From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

July 29 is the 210th day of the year (211th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 155 days remaining until the end of the year.

[edit] Events

• 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, and his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock.
• 1030 - Ladejarl-Fairhair succession wars: Battle of Stiklestad - King Olaf II fights and dies trying to regain his Norwegian throne from the Danes.
• 1565 - The widowed Mary Queen of Scots marries Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, Duke of Albany at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• 1567 - James VI is crowned King of Scotland at Stirling.
• 1588 - Anglo-Spanish War: Battle of Gravelines - English naval forces under command of Lord Charles Howard and Sir Francis Drake defeat the Spanish Armada off the coast of Gravelines, France.
• 1693 - War of the Grand Alliance: Battle of Landen - France wins a Pyrrhic victory over Allied forces in the Netherlands.
• 1793 - John Graves Simcoe decides to build a fort and settlement at Toronto, having sailed into the bay there.
• 1830 - Abdication of Charles X of France.
• 1836 - Inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
• 1847 - Cumberland School of Law founded in Lebanon, Tennessee, United States. At the end of 1847 only 15 law schools exist in the United States.
• 1848 - Irish Potato Famine: Tipperary Revolt - in Tipperary, an unsuccessful nationalist revolt against British rule is put down by police.
• 1851 - Annibale de Gasparis discovers asteroid 15 Eunomia.
• 1858 - United States and Japan sign the Harris Treaty.
• 1864 - American Civil War: Confederate spy Belle Boyd is arrested by Union troops and detained at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC.
• 1899 - The First Hague Convention is signed.
• 1900 - In Italy, King Umberto I of Italy is assassinated by Italian-born anarchist Gaetano Bresci.
• 1907 - Sir Robert Baden-Powell sets up the Brownsea Island Scout camp in Poole Harbour on the south coast of England. The camp ran from August 1-9, 1907, and is regarded as the founding of the Scouting movement.
• 1920 - Construction of the Link River Dam begins as part of the Klamath Reclamation Project.
• 1921 - Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party.
• 1932 - Great Depression: in Washington, DC, U.S. troops disperse the last of the "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans.
• 1937 - Tongzhou Incident
• 1945 - The BBC Light Programme radio station was launched for mainstream light entertainment and music.
• 1948 - Olympic Games: The Games of the XIV Olympiad - after a hiatus of 12 years caused by World War II, the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin opened in London.
• 1957 - The International Atomic Energy Agency is established.
• 1958 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
• 1959 - First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union.
• 1965 - Vietnam War: the first 4,000 101st Airborne Division paratroopers arrive in Vietnam, landing at Cam Ranh Bay.
• 1966 - Bob Dylan is injured in a motorcycle accident near Woodstock, New York.
• 1967 - Vietnam War: off the coast of North Vietnam the USS Forrestal catches on fire in the worst U.S. naval disaster since World War II, killing 134.
• 1967 - At the fourth day of celebrating its 400th anniversary, the city of Caracas, Venezuela was shaken by an earthquake, leaving approximately 500 dead.
• 1976 - In New York City, the "Son of Sam" kills one person and seriously wounds another in the first of a series of attacks.
• 1981 - Marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.
• 1987 - British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and President of France François Mitterrand sign the agreement to build the tunnel under the English Channel (Eurotunnel).
• 1987 - Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi and Sri Lankan President J. R. Jayawardene sign the Indo-Lankan Pact on ethnic issues.
• 1993 - The Israeli Supreme Court acquits alleged Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk of all charges and he is set free.
• 1996 - The controversial child protection portion of the Communications Decency Act (1996) is struck down as too broad by a U.S. federal court.
• 2005 - Astronomers announce their discovery of Eris.

