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Definition: April |
AprilNoun1. The month following March and preceding May. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
"April" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "April", "open". |
Date "April" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1050. (references) |
Etymology: April \A"pril\, noun. [Latin expression Aprilis. Old English also Averil, French Avril, from the Latin expression Aprilis.]. (references) |
"April" is a common misspelling or typo for: aril. |
| Domain | Definition |
Satire | APRIL :FOOL:, n. The March fool with another month added to his folly. Source: Devil's Dictionary. |
Dream Interpretation | To dream of the month of April, signifies that much pleasure and profit will be your allotment. If the weather is miserable, it is a sign of passing ill luck. Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted .... |
Literature | April The opening month, when the trees unfold, and the womb of nature opens with young life. (Latin, aperire, to open.). Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
simple:AprilApril is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 30 days. Derived from that Latin word aperire which means "to open", probably referring to growing plants in spring.
April in poetry
Poets identify April with the end of winter, but they don't necessarily agree on what that means:
April showers bring May flowers
- We start with the proverb
Whan that April with his showres soote (that is, sweet)
- In the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer found only cause for celebration:
The droughte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veine in swich licour, Of which vertu engendred is the flowr; (ll. 1-4)
- Modernized for The Norton Anthology of English Literature
April is the cruellest month, breeding
- T. S. Eliot, on the other hand, opened The Waste Land with an ironic glance at Chaucer:
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. Events in April:
April begins on the same day of week as July in all years and also January in leap years.
- April Fool's Day occurs on April 1.
- Easter occurs on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25 inclusive.
See Also: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Historical anniversaries
April 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "April."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December
Films:
- April 6 - Along Came A Spider starring Morgan Freeman
- April 20 - Crocodile Dundee In Los Angeles
- April 20 - Freddy Got Fingered
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "April 2001."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December
A timeline of events in the news for April, 2002.
See also:
- Afghanistan timeline April 2002
April 28, 2002
- Recent celebrity deaths: Alexander Lebed - Russian General who ran for the presidency against Boris Yeltsin; Ruth Handler - inventor of the Barbie Doll
April 26, 2002
- In Erfurt, Germany, a nineteen-year-old runs amok at his high school, killing 14 teachers, two other pupils and himself. The event sparks a discussion about stricter weapons laws in Germany, and about banning violent computer games and movies.
April 21, 2002
- Extreme-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen qualifies for second round of French Presidential Elections. Right-wing incumbent Jacques Chirac places first. Socialist prime minister Lionel Jospin places third and announces his retirement from politics. Thousands take to the street all over France to protest against Le Pen.
- Chirac (19.9%), Le Pen (17.4%), Jospin (16.3%), Bayrou (6.5%), Lauguiller (6.3%), Mamere (5.5%), Chevenement (5.3%), Besancenot (4.5%), Saint-Josse (4.0%), Hue(3.6%). Turnout 75%.
April 18, 2002
- A Swiss-registered Rockwell 112 aeroplane made headlines when it collided with the Pirellone building in Milan initially generating fears of terrorism.
April 14, 2002
- Hugo Chavez returns to power in Venezuela.
April 12, 2002
- Coup d'etat in Venezuela. President Hugo Chavez is brought to military barracks. Military announces transitional government consisting of mix of civilians and military headed by leader of the Venezualan Chamber of Commerce(FEDECAMERAS), Pedro Carmona, who immediately repeals constitution, dissolves supreme court and parliament.
April 11, 2002
- Ten nations deposit their ratifications for the International Criminal Court at a United Nations ceremony, bringing the total to 66, well above the 60 needed to bring the Statute into force. The ICC will therefore come into force on 1 July 2002.
April 7, 2002
- There are reports that the Poincaré conjecture may have been solved by Martin Dunwoody.
April 6, 2002
Back to Current events.
- As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensifies, the United States repeats its demands to Israel that it should pull back its troops.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "April 2002."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December
A timeline of events in the news for April, 2003.
See also:
- 2003 invasion of Iraq timeline for events relating to the war in Iraq
- Progress of the SARS outbreak for events on the new virus
- Afghanistan timeline April 2003
April 30, 2003
- The World Health Organization holds a meeting in Toronto regarding SARS.
- A suicide bomber kills 3 in Tel Aviv.
- A road map for peace sponsored by the US, UN, EU, and Russia is delivered to the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
April 29, 2003
- The World Health Organization lifts the SARS travel warning for Toronto.
- Leaders of member countries of ASEAN and the Premier of the People's republic of China held an emergency summit in Bangkok, Thailand in order to address the SARS problem. Among the decisions made were the setting-up of a ministerial-level task force and uniform pre-departure health screening in airports.
- Israeli forces assassinate three Palestinian militants in Gaza, including Nidal Salamah, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The action prompts accusations that Israel is trying to sabotage the Palestinian government's attempts to transform itself.
- Mahmoud Abbas is confirmed as the first Palestinian Authority prime minister after winning a vote of confidence from the Palestinian legislature.
