2002 Notable Deaths April 18

Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian ethnographer and explorer (born 1914)

Name: Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian ethnographer and explorer (born 1914)
Start: 2002

On April 18, in the year 2002, Thor Heyerdahl, Norwegian ethnographer and explorer (born 1914). This event is recorded as a Notable Deaths event in the history of April 18, one of 277 recorded events on this date across all of history.

1 notable person is associated with this event, including Thor Heyerdahl. Learn more below.

Thor Heyerdahl KStJ was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in biology with specialization in zoology, botany and geography.

Key Facts

This event took place on April 18, 2002 (AD era).
It is categorised as a Notable Deaths event in recorded history.
Referenced in 1 Wikipedia article.
1 notable person is recorded as involved in or associated with this event.
Wikipedia source last updated on 13 April 2026.

On This Date in History 277

Type	Year	Date	Event
Notable Deaths	2024	Apr 18	Dickey Betts, American guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer (born 1943)
Notable Deaths	2024	Apr 18	Mandisa, American gospel singer (born 1976)
Selected Events	2023	Apr 18	Dominion Voting Systems agreed to a $787 million settlement with Fox News over defamation claims related to the 2020 U
Notable Deaths	2022	Apr 18	Harrison Birtwistle, British composer (born 1934)
Historical Events	2019	Apr 18	A redacted version of the Mueller report is released to the United States Congress and the public
Notable Deaths	2019	Apr 18	Lyra McKee, Irish journalist (born 1990)
Selected Events	2019	Apr 18	The United States Department of Justice released a redacted version of the Mueller report about the investigation of Rus
Historical Events	2018	Apr 18	King Mswati III of Swaziland announces that his country's name will change to Eswatini
Historical Events	2018	Apr 18	Anti-government protests start in Nicaragua
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 18	Guru Dhanapal, Indian director and producer (born 1959)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 18	Sanford Jay Frank, American screenwriter and producer (born 1954)
Notable Deaths	2014	Apr 18	Brian Priestman, English conductor and academic (born 1927)
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 18	Goran Švob, Croatian philosopher and author (born 1947)
Notable Deaths	2013	Apr 18	Anne Williams, English activist (born 1951)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 18	Dick Clark, American television host and producer, founded Dick Clark Productions (born 1929)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 18	René Lépine, Canadian businessman and philanthropist (born 1929)
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 18	Robert O
Notable Deaths	2012	Apr 18	K
Notable Deaths	2008	Apr 18	Germaine Tillion, French ethnologist and anthropologist (born 1907)
Selected Events	2007	Apr 18	A ladle spilled 30 tonnes (33 tons) of molten steel in a factory in Liaoning, China, killing 32 workers
Notable Deaths	2004	Apr 18	Kamisese Mara, Fijian politician, 2nd President of Fiji (born 1920)
Historical Events	1996	Apr 18	The Israeli military commits the Qana massacre in a deliberate shelling of a United Nations compound near the village of
Notable Births	1996	Apr 18	Ski Mask the Slump God, American rapper
Selected Events	1996	Apr 18	Operation Grapes of Wrath: Israeli forces shelled Qana, Lebanon, killing at least 100 civilians and injuring more than 1
Notable Births	1995	Apr 18	Divock Origi, Belgian footballer
Notable Deaths	1995	Apr 18	Arturo Frondizi, Argentinian lawyer and politician, 32nd President of Argentina (born 1908)
Notable Births	1994	Apr 18	Aminé, American singer-songwriter
Notable Births	1993	Apr 18	Mika Zibanejad, Swedish ice hockey player
Notable Births	1992	Apr 18	Chloe Bennet, American actress
Notable Births	1990	Apr 18	Wojciech Szczęsny, Polish footballer
Notable Births	1989	Apr 18	Alia Shawkat, American actress
Historical Events	1988	Apr 18	The United States launches Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian naval forces in the largest naval battle since World
Historical Events	1988	Apr 18	In Israel John Demjanjuk is sentenced to death for war crimes committed in World War II, although the verdict is later o
Notable Births	1988	Apr 18	Vanessa Kirby, English actress
Notable Deaths	1988	Apr 18	Oktay Rıfat Horozcu, Turkish poet and playwright (born 1914)
Notable Births	1986	Apr 18	Tina Bru, Norwegian politician
Notable Births	1985	Apr 18	Łukasz Fabiański, Polish footballer
Notable Births	1984	Apr 18	America Ferrera, American actress
Notable Births	1983	Apr 18	Miguel Cabrera, Venezuelan baseball player
Notable Births	1981	Apr 18	Audrey Tang, Taiwanese Minister of Digital Affairs and programmer
Historical Events	1980	Apr 18	The Republic of Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) comes into being, with Canaan Banana as the country's first President
Historical Events	1980	Apr 18	The town of Elmore City, Oklahoma holds its first dance in the town's history
Selected Events	1980	Apr 18	Robert Mugabe became the first prime minister of Zimbabwe, beginning a 37-year period in power
Notable Births	1979	Apr 18	Matt Cooper, Australian rugby league player
Notable Births	1979	Apr 18	Kourtney Kardashian, American television personality
Notable Births	1976	Apr 18	Melissa Joan Hart, American actress
Notable Births	1974	Apr 18	Edgar Wright, English filmmaker
Notable Deaths	1974	Apr 18	Marcel Pagnol, French author, playwright, and director (born 1895)
Notable Births	1973	Apr 18	Derrick Brooks, American football player
Notable Births	1973	Apr 18	Haile Gebrselassie, Ethiopian runner