30 August in history
9 events that happened on 30 August, from 70 to 1999.
✦ Anniversary of the day
70 CE 1,956 years ago
Titus's legions destroy the Second Temple in Jerusalem
During the First Jewish–Roman War, Roman legions under Titus retook Jerusalem and destroyed much of the city and the Second Temple. The day, Tisha B'Av in the Hebrew calendar, fell on either 4 or 30 August.
1060 CE 966 years ago
The Mirdasids defeat the Fatimids at al-Funaydiq and take Aleppo
The Mirdasid chieftain Mahmud ibn Nasr of the Banu Kilab defeated the Fatimid army under Nasir al-Dawla Ibn Hamdan after its Bedouin allies switched sides. Aleppo then surrendered to Mahmud, ending direct Fatimid rule over the city for good.
1282 CE 744 years ago
Peter III of Aragon lands at Trapani to claim Sicily
At the invitation of the Sicilian rebels of the Vespers, who regarded his wife Constance as their rightful queen, Peter III of Aragon landed at Trapani. He was proclaimed king in Palermo on 4 September, beginning the long Aragonese rule of Sicily.
1363 CE 663 years ago
The Battle of Lake Poyang begins
The fleets of Zhu Yuanzhang and Chen Youliang clashed on Lake Poyang in one of the largest naval battles in history. Zhu's victory weeks later opened his path to founding the Ming dynasty.
1464 CE 562 years ago
Pietro Barbo is elected pope as Paul II
Pietro Barbo, a Venetian and nephew of Pope Eugene IV, succeeded Pius II as pope, taking the name Paul II. He built the Palazzo Venezia in Rome and amassed a great collection of art and antiquities.
1835 CE 191 years ago
John Pascoe Fawkner's settlers land at the site of Melbourne
Settlers sent by John Pascoe Fawkner went ashore on the Yarra River, building the first houses of what became Melbourne. It grew into Australia's second-largest city.
1963 CE 63 years ago
The Washington-Moscow hotline goes into service
A direct teleprinter link between the White House and the Kremlin began operating. Set up after the Cuban missile crisis, it aimed to prevent war by misunderstanding; it was never a red telephone.
Born on 30 August 2
Died on 30 August 6
Dates as the sources give them: in the Julian calendar before 1582, and in some countries for longer (Britain until 1752, Russia until 1918). Only people whose day of birth or death the records agree on are listed.