- The United States announces that it will be reducing its military presence in Saudi Arabia to a handful of advisors.
- Lynn Htun, suspected of being the head of the Fluffi Bunni computer cracker ring, is arrested in London. [1]
- Quebec premier-elect Jean Charest is sworn in and names his cabinet. [1]
April 28, 2003
- The World Health Organization announces that SARS has peaked in all affected countries except the People's Republic of China. These countries include Canada, Singapore, and Vietnam, as well as Hong Kong. [1] [1]
- SARS is made only the fourth disease, after plague, yellow fever, and cholera, that countries are required to report to the World Health Organization. [1]
- Apple computer revealed a new online music store, entitled the iTunes Music Store, for its iTunes and iPod products. Each song can be downloaded for 99 cents and there is no subscription fee.
- A Mexicana de Aviacion jet is forced to land at San Francisco International Airport in California after the pilot accidentally sets off the anti-terror alarm.
April 27, 2003
- Argentinians go to the polls to elect a president for the first time since the December 2001 economic collapse provoked street riots that unseated four presidents in two weeks. Carlos Menem beats fellow Peronist Nestor Kirchner in the first round of voting, but the closeness of the vote necessitates a runoff vote scheduled for May 18. Other candidates included former economy minister Ricardo López Murphy, former caretaker president Adolfo Rodríguez Saa, and lawmaker Elisa Carrio.
- A Soyuz spacecraft blasts off from Baikonur Cosmodrome towards the International Space Station, the first launch since the Columbia disaster.
- Pitcher Kevin Milwood of baseball team the Philadelphia Phillies, throws a no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants. The Phillies' Ricky Ledee hits a home-run for the game's only run. It is only the ninth time in Phillies history a pitcher throws a no-hitter, and the first time for them since Tommy Greene did it in 1991.
April 26, 2003
- Unknown assailants fire incendiary devices on an ammunition dump in suburban Baghdad, triggering hours of explosions. American sources put the casualties at six dead and four wounded; Iraqi sources state 25 wounded. [1]
- Winnie Mandela is sentenced to four years in prison (five years, less one year suspended) for theft and fraud. [1]
- Tennis player Andre Agassi, at age 33, becomes the oldest man ever to be ranked number one in the world in the World Tennis Association rankings
April 25, 2003
- United States Army secretary Thomas White resigns amidst tensions with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld over the direction future Army weapons development programs should take, and controversy surrounding White's previous employer, Enron. The Pentagon declines to provide specifics on the circumstances of his resignation. [1]
April 24, 2003
- 2003 Iraq war: Iraqi former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz surrenders himself to U.S forces [1]
- The Dixie Chicks pose nude on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, with political slogans on their bodies, in response to their critics' reaction to lead singer Natalie Maines' derogatory remark against President Bush. [1]
- In the Red Lion Area Junior High School cafeteria (Red Lion, Pennsylvania), eighth-graderr James Sheets, carrying multiple weapons, fatally shoots the principal, Eugene Segro, and then fatally shoots himself. Two years earlier, the same school district was the site of a machete attack that injured another principal, two teachers and 11 pupils.
- Winnie Mandela is found guilty of theft and fraud involving funds of the African National Congress and faces up to fifteen years in prison. [1]
- The Canadian federal fisheries minister, Robert Thibault, announces the complete closure of the Atlantic cod fishery, in order to prevent the commercial extinction of cod. [1]
- An article in Nature states that the chemical pyrroloquinoline quinone should be classed as one of the B vitamins.
April 23, 2003
- A U.S commanding officer in Baghdad announces that five U.S. soldiers are under investigation for the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from caches of money found in Iraq. [1]
- The British and Irish governments publicly ask three questions of the IRA. Depending on clarification offered, the Northern Ireland Executive may be reinstated or the Assembly elections postponed.
April 22, 2003
- Dissident British Labour Party MP George Galloway is accused by the Daily Telegraph of receiving £375,000 a year from the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. Galloway has denied the allegations and vowed to sue the Telegraph for libel. [1] [1]
April 21, 2003
- Boston Marathon: Robert Cheruiyot wins in 2:10:11, Svetlana Zakharova in 2:25:20 (legally blind American Marla Runyan finishes 5th), Ernst Van Dyk and Christina Ripp win the wheelchair races in 1:28:32 and 1:54:57 respectively.
- Vote counting in Nigeria heavily favors Olusegun Obasanjo; opposition makes accusations of fraud. [1]
- The International Criminal Court elects its first prosecutor, Moreno Ocampo. [1]
April 20, 2003
- A bench clearing brawl happens in a baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the St. Louis Cardinals. Apparently, Cardinals player Tino Martinez said some words to pitcher Miguel Batista while on his way to second base. Batista then threw the ball at Martinez, and players from both teams joined the altercation. The Diamondbacks ultimately won the game, 1-0, and the MLB suspends Martinez for four games, and Batista for ten.
