text:
April 7

Pre-1600

 * 451 – Attila the Hun captures Metz in France, killing most of its inhabitants and burning the town.
 * 529 – First Corpus Juris Civilis, a fundamental work in jurisprudence, is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I.
 * 1141 – Empress Matilda becomes the first female ruler of England, adopting the title "Lady of the English".
 * 1348 – Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV charters Prague University.
 * 1449 – Felix V abdicates his claim to the papacy, ending the reign of the final Antipope.
 * 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Cebu.
 * 1541 – Francis Xavier leaves Lisbon on a mission to the Portuguese East Indies.

1601–1900

 * 1724 – Premiere performance of Bach's St John Passion, BWV 245, at St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig.
 * 1767 – End of Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767).
 * 1788 – Settlers establish Marietta, Ohio, the first permanent settlement created by U.S. citizens in the recently organized Northwest Territory.
 * 1790 – Greek War of Independence: Greek revolutionary Lambros Katsonis loses three of his ships in the Battle of Andros.
 * 1795 – The French First Republic adopts the kilogram and gram as its primary unit of mass.
 * 1798 – The Mississippi Territory is organized from disputed territory claimed by both the United States and the Spanish Empire. It is expanded in 1804 and again in 1812.
 * 1805 – Lewis and Clark Expedition: The Corps of Discovery breaks camp among the Mandan tribe and resumes its journey West along the Missouri River.
 * 1805 – German composer Ludwig van Beethoven premieres his Third Symphony, at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.
 * 1824 – The Mechanics' Institution is established in Manchester, England at the Bridgewater Arms hotel, as part of a national movement for the education of working men. The institute is the precursor to three Universities in the city: the University of Manchester, UMIST and the Metropolitan University of Manchester (MMU).
 * 1831 – Pedro II becomes Emperor of Empire of Brazil.
 * 1862 – American Civil War: The Union's Army of the Tennessee and the Army of the Ohio defeat the Confederate Army of Mississippi near Shiloh, Tennessee.
 * 1868 – Thomas D'Arcy McGee, one of the Canadian Fathers of Confederation, is assassinated by a Fenian activist.

