In History, Today on April 4

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a global milestone as the number of confirmed cases surpassed 1 million worldwide, highlighting the rapid spread of the virus.

The YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, California, was attacked by a shooter who wounded three people before taking her own life.

A chemical attack occurred in Khan Shaykhun, Syria, killing at least 89 people and leading to international condemnation and U.S. missile strikes on a Syrian airbase.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Arms Trade Treaty, regulating the international trade in conventional arms, with the aim of reducing illegal arms trafficking.

North Korea launched a long-range rocket, which it claimed was a satellite launch, but was widely condemned as a test of ballistic missile technology.

NATO leaders invited Albania and Croatia to join the alliance during the Bucharest Summit, marking a significant expansion of the organization.

The RMS Queen Mary 2 explores the Middle East region as the first passenger ship, marking a significant cruise voyage.

The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on four Sudanese individuals for their role in the Darfur conflict, marking the first time the UN took such action in the conflict.

The Angolan government and UNITA rebels signed a peace agreement, ending the Angolan Civil War that had lasted for 27 years.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is executed after being deposed in a military coup led by General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Microsoft is founded as a partnership between Bill Gates and Paul Allen in Albuquerque, New Mexico, marking the beginning of one of the world's largest technology companies.

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, leading to nationwide riots and a period of mourning.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is established by 12 Western nations as a collective defense pact against potential aggression from the Soviet Union.

The United States' dirigible USS Akron crashed off the coast of New Jersey due to severe weather, resulting in the deaths of 73 of the 76 aboard. It was the deadliest airship disaster in history at that time.

The Suez Canal, originally opened in 1869, saw the Eastman Agricultural, the first vessel to transit the newly installed lighting system. This advancement facilitated night-time navigation, significantly increasing the canal's capacity and commercial importance.

President Abraham Lincoln visited the captured Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. His entry into the city came just days after it fell to Union forces, marking a significant moment in the closing days of the American Civil War.

William Henry Harrison, the 9th President of the United States, dies of pneumonia, becoming the first U.S. president to die in office, just 31 days after his inauguration.

The United States Congress adopts the flag of the United States with 13 red and white stripes and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for each new state.

Napoleon Bonaparte abdicates as Emperor of the French and is exiled to the island of Elba.

The Territory of Orleans became the state of Louisiana, admitted as the 18th state of the United States.

Philip Astley stages the first modern circus in London.

Sir Robert Walpole takes office as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain.

British Parliament confers the title 'Supreme Governor of the Church of England' on Elizabeth I.

Francis Drake is knighted by Queen Elizabeth I aboard the Golden Hind in Deptford, England, after his successful circumnavigation of the globe.

Petition in Parliament establishes a system of sewers in London that sets a precedent for public health infrastructure.

The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah begins, a pivotal conflict between the Sassanid Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate, which ultimately led to the Muslim conquest of Persia.

St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, died. He was a significant figure in the early Christian Church, known for his influence on Western Christianity and his role in the conversion of St. Augustine.