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On This Day in History — April 29

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Highlights of April 29

2015 — The ringleaders of the Bali Nine were executed in Indonesia for attempting to smuggle 8.3 kg (18 lb) of heroin to Australia in 2005. Read more
2011 — Watched by a worldwide television audience of tens of millions, Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married at Westminster Abbey in London. Read more
2006 — Cyclone Mala made landfall near Thandwe, Myanmar, causing 37 deaths. Read more
1997 — The Chemical Weapons Convention entered into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons in the 87 countries that had ratified the convention. Read more
1995 — Before a crowd of about 165,000 at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Ric Flair and Antonio Inoki competed in the main event of Collision in Korea, the highest attended professional wrestling event of all time. Read more
1992 — The acquittal of policemen who had beaten African-American motorist Rodney King sparked six days of civil unrest in Los Angeles (damage pictured), during which 63 people were killed. Read more
1991 — A powerful tropical cyclone struck Chittagong, Bangladesh, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving up to 10 million homeless across the region. Read more
1975 — Vietnam War: North Vietnam concluded its East Sea Campaign by capturing all of the Spratly Islands held by South Vietnam. Read more
1970 — Vietnam War: South Vietnamese forces began the Cambodian campaign, aiming to attack North Vietnamese jungle bases. Read more
1968 — The controversial Broadway musical Hair, a product of the counterculture of the 1960s, opened, with its songs becoming anthems of the anti-Vietnam War movement. Read more
1945 — World War II: The U.S. Army liberated Dachau, the first Nazi concentration camp, and killed German prisoners of war. Read more
1944 — Second World War: British agent Nancy Wake parachuted into Auvergne, France, becoming a liaison between the Special Operations Executive and the local Maquis group. Read more
1943 — After suffering train derailments, defections, and outbreaks of dysentery and typhoid fever which killed two members, the Brazilian football club Santa Cruz returned from their Suicidal Tour (team pictured). Read more
1922 — Sixteen-year-old Lilian Salkeld became the first woman to walk from London to Brighton. Read more
1910 — Parliament passed the People's Budget, the first budget in British history with the express intent of redistributing wealth. Read more
1903 — A rockslide buried part of the Canadian mining town of Frank under 110 million tonnes of rock, killing around 70 people. Read more
1863 — Confederate forts at Grand Gulf survived a bombardment by Union gunboats, preventing Ulysses S. Grant's troops from crossing the Mississippi River at that point. Read more
1826 — In Parramatta, Australia, Scottish astronomer James Dunlop discovered Centaurus A (pictured), which was later recognised as one of the nearest radio galaxies to Earth. Read more
1770 — On his first voyage, British explorer James Cook and the crew of HMS Endeavour (pictured) landed at Botany Bay, making the first recorded European landfall on the eastern coast of Australia. Read more
1760 — Seven Years' War: France began an unsuccessful attempt to retake Quebec City, which had been captured by Britain. Read more
1386 — The Grand Duchy of Lithuania decisively won the Battle of the Vikhra River, forcibly making the Principality of Smolensk a vassal state. Read more

