This Day in History - April 30

This Day in History: April 30 — Infoplease.com

1803

France sold Louisiana and adjoining lands to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

1812

Louisiana became the 18th state in the United States.

1939

U.S. commercial television made its official debut at the New York World’s Fair.The signal was transmitted from the Empire State Building.

1945

Adolf Hitler and his newly married mistress Eva Braun committed suicide.

1975

The Vietnam War ended with South Vietnam's surrender to North Vietnam.

1991

Over 131,000 were killed and as many as 9 million left homeless when a cyclone struck Bangladesh.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAY

Franz Lehár
Pronunciation: [fränts le´här]
1870–1948, Hungarian composer of operettas.

Also Born on April 30

• Saint John Baptist de la Salle
  educator (1651)
• John Crowe Ransom
  poet and critic (1888)
• Eve Arden
  actress (1912)
• Cloris Leachman
  actress (1926)
• Willie Nelson
  country singer, songwriter (1933)
• Isiah Thomas
  basketball player (1961)