1901–present

 * 1906 – Mount Vesuvius erupts and devastates Naples.
 * 1906  – The Algeciras Conference gives France and Spain control over Morocco.
 * 1922 – Teapot Dome scandal: United States Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall leases federal petroleum reserves to private oil companies on excessively generous terms.
 * 1926 – Violet Gibson attempts to assassinate Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.
 * 1927 – AT&T engineer Herbert Ives transmits the first long-distance public television broadcast (from Washington, D.C., to New York City, displaying the image of Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover).
 * 1933 – Prohibition in the United States is repealed for beer of no more than 3.2% alcohol by weight, eight months before the ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution. (Now celebrated as National Beer Day in the United States.)
 * 1933  – Nazi Germany issues the Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service banning Jews and political dissidents from civil service posts.
 * 1939 – Benito Mussolini declares an Italian protectorate over Albania and forces King Zog I into exile.
 * 1940 – Booker T. Washington becomes the first African American to be depicted on a United States postage stamp.
 * 1943 – The Holocaust in Ukraine: In Terebovlia, Germans order 1,100 Jews to undress and march through the city to the nearby village of Plebanivka, where they are shot and buried in ditches.
 * 1943  – Ioannis Rallis becomes collaborationist Prime Minister of Greece during the Axis Occupation.
 * 1943  – The National Football League makes helmets mandatory.
 * 1944 – In the Fragheto massacre, soldiers belonging to the German 356th Infantry Division kill 30 Italian civilians and 15 partisans near Casteldelci in central-northern Italy.
 * 1945 – World War II: The Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Yamato, one of the two largest ever constructed, is sunk by United States Navy aircraft during Operation Ten-Go.
 * 1946 – The Soviet Union annexes East Prussia as the Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
 * 1948 – The World Health Organization is established by the United Nations.
 * 1954 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his "domino theory" speech during a news conference.
 * 1955 – Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom amid indications of failing health.
 * 1956 – Francoist Spain agrees to surrender its protectorate in Morocco.
 * 1964 – IBM announces the System/360.
 * 1965 – Representatives of the National Congress of American Indians testify before members of the US Senate in Washington, D.C., against the termination of the Colville tribe.
 * 1968 – Two-time Formula One British World Champion Jim Clark dies in an accident during a Formula Two race in Hockenheim.
 * 1969 – The Internet's symbolic birth date: Publication of RFC 1.
 * 1971 – Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announces his decision to quicken the pace of Vietnamization.
 * 1972 – Vietnam War: Communist forces overrun the South Vietnamese town of Loc Ninh.
 * 1976 – Member of Parliament and suspected spy John Stonehouse resigns from the Labour Party after being arrested for faking his own death.
 * 1977 – German Federal prosecutor Siegfried Buback and his driver are shot by two Red Army Faction members while waiting at a red light.
 * 1978 – Development of the neutron bomb is canceled by President Jimmy Carter.
 * 1980 – During the Iran hostage crisis, the United States severs relations with Iran.
 * 1982 – Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Sadegh Ghotbzadeh is arrested.
 * 1983 – During STS-6, astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson perform the first Space Shuttle spacewalk.
 * 1988 – Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov orders the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.
 * 1989 – Soviet submarine Komsomolets sinks in the Barents Sea off the coast of Norway, killing 42 sailors.
 * 1990 – A fire breaks out on the passenger ferry Scandinavian Star, killing 159 people.
 * 1990  – John Poindexter is convicted for his role in the Iran–Contra affair. In 1991 the convictions are reversed on appeal.
 * 1994 – Rwandan genocide: Massacres of Tutsis begin in Kigali, Rwanda, and soldiers kill the civilian Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana.
 * 1994  – Auburn Calloway attempts to destroy Federal Express Flight 705 in order to allow his family to benefit from his life insurance policy.
 * 1995 – First Chechen War: Russian paramilitary troops begin a massacre of civilians in Samashki, Chechnya.
 * 1999 – Turkish Airlines Flight 5904 crashes near Ceyhan in southern Turkey, killing six people.
 * 2001 – NASA launches the 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiter.
 * 2003 – Iraq War: U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime falls two days later.
 * 2009 – Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is sentenced to 25 years in prison for ordering killings and kidnappings by security forces.
 * 2009  – Mass protests begin across Moldova under the belief that results from the parliamentary election are fraudulent.
 * 2011 – The Israel Defense Forces use their Iron Dome missile system to successfully intercept a BM-21 Grad launched from Gaza, marking the first short-range missile intercept ever.
 * 2017 – A man deliberately drives a hijacked truck into a crowd of people in Stockholm, Sweden, killing five people and injuring fifteen others.
 * 2017  – U.S. President Donald Trump orders the 2017 Shayrat missile strike against Syria in retaliation for the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack.
 * 2018 – Former Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is arrested for corruption by determination of Judge Sérgio Moro, from the "Car-Wash Operation". Lula stayed imprisoned for 580 days, after being released by the Brazilian Supreme Court.
 * 2018  – Syria launches the Douma chemical attack during the Eastern Ghouta offensive of the Syrian Civil War.
 * 2020 – COVID-19 pandemic: China ends its lockdown in Wuhan.
 * 2020  – COVID-19 pandemic: Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly resigns for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on USS Theodore Roosevelt and the dismissal of Brett Crozier.
 * 2021 – COVID-19 pandemic: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States.
 * 2022 – Ketanji Brown Jackson is confirmed for the Supreme Court of the United States, becoming the first black female justice.

Pre-1600

 * 1206 – Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria (d. 1253)
 * 1330 – John, 3rd Earl of Kent, English nobleman (d. 1352)
 * 1470 – Edward Stafford, 2nd Earl of Wiltshire (d. 1498)
 * 1506 – Francis Xavier, Spanish missionary and saint, co-founded the Society of Jesus (d. 1552)
 * 1539 – Tobias Stimmer, Swiss painter and illustrator (d. 1584)

