# On this day: April 6

April 6 is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years), with 269 days left until the end of the year.

## April 6 in one line

Headline entries for April 6, from Wikipedia: in 2026, During the Artemis II mission, the Orion made its closest approach to the far side of the Moon and reached its greatest distance from Earth ; born 1963: Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian economist and politician, 54th President of Ecuador; died 1520: Raphael, Italian painter and architect (born 1483). In 2026 it is a Monday, in 2027 a Tuesday.

## Events on April 6

- 1453 Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople. The city falls on May 29 and is renamed Istanbul. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Constantinople)
- 1652 Dutch sailor Jan van Riebeeck landed at Table Bay in southern Africa, establishing a settlement that later became known as Cape Town. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Riebeeck)
- 1712 A group of 23 slaves in New York City revolted, setting fire to a building, but were soon recaptured. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Slave_Revolt_of_1712)
- 1776 American Revolutionary War: Ships of the Continental Navy unsuccessfully attempted to capture HMS Glasgow near Block Island. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Block_Island)
- 1808 John Jacob Astor founded the American Fur Company, the profits from which made him the first multi-millionaire in the United States. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jacob_Astor)
- 1809 Napoleonic Wars: British forces captured the French frigate Niémen in the Bay of Biscay. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_6_April_1809)
- 1812 Peninsular War: After a three-week siege, the Anglo-Portuguese Army, under the Earl of Wellington, captured Badajoz, Spain, and forced the surrender of the French garrison. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Badajoz_(1812))
- 1830 Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer and others formally organized the Church of Christ, starting the Latter Day Saint movement. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Christ_(Latter_Day_Saints))
- 1841 U.S. President John Tyler is sworn in, two days after having become president upon William Henry Harrison's death. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Harrison)
- 1896 In Athens, the opening of the first modern Olympic Games is celebrated, 1,500 years after the original games are banned by Roman emperor Theodosius I. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1896_Summer_Olympics)
- 1926 Varney Air Lines made its first commercial flight, later forming the basis of United Airlines. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airlines)
- 1941 World War II: The Luftwaffe began Operation Retribution, bombing the Yugoslav capital of Belgrade in retaliation for a coup d'état that overthrew the government that had signed the Tripartite Pact. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_bombing_of_Belgrade)
- 1941 World War II: German forces invaded Greece and Yugoslavia. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_invasion_of_Greece)
- 1945 Second World War: The Battle of Slater's Knoll on Bougainville Island concluded with a decisive victory for the Australian Army's 7th Brigade against the Imperial Japanese Army's 6th Division. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Slater's_Knoll)
- 1970 Four California Highway Patrol officers were killed in a shootout following a traffic stop in Newhall, north of Los Angeles. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newhall_incident)
- 1974 ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest representing Sweden with the song "Waterloo". [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_1974)
- 1994 The aircraft carrying Rwandan president Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down in Kigali; the event became the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Juv%C3%A9nal_Habyarimana_and_Cyprien_Ntaryamira)
- 2004 Lithuanian president Rolandas Paksas became the first European head of state to be removed from office by impeachment. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolandas_Paksas)
- 2005 Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani was elected by the National Assembly as the first non-Arab president of Iraq. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalal_Talabani)
- 2009 An earthquake measuring 6.3 Mw struck near L'Aquila in the central Italian region of Abruzzo, killing 308 people and leaving more than 66,000 homeless. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_L'Aquila_earthquake)
- 2009 Mass protests began across Moldova against the results of the parliamentary election. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2009_Moldovan_parliamentary_election_protests)
- 2010 Naxalite–Maoist insurgency: Insurgents from the Communist Party of India (Maoist) ambushed a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Dantewada district, India, killing 76 officers. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_2010_Maoist_attack_in_Dantewada)
- 2011 Mexican drug war: Authorities discovered 59 bodies in clandestine mass graves linked to earlier bus hijackings in San Fernando, Tamaulipas. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_San_Fernando_massacre)
- 2012 The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad unilaterally declared the region of Azawad independent from Mali. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azawadian_declaration_of_independence)
- 2018 A bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos collided with a semi-truck, killing 16 and injuring 13. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_Broncos_bus_crash)
- 2026 During the Artemis II mission, the Orion made its closest approach to the far side of the Moon and reached its greatest distance from Earth . [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_II)

