April 15 is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years ) in the Gregorian calendar . There are 260 days remaining until the end of the year. This date is slightly more likely to fall on a Wednesday, Friday or Sunday (58 in 400 years each) than on Monday or Tuesday (57), and slightly less likely to occur on a Thursday or Saturday (56).
769 – The Lateran Council condemned the Council of Hieria and anathematized its iconoclastic rulings.
1071 – Bari , the last Byzantine possession in southern Italy, is surrendered to Robert Guiscard .
1395 – Timur defeats Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde at the Battle of the Terek River . The Golden Horde capital city, Sarai , is razed to the ground and Timur installs a puppet ruler on the throne.
1450 – Battle of Formigny : Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War , the French attack and nearly annihilate English forces, ending English domination in Northern France.
1632 – Battle of Rain : Swedes under Gustavus Adolphus defeat the Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years' War .
1642 – Irish Confederate Wars : A Confederate Irish militia is routed in the Battle of Kilrush when it attempts to halt the progress of a Royalist Army.
1715 – The Pocotaligo Massacre triggers the start of the Yamasee War in colonial South Carolina .
1738 – Serse , an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel receives its premiere performance in London, England .
1755 – Samuel Johnson 's A Dictionary of the English Language is published in London.
1783 – Preliminary articles of peace ending the American Revolutionary War (or American War of Independence) are ratified.
1817 – Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc founded the American School for the Deaf , the first American school for deaf students, in Hartford, Connecticut .
1861 – President Abraham Lincoln calls for 75,000 Volunteers to quell the insurrection that soon became the American Civil War
1865 – President Abraham Lincoln dies after being shot the previous evening by actor John Wilkes Booth . Vice President Andrew Johnson , becomes President upon Lincoln's death.
1892 – The General Electric Company is formed.
1896 – Closing ceremony of the Games of the I Olympiad in Athens , Greece.
1900 – Philippine–American War : Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on U.S. infantry and begin a four-day siege of Catubig , Philippines .
1907 – Triangle Fraternity is founded at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
1912 – The British passenger liner RMS Titanic sinks in the North Atlantic at 2:20 a.m., two hours and forty minutes after hitting an iceberg . Only 710 of 2,227 passengers and crew on board survive.
1920 – Two security guards are murdered during a robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts . Anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti would be convicted of and executed for the crime, amid much controversy.
1922 – U.S. Senator John B. Kendrick of Wyoming introduces a resolution calling for an investigation of a secret land deal, which leads to the discovery of the Teapot Dome scandal .
1923 – Insulin becomes generally available for use by people with diabetes .
1924 – Rand McNally publishes its first road atlas .
1936 – First day of the Arab revolt in Mandatory Palestine .
1936 – Aer Lingus (Aer Loingeas) is founded by the Irish government as the national airline of the Republic of Ireland .
1940 – The Allies begin their attack on the Norwegian town of Narvik which is occupied by Nazi Germany .
1941 – In the Belfast Blitz , two-hundred bombers of the German Luftwaffe attack Belfast , killing around one thousand people.
1942 – The George Cross is awarded "to the island fortress of Malta : Its people and defenders" by King George VI .
1945 – Bergen-Belsen concentration camp is liberated.
1947 – Jackie Robinson debuts for the Brooklyn Dodgers , breaking baseball's color line .
1952 – The maiden flight of the B-52 Stratofortress
1955 – McDonald's restaurant dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc , in Des Plaines, Illinois
1960 – At Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina , Ella Baker leads a conference that results in the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , one of the principal organizations of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
1964 – The first Ford Mustang rolls off the show room floor, two days before it is set to go on sale nationwide.
1969 – The EC-121 shootdown incident : North Korea shoots down a United States Navy aircraft over the Sea of Japan , killing all 31 on board.
1970 – During the Cambodian Civil War , massacres of the Vietnamese minority results in 800 bodies flowing down the Mekong river into South Vietnam .
1986 – The United States launches Operation El Dorado Canyon , its bombing raids against Libyan targets in response to a bombing in West Germany that killed two U.S. servicemen.
