On This Day - What Happened On April 1 | Britannica

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1999 Creation of Nunavut Created this day in 1999 by carving a vast region from Canada's Northwest Territories, the Canadian territory of Nunavut stretches across much of the Canadian Arctic and encompasses the traditional lands of the Inuit. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Featured Biography

Sergey Rachmaninoff Russian musician bornApril 1, 1873Oneg, RussiadiedMarch 28, 1943 (aged 69)Beverly Hills, CaliforniaEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1973 Rachel Maddow American political commentator 1932 Debbie Reynolds American actress and singer 1920 Mifune Toshirō Japanese actor 1908 Abraham Maslow American psychologist 1873 Sergey Rachmaninoff Russian musician See All Biographies On This Day

More Events On This Day

Today April Fools' Day, celebrated today with joking relationships and practical jokes, may have grown out of the medieval Feast of Fools, which was held on January 1.Massimno Salvarani/Associazione Culturale Accademia Degli Incogniti 2018 American television producer Steven Bochco—the cocreator of such hit shows as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue—died at the age of 74. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about pop culture© National Broadcasting Company 2004 Google launched Gmail, and five years later the number of people using the e-mail service surpassed one billion. Take our computers and technology quiz 2001 The Netherlands became the first country to grant equal marriage rights to same-sex couples. Test your knowledge of European historyEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2001 The midair collision of a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet that was tailing it over the South China Sea resulted in the death of the Chinese pilot and the landing of the damaged American plane on Hainan Island, where its crew was detained for 11 days. Read about 10 famous names in the espionage gameEncyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1984 American singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye, whose notable works include the concept album What's Going On (1971), was shot and killed by his father in Los Angeles. Take our rock-and-roll quizPictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images 1979 Following overwhelming support in a national referendum, Ruhollah Khomeini declared Iran an Islamic republic; it marked the end of the Iranian Revolution. Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about the Middle EastAP Images 1976 Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne formed Apple Computer Inc., and it became one of the world's leading tech companies. Test your knowledge of tech companiesCourtesy of Apple Computer, Inc. 1954 The United States Air Force Academy was created by an act of Congress and was later built in Colorado Springs, Colorado.© Rich Grant/Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau 1945 U.S. troops landed on the Japanese island of Okinawa during World War II. Sort fact from fiction in our World War II quizU.S. Department of Defense 1930 Josef von Sternberg's Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) was released in Germany, and the classic film made Marlene Dietrich a star. Take our quiz about A-list actorsUniversum Film A.G.; photograph from a private collection 1924 Adolf Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch; he ultimately served only nine months, during which time he wrote much of Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”). How much do you know about Adolf Hitler?Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1918 The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force was formed. Read about 11 of the world's most famous warplanesKeystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1917 American composer and pianist Scott Joplin, who was known as the “king of ragtime” at the turn of the 20th century, died in a mental institution in New York City. Take our composers quizPaul Fearn/Alamy 1815 Otto von Bismarck, the founder and first chancellor (1871–90) of the German Empire, was born. Test your knowledge of German historyArchiv für Kunst und Geschichte, Berlin 1578 English physician William Harvey, who discovered the true nature of the circulation of the blood, was born in Folkestone, Kent. How much do you know about blood?National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland SIGN UP FOR History's Biggest Headlines Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors. SIGN UP Thanks for signing up for Today in History. Your first newsletter will arrive soon! SIGN UP By clicking "Sign Up" you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.