Discover what happened on July 29 in history as remarkable achievements, historic milestones, technological advances, and unforgettable moments helped shape the world we know today.
What Happened on July 29 in History?
Important events on this day include Congress authorizing NASA, the creation of the Interstate Highway System, Prince Charles marrying Lady Diana Spencer, General Motors acquiring Cadillac, and the Detroit Pistons relocating to Michigan.
JULY 29 – TODAY IN HISTORY:
1786 – “The Pittsburgh Gazette” became the first newspaper west of the Alleghenies to be published.
1909 – The newly formed General Motors Corporation (GM) acquired the country’s leading luxury automaker, the Cadillac Automobile Company, for $4.5 million.
1914 – The first transcontinental telephone service began when two people held a conversation between the cities of New York, NY and San Francisco, CA.
1925 – Marvin Pipkin patented the frosted light bulb. He created the bulb to reduce glare.
1950 – Disney’s film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” was released.
1956 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, officially authorizing the 41,000-mile national network of limited-access freeways.
1957 – Jack Paar began hosting “The Tonight Show” on NBC.
1957 – The NBA’s Pistons move from Fort Wayne, IN to Detroit, MI.
1958 – Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, authorizing the creation of NASA, which officially began operations on October 1, 1958.
1974 – A group of investors, headed by Guardian Industries President Bill Davidson, bought the Detroit Pistons for $8.1 million.
1975 – President Gerald R. Ford became the first U.S. president to visit the site of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland.
1976 – In New York, NY, David Berkowitz (the “Son of Sam”) killed one person and seriously wounded another in the first of a series of attacks.
1981 – England’s Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. Over 700 million people watched the wedding on TV.
1983 – The movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, starring Chevy Chase, was released in theaters.
1985 – General Motors announced that Spring Hill, TN, would be the home of the new Saturn automobile assembly plant.
1987 – Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream introduced “Cherry Garcia”
1988 – The movie “Cocktail”, starring Tom Cruise, premiered in theaters. Critics hated the movie. It won the Golden Raspberry award for the “Worst Picture” of the year.
1994 – The movie “The Mask”, starring Jim Carrey, premiered in theaters.
1998 – The United Auto Workers union ended a 54-day strike against General Motors. The strike caused General Motors $2.8 billion in lost revenues.
2003 – Boston Red Sox batter Bill Mueller became the first player in major league history to hit grand slams from both sides of the plate in a single game in a 14-7 win at Texas.
2004 – In Chumuckla, Florida, the volunteer firefighters were called to respond to a fire alarm. The building that was on fire was the firehouse. The first firefighter got there soon enough to save two fire trucks, but the rest of the firehouse was lost to the blaze.
2005 – Astronomers announced the discovery of the dwarf planet Eris (then nicknamed “Xena”), a finding that ultimately led to Pluto being reclassified as a dwarf planet.
2011 – The 3D live-action/computer-animated comedy movie “The Smurfs” premiered in theaters.
2015 – Microsoft launched Windows 10.
