22 April in history

8 events that happened on 22 April, from 960 to 1970.

International day

Earth Day

First held in 1970 following the Santa Barbara oil spill, Earth Day mobilises over a billion people each year to take action on environmental protection, climate change, and biodiversity loss.

  1. ✦ Anniversary of the day

    960 CE 1,066 years ago

    Basil II is crowned co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire

    Basil II was crowned co-emperor in the reign of his father, Romanos II, but was still too young to rule when Romanos died in 963. He became senior emperor in 976 and reigned until 1025, longer than any other Roman emperor.

    Byzantine Empire

  2. 1073 CE 953 years ago

    Hildebrand of Sovana is elected Pope Gregory VII

    Hildebrand of Sovana was elected pope as Gregory VII, succeeding Pope Alexander II. He gave his name to the Gregorian reform, and his struggle with Emperor Henry IV over the investiture of bishops led to Henry's penance at Canossa in 1077.

    Pope Gregory VII

  3. 1500 CE 526 years ago

    Pedro Álvares Cabral reaches the coast of Brazil

    A Portuguese fleet bound for India sighted land in South America and claimed it for Portugal. The landfall began Portuguese colonisation of what became Brazil, long inhabited by Indigenous peoples.

    Portuguese EmpirePedro Álvares CabralSouth AmericaBrazil

  4. 1519 CE 507 years ago

    Hernán Cortés lands at Veracruz

    Cortés landed on the Gulf coast of Mexico and soon founded Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. The settlement served as his base for the conquest of the Aztec Empire.

    Aztec EmpireHernán CortésAztec EmpireMexico

  5. 1529 CE 497 years ago

    Charles V and John III of Portugal sign the Treaty of Zaragoza

    Emperor Charles V and King John III of Portugal signed a treaty at Zaragoza dividing Castilian and Portuguese influence in Asia along a line 297.5 leagues east of the Moluccas. Both had claimed these Spice Islands under the Treaty of Tordesillas.

    Maluku Islands

  6. 1864 CE 162 years ago

    Coinage Act puts 'In God We Trust' on US coins

    Congress authorised a new two-cent coin, the first to bear the motto 'In God We Trust'. It spread to other coins and became the official US national motto in 1956.

  7. 1915 CE 111 years ago

    Germany releases chlorine gas at Ypres

    German troops released chlorine from cylinders against French and Algerian positions near Ypres. It was the first large-scale use of lethal gas on the Western Front and opened a chemical arms race.

  8. 1970 CE 56 years ago

    Millions mark the first Earth Day

    Some 20 million Americans joined rallies and teach-ins for the first Earth Day. Its momentum helped create the Environmental Protection Agency later that year.

Born on 22 April 5

Died on 22 April 3

Dates as the sources give them: in the Julian calendar before 1582, and in some countries for longer (Britain until 1752, Russia until 1918). Only people whose day of birth or death the records agree on are listed.

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