Augustinsson/overview |publisher=Premier League |access-date=2 November 2023}}
• 1996 – Arianne Hartono, Dutch tennis player{{Cite web |title=Arianne Hartono {{!}} Player Stats & More – WTA Official |url=https://www.wtatennis.com/players/323451/arianne-hartono |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Women's Tennis Association |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Arianne Hartono - Player Profile - Tennis |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/tennis/arianne-hartono_prs602464/person.shtml |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}}
• 1997 – Mikel Oyarzabal, Spanish footballer{{cite web |title=Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte |date=October 2016 |url=https://www.realsociedad.eus/en/team/player/real-sociedad/mikel-oyarzabal-ugarte |publisher=Real Sociedad |access-date=25 October 2023}}
• 1998 – Jarrett Allen, American basketball player{{cite web |title=Jarrett Allen |url=https://www.nba.com/player/1628386/jarrett-allen |website=NBA.com |access-date=20 April 2023}}
• 1999 – Choi Hyun-suk, South Korean rapper{{cite web|title="0421" 트레저 최현석 생일 축하 위한 깜짝 이벤트|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/629/0000269108|work=더팩트|date=23 February 2024|access-date=27 February 2025|language=ko}}
• 2003 – Xavi Simons, Dutch footballer{{cite web |url=https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce44/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |title=FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: List of Players: Netherlands |publisher=FIFA |page=20 |date=18 December 2022 |access-date=27 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218195301/https://fdp.fifa.org/assetspublic/ce44/pdf/SquadLists-English.pdf |archive-date=18 December 2022 |url-status=live}}
• 2007 – Princess Isabella of Denmark, daughter of King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark[http://kongehuset.dk/Den-kongelige-familie/Kronprinsparret/HKH-Prinsesse-Isabella Kongehuset – Aktuelt – Den Kongelige Families Kongehuset.dk (21 May 2010). Retrieved 18 July 2015.]
• 2008 – Hyein, South Korean singer{{cite web|title='HAPPY BIRTHDAY'…뉴진스 혜인, 컴백 앞두고 부상→생일 맞이|url=https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=15483771|work=톱스타뉴스|date=21 April 2024|access-date=10 March 2025|language=ko}}

• 234 – Emperor Xian of Han, Chinese emperor (born 181)
• 586 – Liuvigild, king of the Visigoths
• 847 – Odgar, Frankish archbishop of Mainz
• 866 – Bardas, de facto regent of the Byzantine Empire
• 941 – Bajkam, de facto regent of the Abbasid Caliphate
• 1073 – Pope Alexander II{{cite web |title=Alexander II {{!}} pope |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-II-pope |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=30 November 2020 |language=en}}
• 1109 – Anselm of Canterbury, Italian-English archbishop and saint (born 1033)
• 1136 – Stephen, Count of Tréguier Breton noblemen (born {{Circa|1058/62}})
• 1142 – Peter Abelard, French philosopher and theologian (born 1079)
• 1213 – Maria of Montpellier, Lady of Montpellier, Queen of Aragon (born 1182)
• 1329 – Frederick IV, Duke of Lorraine (born 1282)
• 1400 – John Wittlebury, English politician (born 1333){{cite web|url = http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/wittlebury-john-1333-1400| title= WITTLEBURY, John (1333-1400), of Whissendine, Rutland and Milton and Marholm, Northants.|publisher= History of Parliament Online|access-date = 16 April 2013}}
• 1509 – Henry VII of England (born 1457)
• 1557 – Petrus Apianus, German mathematician and astronomer (born 1495)
• 1574 – Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (born 1519)
• 1591 – Sen no Rikyū, Japanese exponent of the tea ceremony (born 1522)

• 1650 – Yagyū Jūbei Mitsuyoshi, Japanese samurai (born 1607)
• 1668 – Jan Boeckhorst, Flemish painter (born {{Circa|1604}})
• 1699 – Jean Racine, French playwright and poet (born 1639)
• 1719 – Philippe de La Hire, French mathematician and astronomer (born 1640)
• 1720 – Antoine Hamilton, Irish-French soldier and author (born 1646)
• 1722 – Robert Beverley, Jr., English historian and author (born 1673)
• 1736 – Prince Eugene of Savoy (born 1663)
• 1740 – Thomas Tickell, English poet and author (born 1685)
• 1758 – Francesco Zerafa, Maltese architect (born 1679)
• 1815 – Joseph Winston, American soldier and politician (born 1746)
• 1825 – Johann Friedrich Pfaff, German mathematician and academic (born 1765)
• 1852 – Ivan Nabokov, Russian general (born 1787)
• 1863 – Sir Robert Bateson, 1st Baronet, Irish politician (born 1782)
• 1900 – Vikramatji Khimojiraj, Indian ruler (born 1819)

• 1910 – Mark Twain, American novelist, humorist, and critic (born 1835){{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mark-Twain |title=Mark Twain |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |location=Edinburgh |access-date=20 April 2021}}
• 1918 – Manfred von Richthofen, German captain and pilot (born 1892)
• 1924 – Eleonora Duse, Italian actress (born 1858){{cite web |title=Duse, Eleonora (1858-1924), actress |url=https://www.anb.org/view/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.001.0001/anb-9780198606697-e-1801621 |website=American National Biography |year=2000 |access-date=22 January 2022 |language=en |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1801621|isbn=978-0-19-860669-7 |last1=Fisher |first1=James }}
• 1930 – Robert Bridges, English poet and author (born 1844)
• 1932 – Friedrich Gustav Piffl, Bohemian cardinal (born 1864)
• 1938 – Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistani National philosopher and poet (born 1877)
• 1941 – Fritz Manteuffel, German gymnast (born 1875)
• 1945 – Walter Model, German field marshal (born 1891)
• 1946 – John Maynard Keynes, English economist and philosopher (born 1883)
• 1948 – Aldo Leopold, American ecologist and author (born 1887)
• 1952 – Leslie Banks, American actor, director and producer (born 1890)
• 1954 – Emil Leon Post, Polish-American mathematician and logician (born 1897)
• 1956 – Charles MacArthur, American playwright and screenwriter (born 1895)
• 1965 – Edward Victor Appleton, English-Scottish physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1892)
• 1971 – François Duvalier, Haitian physician and politician, 40th President of Haiti (born 1907)
• 1973 – Arthur Fadden, Australian accountant and politician, 13th Prime Minister of Australia (born 1894)
• 1973 – Kemal Tahir, Turkish journalist and author (born 1910)
• 1977 – Gummo Marx, American vaudevillian and talent agent (born 1892)
• 1978 – Sandy Denny, English singer-songwriter (born 1947){{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/sandy-denny-fair-play-to-her-399500.html|title=Sandy Denny: Fair Play to Her|publisher=Independent.co.uk|date=8 November 2007|access-date=22 April 2022|location=London, UK}}
• 1978 – Thomas Wyatt Turner, American biologist and academic (born 1877)
• 1980 – Alexander Oparin, Russian biochemist and academic (born 1894)
• 1980 – Sohrab Sepehri, Iranian poet and painter (born 1928)
• 1983 – Walter Slezak, Austrian-American actor and singer (born 1902)
• 1984 – Marcel Janco, Romanian-Israeli artist (born 1895)
• 1984 – Hristo Prodanov, Bulgarian engineer and mountaineer (born 1943)
• 1985 – Rudi Gernreich, Austrian-American fashion designer, created the monokini (born 1922)
• 1985 – Tancredo Neves, Brazilian banker and politician, Prime Minister of Brazil (born 1910)
• 1986 – Marjorie Eaton, American painter and actress (born 1901)
• 1986 – Salah Jahin, Egyptian poet, playwright, and composer (born 1930)
• 1987 – Gustav Bergmann, Austrian-American philosopher from the Vienna Circle (born 1906)
• 1990 – Erté, Russian-French illustrator (born 1892)
• 1991 – Willi Boskovsky, Austrian violinist and conductor (born 1909)
• 1992 – Väinö Linna, Finnish author (born 1920){{Cite web|url=https://www.hs.fi/mielipide/art-2000004151933.html|title=Mielipide: Suomen suurin kirjailija ansaitsee liputuspäivän|work=Helsingin Sanomat|date=July 7, 2003|access-date=December 20, 2021|language=fi}}
• 1996 – Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistani cricketer (born 1925)
• 1996 – Jimmy Snyder, American sportscaster (born 1919)
• 1998 – Jean-François Lyotard, French sociologist and philosopher (born 1924)
• 1999 – Buddy Rogers, American actor (born 1904)
• 2003 – Nina Simone, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and activist (born 1933)
• 2005 – Zhang Chunqiao, Chinese writer and politician, member of the Gang of Four (born 1917){{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4533401.stm|title=China's Gang of Four member dies|date=10 May 2005|access-date=16 October 2023}}
• 2010 – Gustav Lorentzen, Norwegian singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1947)
• 2010 – Juan Antonio Samaranch, Spanish businessman, seventh President of the International Olympic Committee (born 1920)
• 2010 – Kanagaratnam Sriskandan, Sri Lankan-English engineer and civil servant (born 1930)
• 2011 – Catharina Halkes, Dutch theologian and academic (born 1920)
• 2012 – Doris Betts, American author and academic (born 1932)
• 2013 – Shakuntala Devi, Indian mathematician and astrologer (born 1929)
• 2013 – Leopold Engleitner, Austrian Holocaust survivor, author, and educator (born 1905)
• 2014 – George H. Heilmeier, American engineer (born 1936){{cite news |title=George Heilmeier dies; a principal developer of liquid-crystal display technology |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/george-heilmeier-a-principal-developer-of-liquid-crystal-display-technology-dies-at-77/2014/05/03/987e9fec-d2d6-11e3-aae8-c2d44bd79778_story.html |newspaper=Washington Post |access-date=16 October 2024}}
• 2014 – Win Tin, Burmese journalist and politician, co-founded the National League for Democracy (born 1930)
• 2016 – Prince, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (born 1958)
• 2017 – Ugo Ehiogu, English footballer (born 1972)
• 2018 – Nabi Tajima, Japanese supercentenarian (born 1900){{Cite news | url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20180421/k10011413001000.html | title=Worlds oldest age 117-year-old Tashima Navi died | access-date=1 April 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421225231/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20180421/k10011413001000.html | archive-date=21 April 2018 | url-status=dead }}
• 2019 – Polly Higgins, Scottish barrister, author and environmental lobbyist (born 1968){{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/25/polly-higgins-obituary |last=Mehta |first=Jojo |title=Polly Higgins Obituary |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=25 April 2019 |access-date=27 April 2019}}
• 2024 – Terry A. Anderson, American journalist (born 1947){{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Alistair |date=April 21, 2024 |title=Terry Anderson, US journalist held hostage nearly seven years in Lebanon, dead at 76 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/terry-anderson-us-journalist-held-hostage-lebanon-dead-76-2024-04-21/ |access-date=April 22, 2024 |work=Reuters}}
• 2025 – Pope Francis (born 1936){{Cite web |last=Winfield |first=Nicole |date=April 21, 2025 |title=Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88 |url=https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-francis-dead-01ca7d73c3c48d25fd1504ba076e2e2a |access-date=April 21, 2025 |website=Associated Press |language=en}}

