Did you know
As the heiress of the House of Poitiers, which controlled much of southwestern France, she was one of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages.
Notable Deaths on April 1
1204 — Eleanor of Aquitaine
Duchess of Aquitaine, Queen Consort of France and England (born 1122)
April 1 has 90 recorded notable deaths across history, from 996 to 2025. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Notable Deaths
90 source records
996 – 2025
Today in history
Major events on April 1
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 2026 The Artemis II lunar flyby mission launches, marking the first crewed flight above low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972. Source
- 1789 In New York City, the United States House of Representatives achieves its first quorum and elects Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as its first Speaker. Source
- 2001 Former President of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milošević surrenders to police special forces, to be tried on war crimes charges. Source
- 1572 In the Eighty Years' War, the Watergeuzen capture Brielle from the Seventeen Provinces, gaining the first foothold on land for what would become the Dutch Republic. Source
Did you know
Max Ernst was a German-born painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet.
Did you know
Chinaglia led Lazio to the club's first league championship in the 1973–74 season, during which he was also the league's leading scorer.
Did you know
Christian Death is cited by some as a pioneer of the American gothic rock scene as well as deathrock, and is considered to be one of the most influential figures of the scene.
Did you know
Sigismund I the Old was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548.
More major people who died on April 1
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1976
Max Ernst
German painter and sculptor (born 1891)
Max Ernst was a German-born painter, sculptor, printmaker, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was a pioneer of the Dada movement and surrealism in Europe.
2012
Giorgio Chinaglia
Italian-American soccer player and radio host (born 1947)
Giorgio Chinaglia was an Italian footballer who played as a striker. He grew up and played his early football in Cardiff, Wales, and began his career with Swansea Town in 1964.
1998
Rozz Williams
American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1963)
Rozz Williams was an American singer and songwriter known for his work with the bands Christian Death, Shadow Project, and the industrial project Premature Ejaculation.
1548
Sigismund I
king of Poland (born 1467)
Sigismund I the Old was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1506 until his death in 1548.
1966
Brian O'Nolan
Irish author (born 1911)
Brian O'Nolan, whose pen names included Flann O'Brien, was an Irish Civil Service official, novelist, playwright and satirist, who is now considered a major figure in twentieth-century Irish literature.
1993
Alan Kulwicki
American race car driver (born 1954)
Alan Dennis Kulwicki, nicknamed "Special K" and "the Polish Prince", was an American auto racing driver and team owner with Polish origin.
1984
Elizabeth Goudge
English author (born 1900)
Elizabeth de Beauchamp Goudge FRSL was an English writer of fiction and children's books. She won the Carnegie Medal for British children's books in 1946 for The Little White Horse.
1981
Eua Sunthornsanan
Thai singer-songwriter and bandleader (born 1910)
Eua Suntornsanan was a singer, Thai composer and bandleader of the Suntaraporn Band. He was a pioneer in introducing Western music into Thai culture.
2017
Lonnie Brooks
American blues singer and guitarist (born 1933)
Lonnie Brooks was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in Rolling Stone, stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic…
1991
Jaime Guzmán
Chilean lawyer and politician (born 1946)
Jaime Jorge Guzmán Errázuriz was a Chilean constitutional law professor, politician, and founding member of the conservative Independent Democratic Union party.
1971
Kathleen Lonsdale
Irish crystallographer and prison reformer (born 1903)
Dame Kathleen Lonsdale was an Irish crystallographer, pacifist, and prison reform activist.
1085
Shen Zong
Chinese emperor (born 1048)
Emperor Shenzong of Song, personal name Zhao Xu, was the sixth emperor of the Song dynasty of China. His original personal name was Zhao Zhongzhen but he changed it to "Zhao Xu" after he acceded to the throne.
1950
Charles R. Drew
American physician and surgeon (born 1904)
Charles Richard Drew was an American surgeon and medical researcher.
1282
Abaqa Khan
ruler of the Mongol Ilkhanate (born 1234)
Abaqa Khan, was the second Mongol ruler (Ilkhan) of the Ilkhanate. The son of Hulagu Khan and Lady Yesünčin and the grandson of Tolui, he reigned from 1265 to 1282 and was succeeded by his brother Ahmed Tekuder.
1922
Charles I
emperor of Austria (born 1887)
Charles I and IV was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from November 1916 until the monarchy was abolished in November 1918.
2001
Trịnh Công Sơn
Vietnamese guitarist and composer (born 1939)
Trịnh Công Sơn was a Vietnamese musician, songwriter, painter and poet. He is widely considered to be Vietnam's best songwriter.
1917
Scott Joplin
American pianist and composer (born 1868)
Scott Joplin was an American composer and pianist. Dubbed the "King of Ragtime", he composed more than 40 ragtime pieces, one ragtime ballet, and two operas.
2024
Ed Piskor
American comic book artist (born 1982)
Edward R. Piskor Jr. was an American alternative comics cartoonist. Piskor was known primarily for his work on Hip Hop Family Tree, X-Men: Grand Design, and the Red Room trilogy.
2014
Rolf Rendtorff
German theologian and academic (born 1925)
Rolf Rendtorff was Professor of Old Testament at the University of Heidelberg from 1963 to 1990.