April 30
is the 120th day of the year in the
Gregorian calendar (121st in
leap years), with 245 days remaining.
*
313 -
Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire
Eastern Roman Empire under his rule.
*
711 -
Islamic conquest of Iberia:
Moorish troops led by
Tariq ibn-Ziyad land at
Gibraltar to begin their
invasion of the
Iberian Peninsula (
Al-Andalus).
*
1006 -
Supernova SN 1006, the brightest supernova in recorded history, appears in the
constellation Lupus.
*
1483 -
Orbital calculations suggest that on this day
Pluto moved inside
Neptune's orbit, making
Neptune the furthest
planet from the
Sun until
July 23,
1503.
*
1492 -
Spain gives
Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration.
*
1671 -
Petar Zrinski, the
Croatian
Ban from the
Zrinski family, is
executed.
*
1794 - The
Battle of Boulou is fought, in which
French forces defeated the
Spanish under
General Union.
*
1789 - On the balcony of
Federal Hall on
Wall Street in
New York City,
George Washington takes the oath of office to become the first elected
President of the United States.
*
1803 -
Louisiana Purchase: The
United States purchases the
Louisiana Territory from
France for $15 million, more than doubling – overnight – the size of the young nation.
*
1812 - The
Territory of Orleans becomes the 18th
U.S. state under the name
Louisiana.
*
1838 -
Nicaragua declares independence from the
Central American Federation*
1863 -
Mexican forces attacked the
French Foreign Legion in
Hacienda Camarón,
Mexico.
*
1871 -
Camp Grant Massacre takes place in
Arizona Territory.
*
1894 -
Coxey's Army reaches
Washington, D.C. to protest the
unemployment caused by the
Panic of 1893.
*
1900 -
Hawaii becomes a territory of the
United States, with
Sanford B. Dole as
governor.
* 1900 -
Casey Jones dies in a train wreck in
Vaughn, Mississippi, while trying to make up time on the
Cannonball Express.
*
1904 - The
Louisiana Purchase Exposition World's Fair opens in
St. Louis, Missouri.
*
1920 -
Peru becomes a signatory to the
Buenos Aires copyright treaty.
*
1925 -
Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc is sold to
Dillon, Read & Company for
USD $146 million plus $50 million for charity.
*
1927 - The
Federal Industrial Institute for Women, opens in
Alderson, West Virginia, as the first women's federal prison in the
United States.
*
1938 - The
animated cartoon short
Porky's Hare Hunt debuts in movie theaters, introducing
Bugs Bunny.
*
1939 -
Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first
President of the United States to appear on
television.
* 1939 - The
1939 New York World's Fair opens.
*
1943 -
World War II:
Operation Mincemeat – The submarine
HMS Seraph surfaces in the
Mediterranean Sea off the coast of
Spain to deposit a dead man planted with false invasion plans and dressed as a
British military intelligence officer.
*
1945 -
Adolf Hitler and
Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for one day.
*
1947 - In
Nevada, the
Boulder Dam is officially renamed
Hoover Dam again.
*
1948 - In
Bogotá,
Colombia, the
Organization of American States is established.
*
1973 -
Watergate Scandal:
President Richard Nixon announces that top
White House aids
H.R. Haldeman,
John Ehrlichman, and others have resigned.
*
1975 -
Fall of Saigon:
Communist forces gains control of
Saigon. The
Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of
South Vietnamese
president Duong Van Minh.
*
1980 -
Accession of
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
*
1991 - A
tropical cyclone hits
Bangladesh killing an estimated 138,000 people.
*
1993 - The
World Wide Web was born at
CERN.
* 1993 - During a
tennis match between #1 female tennis player
Monica Seleš and
Magdalena Maleeva,
Günter Parche plunged a steak knife between Seleš's shoulderblades. Seleš did not return to competitive tennis for over two years.
*
1995 -
U.S. President Bill Clinton became the first
U.S. President to visit
Northern Ireland.
*
1997 -
Ellen DeGeneres's character comes out of
the closet on the sitcom
Ellen.
*
1999 -
Cambodia joins the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (
ASEAN) bringing the total members to 10.
*
2002 - A
referendum in
Pakistan overwhelmingly approves the
Presidency of
Pervez Musharraf for another five years.
*
2006 - The mining incident in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, comes to a close. 14 days after being trapped 1km below the surface by a rock fall caused by an earthquake, miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb are brought to safety.
*
1586 -
Saint Rose of Lima, Peruvian saint (d.
1617)
*
1602 -
William Lilly, English astrologer (d.
1681)
*
1623 -
François de Laval, first bishop of New France (d.
1708)
*
1651 -
Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, French educational reformer, Catholic saint (d.
1719)
*
1662 - Queen
Mary II of England (d.