1989 – Hillsborough disaster : A human crush occurs at Hillsborough Stadium , home of Sheffield Wednesday , in the FA Cup Semi-final, resulting in the deaths of 96 Liverpool fans.
1989 – Upon Hu Yaobang 's death, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 begin in China.
2013 – Two bombs explode near the finish line at the Boston Marathon in Boston , Massachusetts , killing three people and injuring 264 others.
2014 – More than 200 female students are declared missing after a mass kidnapping in Borno State , Nigeria .
68 BC – Gaius Maecenas , Roman politician (d. 8 BC)
1282 – Frederick IV, Duke of Lorraine (d. 1329)
1367 – Henry IV of England (d. 1413)
1442 – John Paston , English noble (d. 1479)
1452 – Leonardo da Vinci , Italian painter, sculptor, and architect (d. 1519)
1469 – Guru Nanak , the first Sikh guru (d. 1539)
1552 – Pietro Cataldi , Italian mathematician and astronomer (d. 1626)
1588 – Claudius Salmasius , French author and scholar (d. 1653)
1641 – Robert Sibbald , Scottish physician and geographer (d. 1722)
1642 – Suleiman II , Ottoman sultan (d. 1691)
1646 – Christian V of Denmark (d. 1699)
1646 – Pierre Poiret , French mystic and philosopher (d. 1719)
1684 – Catherine I of Russia (d. 1727)
1688 – Johann Friedrich Fasch , German violinist and composer (d. 1758)
1707 – Leonhard Euler , Swiss mathematician and physicist (d. 1783)
1710 – William Cullen , Scottish physician and chemist (d. 1790)
1721 – Prince William, Duke of Cumberland (d. 1765)
1741 – Charles Willson Peale , American painter and soldier (d. 1827)
1771 – Nicolas Chopin , French-Polish educator (d. 1844)
1772 – Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire , French biologist and zoologist (d. 1844)
1793 – Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve , German astronomer and academic (d. 1864)
1800 – James Clark Ross , English captain and explorer (d. 1862)
1809 – Hermann Grassmann , German linguist and mathematician (d. 1877)
1828 – Jean Danjou , French captain (d. 1863)
1832 – Wilhelm Busch , German poet, painter, and illustrator (d. 1908)
1841 – Joseph E. Seagram , Canadian businessman and politician, founded the Seagram Company Ltd (d. 1919)
1843 – Henry James , American novelist, short writer, and critic (d. 1916)
1851 – Ponnambalam Ramanathan , Sri Lankan lawyer and politician, 3rd Solicitor General of Sri Lanka (d. 1930)
1856 – Jean Moréas , Greek poet and critic (d. 1910)
1858 – Émile Durkheim , French sociologist, psychologist, and philosopher (d. 1917)
1861 – Bliss Carman , Canadian-British poet and playwright (d. 1929)
1874 – George Harrison Shull , American botanist and geneticist (d. 1954)
1874 – Johannes Stark , German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
1875 – James J. Jeffries , American boxer and promoter (d. 1953)
1877 – Georg Kolbe , German sculptor (d. 1947)
1878 – Robert Walser , Swiss author and playwright (d. 1956)
1879 – Melville Henry Cane , American lawyer and poet (d. 1980)
1883 – Stanley Bruce , Australian captain and politician, 8th Prime Minister of Australia (d. 1967)
1885 – Tadeusz Kutrzeba , Polish general (d. 1947)
1886 – Nikolay Gumilyov , Russian poet and critic (d. 1921)
1888 – Maximilian Kronberger , German poet and author (d. 1904)
1889 – Thomas Hart Benton , American painter and educator (d. 1975)
1889 – A. Philip Randolph , American activist (d. 1979)
1890 – Percy Shaw , English businessman, invented the cat's eye (d. 1976)
1892 – Theo Osterkamp , German general and pilot (d. 1975)
1892 – Corrie ten Boom , Dutch-American clocksmith and author (d. 1983)
1894 – Nikita Khrushchev , Russian general and politician, 7th Premier of the Soviet Union (d. 1971)
1894 – Bessie Smith , American singer and actress (d. 1937)
1895 – Clark McConachy , New Zealand snooker player (d. 1980)
