On This Day in History

October 29

Historical Events

539 BC King Cyrus "the Great" of Persia marches into Babylon, freeing Jewish captives and allowing them to return home

1268 Conradin, the last legitimate male heir of the German Hohenstaufen dynasty of Kings and Holy Roman Emperors, is executed with Frederick I, Margrave of Baden by Charles I of Sicily

1665 Battle of Mbwila [Ambuila]: Portuguese forces defeat the Kingdom of Kongo and decapitate King António I of Kongo, also known as Nvita a Nkanga

A victim of the Wall Street crash puts his car up for sale in a desperate bid to raise cash

1929 Stock market crash on Wall Street, known as "Black Tuesday," triggers the Great Depression

2015 China announces the end of its one-child policy after 35 years

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Famous Birthdays

Fanny Brice 1891 - 1951 Carl Djerassi 1923 - 2015

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 86th Birthday Winona Ryder 53rd Birthday

Also Franz von Papen and Denis Potvin (71)

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Famous Deaths

Walter Raleigh Executed in 1618 Joseph Pulitzer 1847 - 1911

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'Splendid Achievement' becomes the 'Road To Hell'

London's orbital road, the M25 was hailed as a splendid achievement by PM Margaret Thatcher when she opened it on this day. But it soon developed another nickname...

London’s Road to Hell