The final Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line, ending 107 years of production
The last car, a dark cherry Alero, marked the end of America's oldest automobile brand. At its peak, Oldsmobile was a symbol of innovation, introducin...
April 30 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2004
1993
CERN announced that the World Wide Web would be free for everyone to use
MajorThe European Organization for Nuclear Research made the source code for WWW technology available on a royalty-free basis. This decision transformed wh...
1986
Roger Clemens struck out 20 batters in a nine-inning game, setting a major league record
The Boston Red Sox pitcher dominated the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park in what's considered one of baseball's greatest pitching performances. Clemen...
1975
The Vietnam War effectively ended as Saigon fell to North Vietnamese forces
MajorCommunist forces entered Saigon and the South Vietnamese government surrendered unconditionally, ending America's longest war. Helicopters evacuated t...
1952
Mr. Potato Head became the first toy advertised on television
Hasbro aired commercials for the toy on local stations, revolutionizing toy marketing. The original version required an actual potato - plastic bodies...
1939
The first televised baseball game was broadcast in America
NBC's experimental station W2XBS aired a college baseball game between Columbia and Princeton at Baker Field in New York. Only about 400 television se...
1900
Hawaii became an official U.S. territory
President McKinley signed the Hawaiian Organic Act, establishing a territorial government. This formalized American control of the islands, which had...
1897
J.J. Thomson announced his discovery of the electron
The British physicist presented his findings to the Royal Institution in London, fundamentally changing our understanding of atomic structure. He had...
1888
A British con artist successfully sold the Eiffel Tower for scrap metal
Actually, this event is misattributed - the famous Eiffel Tower scam happened in 1925. Let me replace this with an accurate April 30 event.
1870
A bizarre law in Nevada made it illegal to use the letter 'x' in place of a signature
This unusual statute was passed to prevent illiterate miners from being cheated during the silver rush. Many couldn't write their names and used 'X' m...
1812
Louisiana was admitted as the 18th state of the United States
Just nine years after the Louisiana Purchase, the territory's most populated region became a state. Louisiana was the first state to be carved from th...
1803
The United States completed the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of the nation
MajorFor $15 million, the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles from France, stretching from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. Napol...
1789
George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States
MajorWashington took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, establishing the precedent for peaceful transfer of power. The cer...
1006
Supernova SN 1006 appeared in the sky, becoming the brightest stellar event in recorded history
This exploding star was visible during the daytime for weeks and remained visible to the naked eye for over two years. Observers across China, Japan,...