NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) began its science operations, aiming to identify thousands of planets outside our solar system by monitoring stellar brightness changes.
📍 Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
Prince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey in a globally televised event watched by hundreds of millions. The royal wedding was celebrated as a significant cultural moment in modern British monarchy.
📍 London, United Kingdom
Construction of the 27-kilometer circular tunnel for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN was completed. It would later be used to make major discoveries in particle physics, including the Higgs boson.
📍 Geneva, Switzerland
The Center for Hearing and Communication initiated International Noise Awareness Day to raise awareness about the harmful effects of noise on hearing, health, and quality of life. Events are held globally each year.
📍 Global
Riots erupted in Los Angeles after a jury acquitted four LAPD officers involved in the brutal beating of Rodney King. The unrest resulted in over 60 deaths, thousands of injuries, and widespread destruction across the city.
📍 Los Angeles, California, United States
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was opened for signature, establishing the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and setting standards for the protection of children worldwide.
📍 New York City, United States
UNESCO designated April 29 as International Dance Day to celebrate the universality of dance and its cultural impact across societies. The date honors the birthday of French ballet master Jean-Georges Noverre.
📍 Global
The inaugural London Marathon took place, quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular long-distance running events. Over 7,500 runners participated, and the race has since become an annual charity-focused event.
📍 London, United Kingdom
The U.S. began evacuating American citizens and South Vietnamese allies from Saigon as North Vietnamese forces closed in. The next day, the city fell, marking the end of the Vietnam War and the reunification of Vietnam.
📍 Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
As North Vietnamese troops advanced into Saigon, the U.S. launched Operation Frequent Wind, evacuating over 7,000 people by helicopter from the U.S. embassy and nearby locations — the largest airlift of its kind.
📍 Saigon, South Vietnam
Australia broadcast its first television program in full color, marking a significant technological milestone for the nation's media industry and aligning it with global broadcasting standards.
📍 Sydney, Australia
Australian Prime Minister John Gorton announced that Australian troops would begin withdrawing from the Vietnam War, following mounting public pressure and the U.S. shift toward Vietnamization.
📍 Canberra, Australia
The British-built Hawker Siddeley P.1127 became the first successful vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) jet aircraft. It paved the way for the Harrier Jump Jet, revolutionizing military aviation.
📍 Bedfordshire, United Kingdom
The United Nations General Assembly approved the admission of Israel as its 59th member state. This followed a series of debates on regional recognition and the aftermath of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
📍 New York City, United States
Emperor Hirohito's birthday was celebrated for the first time under Japan’s post-war constitution, transitioning him from divine ruler to symbolic head of state, in line with democratic reforms imposed by Allied occupation.
📍 Tokyo, Japan
American troops liberated the Dachau concentration camp near Munich, exposing the atrocities of the Holocaust to the world. The liberation helped bring global attention to Nazi war crimes.
📍 Dachau, Germany
In the final days of World War II, Adolf Hitler married his longtime companion Eva Braun in an underground bunker in Berlin. The couple would die by suicide the following day as Soviet forces neared.
📍 Berlin, Germany
German troops in Italy signed an unconditional surrender to Allied forces, effectively ending military operations in the region. The surrender was a major step toward the conclusion of World War II in Europe.
📍 Caserma Cornoldi, Venice, Italy
Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf was announced as the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, honored for her storytelling and contributions to Scandinavian literature.
📍 Stockholm, Sweden
Giuseppe Verdi’s opera *La Traviata* was performed for the first time in the United States at the Academy of Music in New York City. The work would become one of the most performed operas worldwide.
📍 New York City, United States