Summary of the Day ✨ 29 April (29/04)
Prince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey as the Orioles-White Sox baseball game set an MLB record with zero attendance due to Baltimore protests. Elsewhere, a Prague gas explosion injured 43, a cargo plane crashed in Afghanistan killing seven, and the final Oldsmobile ended 107 years of production in Michigan.
Historical Events 📜
- 2015: A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests.
- 2013: A powerful explosion occurs in an office building in Prague, believed to have been caused by natural gas, and injures 43 people.
- 2013: National Airlines Flight 102, a Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft, crashes during takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, killing all seven people on board.
- 2011: The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey in London.
- 2004: The final Oldsmobile is built in Lansing, Michigan, ending 107 years of vehicle production.
- 1997: The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories.
- 1992: Riots in Los Angeles begin, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 63 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.
- 1991: A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 miles per hour (249 km/h), killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as ten million homeless.
- 1991: The 7.0 Mw Racha earthquake affects Georgia with a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive), killing 270 people.
- 1986: A fire at the Central library of the Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.
- 1986: The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the USS Coral Sea.
- 1986: An assembly of Sikhs, known as a Sarbat Khalsa, officially declared independence for a state of Khalistan.
- 1985: Space Shuttle Challenger is launched on STS-51-B.
- 1975: Vietnam War: Operation Frequent Wind: The U.S. begins to evacuate U.S. citizens from Saigon before an expected North Vietnamese takeover. U.S. involvement in the war comes to an end. This happens after the Bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
- 1975: Vietnam War: The North Vietnamese Army completes its capture of all parts of South Vietnam-held Trường Sa Islands.
Famous Births 👶
- 2007: Mirra Andreeva, Russian tennis player
- 2007: Infanta Sofía of Spain, Spanish princess
- 2006: Xochitl Gomez, American actress
- 2005: Aarón Anselmino, Argentine footballer
- 2002: Sinja Kraus, Austrian tennis player
- 2001: Danilo, Brazilian footballer
- 1999: Mateo Retegui, Argentine-Italian footballer
- 1998: Kimberly Birrell, Australian tennis player
- 1998: Mallory Pugh, American soccer player
- 1997: Lucas Tousart, French footballer
- 1996: Katherine Langford, Australian actress
- 1994: Christina Shakovets, German tennis player
- 1992: Alina Rosenberg, German paralympic equestrian
- 1991: Adam Smith, English footballer
- 1991: Jung Hye-sung, South Korean actress
Notable Deaths 🕊️
- 2023: Padma Desai, Indian-American development economist (born 1931)
- 2022: Joanna Barnes, American actress and writer (born 1934)
- 2021: Cate Haste, English author (born 1945)
- 2020: Irrfan Khan, Indian actor (born 1967)
- 2020: Guido Münch, Mexican astronomer and astrophysicist (born 1921)
- 2019: Josef Šural, Czech footballer (born 1990)
- 2018: Luis García Meza, Bolivian general, 57th President of Bolivia (born 1929)
- 2018: Michael Martin, British politician (born 1945)
- 2017: R. Vidyasagar Rao, Indian bureaucrat and activist (born 1939)
- 2016: Dmytro Hnatyuk, Ukrainian singer (born 1925)
- 2016: Renato Corona, Filipino lawyer and jurist, 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (born 1948)
- 2015: François Michelin, French businessman (born 1926)
- 2015: Jean Nidetch, American businesswoman, co-founded Weight Watchers (born 1923)
- 2015: Calvin Peete, American golfer (born 1943)
- 2015: Dan Walker, American lawyer and politician, 36th Governor of Illinois (born 1922)
Holidays & Observances 🎉
- Christian feast day:
Catherine of Siena (Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Church) - Christian feast day:
Hugh of Cluny - Christian feast day:
Robert of Molesme - Christian feast day:
Wilfrid II - Christian feast day:
April 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) - Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (United Nations)
- International Dance Day (UNESCO)
- Shōwa Day, traditionally the start of the Golden Week holiday period, which is April 29 and May 3–5. (Japan)