On This Day: 30 July

After the fall of the Umayyads (the first Muslim dynasty), the caliph Al–Mansur of the victorious Abbasid rulers commissions the construction of a new capital city, which would be known as Baghdad		762
Frederick I (Barbarossa), Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned King of Burgundy		1178
The first Defenestration of Prague: followers of the executed priest and reformer Jan Hus storm the town hall and throw seven councillors out of the window		1419
During his fourth voyage, Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja, in the Bay Islands (off the coast of Honduras)		1502
Three Lutheran clergymen – including Robert Barnes, who was used by Thomas Cromwell and King Henry VIII to gain European support for their antipapal movement in England – are burned as heretics, under the so–called Six Articles; three others – Thomas Abel, Richard Fetherstone and Edward Powell – are hanged for denying the royal supremacy		1540
At Ticonderoga (now Crown Point, New York), French colonist Samuel de Champlain shoots and kills two Iroquois chiefs on behalf of his native allies		1609
The Virginia General Assembly – America's first Colonial European representative assembly – convenes for the first time, in Jamestown, Virginia		1619
Around 5,000 lives are lost when an earthquake strikes Gargano, in Apulia (the 'heel' of Italy)		1627
During the Eighty Years' War, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, begins the recapture of the strategically important fortress of Schenkenschans (now in the German state of North Rhine–Westphalia) from the Spanish Army – by means of a siege that would last for nine months		1635
Following its victory in the First English Civil War, Parliament sets the Newcastle Propositions before King Charles I – demanding that he accept the covenant, instal a Presbyterian form of church government, give Parliament control of the Army for 20 years, and turn over his key supporters for punishment. Charles would refuse to accept these stiff terms		1646
The Battle of Warsaw ends in a victory for Swedish forces, under the command of King Charles X Gustav, over those of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth		1656
A Williamite force of fewer than 1,000 Enniskillen troops captures and kills 3,000 of James II's Jacobite troops, after they lose their way in an unmarked bog at Newtownbutler in County Fermanagh		1689
The town of Baltimore – now the most populous city in the US state of Maryland – is founded and laid out on the west side of an 18–mile stream known as the Jones Falls		1729
Bartolomeo Rastrelli – a Parisian–born Italian architect, working mainly in Russia – presents the newly–built Catherine Palace (one of his major works, and later the summer residence of the Tsars – 20 miles south of St. Petersburg) to Empress Elizabeth and her courtiers		1756
Captain James Cook returns to England at the end of his second voyage		1775
Toronto is founded by General John Simon, and named York		1793
A British armed force of 39,000 men lands in Walcheren, in the Dutch province of Zeeland (at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary), intending to assist the Austrians in their war against Napoleon and attack the French fleet moored at Flushing (Vlissingen). The expedition would end in disaster, and the force would be withdrawn in December		1809
Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, leader of the Mexican insurgency, is executed by the Spanish in Chihuahua City, Mexico		1811
John Hanning Speke names Lake Victoria		1858
French geologist and meteorologist Charles Sainte–Claire Deville, along with Daniel, Emmanuel and Gaspard Balleys, and Basile Dorsaz, make the first ascent of the Grand Combin – one of the highest peaks in the Alps, and the second most prominent of the Pennine Alps		1859
Chief Pocatello of the Shoshone tribe signs the Treaty of Box Elder, promising to stop harassing the emigrant trails in southern Idaho and northern Utah		1863
225 passengers lose their lives when the steamboat Brother Jonathan sinks off the coast of Crescent City, California – the deadliest shipwreck on the Pacific Coast of the USA up to this time		1865
48 people are killed and a further 100 injured when armed Confederate veterans (or police, ordered by the city's Democratic government) raid a meeting of Radical Republicans in New Orleans		1866
The Charles – considered the world's first oil tanker – leaves the United States, bound for Europe with a bulk capacity of 7,000 barrels of oil		1869
After the discovery of diamonds in South Africa four years earlier, resulting in a flood of treasure hunters, Transvaal President Andries Pretorius proclaims the Republic of Klipdrift; ownership of the diamond fields is contested by the Boer republics		1870
100 lives are lost when the boiler of the New York and Staten Island ferryboat Westfield explodes		1871
US dentist and inventor Mahlon Loomis is granted a patent for his "Improvement in Telegraphing" – generally credited as the first patent for wireless telegraphy, despite a similar patent awarded three months earlier to William Henry Ward		1871
A fire in New York causes one million dollars' worth of damage		1890
The British Parliament passes several progressive social acts: a Mines Act, a Workmen's Compensation Act and a Railway Act		1900
Russia and Japan sign an agreement, guaranteeing the freedom of China while recognizing each other's special interests		1907
Japanese Emperor Meiji (born Mutsushito) dies, and is succeeded by his son Yoshihito – known as the Emperor Taishō		1912
Sir John French is appointed Commander–in–Chief of the British Expeditionary Force		1914
After initial reluctance, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia is persuaded to decree a general mobilization in response to Austria. "Think of the thousands and thousands of men who will be sent to their deaths!" he protests		1914
German agents detonate two million tons of US–made munitions, intended to be supplied to the Allies in World War I, on Black Tom Island off the shores of Manhattan		1916
French aviator Captain Sarret makes the first parachute jump from an aeroplane, from a height of 800 metres		1918
Canadian scientists Sir Frederick G. Banting and Charles H. Best isolate insulin for the first time, as a pancreatic extract		1921
New Zealand claims the Ross Dependency in Antarctica		1923
