April 1903

The following events occurred in April 1903:

• The Midwives Act 1902 came into effect in the UK, requiring midwives to be certified and penalizing any woman practising midwifery without certification.^[1]
• Died: Elliott Zborowski (born William Elliott Morris Zborowski), American racing driver, race crash (b. 1856)^[2][3]

• Composer Pietro Mascagni left New York City after completing a tour of the United States.^[4]

• Born:
  • Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Indian social reformer and freedom fighter, in Mangalore (died 1988)^[5]
  • Peter Huchel, German poet, in Lichterfelde, under the name Hellmut Huchel (died 1981)^[6]

• In the UK, the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway and the Wrexham and District Electric Tramways both became operational.^[7]
• Democrat John Nelson Hinkle was defeated by Republican Robert H. Jeffrey in the election for Mayor of Columbus, Ohio.^[8]
• Scotland defeated England in the final match of the British Home Championship football tournament, resulting in a three-way tie for first place in the competition.^[9]

• French composer Gabriel Fauré was invested as an officer of the Légion d'honneur.^[10]

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• Died: George Chapman, 37, Polish-born serial killer known as "The Borough Poisoner", executedby hanging at Wandsworth Prison, London, UK^[11]

• At the Camborne by-election in the UK, caused by the death of sitting Liberal MP William Sproston Caine, 74-year-old Wilfrid Lawson retained the seat for the Liberals.^[12]
• 1903 Copa del Rey Final: Athletic Bilbao defeated Madrid CF 3-2 at the Estadio del Hipódromo in Madrid, to win Spain's football cup.^[13]

• William Propsting became Premier of Tasmania.^[14]
• Three men were killed when a 12-inch (305 mm) gun in the forward turret of the battleship USS Iowa (BB-4) shattered during firing practice.^[15]

• US tycoon Joseph Pulitzer donated $2 million to Columbia University, to found a school of journalism, also making allowance for literary prizes.^[16]

• Hippolyte Aucouturier won the 8th Paris–Roubaix cycle race.^[17]
• Died: Gemma Galgani, 25, Italian mystic and Catholic saint (tuberculosis)^[18]

• A partial lunar eclipse took place.
• Born: Jan Tinbergen, Dutch economist and Nobel laureate, in The Hague (died 1994)

• Died: Moritz Lazarus, 78, German philosopher

• Aberdeen Football Club was founded, in Scotland.^[19]
• Two workers were killed and two injured by a delayed explosion of dynamite during construction of the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[20]

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• In the UK, the 1903 FA Cup Final was won by Bury F.C., who defeated Derby County F.C. 6-0 at Crystal Palace.^[21]

• The first of the Kishinev pogroms took place in Kishinev, capital of the Bessarabia Governorate of the Russian Empire. At least 47 Jews were killed and a further 92 were seriously injured during two days of rioting, led by priests and encouraged by the press.^[22]
• Born: Eliot Ness, US law enforcement agent, in Chicago (died 1957, heart attack)^[23]

• John Aitken was elected unopposed as Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand.^[24]

• The Norwegian steamer Freia was wrecked near Scharhörn during a passage from Kristiania to Harlingen, Friesland, Netherlands.^[25]

• The New York Stock Exchange opened its new building in Broad Street, New York City, United States.^[26]

• The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Charles Thomson Ritchie, announced the repeal of Corn Duty, to come into force on 1 July 1903.^[27]

• Born: José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Spanish politician, in Madrid (died 1936)

• In the UK, the final of the rugby league Challenge Cup took place at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, and was won by Halifax, who defeated Salford 7-0.^[28]
• Born: Andrey Kolmogorov, Russian mathematician, in Tambov (died 1987)

• The Spanish football club Atlético Madrid was officially founded.^[29]
• The first round of voting took place in the Spanish general election.^[30]
• The 12th season of league football in Argentina began, with six teams competing.^[31]

• The Jamaica Race Course opened in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, United States. The Excelsior Handicap was run for the first time as part of the opening celebrations.^[32]

• 1903 Manzikert earthquake: An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck Manzikert in eastern Turkey. Approximately 3,500 people and 20,000 animals were killed.^[33]

• Frank Slide: The mining town of Frank, North-West Territories, Canada, was devastated by a rockslide caused by limestone breaking off the summit of Turtle Mountain. About 70–90 people were killed, mostly buried alive.^[34]

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