[edit] Births

• 1166 - Henry II of Champagne (d. 1197)
• 1605 - Simon Dach, German poet (d. 1659)
• 1763 - Philip Charles Durham, Royal Navy Admiral (d. 1845)
• 1797 - Daniel Drew, American financier (d. 1879)
• 1801 - George Bradshaw, English publisher (d. 1853)
• 1805 - Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian and political scientist (d. 1859)
• 1846 - Isabel of Brazil
• 1843 - Johannes Schmidt, German linguist (d. 1901)
• 1849 - Max Nordau, Austrian author and Zionist leader (d. 1923)
• 1869 - Booth Tarkington, American author (d. 1946)
• 1872 - Eric Alfred Knudsen, American folklorist (d. 1957)
• 1874 - James Shaver Woodsworth, Canadian politician (d. 1942)
• 1876 - Maria Ouspenskaya, Russian-born actress (d. 1949)
• 1878 - Don Marquis, American author (d. 1937)
• 1883 - Porfirio Barba-Jacob, Colombian poet and writer (d. 1942)
• 1883 - Benito Mussolini, Italian dictator (d. 1945)
• 1884 - Ralph A. Bard, U.S. Navy Undersecretary (d. 1975)
• 1885 - Theda Bara, American film actress (d. 1955)
• 1887 - Sigmund Romberg, Hungarian-born composer (d. 1951)
• 1892 - William Powell, American actor (d. 1984)
• 1897 - Sir Neil Ritchie, British general (d. 1983)
• 1898 - Isidor Isaac Rabi, American physicist, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1988)
• 1899 - Walter Beall, American baseball player (d. 1959)
• 1900 - Eyvind Johnson, Swedish writer, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1976)
• 1900 - Don Redman, American musician (d. 1964)
• 1904 - J. R. D. Tata, Indian industrialist (d. 1993)
• 1905 - Clara Bow, American actress (d. 1965)
• 1905 - Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish 2nd UN Secretary-General, Nobel Prize Laureate (d. 1961)
• 1905 - Thelma Todd, American actress (d. 1935)
• 1905 - Stanley Kunitz, American poet (d. 2006)
• 1906 - Diana Vreeland, French-born fashion editor (d. 1989)
• 1907 - Melvin Belli, American lawyer and actor (d. 1996)
• 1911 - Foster Furcolo, 60^th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1995)
• 1911 - Iakovos, Archbishop of America (d. 2005)
• 1913 - Erich Priebke, Nazi war criminal
• 1914 - Irwin Corey, American stand-up comedian
• 1915 - Bruce R. McConkie, LDS apostle and author (d. 1985)
• 1915 - Francis W. Sargent, 64^th Governor of Massachusetts (d. 1998)
• 1916 - Charlie Christian, American jazz guitarist (d. 1942)
• 1916 - Budd Boetticher, American film director (d. 2001)
• 1918 - Edwin O'Connor, American novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner (d. 1968)
• 1920 - Rodolfo Acosta, Mexican actor (d. 1974)
• 1920 - Neville Jeffress, Australian founder of Media Monitors Australia (d. 2007)
• 1921 - Richard Egan, American actor (d. 1987)
• 1923 - Jim Marshall, founder of Marshall Amplification
• 1923 - Gordon Mitchell, American actor (d. 2003)
• 1924 - Lloyd Bochner, Canadian actor (d. 2005)
• 1924 - Robert Horton, American actor
• 1924 - Elizabeth Short, victim in the Black Dahlia case (d. 1947)
• 1925 - Mikis Theodorakis, Greek composer
• 1925 - Ted Lindsay, Canadian hockey player
• 1927 - Harry Mulisch, Dutch author
• 1929 - Jean Baudrillard, French philosopher
• 1930 - Paul Taylor, American dancer and choreographer
• 1932 - Nancy Kassebaum Baker, United States Senator from Kansas
