Timeline April 1986

Events in April 1986 11

• 1896 – 1986 Wallis Simpson (1896-1986) Died 24 April 1986, aged 89 American-born socialite whose relationship with King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom precipitated his abdication in 1936. She married Edward, who became the Duke of Windsor, and the couple lived largely in exile from the British royal family. She died at her home outside Paris.
• 1905 – 1986 Otto Preminger (1905-1986) Died 23 April 1986, aged 80 Austrian-born film director and producer known for challenging Hollywood censorship with films such as The Moon Is Blue and Anatomy of a Murder. His work helped weaken the Motion Picture Production Code's grip on American cinema. He died in New York City.
• 1908 – 1986 Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) Died 14 April 1986, aged 78 French philosopher and writer whose 1949 work The Second Sex became a foundational text of modern feminism. She was a lifelong companion of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and a prominent public intellectual in postwar France. She died in Paris and was buried beside Sartre in Montparnasse Cemetery.
• 1910 – 1986 Jean Genet (1910-1986) Died 15 April 1986, aged 75 French novelist, playwright and political activist whose works, including The Thief's Journal, drew on his own experience of poverty, crime and imprisonment. He became a major figure of postwar French literature and an outspoken supporter of marginalized and revolutionary causes. He died in Paris.
• 1911 – 1986 Broderick Crawford (1911-1986) American actor, Oscar winner for All the King's Men and star of Highway Patrol.
• 1986 Bob Seger releases Like a Rock Chevrolet ads The title song becomes a long-running truck commercial.
• 1986 United States bombing of Libya Air strikes on Tripoli and Benghazi US warplanes struck targets in Tripoli and Benghazi in retaliation for a Libyan-linked bombing of a Berlin nightclub that killed American servicemen. The raid killed dozens including, reportedly, an adopted daughter of leader Muammar Gaddafi. Several European allies refused overflight rights, straining NATO relations.
• 1986 1986 World Snooker Championship Joe Johnson Surprise One of the biggest upsets in Snooker history. Winner: Joe Johnson; Runner-up: Steve Davis. Score: 18–12.
• 1986 63 points in playoff game vs Celtics Jordan sets an NBA playoff scoring record with 63 points in a double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.
• 1986 Broderick Crawford dies in Rancho Mirage Broderick Crawford dies aged 74.
• 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear disaster, Ukraine The April 1986 explosion at Chernobyl released radiation across Europe, forcing 350,000 people to evacuate permanently.