Here’s a brief look back in time for this day, April 29.
In 1945, approximately 32,000 prisoners are freed from the Dachau concentration camp, which is located near Munich, Germany. The 42nd and 45th Infantry Divisions and the 20th Armored Division of the US Army liberated the camp as the Nazi war machine goes into full retreat. Just before liberation, German guards forced 7,000 prisoners onto a death march towards the town of Tegernsee – a 17 hour walk through bitter cold and snow. Those who couldn’t walk were shot to death. It wouldn’t be until the month after when American forces find them. Meanwhile in a secluded bunker, Adolf Hitler marries Eva Braun hours before committing suicide.
In 1992, the trial of four Los Angeles police officers taped beating an unarmed Black man results in an acquittal for all the defendants, causing the 1992 LA Riots. Several boroughs of the city were destroyed as thousands of protestors decried the verdict in support of the victim, Rodney King. 63 people had been killed, and around 2,400 were injured. Around $1 billion ($2.35 billion in 2026) worth of damages were incurred. A year after the riots, all four of the officers were re-trialed: two were sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison, while the other two were acquitted again.
In 2004, the last Oldsmobile is completed and sent for sale, ending a century-long legacy of American automobiles. General Motors (GM) had announced the discontinuation towards the end of 2000, citing declining sales as the primary factor. Over 35 million Oldsmobile cars were produced since the brand’s inception in 1897.