1896 – Nikolay Semyonov , Russian physicist and chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1986)
1898 – Harry Edward , Guyanese-English sprinter (d. 1973)
1901 – Joe Davis , English snooker player (d. 1978)
1901 – Ajoy Mukherjee , Indian politician, Chief Minister of West Bengal (d. 1986)
1901 – René Pleven , French businessman and politician, Prime Minister of France (d. 1993)
1902 – Fernando Pessa , Portuguese journalist (d. 2002)
1903 – John Williams , English-American actor (d. 1983)
1904 – Arshile Gorky , Armenian-American painter and illustrator (d. 1948)
1904 – Antero Kivi , Finnish discus thrower (d. 1981)
1907 – Nikolaas Tinbergen , Dutch-English ethologist and ornithologist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1988)
1908 – eden ahbez , American songwriter and recording artist (d. 1995)
1908 – Lita Grey , American actress (d. 1995)
1910 – Sulo Bärlund , Finnish shot putter (d. 1986)
1910 – Miguel Najdorf , Polish-Argentinian chess player and theoretician (d. 1997)
1912 – William Congdon , American-Italian painter and sculptor (d. 1998)
1912 – Kim Il-sung , North Korean general and politician, 1st Supreme Leader of North Korea (d. 1994)
1915 – Elizabeth Catlett , American sculptor and illustrator (d. 2012)
1916 – Alfred S. Bloomingdale , American businessman (d. 1982)
1916 – Helene Hanff , American author and screenwriter (d. 1997)
1917 – Hans Conried , American actor (d. 1982)
1917 – James Kee , American lawyer and politician (d. 1989)
1918 – Hans Billian , German film director, screenwriter, and actor (d. 2007)
1919 – Alberto Breccia , Uruguayan-Argentinian author and illustrator (d. 1993)
1920 – Godfrey Stafford , English-South African physicist and academic (d. 2013)
1920 – Thomas Szasz , Hungarian-American psychiatrist and academic (d. 2012)
1920 – Richard von Weizsäcker , German soldier and politician, 6th President of Germany (d. 2015)
1921 – Georgy Beregovoy , Ukrainian-Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (d. 1995)
1921 – Angelo DiGeorge , American physician and endocrinologist (d. 2009)
1922 – Michael Ansara , Syrian-American actor (d. 2013)
1922 – Hasrat Jaipuri , Indian poet and songwriter (d. 1999)
1922 – Harold Washington , American lawyer and politician, 51st Mayor of Chicago (d. 1987)
1922 – Graham Whitehead , English racing driver (d. 1981)
1923 – Artur Alliksaar , Estonian poet and author (d. 1966)
1923 – Robert DePugh , American activist, founded the Minutemen (an anti-Communist organization) (d. 2009)
1924 – M. Canagaratnam , Sri Lankan politician (d. 1980)
1924 – Neville Marriner , English violinist and conductor (d. 2016)
1925 – George Shuffler , American guitarist (d. 2014)
1927 – Robert Mills , American physicist and academic (d. 1999)
1929 – Gérald Beaudoin , Canadian lawyer and politician (d. 2008)
1929 – Adrian Cadbury , English rower and businessman (d. 2015)
1930 – Georges Descrières , French actor (d. 2013)
1930 – Vigdís Finnbogadóttir , Icelandic educator and politician, 4th President of Iceland
1931 – Kenneth Bloomfield , Northern Irish civil servant
1931 – Tomas Tranströmer , Swedish poet, translator, and psychologist Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2015)
1932 – Suresh Bhat , Indian poet and songwriter (d. 2003)
1933 – Roy Clark , American musician and television personality
1933 – David Hamilton , English-French photographer and director (d. 2016)
1933 – Elizabeth Montgomery , American actress (d. 1995)
1933 – Jim Towers , English footballer (d. 2010)
1934 – Merle Louise , American actress and singer
1934 – Soichiro Tahara , Japanese journalist
1935 – Stavros Paravas , Greek actor and producer (d. 2008)
1936 – Raymond Poulidor , French cyclist
1937 – Bob Luman , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (d. 1978)
1938 – Claudia Cardinale , Italian actress