George Eastman shows the first amateur colour motion pictures to guests at his New York home, including Thomas Edison		1928
Uruguay defeat Argentina by 4 goals to 2 in the final of the first FIFA World Cup, in Montevideo		1930
The Games of the Xth Olympiad open in Los Angeles		1932
Walt Disney's Flowers and Trees – the first cartoon short to use Technicolor, and the first to win an Academy Award – is released to cinemas		1932
Kurt von Schuschnigg becomes Chancellor of Austria		1934
Penguin publishes its first book – Ariel's A Life of Shelley		1935
The Soviet Politburo approves NKVD Order No. 00447 – "About repression of former kulaks, criminals, and other anti–Soviet elements". In the next 16 days, 101,000 people would be arrested and 14,000 convicted; by the end of the following year, the NKVD (the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs – a forerunner of the KGB) would have executed 386,798 Soviet citizens in fulfilling order 00447		1937
The German SS executes 25,000 Jews in Minsk (Belarus)		1942
883 lives are lost – mainly over the following four days, until an aircraft notices survivors – when the USS Indianapolis (which delivered parts of the atomic bomb to American forces in Japan) is sunk by the Japanese submarine I–58		1945
At the London Olympics, Czech distance running legend Emil Zátopek wins the 10,000 metres in 29 minutes, 59.6 seconds – an Olympic record		1948
The world's first port radar system opens at Liverpool		1948
HMS Amethyst reaches Hong Kong after running the gauntlet of Chinese Communist troops in the Yangtse River, having been refused a safe passage after a 3–month standoff		1949
Elvis Presley joins the Memphis Federation of Musicians (Local 71 of the US musicians' trade union)		1954
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a joint resolution of Congress, authorising "In God We Trust" as the USA's national motto		1956
The Iraqi monarchy is overthrown by a left–wing coup		1958
The Trans–Canada Highway– the world's longest national highway – is officially opened		1962
Kim Philby is granted political asylum in Moscow, seven months after disappearing in Beirut		1963
US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Social Security Act of 1965 into law, establishing Medicare and Medicaid		1965
England beat West Germany by 4 goals to 2 (after extra time) in the World Cup Final		1966
US President Richard Nixon makes an unscheduled visit to South Vietnam, and meets South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu and US military commanders		1969
Mariner 6 sends back TV pictures from Mars		1969
David Scott and James Irwin land on the Moon in Apollo 15's lunar module Falcon, with the first Lunar Rover		1971
162 lives are lost when an All Nippon Airways Boeing 727 collides with a Japanese Air Force F–86 over Morioka – capital city of Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan		1971
Thalidomide victims are awarded £20 million compensation, after an 11–year legal battle		1973
US President Richard Nixon releases subpoenaed White House recordings, after being ordered to do so by the Supreme Court		1974
Greece and Turkey sign an interim peace agreement over Cyprus		1974
Jimmy Hoffa, former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, disappears from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (a suburb of Detroit) – never to be seen or heard from again; he would be declared legally dead in 1982		1975
Murtala Mohammed overthrows General Gowon to become Head of State in Nigeria		1975
In Japan, Okinawa Prefecture (under US rule since World War II) changes back from driving on the right hand side of the road to driving on the left (which is traditional in Japan)		1978
New Hebrides gain independence from Britain as Vanuatu		1980
The Knesset (the parliament of Israel) passes the Jerusalem Law – effectively annexing East Jerusalem (the Arab quarter). The United Nations would declare the law "null and void" three weeks later		1980
As many as 50,000 demonstrators, mostly women and children, take to the streets of Łódź to protest against food ration shortages		1981
Paul and Diana Lamplugh make an emotional appeal for the safe return of their daughter Suzy, 25, an estate agent – who was last seen two days ago, with a man (believed to be known to her as Mr. Kipper), outside a property in Fulham		1986
Saudi Arabian police open fire on Iranian zealots during the annual pilgrimage to Mecca		1987
King Hussain of Jordan renounces sovereignty over the West Bank to the PLO, and dissolves his country's House of Representatives		1987
Conservative MP Ian Gow is assassinated by an IRA car bomb at his home, after he assured the group that the British government would never surrender to them		1990
Following his 333 in the first innings, Graham Gooch scores 123 against India – a record total for a Test match, and for any match at Lord's		1990
Five members of the Bank of Credit & Commerce International are found guilty of money laundering		1990
150,000 stand in the rain as Pavarotti performs in Hyde Park		1991
Alan Shearer signs for Newcastle United for a world record £15 million		1996
Israel calls off peace talks with the PLO after two suicide bombs kill 13 at a Jewish market in Jerusalem		1997
20 people are buried in a landslide at Thredbo, New South Wales – Australia's most popular ski resort		1997
The Court of Appeal overturns Derek Bentley's 1953 conviction for the murder of a police officer		1998
Leaders of Congo and Rwanda sign a peace treaty, ending a war that has cost millions of lives		2002
George Best undergoes a liver transplant, after a nine–month wait for a donor		2002
The last of over 21 million 'old–style' Volkswagen Beetles leaves the production line in Puebla, Mexico		2003
Over 50 people, including 37 children, are reported to have died in an Israeli air attack on a building in Qana, southern Lebanon (later revised to 28 dead, including 16 children, and 13 missing)		2006
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire, and before that the Belgian Congo) holds its first multi–party elections since 1960		2006
Top of the Pops – after 42 years, the world's longest–running music show – is broadcast for the last time on BBC2		2006
Zara Phillips – the Queen's eldest granddaughter – marries former rugby union footballer Mike Tindall		2011
A power grid failure in Delhi leaves more than 300 million people without power		2012

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On This Day: 30 July