April Fools’ Day, Health Day, Space Day, and Spring Equinox.
April 1 is April Fools’ Day. Recognizing that this presents an opportunity to deploy and hone critical thinking skills, CFIC will be celebrating “Critical Thinking Week(ish)”, from April 1 to 10. Check the CFIC website or your inbox for more.
April 7 is World Health Day. 2025’s theme is Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures. Governments and the health community are urged to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and to prioritize women’s longer-term health and wellbeing.
April 9 is the 97th birthday of songwriter/satirist/mathematician Tom Lehrer. Many of you may be familiar with Lehrer’s “Elements” (which uses the tune of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Modern Major-General”). A few years ago, Lehrer granted permission for unlimited use of his songs and music — read or stream to your heart’s content, here.
April 12 is the International Day of Human Space Flight, marking 64 years since the date of the first human space flight. Yuri Gargarin’s quick trip opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity.
April 18 is Velociraptor Awareness Day.
April 23 is UNESCO’s World Book Day, marking the anniversary of the deaths of authors William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
100 years ago:
April 8, 1925: The inventor of the adding machine, Frank Stephen Baldwin, died at the age of 86.
April 26, 1925: Franz Kafka‘s final novel, Der Prozess (The Trial), was posthumously published.
If you observe any of these, or have suggestions for upcoming celebrations or observances, please drop us a line or send a picture to CriticalLinks@centreforinquiry.ca.