1938 – Hso Khan Pha , Burmese-Canadian geologist and politician (d. 2016)
1939 – Marty Wilde , English singer-songwriter and actor
1940 – Jeffrey Archer , English author, playwright, and politician
1940 – Penelope Coelen , South African actress, model, beauty queen and 1958 Miss World
1940 – Willie Davis , American baseball player and actor (d. 2010)
1940 – Robert Lacroix , Canadian economist and academic
1941 – Howard Berman , American lawyer and politician
1942 – Francis X. DiLorenzo , American bishop
1942 – Walt Hazzard , American basketball player and coach (d. 2011)
1942 – Kenneth Lay , American businessman (d. 2006)
1942 – Tim Lankester , English economist and academic
1943 – Pınar Kür , Turkish author, playwright, and academic
1943 – Robert Lefkowitz , American physician and biochemist, Nobel Prize laureate
1943 – Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater , English politician
1943 – Hugh Thompson, Jr. , American soldier and pilot (d. 2006)
1944 – Dzhokhar Dudayev , Russian-Chechen general and politician, 1st President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (d. 1996)
1944 – Dave Edmunds , Welsh singer, guitarist, and producer
1946 – John Lloyd , Scottish journalist and author
1946 – Pete Rouse , American politician, White House Chief of Staff
1947 – Linda Bloodworth-Thomason , American screenwriter and producer
1947 – Martin Broughton , English businessman
1947 – Lois Chiles , American model and actress
1947 – Jeffrey DeMunn , American actor
1947 – David Omand , English civil servant and academic
1947 – Cristina Husmark Pehrsson , Swedish nurse and politician, Swedish Minister for Social Security
1947 – Woolly Wolstenholme , English singer and keyboard player (d. 2010)
1948 – Christopher Brown , English historian, curator, and academic
1948 – Michael Kamen , American composer and conductor (d. 2003)
1949 – Alla Pugacheva , Russian singer-songwriter and actress
1949 – Craig Zadan , American director, producer, and screenwriter
1950 – Josiane Balasko , French actress, director, and screenwriter
1950 – Amy Wright , American actress
1950 – Karel Kroupa , Czech football player
1951 – Heloise , American journalist and author
1951 – John L. Phillips , American captain and astronaut
1951 – Stuart Prebble , English journalist and producer
1951 – Marsha Ivins , American engineer and astronaut
1952 – Brian Muir , English sculptor and set designer
1952 – Avital Ronell , Czech-American philosopher and academic
1956 – Michael Cooper , American basketball player and coach
1957 – Evelyn Ashford , American runner and coach
1958 – Keith Acton , Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1958 – John Bracewell , New Zealand cricketer
1958 – Memos Ioannou , Greek basketball player and coach
1958 – Sir Robert Smith, 3rd Baronet , Scottish politician
1958 – Benjamin Zephaniah , English actor, author, poet, and playwright
1959 – Fruit Chan , Chinese director, producer, and screenwriter
1959 – Kevin Lowe , Canadian ice hockey player, coach, and manager
1959 – Emma Thompson , English actress, comedian, author, activist and screenwriter
1960 – Pierre Aubry , Canadian ice hockey player
1960 – Susanne Bier , Danish director and screenwriter
1960 – Pedro Delgado , Spanish cyclist and sportscaster
1960 – Tony Jones , English snooker player
1961 – Neil Carmichael , English academic and politician
1961 – Carol W. Greider , American molecular biologist
1961 – Dawn Wright , American geographer and oceanographer
1963 – Alex Crawford , Nigerian-South African journalist
1963 – Manzoor Elahi , Pakistani cricketer
1963 – Bobby Pepper , American journalist
1963 – Manoj Prabhakar , Indian cricketer and sportscaster
1964 – Andre Joubert , South African rugby player
1965 – Linda Perry , American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1965 – Michele Redman , American golfer
