A complete timeline of historical events, famous births, notable deaths, and holidays that occurred on December 29 throughout history.
94
Events
7
Births
Treaty of New Echota is signed between the US government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, ceding all Cherokee lands east of the Mississippi River to the United States
The Republic of Texas (Spanish: República de Tejas), or simply Texas, was a short-lived sovereign country in North America from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846.
Ubangi-Shari (French: Oubangui-Chari) was a French colony in central Africa, a part of French Equatorial Africa.
Sun Yat-sen (12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925), a.k.a. Sun Zhongshan, Sun Wen, was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republic of China (ROC) and...
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (A H5N1 virus can also infect mammals (including humans) that have been exposed to infected birds; in these cases, symptoms are frequently severe or fatal. A H5N1...
First film serial "The Adventures of Kathlyn" premieres in Chicago
Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist.
Wayne Gretzky and Martina Navratilova are named Athletes of the Decade by the Associated Press
Australian cricket spin king Shane Warne dismisses England's Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm for a famous hat-trick in the second Test win in Melbourne
Maureen O'Hara was an Irish and American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s.
American pilot and future astronaut Buzz Aldrin (24) weds Joan Archer; divorce in 1974
American singing duo Steve Lawrence (22) and Eydie Gormé (29) wed at the home of casino owner Beldon Katleman in Las Vegas, Nevada, until her death in 2013
Retired NFL quarterback John Elway (43) divorces first wife Janet Buchan after 18 years of marriage
American "One Tree Hill" actress Sophia Bush (24) weds American "One Tree Hill" actor Chad Michael Murray (25), for the reason of fraud after 5 months of marriage
18 Rabbit, ruler of powerful Maya city Copán, installs Cauac Sky as ruler of his vassal city of Quiriguá, who later famously captures and beheads 18 Rabbit in 738
Battle of Garigliano: Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba defeats French forces in Italy, giving Spain control of the Kingdom of Naples
Portuguese under Francisco de Almeida, attack, pillage and burn the Muslim trading city of Dabul, Sultanate of Bijapur (modern India)
St Jacob's Church burns after being hit by lightning
The Treaty of Gyalu was an agreement between Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and Isabella Jagiellon the queen dowager of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and the widow of John Zápolya, signed in Gyalu...
Danish student and future astronomer Tycho Brache loses part of his nose in a sword duel over who is the better mathematician (he wore a prosthetic nose the rest of his life)
Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon's play "Idoménée" premieres in Paris
Great Alliance occupies Gent
The Capture of Savannah (also known as the First Battle of Savannah and the Battle of Brewton Hill) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on December 29, 1778.
An almanac (also spelled almanack and almanach) is a regularly published listing of a set of current information about one or multiple subjects.
French Revolution: The Assembly of Notables is convoked
The USS Constitution under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three hour battle
The Battle of Buffalo (also known as the Battle of Black Rock) took place during the War of 1812 on December 30, 1813, in the State of New York, near the Niagara River.
Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo
King and Grand Duke Willem II installs Order of Eikenkroon
Gas lights 1st installed at White House (Polk's administration)
1st American Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) chapter opened in Boston, Massachusetts
Emma Snodgrass is arrested in Boston for wearing trousers
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship protected by steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s.
First telegraph ticker used by a brokerage house in Groesbeck & Co., New York
The Ashtabula River railroad disaster (also called the Ashtabula horror, the Ashtabula Bridge disaster, and the Ashtabula train disaster) was caused by the collapse of a bridge over the Ashtabula...
Edison patents his invention "Means for Transmitting Signals Electrically"; using induction rather than radio waves
Dr L S Jameson begins failed raid on Johannesburg
British fleet seizes German Imperial Mail Steamer Bundesrath accused of carrying contraband
General Viljoen surprise attack British garrison to Helvetia
Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Wanderers beat New Glasgow (NS), 7-2 for 17-5 aggregate challenge series victory
Patent granted for a 4-wheel automobile brake, Clintonville, Wisconsin
The Netherlands and Venezuela recover diplomatic relations
Dutch Constitution proclaimed
Charles-Marie-Photius Maurras was a French author, politician, poet and critic. He was an organiser and principal philosopher of Action Française, a political movement that was monarchist,...