1601–1900

 * 1613 – Gerrit Dou, Dutch painter (d. 1675)
 * 1644 – François de Neufville, duc de Villeroy, French general (d. 1730)
 * 1648 – John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, English poet and politician, Lord President of the Council (d. 1721)
 * 1652 – Pope Clement XII (d. 1740)
 * 1713 – Nicola Sala, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1801)
 * 1718 – Hugh Blair, Scottish minister and author (d. 1800)
 * 1727 – Michel Adanson, French botanist, entomologist, and mycologist (d. 1806)
 * 1763 – Domenico Dragonetti, Italian bassist and composer (d. 1846)
 * 1770 – William Wordsworth, English poet (d. 1850)
 * 1772 – Charles Fourier, French philosopher (d. 1837)
 * 1780 – William Ellery Channing, American preacher and theologian (d. 1842)
 * 1803 – James Curtiss, American journalist and politician, 11th Mayor of Chicago (d. 1859)
 * 1803  – Flora Tristan, French author and activist (d. 1844)
 * 1811 – Hasan Tahsini, Albanian astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher (d. 1881)
 * 1817 – Francesco Selmi, Italian chemist and patriot (d. 1881)
 * 1848 – Randall Davidson, Scottish archbishop (d. 1930)
 * 1859 – Walter Camp, American football player and coach (d. 1925)
 * 1860 – Will Keith Kellogg, American businessman, founded the Kellogg Company (d. 1951)
 * 1867 – Holger Pedersen, Danish linguist and academic (d. 1953)
 * 1870 – Gustav Landauer, German theorist and activist (d. 1919)
 * 1871 – Epifanio de los Santos, Filipino jurist, historian, and scholar (d. 1927)
 * 1873 – John McGraw, American baseball player and manager (d. 1934)
 * 1874 – Frederick Carl Frieseke, German-American painter (d. 1939)
 * 1876 – Fay Moulton, American sprinter, football player, coach, and lawyer (d. 1945)
 * 1882 – Bert Ironmonger, Australian cricketer (d. 1971)
 * 1882  – Kurt von Schleicher, German general and politician, 23rd Chancellor of Germany (d. 1934)
 * 1883 – Gino Severini, Italian-French painter and author (d. 1966)
 * 1884 – Clement Smoot, American golfer (d. 1963)
 * 1886 – Ed Lafitte, American baseball player and soldier (d. 1971)
 * 1889 – Gabriela Mistral, Chilean poet and educator, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1957)
 * 1890 – Paul Berth, Danish footballer (d. 1969)
 * 1890  – Victoria Ocampo. Argentine writer (d. 1979)
 * 1890  – Marjory Stoneman Douglas, American journalist and activist (d. 1998)
 * 1891 – Ole Kirk Christiansen, Danish businessman, founded the Lego Group (d. 1958)
 * 1892 – Julius Hirsch, German footballer (d. 1945)
 * 1893  – José Sobral de Almada Negreiros, Portuguese artist (d. 1970)
 * 1893 – Allen Dulles, American lawyer and diplomat, 5th Director of Central Intelligence (d. 1969)
 * 1895 – John Bernard Flannagan, American soldier and sculptor (d. 1942)
 * 1895  – Margarete Schön, German actress (d. 1985)
 * 1896 – Frits Peutz, Dutch architect, designed the Glaspaleis (d. 1974)
 * 1897 – Erich Löwenhardt, Polish-German lieutenant and pilot (d. 1918)
 * 1897  – Walter Winchell, American journalist and radio host (d. 1972)
 * 1899 – Robert Casadesus, French pianist and composer (d. 1972)
 * 1900 – Adolf Dymsza, Polish actor (d. 1975)
 * 1900  – Tebbs Lloyd Johnson, English race walker (d. 1984)

