6 April in World History

On 6 April 1896, the first modern Olympic Games were opened in Athens, Greece. These were the Summer Olympic Games; the Winter Olympics were first held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. The only country to have participated in every single Olympic Games is Switzerland.

On 6 April 1748, the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii were discovered in Italy and archaeological excavations began. Pompeii was a prosperous and wealthy city at the foot of Vesuvius, which was completely destroyed and buried under volcanic ash during the eruption of 24 August 79 AD.

On 6 April 1938, American chemist Roy Plunkett discovered polytetrafluoroethylene, more commonly known as Teflon.

On 6 April 1985, American William Schroeder became the first person in the world to be discharged from hospital following a successful artificial heart transplant.