Fred Newton (27) becomes the first to swim the entire length of the Mississippi River from Ford Dam, Minnesota, to New Orleans, Louisiana; he covers 1,826 miles over 176 days, spending 742 hours in the water
Identification of heavy water publicly announced, HC Urey
New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936) was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director.
Constitution of Ireland (Irish: Bunreacht na hÉireann) is enacted and Irish free state is named Eire
Aloysius Martin Thesz, known by the ring name Lou Thesz, was an American professional wrestler and wrestling coach.
Construction on Lake Washington Floating Bridge, Seattle, begins
First flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber prototype
Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Belgian Walloon politician and Nazi collaborator. He rose to prominence in Belgium in the 1930s as the leader of the Rexist Party (Rex).
General Eisenhower's train returns to Versailles
From 1944 until 1948, Zionist militias and underground groups—including Haganah, Lehi, and Irgun—carried out a paramilitary campaign against British rule in Mandatory Palestine.
As of January 2026, the State of Israel is recognized as a sovereign state by 166 of the other 192 member states of the United Nations, or approximately 86% of all UN members.
1st UHF television station operating regular basis Bridgeport, Connecticut
1st transistorized hearing aid offered for sale (Elmsford NY)
The Netherlands Antilles] ; Papiamento: Antia Hulandes), also known as the Dutch Antilles, was a constituent Caribbean country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consisting of the islands of Saba,...
Young Doctor Malone is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963.
Saul Levitt's "Andersonville Trial" premieres in NYC
Pirate Radio Phoenix, 1st transmission (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Star Trek's episode "Trouble With Tribbles" airs [1]
"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" film written and directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski premieres in West Germany
11 killed, 75 hurt by terrorist bomb at LaGuardia Airport in NYC
Ronald Ribman's "Cold Storage" premieres in NYC
Red Army beats NY Islanders 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum
Shuttle STS-1 moves from Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (Florida) to Launch Complex 39A
Ballon d'Or: German 1-2-3 with Bayern Munich forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge taking title of Europe's best football player for the 2nd straight year; beats teammate Paul Breitner and Barcelona midfielder Bernd Schuster
Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach.
Australian cricket batsman Graham Yallop completes a painstaking 268 (716 mins) v Pakistan in the drawn 4th Test in Melbourne
Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman's record of 29
5th United Negro College Fund
Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick & adds 3 assists in Edmonton's 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history - recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983
Ballon d'Or: Milan's Dutch midfielder Ruud Gullit wins best football player in Europe award ahead of Paulo Futre (Porto/Atlético Madrid) and Real Madrid striker Emilio Butragueño
Soviet Red Army Team edges NY Islanders, 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum
Jane Pauley says goodbye to NBC's "Today" show
12th United Negro College Fund "Parade of Stars" telethon, hosted by Lou Rawls airs from Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood, and The Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC
Governor Cuomo grants Jean Harris (Scarsdale Diet Dr killer) clemency
Courtney Love sues doctors for leaking news of her methadone treatment
CNNfn, a financial network by Turner Enterprises, launches
Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over a million people
The Mesa Redonda fire occurred on Saturday, December 29, 2001 in Lima, Peru. The disaster killed at least 291 people and injured at least another 134.
American boxer Steve Cunningham defends his IBF cruiserweight title for the first time with a 12th-round TKO of local favourite Marco Huck in Bielefeld, Germany
The Free Syrian Army (FSA; Arabic: الجيش السوري الحر, romanized: al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29...
16 people are killed and 40 are wounded by a suicide bomb attack at Volgograd-1 railway station, Russia
Seven-time world F1 motor racing champion Michael Schumacher suffers a serious head injury in a ski accident in the French Alps
Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a zoonotic viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by four of the six known ebolaviruses.
