August 30 in history — What Happened Today in History
August 30 in history is full of turning points. This page walks you through what happened on August 30 in history, who was born on August 30 and who passed away on August 30, so nothing about this day slips past you.
On this page, August 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 August 30 in history at the bottom.
Major Events on August 30 in History 40
- 2023
Gabonese coup d'état: After Ali Bongo Ondimba's reelection, a military coup ousts him, ending 56 years of Bongo family rule in Gabon.
- 2021
The last remaining American troops leave Afghanistan, ending U.S. involvement in the war.
- 2014
Prime Minister of Lesotho Tom Thabane flees to South Africa as the army allegedly stages a coup.
- 2008
A Conviasa Boeing 737 crashes into Illiniza Volcano in Ecuador, killing all three people on board.
- 2002
Rico Linhas Aéreas Flight 4823 crashes on approach to Rio Branco International Airport, killing 23 of the 31 people on board.
- 1998
Second Congo War: Armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and their Angolan and Zimbabwean allies recapture Matadi and the Inga dams in the western DRC from RCD and Rwandan troops.
- 1995
Bosnian War: NATO launches Operation Deliberate Force against Bosnian Serb forces.
- 1992
The 11-day Ruby Ridge standoff ends with Randy Weaver surrendering to federal authorities.
- 1991
Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Azerbaijan declares independence from Soviet Union.
- 1984
STS-41-D: The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off on its maiden voyage.
- 1983
Aeroflot Flight 5463 crashes into Dolan Mountain while approaching Almaty International Airport in present-day Kazakhstan, killing all 90 people on board.
- 1983
STS-8: The Space Shuttle Challenger takes off on the first night launch of the shuttle program. Guion Bluford becomes the first African-American in space on this mission.
All entries for August 30（+28）
- 1981
President Mohammad-Ali Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar of Iran are assassinated in a bombing. The office of Iran's Prosecutor General blames the People's Mujahedin of Iran.
- 1974
A Belgrade–Dortmund express train derails at the main train station in Zagreb killing 153 passengers.
- 1974
A powerful bomb explodes at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries headquarters in Marunouchi, Tokyo. Eight are killed, 378 are injured. Eight left-wing activists are arrested on May 19, 1975, by Japanese authorities.
- 1974
The Third World Population Conference ends in Bucharest, Romania. At the end of the ceremony, the UN-Romanian Demographic Centre is inaugurated.
- 1967
Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
- 1963
The Moscow–Washington hotline between the leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union goes into operation.
- 1962
Japan conducts a test of the NAMC YS-11, its first aircraft since World War II and its only successful commercial aircraft from before or after the war.
- 1959
South Vietnamese opposition figure Phan Quang Dan is elected to the National Assembly despite soldiers being bussed in to vote for President Ngo Dinh Diem's candidate.
- 1945
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong comes to an end.
- 1945
The Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Douglas MacArthur, lands at Atsugi Air Force Base.
- 1945
The Allied Control Council, governing Germany after World War II, comes into being.
- 1942
World War II: The Battle of Alam el Halfa begins.
- 1941
The Tighina Agreement, a treaty regarding administration issues of the Transnistria Governorate, is signed between Germany and Romania.
- 1940
The Second Vienna Award reassigns the territory of Northern Transylvania from Romania to Hungary.
- 1936
The RMS Queen Mary wins the Blue Riband by setting the fastest transatlantic crossing.
- 1922
Battle of Dumlupınar: The final battle in the Greco-Turkish War (Turkish War of Independence).
- 1918
Fanni Kaplan shoots and seriously injures Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin, which, along with the assassination of Bolshevik senior official Moisei Uritsky days earlier, prompts the decree for Red Terror.
- 1917
Vietnamese prison guards led by Trịnh Văn Cấn mutiny at the Thái Nguyên penitentiary against local French authority.
- 1916
Ernest Shackleton completes the rescue of all of his men stranded on Elephant Island in Antarctica.
- 1914
World War I: Germans defeat the Russians in the Battle of Tannenberg.
- 1909
Burgess Shale fossils are discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott.
- 1896
Philippine Revolution: After Spanish victory in the Battle of San Juan del Monte, eight provinces in the Philippines are declared under martial law by the Spanish Governor-General Ramón Blanco y Erenas.
- 1873
Austrian explorers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht discover the archipelago of Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Sea.
- 1862
American Civil War: Battle of Richmond: Confederates under Edmund Kirby Smith rout Union forces under General William "Bull" Nelson.
