Important Dates and Events in April

“ Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. And education is the premise of progress.” This quote by Kofi Annan is perfect to start learning about new things. April is the month of good health. It starts with Autism Awareness day and ends with World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

These days are educating us to improve our health as well as support other people with diseases. There are many other events in April which are important to increase our knowledge. You can read about them from an exam point of view or just to know more about your surroundings.

Important Events in April

Here‘s the list of important dates and events in April to increase your general knowledge –

Global Events in April

1. April Fool Day – 1st April

It is a custom to play pranks. It is a global day of impractical jokes and hoaxes. “Nun’s Priest’s Tale” is one of the short stories by Geoffrey Chaucer. In this story, the fox plays a prank on the protagonist, that March is of thirty days and two. The reader interpreted this as 32nd march i.e. 1st April.

2. World Autism Awareness Day – 2nd April

The autism spectrum is a line of mental diseases of the neurodevelopmental type. This disease affects the basic information processing of the brain. People with this disease face challenges with social skills and nonverbal communication.

This day is to make people aware of this disease. The idea to introduce this day was of Qatar. The United Nations General Assembly made this day official in 2007. The theme for 2020 was “The Transition to Adulthood”.

3. International Day for Mine Awareness – 4th April

The United Nations General Assembly made this day official in December 2005. The first celebration took place on 4th April 2006. This day is to raise awareness about landmines and process to eradicate them.

It also assists victims and teaches people to remain safe in this environment. It promotes participation in treaties related to landmines, and support the eradication of landmines. The theme for 2019 was “United Nations Promotes Safe Ground and Safe Home”.

4. Easter Festival – 4th April 2021

It is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Bible mentions this in the New Testament. Easter marks the day when Jesus was raised by god after three days of his crucifixion.

This was the start of life as Christ and lord. The First Council of Nicaea decides the date for Easter every year. It falls on a Sunday in April.

5. International Day Of Sport for Development and Peace – 6th April

The idea is to promote an active and healthy lifestyle. They aim to promote sport as a force to build community relations with peace and harmony. The United Nations General Assembly made this day official in 2013.

The first Olympic Games took place on 6th April 1896. This day marks the anniversary of this event as well. The theme for 2020 was “sporting and physical activity, especially in this time of uncertainty and social distancing.”

6. World Health Day – 7th April

WHO sponsors this day every year. The World Health Assembly in 1948 made this day official. The first celebration took place in 1950. It aims to create awareness about different health-related themes every year.

One thing remains common between the themes, i.e. importance of global health. The theme for 2020 was “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”.

7. Good Friday – 10th April

The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ took place on 10th April ( Between AD 30-33 ). This day honors him and his followers. The Christian community mourns him by prayer and worship services, fasting, and almsgiving.

8. World Homeopathy Day – 10th April

The father of Homeopathy, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann was born on 10th April 1755. This day celebrates his contribution to the field of science. He discovered the way to heal through homeopathy. Homoeopathy Awareness Week is also observed from 10-16 April. In India, this day comes under AYUSH Ministry. The theme for 2020 was “Enhancing the scope of Homoeopathy in Public Health”.

9. Siblings Day – 10th April

This honors the relationship between siblings. Claudia Evart lost her siblings at a young age. This made her celebrate this day to remember them. Sibling Day Foundation came into being in 1997 and got non-profit status in 1999.

10. National Pet Day – 11th April

Colleen Paige, an animal welfare advocate began this day in 2006. It aims to aware people of the joy that animals bring to us. Every year homeless animals are taken care of. Many people initiate to find good shelter for these animals on this day.

11. International Day of Human Space Flight – 12th April

Yuri Gagarin was the first human to travel to outer space. This achievement took place on 12th April 1961. His capsule completed the orbit of the earth on this day. The United Nations General Assembly made this day official in 2011. The idea is to highlight the contribution of Space science for sustainable development.

12. World Haemophilia Day – 17th April

In Hemophilia, your blood lacks sufficient blood-clotting proteins. This makes you bleed for a long time after an injury. This day aims to raise awareness about this disease. The first celebration took place in 1989. The founder of the World Federation of Hemophilia – Frank Schnabel was born on this date. The theme for 2020 was “Get+involved”.

13. World Heritage Day – 18th April

The International Council on Monuments and Sites gave the idea to celebrate this day on 18th April 1982. The General Assembly of UNESCO made it official in 1983. They aim to aware people of the diversity and vulnerability of these sites. The theme for 2020 was “Shared Cultures, Thread Heritage, Shared Responsibility”.

14. World Liver Day – 19th April

This day aims to aware people of the importance of the liver for a healthy body. The celebration takes place in many countries. Different campaigns are introduced every year to spread awareness about this organ. The causes, precautions, and vaccines to liver diseases are promoted to reach the public on this day.

15. Administrative Professionals Day – 21st April 2021

This day recognizes the work of administrative professionals. International Association of Administrative Professionals came into being in 1942. This association celebrates this day every year. It is to celebrate the contribution of these professionals to the economy.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles W. Sawyer made this day official in 1952. Before June last week was the official professional week. In 1955, the observance week changed to April 2nd last week with Wednesday being the main day.

16. Earth Day – 22nd April

It is to support environmental protection. In 1969, UNESCO made this official and chose 22nd march to celebrate this day. The United States Senator Gaylord Nelson organized a nationwide event about the environment on 22nd April 1970. This event was called “Earth Day”.

From this event, 22nd April became the official date. Many countries across the globe celebrate this day to raise awareness about environmental issues. The theme for 2020 was “climate action”.

