This Day In History : October 30

1985 United States

22nd NASA Space Shuttle Mission (61-A)- Challenger 9 launched

On October 30, 1985, NASA launched the 22nd Space Shuttle mission, STS-61-A, using the Challenger. Known as the German D-1 Spacelab mission, it had a record crew of eight astronauts who conducted over 75 scientific experiments in materials science, life sciences, and technology. The mission, running from October 30 to November 6, 1985, highlighted international collaboration, especially with Germany, and demonstrated the Space Shuttle's capacity for complex scientific tasks.

Also on This Day in History October 30

Discover what happened on October 30 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, October 30
  • 1735 John Adams

    American lawyer and politician who became the 2nd President of the United States

  • 1928 Daniel Nathans

    American scientist who won the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of restriction enzymes

  • 1909 Homi J. Bhabha

    Indian nuclear physicist who is regarded as the father of the Indian nuclear power program

  • 1817 Hermann Franz Moritz Kopp

    German chemist (Jahresbericht of Chemistry)

  • 1953 Alexander Poleshchuk

    Russian cosmonaut (Soyuz TM-16)

Deaths on This Day, October 30
  • 1910 Henry Dunant

    Swiss humanitarian, Founder of Red Cross, (Nobel 1901)

  • 1923 Bonar Law

    Canadian/Scottish politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

  • 1823 Edmund Cartwright

    English inventor (power loom)

  • 1979 Barnes Wallis

    English scientist, engineer and inventor (bouncing bomb)

  • 2006 Clifford Geertz

    American anthropologist (symbolic anthropology)

1947

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) founded

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was established on October 30, 1947, in Geneva, Switzerland. It was a legal agreement between multiple countries, aimed at promoting international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs, quotas, and subsidies. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1948, with the initial signing by 23 countries, including major economies like the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.
2024

Biggest Bomb in History is Detonated

On October 30, 1961, the Soviet Union detonated the Tsar Bomba over the Novaya Zemlya archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. This hydrogen bomb, officially designated RDS-220, is the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated. It had a yield of 50 megatons, which is about 3,800 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.
2014

Sweden Recognizes Palestine

On October 30, 2014, Sweden recognized the state of Palestine, becoming the first major EU country to do so. This move aimed to support Palestinian self-determination and promote a two-state solution. The decision garnered mixed reactions globally, highlighting the contentious nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
1967

Ferdinand Bracke bicycles world record time (48,093 km)

Ferdinand Bracke (born 25 May 1939) is a Belgian former professional road and track cyclist who is most famous for holding the World Hour Record (48.093 km) and winning the overall title at the 1971 Vuelta a España in front of Wilfried David of Belgium and Luis Ocaña of Spain. He also became world pursuit champion on the track in 1964 and 1969.
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