1694)
*
1664 -
François Louis, Prince of Conti, French general (d.
1709)
*
1710 -
Johann Kaspar Basselet von La Rosée, Bavarian general (d.
1795)
*
1721 -
Roger Sherman, American signer of the Declaration of Independence (d.
1793)
*
1723 -
Mathurin Jacques Brisson, French naturalist (d.
1806)
*
1770 -
David Thompson, Canadian explorer (d.
1857)
*
1777 -
Carl Friedrich Gauss, German mathematician, astronomer, and physicist (d.
1855)
*
1803 -
Albrecht Graf von Roon,
Prime Minister of Prussia (d.
1879)
*
1829 -
Ferdinand von Hochstetter, Austrian geologist (d.
1884)
*
1857 -
Eugene Bleuler, Swiss psychiatrist (d.
1940)
*
1864 -
Juhan Liiv, Estonian poet (d.
1913)
*
1865 -
Max Nettlau, German anarchist and historian (d.
1944)
*
1869 -
Hans Poelzig, German architect (d.
1936)
*
1870 -
Franz Lehár, Austrian composer (d.
1948)
*
1876 -
Orso Mario Corbino, Italian physicist (d.
1937)
*
1877 -
Alice B. Toklas, American companion of
Gertrude Stein (d.
1967)
*
1883 -
Jaroslav Hašek, Czech novelist (d.
1923)
*
1893 -
Joachim von Ribbentrop, Nazi foreign minister (d.
1946)
*
1896 -
Hans List, Austrian
inventor and founder of
AVL List (d.
1996)
*
1901 -
Simon Kuznets, Ukrainian-born economist,
Bank of Sweden Prize winner (d.
1985)
*
1902 -
Theodore Schultz, American economist,
Nobel Prize laureate (d.
1998)
*
1908 -
Bjarni Benediktsson, Icelandic foreign and later prime minister (d.
1970)
*
1909 - Queen
Juliana of the Netherlands (d.
2004)
* 1909 -
F. E. McWilliam, Northern Irish sculptor (d.
1992)
*
1916 -
Claude Shannon, American engineer and mathematician (d.
2001)
* 1916 -
Robert Shaw, American conductor (d.
1999)
*
1921 -
George Crowe, baseball player
*
1923 -
Marianne Paegel, Austrian Nazi
* 1923 -
Al Lewis, American actor and politician (d.
2006)
*
1925 -
Johnny Horton, American musician (d.
1960)
*
1930 -
Lawton Chiles, American politician (d.
1998)
*
1933 -
Willie Nelson, American musician, composer, and actor
*
1938 -
Larry Niven, American author
*
1940 -
Burt Young, American actor
*
1941 -
Johnny Farina, American guitarist (
Santo and Johnny)
*
1943 -
Bobby Vee, American singer
*
1944 -
Jill Clayburgh, American actress
*
1945 -
Annie Dillard, American writer
* 1945 -
Michael Smith, astronaut (d.
1986)
*
1946 - King
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden* 1946 -
Don Schollander, American swimmer
*
1947 -
Finn Kalvik, Norwegian singer
*
1948 -
Perry King, American actor
*
1949 -
Phil Garner, baseball manager
* 1949 -
Antonio Guterres,
Prime Minister of Portugal*
1954 -
Jane Campion, New Zealand film director
*
1955 -
Nicolas Hulot, French journalist and author
*
1956 -
Jorge Chaminé, Portuguese baritone
* 1956 -
Lars von Trier, Danish film director
*
1959 -
Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada
*
1961 -
Isiah Thomas, American basketball player, coach, and team owner
*
1963 -
Michael Waltrip, American race car driver
*
1964 -
Barrington Levy, Jamaican musician
* 1964 -
Ian Healy, former Australian cricketer
*
1969 -
Paulo Jr., Brazilian bassist (
Sepultura)
* 1969 -
Clark Vogeler, American guitarist (
The Toadies)
*
1971 -
Darren Emerson, English dance music DJ (
Underworld)
*
1975 -
Elliott Sadler, American race car driver
*
1980 -
Huxwell Manwachi, Zambian scientist
*
1981 -
John O'Shea, Irish footballer
*
1982 -
Kirsten Dunst, American actress
* 1982 -
Lloyd Banks, American rapper
*
1983 -
Troy Williamson, American football player
*
1984 -
Shawn Daivari, Iranian professional wrestler
*
1985 -
Miss Alex White, American rock musician
*
1987 -
Nikki Webster, Australian pop star/entertainer and model
*
65 -
Lucan, Roman poet (b.
39)
*
1063 -
Emperor Renzong of China (b.
1010)
*
1341 -
John III, Duke of Brittany (b.
1285)
*
1439 -
Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick, English military leader (b.
