Apr 30

This day marked the liberation of South Vietnam by the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN), the armed forced of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam when they captured Saigon, the capital of the Republic of Vietnam. This event also marked the end of the second Indochine War and the reunification of the country under Communist rule.

PAVN forces began their attack on April 29 with heavy artillery bombardment and by the afternoon of the next day, the North Vietnamese soldiers occupied the most important parts of the city and raised their flag over the Independence Palace. Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City.

Just before the city fell, almost all American and civilian personnel in Saigon were evacuated as well as tens of thousands of South Vietnamese civilians. This evacuation concluded with Operation Frequent Wind, the largest helicopter evacuation in history. As early as the end of March, some Americans left Saigon and all flights were full. Throughout April, the speed of the evacuation picked up. The situation became more desperate when on April 29, Tan Son Nhut Airport was hit by rockets and heavy artillery that took out a C-130 plane. The continued shelling and debris on the runways made them unfit for use and the decision was made to use helicopters for the emergency evacuation. At 3:30 pm, the Saigon government was dissolved at all levels effectively ending the Vietnam War.

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Apr 29

The Siege of Orleans (1428-29) was a turning point in the Hundred Years’ War between France and England. It was Joan of Arc’s first major military victory and the first significant French success after being soundly defeated at Agincourt in 1415. Orleans had both symbolic and strategic importance to both sides. For half a year the English had the advantage but the siege failed nine days after Joan arrived.

The siege began on October 12, 1428. English forces already controlled several towns in the area with Orleans being the last major stronghold. For years, French prophecies foretold of an armed maid who would rescue France and so when word reached the citizens of Orleans of Joan of Arc’s journey, they were excited and relieved. In March, she joined the relief army which was being assembled. She sent the English forces two letters telling them to quit the siege, surrender all the cities and territories they occupied, and return to England.

Joan of Arc arrived with the relief army on the outskirts of Orleans on April 28, 1429 and entered the city the next day. For weeks Joan had heated arguments with those in charge of the city’s defenses over the best battle tactics. She pushed for an aggressive attack on the English forces and led an army (against orders not to do so) to Tourelles taking it back in several days of intense fighting in which she was wounded. Inspired by this victory, the French army went on the offensive eventually reaching English-held Paris.

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Apr 28

Character actor Bruno Kirby was born in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. His father Bruce was an actor and his brother John was an acting coach. Kirby’s first film was the obscure The Young Graduates (1971) and he also appeared on several television shows until his profile in Hollywood was given a boost with a role in The Godfather Part II (1974).

Kirby became best known for his scene stealing parts in This Is Spinal Tap (1984), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), and The Freshman (1990). He excelled at playing working class characters with a distinctive voice that was pure New York. However, Kirby was able to show a dramatic side as evident in solid performance in Donnie Brasco (1997).

The films he best and most fondly remembered for are the two he did with Billy Crystal – When Harry Met Sally… (1989) and City Slickers (1991), playing the comedian’s best friend. He also developed a long-running working relationship with director Barry Levinson, appearing in two of his films and a memorable guest spot on his TV show Homicide: Life on the Streets.

Kirby died on August 14, 2006 at age 57 in Los Angeles from complications related to leukemia.

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Apr 27

The Canadian Corporation for the 1967 World Exhibition opened on April 27, 1967 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and closed on October 29 of that same year. It was considered the most successful World’s Fair of the 20th century with over 50 million visitors, 62 nations participating, and a record for single-day attendance for a world’s fair with 569,000 visitors on its third day.

It was originally to be held in Moscow to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Russian Revolution but the Soviet Union had to cancel and Canada was awarded it in the fall of 1962. It went on to become the country’s main celebration during its centennial year. The official opening ceremonies were held on Thursday afternoon in an invitation-only event held at the Place des Nations. Governor General of Canada Roland Michener proclaimed the fair open after the Expo flame was ignited by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Over 1,000 reporters covered the event which was broadcast, via satellite, to a worldwide audience of over 700 million viewers and listeners. Expo 67 was officially opened to the public the next day with an estimated crowd of between 310,000 and 335,000 visitors.

The Expo featured 90 pavilions representing Man and His World themes with the Soviet Union’s being the most popular, attracting 13 million visitors. The Ed Sullivan Show was broadcast live twice from the Expo and notable people such as Queen Elizabeth II, Robert F. Kennedy, Bing Crosby, and Marlene Dietrich visited during the fair’s run.