Timeline April 2018

Events in April 2018 19

• 1925 – 2018 Barbara Bush (1925-2018) Died 17 April 2018, aged 92 American First Lady during the presidency of her husband George H. W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush. She was a prominent advocate for literacy and family reading programs. She remains one of only two women to be both wife and mother of a US president.
• 1932 – 2018 Milos Forman (1932-2018) Died 13 April 2018, aged 86 Czech-American film director who won Academy Awards for Best Director for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus. He fled communist Czechoslovakia in 1968 and built his career in Hollywood. His films often explored themes of individuality against institutional control.
• 1936 – 2018 Winnie Madikizela-Mandela (1936-2018) Died 2 April 2018, aged 81 South African anti-apartheid activist and former wife of Nelson Mandela, who campaigned for his release during his 27 years of imprisonment. She remained a prominent, and at times controversial, political figure in post-apartheid South Africa. She served as a member of parliament and within the African National Congress leadership.
• 1969 – 2018 Verne Troyer (1969-2018) Died 21 April 2018, aged 49 American actor best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers film series. He appeared in numerous films and television shows over a career spanning three decades. His death followed complications from alcohol use.
• 1989 – 2018 Avicii (1989-2018) Died 20 April 2018, aged 28 Swedish DJ and record producer, born Tim Bergling, who became one of the most successful electronic dance music artists of his generation with hits including "Levels" and "Wake Me Up". He retired from touring in 2016 citing health problems. His death was ruled a suicide.
• 2018 Album "Golden" tops UK charts Country-pop influenced album returns her to number one Golden, released in April 2018 and influenced by her time living in Nashville, incorporated country-pop elements into her sound. The album returned her to number one on the UK Albums Chart for the first time in years, extending her record for the most number-one albums by any female artist across four consecutive decades.
• 2018 Fleetwood Mac fire Lindsey Buckingham Line-up change Replaced by Mike Campbell and Neil Finn.
• 2018 Ryzen 2000 series — Zen+ on 12nm AMD introduces the Ryzen 2000 series in April 2018, manufactured on GlobalFoundries 12nm process — a refinement of 14nm. The Zen+ architecture improves clock speeds and memory latency, maintaining AMD's competitive position against Intel. Intel, still unable to transition to 10nm, responds with higher clock speeds on its 14nm process — a strategy that produces processors running extremely hot. AMD's ability to offer competitive performance at lower power consumption and prices continues to erode Intel's market share.
• 2018 Spotify goes public Streaming company lists via unconventional direct listing Swedish music streaming company Spotify began trading on the New York Stock Exchange through a direct listing rather than a traditional IPO, skipping the usual underwritten share sale. The unconventional route was closely watched as a potential model for other tech companies. Spotify's market value topped $26 billion on its first day of trading.
• 2018 Douma chemical attack and allied strikes on Syria US, UK and France launch strikes after suspected chemical attack A suspected chemical weapons attack on the rebel-held town of Douma killed dozens of civilians, prompting accusations against the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. In response, the United States, United Kingdom and France launched joint airstrikes against Syrian chemical weapons facilities. The Syrian government and its ally Russia denied responsibility for the attack.
• 2018 Armenian Velvet Revolution Mass protests force Serzh Sargsyan to resign Weeks of peaceful street protests led by opposition figure Nikol Pashinyan forced Armenian leader Serzh Sargsyan to resign after he sought to extend his rule as prime minister. Pashinyan was subsequently elected prime minister by parliament. The bloodless transfer of power became known as the Velvet Revolution.
• 2018 Dire Straits inducted into Rock Hall of Fame Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — April 14, 2018 Dire Straits were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14, 2018. Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, Pick Withers and the late David Knopfler were all inducted. It was an overdue recognition for one of the best-selling bands in history.
• 2018 Nicaraguan protests against Daniel Ortega Deadly unrest erupts over social security reforms Mass protests broke out across Nicaragua after President Daniel Ortega's government announced social security cuts, quickly escalating into a broader anti-government movement. Security forces and armed groups loyal to Ortega killed hundreds of protesters over the following months. The crackdown drew international condemnation and deepened Nicaragua's political crisis.
• 2018 Miguel Diaz-Canel becomes Cuban president First Cuban leader outside the Castro family since 1959 Miguel Diaz-Canel was named president of Cuba by the National Assembly, succeeding Raul Castro. He became the first person outside the Castro family to lead Cuba since the 1959 revolution. Raul Castro remained head of the Communist Party until 2021.
• 2018 2018 World Snooker Championship Mark Williams Title 3 Winner: Mark Williams; Runner-up: John Higgins. Score: 18–16.
• 2018 Toronto van attack Ten pedestrians killed when a van is driven into a crowd A man deliberately drove a rental van onto a crowded sidewalk in Toronto, killing ten people and injuring sixteen others. The attacker was later linked to online incel ideology. It was one of the deadliest vehicle-ramming attacks in Canadian history.
• 2018 Golden State Killer arrested Joseph James DeAngelo held after decades-old cold case cracked with DNA Former police officer Joseph James DeAngelo was arrested in California and identified as the Golden State Killer, responsible for at least 13 murders and dozens of rapes in the 1970s and 1980s. Investigators used genetic genealogy, matching crime-scene DNA to relatives on a public genealogy website, a technique that opened a new era in cold-case investigation. DeAngelo later pleaded guilty to the murders.
• 2018 Avengers: Infinity War #1 film of 2018 — $2.05bn worldwide Directed by the Russo brothers. The Avengers and allies must stop Thanos before he collects all six Infinity Stones.
• 2018 Inter-Korean Summit at Panmunjom Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in meet at the DMZ North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed the Military Demarcation Line to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the Panmunjom truce village. The two signed the Panmunjom Declaration, pledging to work toward peace and eventual reunification. It was the first time a North Korean leader had set foot in South Korea since the Korean War.