On this day

1909 – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People's Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.

1913 - Swedish-born U.S. inventor Gideon Sundback patented the zipper.

1945 - American soldiers liberated the Dachau concentration camp, the first concentration camp established by the Nazi regime.

1967 – After refusing induction into the United States Army the day before (citing religious reasons), Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.

1986 - The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, was laid to rest alongside her husband, the abdicated King Edward VIII, at Frogmore in Windsor.

1991 – A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 mph, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as 10 million homeless.

1992 – Riots in Los Angeles, California, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 53 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.

1993 - It was announced that Buckingham Palace would be opened to the public for the first time (during August & September) in a bid to raise funds to repair Windsor Castle.

2011 - The marriage of Prince William (2nd in line to the throne) and Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. The day has been declared a bank holiday, in celebration.

(29-04-2011 11:42 )skully Wrote:  1909 – The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People's Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.

Intent, ha, ha.

How's that worked out so far!

* sorry for flippant remarks couldn't let this gem go by and I know skully is just reporting the facts

1975: Saigon surrenders
The war in Vietnam ended today as the government in Saigon announced its unconditional surrender to North Vietnamese forces.
The President, Duong Van Minh, who has been in office for just three days, made the announcement in a radio broadcast to the nation early this morning. He asked his forces to lay down their arms and called on the North Vietnamese Army and Vietcong to halt all hostilities.

In a direct appeal to the Communist forces, he said: "We are here to hand over to you the power in order to avoid bloodshed."

The announcement was followed swiftly by the arrival of North Vietnamese troops. Their entrance was virtually unopposed, confounding predictions of a bloody and protracted last-ditch battle for the city.


War ends

The front line of tanks smashed through the gates of the presidential palace within minutes, and at 1130 local time (0330 GMT), decades of war came to an end.

Vietcong troops, many barefoot and some no more than teenagers, rounded up government soldiers, and raised their red and blue flags. The looting which has ravaged the city over the last 24 hours stopped, and power was restored later in the day. Only the United States embassy remained closed and silent, ransacked by looters.

Saigon was immediately renamed Ho Chi Minh City. A statement by the Provisional Revolutionary Government, or PRG, in Paris, promised a policy of non-alignment, and the peaceful reunification of Vietnam.

The British government is now urgently reviewing the possibility of recognising the PRG. France has already recognised the new regime, and other Western countries are preparing to follow suit.


Frenzied evacuation

The capitulation of the South Vietnamese government came just four hours after the last frenzied evacuation of Americans from the city. President Ford, who has requested humanitarian aid for the Vietnamese, let it be known that he was proud to have saved what Vietnamese he could in the last, frantic helicopter evacuation.

But there is said to be deep humiliation in the United States government at the desperation and chaos of the final hours of America's presence in Vietnam.

The President ordered United States ships to remain indefinitely off the Vietnamese coast to pick up refugees: but even this gesture has been snubbed by the North Vietnamese, who have prevented any more refugees from fleeing.


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The final hours of America's presence in Vietnam were marked by desperation and chaos



BBC news crew escapes from Saigon





In Context
In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Saigon, the Communist forces held victory parades and placed posters of Ho Chi Minh, the leader of the Viet Minh, on public buildings.
While most South Vietnamese were relieved at the end of the war, some who remained loyal to President Thieu committed suicide.

North and South Vietnam were reunified under communist rule in 1976. Ten years later, the government relaxed its regime, allowing elements of market forces and private enterprise to flourish.

There is still, however, opposition within the Vietnamese government to too much economic liberalisation.

In November 2000, President Bill Clinton visited Vietnam. It was hoped that this would be the culmination of US efforts to normalise relations with its former enemy.



Stories From 30 Apr
1975: Saigon surrenders

1973: Nixon takes rap for Watergate scandal

1999: Dozens injured in Soho nail bomb

1993: Tennis star stabbed

1952: Anne Frank published in English





BBC News >>
Reporter Brian Barron looks back at events of the Vietnam war

1006 – Supernova SN 1006, the brightest supernova in recorded history, appears in the constellation Lupus.

1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus his commission of exploration.

1789 - In New York City, George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America.

1927 – Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first celebrities to leave their footprints in concrete at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

1938 – The first televised FA Cup Final takes place between Huddersfield Town and Preston North End.
The TV audience was estimated as 10,000.

1948 - The Land Rover was introduced at the Amsterdam Motor Show.

1961 – K-19, the first Soviet nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear missiles, is commissioned.

1993 - Professional tennis player Monica Seles was stabbed while resting courtside during a match at Hamburg, Germany.

1995 – U.S. President Bill Clinton became the first President to visit Northern Ireland.

2004 – U.S. media release graphic photos of American soldiers abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison.

2009 – Chrysler automobile company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

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1982: RAF bombs Port Stanley
British planes have carried out raids on two airstrips near Port Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands which are currently occupied by Argentinian forces.
The attack was designed to deny the Argentines the means of landing supplies on the islands or attacking the British fleet patrolling the 200-mile exclusion zone.

