On This Day in History

Explore This Day in History

Learn what happened on this day in history. Browse historical events, famous birthdays and notable deaths for any date, all sourced from Wikipedia.

Today in numbers

52events
224born
84died

What Happened On This Day in History

Find out what happened on this day in history through today's featured event, latest article, famous birthday, notable death, holidays and observances, your birthday in history, and this month in history. Each card opens the complete history page.

Holidays and Observances Today

International days, national holidays and religious feast days that fall on today's date. Each card opens the holiday in the full holidays calendar. See all 11 holidays today.

International day

International Translation Day (International Federation of Translators)

International observance, 30 September

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National or local holiday

Agricultural Reform (Nationalization) Day (São Tomé and Príncipe)

National or local holiday on September 30.

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National or local holiday

Birth of Morelos (Mexico)

National or local holiday on September 30.

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National or local holiday

Boy's Day (Poland)

National or local holiday on September 30.

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National or local holiday

Independence Day (Botswana) or Botswana Day, celebrates the independence of Botswana from United Kingdom in 1966

National or local holiday on September 30.

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National or local holiday

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation or Orange Shirt Day (Canada)

Canadian day of remembrance for victims of residential schools

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Religious feast day

Blessed Federico Albert

Recognition by the Catholic Church of a holy person

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Religious feast day

Gregory the Illuminator

Patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church (c.257–c.331)

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Religious feast day

Honorius of Canterbury

Archbishop of Canterbury from 627 to 653, Christian saint

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Religious feast day

Jerome

Priest and theologian (c. 342/347 – 420)

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Religious feast day

September 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Day in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar

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What Happened This Month

September in History

See what happened in September in history, from the battles, treaties and discoveries that shaped the world to the famous September birthdays and holidays, with a page for every day of the month.

See September in History

On This Day in History Articles

A new history article is published every day covering one significant event from the past. Each post explores the causes, key figures, immediate impact, and the legacy that still resonates in the world today.

Sue Takafusa forces Ōuchi Yoshitaka to commit suicide
September 30, 2026

Sue Takafusa forces Ōuchi Yoshitaka to commit suicide

Sue Takafusa led a coup against Ōuchi Yoshitaka, forcing the daimyō to commit suicide at Tainei-ji temple and ending the clan's prosperity.

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What Happened during the Kyshtym Disaster in 1957?
September 29, 2026

What Happened during the Kyshtym Disaster in 1957?

An underground tank of high-level liquid nuclear waste exploded at the Mayak plant, contaminating thousands of square kilometers in the Soviet Union.

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How did a deliberate crash decide the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix?
September 28, 2026

How did a deliberate crash decide the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix?

Fernando Alonso won the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Formula One's first night race, after teammate Nelson Piquet Jr. crashed to trigger a safety car.

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How did a disguised gunman kill 14 in the Zug parliament?
September 27, 2026

How did a disguised gunman kill 14 in the Zug parliament?

Friedrich Leibacher, disguised as a police officer, shot and killed 14 people in the Canton of Zug parliament before taking his own life.

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How did Stanislav Petrov avert a nuclear war in 1983?
September 26, 2026

How did Stanislav Petrov avert a nuclear war in 1983?

Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov identified a nuclear missile warning as a computer error, preventing a retaliatory strike and potential nuclear war.

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How did Congress define Sequoia National Park's 1890 boundaries?
September 25, 2026

How did Congress define Sequoia National Park's 1890 boundaries?

On September 25, 1890, the U.S. Congress established Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, protecting 404,064 acres of forested…

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How did fuel subsidy removal trigger the Saffron Revolution?
September 24, 2026

How did fuel subsidy removal trigger the Saffron Revolution?

Buddhist monks and students led nonviolent protests in Yangon after fuel prices surged following the removal of government subsidies in 2007.

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Israel launches airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
September 23, 2026

Israel launches airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

On September 23, 2024, Israel began Operation Northern Arrows, launching deadly airstrikes that killed 558 people in Lebanon in a single day.

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Our blog

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A new history article every day covering one major event, with sourced facts and key figures behind it.

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History in 60 Seconds

Short videos covering one significant historical event each, told through archival imagery and narration. A new video goes up every day alongside the daily article.

Featured Videos

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Historical events told through archival imagery and narration, daily.

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Click any date on the calendar to browse historical events, famous birthdays, and notable deaths from that day. Move between months to explore thousands of years of recorded history.

September

On This Day, September 30

  • 2016: Hurricane Matthew becomes a Category 5 hurricane, making it the strongest hurricane to form in the Caribbean Sea since 2007.
  • 2016: Two paintings with a combined value of $100 million are recovered after having been stolen from the Van Gogh Museum in 2002.
  • 2009: The 7.6 Mw Sumatra earthquake leaves 1,115 people dead.
  • 2005: Controversial drawings of Muhammad are printed in a Danish newspaper.
  • 2000: Israeli–Palestinian conflict: Twelve-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah is shot and killed on the second day of the Second Intifada.

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