 "History Today: When Britain's Prince William tied the knot with Kate and the world watched on")
Who does not remember the day when world’s most promising bachelor, Prince William, tied the knot with his long time girlfriend Catherine ‘Kate’ Middleton on April 29, 2011. The ceremony, attended by some 1,900 guests at Westminster Abbey and a whopping two billion viewers on television, became one of the most talked about events of the decade.
If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events.
On this day in 1992, Los Angeles descended into chaos after a jury acquitted four white police officers accused of brutally beating Rodney King, a Black motorist, the previous year. Meanwhile, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun got married only hours before they died by suicide on this day in 1945.
Here is all that took place on this day across the world.
Prince William marries Kate Middleton
One of Great Britain’s most talked about events, the marriage of Duke of Cambridge Prince William, with his long-time girlfriend Catherine Middleton took place on April 29, 2011. The ceremony which took place in a grand royal ceremony at the Westminster Abbey, London was one of the most anticipated global events of the decade.
Their love story, which began nearly eight years ago, had all the makings of a fairy tale. William and Kate met during their college days at the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Often considered a love story of the modern age, the two lovebirds got engaged in October 2010 while vacationing in Kenya. It was publicly announced the following month, on November 16.
The bride’s gown was a creation of Sarah Burton for the British fashion house Alexander McQueen, and the groom wore the scarlet tunic indicative of an Irish Guards officer. While Middleton’s sister served as the maid Of honour, Prince Harry became the best man for their wedding.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe wedding was steeped in tradition yet had a contemporary tone. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, officiated the ceremony. Following the vows, the newlyweds paraded through the streets of London in a horse-drawn carriage, waving to cheering crowds. Their first public kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace became an iconic moment.
Deadly riots erupt in Los Angeles
Deadly riots broke out on the streets of Los Angeles on this day in 1992, hours after a jury acquitted four white police officers accused of brutally beating Rodney King, a Black motorist, the previous year. In south-central Los Angeles, protestors obstructed freeway traffic, assaulted motorists, damaged and looted numerous downtown businesses and buildings and ignited over 100 fires.
Businesses were set ablaze, vehicles torched and windows smashed. The Los Angeles Police Department, initially overwhelmed, struggled to respond effectively to the growing unrest.
The violence raged for six days and resulted in over 60 deaths while more than 2,000 were injured. Over 12,000 people were arrested. The National Guard, US Army and Marines were deployed to restore order as the city resembled a war zone.
In the aftermath, officials and community leaders vowed to address the deep-seated issues that led to the unrest. The federal government launched an investigation into the LAPD and eventually, two of the four officers were convicted in a federal civil rights trial in 1993.
Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun marry
German dictator Adolf Hitler married his long-time partner Eva Braun in a brief and sombre civil ceremony inside his underground Führerbunker on this day in 1945. The ceremony came against the backdrop of the Third Reich crumbling and the Soviet forces closing in on Berlin.
The wedding ceremony was performed by a city official, Walther Wagner, around midnight. It was a short and legal union attended by a small group of close associates, including Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and Hitler’s secretary, Traudl Junge. Witnesses later recalled that after the brief exchange of vows, the couple toasted their marriage with champagne and shared a quiet meal.
Eva Braun had been Hitler’s companion for over a decade, though their relationship was kept largely secret from the German public. She had lived a secluded life, devoted to Hitler, rarely appearing in public or at official events. As the Allied forces advanced from the west and Soviet troops bombarded Berlin from the east, Braun chose to join Hitler in the bunker rather than flee, displaying unwavering loyalty.
Just one day after their wedding, on April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun died by suicide. While Hitler shot himself in the head, Braun ingested cyanide. Their bodies were found together on a sofa in the bunker and were swiftly burned in the garden of the Reich Chancellery, in accordance with Hitler’s instructions, to prevent public display or capture.
This Day, That Year
On this day in 1990, a tropical cyclone struck Bangladesh killing an estimated 1,40,000 people.
In 1916, about 10,000 British troops surrendered to Ottoman Turks at Al-Kūt, Iraq.
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