Events

2015 — A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests. Read more
2013 — A powerful explosion occurs in an office building in Prague, believed to have been caused by natural gas, and injures 43 people. Read more
2013 — National Airlines Flight 102, a Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft, crashes during takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, killing all seven people on board. Read more
2011 — The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey in London. Read more
2004 — The final Oldsmobile is built in Lansing, Michigan, ending 107 years of vehicle production. Read more
1997 — The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories. Read more
1992 — Riots in Los Angeles begin, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 63 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed. Read more
1991 — A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 miles per hour (249 km/h), killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as ten million homeless. Read more
1991 — The 7.0 Mw Racha earthquake affects Georgia with a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), killing 270 people. Read more
1986 — A fire at the Central library of the Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items. Read more
1986 — The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the USS Coral Sea. Read more
1986 — An assembly of Sikhs, known as a Sarbat Khalsa, officially declare independence for a state of Khalistan. Read more
1985 — Space Shuttle Challenger is launched on STS-51-B. Read more
1975 — Vietnam War: Operation Frequent Wind: The U.S. begins to evacuate U.S. citizens from Saigon before an expected North Vietnamese takeover. U.S. involvement in the war comes to an end. This happens after the Bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Read more
1975 — Vietnam War: The North Vietnamese Army completes its capture of all parts of South Vietnam-held Trường Sa Islands. Read more
1974 — Watergate scandal: United States President Richard Nixon announces the release of edited transcripts of White House tape recordings relating to the scandal. Read more
1970 — Vietnam War: United States and South Vietnamese forces invade Cambodia to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail in an attempt to cut off supplies to the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. Read more
1967 — After refusing induction into the United States Army the previous day, Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title. Read more
1953 — The first U.S. experimental 3D television broadcast shows an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV. Read more
1952 — Pan Am Flight 202 crashes into the Amazon basin near Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil, killing 50 people. Read more
1946 — The International Military Tribunal for the Far East convenes and indicts former Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tojo and 28 former Japanese leaders for war crimes. Read more
1945 — World War II: The Surrender of Caserta is signed by the commander of German forces in Italy. Read more
1945 — World War II: Allied airdrops of food begin over German-occupied regions of the Netherlands. Read more
1945 — World War II: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor. Read more
1945 — Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops. Read more
1916 — World War I: The UK's 6th Indian Division surrenders to Ottoman Forces at the Siege of Kut in one of the largest surrenders of British forces up to that point. Read more
1916 — Easter Rising: After six days of fighting, Irish rebel leaders surrender to British forces in Dublin, bringing the Easter Rising to an end. Read more
1911 — Tsinghua University, one of mainland China's leading universities, is founded. Read more
1910 — The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People's Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public. Read more
1903 — A landslide kills 70 people in Frank, in the District of Alberta, Canada. Read more
1864 — Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the only fraternity to be founded during the American Civil War. Read more
1862 — American Civil War: The Capture of New Orleans by Union forces under David Farragut. Read more
1862 — American Civil War: The Siege of Corinth begins as Union forces under General Henry Halleck move to engage Confederate forces led by General P. G. T. Beauregard. Read more
1861 — Maryland in the American Civil War: Maryland's House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union. Read more
1826 — The galaxy Centaurus A or NGC 5128 is discovered by James Dunlop. Read more
1781 — American Revolutionary War: British and French ships clash in the Battle of Fort Royal off the coast of Martinique. Read more
1770 — James Cook arrives in Australia at Botany Bay, which he names. Read more
1760 — French forces commence the siege of Quebec which is held by the British. Read more
1670 — Emilio Altieri is elected pope after a four-month conclave and takes the name Clement X. Read more
1521 — Swedish War of Liberation: Swedish troops defeat a Danish force in the Battle of Västerås. Read more
1492 — The Crown's decision to expel the Jews is announced in Zaragoza, Aragon, to the kingdom's procurators. Read more
1483 — Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile. Read more
1429 — Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans. Read more
1091 — Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Read more
801 — An earthquake in the Central Apennines hits Rome and Spoleto, damaging the basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura. Read more

Born on April 29

2007 — Mirra Andreeva, Russian tennis player Read more
2007 — Infanta Sofía of Spain, Spanish princess Read more
2006 — Xochitl Gomez, American actress Read more
2001 — Danilo, Brazilian footballer Read more
1999 — Mateo Retegui, Argentine-Italian footballer Read more
1998 — Kimberly Birrell, Australian tennis player Read more
1998 — Mallory Pugh, American soccer player Read more
1997 — Lucas Tousart, French footballer Read more
1996 — Katherine Langford, Australian actress Read more
1994 — Christina Shakovets, German tennis player Read more
1992 — Alina Rosenberg, German paralympic equestrian Read more
1991 — Adam Smith, English footballer Read more
1991 — Jung Hye-sung, South Korean actress Read more
1991 — Misaki Doi, Japanese tennis player Read more
1990 — James Faulkner, Australian cricketer Read more
1990 — Chris Johnson, American basketball player Read more
1989 — Candace Owens, American political commentator and activist Read more
1989 — Domagoj Vida, Croatian footballer Read more
1988 — Alfred Hui, Hong Kong singer Read more
1988 — Taoufik Makhloufi, Algerian athlete Read more
1988 — Jonathan Toews, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1988 — Younha, South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer Read more
1987 — Rob Atkinson, English footballer Read more
1987 — Sara Errani, Italian tennis player Read more
1987 — Andre Russell, Jamaican cricketer Read more
1986 — Byun Yo-han, South Korean actor Read more
1986 — Lee Chae-young, South Korean actress Read more
1984 — Kirby Cote, Canadian swimmer Read more
1984 — Lina Krasnoroutskaya, Russian tennis player Read more
1983 — Megan Boone, American actress Read more
1983 — Jay Cutler, American football player Read more
1983 — Sam Jones III, American actor Read more
1981 — George McCartney, Northern Irish footballer Read more
1980 — Mathieu Biron, Canadian ice hockey player Read more
1980 — Bre Blair, Canadian actress Read more
1979 — Lee Dong-gook, South Korean footballer Read more
1979 — Jo O'Meara, English pop singer Read more
1978 — Bob Bryan, American tennis player Read more
1978 — Mike Bryan, American tennis player Read more
1978 — Javier Colon, American singer-songwriter and musician Read more

