Over 60 tornadoes break out; hardest hit is in Tennessee with 29 people killed.

Islamist terrorists involved in the 11 March 2004 Madrid attacks attempt to bomb the Spanish high-speed train AVE near Madrid. Their attack is thwarted.

Israeli forces surround the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem into which armed Palestinians had retreated. A siege ensues.

In New York, Mafia boss John Gotti is convicted of murder and racketeering and is later sentenced to life in prison.

Rita Johnston becomes the first female Premier of a Canadian province when she succeeds William Vander Zalm (who had resigned) as Premier of British Columbia.

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev arrives in Havana, Cuba to meet with Fidel Castro in an attempt to mend strained relations.

Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma is launched aboard Soyuz T-11, and becomes the first Indian in space.

Falklands War: Argentina invades the Falkland Islands.

President Jimmy Carter signs the Crude Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act in an effort to help the U.S. economy rebound.

Vietnam War: Thousands of civilian refugees flee from the Quang Ngai Province in front of advancing North Vietnamese troops.

Construction of the CN Tower is completed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It reaches {{convert|553.33|m|ft}} in height, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure.

Launch of the LexisNexis computerized legal research service.

Actor Charlie Chaplin returns to the United States for the first time since being labeled a communist during the Red Scare in the early 1950s.

Vietnam War: The Easter Offensive begins – North Vietnamese soldiers of the 304th Division take the northern half of Quang Tri Province.

The first official Panda crossing is opened outside Waterloo station, London.

''As the World Turns'' and ''The Edge of Night'' premiere on CBS-TV. The two soaps become the first daytime dramas to debut in the 30-minute format.

Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Brazil are established.

Haile Selassie is proclaimed emperor of Ethiopia.

World War I: President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.

Dmitry Sipyagin, Minister of Interior of the Russian Empire, is assassinated in the Marie Palace, St Petersburg.

"Electric Theatre", the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles, California.

The Congress passes the Foraker Act, giving Puerto Rico limited self-rule.

American Civil War: The Siege of Petersburg is broken – Union troops capture the trenches around Petersburg, Virginia, forcing Confederate General Robert E. Lee to retreat.

American Civil War: Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet flee the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

Richmond Bread Riot: Food shortages incite hundreds of angry women to riot in Richmond, Virginia and demand that the Confederate government release emergency supplies.

Napoleon Bonaparte marries Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria.

Napoleonic Wars: Battle of Copenhagen

The Coinage Act is passed establishing the United States Mint.

Commodore William James captures the pirate fortress of Suvarnadurg on west coast of India.

Juan Ponce de Leon sets foot on Florida, becoming the first European known to do so.