Duge Bridge, over the Nizhu River in provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, China opens as the highest bridge in the world (565 m/ 1.854 ft); surpassed by Huajiang Canyon Bridge in 2025
40 militants killed in Giza and El-Arish by Egyptian police after attack on a tourist bus the day before killed four
Milwaukee Bucks break NBA record for most 3-pointers made by a team in a single game with 29 in a dominant 144-97 victory over the Heat in Miami
Rashid Khan Arman is an Afghan international cricketer and captain of the Afghanistan national team in the T20I format.
South Korean Jeju Air plane crashes and explodes, trying to land without landing gear at Muan International Airport, killing 179 out of 181 on board [1]
Protests erupt in major cities across Iran as the country’s currency falls to a record low, and annual inflation climbs above 40 percent
Carles Puigdemont politician and journalist from catalonia, spain, known for politician and journalist from catalonia, spain, was born on 1963-12-29.
Jon Voight, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1939-12-29. Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor.
Jude Law, English actor, known for english actor, was born on 1973-12-29. David Jude Heyworth Law is an English actor.
Alison Brie, American actress and writer, known for american actress and writer, was born on 1983-12-29. Alison Brie Schermerhorn is an American actress, writer, and producer.
Ray Nitschke, American athlete, known for american football player, was born on 1936-12-29.
Laffit Pincay Jr. athlete, known for panamanian jockey, was born on 1947-12-29. Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr.
David Boon, Australian athlete, known for australian cricketer, was born on 1961-12-29.
18 Rabbit, ruler of powerful Maya city Copán, installs Cauac Sky as ruler of his vassal city of Quiriguá, who later famously captures and beheads 18 Rabbit in 738
Battle of Garigliano: Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba defeats French forces in Italy, giving Spain control of the Kingdom of Naples
Portuguese under Francisco de Almeida, attack, pillage and burn the Muslim trading city of Dabul, Sultanate of Bijapur (modern India)
St Jacob's Church burns after being hit by lightning
The Treaty of Gyalu was an agreement between Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I and Isabella Jagiellon the queen dowager of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and the widow of John Zápolya, signed in Gyalu...
Danish student and future astronomer Tycho Brache loses part of his nose in a sword duel over who is the better mathematician (he wore a prosthetic nose the rest of his life)
Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon's play "Idoménée" premieres in Paris
Great Alliance occupies Gent
The Capture of Savannah (also known as the First Battle of Savannah and the Battle of Brewton Hill) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on December 29, 1778.
An almanac (also spelled almanack and almanach) is a regularly published listing of a set of current information about one or multiple subjects.
French Revolution: The Assembly of Notables is convoked
The USS Constitution under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures the HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three hour battle
The Battle of Buffalo (also known as the Battle of Black Rock) took place during the War of 1812 on December 30, 1813, in the State of New York, near the Niagara River.
Treaty of New Echota is signed between the US government and representatives of a minority Cherokee political faction, ceding all Cherokee lands east of the Mississippi River to the United States
Canadian militia destroy Caroline, a US steamboat docked at Buffalo
King and Grand Duke Willem II installs Order of Eikenkroon
The Republic of Texas (Spanish: República de Tejas), or simply Texas, was a short-lived sovereign country in North America from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846.
Gas lights 1st installed at White House (Polk's administration)
1st American Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) chapter opened in Boston, Massachusetts
Emma Snodgrass is arrested in Boston for wearing trousers
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship protected by steel or iron armor constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s.
First telegraph ticker used by a brokerage house in Groesbeck & Co., New York
The Ashtabula River railroad disaster (also called the Ashtabula horror, the Ashtabula Bridge disaster, and the Ashtabula train disaster) was caused by the collapse of a bridge over the Ashtabula...
Edison patents his invention "Means for Transmitting Signals Electrically"; using induction rather than radio waves
Dr L S Jameson begins failed raid on Johannesburg
British fleet seizes German Imperial Mail Steamer Bundesrath accused of carrying contraband
General Viljoen surprise attack British garrison to Helvetia
Scott Joplin (November 24, 1868 – April 1, 1917) was an American composer and pianist.
