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'April' is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, and one of four months with the length of 30 days. The month of April begins (astrologically) with the sun in the sign of Aries and ends in the sign of Taurus. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation of Pisces and ends in the constellation of Aries. The signs of the zodiac do not necessarily coincide with the actual constellations for which they are named. The precession of the equinoxes, a phenomenon discovered c. 130 BC by Hipparchus and known to Ptolemy, results in a shift between the two systems of about one degree every 70 years. The vernal equinox lay near the beginning of the Aries constellation around 500 BC, consistent with a Babylonian origin of the system.
The derivation of the name (Latin ''Aprilis'') is uncertain. The traditional etymology from the Latin ''aperire'', "to open," in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open," is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of ἁνοιξις (opening) for spring. Since most of the Roman months were named in honor of divinities, and as April was sacred to Venus, the ''Festum Veneris et Fortunae Virilis'' being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her Greek name Aphrodite (''Aphros''), or from the Etruscan name ''Apru''. Jacob Grimm suggests the name of a hypothetical god or hero, ''Aper'' or ''Aprus''.^[1]
The Anglo-Saxons called April ''Oster-monath'' or ''Eostur-monath'', the period sacred to ''Eostre'' or ''Ostara'', the pagan Saxon goddess of spring, from whose name is derived the modern Easter. St George's day is the twenty-third of the month; and St Mark's Eve, with its superstition that the ghosts of those who are doomed to die within the year will be seen to pass into the church, falls on the twenty-fourth. In China the symbolical ploughing of the earth by the emperor and princes of the blood takes place in their third month, which frequently corresponds to our April; and in Japan the feast of Dolls is celebrated in the same month. April is known to be "National Poetry Month"
The "days of April" (''journées d'avril'') is a name appropriated in French history to a series of insurrections at Lyons, Paris and elsewhere, against the government of Louis Philippe in 1834, which led to violent repressive measures, and to a famous trial known as the ''procès d'avrill''.
April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar, before January and February were added by King Numa Pompilius about 700 BC. It became the fourth month of the calendar year (the year when twelve months are displayed in order) during the time of the decemvirs about 450 BC, when it also was given 29 days. The Julian calendar reform of 46 BC gave April 30 days, effective in 45 BC.

Contents

Traits of April

Tragic Events

Events in April

Weeklong events in April

1st week in April

2nd week in April

3rd week in April

Last week in April

Some week in April

April movable daily holidays

Other special days

References

See also

Traits of April

★ April begins on the same day of the week as July every year, and as January in leap years.

★ April's birth flower are the daisy and sweet pea.

★ April's birthstone is the diamond.

★ April in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent to October in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

Tragic Events

Wars that started/ended in April include:

★ The American Revolution (Started with Paul Revere's Ride: April 18-19 April 1775)

★ The American Civil War (Started April, 1861, ended April 1865, thus "Across Five Aprils")

★ The Bosnian War began in the first days of April, 1992

★ The Rwandan Genocide began in April, 1994

★ The Armenian Genocide began on April 24, 1915
Other events that have occurred in the month of April include:

★ Two deadliest volcanic eruptions in recorded human history: Tambora, Indonesia and Unsen, Japan (April 5, 1815) and (April 1, 1793)

★ President Abraham Lincoln's assassination (April 14, 1865)

★ The Frank Slide (April 29, 1903)

★ The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (April 18, 1906)

★ The sinking of the RMS ''Titanic'' (April 14-15 April 1912)

★ The Deir Yassin Massacre in Palestine (April 9,1948)

★ Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination (April 4, 1968)

★ Adolf Hitler was born and died on April 20th and April 30th, respectively.

★ Jumbo Tornado Outbreak (April 3-4, 1974)

★ Woo Bum-Kon spree killing (April 26-27, 1982)

★ Chernobyl nuclear accident (April 26, 1986)

★ The 1992 Los Angeles Riots after the Rodney King verdict (April 29, 1992)

★ The plane crash at Bristol, Tenn. that killed NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki (April 1, 1993)

★ The bloody end to the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas (April 19, 1993)

★ The Oklahoma City Bombing (April 19, 1995)

★ In Lebanon, at least 106 Lebanese civilians are killed when the Israel Defense Forces shell the UN compound at Qana (see Qana Massacre). (April 18, 1996)

★ The Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, Australia (April 28, 1996)

★ The Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado (April 20, 1999)

★ The Virginia Tech massacre in Blacksburg, Virginia (April 16, 2007).

