Significant Events in April in Filipino History

On April 5, 1951, Gloria Diaz was born Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz in Manila. Her rise to fame began at the tender age of 18 when she captured the prestigious title of Miss Universe 1969, marking her as the first Filipino to ever win the crown.

On April 5, 1964, General Douglas MacArthur died in the Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington DC, of biliary cirrhosis, early afternoon Sunday, 3:39am Manila time. The US President on April 6, ordered flags half-masted until the MacArthur funeral. In Manila, President Macapagal issued a proclamation declaring a period of mourning from April 6 to the day of the funeral.

On April 5, 1973, the so-called Golden Buddha owned by Rogelio Roxas of Baguio City was seized by unidentified government agents.

On April 6, 1828, King of Spain, Ferdinand VII, issued a decree establishing a public bank in the Philippines to meet the requirements of increasing commerce and trade in the islands.

On April 7, 1871, Epifanio de los Santos, nationalist, writer and scholar, lawyer, researcher, musician, politician, painter, among others, was born in Malabon Rizal, now a city of Metro Manila.

On April 8, 1975, a Friendship Tower symbolizing the restored friendship between the Philippines and Japan following World War II, was inaugurated in the municipality of Bagac on Bataan peninsula.

On April 9, 1942, Major General Edward P. King, commander of the Bataan forces, was forced to surrender together with his men when the Filipino and American soldiers could no longer defend the Bataan peninsula from the invasion of Japanese troops.

On April 10, 1866, General Isidoro Torres, a scion of prominent families in Bulacan who established many Katipunan chapters, was born in Malolos, Bulacan.

On April 11, 1867, Leonor Rivera, Dr. Jose Rizal's sweetheart who became model for the Maria Clara character in Noli Me Tangere, was born in Camiling, Tarlac.