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On this day in history - March 29

What Happened On This Day – March 29

  • 2010 Two Chechen suicide bombers detonate their devices in the Moscow underground

    40 people died in the attack allegedly carried out by so-called “black widows”, or Islamist Chechen female suicide bombers.

  • 2004 Ireland becomes the first country to ban smoking in all workplaces

    Contrary to initial concerns, the ban had no adverse economic effects, and soon several other countries passed similar legislation. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco smoke is the single greatest cause of preventable death globally.

  • 1974 The Terracotta Army is discovered in Xi'an, China

    The famous collection of some 8000 soldier sculptures, depicting Emperor Qin Shi Huang's army, was located by local farmers when they were digging a water well.

  • 1971 Charles Manson is sentenced to death in the gas chamber

    The sentence was never carried out because the California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in 1972. The infamous criminal who ordered several murders served a life sentence and died on November 19, 2017.

  • 1912 Robert Scott makes his final diary entry

    Scott wrote: “We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.” The British explorer and his companions died on an expedition to the South Pole.

Illustration of stork, signifying birth

Births On This Day,
March 29

  • 1976 Jennifer Capriati

    American tennis player

  • 1949 Michael Brecker

    American saxophonist, composer

  • 1943 John Major

    English banker, politician, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

  • 1895 Ernst Jünger

    German author

  • 1790 John Tyler

    American lawyer, politician, 10th President of the United States

Illustration of tombstone, signifying death

Deaths On This Day,
March 29

  • 1982 Walter Hallstein

    German politician, diplomat, 1st President of the European Commission

  • 1924 Charles Villiers Stanford

    Irish composer

  • 1912 Robert Falcon Scott

    English navy officer, explorer

  • 1888 Charles-Valentin Alkan

    French composer

  • 1772 Emanuel Swedenborg

    Swedish scientist