Muslim commander, Tariq ibn Ziyad, crosses the Strait of Gibraltar, c. April 30, 711 CE, with a force of about 7,000–12,000 troops, mainly Berbers, beginning the Muslim conquest of Hispania and eventually placing most of the Iberian Peninsula (except for small areas in the north-west such as Asturias and the Basque territory) under Islamic rule and creating the entity known as al-Andalus. More
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On This Day in History: April 30
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on April 30th. From major milestones to cultural achievements, see what happened on this day in history. Dates for earlier events may be approximate.
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The Peasants' Revolt in England, a major uprising against high taxes and social injustice, ( also called, Wat Tyler's Insurrection or the Great Uprising), broke out in Essex, on May 30, 1381, following the arrival of John Bampton, a Parliament Member and Justice of the Peace, to investigate non-payment of the poll tax. Violence broke out and several people were killed. Bampton escaped and retreated to London.
A contingent of Kentish rebels advanced on London and entered it on June 13 where they were joined by many locals. The rebels attacked the prisons, destroyed the Savoy Palace, set firese, and killed people associated with the royal government. The following day, Richard met the rebels and agreed to most of their demands, including the abolition of serfdom. Meanwhile, rebels entered the Tower of London, killing Simon Sudbury, Lord Chancellor, and Robert Hales, Lord High Treasurer, who were inside. On 15 several nobles who were there. Richard went on to meet Tyler and the rebels at Smithfield. where violence broke out, and Richard's party killed Tyler. and eventually dispersed the rebel forces. Richard rescinded his previous grants to the rebels and began to re-establish order in London. Unrest continued until Henry Despenser, forces defeated a rebel army at the Battle of North Walsham on June 26 and Richard mobilized 4,000 soldiers to restore order. Most of the rebel leaders were tracked down and executed and at least 1,500 rebels were killed.
England and France sign the Treaty of Westminster, establishing peace between the two nations. A year later, In January 1528, the alliance declared war on the Holy Roman Empire, a joint enemy.
George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. (the nation's capital at the time). Chancellor of New York Robert R. Livingston administered the oath of office to Washington.
Following the oath, Washington delivered the first presidential inaugural address in the Senate Chamber which waws witnessed by a large crowd; setting the precedent for future U.S. presidential inaugurations.For his second term, Washington had a much simpler inauguration March 4, 1793. More
The agreement for the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France is formally completed and signed on April 30, 1803, with the United States purchasing 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million, roughly 4 cents an acre, resulting in the United States doubling its size and expanding the nation westward. More
Louisiana is admitted to the Union becoming the 18th State.
The State of Louisiana consisted of the Territory of Orleans, as well as the Florida Parishes east of the Mississippi River, which had been annexed by the U.S. from Spain in 1810.
Adolf Hitler, chancellor and dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, commits suicide in the Führerbunker via a self inflicted gunshot to the head after it became clear that Germany would lose the Battle of Berlin.
Eva Braun, his longtime mistress, who he had married the prior day, also committed suicide by cyanide poisoning. In accordance with Hitler's prior written and verbal instructions, their remains were carried up the stairs and through the bunker's emergency exit to the Reich Chancellery garden, where they were doused in petrol and burned. The news of Hitler's death was announced on German radio the next day, May 1. More
The Vietnam War officially ends with the fall of Saigon on, April 30, 1975, and the reunification of Vietnam. The human costs of the long conflict was very high for all involved. Current estimates of those who had died or were missing as a result of the war are: As many as 2 million Vietnamese civilians on both sides and at least 1.1 million North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters.
The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died in the war. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is inscribed with the names of more than 58,200 members of U.S. armed forces who had died or were missing as a result of the war. At least 100 names on the memorial are those of servicemen who were actually Canadian citizens. South Korea suffered more than 4,000 dead, Thailand about 350, Australia more than 500, and New Zealand some three dozen.
The World Wide Web (WWW) goes public on April 30, 1993, as CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) makes the source code of the World Wide Web available on a royalty-free basis, making it free software. By late 1993 there were over 500 known web servers, and the WWW accounted for 1% of internet traffic, which seemed a lot in those days (the rest was remote access, e-mail and file transfer) More
Japan's Emperor Akihito officially announces his abdication from the Japanese throne. The 85-year-old was given permission to abdicate after saying he felt unable to fulfil his role because of his age and declining health. His abdication took place on April 30, 2019.
At midnight, his son, Crown Prince Naruhito,became the new emperor. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had announced in December 2017 that Akihito's abdication would take place at the end of 30 April 2019, The abdication of Emperor Akihito was the first of a Japanese emperor in 200 years. More