4 April 1968

Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tenn. 

5 April 1958

Ripple Rock is blown up to ease sailing of the Seymour Narrows in British Columbia; the event remains one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history. 

9 April 2007

Queen Elizabeth II rededicates the refurbished Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.

10 April 1937 

The Foreign Enlistment Act is enacted to prevent Canadians from volunteering for service in the Spanish Civil War.

11 April 1951 

Gen. Douglas MacArthur is replaced by Gen. Matthew Ridgway as commander of the United Nations forces in Korea.

12 April 1946 

Harold Alexander is sworn in as Canada’s 17th governor general.

15 April 1865

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln dies of his wounds hours after he is shot by John Wilkes Booth.

16 April 1874 

The House of Commons moves for the expulsion of Louis Riel.

18 April 2007 

M.Cpl. Anthony Klumpenhouwer becomes the first reported member of Joint Task Force 2 to die in the line of duty.

19 April 2020

The perpetrator of the 2020 Nova Scotia shootings is shot
and killed by two
RCMP officers.

21 April 1918 

German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen—the Red Baron—is killed in action; the RAF credits Canadian Capt. Roy Brown with the victory.

24 April 1945

Indigenous war hero Tommy Prince receives the U.S. Silver Star Medal for leading a two-man reconnaissance mission deep behind enemy lines.

25 April 1967 

The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act passes, unifying the army, navy and air force into one service with common uniforms and ranks.

26 April 1860 

The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada regiment is formed in Toronto.

27 April 1945

Benito Mussolini is captured by Italian resistance fighters; he is executed the next day. 

28 April 1952 

Dwight Eisenhower resigns as NATO commander. 

30 April 1945

Adolf Hitler dies by suicide in Berlin.