April 1, 2006 (Saturday)
- Marcos Pontes, Brazil's first astronaut, reaches the International Space Station. (CNN)
- A small aircraft goes missing whilst in flight towards Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with 19 people on board. TEAM Linhas Aéreas Flight 6865 is found to have crashed near Saquarema, about 100 km from Rio. There are no survivors. (BBC)[permanent dead link]
- The Serious Organised Crime Agency, dubbed the 'British FBI', is launched in the United Kingdom. (BBC)
- First Great Western, First Great Western Link and Wessex Trains combined into the new Greater Western franchise. (BBC)