April 19, 2003
- Nigeria holds a presidential election.
April 18, 2003
- Iraqi Police arrest Saddam Hussein's former finance minister, Hikmat Mizban Ibrahim al-Azzawi in Baghdad, and turn him over to U.S. Marines.
- United States forces announce that a "disease control" plant in Baghdad has been raided by unknown persons, and strains of cholera, black fever, HIV, polio and hepatitis may have been lost. [1]
- DNA testing proved that the bodies found on the shores of San Francisco Bay were those of the missing Laci Peterson and her unborn son. Peterson's husband, Scott, was arrested in La Jolla, California and returned to their home town of Modesto, California for trial.
- United States Army troops found over $656 million dollars in United States and Iraqi currency in sealed metal boxes in several bricked up cottages on the grounds of the homes of members of the Iraqi elite in Baghdad. Preliminary indications were that the money was real uncirculated bills, and not counterfeit.
April 17, 2003
- 2003 invasion of Iraq
- Australian Prime Minister John Howard announces that Australian forces in Operation Falconer will completely pull out by June.
- The Bechtel Corporation is awarded a $680 million contract for the rebuilding of parts of Iraqs electricity system, water supplies and other key infrastructures.
- Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, top advisor and half-brother of Saddam Hussein is captured by U.S forces (the second of Hussein's half brothers captured this week). [1]
- Save the Children announces that U.S forces continue to prevent their airplane from landing in Arbil, Iraq to deliver medical supplies and emergency feeding kits. U.S. officials contend that the area is not yet safe, while the United Nations has already declared Arbil a "safe and secure" area. [1]
- Martin Sullivan and Gary Vikan, of the U.S Presidential Advisory Committee on Cultural Property, announced their resignations in protest of the US failure to prevent looting of the Iraqi National Museum. [1]
- Sir John Stevens releases the Stevens Report, which states that the police and other security services in Northern Ireland colluded in the murders of many innocent people, including Pat Finucane and Francisco Notarantonio, in the 1970s and 1980s.
April 16, 2003
- A Bush administration official announces that the United States, People's Republic of China, and North Korea will meet in Beijing from April 23 to April 24 to discuss North Korea's suspected nuclear weapons program. The United States had refused bilateral discussions with North Korea since October 2002, insisting on multinational talks. The United States will be represented by Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly. [1].
- The Helsingin Sanomat reports that in late March, a RITEG-beacon was disassembled by thieves in Kurgolovo, Russia who dumped the highly radioactive nuclear material into the Gulf of Finland, 100 km south of Finland. [1]
- The Passover holiday begins.
April 15, 2003
- Abu Abbas captured by United States forces in Iraq. [1]
- Parliament of Finland elects Anneli Jäätteenmäki as the nation's first woman Prime Minister. [1]
- In New York, Omar Portee, founder and leader of the United Blood Nation, receives a sentence of 50 years in jail. He had been convicted in August of racketeering, murder conspiracy, credit card fraud and drug selling. [1]
- 10 Iraqis are reported killed and 16 injured in the city of Mosul. Marines insist they were fired at, survivors say demonstrators only threw stones. [1]
April 14, 2003
- Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former United Nations Secretary General, reports that the United Nations is increasingly "being marginalised" and that preparation is needed for a new organisation to succeed the UN.
- U.S President George W. Bush says that U.S.-led coalition victory in the 2003 Iraq war is "certain, but not complete." [1]
- In Quebec, the governing separatist Parti Québécois is defeated in a provincial election. The Liberals are returned to power after nine years and Jean Charest becomes the new premier.
- The Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, promulgates a decree declaring that Emperor-King Karl of Austria-Hungary (r: 1916-1918) possessed "heroic virtues". This decree marks a significant step towards canonisation in the Roman Catholic Church for the last Austrian emperor and king of Hungary.
- The bodies of a headless woman and a newborn fetus with the umbilical cord still attached washed up separately on the shore of San Francisco Bay near Richmond, California. DNA testing is being performed to determine if the body is that of Laci Peterson, the Modesto, California woman missing from her home since December 24, 2002.
April 13, 2003
- Ari Fleischer, press secretary to U.S President George W. Bush, gives credit to The Pentagon for the apparent victory in the 2003 Iraq war. [1]
- Accoring to the Washington Times, the objectives of Operation Iraqi Freedom have shifted from victory in Iraq to "destroying remnants of Fedayeen Saddam and other paramilitaries, and rebuilding Iraq to nurture a new democracy." The Times also suggests that the Operation is hunting for evidence of weapons of mass destruction and for members of the former regime. [1]
- Seven U.S Prisoners of War are released to Coalition troops approaching Tikrit in Northern Iraq. The POWs included two Apache helicopter pilots, Chief Warrant Officer Ronald D. Young Jr and Chief Warrant Officer David S. Williams, and five members of the Army's 507th Maintenance Company; Spc. Shoshana Johnson, Sgt. James Riley, Spc. Joseph Hudson, Pfc. Patrick Miller and Spc. Edgar Hernandez. All seven POWs had previously been shown held captive by Iraqi state television and Al Jazeera. [1]
April 12, 2003
- Looting and lawlessness plague Baghdad. Hospitals looted, humanitarian aid hindered by unsafe conditions. [1], [1], [1]
- Prince Laurent of Belgium marries British-born 'commoner' Claire Coombs at the St. Michael and Gudula Cathedral in Brussels. [1]
- Poet Linda Gregerson receives the $100,000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for her collection Waterborne. The award is presented annually by the Claremont Graduate University for a "mid-career poet". Joanie Mackowski receives the $10,000 Kate Tufts Discovery Award.