1901–present

 * 1902 – Eduard Eelma, Estonian footballer (d. 1941)
 * 1903 – M. Balasundaram, Sri Lankan lawyer and politician (d. 1965)
 * 1903  – Edwin T. Layton, American admiral (d. 1984)
 * 1904 – Roland Wilson, Australian economist and statistician (d. 1996)
 * 1908 – Percy Faith, Canadian composer, conductor, and bandleader (d. 1976)
 * 1908  – Pete Zaremba, American hammer thrower (d. 1994)
 * 1909 – Robert Charroux, French author and critic (d. 1978)
 * 1910 – Melissanthi, Greek poet, teacher and journalist (d. 1990)
 * 1913 – Louise Currie, American actress (d. 2013)
 * 1913  – Charles Vanik, American soldier, judge, and politician (d. 2007)
 * 1914 – Ralph Flanagan, American pianist, composer, and conductor (d. 1995)
 * 1914  – Domnitsa Lanitou-Kavounidou, Greek sprinter (d. 2011)
 * 1915 – Stanley Adams, American actor and screenwriter (d. 1977)
 * 1915  – Billie Holiday, American singer-songwriter and actress (d. 1959)
 * 1915  – Henry Kuttner, American author (d. 1958)
 * 1916 – Anthony Caruso, American actor (d. 2003)
 * 1917 – R. G. Armstrong, American actor and playwright (d. 2012)
 * 1918 – Bobby Doerr, American baseball player and coach (d. 2017)
 * 1919 – Roger Lemelin, Canadian author and screenwriter (d. 1992)
 * 1919  – Edoardo Mangiarotti, Italian fencer (d. 2012)
 * 1920 – Ravi Shankar, Indian-American sitar player and composer (d. 2012)
 * 1921 – Feza Gürsey, Turkish mathematician and physicist (d. 1992)
 * 1922 – Mongo Santamaría, Cuban-American drummer (d. 2003)
 * 1924 – Johannes Mario Simmel, Austrian-English author and screenwriter (d. 2009)
 * 1925 – Chaturanan Mishra, Indian trade union leader and politician (d. 2011)
 * 1925  – Jan van Roessel, Dutch footballer (d. 2011)
 * 1927 – Babatunde Olatunji, Nigerian-American drummer, educator, and activist (d. 2003)
 * 1927  – Leonid Shcherbakov, Russian triple jumper (d. 2004)
 * 1928 – James Garner, American actor, singer, and producer (d. 2014)
 * 1928  – Alan J. Pakula, American director, producer, and screenwriter (d. 1998)
 * 1928  – James White, Northern Irish author and educator (d. 1999)
 * 1929 – Bob Denard, French soldier (d. 2007)
 * 1929  – Joe Gallo, American gangster (d. 1972)
 * 1930 – Jane Priestman, English interior designer (d. 2021)
 * 1930  – Yves Rocher, French businessman, founded the Yves Rocher Company (d. 2009)
 * 1930  – Andrew Sachs, German-English actor and screenwriter (d. 2016)
 * 1930  – Roger Vergé, French chef and restaurateur (d. 2015)
 * 1931 – Donald Barthelme, American short story writer and novelist (d. 1989)
 * 1931  – Daniel Ellsberg, American activist and author (d. 2023)
 * 1932 – Cal Smith, American singer and guitarist (d. 2013)
 * 1933 – Wayne Rogers, American actor, investor, and producer (d. 2015)
 * 1933  – Sakıp Sabancı, Turkish businessman and philanthropist (d. 2004)
 * 1934 – Ian Richardson, Scottish-English actor (d. 2007)
 * 1935 – Bobby Bare, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1935  – Hodding Carter III, American journalist and politician, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (d. 2023)
 * 1937 – Charlie Thomas, American singer (d. 2023)
 * 1938 – Jerry Brown, American lawyer and politician, 34th and 39th Governor of California
 * 1938  – Spencer Dryden, American drummer (d. 2005)
 * 1938  – Freddie Hubbard, American trumpet player and composer (d. 2008)
 * 1938  – Iris Johansen, American author
 * 1939 – Francis Ford Coppola, American director, producer, and screenwriter
 * 1939  – David Frost, English journalist and game show host (d. 2013)
 * 1939  – Gary Kellgren, American record producer, co-founded Record Plant (d. 1977)
 * 1939  – Brett Whiteley, Australian painter (d. 1992)
 * 1940 – Marju Lauristin, Estonian academic and politician, 1st Estonian Minister of Social Affairs
 * 1941 – James Di Pasquale, American composer
 * 1941  – Peter Fluck, English puppet maker and illustrator
 * 1941  – Cornelia Frances, English-Australian actress (d. 2018)
 * 1941  – Gorden Kaye, English actor (d. 2017)
 * 1942 – Jeetendra, Indian actor, TV and film producer
 * 1943 – Mick Abrahams, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1943  – Dennis Amiss, English cricketer and manager
