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On this day in history - July 29

What Happened On This Day – July 29

  • 2008 United States Congress apologizes for slavery

    The U.S. House of Representatives publicly apologized for the institution of slavery and Jim Crow laws that discriminated against African Americans.

  • 1981 Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer

    The most talked about wedding of the year was watched on television by millions of people worldwide. The couple were married in St Paul's Cathedral, London, United Kingdom, and divorced 15 years later in 1996.

  • 1957 The International Atomic Energy Agency is established

    The independent agency aims to ban the use of nuclear energy for military purposes. American W. Sterling Cole served as the agency's first director general.

  • 1948 The XIV Olympics opened in London, United Kingdom after a 12 year hiatus due to the Second World War

    The last Summer Olympics before this were held in Berlin in 1936.

  • 1836 The Arc de Triomphe is inaugurated in Paris, France

    The famous monument honors those to dies while fighting for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. It was designed by Jean Chalgrin.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
July 29

  • 1981 Fernando Alonso

    Spanish race car driver

  • 1938 Peter Jennings

    Canadian/American journalist

  • 1905 Dag Hammarskjöld

    Swedish diplomat, economist, author, 2nd Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nobel Prize Laureate

  • 1883 Benito Mussolini

    Italian politician, Dictator of Italy

  • 1805 Alexis de Tocqueville

    French historian, scientist

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
July 29

  • 1983 Luis Buñuel

    Spanish director, producer

  • 1974 Erich Kästner

    German author, poet

  • 1970 John Barbirolli

    English cellist, conductor

  • 1890 Vincent van Gogh

    Dutch painter

  • 1833 William Wilberforce

    English politician, philanthropist