1965 – Kevin Stevens , American ice hockey player
1966 – Samantha Fox , English singer-songwriter and actress
1966 – Mott Green , American businessman (d. 2013)
1967 – Frankie Poullain , Scottish bass player and songwriter
1967 – Dara Torres , American swimmer and journalist
1968 – Ben Clarke , English rugby player and coach
1968 – Brahim Lahlafi , Moroccan-French runner
1969 – Jeromy Burnitz , American baseball player
1969 – Kaisa Roose , Estonian pianist and conductor
1969 – Jimmy Waite , Canadian-German ice hockey player and coach
1970 – Flex Alexander , American actor, dancer, and producer
1970 – Chris Huffins , American decathlete and coach
1971 – Jason Sehorn , American football player
1971 – Josia Thugwane , South African runner
1971 – Karl Turner , English lawyer and politician
1972 – Arturo Gatti , Italian-Canadian boxer (d. 2009)
1972 – Lou Romano , American animator and voice actor
1974 – Kim Min-kyo , South Korean actor and director
1974 – Danny Pino , American actor and screenwriter
1974 – Mike Quinn , American football player
1974 – Douglas Spain , American actor, director, and producer
1974 – Tim Thomas , American ice hockey player
1975 – Sarah Teichmann , German-American biophysicist and immunologist
1976 – Jason Bonsignore , Canadian ice hockey player and coach
1976 – Darius Regelskis , Lithuanian footballer
1976 – Kęstutis Šeštokas , Lithuanian basketball player
1976 – Susan Ward , American actress and model
1976 – Steve Williams , English rower
1977 – Sudarsan Pattnaik , Indian sculptor
1977 – Brian Pothier , American ice hockey player
1977 – Jamie Wall , English racing driver
1978 – Austin Aries , American wrestler
1978 – Milton Bradley , American baseball player
1978 – Tim Corcoran , American baseball player
1978 – Luis Fonsi , Puerto Rican-American singer-songwriter and dancer
1980 – James Foster , English cricketer
1980 – Raül López , Spanish basketball player
1980 – Willie Mason , New Zealand-Australian rugby league player
1980 – Aida Mollenkamp , American chef and author
1980 – Billy Yates , American football player
1981 – Andrés D'Alessandro , Argentinian footballer
1982 – Michael Aubrey , American baseball player
1982 – Anthony Green , American singer-songwriter
1982 – Albert Riera , Spanish footballer
1982 – Seth Rogen , Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1983 – Blu , American rapper and producer
1983 – Alice Braga , Brazilian actress
1983 – Matt Cardle , English singer-songwriter and guitarist
1983 – Dudu Cearense , Brazilian footballer
1983 – Andreas Fransson , Swedish skier (d. 2014)
1983 – Ilya Kovalchuk , Russian ice hockey player
1983 – Martin Pedersen , Danish cyclist
1984 – Antonio Cromartie , American football player
1984 – Cam Janssen , American ice hockey player
1984 – Daniel Paille , Canadian ice hockey player
1985 – Chris Cates , American baseball player
1985 – John Danks , American baseball player
1985 – Ryan Hamilton , Canadian ice hockey player
1985 – Aaron Laffey , American baseball player
1986 – Tom Heaton , English footballer
1986 – Sylvain Marveaux , French footballer
1986 – Quincy Owusu-Abeyie , Ghanaian footballer
1988 – Thomas Albanese , Italian footballer
1988 – Blake Ayshford , Australian rugby league player
1988 – Steven Defour , Belgian footballer
1990 – Emma Watson , English actress
1991 – Daiki Arioka , Japanese idol, singer, and actor
1991 – Javier Fernández López , Spanish figure skater
628 – Empress Suiko of Japan (b. 554)
1053 – Godwin, Earl of Wessex (b. 1001)
1136 – Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare (b. 1094)
1220 – Adolf of Altena , German archbishop (b. 1157)
1237 – Richard Poore , English ecclesiastic
1415 – Manuel Chrysoloras , Greek philosopher and translator (b. 1355)
