Historical Events on April 1
- 1545: The city of Potosi, Bolivia is founded when large silver deposits are discovered to exist in the area.
- 1625: A fleet of combined Portuguese and Spanish ships recapture Bahia from the Dutch during the Dutch-Portuguese War.
- 1789: The first quorum is held by the U.S House of Representatives and Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania is elected as its first Speaker of the House.
- 1826: A patent for his gas and/or vapor engine is granted to Samuel Morey.
- 1833: In San Felipe de Austin, the Convention of 1833 begins. This purpose of this convention is so that settlers in Mexican Texas can draft a series of petitions aimed at the Mexican government.
- 1854: In the magazine Household Words, the novel Hard Times by Charles Dickens begins its serialization run.
- 1865: Union forces led by General Philip Sheridan defeat Confederate forces led by General George Pickett during the American Civil War.
- 1873: In one of the worst marine disasters to occur during the Nineteenth century, the RMS Atlantic sinks off the coast of Nova Scotia. Over 540 people are killed in the disaster.
- 1889: Colorado State Normal School is founded. It would later become the University of Northern Colorado.
- 1891: In the city of Chicago in Illinois, the Wrigley Company is founded.
- 1924: The Royal Canadian Air Force is officially organized.
- 1924: Adolf Hitler receives a sentence of 5-years for his participation in the Beer Hall Putsch. However, he would only end up spending 9-months in jail.
Famous Birthdays on April 1
- French mathematician and physicist, Sophie Germain is born in 1776.
- French actress Ève Lavallière is born in 1866.
- American actor Wallace Beery is born in 1885.
- American actress, singer and dancer, Debbie Reynolds is born in 1932.
- American model and actress, Ali MacGraw is born in 1939.
- American actress Annette O’Toole is born in 1952.
- American actress Jane Adams is born in 1965.
- American actress Annette O’Toole is born in 1952.
- American actress Jane Adams is born in 1965.