April 2, 1801 the HMS Elephant sank the pro-French Danish fleet in the Battle of Copenhagen thanks to Horatio Nelson deliberately disobeying orders. He famously claimed his blind eye made him unable to see the signal flags.

April 9, 1806 Isambard Kingdom Brunel born. His impact on railroads, roads, and shipping would be immense. If you’ve been to Balmoral, you’ve seen a Brunel bridge. On April 8, 1838, The Great Western, the first regular transatlantic steamship, designed by Brunel,  left Bristol for its maiden voyage.

April 19, 1775 Some pesky colonists in Lexington, Massachusettes Bay Colony fired on British troops. Outcome, Britain 1 Colonists 0.