Historical events on June 29 and June 30

On June 30, major historical events included the 1934 Nazi purge known as the Night of the Long Knives, the 1960 independence of the Republic of Congo, and the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to China. Notable cultural milestones occurred, such as the publication of Margaret Mitchell's 'Gone With the Wind' in 1936 and the death of guitarist Chet Atkins in 2001. In 1974, Mikhail Baryshnikov defected to the West, while in 1985, 39 American hostages were released in Beirut. NASA's Cassini spacecraft entered Saturn's orbit in 2004, and a 2015 military plane crash occurred in Medan, Indonesia. June 29 marked the deaths of figures like Ignace Jan Paderewski, Lana Turner, and Katharine Hepburn. Significant political developments included the 1999 sentencing of Abdullah Ocalan and the 2001 resignation of Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic over the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic. Additionally, a rare 2000 auction of the U.S. Declaration of Independence set an internet record, and Cardinal George Pell faced charges in 2017.