Editing 1949 (section)

===April===
{{Main|April 1949}}
* [[April 4]] &ndash; The [[North Atlantic Treaty]] is signed in [[Washington, D.C.]], creating the [[NATO]] defense alliance.
* [[April 7]] &ndash; [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s ''[[South Pacific (musical)|South Pacific]]'', starring [[Mary Martin]] and [[Ezio Pinza]], opens on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], and goes on to become Rodgers and Hammerstein's second longest-running [[Musical theatre|musical]]. It becomes an instant classic of the [[musical theatre]]. The score's biggest hit is the song "[[Some Enchanted Evening]]".
* [[April 14]] &ndash; The [[N'Ko alphabet]] is completed by [[Solomana Kante]].
* [[April 18]] &ndash; The [[Republic of Ireland]] formally becomes a [[republic]], and leaves the [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]].
* [[April 20]] &ndash; [[Royal Navy]] [[frigate]] [[HMS Amethyst (U16)|HMS ''Amethyst'']] goes up the [[Yangtze]] River, to evacuate [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]] refugees escaping the advance of [[Mao Zedong|Mao]]'s [[Communist China (modern)|Communist]] forces. Under heavy fire, she grounds off Rose Island. After an abortive rescue attempt on [[April 26]], she anchors {{Convert|10|mi|km|abbr=}} upstream. Negotiations with the Communists to let the ship leave drag on for weeks, during which time the ship's cat [[Simon (cat)|Simon]] raises the crew's morale.
* [[April 23]] &ndash; Chinese Communist troops take [[Nanjing]].
* [[April 26]] &ndash; Transjordan changes its name to the Hashemite Kingdom of [[Jordan]].
* [[April 28]]
** The [[1949 Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference]] issues the [[London Declaration]], enabling [[India]] (and, thereafter, any other nation) to remain in the Commonwealth despite becoming a republic, creating the position of '[[Head of the Commonwealth]]' (held by the ruling British monarch), and renaming the organization, from the 'British Commonwealth' to the '[[Commonwealth of Nations]]'.
** Former [[First Lady of the Philippines]] [[Aurora Quezon]], 61, is assassinated while en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her [[Manuel L. Quezon|late husband]]; her daughter and 10 others are also killed.