• 1933 - Lou Albano, American pro wrestling manager
• 1933 - Colin Davis, British racing driver
• 1933 - Robert Fuller, American actor
• 1935 - Peter Schreier, German tenor
• 1936 - Elizabeth Dole, U.S. Senator from North Carolina
• 1937 - Daniel McFadden, American economist, Nobel Prize Laureate
• 1938 - Peter Jennings, Canadian-born journalist (d. 2005)
• 1938 - Jean Rochon, Quebec politician
• 1941 - Jennifer Dunn, American politician (d. 2007)
• 1941 - David Warner, English actor
• 1942 - Tony Sirico, American actor
• 1943 - David Taylor, English snooker player
• 1946 - Neal Doughty, American musician (REO Speedwagon)
• 1946 - Diane Keen, English actress
• 1947 - Dick Harmon, American golf instructor (d. 2006)
• 1949 - Leslie Easterbrook, American actress
• 1951 - Dan Driessen, American baseball player
• 1951 - Dean Pitchford, American songwriter, filmmaker and novelist
• 1953 - Ken Burns, American producer and director
• 1953 - Geddy Lee, Canadian bassist and singer (Rush)
• 1953 - Patti Scialfa, American singer, guitarist and songwriter
• 1953 - Tim Gunn, American television personality
• 1955 - Dave Stevens, American illustrator
• 1955 - Jean-Hugues Anglade, French actor
• 1956 - Teddy Atlas, American boxing trainer and commentator
• 1956 - Ronnie Musgrove, Former Governor of Mississippi
• 1957 - Nellie Kim, Russian gymnast
• 1957 - Alessandra Marc, American operatic soprano
• 1959 - Sanjay Dutt, Indian actor
• 1959 - Ruud Janssen, Dutch writer and artist
• 1959 - Dave LaPoint, American baseball player
• 1959 - John Sykes, British guitarist (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, Tygers of Pan Tang)
• 1962 - Vincent Rousseau, Belgian athlete
• 1962 - Scott Steiner, American professional wrestler
• 1963 - Graham Poll, English football referee
• 1963 - Jim Beglin, Irish football commentator
• 1963 - Alexandra Paul, American actress
• 1965 - Chang-Rae Lee, Korean-born author
• 1965 - Luis Alicea, baseball coach
• 1965 - Dean Haglund, Canadian actor
• 1966 - Martina McBride, American singer
• 1966 - Richard Steven Horvitz, American comic voiceactor
• 1968 - Paavo Lotjonen, Finnish Cellist (Apocalyptica)
• 1970 - John Rennie, Former Zimbabwean cricketer
• 1971 - Monica Calhoun, American actress
• 1971 - Lisa Ekdahl, Swedish singer songwriter
• 1972 - Wil Wheaton, American actor
• 1973 - Stephen Dorff, American actor
• 1973 - Wanya Morris, American singer (Boyz II Men)
• 1974 - Josh Radnor, American actor
• 1975 - Corrado Grabbi, Italian footballer
• 1975 - Lanka de Silva, Former Sri Lankan cricketer
• 1979 - Karim Essediri, Tunisian footballer
• 1979 - Ronald Murray, American basketball player
• 1980 - Ryan Braun, Canadian baseball player
• 1980 - Fernando González, Chilean tennis player
• 1980 - Rachel Miner, American actress
• 1981 - Fernando Alonso, Spanish Formula 1 Driver
• 1981 - Andrés Madrid, Argentine footballer
• 1981 - Troy Perkins, American soccer player
• 1982 - Janez Aljančič, Slovenian footballer
• 1982 - Jônatas Domingos, Brazilian footballer
• 1982 - Allison Mack, American actress
• 1983 - Alexei Kaigorodov, Russian hockey player
• 1984 - Chad Billingsley, American baseball player
• 1987 - Sabra Johnson, American dancer
• 1991 - Miki Ishikawa, American actress