Ubangi-Shari (French: Oubangui-Chari) was a French colony in central Africa, a part of French Equatorial Africa.
Stanley Cup, Montreal Arena, Westmount, Quebec: Montreal Wanderers beat New Glasgow (NS), 7-2 for 17-5 aggregate challenge series victory
Patent granted for a 4-wheel automobile brake, Clintonville, Wisconsin
Sun Yat-sen (12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925), a.k.a. Sun Zhongshan, Sun Wen, was a Chinese physician, revolutionary, statesman, and political philosopher who founded the Republic of China (ROC) and...
First film serial "The Adventures of Kathlyn" premieres in Chicago
The Netherlands and Venezuela recover diplomatic relations
Dutch Constitution proclaimed
Charles-Marie-Photius Maurras was a French author, politician, poet and critic. He was an organiser and principal philosopher of Action Française, a political movement that was monarchist,...
Fred Newton (27) becomes the first to swim the entire length of the Mississippi River from Ford Dam, Minnesota, to New Orleans, Louisiana; he covers 1,826 miles over 176 days, spending 742 hours in the water
Identification of heavy water publicly announced, HC Urey
New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert refuses to release future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Babe Ruth to manage the Cincinnati Reds
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca (5 June 1898 – 19 August 1936) was a Spanish poet, playwright, and theatre director.
Ray Nitschke, American athlete, known for american football player, was born on 1936-12-29.
Constitution of Ireland (Irish: Bunreacht na hÉireann) is enacted and Irish free state is named Eire
Aloysius Martin Thesz, known by the ring name Lou Thesz, was an American professional wrestler and wrestling coach.
Construction on Lake Washington Floating Bridge, Seattle, begins
First flight of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber prototype
Jon Voight, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1939-12-29. Jonathan Vincent "Jon" Voight is an American actor.
Maureen O'Hara was an Irish and American actress who became successful in Hollywood from the 1940s through to the 1960s.
Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Belgian Walloon politician and Nazi collaborator. He rose to prominence in Belgium in the 1930s as the leader of the Rexist Party (Rex).
General Eisenhower's train returns to Versailles
From 1944 until 1948, Zionist militias and underground groups—including Haganah, Lehi, and Irgun—carried out a paramilitary campaign against British rule in Mandatory Palestine.
Laffit Pincay Jr. athlete, known for panamanian jockey, was born on 1947-12-29. Laffit Alejandro Pincay Jr.
As of January 2026, the State of Israel is recognized as a sovereign state by 166 of the other 192 member states of the United Nations, or approximately 86% of all UN members.
1st UHF television station operating regular basis Bridgeport, Connecticut
1st transistorized hearing aid offered for sale (Elmsford NY)
American pilot and future astronaut Buzz Aldrin (24) weds Joan Archer; divorce in 1974
The Netherlands Antilles] ; Papiamento: Antia Hulandes), also known as the Dutch Antilles, was a constituent Caribbean country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands consisting of the islands of Saba,...
American singing duo Steve Lawrence (22) and Eydie Gormé (29) wed at the home of casino owner Beldon Katleman in Las Vegas, Nevada, until her death in 2013
Young Doctor Malone is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963.
Saul Levitt's "Andersonville Trial" premieres in NYC
David Boon, Australian athlete, known for australian cricketer, was born on 1961-12-29.
Carles Puigdemont politician and journalist from catalonia, spain, known for politician and journalist from catalonia, spain, was born on 1963-12-29.
Pirate Radio Phoenix, 1st transmission (Worcester, Massachusetts)
Star Trek's episode "Trouble With Tribbles" airs [1]
"Aguirre, the Wrath of God" film written and directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski premieres in West Germany
Jude Law, English actor, known for english actor, was born on 1973-12-29. David Jude Heyworth Law is an English actor.