- 1836
The city of Houston is founded by Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen.
- 1835
Australia: Melbourne, Victoria is founded.
- 1813
First Battle of Kulm: French forces are defeated by an Austrian-Prussian-Russian alliance.
- 1813
Creek War: Fort Mims massacre: Creek "Red Sticks" kill over 500 settlers (including over 250 armed militia) in Fort Mims, north of Mobile, Alabama.
Famous Birthdays on August 30 in History 25
- 2002
Fábio Carvalho, Portuguese footballer
- 2002
Drake Maye, American football player
- 1996
Mikal Bridges, American basketball player
- 1996
Trevor Jackson, American actor and singer-songwriter
- 1994
Monika Povilaitytė, Lithuanian volleyball player
- 1994
Heo Young-ji, South Korean singer
- 1994
Kwon So-hyun, South Korean singer-songwriter and actress
- 1992
Jessica Henwick, British actress
- 1991
Seriki Audu, Nigerian footballer (died 2014)
- 1991
Jacqueline Cako, American tennis player
- 1991
Liam Cooper, Scottish footballer
- 1989
Simone Guerra, Italian footballer
All entries for August 30（+13）
- 1989
Ronald Huth, Paraguayan footballer
- 1989
Bebe Rexha, American singer-songwriter
- 1988
Ernests Gulbis, Latvian tennis player
- 1987
Johanna Braddy, American actress
- 1987
Tania Foster, English singer-songwriter
- 1986
Theo Hutchcraft, English singer-songwriter
- 1986
Lelia Masaga, New Zealand rugby player
- 1986
Ryan Ross, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1986
Zafer Yelen, Turkish footballer
- 1985
Duane Brown, American football player
- 1985
Richard Duffy, Welsh footballer
- 1985
Joe Inoue, American singer-songwriter
- 1985
Leisel Jones, Australian swimmer
Notable Deaths on August 30 in History 25
- 2024
Tūheitia Paki, Māori King (born 1955)
- 2024
Fatman Scoop, American rapper, hype man and radio personality (born 1971)
- 2022
Mikhail Gorbachev, 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union (born 1931)
- 2019
Valerie Harper, American actress and writer (born 1939)
- 2017
Louise Hay, American motivational author (born 1926)
- 2017
Skip Prokop, Canadian drummer, guitarist and keyboardist (born 1943)
- 2015
Wes Craven, American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor (born 1939)
- 2015
Edward Fadeley, American lawyer and politician (born 1929)
- 2015
M. M. Kalburgi, Indian scholar, author, and academic (born 1938)
- 2015
Marvin Mandel, American lawyer and politician, 56th Governor of Maryland (born 1920)
- 2015
Oliver Sacks, English-American neurologist, author, and academic (born 1933)
- 2014
Charles Bowden, American non-fiction author, journalist and essayist (born 1945)
All entries for August 30（+13）
- 2014
Bipan Chandra, Indian historian and academic (born 1928)
- 2014
Igor Decraene, Belgian cyclist (born 1996)
- 2014
Andrew V. McLaglen, English-American director and producer (born 1920)
- 2014
Felipe Osterling, Peruvian lawyer and politician (born 1932)
- 2013
William C. Campbell, American golfer (born 1923)
- 2013
Howie Crittenden, American basketball player and coach (born 1933)
- 2013
Allan Gotthelf, American philosopher and academic (born 1942)
- 2013
Seamus Heaney, Irish poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1939)
- 2013
Leo Lewis, American football player and coach (born 1933)
- 2010
J. C. Bailey, American wrestler (born 1983)
- 2010
Alain Corneau, French director and screenwriter (born 1943)
- 2010
Myrtle Edwards, Australian cricketer and softball player (born 1921)
- 2010
Francisco Varallo, Argentine footballer (born 1910)
That is the story of August 30 in history. Bookmark this page and come back next year on August 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 August 30 in history?
The biggest event on August 30 in history is: 2023 — Gabonese coup d'état: After Ali Bongo Ondimba's reelection, a military coup ousts him, ending 56 years of Bongo family rule in Gabon.. In total, 40 major events are recorded for this day.
Who was born on August 30?
25 famous people were born on August 30 in history, the best known being 2002 — Fábio Carvalho, Portuguese footballer.
Who died on August 30?
25 notable people died on August 30 in history, including 2024 — Tūheitia Paki, Māori King (born 1955).
Why should I read about August 30 in history?
Exploring August 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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