Timeline April 1918

Events in April 1918 6

• 1892 – 1918 Manfred von Richthofen (1892-1918) Died 21 April 1918, aged 25 German fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron, was killed in action over the Somme valley after being hit by ground fire while pursuing an Allied aircraft. Credited with 80 confirmed aerial victories, he was the top ace of World War I. He was buried by Allied forces with full military honours.
• 1918 The Royal Air Force is founded London, United Kingdom The Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service merged into the world's first independent air force.
• 1918 – 2011 Betty Ford (1918-2011) Died 8 July 2011, aged 93 The former First Lady of the United States, wife of President Gerald Ford, was known for her openness about breast cancer and addiction, later founding the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse treatment. She died in Rancho Mirage, California. Her candor reshaped public discussion of addiction recovery.
• 1918 – 2002 Spike Milligan (1918-2002) Died 27 February 2002, aged 83 Spike Milligan was the driving creative force behind The Goon Show, the anarchic BBC radio comedy of the 1950s that influenced generations of British humour. Born in India, he wrote surreal scripts, comic verse and a series of war memoirs. He spoke openly about the bipolar disorder that troubled him throughout his life.
• 1918 – 1981 William Holden (1918-1981) Died 16 November 1981, aged 63 American actor William Holden, star of films including Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17 and The Bridge on the River Kwai, died in Santa Monica, California, on 16 November 1981. He had won the Academy Award for Best Actor for Stalag 17. He was found dead in his apartment several days after suffering a fall.
• 1918 The Red Baron is killed Somme, France Manfred von Richthofen, credited with 80 victories, was shot down by a single bullet from the ground while chasing a novice pilot too low. The Allies buried him with full military honours.