17. World Book and Copyright Day – 23rd April

UNESCO organizes this annual event to promote writing, reading, publishing, and copyright. The first celebration took place on 23rd April 1995. William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died on 23rd April. This date is ideal to pay tribute to these authors. The theme for 2020 was “Share a Million Stories”.

18. UN English language day – 23rd April

UN’s Department of Public Information introduced this day in 2010. William Shakespeare was born and died on 23 April. This made 23rd April ideal for English Language Day. The idea is to promote cultural diversity and the use of 6 main languages in the department. There are other five dates chosen to celebrate other languages.

19. World Malaria Day – 25th April

It is to celebrate the global efforts to control malaria. It was first celebrated in 2007. The idea is to spread information about cause, vaccine, and prevention of malaria. It is one of the global health campaign initiated by WHO. the theme for 2020 was “Zero malaria starts with me”.

20. World Intellectual Property Day – 26th April

It encourages intellectual property rights. The world intellectual property organization started this day in 2000. Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization became official on 27th April 1970. The idea is to highlight the importance of patents, copyright, trademarks, and designs. The theme for 2020 was “Innovate for a Green Future”.

21. World Veterinary Day – 28th April 2021

The first celebration took place in 2001. World Veterinary Association started this day to honor the veterans. They make sure that the animals are well and taken care of. This day falls on the last Saturday of April every year. The theme for 2020 was “Environmental protection for improving animal and human health”.

22. World Day for Safety and Health at Work – 28th April

It is an initiative by the International Labour Organization that started in 2003. It highlights precautions to avoid occupational accidents and diseases. This aims to make the workplace safer and hygienic. The theme for 2020 was “Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives”.

23. International Dance Day – 29th April

The Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute ( ITI ) started this day in 1982. Jean-Georges Noverre, the founder of Ballet was born on 29th April 1727. ITI hosts an annual event in a particular city every year. There are several workshops and dance performances held in this event. In 2020 the celebration took place online with a live audience.

National Events

1. Odisha Foundation Day – 1st April

Orissa became an independent state on 1st April 1936. It got cut out of Bengal province. Their last king Mukunda Dev lost to East India company. Orissa lost its political identity after the demise of their king in 1568. Oriya speaking people led a revolution for almost three decades for a separate state.

In 1936, Orissa became a politically separate state under the Britishers. The state of Orissa celebrates this day every year and call it Utkal Diwas.

2. National Maritime Day – 5th April

The SS Loyalty was the first ship to travel from Mumbai to the United Kingdom on 5th April 1919. The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd was the manufacturer of this ship. This day supports a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to intercontinental shipping.

“Varuna” is an award given on National Maritime Day. It is for people who made an outstanding contribution to this sector. The theme for 2020 was “Sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet”.

3. Hanuman Jayanti – 8th April 2020

It is to celebrate the birth anniversary of Hanuman. He was the monkey companion of Lord Rama. This day usually falls on Chaitra Purnima ( full moon day ). According to the Hindu calendar, Chaitra is the 1 month of the year. He enjoys the deity status across the country. The date changes every year according to the moon cycle.

4. National Safe Motherhood Day – 11th April

It is an initiative by White Ribbon Alliance India. They aim to make pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal services a comfortable experience. The idea is to enforce availability and adequate access to care for every woman during these times. India is the first country to celebrate this day.

The first celebration took place in 2003. Kasturba Gandhi ( Mahatma Gandhi’s wife ) was born on 11th April 1896. This made the government declare this date as National Safe Motherhood Day. the theme for 2020 was “Stay at home during Coronavirus, Keep mother and newborn safe from Coronavirus”.

5. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre – 13th April

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in 1919 on this date. General Reginald Dyer with his troops opened fire on 1000’s of people in Jallianwala park. All meetings got banned by the British government. People had gathered there to celebrate Baisakhi. Dyer got upset with the crowding and ordered to fire on unarmed civilians. It received a lot of criticism from across the country. 329 people died and over 1000 were injured on this day.

6. B.R. Ambedkar Remembrance Day – 14th April

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891. Ambedkar was the man behind the upliftment and empowerment of the Dalit community. He inspired the Dalit Buddhism movement and gave the idea of reservation. India celebrates this day to honor his countless contributions to the country. He became the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee in 1947. He has written a large part of India’s Constitution.

7. Civil Services Day – 21st April

The first function took place on 21 April 2006 in Delhi. Sardar Vallabhai Patel called the civil servants “ the steel frame of India” on this date in 1947. This day asks civil servants to renew their commitments to public service and excel at work.

Prime Minister’s Awards for outstanding contribution to public administration are given on this day. The theme for 2020 was “ Shaping the Future – New India”.

8. Sachin Tendulkar’s Birthday – 24th April

He was born on 24th April 1973. He is a former cricketer and the captain of the Indian Cricket Team. Sachin is the first cricketer to score 200 runs in a One Day International. And he is the only batsman to complete 30,000 runs in cricket.

9. National Panchayati Day – 24th April

Manmohan Singh declared the National Panchayati Raj Day on 24 April 2010. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj celebrates this every year. 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act provides constitutional status to Panchayati raj. It came into being on 24th April 1993. This day celebrates the diversification of political power in all tiers.

10. Ayushman Bharat Diwas – 30th April

The government of India introduced Ayushman Bharat Yojana in 2018. It aims to provide benefits to the needy families based on the Socio-Economic Status. It also provides cashless benefits from public and private hospitals across the country. This day is part of this scheme. It aims to provide health and employment benefits to the poor.

Conclusion

And you’ve reached the end. These were some of the important events in April that you should keep in mind. They are always part of the General Knowledge paper. If you are going to appear for UPSC, MPPSC, RRB, or SSC exams, then this article is for you. Go through the list properly to know about the important events in April.

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