April 30 in history — What Happened Today in History
Curious what April 30 in history holds? From 2021 back through the centuries, our timeline gathers everything that happened on April 30 — events, birthdays and deaths on one cozy page.
On this page, April 30 in history is arranged as a timeline of major events in reverse order, with birthdays and deaths in their own sections, plus a short FAQ about April 30 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on April 30 in History 40
- 2021
Forty-five men and boys are killed in the Meron stampede in Israel.
- 2014
A bomb blast in Ürümqi, China kills three people and injures 79 others.
- 2013
Willem-Alexander is inaugurated as King of the Netherlands following the abdication of Beatrix.
- 2012
An overloaded ferry capsizes on the Brahmaputra River in India killing at least 108 people. At least 150 more are missing and presumed dead.
- 2009
Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- 2009
Seven civilians and the perpetrator are killed and another ten injured at a Queen's Day parade in Apeldoorn, Netherlands in an attempted assassination on Queen Beatrix.
- 2008
Two skeletal remains found near Yekaterinburg are confirmed by Russian scientists to be the remains of Alexei and Anastasia, two of the children of the last Tsar of Russia, whose entire family was executed at Yekaterinburg by the Bolsheviks.
- 2004
U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers committing war crimes against Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.
- 2000
Canonization of Faustina Kowalska in the presence of 200,000 people and the first Divine Mercy Sunday celebrated worldwide.
- 1999
Neo-Nazi David Copeland carries out the last of his three nail bombings in London at the Admiral Duncan gay pub, killing three people and injuring 79 others.
- 1994
Formula One racing driver Roland Ratzenberger is killed in a crash during the qualifying session of the San Marino Grand Prix run at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari outside Imola, Italy.
- 1993
CERN announces World Wide Web protocols will be free.
All entries for April 30(+28)
- 1989
The Monkseaton shootings occur in Tyne and Wear, England. One is killed and 16 are injured.
- 1982
The Bijon Setu massacre occurs in Calcutta, India.
- 1980
Beatrix is inaugurated as Queen of the Netherlands following the abdication of Juliana.
- 1980
The Iranian Embassy siege begins in London.
- 1979
Eruption of Mount Marapi: Mount Marapi, a complex volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, erupts. Between 80 and 100 people are killed.
- 1975
Fall of Saigon: Communist forces gain control of Saigon. The Vietnam War formally ends with the unconditional surrender of South Vietnamese president Dương Văn Minh.
- 1973
Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard Nixon fires White House Counsel John Dean; other top aides, most notably H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, resign.
- 1963
The Bristol Bus Boycott is held in Bristol to protest the Bristol Omnibus Company's refusal to employ Black or Asian bus crews, drawing national attention to racial discrimination in the United Kingdom.
- 1961
K-19, the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear missiles, is commissioned.
- 1957
Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery enters into force.
- 1956
Former Vice President and Democratic Senator Alben Barkley dies during a speech in Virginia.
- 1948
In Bogotá, Colombia, the Organization of American States is established.
- 1947
In Nevada, Boulder Dam is renamed Hoover Dam.
- 1945
World War II: Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide after being married for less than 40 hours.
- 1945
World War II: Soviet soldiers raise the first Soviet flag over the Reichstag. The Victory Banner will be raised the next day.
- 1945
World War II: Stalag Luft I prisoner-of-war camp near Barth, Germany is liberated by Soviet soldiers, freeing nearly 9,000 American and British airmen.
- 1943
World War II: The British submarine HMS Seraph surfaces near Huelva to cast adrift a dead man dressed as a courier and carrying false invasion plans.
- 1939
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair opens.
- 1939
NBC inaugurates its regularly scheduled television service in New York City, broadcasting President Franklin D. Roosevelt's N.Y. World's Fair opening day ceremonial address.
- 1937
The Commonwealth of the Philippines holds a plebiscite for Filipino women on whether they should be extended the right to suffrage; over 90% would vote in the affirmative.
- 1927
The Federal Industrial Institute for Women opens in Alderson, West Virginia, as the first women's federal prison in the United States.
- 1925
Automaker Dodge Brothers, Inc, is sold to Dillon, Read & Co. for US$146 million plus $50 million for charity.
- 1905
Albert Einstein completes his doctoral thesis at the University of Zurich.
- 1900
Hawaii becomes a territory of the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as governor.
- 1897
J. J. Thomson of the Cavendish Laboratory announces his discovery of the electron as a subatomic particle, over 1,800 times smaller than a proton (in the atomic nucleus), at a lecture at the Royal Institution in London.
