April 1981 - April 9, 1981 (Thursday)

April 9, 1981 (Thursday)

• AIDS pandemic: The first confirmed diagnosis of a sexually transmitted disease causing Kaposi's sarcoma was made by Dr. John Gullett in San Francisco. Dr. Gullett reported his findings to the Centers for Disease Control two weeks later.
• The Japanese ship Nissho Maru was sunk after colliding with the USS George Washington (SSBN-598), an American nuclear submarine.

• Fernando Valenzuela, the 20 year old rookie for the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros, the first of eight consecutive wins, and one of five shutouts. In his first 8 games, he had an ERA of 0.50, though he lost 7 of the 12 games pitched afterward.
• Born: Eric Harris, American murderer (Columbine High School massacre), in Wichita; committed suicide in 1999