1382)
*
1524 -
Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard, French soldier (b.
1473)
*
1544 -
Thomas Audley, 1st Baron Audley of Walden,
Lord Chancellor of England*
1555 -
Pope Marcellus II (b.
1501)
*
1632 -
Johan Tzerclaes, Count of Tilly, Bavarian general (b.
1559)
*
1642 -
Dmitry Pozharsky, Russian prince (b.
1578)
*
1660 -
Petrus Scriverius, Dutch writer (b.
1576)
*
1655 -
Eustache Le Sueur, French painter (b.
1617)
*
1696 -
Robert Plot, British naturalist (b.
1640)
*
1712 -
Philipp van Limborch, Dutch Protestant theologian (b.
1633)
*
1736 -
Johann Albert Fabricius, German classical scholar and bibliographer (b.
1668)
*
1758 -
François d'Agincourt, French composer (b.
1684)
*
1792 -
John Montagu, Supposed inventor of the sandwich (b.
1718)
*
1795 -
Jean-Jacques Barthélemy, French writer and numismatist (b.
1716)
*
1847 -
Archduke Charles of Austria, Austrian general (b.
1771)
*
1865 -
Robert Fitzroy, English admiral and meteorologist (b.
1805)
*
1875 -
Jean Frederic Waldeck, French explorer, lithographer, and cartographer (b.
1766)
*
1883 -
Édouard Manet, French painter (b.
1832)
*
1900 -
Casey Jones, American train engineer (b.
1863)
*
1903 -
Emily Stowe, Canadian physician and suffragist (b.
1831)
*
1936 -
Alfred Edward Housman, English poet (b.
1859)
*
1943 -
Otto Jespersen, Danish philologist (b.
1860)
*
1945 -
Eva Braun,
Adolf Hitler's new wife (suicide) (b.
1912)
* 1945 -
Adolf Hitler, Austrian
Nazi dictator of Germany (suicide) (b.
1889)
*
1956 -
Alben W. Barkley,
Vice President of the United States (b.
1877)
*
1970 -
Inger Stevens, Swedish actress (b.
1934)
*
1974 -
Agnes Moorehead, American actress (b.
1900)
*
1980 -
Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and politician (b.
1898)
*
1982 -
Lester Bangs, American music journalist, author, and musician (b.
1949)
*
1983 -
George Balanchine, Russian-born dancer and choreographer (b.
1904)
* 1983 -
Muddy Waters, American musician (b.
1915)
*1985 -
George Pravda, Czechoslovakian actor (b.
1918)
*
1985 -
Charles Francis Richter, American seismologist
*
1989 -
Yi, Bang-ja, Crown Princess of Korea (b.
1901)
* 1989 -
Sergio Leone, Italian filmmaker (b.
1929)
*
1994 -
Roland Ratzenberger, Austrian race car driver (b.
1960)
* 1994 -
Richard Scarry, American author (b.
1919)
*
1995 -
Maung Maung Kha, Prime minister of Burma (b.
1920)
*
1998 -
Nizar Qabbani, Syrian poet (b.
1926)
*
2002 -
Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, founder of the
Gründerzeit Museum in Berlin-Mahlsdorf. (b.
1928)
*
2003 -
Peter 'Possum' Bourne, New Zealand race car driver (b.
1956)
* 2003 -
Wim van Est, Dutch cyclist (b.
1923)
* 2003 -
Mark Berger,
University of Kentucky Professor
*
2005 -
Ron Todd,
TGWU General Secretary (
1985 -
1992) (b.
1927)
*
2006 -
Paul Spiegel (b.
1937)
*
Scandinavia - The arrival of
spring,
Walpurgis Night.
*
Sweden -
Birthday of
King Carl XVI Gustav, an
official flag day.
*The
Netherlands -
Queen's Day.
*
Roman Empire - third day of the
Floralia in honor of
Flora.
*
Bealtaine Eve (From either
Irish Bealtaine or
Scottish Gaelic). Originally a
Celtic
Druid holiday.
*
Vietnam -
Liberation Day.
*
Mexico -
Children's Day.
*
LaVeyan Satanism - Walpurgisnacht, or
Walpurgis Night, as noted in
The Satanic Bible.
in the
Roman Catholic Church:
*
Saint Eutropius*
Saint Maximus,
3rd century martyr*
Saint Marianus and James,
martyrs in
Numidia in
259*
Saint Suitbert the Younger (d.
807)
*
Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo*
Saint Pope Pius V*
Blessed Hildegard*
Blessed Radolf of Affligem*
Blessed Rosemonde*
BBC: On This Day*
The New York Times: On This Day*
On This Day in CanadaApril 29 -
May 1 -
March 30 -
March 31 -
May 30 -
May 31 –
listing of all days