 * 1944 – Shel Bachrach, American insurance broker, investor, businessman and philanthropist (d. 2024)
 * 1944  – Warner Fusselle, American sportscaster (d. 2012)
 * 1944  – Oshik Levi, Israeli singer and actor
 * 1944  – Julia Phillips, American film producer and author (d. 2002)
 * 1944  – Gerhard Schröder, German lawyer and politician, 7th Chancellor of Germany
 * 1944  – Bill Stoneman, American baseball player and manager
 * 1945 – Megas, Icelandic singer-songwriter
 * 1945  – Gerry Cottle, English circus owner (d. 2021)
 * 1945  – Marilyn Friedman, American philosopher and academic
 * 1945  – Martyn Lewis, Welsh journalist and author
 * 1945  – Joël Robuchon, French chef and author (d. 2018)
 * 1945  – Werner Schroeter, German director and screenwriter (d. 2010)
 * 1945  – Hans van Hemert, Dutch songwriter and producer
 * 1946 – Zaid Abdul-Aziz, American basketball player
 * 1946  – Colette Besson, French runner and educator (d. 2005)
 * 1946  – Herménégilde Chiasson, Canadian poet, playwright, and politician, 29th Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick
 * 1946  – Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenian politician and diplomate
 * 1946  – Stan Winston, American special effects designer and makeup artist (d. 2008)
 * 1947 – Patricia Bennett, American singer
 * 1947  – Florian Schneider, German singer and drummer (d. 2020)
 * 1947  – Michèle Torr, French singer and author
 * 1948 – John Oates, American singer-songwriter guitarist, and producer
 * 1948  – Arnie Robinson, American athlete (d. 2020)
 * 1948  – Ecaterina Andronescu, Romanian politician
 * 1949 – Mitch Daniels, American academic and politician, 49th Governor of Indiana
 * 1950 – Brian J. Doyle, American press secretary
 * 1950  – Neil Folberg, American-Israeli photographer
 * 1951 – Bruce Gary, American drummer (d. 2006)
 * 1951  – Janis Ian, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1952 – David Baulcombe, English geneticist and academic
 * 1952  – Jane Frederick, American hurdler and heptathlete
 * 1952  – Gilles Valiquette, Canadian actor, singer, and producer
 * 1952  – Dennis Hayden, American actor
 * 1953 – Santa Barraza, American mixed media artist
 * 1953  – Douglas Kell, English biochemist and academic
 * 1954 – Jackie Chan, Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman, director, producer, and screenwriter
 * 1954  – Tony Dorsett, American football player
 * 1955 – Tim Cochran, American mathematician and academic (d. 2014)
 * 1955  – Gregg Jarrett, American lawyer and journalist
 * 1956 – Annika Billström, Swedish businesswoman and politician, 16th Mayor of Stockholm
 * 1956  – Christopher Darden, American lawyer and author
 * 1956  – Georg Werthner, Austrian decathlete
 * 1957 – Kim Kap-soo, South Korean actor
 * 1957  – Thelma Walker, British politician
 * 1958 – Brian Haner, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * 1958  – Hindrek Kesler, Estonian architect
 * 1960 – Buster Douglas, American boxer and actor
 * 1960  – Sandy Powell, English costume designer
 * 1961 – Thurl Bailey, American basketball player and actor
 * 1961  – Pascal Olmeta, French footballer
 * 1961  – Brigitte van der Burg, Tanzanian-Dutch geographer and politician
 * 1962 – Jon Cruddas, English lawyer and politician
 * 1962  – Andrew Hampsten, American cyclist
 * 1963 – Jaime de Marichalar, Spanish businessman
 * 1963  – Nick Herbert, English businessman and politician, Minister for Policing
 * 1963  – Dave Johnson, American decathlete and educator
 * 1964 – Jace Alexander, American actor and director
 * 1964  – Russell Crowe, New Zealand-Australian actor
 * 1964  – Steve Graves, Canadian ice hockey player
 * 1965 – Bill Bellamy, American comedian, actor, and producer
 * 1965  – Rozalie Hirs, Dutch composer and poet
 * 1965  – Alison Lapper, English painter and photographer
 * 1965  – Nenad Vučinić, Serbian-New Zealand basketball player and coach
 * 1966 – Richard Gomez, Filipino actor and politician
 * 1966  – Zvika Hadar, Israeli entertainer
 * 1966  – Béla Mavrák, Hungarian tenor singer
 * 1966  – Gary Wilkinson, English snooker player
 * 1967 – Artemis Gounaki, Greek-German singer-songwriter
 * 1967  – Bodo Illgner, German footballer
 * 1967  – Simone Schilder, Dutch tennis player
