The final American combat soldiers departed South Vietnam, ending direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War after more than eight years of ground operations.
The bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil during the Wars of the Roses, with an estimated 28,000 casualties. The Yorkist victory secured the throne for Edward IV and devastated the Lancastrian cause.
Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus forced a crossing of the River Lech in Bavaria against fortified Imperial positions, defeating the Catholic League army under Marshal Tilly in one of the most audacious river crossings of the Thirty Years' War. Tilly was mortally wounded by a cannonball during the battle, removing one of the Empire's most capable commanders.
U.S. forces under General Winfield Scott captured the fortified Mexican port city of Veracruz after a 20-day siege, the first large-scale amphibious assault in American military history.
Grant launched the final offensive against Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at the Battle of Lewis's Farm, beginning the Appomattox Campaign that would end the Civil War within two weeks.
The U.S. Army officially adopted John Browning's .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, beginning one of the longest service records of any standard-issue firearm in military history.
The Royal Navy won a decisive victory over the Italian Regia Marina off the southern coast of Greece, sinking three heavy cruisers and two destroyers, establishing Allied naval dominance in the eastern Mediterranean.
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of conspiring to pass atomic bomb secrets to the Soviet Union, in one of the most controversial espionage trials in American history. The case exposed the extent of Soviet nuclear espionage and intensified the Cold War atmosphere that drove massive American military spending and nuclear weapons development.
A military jury convicted Lieutenant William Calley of the premeditated murder of 22 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai, the only conviction resulting from the 1968 massacre that killed hundreds.
The final American combat soldiers departed South Vietnam, ending direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War after more than eight years of ground operations.
Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia formally joined NATO, marking the largest single expansion in the alliance's history. The addition of three former Soviet republics (the Baltic states) extended NATO's border to within 100 miles of St. Petersburg, fundamentally altering the strategic landscape of post-Cold War Europe.
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10 military events occurred on March 29, spanning multiple centuries. Key events include: Last U.S. Combat Troops Leave Vietnam (1973), Battle of Towton (1461), Siege of Veracruz Ends (1847), Appomattox Campaign Begins (1865), Battle of Cape Matapan (1941).
The most significant military event on March 29 is Last U.S. Combat Troops Leave Vietnam (1973). The final American combat soldiers departed South Vietnam, ending direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War after more than eight years of ground operations.
Notable military figures born on March 29 include George Alan Vasey (1895–1945), James G. Spears (1816–1869).
Events on March 29 span the Vietnam War, the Colonial & Revolutionary era, the Civil War, the Interwar Period, World War II, the Cold War, the Modern Era, covering 10 events across 5 centuries of military history.
Events on March 29 involve 4 branches of the U.S. and allied armed forces, reflecting the global scope of military operations throughout history.
Explore military history from the day you were born.
June 6
The Allied invasion of Normandy, the largest amphibious assault in history.
December 7
Japan attacks the U.S. Pacific Fleet, bringing America into World War II.
September 11
The deadliest terrorist attack in history transforms U.S. national security.
August 6
The first atomic bomb is dropped on a city, ushering in the nuclear age.
May 8
Nazi Germany surrenders unconditionally, ending World War II in Europe.
November 11
Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and honors all who served.
June 4
The turning point of the Pacific War as the U.S. Navy destroys four Japanese carriers.
July 4
The Declaration of Independence is adopted, sparking the American Revolution.
In 19 hours, Marine helicopters flew 682 sorties and lifted 7,000 people off rooftops as North Vietnamese tanks closed in. Operation Frequent Wind was the largest helicopter evacuation in history, and it nearly didn't happen.
For 77 days in 1968, 6,000 Marines held a remote hilltop combat base against 20,000-30,000 North Vietnamese soldiers. Operation Niagara dropped 110,000 tons of bombs around the perimeter. Resupply aircraft landed on a runway under constant shelling. The question isn't whether Khe Sanh was a tactical victory, it's whether it mattered.
When the Navy asked for a jet attack aircraft weighing 30,000 pounds, Douglas engineer Ed Heinemann delivered one that weighed half that. The A-4 Skyhawk was smaller, lighter, simpler, and cheaper than the Navy specified, and it turned out to be one of the most successful combat aircraft in history, serving with distinction from Vietnam to the Falklands over a career spanning four decades.
A Flawless Combat Record Sgt Neysa Huertes Quinones From its first deployments in 1970 during the Vietnam War through the current War…