Admiral Sandy Woodward, the British Task Force commander, said the mission was a success. "We didn't want this fight but we've shown our colours and this is our day," he said.

A Vulcan bomber with a back-up plane launched the attack before dawn from its base on Ascension Island, 3,000 miles from the Falklands.

The bombing was carried out at a height of 10,000 feet under cover of darkness - out of range of Argentine anti-aircraft missiles that can only be used against visible targets.

The plane dropped 21 bombs altogether and was followed by a force of Harrier jump-jets sent from aircraft carriers patrolling off shore.

These took pictures of the damage done by the Vulcan and bombed the grass airstrip at Goose Green 55 miles west of Port Stanley.

Retaliation

The Harriers also dropped 1,000lb bombs and 30mm Aden canon shells to destroy fuel and ammunition dumps.

They then scattered cluster bombs over the rubble of the airstrips to prevent any attempts to repair the damage.

The Argentine force retaliated with anti-aircraft guns, Tiger Cat missiles and sent out its Mirage and Canberra bombers.

The Argentines said the raids failed to destroy the runways and claimed a British pilot died and two Harriers were destroyed.

But the Ministry of Defence said none of its aircraft were shot down. It said only one Harrier was slightly damaged sustaining a hole in its tailfin that has now been repaired.


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Harrier jump jets carried out bombing raids on Goose Green



Report on the bombing raids





In Context
The following days saw the air battle turn to the sea with the controversial sinking of the Argentine ship General Belgrano. The Argentineans retaliated by sinking HMS Sheffield.
Sir Tristram, Sir Galahad, HMS Antelope, HMS Coventry and Atlantic Conveyor were also hit.

After a bloody land battle, Argentine forces surrendered and peace was declared on 20 June.

More than 900 people died in the three-week war - 655 Argentines, 255 British troops and three Falkland islanders.

The Falklands War gave a huge boost to Margaret Thatcher's popularity. She won the general election the following year with a massive majority and remained in power until 1990.

Although the two nations have made peace and relations are harmonious, Argentina still retains its historic claims to the "Malvinas" and Britain maintains an expensive and large garrison there.



Stories From 1 May
1945: Germany announces Hitler is dead

1982: RAF bombs Port Stanley

1994: Race ace Senna killed in car crash

1973: Thousands strike over pay and prices

1961: Victorious Castro bans elections

2000: May Day violence on London streets





Witness
'I was on the Sir Galahad when it was bombed' - Your stories

1707 – The Act of Union joins the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.

1776 – Establishment of the Illuminati in Ingolstadt (Upper Bavaria), by Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt.

1840 - The first British Penny Black stamp went on sale. Invented by Rowland Hill, it was the world’s first adhesive postage stamp and it became valid for postage on May 6th.

1869 – The Folies Bergère opens in Paris.

1883 - Buffalo Bill (William F. Cody) staged his first Wild West Show.

1884 - Construction began on the first skyscraper in America, a 10-story building on the corner of LaSalle and Adams in Chicago, Illinois.

1851 - Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London. Over 10,000 exhibitors set up eight miles of tables.

1941 - The film Citizen Kane, directed by and starring Orson Welles, opened in New York.

1955 - Stirling Moss and co-driver Dennis Jenkinson became the first British drivers to win the Mille Miglia.

1967 - Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas.

1982 - British planes attacked two airstrips near Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands to rid the islands of Argentine forces.

1989 – Disney-MGM Studios opens at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, United States.

1994 – Three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna is killed in an accident during the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

2009 – Same-sex marriage is legalized in Sweden.

1536 - Anne Boleyn, second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was sent to the Tower of London, accused of adultery and incest.

1568 – Mary, Queen of Scots, escapes from Loch Leven Castle.

1933 - The modern legend of the Loch Ness Monster was born when a sighting made local news.

1945 - The Soviet Union announced the fall of Berlin, and the Allies announced the surrender of Nazi troops in Italy and parts of Austria.

1952 - The world's first ever jet airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1, set off from London to Johannesburg on its maiden flight.

1965 - The Early Bird satellite was used to transmit television pictures across the Atlantic Ocean.

1969 - The passenger liner Queen Elizabeth II set off from Southampton on its first voyage.

1982: British sub sinks Argentine cruiser
Argentina's only cruiser, the General Belgrano, has been sunk by a British nuclear submarine in the South Atlantic.
It is the first serious attack on the Argentine navy by the British since the conflict over the disputed Falkland Islands began last month.

The second largest ship in the Argentine navy was struck by two Tigerfish torpedoes from HMS Conqueror. It is thought there were about 1,000 men on board.

British helicopters also sank a patrol boat and damaged another using Seaskua air-to-surface missiles.

According to sources in Buenos Aires, at least five Argentine warships have been taking part in the search for survivors throughout the day.



I sincerely hope it will not be a long and bloody conflict

John Nott, Defence Secretary


Chances of anyone being found are limited with reports of 30-foot high waves and icy conditions.
The Belgrano, an old World War II ship, was reported to have been severely damaged this morning. News that she had actually sunk came as the Defence Secretary, John Nott, was answering questions from journalists this afternoon.