- Canadian scientists announce that they have decoded the genetic code for the virus which is thought to cause Severe acute respiratory syndrome. The code is published on their website: http://www.bcgsc.ca/bioinfo/SARS/ . (News item: [1])
April 11, 2003
- The northern Iraqi city of Mosul falls to coalition forces as the Iraqi army's 5th Corps offers a letter of surrender. The only remaining major city left to fall is Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, where some expect the remaining regime loyalists to make their final stand. [1]
- Europe's largest civil engineering project, and the world's largest single metro expansion project, is officially opened in Madrid. Metrosur, a 40-kilometre loop of the Madrid metro in the southern suburbs of the city, took under 3 years to complete.
- Microsoft announces that its will port its Windows Media Player to Linux, in a remarkable step that acknowledges Linux as a significant competing platform on the desktop [1]
- Der Spiegel reports that Apple Computer is planning to buy Universal Music, one of the giants of the record industry, from Vivendi [1]
- Cuba executes three men charged with terrorism for hijacking a passenger ferry on April 2. Another four men receive life sentences. [1]
- In response to Baseball Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey's April 8 decision to cancel a 15th anniversary celebration of "Bull Durham, sportswriter Roger Kahn cancels a planned appearance at the baseball museum. [1]
April 10, 2003
- United States Green Berets and Kurdish fighters enter the city of Kirkuk in Iraq with little resistance. Turkey and U.S., in separate statements, say they will not allow the Kurds to occupy the city. [1], [1]
- British Airways and Air France simultaneously announce that they will retire the supersonic Concorde aircraft later this year. Passenger numbers had never recovered following a crash that killed 113 in 2000. [1] In response, Sir Richard Branson offers to buy British Airways' Concordes for £1 for the use of his Virgin Atlantic Airlines. BA dismisses the offer as a stunt and indicates that the planes will go to air museums. [1]
- A fire destroys a boarding school for the deaf in Makhachkala, Russia, killing 28 children, aged 8 to 14. About 100 other children suffer burns and smoke inhalation, 39 of which are in serious condition. [1]
April 9, 2003
- At the International Science Festival at Edinburgh's Royal Museum, the stuffed remains of Dolly the sheep are for the first time displayed. [1]
- Baghdad falls to coalition forces. American infantrymen seize deserted Ba'ath Party ministries and pull down a huge iron statue of Saddam Hussein at the Fardus square in front of the Palestine Hotel, as a symbolic ending his autocratic rule of Iraq. Baghdad citizens then dragged the severed head of the statue through the streets of the city. Dozens of people there cheer U.S. soldiers, according to BBC. Much looting of cars and buildings is seen in Baghdad and other cities as the government and police lost control. [1], [1], [1], [1], [1]
- The fate of Saddam Hussein remains unknown after a U.S B-1B bomber dropped four 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs on a building where Hussein was thought to be meeting with his sons and senior aides on April 7. The bombs blew a 60-foot-deep crater in a residential neighborhood that is not under coalition control, refueling speculation about the possible death of Saddam Hussein. British intelligence officials said that they believed Hussein left the targeted building just minutes before it was destroyed, and that he probably survived the attack. [1] [1] [1] [1]
- Iraq's ambassador to the U.N Muhammad Ali al-Douri tells reporters that "the game is over." [1]
- U.S Undersecretary of State, John Bolton, warns Iran, Syria, and North Korea that they should "draw the appropriate lesson from Iraq". [1]
April 8, 2003
- U.N International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei reiterates a statement he made on March 31, to which the United States has yet to respond, that only the UN IAEA has a mandate to search out and destroy any nuclear weapons or parts of a nuclear weapons program found in Iraq. [1]
- Hong Kong health officials say that spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome may mean it's going to be around for a while. WHO officials are cautiously optimistic that it can be contained. [1], [1]
- The Iraqi ambassador to the Arab League, Mohsen Khalil, announces that "Iraq has now already achieved victory - apart from some technicalities." [1]
- Deaths of 3 journalists in Baghdad: Two American air to surface missiles hit the Qatar satellite station Al Jazeera's office in Baghdad and kill a reporter and wound a cameraman. U.S. Officials said that the offices were not targeted, but were right next to the Iraqi Ministry of Information building which was a target. The nearby office of Arab satellite channel Abu Dhabi is also hit by air strikess. Al Jazeera accuses the U.S. of attacking Arab media to hide facts. On the same day a U.S. tank fires into the 15th floor of the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad, where almost all remaining foreign journalists are based, and kills two cameramen and wounds three. In the Abu Dhabi case the station airs the picture of Iraqi fire from beneath of the camera. In the hotel case, however, other journalists on the scene deny any fire from or around the hotel. [1], [1], [1]
