On This Day in History: January 30

The Battle of Saintes takes place during the Hundred Years' War between England and France, resulting in an English victory.

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

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.

The Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Franco-Dutch War, resulting in territorial changes and peace in Europe.

King Charles II calls the English Parliament to session after a prolonged period of dissolution.

Sweden introduces the Julian calendar, shifting from the old-style calendar to the Gregorian calendar.

Frederick I of Prussia crowns himself as King in Prussia.

Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, French philosopher, publishes "The Spirit of the Laws."

The publication of "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society" features Benjamin Franklin's account of his kite experiment to study electricity.

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, who at the time was 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..

The London Metropolitan Police, led by Sir Robert Peel, begins operating at Scotland Yard.

Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany. More

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; effectively devaluing the currency. and making U.S. goods cheaper for other countries and stimulating the U.S. economy. to combat the Great Depression.  Expand +

The German MV Wilhelm Gustloff military transport ship is sunk by the Soviet submarine S-13 in the Baltic Sea 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 at age 78 following a prayer vigil in New Delhi. His killer was Nathuram Vinayak Godse, a Hindu fanatic 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 launch the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War, marking a turning point in the conflict.

The Beatles perform their last public concert on the rooftop of Apple Records in London.

British Paratroopers open fire on Roman Catholic civil rights supporters in Derry, Northern Ireland, killing 13 in what becomes 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.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the COVID-19 outbreak a global health emergency.

Mount Semeru in Indonesia erupts, spewing ash and triggering evacuations in nearby areas.

The European Union introduces new export controls on COVID-19 vaccines amid supply shortages.