The Belgrano was outside the 200-mile total exclusion zone at the time of the attack and Mr Nott was asked whether the bombing was therefore justified. He replied: "The General Belgrano was a threat to our men and therefore it is quite correct that she was attacked by our submarines."

Mr Nott said the past week had been a successful one for British armed forces, but that the overriding aim was a peaceful and lasting settlement.

"I sincerely hope it will not be a long and bloody conflict," he added.

Earlier today, the government announced the next stage in the military build-up.

The QE2 has been called into service - she is due back at Southampton at midnight tonight - as well as two ferries and a container ship.

They will be used to carry 3,000 infantrymen.


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Watch/Listen

A survivor's view of the sinking Belgrano from a lifeboat



Housewife grills Thatcher over Belgrano attack





In Context
The sinking of the Belgrano saw the loss of 368 lives. Although reports at the time said Tigerfish missiles had been used, it was in fact older Mark 8 torpedoes that sunk the ship.
The Argentineans retaliated by sinking HMS Sheffield killing 20 men.

The sea battle continued for many more weeks, then turned to the land. Argentine forces finally surrendered and peace was declared on 20 June.

The Belgrano sinking was the most controversial event of the Falklands War. Many people, both inside and outside the British Parliament said it was an unnecessary use of force - the ship was outside the exclusion zone and apparently sailing away from the Falklands.

A few months later, the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was famously grilled on national television by a British housewife who said that the bombing ensured a halt to peace talks being brokered by the UN and the Peruvian Government at the time.



Stories From 2 May
1997: Labour routs Tories in historic election

1982: British sub sinks Argentine cruiser

1952: Comet inaugurates the jet age

2001: Sotheby's and Christies chiefs charged

1969: Crackdown on student protests in US





Witness
'I was on the Sir Galahad when it was bombed' - Your stories




BBC News >>
In depth
Falklands 20 years on


19 July 2000
Belgrano legal action fails

1968: Surgeons conduct UK's first heart transplant
Britain's first heart transplant was successfully carried out today by a team of 18 doctors and nurses at the National Heart Hospital in Marylebone, London.
The operation, which was led by South African-born surgeon Donald Ross, was undertaken on an unnamed 45-year-old man.

It took more than seven hours to complete.

The donor, Patrick Ryan, a 26-year-old labourer, was transferred from King's College Hospital and his heart removed immediately after his death.

Recovering well

Reading from a prepared statement on the hospital steps, a spokesman said: "It has gone uneventfully. The patient, as far as we know, is satisfactory."

The man is said to be recovering well but his reaction to the implant over the next 10 to 14 days is expected to be critical.

Mr Ross, who was accompanied by the entire surgical team, said the operation lasted around two hours despite the fact they were working together for over seven hours.

The first sign the historic operation was about to take place came at 1150 GMT when Donald Longmore, the hospital's consultant in clinical physiology, was escorted by two police cars to King's College Hospital.

At 1330 GMT he drove back to the National Heart Hospital alongside an ambulance, which was carrying the donor and by 1400 GMT the initial stages of the operation were under way.

Reporters and photographers were camped outside the building as soon as rumours of the operation started to circulate.

The British operation is the tenth heart transplant to be undertaken in the world since Dr Christian Barnard carried out the first one in Cape Town, South Africa, last December.




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A team of 18 doctors took seven hours to finish the operation




In Context
Britain's first heart transplant patient, who was later named Frederick West, died 46 days after receiving the donor heart.
The hospital said he died from an "overwhelming infection" which he had been fighting for nine days.

He had been given a series of drugs to encourage the acceptance of the new heart but this lowered his resistance to infection and ultimately led to his death.

Mr West had also been suffering from kidney complications before he died.

After that, British surgeons adopted a cautious approach to heart surgery and only six more transplants were carried out in the UK over the next decade.

It wasn't until the 1980s that heart transplants became more common. Today around 300 heart transplant operations are carried out in the UK every year.



Stories From 3 May
1986: Bomb kills 21 in Sri Lanka

1968: Surgeons conduct UK's first heart transplant

1951: King George opens Festival of Britain

2000: Leading stock exchanges plan merger

1990: Latvia to declare independence





On This Day
6 December 1983
Transplant makes British medical history


13 August 1985
Heart-lung transplant makes history



BBC News
18 June 2004
Heart transplants: 25 years on

1494 - Christopher Columbus sighted the island of Jamaica.

1788 - The first daily evening newspaper, the Star and Evening Advertiser, was published in London.

1841 - New Zealand was declared a British colony.

1934 - Science fiction writer H.G.Wells predicted there would be a world war before 1940.

1937 - Margaret Mitchell won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, Gone With the Wind.

1951 - King George VI opened the Festival of Britain, at London's Royal Festival Hall.

1960 – The Anne Frank House opens in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

2003 – In the USA, New Hampshire's famous Old Man of the Mountain collapses.

2007 - 3 year old Madeleine McCann went missing from her family's holiday apartment at the Ocean Club, in Praia da Luz.

2008 - Boris Johnson become Mayor of London.