- Baseball Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey cancels a planned celebration for the 15th anniversary of "Bull Durham." Petroskey cites recent comments made by film co-stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon as potential dangers to U.S troops in Iraq. The celebration was to take place April 26 and 27. [1]
April 7, 2003
- As part of a plea bargain, alleged Mafia boss Vincent "the Chin" Gigante admits in court that he has been feigning insanity for more than 30 years. [1]
- In Oakland, California, police fired rubber bullets and beanbagss at anti-war protesters and dockworkers outside the Port, injuring at least a dozen demonstrators and six longshoremen standing nearby. Most of the 500 demonstrators were dispersed peacefully, but a crowd of demonstrators was blocking traffic on private property near the port and fail to disperse after police warnings. Oakland Police Chief said demonstrators also threw objects and bolts at them, and said the use of weapons was necessary to disperse the crowd. He indicated non-lethal projectiles were used to respond to direct illegal action. The longshoremen were caught in the crossfire. A dockworker spokeman reported Police gave two minutes to disperse, then didnot move to arrest people, instead they opened fire. Demonstrators also claim though the rubber bullets were supposed to be shot at the ground, the Police took direct aim at them. Oakland police said 31 people were arrested at the port.
- U.S. Secretary of State Powell says that war in Iraq is "drawing to a close". [1]
- United States troops push into the centre of Baghdad and enter at least one abandoned Presidential Palace. (see Invasion of Baghdad).
- Embedded NPR journalists relay reports from a top official with the 1st Marine Division that U.S forces near Baghdad have discovered 20 medium range BM-21 missiles armed with warheads containing deadly sarin and mustard gas that are "ready to fire." [1], [1]
- More than a dozen Coalition soldiers, a Knight Ridder reporter, a CNN cameraman and two Iraqi prisoners of war are sent for chemical weapons decontamination after exhibiting symptoms of possible exposure to Tabun and Sarin nerve agents and lewisite blistering agents while searching an Iraqi agricultural warehouse and a nearby military compound on the Euphrates river between the cities of Kerbala and Hilla. U.S. soldiers found eleven 25-gallon barrels and three 55-gallon chemical drums, hundreds of gas masks and chemical suits, along with large numbers of mortar and artillery rounds. Initial tests of the chemicals were positive, then a second test was done which came back negative. A third test, conducted by a mobile testing unit provided by Germany confirmed the existence of sarin. Some reports indicate that the chemicals found at the agricultural werehouse may turn out to be pesticides. Further tests are planned in the United States. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said later in a Pentagon briefing that "almost all first reports we get, turn out to be wrong. We don't do first reports and we don't speculate." [1], [1]
- Syracuse University defeats the University of Kansas to win the NCAA's college basketball championship
April 6, 2003
- British forces step up their presence in the southern city of Basra. According to embedded journalists, the citizens of Basra braved gunfire to dance in the streets and cheer for the British troops. UPI's Chief International Correspondent Martin Walker claimed that he had witnessed at least one Basra citizen kiss a British tank. [1]
- In a friendly fire incident, U.S warplanes struck a convoy of allied Kurdish fighters and U.S. Special Forces during a battle in northern Afghanistan. At least 18 people are killed and more than 45 wounded, including senior Kurdish commanders.
April 5, 2003
- The Senate of Belgium approves a change in the nation's war crimes law so that it will no longer apply to citizens of nations with sufficient human rights laws. The House of Representatives had already approved the change. The law had been used in the past to charge such people as George H. W. Bush, Colin Powell and Ariel Sharon with war crimes, and had interfered with Belgium's international relations. [1]
April 4, 2003
- Akamai Technologies unilaterally revokes the contract to host the website of Al Jazeera. The satellite TV station entered into the contract to prevent server downs from overload and DoS attacks it has experienced. [1], [1]
- Video footage of Saddam Hussein is shown on Iraqi TV, and mentions the shooting down of an Apache helicopter, reducing speculation on the possible death of Saddam Hussein.
- The Iraqi government promises to re-take Baghdad airport from United States forces, claiming the counter-attack would involve "some kind of martyrdom operation".
April 3, 2003
- Dr. Julie Gerberding, a director of the U.S Centers for Disease Control, states her concern that SARS threatens to become a global pandemic. [1]
- Jean-Pierre Serre is announced as the winner of the first Abel Prize.
