Historical Events on April 30
- 1636: During the 80 Years’ War, an important fort is recaptured from Spain by Dutch Republic forces after a 9-month siege.
- 1789: George Washington takes the oath to become President of the U.S on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in the city of New York.
- 1803: The size of the United States more than doubles when the U.S purchases the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million USD.
- 1812: The Territory of New Orleans is renamed Louisiana and it becomes the 18thS State.
- 1871: In the Arizona Territory, the Camp Grant Massacre occurs.
- 1885: A bill creating Niagara Reservation – the first state park in New York – is signed by New York Governor David B. Hill.
- 1900: Hawaii becomes a U.S territory and Sanford B. Dole is made its governor.
- 1904: In St. Louis, Missouri, the World’s Fair of 1904 opens; Supposedly, the ice cream cone is invented at this fair.
- 1938: The prototype of the cartoon character Bugs Bunny named Happy Rabbit debuts in an animated cartoon short shown in movie theaters called Porky’s Hare Hunt.
- 1939: In New York, the New York World’s Fair opens.
- 1943: Near Huelva, the HMS Seraph – a British submarine – comes to the surface to cast adrift a corpse dressed as a courier and carrying intentionally false invasion plans.
- 1945: Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun both commit suicide in the Fuhrerbunker. Hitler does so by shooting himself in the head and Braun does so by biting down on a cyanide capsule.
- 1945: Soviet forces raise the Victory Banner on the Reichstag Building.
- 1945: Almost 9,000 British and American airmen are freed when the Soviets liberate Stalag POW camp near Barth in Germany.
Famous Birthdays on April 30
- Belarusian-American economist and Nobel Prize laureate, Simon Kuznets is born in 1901.
- American economist and Nobel Prize laureate, Theodore Schultz is born in 1902.
- American conductor Robert Shaw is born in 1916.
- American singer Bea Wain is born in 1917.
- American actress Kirsten Dunst is born in 1982.
- Israeli actress and model, Gal Gadot is born in 1985.
- American actress and singer, Dianna Agron is born in 1986.
