May 29
| May 29 in recent years |
| 2024 (Wednesday) |
| 2023 (Monday) |
| 2022 (Sunday) |
| 2021 (Saturday) |
| 2020 (Friday) |
| 2019 (Wednesday) |
| 2018 (Tuesday) |
| 2017 (Monday) |
| 2016 (Sunday) |
| 2015 (Friday) |
May 29 is the 149th day of the year (150th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 216 days remain until the end of the year.
Events
- 363 – Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Sassanid capital, but is unable to take the city.
- 1167 – Battle of Monte Porzio – A Roman army supporting Pope Alexander III is defeated by Christian of Buch and Rainald of Dassel
- 1176 – Battle of Legnano, in which the Lombard League defeats Emperor Frederick I.
- 1414 – Council of Constance.
- 1453 – Byzantine-Ottoman Wars: Ottoman armies under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih capture Constantinople after a siege, ending the Byzantine Empire.
- 1660 – English Restoration: Charles II (on his birthday – see below) is restored to the throne of Great Britain.
- 1677 – Treaty of Middle Plantation establishes peace between the Virginia colonists and the local Indians.
- 1727 – Peter II becomes Tsar of Russia.
- 1733 – The right of Canadians to keep Indian slaves is upheld at Quebec City.
- 1780 – Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton massacres Colonel Abraham Buford's continentals allegedly after the continentals surrender. 113 Americans are killed.
- 1790 – Rhode Island becomes the last of the original United States colonies to ratify the Constitution and is admitted as the 13th U.S. state.
- 1848 – Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th U.S. state.
- 1864 – Emperor Maximilian of Mexico arrives in Mexico for the first time.
- 1867 – The Austro-Hungarian agreement known as Ausgleich ("the Compromise") is born through Act 12, which establishes the Austro-Hungarian Empire; on June 8 Emperor Franz Joseph is crowned King of Hungary.
- 1868 – The assassination of Michael Obrenovich III, Prince of Serbia, in Belgrade.
- 1886 – Chemist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, the ad appearing in the Atlanta Journal.
- 1903 – May coup d'etat: Alexander Obrenovich, King of Serbia, and Queen Draga, are assassinated in Belgrade by the Black Hand (Crna Ruka) organization.
- 1913 – Igor Stravinsky's ballet score The Rite of Spring is premiered in Paris, provoking a riot.
- 1914 – Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; 1,024 lives lost.
- 1919 – Einstein's theory of general relativity is tested (later confirmed) by Arthur Eddington's observation of a total solar eclipse in Principe and by Andrew Crommelin in Sobral, Ceará, Brazil.
- 1919 – The Republic of Prekmurje founded
- 1924 – AEK Athens FC is established on the anniversary of the siege of Constantinople by the Turks.
- 1932 – World War I Veterans begin to assemble in Washington, DC in the Bonus Army to request cash bonuses promised to them to be paid in 1945.
- 1942 – Bing Crosby, the Ken Darby Singers and the John Scott Trotter Orchestra record Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", the best-selling Christmas album in history, for Decca Records in Los Angeles.
- 1948 – Creation of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation
- 1950 – St. Roch, first ship to circumnavigate North America, arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia .
- 1953 – Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay are the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay's (adopted) 39th birthday.
- 1954 – First of the annual Bilderberg conferences.
- 1964 – The Arab League meets in East Jerusalem to discuss the Palestinian situation in Israel, leading to the formation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
- 1968 – Manchester United win the European Cup, the first English Club to do so.
- 1969 – General strike in Cordoba, Argentina, leading to the Cordobazo civil unrest.
- 1972 – 26 people are killed and dozens more injured when three Japanese gunmen open fire on crowds at Lod International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- 1973 – Tom Bradley is elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles, California.
- 1982 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff ever to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
- 1985 – Heysel Stadium disaster: At the European Cup final in Brussels, Belgium, 39 football fans die and hundreds are injured when a dilapidated retaining wall collapses after Liverpool F.C. fans breach a fence separating them from Juventus F.C. fans.
- 1985 – Amputee Steve Fonyo completes cross-Canada marathon at Victoria, British Columbia, after 14 months.