11 killed, 75 hurt by terrorist bomb at LaGuardia Airport in NYC
Ronald Ribman's "Cold Storage" premieres in NYC
Red Army beats NY Islanders 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum
Shuttle STS-1 moves from Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center (Florida) to Launch Complex 39A
Ballon d'Or: German 1-2-3 with Bayern Munich forward Karl-Heinz Rummenigge taking title of Europe's best football player for the 2nd straight year; beats teammate Paul Breitner and Barcelona midfielder Bernd Schuster
Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach.
Australian cricket batsman Graham Yallop completes a painstaking 268 (716 mins) v Pakistan in the drawn 4th Test in Melbourne
Indian cricket opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar scores an unbeaten 236 in drawn 6th Test v West Indies at Chennai; his 4th Test double century and 30th century, surpassing Don Bradman's record of 29
Alison Brie, American actress and writer, known for american actress and writer, was born on 1983-12-29. Alison Brie Schermerhorn is an American actress, writer, and producer.
5th United Negro College Fund
Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick & adds 3 assists in Edmonton's 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history - recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983
Ballon d'Or: Milan's Dutch midfielder Ruud Gullit wins best football player in Europe award ahead of Paulo Futre (Porto/Atlético Madrid) and Real Madrid striker Emilio Butragueño
Soviet Red Army Team edges NY Islanders, 3-2 at Nassau Coliseum
Wayne Gretzky and Martina Navratilova are named Athletes of the Decade by the Associated Press
Jane Pauley says goodbye to NBC's "Today" show
12th United Negro College Fund "Parade of Stars" telethon, hosted by Lou Rawls airs from Aquarius Theatre in Hollywood, and The Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NYC
Governor Cuomo grants Jean Harris (Scarsdale Diet Dr killer) clemency
Courtney Love sues doctors for leaking news of her methadone treatment
Australian cricket spin king Shane Warne dismisses England's Phil DeFreitas, Darren Gough and Devon Malcolm for a famous hat-trick in the second Test win in Melbourne
CNNfn, a financial network by Turner Enterprises, launches
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 (A H5N1 virus can also infect mammals (including humans) that have been exposed to infected birds; in these cases, symptoms are frequently severe or fatal. A H5N1...
Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over a million people
The Mesa Redonda fire occurred on Saturday, December 29, 2001 in Lima, Peru. The disaster killed at least 291 people and injured at least another 134.
Retired NFL quarterback John Elway (43) divorces first wife Janet Buchan after 18 years of marriage
American "One Tree Hill" actress Sophia Bush (24) weds American "One Tree Hill" actor Chad Michael Murray (25), for the reason of fraud after 5 months of marriage
American boxer Steve Cunningham defends his IBF cruiserweight title for the first time with a 12th-round TKO of local favourite Marco Huck in Bielefeld, Germany
The Free Syrian Army (FSA; Arabic: الجيش السوري الحر, romanized: al-jaysh as-Sūrī al-ḥur) is a big-tent coalition of decentralized Syrian opposition rebel groups in the Syrian civil war founded on 29...
16 people are killed and 40 are wounded by a suicide bomb attack at Volgograd-1 railway station, Russia
Seven-time world F1 motor racing champion Michael Schumacher suffers a serious head injury in a ski accident in the French Alps
Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a zoonotic viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by four of the six known ebolaviruses.
Duge Bridge, over the Nizhu River in provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan, China opens as the highest bridge in the world (565 m/ 1.854 ft); surpassed by Huajiang Canyon Bridge in 2025
40 militants killed in Giza and El-Arish by Egyptian police after attack on a tourist bus the day before killed four
Milwaukee Bucks break NBA record for most 3-pointers made by a team in a single game with 29 in a dominant 144-97 victory over the Heat in Miami
Rashid Khan Arman is an Afghan international cricketer and captain of the Afghanistan national team in the T20I format.
South Korean Jeju Air plane crashes and explodes, trying to land without landing gear at Muan International Airport, killing 179 out of 181 on board [1]
Protests erupt in major cities across Iran as the country’s currency falls to a record low, and annual inflation climbs above 40 percent