★ A man with a hand gun barricades himself in NASA's Johnson Space Center before killing a male hostage and himself. (April 20, 2007)

★ Blue Angels plane crashes into a neighborhood during South Carolina air show, killing the pilot and setting homes on fire

Events in April

Weeklong events in April

1st week in April

★ Medic Alert Week

★ Cherry Blossom Festival

★ Publicity Stunt Week

★ National Birthparents Week

★ Week of the Young Child

★ Straw Hat Week

★ National Bake Week (begins 1st Mon)

★ Consider Christianity Week

★ National Reading a Road Map Week

2nd week in April

★ National Medical Laboratory Week

★ National Library Week

★ National Garden Week

★ National Guitar Week

★ National Building Safety Week

★ National Home Safety Week

★ National Cherry Poppin Festival

3rd week in April

★ Boys and Girls Club Week

★ National Coin Tasting Week

★ Bike Safety Week

★ National Bubblegum Week

★ Pan American Week

★ National Week of the Ocean

★ National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

★ National Volunteer Week

★ National Coin Flipping Week

★ Argue About Gun Safety Week

★ Jared Supreme Highlander Celebration Week

Last week in April

★ Forest Week

★ National Lingerie Week

★ Canada-U.S. Goodwill Week

★ Big Brothers/Sisters Appreciation Week

★ Consumer Protection Week

★ National TV-Free Week

★ Jewish Heritage Week

★ Keep America Beautiful Week

★ National YMCA Week

★ Professional Secretaries Week

★ Intergenerational Week

★ Reading Is Fun Week

★ Egg Salad Week

★ Teacher Appreciation Week (begins Last Mon)

★ TV Turn-Off Week

★ Mattress Turnover Week

★ Cover the Uninsured Week

Some week in April

★ Astronomy Week (determined by 1st Quarter Moon)

April movable daily holidays

1st Sunday

★ Budoha Day (Hawaii)

★ Vesak (Buddha's Birthday)
1st Saturday

★ Saturday Market Day (Oregon)
1st Saturday before 5th

★ Tax Saturday (UK)
1st Thursday

★ Glarus Festival (Osman land)
1st Friday

★ Student Government Day (Massachusetts)

★ National Cleavage Day (Britain)^[2]
Friday after 1st

★ Arbor Day (Apache, Navajo, Coconino, Mohave, Yavapai; Arizona)
2nd Friday

★ Audubon Day
3rd Sunday & Monday

★ Sechselauten (Six Ringing Festival; Switzerland)
3rd Monday

★ Patriot's Day (Maine, Massachusetts)
3rd Thursday

★ National High Five Day (USA)
Thursday between 19th & 26th

★ First Day of Summer (Iceland)
Saturday nearest St. George's Day (23rd)

★ Peppercorn Day (Bermuda)
Monday nearest Feast Day of St. George (23rd)

★ St. George's Day (Newfoundland)
Sunday after 1st full moon after vernal equinox following Passover

★ Lambri (Bright Day; Greece)
4th Monday

★ Fast Day (New Hampshire)
4th Thursday

★ Take Our Daughters (and Sons) to Work Day
4th Weekend

★ Just Pray No weekend
Last Monday

★ Confederate Memorial Day (Alabama, Mississippi)
Last Friday

★ Arbor Day

★ Bird Day
Wednesday of Last Full Week

★ Administrative Professionals Day (Secretaries Day)

Other special days

★ April Fool's Day : (April 1)

★ Reconciliation Day : (Always April 2)

★ Araw ng Kagitingan, also known as ''Bataan Day'' (April 9, Philippines)

★ 4/20 The international cannabis holiday.

★ Earth Day (April 22)

★ Conch Republic Independence Celebration (April 23) - Key West, Florida

★ Saint Georges Day Patron Saint Celebration (April 23) - England, Europe

★ ANZAC Day (Australia and New Zealand) (25 April)

★ Carnation Revolution (Portugal) (25 April)

★ National Sense of Smell Day (United States) (Last Saturday)

★ Autism Awareness Month

References

1. Jacob Grim ''Geschichte der deutschen Sprache''. Cap. "Monate"
2. your best breast forward" (PR Newswire)

See also

★ List of historical anniversaries
Tax Day (in US)

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