30 August 1955

A Tuesday in history

Weekday

Tuesday

Season

Summer (N. Hemisphere)

Century

20th century

Records

387

  1. 2025

    Ukrainian politician Andriy Parubiy was assassinated in Lviv, Ukraine.

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  2. 2021

    The last remaining American troops left Afghanistan, ending U.S. involvement in the war.

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  3. 2007

    A heavy bomber that had been unintentionally loaded with nuclear missiles flew them from North Dakota to Louisiana before they were recognized.

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  4. 1990

    Gulf War: US General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. issued General Order No. 1 prohibiting US troops from consuming alcohol or possessing pornographic material.

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  5. 1984

    Discovery, the third orbiter of NASA's Space Shuttle program, lifted off on its maiden voyage from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

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  6. 1981

    Iranian president Mohammad-Ali Rajai and prime minister Mohammad-Javad Bahonar were assassinated in a bombing committed by the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran.

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  7. 1974

    An express train carrying foreign workers from Yugoslavia to West Germany derailed in Zagreb, killing 153 people.

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  8. 1974

    A powerful bomb exploded at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries headquarters in Marunouchi, Tokyo, killing eight people.

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  9. 1967

    Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as the first African-American Supreme Court justice.

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  10. 1959

    South Vietnamese opposition figure Phan Quang Đán was elected to the National Assembly, despite soldiers being bussed in to vote multiple times for President Ngô Đình Diệm's candidate.

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  11. 1959

    Writer and politician Abdul Muis became the first person to be awarded the posthumous title of National Hero of Indonesia.

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  12. 1942

    British and Australian prisoners of war in Singapore revolted against their Japanese captors, who required them to pledge not to escape.

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  13. 1942

    Second World War: German field marshal Erwin Rommel launched the last major Axis offensive of the Western Desert campaign, attacking British positions near El Alamein, Egypt.

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  14. 1914

    World War I: The Battle of Tannenberg resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Russian 2nd Army by the German 8th Army.

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  15. 1835

    European settlers landing on the north banks of the Yarra River in Southeastern Australia founded the city of Melbourne (Parliament House pictured).

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  16. 1594

    King James VI of Scotland held a masque at the baptism of Prince Henry, his first child.

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  17. 1574

    Guru Ram Das (pictured) became the fourth of the Sikh gurus, the spiritual masters of Sikhism.

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  18. 1464

    Paul II succeeded Pius II as pope of the Catholic Church.

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  19. 70

    First Jewish–Roman War: Roman forces led by Titus set fire to the Second Temple during the siege of Jerusalem.

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Photo archive

24 historic images from this day — tap to open the gallery.

What was life like?

Prices, jobs, food, music and everyday routine — the world as it felt to live in.

Sources & fact check

Every claim is traced to primary sources, archives, universities and the press — with an explicit confidence rating. Dossiers are generated once and cached permanently.