History of 30 October
1938 – Orson Welles’ “The War of the Worlds” aired on CBS radio. The belief that the realistic radio dramatization was a live news event about a Martian invasion caused panic among listeners.
1943 – In Moscow, a declaration was signed by the Governments of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China called for an early establishment of an international organization to maintain peace and security. The goal was supported on December 1, 1943, at a meeting in Teheran.
1944 – Martha Graham’s ballet “Appalachian Spring” premiered at the Library of Congress.
1945 – The U.S. government announced the end of shoe rationing.
1953 – General George C. Marshall was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1961 – The Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb with a force of approximately 58 megatons.
1961 – The Soviet Party Congress unanimously approved an order to remove Joseph Stalin’s body from Lenin’s tomb.
1972 – U.S. President Richard Nixon approved legislation to increase Social Security spending by $5.3 billion.
1972 – In Illinois, 45 people were killed when two trains collided on Chicago’s south side.
1975 – Prince Juan Carlos assumed power in Spain as dictator Francisco Franco was near death.
1975 – The New York Daily News ran the headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” The headline came a day after U.S. President Gerald R. Ford said he would veto any proposed federal bailout of New York City.
1982 – Portugal’s constitution was revised for the first time since it was ratified on April 25, 1976.
1984 – In Poland, police found the body of kidnapped pro-Solidarity priest Father Jerry Popieluszko. His death was blamed on four security officers.
1989 – Mitsubishi Estate Company announced it would buy 51 percent of Rockefeller Group Inc. of New York.
1993 – Martin Fettman, America’s first veterinarian in space, performed the world’s first animal dissections in space, while aboard the space shuttle Columbia.
1993 – The United Nations deadline concerning ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide passed with the country’s military still in control.
1995 – Federalists prevailed over separatists in Quebec in a referendum concerning secession from the federation of Canada.
1997 – The play revival “The Cherry Orchard” opened.
1998 – The terrorist who hijacked a Turkish Airlines plane and the 39 people on board was killed when anti-terrorist squads raided the plane.
2001 – In New York City, U.S. President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch at Game 3 of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
2001 – Michael Jordan returned to the NBA with the Washington Wizards after a 3 1/2 year retirement. The Wizards lost 93-91 to the New York Knicks.
2005 – The rebuilt Dresden Frauenkirche (destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II) is reconsecrated after a thirteen-year rebuilding project.
2014 – Sweden is the first European Union member state to officially recognize the State of Palestine.
2015 – Sixty-four people are killed and more than 147 injuries after a fire in a nightclub in the Romanian capital Bucharest.
Celebrating Birthday Today
- 1981 – Joshua Jay, American magician, and author
- 1981 – Jun Ji-Hyun, South Korean model and actress
- 1981 – Ayaka Kimura, Japanese singer, and actress
- 1981 – Ian Snell, American baseball player
- 1981 – Ivanka Trump, American model, and businesswoman
- 1982 – Stalley, American rapper
- 1982 – Andy Greene, American ice hockey player
- 1982 – Manny Parra, American baseball player
- 1983 – Trent Edwards, American football player
- 1983 – Iain Hume, Scottish-Canadian footballer
- 1983 – Maor Melikson, Israeli footballer
- 1984 – Eva Marcille, American model, and actress
- 1984 – Gedo, Egyptian footballer
- 1984 – David Mooney, Irish footballer
- 1984 – Isaac Ross, New Zealand rugby player
- 1984 – Tyson Strachan, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1985 – Ragnar Klavan, Estonian footballer
- 1986 – Thomas Morgenstern, Austrian ski jumper
- 1986 – Keisuke Sohma, Japanese actor
- 1987 – Ali Riley, New Zealand footballer
- 1987 – Danielle Fong, Canadian entrepreneur, co-founder and Chief Scientist of LightSail Energy
- 1988 – Janel Parrish, American actress, and singer
- 1989 – Ashley Barnes, Austrian-English footballer
- 1989 – Nastia Liukin, Russian-American gymnast and actress
- 1990 – Suwaibou Sanneh, Gambian sprinter
- 1992 – Matt Parcell, Australian rugby league player
- 1992 – Camila Silva, a Chilean tennis player
- 1993 – Marcus Mariota, American football player
- 1994 – Mia Eklund, a Finnish tennis player
- 1996 – Devin Booker, American basketball player