April 1903



The following events occurred in April 1903:

April 1, 1903 (Wednesday)

 * The Midwives Act 1902 came into effect in the UK, requiring midwives to be certified and penalizing any woman practising midwifery without certification.
 * Died: Elliott Zborowski (born William Elliott Morris Zborowski), American racing driver, race crash (b. 1856)

April 2, 1903 (Thursday)

 * Composer Pietro Mascagni left New York City after completing a tour of the United States.

April 3, 1903 (Friday)

 * Born:
 * Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Indian social reformer and freedom fighter (died 1988)
 * Peter Huchel, German poet, in Lichterfelde, under the name Hellmut Huchel (died 1981)

April 4, 1903 (Saturday)

 * In the UK, the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway and the Wrexham and District Electric Tramways both became operational.
 * Democrat John Nelson Hinkle was defeated by Republican Robert H. Jeffrey in the election for Mayor of Columbus, Ohio.
 * Scotland defeated England in the final match of the British Home Championship football tournament, resulting in a three-way tie for first place in the competition.

April 5, 1903 (Sunday)

 * French composer Gabriel Fauré was invested as an officer of the Légion d'honneur.

April 7, 1903 (Tuesday)

 * In Florida, United States, the Apalachicola Northern Railroad (later AN Railway) obtained its charter.

April 8, 1903 (Wednesday)

 * At the Camborne by-election in the UK, caused by the death of sitting Liberal MP William Sproston Caine, 74-year-old Wilfrid Lawson retained the seat for the Liberals.
 * 1903 Copa del Rey Final: Athletic Bilbao defeated Madrid CF 3-2 at the Estadio del Hipódromo in Madrid, to win Spain's football cup.

April 9, 1903 (Thursday)

 * William Propsting became Premier of Tasmania.
 * Three men were killed when a 12 in gun in the forward turret of the battleship USS Iowa (BB-4) shattered during firing practice.

April 10, 1903 (Friday)

 * US tycoon Joseph Pulitzer donated $2 million to Columbia University, to found a school of journalism, also making allowance for literary prizes.

April 11, 1903 (Saturday)

 * Hippolyte Aucouturier won the 8th Paris–Roubaix cycle race.
 * Died: Gemma Galgani, 25, Italian mystic and Catholic saint (tuberculosis)

April 12, 1903 (Sunday)

 * A partial lunar eclipse took place.
 * Born: Jan Tinbergen, Dutch economist and Nobel laureate, in The Hague (died 1994)

April 13, 1903 (Monday)

 * Died: Moritz Lazarus, 78, German philosopher

April 14, 1903 (Tuesday)

 * Aberdeen Football Club was founded, in Scotland.
 * Two workers were killed and two injured by a delayed explosion of dynamite during construction of the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

April 18, 1903 (Saturday)

 * In the UK, the 1903 FA Cup Final was won by Bury F.C., who defeated Derby County F.C. 6-0 at Crystal Palace.

April 19, 1903 (Sunday)

 * The first of the Kishinev pogroms took place in Kishinev, capital of the Bessarabia Governorate of the Russian Empire. At least 47 Jews were killed and a further 92 were seriously injured during two days of rioting, led by priests and encouraged by the press.
 * Born: Eliot Ness, US law enforcement agent, in Chicago (died 1957, heart attack)

April 20, 1903 (Monday)

 * John Aitken was elected unopposed as Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand.

April 21, 1903 (Tuesday)

 * The Norwegian steamer Freia was wrecked near Scharhörn during a passage from Kristiania to Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands.

April 22, 1903 (Wednesday)

 * The New York Stock Exchange opened its new building in Broad Street, New York City, United States.

April 23, 1903 (Thursday)

 * The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Thomson Ritchie, announced the repeal of Corn Duty, to come into force on 1 July 1903.

April 24, 1903 (Friday)

 * Born: José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Spanish politician, in Madrid (died 1936)

April 25, 1903 (Saturday)

 * In the UK, the final of the rugby league Challenge Cup took place at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, and was won by Halifax, who defeated Salford 7-0.
 * Born: Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician, in Tambov (died 1987)

April 26, 1903 (Sunday)

 * The Spanish football club Atlético Madrid was officially founded.
 * The first round of voting took place in the Spanish general election.
 * The 12th season of league football in Argentina began, with six teams competing.

April 27, 1903 (Monday)

 * The Jamaica Race Course opened in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, United States. The Excelsior Handicap was run for the first time as part of the opening celebrations.

April 28, 1903 (Tuesday)

 * 1903 Manzikert earthquake: An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck Manzikert in eastern Turkey. Approximately 3,500 people and 20,000 animals were killed.

April 29, 1903 (Wednesday)

 * Frank Slide: The mining town of Frank, North-West Territories, Canada, was devastated by a rockslide caused by limestone breaking off the summit of Turtle Mountain. About 70–90 people were killed, mostly buried alive.