 * 1968 – Duncan Armstrong, Australian swimmer and sportscaster
 * 1968  – Jennifer Lynch, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter
 * 1968  – Jože Možina, Slovenian historian, sociologist and journalist
 * 1968  – Vasiliy Sokov, Russian triple jumper
 * 1969 – Ricky Watters, American football player
 * 1970 – Leif Ove Andsnes, Norwegian pianist and educator
 * 1970  – Alexander Karpovtsev, Russian ice hockey player and coach (d. 2011)
 * 1971 – Guillaume Depardieu, French actor (d. 2008)
 * 1971  – Victor Kraatz, German-Canadian figure skater
 * 1972 – Tim Peake, British astronaut
 * 1973 – Marco Delvecchio, Italian footballer
 * 1973  – Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Dutch lawyer and politician, Dutch Minister of Defence
 * 1973  – Carole Montillet, French skier
 * 1973  – Christian O'Connell, British radio DJ and presenter
 * 1973  – Brett Tomko, American baseball player
 * 1975 – Karin Dreijer Andersson, Swedish singer-songwriter and producer
 * 1975  – Ronde Barber, American football player and sportscaster
 * 1975  – Tiki Barber, American football player and journalist
 * 1975  – Ronnie Belliard, American baseball player
 * 1975  – John Cooper, American singer-songwriter and bass player
 * 1975  – Simon Woolford, Australian rugby league player
 * 1976 – Kevin Alejandro, American actor and producer
 * 1976  – Martin Buß, German high jumper
 * 1976  – Jessica Lee, English lawyer and politician
 * 1976  – Aaron Lohr, American actor
 * 1976  – Barbara Jane Reams, American actress
 * 1976  – Gang Qiang, Chinese anchor
 * 1977 – Tama Canning, Australian-New Zealand cricketer
 * 1977  – Karin Haydu, Slovak actress
 * 1978 – Jo Appleby, English soprano
 * 1978  – Duncan James, English singer-songwriter and actor
 * 1978  – Lilia Osterloh, American tennis player
 * 1979 – Adrián Beltré, Dominican-American baseball player
 * 1979  – Patrick Crayton, American football player
 * 1979  – Pascal Dupuis, Canadian ice hockey player
 * 1979  – Danny Sandoval, Venezuelan-American baseball player
 * 1980 – Dragan Bogavac, Montenegrin footballer
 * 1980  – Bruno Covas, Brazilian lawyer, politician (d. 2021)
 * 1980  – Tetsuji Tamayama, Japanese actor
 * 1981 – Hitoe Arakaki, Japanese singer
 * 1981 – Kazuki Watanabe, Japanese songwriter and guitarist (d. 2000)
 * 1981  – Vanessa Olivarez, American singer-songwriter, and actress
 * 1981  – Suzann Pettersen, Norwegian golfer
 * 1982 – Silvana Arias, Peruvian actress
 * 1982  – Sonjay Dutt, American wrestler
 * 1982  – Kelli Young, English singer
 * 1983 – Hamish Davidson, Australian musician
 * 1983  – Franck Ribéry, French footballer
 * 1983  – Jon Stead, English footballer
 * 1983  – Jakub Smrž, Czech motorcycle rider
 * 1983  – Janar Talts, Estonian basketball player
 * 1984 – Hiroko Shimabukuro, Japanese singer
 * 1985 – KC Concepcion, Filipino actress and singer
 * 1985  – Humza Yousaf, Scottish politician
 * 1986 – Brooke Brodack, American comedian
 * 1986  – Jack Duarte, Mexican actor, singer, and guitarist
 * 1986  – Andi Fraggs, English singer-songwriter and producer
 * 1986  – Christian Fuchs, Austrian footballer
 * 1987 – Martín Cáceres, Uruguayan footballer
 * 1987  – Eelco Sintnicolaas, Dutch decathlete
 * 1987  – Jamar Smith, American football player
 * 1988 – Antonio Piccolo, Italian footballer
 * 1988  – Ed Speleers, English actor and producer
 * 1989 – Franco Di Santo, Argentinian footballer
 * 1989  – Mitchell Pearce, Australian rugby league player
 * 1989  – Teddy Riner, French judoka
 * 1990 – Nickel Ashmeade, Jamaican sprinter
 * 1990  – Anna Bogomazova, Russian-American kick-boxer, martial artist, and wrestler
 * 1990  – Sorana Cîrstea, Romanian tennis player
 * 1990  – Trent Cotchin, Australian footballer
 * 1991 – Luka Milivojević, Serbian footballer
 * 1991  – Anne-Marie, English singer-songwriter
 * 1992 – Andreea Acatrinei, Romanian gymnast
 * 1992  – Guilherme Negueba, Brazilian footballer
 * 1993 – Ichinojō Takashi, Mongolian sumo wrestler
 * 1994 – Johanna Allik, Estonian figure skater
 * 1994  – Aaron Gray, Australian rugby league player
 * 1994  – Josh Hader, American baseball player
 * 1996 – Emerson Hyndman, American international soccer player
 * 1997 – Rafaela Gómez, Ecuadorian tennis player