## Born on April 6

- 1135 Maimonides, Jewish philosopher, Torah scholar, physician and astronomer (March 30 also proposed, died 1204) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonides)
- 1725 Pasquale Paoli, French soldier and politician (died 1807) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasquale_Paoli)
- 1741 Nicolas Chamfort, French author and playwright (died 1794) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Chamfort)
- 1773 James Mill, Scottish historian, economist, and philosopher (died 1836) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Mill)
- 1812 Alexander Herzen, Russian philosopher and author (died 1870) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Herzen)
- 1820 Nadar, French photographer, journalist, and author (died 1910) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadar)
- 1826 Gustave Moreau, French painter and academic (died 1898) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustave_Moreau)
- 1904 Kurt Georg Kiesinger, German lawyer, politician and Chancellor of Germany (died 1988) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Georg_Kiesinger)
- 1911 Feodor Felix Konrad Lynen, German biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1979) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feodor_Lynen)
- 1920 Edmond H. Fischer, Swiss-American biochemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2021) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond_H._Fischer)
- 1928 James Watson, American biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 2025) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Watson)
- 1942 Barry Levinson, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Levinson)
- 1949 Horst Ludwig Störmer, German physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst_Ludwig_St%C3%B6rmer)
- 1963 Rafael Correa, Ecuadorian economist and politician, 54th President of Ecuador [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Correa)
- 1964 Tim Walz, American politician, Governor of Minnesota & vice presidential candidate [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Walz)
- 1969 Paul Rudd, American actor [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Rudd)
- 1975 Zach Braff, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Braff)
- 1983 Mitsuru Nagata, Japanese footballer [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsuru_Nagata)
- 1986 Ryota Moriwaki, Japanese footballer [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryota_Moriwaki)
- 1998 Peyton List, American actress and model [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peyton_List_(actress%2C_born_1998))
- 1998 Nahuel Molina, Argentine footballer [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahuel_Molina)
- 2001 Oscar Piastri, Australian racing driver [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Piastri)

## Died on April 6

- 885 Saint Methodius, Byzantine missionary and saint (born 815) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_and_Methodius)
- 1199 Richard I, king of England (born 1157) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_England)
- 1490 Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490 (born 1443) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Corvinus)
- 1520 Raphael, Italian painter and architect (born 1483) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael)
- 1528 Albrecht Dürer, German painter, engraver, and mathematician (born 1471) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer)
- 1829 Niels Henrik Abel, Norwegian mathematician and theorist (born 1802) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Henrik_Abel)
- 1961 Jules Bordet, Belgian microbiologist and immunologist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1870) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Bordet)
- 1971 Igor Stravinsky, Russian-American pianist, composer, and conductor (born 1882) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Stravinsky)
- 1992 Isaac Asimov, American science fiction writer (born 1920) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov)
- 2000 Habib Bourguiba, Tunisian politician, 1st President of Tunisia (born 1903) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Bourguiba)
- 2005 Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (born 1923) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainier_III_of_Monaco)
- 2014 Mickey Rooney, American soldier, actor, and dancer (born 1920) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Rooney)
- 2017 Don Rickles, American actor and comedian (born 1926) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Rickles)
- 2022 Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Russian and Soviet politician (born 1946) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Zhirinovsky)