- 1988 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union as he arrives in Moscow for a superpower summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
- 1990 – Boris Yeltsin is elected president of the Russian SFSR by the Russian parliament.
- 1999 – Olusegun Obasanjo takes office as President of Nigeria, the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule.
- 1999 – Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.
- 2001 – U.S. Supreme Court rules that disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.
- 2001 – International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers inaugurated.
- 2004 – The World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C.
- 2005 – France resoundingly rejects the European Constitution.
Births
- 1594 – Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim, Bavarian general (d. 1632)
- 1627 – Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, French writer and Princess(d. 1693)
- 1630 – Charles II of England (d. 1685)
- 1675 – Humphry Ditton, English mathematician (d. 1715)
- 1716 – Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton, French naturalist (d. 1800)
- 1722 – James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, Irish politician (d. 1773)
- 1736 – Patrick Henry, American patriot, statesman, and orator (d. 1799)
- 1773 – Princess Sophia of Gloucester (d. 1844)
- 1794 – Johann Heinrich von Mädler, German astronomer (d. 1874)
- 1823 – John H. Balsley, American carpenter (d. 1895)
- 1860 – Isaac Albéniz, Spanish composer (d. 1909)
- 1863 – Arthur Mold, English cricketer (d. 1921)
- 1874 – G. K. Chesterton, English novelist (d. 1936)
- 1880 – Oswald Spengler, German philosopher (d. 1936)
- 1892 – Alfonsina Storni, Argentine writer (d. 1938)
- 1893 – Max Brand, American author and war correspondent (d. 1944)
- 1894 – Beatrice Lillie, Canadian actress (d. 1989)
- 1894 – Josef von Sternberg, Austrian-born writer and film director (d. 1969)
- 1897 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Austrian composer (d. 1957)
- 1903 – Bob Hope, British-born comedian and actor (d. 2003)
- 1905 – Sebastian Shaw, English actor (d. 1994)
- 1906 – T.H. White, British author (d. 1964)
- 1907 – Hartland Molson, Canadian businessman and senator (d. 2002)
- 1911 – Armida, Mexican-American stage, vaudeville and film star (d. 1989)
- 1913 – Tony Zale, American boxer (d. 1997)
- 1914 – Stacy Keach, Sr., American actor (d. 2003)
- 1915 – Karl Münchinger, German conductor (d. 1990)
- 1917 – John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (d. 1963)
- 1920 – John Harsanyi, Hungarian-born economist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 2000)
- 1922 – Iannis Xenakis, Greek composer and architect, major contributor to musical modernism (d. 2001)
- 1924 – Lars Bo, Danish artist and writer (d. 1999)
- 1926 – Charles Denner, French actor (d. 1995)
- 1927 – Jean Coutu, Quebec businessman (Jean Coutu Group)
- 1929 – Harry Frankfurt, American philosopher
- 1932 – Richie Guerin, former basketball player
- 1932 – Paul R. Ehrlich, American biologist and author who founded the group Zero Population Growth
- 1933 – Helmuth Rilling, German conductor
- 1937 – Charles W. Pickering, American judge
- 1937 – Irmin Schmidt, German musician (Can)
- 1938 – Fay Vincent, baseball commissioner
- 1939 – Al Unser, Sr., American race car driver
- 1940 – Farooq Leghari, President of Pakistan
- 1942 – Pierre Bourque, Former mayor of Montreal
- 1942 – Kevin Conway, American actor
- 1943 – Robert W. Edgar, Theologian
- 1945 – Gary Brooker, musician (Procol Harum)
- 1946 – Fernando Buesa, Basque politician (d. 2000)
- 1947 – Gene Robinson, American ecclesiastic
- 1947 – Anthony Geary, American actor