Pre-1600

 * AD 30 – Jesus Christ (possible date of the crucifixion)  (b. circa 4 BC)
 * 821 – George the Standard-Bearer, archbishop of Mytilene (b. c. 776)
 * 924 – Berengar I of Italy (b. 845)
 * 1201 – Baha al-Din Qaraqush, regent of Egypt and builder of the Cairo Citadel
 * 1206 – Frederick I, Duke of Lorraine
 * 1340 – Bolesław Jerzy II of Mazovia (b. 1308)
 * 1498 – Charles VIII of France (b. 1470)
 * 1499 – Galeotto I Pico, Duke of Mirandola (b. 1442)
 * 1501 – Minkhaung II, king of Ava (b. 1446)

1601–1900

 * 1606 – Edward Oldcorne, English martyr (b. 1561)
 * 1614 – El Greco, Greek-Spanish painter and sculptor (b. 1541)
 * 1638 – Shimazu Tadatsune, Japanese daimyō (b. 1576)
 * 1651 – Lennart Torstensson, Swedish field marshal and engineer (b. 1603)
 * 1658 – Juan Eusebio Nieremberg, Spanish mystic and philosopher (b. 1595)
 * 1661 – Sir William Brereton, 1st Baronet, English commander and politician (b. 1604)
 * 1663 – Francis Cooke, English-American settler (b. 1583)
 * 1668 – William Davenant, English poet and playwright (b. 1606)
 * 1719 – Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, French priest and saint, founded the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (b. 1651)
 * 1739 – Dick Turpin, English criminal (b. 1705)
 * 1747 – Leopold I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (b. 1676)
 * 1761 – Thomas Bayes, English minister and mathematician (b. 1701)
 * 1766 – Tiberius Hemsterhuis, Dutch philologist and critic (b. 1685)
 * 1767 – Franz Sparry, Austrian composer and director (b. 1715)
 * 1779 – Martha Ray, English singer (b. 1746)
 * 1782 – Taksin, Thai king (b. 1734)
 * 1789 – Abdul Hamid I, Ottoman sultan (b. 1725)
 * 1789 – Petrus Camper, Dutch physician, anatomist, and physiologist (b. 1722)
 * 1801 – Noël François de Wailly, French lexicographer and author (b. 1724)
 * 1804 – Toussaint Louverture, Haitian general (b. 1743)
 * 1811 – Garsevan Chavchavadze, Georgian diplomat and politician (b. 1757)
 * 1823 – Jacques Charles, French physicist and mathematician (b. 1746)
 * 1833 – Antoni Radziwiłł, Lithuanian composer and politician (b. 1775)
 * 1836 – William Godwin, English journalist and author (b. 1756)
 * 1849 – Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Argentinian priest and politician (b. 1777)
 * 1850 – William Lisle Bowles, English poet and critic (b. 1762)
 * 1858 – Anton Diabelli, Austrian composer and publisher (b. 1781)
 * 1868 – Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Irish-Canadian journalist, activist, and politician (b. 1825)
 * 1879 – Begum Hazrat Mahal, Begum of Awadh, was the second wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (b. 1820)
 * 1884 – Maria Doolaeghe, Flemish novelist (b. 1803)
 * 1885 – Karl Theodor Ernst von Siebold, German physiologist and zoologist (b. 1804)
 * 1889 – Youssef Bey Karam, Lebanese soldier and politician (b. 1823)
 * 1889  – Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada, Mexican politician and president, 1872-1876 (b. 1823)
 * 1891 – P. T. Barnum, American businessman and politician, co-founded The Barnum & Bailey Circus (b. 1810)

