April 1: A 14-meter high tsunami strikes Hilo and Laupa-hoehoe on the Big Island of Hawaii; 173 are killed, thousands injured. - The Malayan Union is formed. - Singapore becomes a Crown colony.

April 3: Japanese Lt. General Masaharu Homma is executed outside Manila, the Philippines for leading the Bataan Death March.

April 10: In Japan, women vote for the first time, during elections for the House of Representatives of the 90th Imperial Diet.

April 17: Syria's independence from France is officially recognized.

April 18: The inaugural session of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) occurs. - The United States recognizes Josip Broz Tito's government in Yugoslavia. - The League of Nations, in its last meeting, transfers its mission to the United Nations and disbands itself.

April 23: The Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League (Which is now the CBA) is founded.

April 27: FA Cup: Derby County beat Charlton Athletic in the first FA Cup final since the end of the war

April 28: Pestalozzi Children's Village (Kinderdorf Pestalozzi) established at Trogen in Switzerland to accommodate and educate orphans of World War II according to Pestalozzian principles.

April 29: Trial against war criminals begin in Tokyo; the accused include Hideki To-jo-, Shigenori To-go- and Hiroshi O-shima. (source: Wikipedia)