TODAY IN HISTORY

On March 29, 1973, the U.S. withdrew its final combat soldiers from South Vietnam, an unsuccessful end to America’s direct involvement in the war. Marines remained to guard installations, as did military advisers and Defense Department civilians.

Also on this date

in 1849, the British East India Co. annexed most of the Punjab region in South Asia.

In 1882, the Rev. Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic service organization.

In 1898, Black American inventor William Ballow patented the combined hat rack and table.

In 1927, Henry Seagrave broke the land speed record in the Sunbeam car named Mystery on Daytona Beach, Florida. It marked the first time a car eclipsed 200 mph.

In 1947, Malagasy nationalists began a rebellion against French colonial rulers in Madagascar. The uprising – described as the first genuine nationalist insurrection in post-World War II African history – lasted nearly two years before French armed forces crushed it.

In 1951, American couple Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted of passing wartime atomic secrets to the Soviet Union. Two years later, they were executed for conspiracy to commit espionage under the U.S. Espionage Act of 1917.

In 1980, Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” album set a new mark with 303 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 U.S. chart. It made the Billboard chart for a total of 736 nonconsecutive weeks from March 17, 1973, until July 16, 1988.

In 1984, Baltimore Colts owner Bob Irsay had his NFL franchise’s property moved to Indianapolis in the middle of the night on 15 Mayflower trucks to the surprise of upset fans.

In 1999, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the 10,000point mark for the first time before the dot-com bubble burst the next year and spurred a rough next decade for the stock market.

In 2004, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, aka NATO, grew by seven full members: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

In 2007, “Umbrella,” sung by Rihanna and featuring Jay-Z, was released worldwide on Def Jam Recordings. The chart-topping hit in the U.S., U.K. and Australia launched Rihanna’s career. Rolling Stone named it one of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

Rihanna’s career took off on this date in 2007, when she released the hit “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z. She’s shown this month after a celebration in Jamnagar, India.