## Holidays and observances

- Chakri Day, commemorating the establishment of the Chakri dynasty. (Thailand) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakri_dynasty)
- Christian feast day: Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach (Lutheran Church). [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer)
- Christian feast day: Brychan [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brychan)
- Christian feast day: Eutychius of Constantinople [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutychius_of_Constantinople)
- Christian feast day: Galla of Rome [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galla_of_Rome)
- Christian feast day: Marcellinus of Carthage [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcellinus_of_Carthage)
- Christian feast day: Notker the Stammerer [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notker_the_Stammerer)
- Christian feast day: Blessed Pierina Morosini [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierina_Morosini)
- Christian feast day: Pope Sixtus I [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Sixtus_I)
- Christian feast day: April 6 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_6_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics))
- International Day of Sport for Development and Peace [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Sport_for_Development_and_Peace)
- National Fisherman Day (Indonesia) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Indonesia)
- New Beer's Eve (United States) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Beer_Day_(United_States))
- Tartan Day (United States & Canada) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tartan_Day)
- Waltzing Matilda Day (Australia) [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltzing_Matilda)
- International Asexuality Day [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexuality)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia — “April 6”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_6) — events, births, deaths and observances (text under CC BY-SA 4.0) (checked 2026-10-15)
- [Wikipedia — “Selected anniversaries/April 6”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Selected_anniversaries/April_6) — the anniversaries editors chose for the date and the article each one is about (checked 2026-10-15)
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/) — in how many language editions each entry's own article exists, used to fill the lists (CC0) (checked 2026-10-15)
- [vacanza/holidays (open-source holiday rules, MIT licence)](https://github.com/vacanza/holidays) — holiday rules used to build the lists (checked 2026-10-15)

The events, births, deaths and observances above are from the English Wikipedia article [“April 6”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_6) and the articles it links to ([authors and history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_6?action=history)), retrieved 2026-10-15 through the Wikimedia “On this day” feed. They are licensed under [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/); this selection is shared under the same licence. Every anniversary that Wikipedia's editors selected for April 6 stays on the list; the remaining places, up to 26 events, 22 births and 14 deaths, go to the entries whose own article — about the event itself, or else the person or thing it is about — appears in the most language editions (counted from Wikidata); an article about a person or thing, which covers far more than one day, counts half. An entry with no article of its own counts, also at half, by the least covered article it links, and one that links only places counts for nothing. Each list runs by year, and the wording is unchanged apart from removing references to pictures, audio and video.

## April 6 in the calendar

| Year | Weekday | ISO week | Moon (UTC) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 | Monday | 2026-W15 | 🌖 Waning Gibbous |
| 2027 | Tuesday | 2027-W14 | 🌑 New Moon |
| 2028 | Thursday | 2028-W14 | 🌔 Waxing Gibbous |
| 2029 | Friday | 2029-W14 | 🌘 Waning Crescent |
| 2030 | Saturday | 2030-W14 | 🌒 Waxing Crescent |

Moon phases are for the day in UTC; at the edges of a phase your local date can differ.

## Public holidays on April 6

- [🇬🇧 United Kingdom](https://whathappen.today/holidays/united-kingdom/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇦🇺 Australia](https://whathappen.today/holidays/australia/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇮🇪 Ireland](https://whathappen.today/holidays/ireland/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇳🇿 New Zealand](https://whathappen.today/holidays/new-zealand/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇿🇦 South Africa](https://whathappen.today/holidays/south-africa/): Family Day (2026)
- [🇨🇳 China](https://whathappen.today/holidays/china/): Tomb-Sweeping Day (day off in lieu) (2026)
- [🇩🇪 Germany](https://whathappen.today/holidays/germany/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇫🇷 France](https://whathappen.today/holidays/france/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇮🇹 Italy](https://whathappen.today/holidays/italy/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇦🇹 Austria](https://whathappen.today/holidays/austria/): Easter Monday (2026)
- [🇧🇪 Belgium](https://whathappen.today/holidays/belgium/): Easter Monday (2026)

[Today's holidays in 28 countries →](https://whathappen.today/holidays/)

## Nearby dates

[← April 5](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/april-5/) · [April 7 →](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/april-7/)

[All 366 days](https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/)

Last updated: 15 October 2026

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Web page: https://whathappen.today/on-this-day/april-6/