- 1885
Governor of New York David B. Hill signs legislation creating the Niagara Reservation, New York's first state park, ensuring that Niagara Falls will not be devoted solely to industrial and commercial use.
- 1871
The Camp Grant massacre takes place in Arizona Territory.
- 1864
American Civil War: Confederate forces led by General E. Kirby Smith attack federal troops retreating across the Saline at Jenkins' Ferry, Arkansas.
Famous Birthdays on April 30 in History 25
- 2003
Emily Carey, British actress
- 2003
Jung Yun-seok, South Korean actor
- 2002
Anna Cramling, Spanish-Swedish chess player
- 2002
Teden Mengi, English footballer
- 2000
Yui Hiwatashi, Japanese singer
- 2000
Dean James, Indonesian footballer
- 1999
Jorden van Foreest, Dutch chess grandmaster
- 1999
Krit Amnuaydechkorn, Thai actor and singer
- 1998
Georgina Amorós, Spanish actress
- 1997
Adam Ryczkowski, Polish footballer
- 1996
Luke Friend, English singer
- 1994
Chae Seo-jin, South Korean actress
All entries for April 30(+13)
- 1994
Wang Yafan, Chinese tennis player
- 1993
Dion Dreesens, Dutch swimmer
- 1993
Martin Fuksa, Czech canoeist
- 1992
Marcel Bauer, German politician
- 1992
Goodnight Chicken, Taiwanese YouTuber
- 1992
Marc-André ter Stegen, German footballer
- 1991
Chris Kreider, American ice hockey player
- 1991
Travis Scott, American rapper and producer
- 1990
Jonny Brownlee, English triathlete
- 1990
Mac DeMarco, Canadian singer-songwriter
- 1990
Kaarel Kiidron, Estonian footballer
- 1990
Paula Ribó, Spanish singer-songwriter and actress
- 1989
Jang Wooyoung, South Korean singer and actor
Notable Deaths on April 30 in History 25
- 2024
Paul Auster, American writer and film director (born 1947)
- 2023
Jock Zonfrillo, Scottish television presenter and chef (born 1976)
- 2022
Naomi Judd, American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1946)
- 2022
Mino Raiola, Italian football agent (born 1967)
- 2021
Anthony Payne, English composer (born 1936)
- 2020
Tony Allen, Nigerian drummer and composer (born 1940)
- 2020
Rishi Kapoor, Indian actor, film director and producer (born 1952)
- 2019
Peter Mayhew, English-American actor (born 1944)
- 2017
Belchior, Brazilian singer and composer (born 1946)
- 2016
Daniel Berrigan, American priest and activist (born 1921)
- 2016
Harry Kroto, English chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1939)
- 2015
Ben E. King, American singer-songwriter and producer (born 1938)
All entries for April 30(+13)
- 2014
Khaled Choudhury, Indian painter and set designer (born 1919)
- 2014
Julian Lewis, English biologist and academic (born 1946)
- 2014
Carl E. Moses, American businessman and politician (born 1929)
- 2014
Ian Ross, Australian journalist (born 1940)
- 2013
Roberto Chabet, Filipino painter and sculptor (born 1937)
- 2013
Shirley Firth, Canadian skier (born 1953)
- 2013
Viviane Forrester, French author and critic (born 1925)
- 2012
Tomás Borge, Nicaraguan poet and politician, co-founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front (born 1930)
- 2012
Alexander Dale Oen, Norwegian swimmer (born 1985)
- 2012
Giannis Gravanis, Greek footballer (born 1958)
- 2012
Benzion Netanyahu, Russian-Israeli historian and academic (born 1910)
- 2011
Dorjee Khandu, Indian politician, 6th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh (born 1955)
- 2011
Evald Okas, Estonian painter (born 1915)
That is the story of April 30 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on April 30 to relive these world-changing moments — or take a random trip through time and see what happened on another day in history.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on April 30 in history?
The biggest event on April 30 in history is: 2021 — Forty-five men and boys are killed in the Meron stampede in Israel.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on April 30?
25 famous people were born on April 30 in history, the best known being 2003 — Emily Carey, British actress.
Who died on April 30?
25 notable people died on April 30 in history, including 2024 — Paul Auster, American writer and film director (born 1947).
Why should I read about April 30 in history?
Exploring April 30 in history helps you grasp the day's place in history in just a few minutes: events, birthdays and deaths in one read — perfect for students, teachers and curious minds.
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