2021 – The International Space Station briefly spun out of its normal orientation after an unexpected engine firing by Russia’s Nauka module.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS ON JULY 29:
Nancy Kassebaum – 94 years old (1932) – Businesswoman and politician
Robert Fuller – 93 years old (1933) – Actor and rancher
Elizabeth Dole – 90 years old (1936) – Lawyer and politician, 20th United States Secretary of Labor
Daniel McFadden – 89 years old (1937) – Economist and academic, Nobel Prize Laureate
Betty Harris – 86 years old (1940) – Chemist
Sharon Creech – 81 years old (1945) – Author and educator
Neal Doughty – 80 years old (1946) – Keyboard player, songwriter, and producer
Leslie Easterbrook – 77 years old (1949) – Actress
Jenny Holzer – 76 years old (1950) – Painter, author, and dancer
Dan Driessen – 75 years old (1951) – Baseball player and coach
Dean Pitchford – 75 years old (1951) – Actor, director, screenwriter, and composer
Scott Wedman – 74 years old (1952) – Basketball player
Ken Burns – 73 years old (1953) – Director and producer
Tim Gunn – 73 years old (1953) – Television host and actor
Patti Scialfa – 73 years old (1953) – Musician
Teddy Atlas – 70 years old (1956) – Boxer, trainer, and sportscaster
Ronnie Musgrove – 70 years old (1956) – Lawyer and politician, 62nd Governor of Mississippi
Gail Dines – 68 years old (1958) – English-American author, activist, and academic
Cynthia Rowley – 68 years old (1958) – Fashion designer
Dave LaPoint – 67 years old (1959) – Baseball player and manager
Scott Steiner – 64 years old (1962) – Wrestler
Alexandra Paul – 63 years old (1963) – Actress and producer
Luis Alicea – 61 years old (1965) – Puerto Rican-American baseball player and coach
Chang-Rae Lee – 61 years old (1965) – South Korean-American author and academic
Woody Weatherman – 61 years old (1965) – Guitarist and songwriter
Martina McBride – 60 years old (1966) – Singer-songwriter and producer
Debbie Black – 60 years old (1966) – Basketball player and coach
Timothy Omundson – 57 years old (1969) – Actor
Adele Griffin – 56 years old (1970) – Author
Wil Wheaton – 54 years old (1972) – Actor, producer, and screenwriter
Stephen Dorff – 53 years old (1973) – Actor and producer
Josh Radnor – 52 years old (1974) – Actor and musician
Mike Adams – 48 years old (1978) – Baseball player
Ronald Murray – 47 years old (1979) – Basketball player
Ryan Braun – 46 years old (1980) – Canadian-American baseball player
Ben Koller – 46 years old (1980) – Drummer
Troy Perkins – 45 years old (1981) – Soccer player
Allison Mack – 44 years old (1982) – Actress and criminal
Jerious Norwood – 43 years old (1983) – Football player
Elise Testone – 43 years old (1983) – Singer-songwriter
Chad Billingsley – 42 years old (1984) – Baseball player
Nicole Melichar – 33 years old (1993) – Tennis player
Dak Prescott – 33 years old (1993) – Football player
Neal Pionk – 31 years old (1995) – Ice hockey player
Clayton Keller – 28 years old (1998) – Ice hockey player
Johnny Brackins – 23 years old (2003) – Long jumper and hurdler
DAYS OF THE YEAR FOR JULY 29:
- National Lipstick Day: Pop on your brightest red, softest pink, darkest black or most daring color and let your lips do the talking for you… metaphorically, as well as literally.
- National Chicken Wing Day: When it's game time or just time to kick back, these crispy bites are the ultimate companions for sharing and savoring.
- National Lasagna Day: Try your hand at any number of lasagna recipes, from beef to vegetable to cheese. Live like Garfield and tuck into this amazing Italian pasta casserole.
- International Tiger Day: Help raise awareness and join the fight against threats facing the world’s largest big cat. Tigers are majestic creatures, who may face extinction if not helped.
- Rain Day: Take a trip to Waynesburg, PA and join the celebration of life-giving rain. Delve deeper into patterns of rainfall and its importance to farming.
- National Marine Week: National Marine Week is a vibrant celebration of our oceans and the rich diversity of life they support. This annual event encourages everyone to connect with the sea, learn about marine life, and understand the crucial role our oceans play in the environment. It's a time to marvel at the...
- National Challenged Champions and Heroes Awareness Day: National Challenged Champions and Heroes Awareness Day is all about real people facing real struggles—and not backing down. It honors those living with disabilities or long-term health issues, people who push forward even when things get tough. Right next to them are the caregivers, lifting, guiding, and standing strong through...
- Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day: A hunk of cheddar on a trap might not sound poetic, but that’s how Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day begins. It’s a day wrapped in curiosity, with a bite of mischief. People buy cheese not to eat, but to offer it up, usually to outsmart a mouse. The idea? Trade a treat...
- Love Parks Week : Enjoy fresh air, beautiful scenery, and leisure activities that rejuvenate the mind and body in nature's embrace.
- National Fishing Month: Relaxing, meditative, and practical, fishing is an ideal hobby for many. Get out on the water with some bait and a fishing line, and catch yourself dinner.
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