King Charles I of England is executed on January 30, 1649 by beheading, after being found guilty of treason. Thousands had perished during the seven years of fighting between Charles’ supporters and Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentarians. More
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On This Day in History: January 30
Explore the historical events that shaped our world on January 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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Swedish troops under Charles X Gustav invade Denmark on January 30, 1658 during the Dano-Swedish War, forcing Denmark into the harsh Treaty of Roskilde by February 1658. The war resumed later that year with a failed siege of Copenhagen in February 1659.
The Treaty of Andrusovo (or the Truce of Andrusovo) is signed on January 30, 1667, ending the thirteen year between Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It marked a shift in power towards Russia, laying groundwork for its rise and eventually being solidified by the Eternal Peace Treaty of 1686.
c. 1770, January 30
It is generally believed that 1770 was the year that rhubarb was introduced into the United States. and that first shipment of rhubarb was sent by Benjamin Franklin.
Franklin was at the time living in London and shipped a crate of rhubarb to Philadelphia to his friend, John Bartram, the preeminent botanist of his time. It was not for another 60 years that the root gained popularity in the US..
Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933 by President Paul von Hindenburg, marking the end of the Weimar Republic and the beginning of the Nazi dictatorship.
The appointment came after intense political maneuvering and economic instability,. The legal appointment allowed Hitler to rapidly consolidate power, turning Germany into a totalitarian state within months. Following the Reichstag fire in February 1933, the Reichstag Fire Decree was signed, suspending civil liberties. The Enabling Act of 1933 allowed Hitler's cabinet to enact laws without the Reichstag, effectively creating a dictatorship. The first concentration camps were established by mid-March 1933. After Hindenburg's death on August 2, 1934, Hitler merged the offices of President and Chancellor, declaring himself Führer and Reich Chancellor.
The U.S. dollar is significantly devalued on January 30 and 31,1934 when the Gold Reserve Act of 1934, is signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and officially sets the price of gold at $35 per ounce, reducing the dollar's gold content by about 41% from its previous value.
The Act effectively devalued the currency making U.S. goods cheaper for other countries and stimulating the U.S. economy helping to combat the Great Depression. This followed earlier steps like Executive Order 6102, from April 5, 1933 forcing Americans to surrender most of their privately held gold (coins, bullion and certificates) to the Federal Reserve, allowing them to keep only about 5 ounces, in exchange for $20.67 per ounce; moving the U.S. off the gold standard. Executive Order 6102 was repealed by President Gerald Ford in 1974, restoring the right of U.S. citizens to own gold.
The German MV Wilhelm Gustloff military transport ship is sunk by the Soviet submarine S-13 in the Baltic Sea on January 30, 1945, while on a mission to evacuate civilians and military personnel from East Prussia and other German occupied areas as the Red army advanced, It was estimated that between 6,000-9,000 people died, making it the largest loss of life in a single ship sinking in history. More
Mahatma Gandhi, is assassinated on January 30, 1948 at age 78, following a prayer vigil in New Delhi.in the compound of The Birla House (now Gandhi Smriti).
His killer was Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Hindu nationalist fanatic and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu paramilitary organization, who believed Gandhi had been too conciliatory to the Indian subcontinent's large Muslim minority.
The Viet Cong launches the Tet Offensive on January 30, 1968, marking a turning point in the the Vietnam War.
The Beatles perform their last public concert on January 30, 1969, on the rooftop of Apple Records in London.
British Paratroopers open fire on Roman Catholic civil rights supporters in Derry, Northern Ireland, on January 30, 1972, killing 13 in what became known as Bloody Sunday.
The demonstration began as a peaceful, but illegal, demonstration by some 10,000 people organized by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association in opposition to the British government’s policy of interning suspected members of the IRA without trial. The incident remained a source of controversy for decades, with competing accounts of the events. In 2010 the Saville Report, the final pronouncement of a government inquiry initiated by British Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998, concluded that none of the victims had posed any threat to the soldiers and that their shooting was without justification.
The 10 millionth Volkswagen Beetle is produced on September 15, 1965, at the Wolfsburg plant, marking a major milestone for the iconic "people's car". The milestone vehicle, a Pearl White 1300 Export model, was produced just 10 years after the 1 millionth car was built in 1955.
The European Union introduces new export controls on COVID-19 vaccines effective on January 30, 2021, amid supply shortages.