Year

1930

5 sourced events from this year.

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1930

Science 20th Century North America

Clyde Tombaugh Discovers Pluto at Lowell Observatory

Astronomers in the early 20th century suspected an undiscovered planet beyond Neptune based on irregularities in the orbits of Uranus and Neptune, leading Percival Lowell to initiate a search for “Planet X” at his observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. After Lowell’s death, the search continued with improved photographic techniques. On February 18, 1930, 24-year-old Clyde Tombaugh, working as an assistant, identified a moving object on photographic plates taken weeks earlier by comparing images with a blink comparator. Confirmation followed through additional observations, and the discovery was publicly announced in March. The tiny body, later named Pluto, expanded knowledge of the solar system’s outer reaches. Tombaugh’s methodical approach succeeded where prior efforts had failed.

Event Detail Daily Earth View

1930

Civil Rights 20th Century South Asia

Gandhi Launches Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram

British colonial rule in India imposed a monopoly on salt production and a heavy tax that disproportionately burdened the poor. Mahatma Gandhi, seeking to launch a mass civil disobedience campaign, selected salt as a unifying symbol of injustice. On March 12, 1930, Gandhi and seventy-eight followers departed Sabarmati Ashram near Ahmedabad for a 240-mile trek to the coastal village of Dandi. Crowds joined along the route as the marchers covered roughly ten miles daily, stopping in villages to promote nonviolent resistance. The procession reached Dandi on April 5, where Gandhi symbolically collected salt from the sea the next morning, violating British law and sparking nationwide protests.

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1930

Culture 20th Century Latin America & Caribbean

First FIFA World Cup Begins in Uruguay

FIFA had long sought an international football tournament separate from the Olympics. Uruguay, celebrating its centenary of independence and boasting recent Olympic champions, hosted the inaugural event. On July 13, 1930, the first two matches kicked off simultaneously in Montevideo: France defeated Mexico 4-1 with Lucien Laurent scoring the tournament's opening goal, while the United States beat Belgium 3-0. Only 13 nations participated due to the Great Depression and long travel distances, mostly from the Americas. Uruguay won the final against Argentina 4-2 before a large home crowd at the new Estadio Centenario.

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1930

Disaster 20th Century Europe

British R101 Airship Crashes in France

Britain pursued ambitious airship programs in the interwar period to establish long-distance passenger and mail routes to its empire. The R101, one of the largest rigid airships ever built, embarked on its maiden voyage to India on October 4, 1930, carrying dignitaries and crew. Early on October 5, amid stormy weather over northern France, the airship struck a hillside near Beauvais and burst into flames. Of the 54 people aboard, 48 perished in the disaster, including key figures from the British Air Ministry. The crash effectively ended Britain's rigid airship ambitions.

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1930

Politics 20th Century Sub-Saharan Africa

Haile Selassie Crowned Emperor of Ethiopia

Ethiopia had maintained its independence as one of the few African nations not colonized during the Scramble for Africa, though it faced internal challenges and external pressures. Ras Tafari Makonnen had risen through the ranks as regent and heir apparent after the death of Empress Zewditu. On November 2, 1930, he was formally crowned Emperor Haile Selassie I in a grand ceremony at St. George's Cathedral in Addis Ababa, adopting a name meaning "Power of the Trinity." The event drew international royalty and dignitaries, symbolizing Ethiopia's sovereignty and modernization efforts under his leadership. Selassie would later become a central figure in African independence movements and the Rastafari faith.

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