What Happened on April 29?

April 29 is International Dance Day — move to the music! Jazz legend Duke Ellington was born on this date in 1899, and in 2008 Nepal held its first democratic elections after ending a monarchy.

• 1429 — Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the siege of Orléans

  On April 29, 1429, teenage Joan of Arc entered Orléans with French reinforcements — turning the tide of the Hundred Years' War against England. Read the full story →

• 1945 — U.S. troops liberate the Dachau concentration camp

  On April 29, 1945, American soldiers freed prisoners at Dachau in Germany — one of the first Nazi concentration camps, opened in 1933. Read the full story →

• 1975 — Operation Babylift evacuates orphans from Vietnam

  As Saigon fell in April 1975, the U.S. airlifted thousands of Vietnamese orphans to America — a humanitarian rescue amid war's chaotic end. Read the full story →

• 1991 — A cyclone kills more than 130,000 people in Bangladesh

  On April 29, 1991, Cyclone 2B struck Bangladesh with 145 mph winds and a 20-foot storm surge — one of the deadliest weather disasters in history. Read the full story →

• 1992 — Los Angeles erupts in riots after Rodney King verdict

  On April 29, 1992, acquittal of police officers in the beating of Rodney King sparked days of unrest in Los Angeles — raising urgent questions about justice and race. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Duke Ellington (1899–1974) · Jerry Seinfeld (1954) · Michelle Pfeiffer (1958) · Constantine XI Palaiologos (1404–1453)

Days & observances

International Dance Day · National Shrimp Scampi Day · National Zipper Day · World Immunization Week (includes April 29)