Dashed left edge = started before April 2011 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond April 2011
Events in April 2011 9
1924 – 2011Sidney Lumet (1924-2011)Died 9 April 2011, aged 86The American film director made more than 40 films over five decades, including "12 Angry Men," "Dog Day Afternoon," and "Network." He received an honorary Academy Award in 2005 after four unsuccessful nominations for Best Director. He died in Manhattan of lymphoma.
1926 – 2011Sathya Sai Baba (1926-2011)Died 24 April 2011, aged 84The Indian guru attracted millions of followers worldwide and founded a network of hospitals, schools, and charitable institutions. He was regarded by devotees as a spiritual leader with miraculous powers, a claim disputed by skeptics. He died in Puttaparthi, India, where his ashram drew huge crowds of mourners.
2011Apple sues Samsung for patent infringementApple files a lawsuit against Samsung in April 2011, accusing it of copying the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad. The resulting legal battles span multiple countries and years — eventually resulting in a $1.049 billion US jury verdict against Samsung in 2012 (later reduced on appeal). The litigation makes headlines globally and highlights the ferocious competition between the world's two largest smartphone makers — who are also each other's largest component customers.
2011Larry Page becomes Google CEOCo-founder returns to lead the company he startedLarry Page, who had co-founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, took over as chief executive from Eric Schmidt, who moved to the role of executive chairman. The leadership change came as Google pushed further into social networking and mobile with products like Google+. Page led the company through its 2015 reorganization into Alphabet.
2011Capture of Laurent GbagboIvorian leader seized after refusing to concede electionForces loyal to Alassane Ouattara, backed by French and UN troops, captured President Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan after he refused to accept defeat in the 2010 election, ending months of violent crisis in Ivory Coast. More than 3,000 people were killed in the fighting that followed the disputed vote. Gbagbo was later transferred to the International Criminal Court.
2011Foo Fighters release Wasting LightRecorded in a garageRecorded on tape in Grohl's garage — five Grammys.
20112011 World Snooker ChampionshipJohn Higgins Title 4Winner: John Higgins; Runner-up: Judd Trump. Score: 18–15.
2011PlayStation Network hack — 77 million accounts compromisedSony's PlayStation Network is hacked in April 2011 — one of the largest data breaches in history at the time, compromising the personal information of 77 million accounts including names, addresses, email addresses and potentially credit card numbers. Sony takes PSN offline for 23 days. The breach costs Sony over $170 million in direct costs. The reputational damage is severe; Sony faces lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions. The hack exposes serious security vulnerabilities in Sony's online infrastructure.
2011Royal Wedding — William & Kate2 billion watch worldwidePrince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, watched by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. Kate became the Duchess of Cambridge.