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On this day in history - September 29

What Happened On This Day – September 29

  • 1994 Sinking of MS Estonia

    MS Estonia, a passenger and car ferry, sank in the Baltic Sea killing more than 800 passengers. It is considered to be the worst maritime peace-time disaster of the 20th century.

  • 1991 Coup in Haiti

    President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was deposed in a military coup. Aristide had been elected in a national election held 8 months before the coup.

  • 1962 First Canadian Satellite

    Canada launched its first ever satellite, Alouette 1, on this day from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, United States. A joint venture between NASA and Defence Research and Development Canada, the satellite was sent to study the Earth's ionosphere.

  • 1954 CERN established

    The European Organization for Nuclear Research, popularly known as CERN, was established by 12 European governments.

  • 1941 Babi Yar massacre

    About 33,000 Soviet Jews were killed at the Babi Yar ravine in Kiev by the Nazis in a two-day massacre that started on this day.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
September 29

  • 1961 Julia Gillard

    Australian politician, 27th Prime Minister of Australia

  • 1951 Michelle Bachelet

    Chilean politician, 34th President of Chile

  • 1936 Silvio Berlusconi

    Italian politician, 50th Prime Minister of Italy

  • 1901 Enrico Fermi

    Italian physicist, Nobel Prize laureate

  • 1511 Michael Servetus

    Spanish theologian, physician, cartographer

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
September 29

  • 2009 Pavel Popovich

    Soviet astronaut

  • 1997 Roy Lichtenstein

    American painter, sculptor

  • 1981 Bill Shankly

    Scottish footballer, manager

  • 1973 W. H. Auden

    English/American poet

  • 1902 Émile Zola

    French author, critic