1901–present

 * 1917 – Spyridon Samaras, Greek composer and playwright (b. 1861)
 * 1918 – David Kolehmainen, Finnish wrestler (b. 1885)
 * 1918  – George E. Ohr, American potter (b. 1857)
 * 1920 – Karl Binding, German lawyer and jurist (b. 1841)
 * 1922 – James McGowen, Australian politician, 18th Premier of New South Wales (b. 1855)
 * 1928 – Alexander Bogdanov, Russian physician, philosopher, and author (b. 1873)
 * 1932 – Grigore Constantinescu, Romanian priest and journalist (b. 1875)
 * 1938 – Suzanne Valadon, French painter (b. 1865)
 * 1939 – Joseph Lyons, Australian educator and politician, 10th Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1879)
 * 1943 – Jovan Dučić, Serbian-American poet and diplomat (b. 1871)
 * 1943  – Alexandre Millerand, French lawyer and politician, 12th President of France (b. 1859)
 * 1947 – Henry Ford, American engineer and businessman, founded the Ford Motor Company (b. 1863)
 * 1949 – John Gourlay, Canadian soccer player (b. 1872)
 * 1950 – Walter Huston, Canadian-American actor and singer (b. 1883)
 * 1955 – Theda Bara, American actress (b. 1885)
 * 1956 – Fred Appleby, English runner (b. 1879)
 * 1960 – Henri Guisan, Swiss general (b. 1874)
 * 1965 – Roger Leger, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1919)
 * 1966 – Walt Hansgen, American race car driver (b. 1919)
 * 1968 – Edwin Baker, Canadian co-founder of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) (b. 1893)
 * 1968  – Jim Clark, Scottish race car driver (b. 1936)
 * 1972 – Joe Gallo, American gangster (b. 1929)
 * 1972  – Abeid Karume, Tanzanian politician, 1st President of Zanzibar (b. 1905)
 * 1981 – Kit Lambert, English record producer and manager (b. 1935)
 * 1981  – Norman Taurog, American director and screenwriter (b. 1899)
 * 1982 – Harald Ertl, Austrian race car driver and journalist (b. 1948)
 * 1984 – Frank Church, American soldier, lawyer, and politician (b. 1924)
 * 1985 – Carl Schmitt, German philosopher and jurist (b. 1888)
 * 1986 – Leonid Kantorovich, Russian mathematician and economist (b. 1912)
 * 1990 – Ronald Evans, American captain, engineer, and astronaut (b. 1933)
 * 1991 – Memduh Ünlütürk, Turkish general (b. 1913)
 * 1992 – Ace Bailey, Canadian ice hockey player and coach (b. 1903)
 * 1992  – Antonis Tritsis, Greek high jumper and politician, 71st Mayor of Athens (b. 1937)
 * 1994 – Lee Brilleaux, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (b. 1952)
 * 1994  – Albert Guðmundsson, Icelandic footballer, manager, and politician (b. 1923)
 * 1994  – Golo Mann, German historian and author (b. 1909)
 * 1994  – Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Rwandan chemist, academic, and politician, Prime Minister of Rwanda (b. 1953)
 * 1995 – Philip Jebb, English architect and politician (b. 1927)
 * 1997 – Luis Aloma, Cuban-American baseball player (b. 1923)
 * 1997  – Georgy Shonin, Ukrainian-Russian general, pilot, and astronaut (b. 1935)
 * 1998 – Alex Schomburg, Puerto Rican painter and illustrator (b. 1905)
 * 1999 – Heinz Lehmann, German-Canadian psychiatrist and academic (b. 1911)
 * 2001 – David Graf, American actor (b. 1950)
 * 2001  – Beatrice Straight, American actress (b. 1914)
 * 2002 – John Agar, American actor (b. 1921)
 * 2003 – Cecile de Brunhoff, French pianist and author (b. 1903)
 * 2003  – David Greene, English-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (b. 1921)
 * 2004 – Victor Argo, American actor (b. 1934)
 * 2004  – Konstantinos Kallias, Greek politician (b. 1901)
 * 2005 – Cliff Allison, English race car driver (b. 1932)
 * 2005  – Grigoris Bithikotsis, Greek singer-songwriter (b. 1922)
 * 2005  – Bob Kennedy, American baseball player, coach, and manager (b. 1920)
 * 2005  – Melih Kibar, Turkish composer and educator (b. 1951)
 * 2007 – Johnny Hart, American author and illustrator (b. 1931)
 * 2007  – Barry Nelson, American actor (b. 1917)
 * 2008 – Ludu Daw Amar, Burmese journalist and author (b. 1915)
 * 2009 – Dave Arneson, American game designer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons (b. 1947)
 * 2011 – Pierre Gauvreau, Canadian painter (b. 1922)
 * 2012 – Steven Kanumba, Tanzanian actor and director (b. 1984)
 * 2012  – Satsue Mito, Japanese zoologist and academic (b. 1914)
 * 2012  – Ignatius Moses I Daoud, Syrian cardinal (b. 1930)
 * 2012  – David E. Pergrin, American colonel and engineer (b. 1917)
 * 2012  – Bashir Ahmed Qureshi, Pakistani politician (b. 1959)
 * 2012  – Mike Wallace, American television news journalist (b. 1918)
 * 2013 – Marty Blake, American businessman (b. 1927)
 * 2013  – Les Blank, American director and producer (b. 1935)
 * 2013  – Andy Johns, English-American record producer (b. 1950)
 * 2013  – Lilly Pulitzer, American fashion designer (b. 1931)
 * 2013  – Irma Ravinale, Italian composer and educator (b. 1937)
 * 2013  – Mickey Rose, American screenwriter (b. 1935)
 * 2013  – Carl Williams, American boxer (b. 1959)
 * 2014 – George Dureau, American painter and photographer (b. 1930)
 * 2014  – James Alexander Green, American-English mathematician and academic (b. 1926)
 * 2014  – V. K. Murthy, Indian cinematographer (b. 1923)
 * 2014  – Zeituni Onyango, Kenyan-American computer programmer (b. 1952)
 * 2014  – John Shirley-Quirk, English opera singer (b. 1931)
 * 2014  – George Shuffler, American guitarist (b. 1925)
 * 2014  – Josep Maria Subirachs, Spanish sculptor and painter (b. 1927)
 * 2014  – Royce Waltman, American basketball player and coach (b. 1942)
 * 2015 – Tim Babcock, American soldier and politician, 16th Governor of Montana (b. 1919)
 * 2015  – José Capellán, Dominican-American baseball player (b. 1981)
 * 2015  – Stan Freberg, American puppeteer, voice actor, and singer (b. 1926)
 * 2015  – Richard Henyekane, South African footballer (b. 1983)
 * 2015  – Geoffrey Lewis, American actor (b. 1935)
 * 2016 – Blackjack Mulligan, American professional wrestler (b. 1942)
 * 2017 – Nicolae Șerban Tanașoca, Romanian historian and philologist (b. 1941)
 * 2019 – Seymour Cassel, American actor (b. 1935)
 * 2020 – John Prine, American country folk singer-songwriter (b. 1946)
 * 2020  – Herb Stempel, American television personality (b. 1926)
 * 2021 – Tommy Raudonikis, Australian rugby league player and coach (b. 1950)
 * 2023 – Ben Ferencz, American lawyer (b. 1920)
 * 2024 – Jerry Grote, American baseball player (b. 1942)
 * 2024 – Joe Kinnear, Irish football player and manager (b. 1946)

Holidays and observances

 * Christian feast days:
 * Aibert of Crespin
 * Blessed Alexander Rawlins
 * Blessed Edward Oldcorne and Blessed Ralph Ashley
 * Blessed Notker the Stammerer
 * Brynach
 * Hegesippus
 * Henry Walpole
 * Hermann Joseph
 * Jean-Baptiste de La Salle
 * Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow (Eastern Orthodox Church, Episcopal Church (USA))
 * April 7 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
 * Flag Day (Slovenia)
 * Genocide Memorial Day (Rwanda), and its related observance:
 * International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Rwanda Genocide (United Nations)
 * Motherhood and Beauty Day (Armenia)
 * National Beer Day (United States)
 * Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume Day (Tanzania)
 * Women's Day (Mozambique)
 * Veterans' Day (Belgium)
 * World Health Day (International observance)

title: April 7