What Happened on April 30?
April 30 is International Jazz Day — UNESCO's global celebration of America's great musical gift. On this date in 1803 the Louisiana Purchase doubled the nation's size, and in 1975 Saigon fell, ending the Vietnam War.
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1789 — George Washington takes the oath as first U.S. president in New York
On April 30, 1789, George Washington stood on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City and became the first president of the United States. Read the full story →
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1803 — The United States agrees to buy the Louisiana Territory from France
On April 30, 1803, negotiators signed a treaty purchasing 828,000 square miles from France for $15 million — doubling America's size overnight. Read the full story →
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1900 — Hawaii becomes a U.S. territory under the Organic Act
On April 30, 1900, President William McKinley signed the Organic Act, establishing a territorial government for Hawaii after annexation in 1898. Read the full story →
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1945 — Adolf Hitler dies in Berlin as Soviet forces close in
On April 30, 1945, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler killed himself in his Berlin bunker as the Red Army surrounded the city — days before Germany surrendered in World War II. Read the full story →
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1975 — Saigon falls as the Vietnam War ends
On April 30, 1975, North Vietnamese forces entered Saigon — the capital of South Vietnam — ending a decades-long war that divided the nation and America. Read the full story →
Famous birthdays
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) · Gal Gadot (1985) · Kirsten Dunst (1982) · Claude Monet (1840–1926)
Days & observances
International Jazz Day · National Honesty Day · National Military Brats Day · National Bugs Bunny Day · National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day