- 1948 – Nick Mancuso, Italian-Canadian actor
- 1949 – Brian Kidd, English footballer
- 1950 – Rebbie Jackson, American musician
- 1951 – Peter Chernin, President of News Corporation
- 1953 – Danny Elfman, American musician (Oingo Boingo)
- 1953 – Aleksandr Abdulov, Russian actor (d. 2008)
- 1955 – John Hinckley, Jr., American attempted assassin
- 1955 – Sut Jhally, Kenyan-born American educator
- 1955 – Ken Schrader, American race car driver
- 1956 – LaToya Jackson, American musician
- 1957 – Jeb Hensarling, American politician
- 1957 – Ted Levine, American actor
- 1958 – Annette Bening, American actress
- 1958 – Willem Holleeder, Dutch criminal
- 1959 – Rupert Everett, English actor
- 1959 – Adrian Paul, English actor
- 1961 – Melissa Etheridge, American musician
- 1962 – Eric Davis, American baseball player
- 1962 – John D. LeMay, American actor
- 1962 – Fandi Ahmad, Singapore footballer
- 1963 – Blaze Bayley, British singer (ex-Iron Maiden)
- 1963 – Tracey E. Bregman, American actress
- 1963 – Ukyo Katayama, Japanese racing driver
- 1963 – Lisa Whelchel, American actress
- 1964 – Howard Mills III, New York State politician
- 1967 – Noel Gallagher, English musician (Oasis)
- 1967 – Mike Keane, Canadian hockey player
- 1969 – Chan Kinchla, Canadian musician (Blues Traveler)
- 1970 – Natarsha Belling, Australian news presenter
- 1971 – Eric Lucas, Quebec professional boxer
- 1972 – Közi, Japanese visual kei artist
- 1972 – Stanislas Renoult, French singer
- 1972 – Bill Curley, American basketball player
- 1973 – Anthony Azizi, American actor
- 1973 – Mark Lee, American musician (guitarist for Third Day)
- 1973 – Alpay Özalan, Turkish footballer
- 1974 – Myf Warhurst, Australian radio presenter on Triple J and TV personality on Spicks and Specks
- 1974 – Marc Gené, Spanish Formula One driver
- 1975 – Melanie Brown, English musician and actress
- 1975 – Daniel Tosh, American comedian
- 1975 – Anthony Wall, English golfer
- 1976 – David Buckner, American musician (Papa Roach)
- 1976 – Caçapa, Brazilian footballer
- 1976 – Jerry Hairston Jr., American baseball player
- 1976 – Yūsuke Iseya, Japanese model and actor
- 1977 – Antonio Lebo-Lebo, Angolan footballer
- 1977 – Massimo Ambrosini, Italian footballer
- 1977 – Danny Gerard, American actor
- 1978 – Pelle Almqvist, Swedish musician (The Hives)
- 1978 – Sébastien Grosjean, French tennis player
- 1978 – Adam Rickitt,British/New Zealand actor
- 1979 – Brian Kendrick, American professional wrestler
- 1979 – Arne Friedrich, German football player
- 1979 – John Rheinecker, Major League Baseball player
- 1979 – Casey Sheehan, American soldier; son of Cindy Sheehan (d. 2004)
- 1979 – Ahmad Latiff, Singapore footballer
- 1981 – Andrei Arshavin, Russian footballer
- 1982 – Ana Beatriz Barros, Brazilian model
- 1982 – Joanne Borgella, American plus-sized model and singer
- 1982 – Matt Macri, American baseball player
- 1984 – Carmelo Anthony, American basketball player
- 1986 – Dylan Postl, American professional wrestler
- 1986 – Jaslene Gonzalez, Puerto Rican/American fashion model
- 1986 – Valy Hedjasi, Afghan singer
- 1987 – Alessandra Toreson, American actress
- 1987 – Kelvin Maynard, Dutch football player
- 1989 – Danielle Riley Keough, American actress
- 1991 – Kristen Alderson, American actress
Deaths
- 1259 – King Christopher I of Denmark (b. 1219)
- 1379 – King Henry II of Castile (b. 1334)
- 1405 – Philippe de Mézières, advisor to Charles V of France
- 1425 – Hongxi Emperor of China (b. 1378)
- 1453 – Constantine XI Palaeologus, last Byzantine Emperor (b. 1404)
- 1500 – Bartolomeu Dias, Portuguese explorer
- 1546 – David Beaton, Scottish Catholic cardinal
- 1593 – John Penry, Welsh Protestant leader (b. 1559)