• Christian feast day:
• Abdecalas
• Anastasius Sinaita
• Anselm of Canterbury
• Beuno
• Conrad of Parzham
• Holy Infant of Good Health
• Shemon Bar Sabbae
• Wolbodo
• April 21 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
• Natale di Roma (Rome)Plutarch, Parallel Lives - Life of Romulus, [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Romulus*.html#12 12.2] (from LacusCurtius)
• Parilia (ancient Rome){{cite encyclopedia |title=Dictionary of Roman Religion |author1=Lesley Adkins |author2=Roy A. Adkins |year=1996 |entry=Parilia |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofroma0000adki/page/175/mode/1up |isbn=0-8160-3005-7 |page=175|publisher=Facts on File }}
• Civil Service Day (India)
• Grounation Day (Rastafari)
• National Tea Day (United Kingdom)
• National Tree Planting Day (Kenya)
• San Jacinto Day (Texas)

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book |last=McCullough |first=David |date=2001 |title=John Adams |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E9TOxypjZY4C&pg=PA144-IA8 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1-4165-7588-7 |author-link=David McCullough }}

{{commons}}

• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/21 BBC: On This Day]
• {{NYT On this day|month=4|day=21}}
• [https://www.onthisday.com/events/april/21 Historical Events on April 21]

{{months}}

Category:Days of April