1446 – Filippo Brunelleschi , Italian sculptor and architect (b. 1377)
1502 – John IV of Chalon-Arlay , Prince of Orange (b. 1443)
1610 – Robert Persons , English Jesuit priest, insurrectionist, and author (b. 1546)
1632 – George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore , English politician, English Secretary of State (b. 1580)
1652 – Patriarch Joseph of Moscow , Russian patriarch
1659 – Simon Dach , German poet and hymnwriter (b. 1605)
1704 – Johannes Hudde , Dutch mathematician and politician (b. 1628)
1719 – Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon , French wife of Louis XIV of France (b. 1635)
1754 – Jacopo Riccati , Italian mathematician and academic (b. 1676)
1761 – Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll , Scottish lawyer and politician, Lord President of the Court of Session (b. 1682)
1761 – William Oldys , English historian and author (b. 1696)
1764 – Madame de Pompadour , French mistress of Louis XV of France (b. 1721)
1764 – Peder Horrebow , Danish astronomer and mathematician (b. 1679)
1765 – Mikhail Lomonosov , Russian chemist and physicist (b. 1711)
1788 – Giuseppe Bonno , Austrian composer (b. 1711)
1793 – Ignacije Szentmartony , Croatian priest, mathematician, and astronomer (b. 1718)
1854 – Arthur Aikin , English chemist and mineralogist (b. 1773)
1861 – Sylvester Jordan , Austrian-German lawyer and politician (b. 1792)
1865 – Abraham Lincoln , American captain, lawyer, and politician, 16th President of the United States (b. 1809)
1888 – Matthew Arnold , English poet and critic (b. 1822)
1889 – Father Damien , Belgian priest and saint (b. 1840)
1898 – Te Keepa Te Rangihiwinui , New Zealand commander and politician
1912 – Victims of the RMS Titanic disaster
Thomas Andrews , Irish businessman and shipbuilder (b. 1873)
John Jacob Astor IV , American colonel, businessman, and author (b. 1864)
Archibald Butt , American general and journalist (b. 1865)
Jacques Futrelle , American journalist and author (b. 1875)
Benjamin Guggenheim American businessman (b. 1865)
Henry B. Harris , American producer and manager (b. 1866)
Wallace Hartley , English violinist and bandleader (b. 1878)
James Paul Moody , English sailor and sixth officer (b. 1887)
William McMaster Murdoch , Scottish sailor and first officer (b. 1873)
Jack Phillips , English telegraphist (b. 1887)
Edward Smith , English captain (b. 1850)
William Thomas Stead English journalist (b. 1849)
Ida Straus , German-American businesswoman (b. 1849)
Isidor Straus , German-American businessman and politician (b. 1845)
John Thayer , American cricketer (b. 1862)
Henry Tingle Wilde , English chief officer (b. 1872)
1917 – János Murkovics , Slovene author, poet, and educator (b. 1839)
1927 – Gaston Leroux , French journalist and author (b. 1868)
1938 – César Vallejo , Peruvian journalist, poet, and playwright (b. 1892)
1942 – Robert Musil , Austrian-Swiss author and playwright (b. 1880)
1943 – Aristarkh Lentulov , Russian painter and set designer (b. 1882)
1944 – Nikolai Fyodorovich Vatutin , Russian general (b. 1901)
1945 – Hermann Florstedt , German SS officer (b. 1895)
1948 – Radola Gajda , Montenegrin-Czech general and politician (b. 1892)
1949 – Wallace Beery , American actor, director, and screenwriter (b. 1885)
1962 – Clara Blandick , American actress (b. 1880)
1962 – Arsenio Lacson , Filipino journalist and politician, Mayor of Manila (b. 1912)
1963 – Edward Greeves, Jr. , Australian footballer (b. 1903)
1966 – Habibullah Bahar Chowdhury , Bengali politician, writer, journalist, first health minister of East Pakistan
1970 – Ripper Collins , American baseball player (b. 1904)
1971 – Gurgen Boryan , Armenian poet and playwright (b. 1915)
1971 – Dan Reeves , American businessman (b. 1912)
1971 – Friedebert Tuglas , Estonian author and critic (b. 1886)
