I may be a little biased because I was born in April, but I truly believe that it is the best month (not that there’s anything wrong with other months)! In many countries, the month of April marks the awakening of nature, and with all the trees in bloom, you can’t help but feel optimistic about the future. A lot of April holidays are about celebrating life and new beginnings.
If you believe in horoscopes, for the most part, the April zodiac is ruled by Aries, said to be the most undefeatable and loyal sign. But even if astrology is not your thing, there are tons of other April celebrations that will make you look forward to it. One good thing about holidays in April is that the weather is already warm, so you can have fun both indoors and outdoors.
For this article celebrating April and the beginning of a new cycle, we collected some curious April fun facts. How many new things did you learn from them? Was there something that especially caught your attention? Share this article with your April-born friends to let them know how much you appreciate them. If you know other interesting things that happened in April, let us know in the comments.
#1
Apollo 13 was launched into space on April 11, 1970. About two days later, the crew encountered some difficulties which were then communicated to the flight control center through the famous (often misquoted) phrase “Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”
Image source: www.nasa.gov
#2
The blooming of cherry blossoms that occurs in April is a huge cultural event in Japan. Hanami attracts thousands of people from all over the country as well as tourists who come to admire an unbelievably beautiful sight.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#3
When it was decided to revive the Olympic Games after 1,500 years, the first modern-era Olympics took place on April 6, 1896, in Athens.
Image source: history.com, unknown author
#4
The day the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank, taking many lives and becoming one of the most talked-about catastrophes in history, was April 14, 1912.
Image source: onthisday.com, Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart
#5
Besides Queen Elizabeth II, April gave us such prominent historical figures as William Shakespeare, Leonardo da Vinci, and Charlie Chaplin.
Image source: onthisday.com, Cecil Beaton
#6
The name “April” comes from the Latin word “aperire,” which translates as “to open.” The general belief is that it refers to trees and flowers “opening” or blooming.
Image source: etymonline.com
#7
April is known for its meteor showers. Two of the most famous ones are the Lyrids meteor shower and Eta Aquariids meteor shower, both happening in the second half of April.
Image source: earthsky.org
#8
The tragic events of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine happened on April 26, 1986. After the explosion, everyone in the 300-mile radius was evacuated.
Image source: world-nuclear.org
#9
In the Northern Hemisphere, smaller hibernating animals start coming out of their burrows in April.
Image source: varmentguard.com
#10
The first Ford Mustang was revealed on April 17, 1964. Back then, it cost $2,368.
Image source: corporate.ford.com
#11
In many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, April is very rainy. But the rainfall that occurred on April 14-15, 2018, in Waipa, Hawaii, measured 49.69 inches in 24 hours, which is over a meter of rain. This day set the new record for the most rainfall in a single day in the US.
Image source: accuweather.com
#12
In France, April Fools’ Day is called Poisson d’Avril (April Fish). Kids tape or pin cut-out paper fish to their friends’ backs. If anyone notices the fish on your back, they can shout “Poisson d’Avril!”
Image source: afrenchcollection.com
#13
The Beatles announced their disbandment on April 10, 1970. The official split took place on December 31, 1970.
Image source: history.com, unknown author
#14
Cambodia celebrates New Year in April. The Khmer New Year begins on April 13th or 14th, it depends entirely on the “MohaSangkran,” which is the ancient horoscope. It usually lasts for three days.
Image source: ethnomed.org
#15
Robert Peary and his team reported to have reached the North Pole within 3 miles (5 km) on April 6, 1909.
Image source: history.com, unknown author
#16
In the Southern Hemisphere, April is an autumn month and seasonally resembles October in the Northern Hemisphere.
Image source: education.nationalgeographic.org
#17
The battles of Lexington and Concord broke out on April 19, 1775, and marked the beginning of armed conflicts between the British Empire and the thirteen American colonies. What followed was the Revolutionary War.
Image source: history.com
#18
The very first Earth Day parade in support of the environmental protection of our planet took place on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million participated in the protest, making it the largest single-day protest in the history of the United States to date. Earth Day is now annually celebrated on the same day all over the globe.
Image source: earthday.org
#19
Another fun holiday, celebrated on April 3, is National Find a Rainbow Day.
Image source: nationaltoday.com
#20
On August 1, 1911, Harriet Quimby became America’s first licensed female pilot. She was the first woman to fly a plane across the English Channel on April 16, 1912.
Image source: scihi.org, George Grantham Bain Collection
#21
Julius Caesar was the one who added the 30th day to April when he adopted the calendar named after him (The Julian Calendar). Before that, April used to have 29 days.
Image source: penelope.uchicago.edu
#22
Besides more conventional holidays, there are also tons of weird and funny things celebrated during the month. Take, for example, National Burrito Day (April 1), Piñata Day (April 18), or World Penguin Day (April 25).
Image source: nationaldaycalendar.com
#23
April 24, 1800, marked the establishment of the United States Library of Congress.
Image source: www.loc.gov
#24
Louis Pasteur invented a process in which liquids such as milk were heated to kill most bacteria and molds already present within them. He and Claude Bernard completed the first test on April 20, 1862.
This process was soon afterward known as pasteurization.
Image source: directorsblog.health.azdhs.gov, unknown author
#25
On April 30, 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States of America.
Image source: archives.gov
#26
On April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger that took the life of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States who, among other things, entered history as the abolisher of slavery. He died the next morning after being shot.
Image source: fords.org
#27
April is celebrated as Autism Awareness Month, with April 2 known as Light It Up Blue for Autism Day.
Image source: www.un.org
#28
The ancient Romans considered April to be sacred for Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility.
Image source: www2.classics.upenn.edu
#29
On April 20, 1971, the legalization of cannabis was first celebrated in California. Currently, it has been legalized in over 20 countries and 20 US states.
Image source: nationaldaycalendar.com
#30
On Arbor Day, you are invited to celebrate nature by planting trees. It is observed on different days in different countries but always falls in April.
Image source: history.com
#31
In many Southeast Asian countries, April is the hottest month of the year, where temperatures range on average from 35°C (95°F) to 38°C (100°F). No wonder some of the April celebrations like Songkran (Thai New Year celebrated on April 13) include throwing buckets of water on each other and passersby.
Image source: asiahighlights.com
#32
The weather in April defines how nature will develop in the next months. The famous phrase “April showers bring May flowers” belongs to the 16th-century poet Thomas Tusser.
Image source: blogs.missouristate.edu
#33
In Thailand, April marks the beginning of the new year. Celebrations start on April 13 and end on April 15, though they may be extended in some regions.
Image source: kids.nationalgeographic.com, britannica.com
#34
On the morning of 14 April 1927, the first Volvo car drove out through the factory gates in Gothenburg on the west coast of Sweden.
Image source: www.volvocars.com, Pressens bild
#35
The origins of April Fools’ Day are unknown, but many nations observe it as an unofficial holiday to pull pranks on friends. Some sources indicate it may have been inspired by Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Nun’s Priest’s Tale,” part of the Canterbury Tales.
Image source: dictionary.com, chaucer.fas.harvard.edu
#36
On April 11, 1921, KDKA in Pittsburgh broadcasts the first live sporting event on the radio, a boxing match between Johnny Ray and Johnny Dundee.
Image source: history.com
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