Died on April 29

2023 — Padma Desai, Indian-American development economist (born 1931) Read more
2022 — Joanna Barnes, American actress and writer (born 1934) Read more
2021 — Cate Haste, English author (born 1945) Read more
2020 — Irrfan Khan, Indian actor (born 1967) Read more
2020 — Guido Münch, Mexican astronomer and astrophysicist (born 1921) Read more
2019 — Josef Šural, Czech footballer (born 1990) Read more
2018 — Luis García Meza, Bolivian general, 57th President of Bolivia (born 1929) Read more
2018 — Michael Martin, British politician (born 1945) Read more
2017 — R. Vidyasagar Rao, Indian bureaucrat and activist (born 1939) Read more
2016 — Dmytro Hnatyuk, Ukrainian singer (born 1925) Read more
2016 — Renato Corona, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (born 1948) Read more
2015 — François Michelin, French businessman (born 1926) Read more
2015 — Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman, co-founded Weight Watchers (born 1923) Read more
2015 — Calvin Peete, American golfer (born 1943) Read more
2015 — Dan Walker, American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Illinois (born 1922) Read more
2014 — Iveta Bartošová, Czech singer and actress (born 1966) Read more
2014 — Al Feldstein, American author and illustrator (born 1925) Read more
2014 — Bob Hoskins, English actor (born 1942) Read more
2013 — Alex Elisala, New Zealand-Australian rugby player (born 1992) Read more
2013 — Pesah Grupper, Israeli politician, 13th Israel Minister of Agriculture (born 1924) Read more
2013 — John La Montaine, American pianist and composer (born 1920) Read more
2013 — Kevin Moore, English footballer (born 1958) Read more
2013 — Marianna Zachariadi, Greek pole vaulter (born 1990) Read more
2012 — Shukri Ghanem, Libyan politician, 22nd Prime Minister of Libya (born 1942) Read more
2012 — Joel Goldsmith, American composer and conductor (born 1957) Read more
2012 — Roland Moreno. French engineer, invented the smart card (born 1945) Read more
2012 — Kenny Roberts, American singer-songwriter (born 1926) Read more
2011 — Siamak Pourzand, Iranian journalist and critic (born 1931) Read more
2011 — Joanna Russ, American writer, academic and radical feminist (born 1937) Read more
2010 — Avigdor Arikha, French-Israeli artist, printmaker and art historian (born 1929) Read more
2008 — Gordon Bradley, English-American footballer (born 1933) Read more
2008 — Albert Hofmann, Swiss chemist and academic (born 1906) Read more
2007 — Josh Hancock, American baseball player (born 1978) Read more
2007 — Dick Motz, New Zealand cricketer and rugby player (born 1940) Read more
2007 — Ivica Račan, Croatian politician, 7th Prime Minister of Croatia (born 1944) Read more
2006 — John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist and diplomat, United States Ambassador to India (born 1908) Read more
2005 — William J. Bell, American screenwriter and producer (born 1927) Read more
2005 — Louis Leithold, American mathematician and academic (born 1924) Read more
2004 — John Henniker-Major, British diplomat and civil servant (born 1916) Read more
2003 — Janko Bobetko, Croatian Army general and Chief of the General Staff (born 1919) Read more

Holidays & observances

Christian feast day: Catherine of Siena (Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Church); Christian feast day: Hugh of Cluny; Christian feast day: Robert of Molesme; Christian feast day: Wilfrid II; Christian feast day: April 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics); International Dance Day (UNESCO); Shōwa Day, traditionally the start of the Golden Week holiday period, which is April 29 and May 3–5. (Japan)

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Events, births and deaths from Wikipedia contributors, “April 29”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Lists are selections; the full record lives at the source.