1975 – Richard Conte , American actor (b. 1910)
1980 – Raymond Bailey , American actor and soldier (b. 1904)
1980 – Jean-Paul Sartre , French philosopher and author, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1905)
1983 – John Engstead , American photographer and journalist (b. 1909)
1984 – Tommy Cooper , Welsh comedian and magician (b. 1921)
1984 – Alexander Trocchi , Scottish author and poet (b. 1925)
1986 – Jean Genet , French novelist, poet, and playwright (b. 1910)
1988 – Kenneth Williams , English actor and screenwriter (b. 1926)
1989 – Hu Yaobang , Chinese soldier and politician (b. 1915)
1990 – Greta Garbo , Swedish-American actress (b. 1905)
1993 – Leslie Charteris , English author and screenwriter (b. 1907)
1993 – John Tuzo Wilson , Canadian geophysicist and geologist (b. 1908)
1994 – John Curry , English figure skater (b. 1949)
1995 – Harry Shoulberg , American painter and illustrator (b. 1903)
1998 – William Congdon , American-Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1912)
1998 – Pol Pot , Cambodian general and politician, 29th Prime Minister of Cambodia (b. 1925)
1999 – Harvey Postlethwaite , English engineer (b. 1944)
2000 – Edward Gorey , American poet and illustrator (b. 1925)
2001 – Joey Ramone , American singer-songwriter (b. 1951)
2002 – Damon Knight , American author and critic (b. 1922)
2002 – Byron White , American football player, lawyer, and jurist, 4th United States Deputy Attorney General (b. 1917)
2004 – Ray Condo , Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1950)
2004 – Mitsuteru Yokoyama , Japanese illustrator (b. 1934)
2005 – Margaretta Scott , English actress (b. 1912)
2007 – Brant Parker , American illustrator (b. 1920)
2008 – Krister Stendahl , Swedish bishop, theologian, and scholar (b. 1921)
2009 – Ed Blake , American baseball player and plumber (b. 1925)
2009 – Clement Freud , German-English journalist, academic, and politician (b. 1924)
2009 – László Tisza , Hungarian-American physicist and academic (b. 1907)
2009 – Salih Neftçi , Turkish economist and author (b. 1947)
2010 – Jack Herer , American author and activist (b. 1939)
2010 – Michael Pataki , American actor and director (b. 1938)
2011 – Vittorio Arrigoni , Italian journalist, author, and activist (b. 1975)
2012 – Paul Bogart , American director and producer (b. 1919)
2012 – Bob Perani , Italian-American ice hockey player (b. 1942)
2012 – Murray Rose , English-Australian swimmer and actor (b. 1939)
2012 – Rich Saul , American football player (b. 1948)
2012 – Dwayne Schintzius , American basketball player (b. 1968)
2012 – Bob Wright , American basketball player and coach (b. 1926)
2013 – Benny Frankie Cerezo , Puerto Rican-American lawyer and politician (b. 1943)
2013 – Richard Collins , Canadian actor (b. 1947)
2013 – Benjamin Fain , Ukrainian-Israeli physicist and academic (b. 1930)
2013 – Joe Francis , American football player and coach (b. 1936)
2013 – Richard LeParmentier , American-English actor and screenwriter (b. 1946)
2013 – Dave McArtney , New Zealand singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1951)
2013 – Scott Miller , American singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1960)
2014 – John Houbolt , American engineer and academic (b. 1919)
2014 – Eliseo Verón , Argentinian sociologist and academic (b. 1935)
2014 – Owen Woodhouse , New Zealand commander and jurist (b. 1916)
2015 – Sidney Abbott , American author and activist (b. 1937)
2015 – Jonathan Crombie , Canadian-American actor and screenwriter (b. 1966)
2015 – Barbara Strauch , American journalist and author (b. 1951)
2015 – Surya Bahadur Thapa , Nepalese politician, 24th Prime Minister of Nepal (b. 1928)
Holidays and observances [ edit ]
External links [ edit ]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to April 15 .