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Old clock in sand with the words: It Happend in April

View Historical Events by Day: What Happened on April 4 in History?

Explore the historical events that shaped our world on April 4th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.

476 CE, April 4

Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman Emperor in the West, is deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer.

999 CE, April 4

Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, wins the Battle of Glenmama, consolidating his power.

1081 CE, April 4

Alexios I Komnenos becomes Byzantine emperor after the death of Nikephoros III Botaneiates.

1260 CE, April 4

The Battle of Homs takes place between the Mamluks and the Mongols, leading to a decisive Mamluk victory.

1260 CE, April 4

The Battle of Homs takes place between the Mamluks and the Mongols, leading to a decisive Mamluk victory.

1434 CE, April 4

The foundation stone for Cologne Cathedral in Germany is laid.

1609 CE, April 4

Explorer Henry Hudson sets sail from Amsterdam on his voyage to North America.

1629 CE, April 4

King Charles I of England dissolves Parliament, beginning the period known as the Eleven Years' Tyranny.

1703 CE, April 4

The Great Storm of 1703, one of the worst storms to strike southern Great Britain, causes widespread damage and thousands of deaths.

1805 CE, April 4

Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, "Eroica," premieres in Vienna.

1841 CE, April 4

William Henry Harrison, 9th President of the United States, dies of pneumonia after only 32 days in office, the shortest tenure in U.S. presidential history.

1888 CE, April 4

The first recorded sale of bottled Coca-Cola takes place in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

1900 CE, April 4

The Boxer Rebellion begins in China with the killing of foreign diplomats and civilians in Beijing.

1968 CE, April 4

Civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is shot and mortally wounded as he stood on the second-floor balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. He was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. at St. Joseph Hospital. More

1969 CE, April 4

Dr. Denton Cooley implants the first temporary artificial heart in a human.

1973 CE, April 4

The World Trade Center "Twin Towers" in New York City officially open becoming the world’s tallest building at the time and a dominant feature of the city’s skyline. They were destroyed in a terrorist attack in 2001.