April 29th
1429
Joan of Arc entered the city of Orléans. She would end its months-long siege and would become known as the "Maid of Orléans."
1864
The Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
1916
The Easter rebellion in Ireland ended with the surrender of Irish nationalists.
1945
American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration camp.
1945
Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler married his longtime mistress Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker. The couple killed themselves the next day.
1961
ABC’s "Wide World of Sports" premiered.
1967
After refusing induction into the United States Army the day before (citing religious reasons), Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.
1978
Japan's Naomi Uemura, traveling by sled dog, became the first person to reach the North Pole alone.
1979
The final episode of "Battlestar Galactica" was aired on ABC.
1980
Film director Alfred Hitchcock died at age of 80.
1981
Steve Carlton, of the Philadelphia Phillies, became the first left-handed pitcher in the major leagues to get 3,000 career strikeouts.
1981
Truck driver Peter Sutcliffe admitted in a London court to being the "Yorkshire Ripper," the killer of 13 women in northern England over five years.
1986
Pitcher Roger Clemens set a major league baseball record by striking out 20 batters in a regular nine-inning game. He repeated his feat in 1996.
1992
A Los Angeles jury acquitted four police officers accused of beating Rodney King. Massive rioting and looting ensued.
1997
The first joint U.S.-Russian space walk was made by Jerry Linenger and Vasily Tsibliyev from space station Mir.
2002
Darryl Strawberry was sentenced to 18 months in prison for violating his probation on a 1999 conviction on drug and solicitation of prostitution charges.
2004
Oldsmobile builds its final car ending 107 years of production.
Birthdays
92 Celeste Holm Actress
81 Carl Gardner R&B singer (The Coasters)
76 Keith Baxter Actor
76 Rod McKuen Poet
75 Luis Aparicio Baseball Hall of Famer
75 Otis Rush Blues musician
66 Duane Allen Country singer (The Oak Ridge Boys)
65 Richard Kline Actor and director
62 Tommy James Singer (The Shondells)
59 Wayne Secrest Country musician (Confederate Railroad)
55 Jerry Seinfeld Actor, comedian ("Seinfeld")
54 Leslie Jordan Actor
54 Kate Mulgrew Actress ("Star Trek: Voyager")
52 Daniel Day-Lewis Actor
51 Michelle Pfeiffer Actress
51 Eve Plumb Actress ("The Brady Bunch")
51 Gary Cohen Sports broadcaster
49 Phil King Rock musician
46 Stephanie Bentley Country singer
46 Mike Babcock Hockey coach
41 Carnie Wilson Singer (Wilson Phillips)
39 Uma Thurman Actress
39 Andre Agassi Tennis player
39 Master P Rapper
37 James Bonamy Country singer
36 Mike Hogan Rock musician (The Cranberries)
31 Tyler Labine Actor ("Reaper")
24 Zane Carney Actor
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skullnrose Cigar Asylum Inmate
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The Professor Cigar Asylum Inmate
63 Alexander II 4/29/1818 - 3/13/1881 Russian emperor (1855-81); emancipated the serfs in 1861
88 William Randolph Hearst 4/29/1863 - 8/14/1951 American newspaper publisher
88 Harold Urey 4/29/1893 - 1/5/1981 American Nobel-Prize winning chemist (1934); helped develop the atom bomb
75 Duke Ellington 4/29/1899 - 5/24/1974 American composer, bandleader and pianist; a founder of big-band jazz
87 Hirohito 4/29/1901 - 1/7/1989 Japanese emperor (1926-89 )
72 George Allen 4/29/1918 - 12/31/1990 Hall of Fame football coach
49 Dale Earnhardt, Sr. 4/29/1951 - 2/18/2001 Race car driver
3 Barbaro 4/29/2003 - 1/29/2007 Thoroughbred race horse, 2006 Kentucky Derby