[edit] Deaths

• 238 - Pupienus, Roman Emperor
• 238 - Balbinus, Roman Emperor
• 1030 - Olaf II of Norway (b. 995)
• 1099 - Pope Urban II (b. 1042)
• 1108 - Philip I of France (b. 1052)
• 1507 - Martin Behaim, German-born navigator and geographer (b. 1459)
• 1612 - Jacques Bongars, French scholar and diplomat (b. 1554)
• 1644 - Pope Urban VIII (b. 1568)
• 1752 - Peter Warren, British admiral
• 1781 - Johann Kies, German astronomer and mathematician (b. 1713)
• 1792 - René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou, Chancellor of France (b. 1714)
• 1813 - Jean-Andoche Junot, French general (b. 1771)
• 1833 - William Wilberforce, English abolitionist (b. 1759)
• 1839 - Gaspard de Prony, French mathematician (b. 1755)
• 1844 - Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart, Austrian composer (b. 1791)
• 1856 - Robert Schumann, German composer (b. 1810)
• 1857 - Thomas Dick, Scottish scientific teacher and writer (b. 1774)
• 1887 - Agostino Depretis, Italian statesman (d. 1813)
• 1890 - Vincent van Gogh, Dutch painter (b. 1853)
• 1900 - King Umberto I of Italy (b. 1844)
• 1913 - Tobias Michael Carel Asser, Dutch jurist, Nobel Prize Laureate (b. 1838)
• 1918 - Ernest William Christmas, Australian painter (b. 1863)
• 1934 - Didier Pitre, French Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1883)
• 1938 - Nikolai Krylenko, Russian/Soviet jurist and politician (b. 1885)
• 1950 - Joe Fry, British racing driver (b. 1915)
• 1954 - Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater (b. 1879)
• 1964 - Vean Gregg, American baseball player (b. 1885)
• 1970 - John Barbirolli, English conductor (b. 1899)
• 1973 - Norm Smith, Australian rules footballer and coach (b. 1915)
• 1973 - Roger Williamson, English racing driver (b. 1948)
• 1974 - Cass Elliot, American musician (b. 1941)
• 1974 - Erich Kästner, German author (b. 1899)
• 1976 - Mickey Cohen, American gangster (b. 1913)
• 1979 - Herbert Marcuse, German philosopher (b. 1898)
• 1979 - Bill Todman, American television producer (b. 1916)
• 1981 - Robert Moses, American urban planner (b. 1888)
• 1982 - Harold Sakata, Japanese-American actor (b. 1920)
• 1982 - Vladimir Zworykin, Russian physicist and inventor (b. 1889)
• 1983 - Luis Buñuel, Spanish director (b. 1900)
• 1983 - Raymond Massey, Canadian actor (b. 1896)
• 1983 - David Niven, English actor (b. 1910)
• 1984 - Fred Waring, American band leader and inventor (b. 1900)
• 1987 - Bibhutibhushan Mukhopadhyay, Bengali author (b. 1894)
• 1990 - Bruno Kreisky, Chancellor of Austria (b. 1911)
• 1992 - Michel Larocque, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1952)
• 1994 - Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, British chemist, Nobel laureate (b. 1910)
• 1995 - Les Elgart, American jazz musician and bandleader (b. 1917)
• 1996 - Ric Nordman, Canadian politician (b. 1919)
• 1996 - Jason Thirsk, American bassist (Pennywise) (b. 1967)
• 1996 - Marcel-Paul Schützenberger, French mathematician (b. 1920)
• 1998 - Jerome Robbins, American choreographer (b. 1918)
• 2001 - Edward Gierek, Polish politician (b. 1913)
• 2001 - Wau Holland, German computer hacker (b. 1951)
• 2003 - Foday Sankoh, Sierra Leonean rebel leader (b. 1937)
• 2004 - Rena Vlahopoulou, Greek actress and singer (b. 1923)
• 2007 - Mike Reid, English comedian and actor (b. 1940)
• 2007 - Michel Serrault, French actor (b. 1928)
• 2007 - Tom Snyder, American television personality (b. 1936)
• 2007 - Marvin Zindler, American television reporter (b. 1921)
• 2008 - Ishmeet Singh Sodhi, Indian Playback Singer (b. 1989)

[edit] Holidays and observances

• Faroe Islands - Ólavsøka: opening of the Løgting session.
• National Anthem Day in Romania.

Roman Catholicism

• Saint Eugenius, king [Magdeburg]
• Saint Felix I, pope, and companions (Simplicius, Faustinus and Beatrix, (siblings)), martyrs [common]
• Saint Ladislas, king, confessor (Deposition) [Hungary]
• Saint Lupus, bishop of Troyes, confessor [Cologne, Constance, Metz, Paris, France]
• Saint Olaf II of Norway, king of Norway, martyr, patron of woodcarvers [Sleswig, Scandinavia] - celebrated in Norway as Olsok (St. Olav's Day)
• Saint Pantaleon [Paris]
• Saint Beatrice of Nazareth
• Saint Martha, host of Christ, sister of Lazarus, patron saint of cooks, domestic staff and dieticians [common]
• Saint Serafina

[edit] External links

• BBC: On This Day
• The New York Times: On This Day
• On This Day in Canada