- ArabNews reports that United States forces have captured the Saddam International Airport in Baghdad. [1]
April 2, 2003
- U.S Brigadier General Vincent Brooks claims the Baghdad division of the Iraqi Republican Guard was "destroyed". Iraq information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf responded that this was another American "lie". [1]
- The Iraqi Information Ministry bans Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite television from Baghdad. [1]
April 1, 2003
- Hong Kong movie and Cantopop star Leslie Cheung commits suicide at the age of 46.
- In Japan, The Postal Services Agency becomes Japan Post, a public corporation. [1]
- In Japan, Hyosuke Kujiraoka, a former vice speaker of the House of Representatives, dies in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. He was 87.
- Air Canada, the main airline company of Canada asks for bankruptcy protection.
- The US Supreme Court hears oral arguments for Grutter v. Bollinger, (regarding the University of Michigan Law Schools' affirmative action admissions policy), and Gratz and Hamacher v. Bollinger, (examining the university's undergraduate admissions policy.)
- Cubana de Aviacion AN-24 airplane on a flight from the Isle of Youth in Cuba to Havana with 46 passengers on board is hijacked and directed towards the United States. After refueling in Havana the plane flew to Key West, under escort by two US jet fighters. The plane landed safely in Key West. [1]
- Prisoner of war United States Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch is rescued by U.S. forces from Nasiriya, Iraq.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "April 2003."
| The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted. | |||
| Entry | Source | Expression | Field |
APRIL | English | Asian Pacific Resources International Holdings | Finance |
| APR | English | April | Geography, Meteorology & Standards |
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |||
Synonym: AprilSynonym: Apr (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Changeableness | Moon, Proteus, chameleon, quicksilver, shifting sands, harlequin, Cynthia of the minute, April showers; wheel of Fortune; transientness. |
Deception | Decoy, waylay, lure, beguile, delude, inveigle; entrap, intrap, ensnare; nick, springe; set a trap, lay a trap, lay a snare for; bait the hook, forelay, spread the toils, lime; trapan, trepan; kidnap; let in, hook in; nousle, nousel; blind a trail; enmesh, immesh; shanghai; catch, catch in a trap; sniggle, entangle, illaqueate, hocus, escamoter, practice on one's credulity; hum, humbug; gammon, stuff up, sell; play a trick upon one, play a practical joke upon one, put something over on one, put one over on; balk, trip up, throw a tub to a whale; fool to the top of one's bent, send on a fool's errand; make game, make a fool of, make an April fool of, make an ass of; trifle with, cajole, flatter; come over; (influence); gild the pill, make things pleasant, divert, put a good face upon; dissemble. |
Disrespect | Have in derision; hold in derision; deride, scoff, barrack, sneer, laugh at, ridicule, gibe, mock, jeer, hiss, hoot, taunt, twit, niggle, gleek, gird, flout, fleer; roast, turn into ridicule; burlesque; laugh to scorn; (contempt); smoke; fool; make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of; play a practical joke; lead one a dance, run the rig upon, have a fling at, scout; mob. |
Dupe | Noun: dupe, gull, gudgeon, gobemouche, cull, cully, victim, pigeon, April fool; jay, sucker; laughingstock; Cyclops, simple Simon, flat; greenhorn; fool; puppet, cat's paw. |
Health | On one's legs; sound as a roach, sound as a bell; fresh as a daisy, fresh as a rose, fresh as April; hearty as a buck; in fine feather, in high feather; in good case, in full bloom; pretty bobbish, tolerably well, as well as can be expected. |
Laughingstock | Noun: laughingstock, jestingstock, gazingstock; butt, game, fair game; April fool; (dupe). |
Ridicule | Turn into ridicule; make merry with; make fun of, make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of; rally; scoff; (disrespect). |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: April |
| English words defined with "April": Abib, All Fools' day, April fool, April Fools', April Fools' day, Aries, Aries the Ram ♦ Calendar months, Chait, Chernobyl ♦ Easter Day, Easter Sunday ♦ germinal ♦ Iyar, Iyyar ♦ Long Parliament, Lyrid ♦ Mango fish, Mar, March, May, Meteoric showers, mid-April ♦ Nisan, Nissan ♦ Patriot's Day ♦ Quarter day ♦ Taurus, Taurus the Bull. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "April": April Gentleman, April Squire. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "April" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Afrikaan (April), Danish (April), Dutch (April), Flemish (April), Frisian (April), German (April), Indonesian (april), Lombard (April), Macedonian (April), Malay (April), Norwegian (April), Pidgin English (April), Romanian (April), Serbo-Croatian (april), Slovene (April), Swedish (April). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | My birthday is April 10, 2017 (Blade Runner; writing credit: Philip K. Dick; Hampton Fancher) April is the slowest, most conscientious driver in the world (Sister Kate; writing credit: Annika Idström; Solja Kievari) It wasn't a fair fight, April. (Knight Rider; writing credit: Cory Applebaum; Bob Benedetto) So you're not at all worried about the number 13? Even though you're launch is scheduled for 13:13, and you'll be entering the moon's atmosphere on April 13th (Apollo 13; writing credit: Jim Lovell; Jeffrey Kluger) And now I'm going to tell you about the time that April Showers - (Forbidden Bodies; writing credit: John Blaise; S. Moro) | |
Lyrics | And then, one day in April, I wasn't even there, (SOMEDAY NEVER COMES; performing artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival) No April rain (I Just Called to Say I Love You; performing artist: Stevie Wonder) | |
Movie/TV Titles | April Love (1973) The April Fools (1969) April Fool (1964) Frøken April (1963) Fröken April (1958) | |
Song Titles | APRIL LOVE (performing artist: Pat Boone ) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
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Consumer Goods |
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
From on overhead angle, a plate of potatoes and green beans, a bowl of tomatoes and yellow peppers with sour cream dip and a tossed salad are shown on a white tablecloth. Across the middle of the table, grey letters read: "Include 3-5 servings of vegetables daily". Shot on 4x5 format. This was used in the 1989 calendar "Eat for Good Health" April 1989. See artwork: PV-19. Credit: Bill Branson (photographer). | Shows photo of formal portrait, realistic artist rendering of Leonard Andrew Scheele, National Cancer Institute director from July 1947 to April 1948. The orginal piece of art hangs in the 11th floor hallway in Building 31 on the National Institutes of Health campus. Painting dated 1961. Credit: Embry (Artist). | ||
The Office of National Defense Malaria Control Activities, established in the offices of PHS, February 10, 1942, was renamed the Office of Malaria Control in War Areas, MCWA, April 27, 1942. Credit: CDC. | DHEW Secretary, Joseph A. Califano, with William C. Watson during his visit to CDC on April 5, 1977. Credit: CDC. | ||
![]() | Mission Profile for April 12, 1961 Vostok Flight. Credit: NASA. | A new golden era of space exploration and discovery began April 24, 1990 with the launch and ... Credit: NASA. | |
![]() | Unprocessed Mars Global Surveyor image of the Cydonia Menseregion side-by-side with filtered and contrast enhanced version. (05 April 1998). Credit: NASA. | ![]() | Filtered and contrast enhanced Mars Global Surveyor close-up ofthe "face" feature (unmagnified). (05 April 1998). Credit: NASA. |
![]() | Diagram showing relationship of tide to marker at Poolbeg Lighthouse Datum referred to low water April 8, 1837 for County Dublin Note use of Mean Sea Level. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. | ![]() | Dog sled trip up the 141st Meridian to the Arctic Ocean International Boundary Party under Assistant John H. Turner Traveled from Porcupine to Arctic Ocean and back in 18 days A round trip of over 400 miles --- lowest temperature was -50 Fahrenheit March 27 to April 14, 1890. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Brittany" by Lisa Pons-Labelle Commentary: "Brittany in April." | "Cooper river bridge run" by Jennifer W Commentary: "Cooper River Brige Run, April 5, 2003." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Christopher Columbus | "Thanks be to God," says the Admiral; "the air is soft as in April in Sevill, and it is a pleasure to be in it, so fragrant it is." |
Ronald Reagan | Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15. |
Thomas Otway | Shining through tears, like April suns in showers, that labor to overcome the cloud that loads em. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
US Constitution | 1791 | The amendments were subsequently ratified by the legislatures of Massachusetts, March 2, 1939; Georgia, March 18, 1939; and Connecticut, April 19, 1939. (reference) |
Treaty of Versailles | 1919 | Convention of April 25, 1907, regarding the raising of the Turkish customs tariff. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | It would be almost true to say that for Jean Valjean there was no sun, no beautiful summer days, no radiant sky, no fresh April dawn |
Gulliver's Travels | Swift, Jonathan | On the 21st of April, 1709, we sailed into the river of Clumegnig, which is a seaport town, at the southeast point of Luggnagg |
Walden | Thoreau, Henry David | By the middle of April, for I made no haste in my work, but rather made the most of it, my house was framed and ready for the raising |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | This database is updated four times a year at the end of January, April, July, and October. (references) | |
Over 90% of patients with Rocky Mountain spotted fever are infected during April through September. (references) | ||
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a seasonal disease and occurs throughout the United States during the months of April through September. (references) | ||
Business | NAO for review in late fall of 1996 and a public hearing was set for April. (references) | |
A campaign to stress ethnic unity and to condemn "splitism" and religious extremism began in April. (references) | ||
This directive, which was issued in April 2000, concerns genetically manufactured additives and aromas. (references) | ||
Children | Hong Kong | One youth died in April 2000 during an attempted escape from a detention center. (references) |
Tuvalu | A government investigation completed in April 2000 found that no negligence occurred. (references) | |
Argentina | A survey conducted in April and May by the city of Buenos Aires documented 1,643 children and adolescents found on the streets. (references) | |
Civil Liberties | Rwanda | Organizations have until April 2002 to register. (references) |
India | Bodo-Santhal ethnic clashes, which began in April 1998, continued throughout the year. (references) | |
Jordan | He reapplied in April 2000, and was awaiting a response from the Government at year's end. (references) | |
Economic History | Lesotho | Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March. (references) |
Vietnam | New constitution: April 15, 1992. (references) | |
Serbia and Montenegro | Constitution: Adopted April 27, 1992. (references) | |
Human Rights | Guatemala | Casasalo died April 11 as a result of the blows that he received. (references) |
Philippines | A foreign person kidnaped by the ASG in August 2000 escaped in April. (references) | |
Philippines | An AFP officer kidnaped by the NPA in July 1999 was released in April. (references) | |
Indigenous People | Bangladesh | On April 4, 1 person died and 10 were injured in a clash between Khasis and Bengalis in a land dispute in Moulavibazar. (references) |
Minorities | Greece | In April vandals desecrated the Jewish cemetery of Trikala. (references) |
Rwanda | Before April 1994, an estimated 85 percent of citizens were Hutu, 14 percent were Tutsi, and 1 percent were Batwa (Twa). (references) | |
Political Economy | VENEZUELA | Venezuela publishes these prices each April. (references) |
Turkey | The last national elections were held in April 1999. (references) | |
Turkey | The DSP polled 22.1% of the overall vote in April 1999 elections. (references) | |
Political Rights | Paraguay | Gubernatorial elections were held in April. (references) |
Senegal | No such incidents were reported in the April legislative elections. (references) | |
Greece | Of the 300 members elected to Parliament in April 2000, 31 were female. (references) | |
Trade | Ukraine | Approved April 4, signed June 29. (references) |
Turkey | Daylight Savings Time is April through October. (references) | |
Lithuania | The Lithuanian customs tariff system was introduced in April 1993 and is still evolving. (references) | |
Travel | Chad | April and May are usually the hottest months. (references) |
Ghana | Electricity prices were increased by over 100% in April 2001. (references) | |
Russia | Winter clothes may be needed as early as October or as late as April. (references) | |
Women | Yemen | NGO-sponsored conferences in April and September attempted to raise the media's awareness of violence against women. (references) |
Taiwan | In April 60 women's organizations joined together to form the National Union of Taiwan Women to promote women's rights throughout the island. (references) | |
Hong Kong | Cases of domestic violence reported to the Social Welfare Department from April 2000 to March increased 40 percent over the previous 12 months to 2,370 cases. (references) | |
Worker Rights | Philippines | In April 56 boat operators signed an agreement with the Government not to employ minors. (references) |
United Arab Emirates | In April a 7-year-old Bangladeshi boy working as a camel jockey was injured during a camel race in Dubai. (references) | |
Burkina Faso | Although ultimately acquitted for lack of evidence, in April a court tried an accused child trafficker for the first time. (references) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Jimmy Carter | 1977-1981 | This past April a coup replaced the government and a period of political and economic uncertainty ensued. |
Bill Clinton | 1993-2001 | That's why President Bush, General Colin Powell, former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros will join the Vice President and me to lead the President's Summit of Service in Philadelphia in April. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "April" is generally used as a noun (proper) -- approximately 99.97% of the time. "April" is used about 14,690 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (proper) | 99.97% | 14,686 | 630 |
| Noun (singular) | 0.03% | 4 | 175,879 |
| Total | 100.00% | 14,690 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "April" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| April | First name Female | 154,000 | 142 |
| April | Last name | 1,000 | 18,357 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| "April" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "April", "open". | |||
| The following table summarizes names derived from the word "April". | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Meaning |
| April | Female | English | April |
| Avril | Female | English | April |
| Avril | Female | French | April |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references.
| |||
| The following table summarizes names related to "April." | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Related Name |
| April | Female | English | N/A |
| Avril | Female | English | April |
| Avril | Female | French | April |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Country | Name |
| France | April Groupe |
| (more examples...) |
Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.
Expressions using "April": April 14 ♦ April fool ♦ April Fools' ♦ april fools day ♦ april fool's day ♦ april fools' day ♦ April Fool's Joke ♦ april fool's trick ♦ April showers ♦ april showers bring may flowers ♦ april weather ♦ first of april ♦ make an April fool of. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "April": April-august, april-born, April-december, April-england, april-fool smb., april-fool-day, April-i, April-july, April-june, April-march, April-may, April-october, April-september. | |
Ending with "April": February-april, January-april, March-april, post-april, pre-april. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
april fool | 1,683 | april fool joke | 54 |
april summer | 1,074 | april adam | 49 |
april hunter | 971 | april hunter pic | 44 |
april arikssen | 842 | 2003 april | 43 |
april | 677 | april hunter gallery | 43 |
april cornell | 347 | april lyrics wine | 41 |
april wine | 271 | april fool trick | 38 |
brooke april | 211 | april morning | 37 |
april flower | 150 | april air | 37 |
april fool prank | 142 | april day last | 35 |
april hunter nude | 126 | april neil o | 35 |
across five april | 121 | april moore | 35 |