What Happened on April 6?

April 6 is Tartan Day — honoring Scottish-American heritage — on the same date Robert Peary claimed the North Pole, the U.S. declared war on Germany in 1917, and Renaissance master Raphael was born.

• 1327 — Poet Petrarch first sees Laura — inspiring centuries of sonnets

  Italian poet Francesco Petrarch later recorded meeting Laura on April 6, 1327, in a church in Avignon — a moment that inspired his famous love sonnets and helped launch Renaissance humanism. Read the full story →

• 1483 — Renaissance master Raphael is born in Urbino, Italy

  Raffaello Sanzio — known as Raphael — was born April 6, 1483, in Urbino, Italy, and became one of the three giants of the High Renaissance alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Read the full story →

• 1896 — The first modern Olympic Games open in Athens, Greece

  On April 6, 1896, King George I of Greece opened the first modern Olympics in Athens — reviving ancient Greek athletic traditions after a 1,500-year hiatus. Read the full story →

• 1909 — Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole

  Explorer Robert E. Peary telegraphed from Indian Harbour, Labrador, on April 6, 1909, claiming he and Matthew Henson reached the North Pole on April 6 after years of Arctic attempts. Read the full story →

• 1917 — The United States declares war on Germany, entering World War I

  Congress approved President Woodrow Wilson's war resolution on April 6, 1917 — plunging the United States into World War I after years of neutrality. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Raphael (1483–1520) · Paul Rudd (1969) · Merle Haggard (1937–2016) · André Previn (1929–2019)

Days & observances

Tartan Day · National Student-Athlete Day · National Caramel Popcorn Day · New Beer's Eve