- 1660 – Frans van Schooten, Dutch mathematician (b. 1615)
- 1691 – Cornelis Tromp, Dutch admiral (b. 1629)
- 1790 – Israel Putnam, American Revolutionary War general (b. 1718)
- 1796 – Carl Fredrik Pechlin, Swedish politician (b. 1720)
- 1814 – Joséphine de Beauharnais, Empress of France (b. 1763)
- 1829 – Humphry Davy, English chemist (b. 1778)
- 1847 – Emmanuel, marquis de Grouchy, French marshal (b. 1766)
- 1866 – Winfield Scott, American general (b. 1786)
- 1868 – Michael Obrenovich III, Prince of Serbia (b. 1823)
- 1882 – Vasily Perov, Russian painter (b. 1833)
- 1892 – Bahá'u'lláh, Persian founder of the Bahá'í Faith (b. 1817)
- 1896 – Gabriel Auguste Daubrée, French geologist (b. 1814)
- 1903 – Draga Mašin, Queen of Serbia (b. 1864)
- 1903 – Bruce Price, American architect (b. 1845)
- 1910 – Mily Balakirev, Russian composer (b. 1837)
- 1911 – William S. Gilbert, English dramatist (b. 1836)
- 1917 – Kate Harrington, American teacher, writer and poet (b. 1831)
- 1919 – Robert Bacon, American politician (b. 1860)
- 1935 – Josef Suk, Czech composer and violinist (b. 1874)
- 1939 – Ursula Julia Ledochowska, Polish-Austrian Catholic saint (b. 1865)
- 1942 – John Barrymore, American actor (b. 1882)
- 1946 – Martin Gottfried Weiss, Commandant of Dachau concentration camp (b. 1905)
- 1948 – Dame May Whitty, English actress (b. 1865)
- 1951 – Fanny Brice, American singer/comedian (b. 1891)
- 1953 – Man Mountain Dean, American professional wrestler (b. 1891)
- 1958 – Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1881)
- 1970 – John Gunther, American writer (b. 1901)
- 1972 – Moe Berg, American baseball player and spy (b. 1902)
- 1972 – Stephen Timoshenko, Ukrainian-born mechanical engineer (b. 1878)
- 1973 – P. Ramlee, Malaysian film actor, director, singer and songwriter. (b. 1929)
- 1977 – Ba Maw, Burmese politician (b. 1893)
- 1979 – Mary Pickford, Canadian-born American actress and studio founder (b. 1892)
- 1979 – John H. Wood, Jr., American federal judge (b. 1916)
- 1982 – Romy Schneider, Austrian actress (b. 1938)
- 1983 – Arvīds Pelše, Soviet Latvian statesman (b. 1899)
- 1989 – John Cipollina, American musician (Quicksilver Messenger Service) (b. 1943)
- 1993 – Billy Conn, American boxer (b. 1917)
- 1994 – Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany (b. 1912)
- 1996 – Tamara Toumanova, Ballet star and actress (b. 1919)
- 1997 – Jeff Buckley, American musician (drowned) (b. 1966)
- 1997 – George Fenneman, American radio and television announcer (b. 1919)
- 1998 – Barry M. Goldwater, U.S. Senator from Arizona and presidential candidate (b. 1909)
- 2002 – Mildred Benson, American writer (b. 1905)
- 2003 – David Jefferies, British motorcycle racer (b. 1972)
- 2004 – Archibald Cox, Watergate special prosecutor (b. 1912)
- 2004 – Samuel Dash, American Congressional counsel (b. 1925)
- 2005 – George Rochberg, American composer (b. 1918)
- 2005 – Hamilton Naki, South African medical assistant (b. 1926)
- 2006 – Steve Mizerak, American pool player (b. 1944)
- 2006 – Jacques Bouchard, Quebec advertising executive (b. 1930)
- 2007 – Dave Balon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1938)
- 2007 – Lois Browne-Evans, Bermudian politician (stroke) (b. 1927)
- 2008 – Luc Bourdon, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1987)
- 2008 – Harvey Korman, American actor (b. 1927)
Holidays and observances
- Bahá'í Faith: Ascension of Bahá'u'llah
- Nigeria: Democracy Day
- United Kingdom: Oak Apple Day.
- Blessed Adhemar
- Saint Erwin
- Saint Maximinus of Trier
- Saint Theodosia
- Saint Alexander of Alexandria
- Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat
- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers