21 April

Across recorded history, 1,599 notable lives are recorded as having ended on 21 April. Below are the 24 most widely documented — ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia carry an article about them.

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Mark Twain

1835–1910

American author and humorist

Mark Twain was an American writer known for his novels and humor.

John Maynard Keynes

1883–1946

British economist

John Maynard Keynes was a British economist who influenced modern macroeconomic theory and government economic policies.

Prince

1958–2016

American musician

Prince was an American musician known for his work as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Muhammad Iqbal

1877–1938

British-Indian Islamic philosopher, poet and politician

Muhammad Iqbal was a philosopher and poet who influenced the political and cultural development of Muslims in British India.

Edward Victor Appleton

1892–1965

English physicist

Physicist Edward Victor Appleton conducted research on the ionosphere.

Nina Simone

1933–2003

American singer, songwriter and pianist and civil rights activist

Nina Simone was an American musician and civil rights activist known for her work as a singer, songwriter, and pianist.

Dzhokhar Dudayev

1944–1996

Soviet general, Chechen leader

Dzhokhar Dudayev was a military officer who served as the first president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria.

Juan Antonio Samaranch

1920–2010

IOC president 1980–2001

Juan Antonio Samaranch served as the president of the International Olympic Committee.

Manfred von Richthofen

1892–1918

German fighter pilot

Manfred von Richthofen was a German fighter pilot who served as a combat aviator during the First World War.

Alexander Oparin

1894–1980

Soviet biochemist

Alexander Oparin was a biochemist who developed a theory regarding the chemical origin of life on Earth.

Jean-François Lyotard

1924–1998

French philosopher

Jean-François Lyotard was a French philosopher known for his work on postmodernism and the decline of grand narratives.

François Duvalier

1907–1971

40th President of the Republic of Haiti

François Duvalier was a politician who served as the President of the Republic of Haiti.

Verne Troyer

1969–2018

American actor

Verne Troyer was an American actor known for his work in film and television.

Walter Model

1891–1945

German field marshal

Walter Model was a German field marshal who served as a military officer.

Eleonora Duse

1858–1924

Italian stage actress

Eleonora Duse was an Italian stage actress known for her performances in theater.

Shakuntala Devi

1929–2013

Indian writer and mental calculator

Shakuntala Devi was an Indian mental calculator and writer recognized for her ability to perform complex mathematical calculations.

Diosdado Macapagal

1910–1997

President of the Philippines from 1961 to 1965

Diosdado Macapagal was a politician who served as the President of the Philippines.

Tancredo Neves

1910–1985

Brazilian politician

Tancredo Neves was a Brazilian politician who was elected as the first civilian president of Brazil following the end of the military dictatorship.

Victor Weisskopf

1908–2002

Austrian American theoretical physicist

Victor Weisskopf was a theoretical physicist who contributed to the development of quantum electrodynamics and served as a director at CERN.

Vivian Maier

1926–2009

French-American photographer

Vivian Maier was a photographer who captured extensive images of street life in American cities while working as a nanny.

Jacques Perrin

1941–2022

French actor and film producer

Jacques Perrin was a French actor and film producer who worked extensively in cinema.

Arthur Fadden

1894–1973

Australian politician, 13th Prime Minister of Australia

Arthur Fadden was an Australian politician who served as the 13th Prime Minister of Australia.

Florian Schneider

1947–2020

German musician

Florian Schneider was a German musician who co-founded the electronic music band Kraftwerk.

Aldo Leopold

1887–1948

American writer and scientist

Aldo Leopold was an ecologist who authored influential works on land ethics and conservation.

Source: Wikidata, released into the public domain under CC0. Snapshot: 2026-07. Names, dates and roles come from Wikidata; summaries are condensed from it. Nothing here is generated to fill a gap.