April 29
Events
Pre-1600
- 801 - An earthquake in the Central Apennines hits Rome and Spoleto, damaging the basilica of San Paolo Fuori le Mura.
- 1091 - Battle of Levounion: The Pechenegs are defeated by Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
- 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orléans.
- 1483 - Gran Canaria, the main island of the Canary Islands, is conquered by the Kingdom of Castile.
- 1492 – The Crown's decision to expel the Jews is announced in Zaragoza, Aragon, to the kingdom's procurators.
- 1521 - Swedish War of Liberation: Swedish troops defeat a Danish force in the Battle of Västerås.
1601–1900
- 1760 - French forces commence the siege of Quebec which is held by the British.
- 1770 - James Cook arrives in Australia at Botany Bay, which he names.
- 1781 - American Revolutionary War: British and French ships clash in the Battle of Fort Royal off the coast of Martinique.
- 1826 - The galaxy Centaurus A or NGC 5128 is discovered by James Dunlop.
- 1861 - Maryland in the American Civil War: Maryland's House of Delegates votes not to secede from the Union.
- 1862 - American Civil War: The Capture of New Orleans by Union forces under David Farragut.
- 1862 - American Civil War: The Siege of Corinth begins as Union forces under General Henry Halleck moves to engage Confederate forces led by General P. G. T. Beauregard.
- 1864 - Theta Xi fraternity is founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the only fraternity to be founded during the American Civil War.
1901–present
- 1903 - A landslide kills 70 people in Frank, in the District of Alberta, Canada.
- 1910 - The Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People's Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public.
- 1911 - Tsinghua University, one of mainland China's leading universities, is founded.
- 1916 - World War I: The UK's 6th Indian Division surrenders to Ottoman Forces at the Siege of Kut in one of the largest surrenders of British forces up to that point.
- 1916 - Easter Rising: After six days of fighting, Irish rebel leaders surrender to British forces in Dublin, bringing the Easter Rising to an end.
- 1945 - World War II: The Surrender of Caserta is signed by the commander of German forces in Italy.
- 1945 - World War II: Airdrops of food begin over German-occupied regions of the Netherlands.
- 1945 - World War II: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor.
- 1945 - Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops.
- 1946 - The International Military Tribunal for the Far East convenes and indicts former Prime Minister of Japan Hideki Tojo and 28 former Japanese leaders for war crimes.
- 1952 - Pan Am Flight 202 crashes into the Amazon basin near Carolina, Maranhão, Brazil, killing 50 people.
- 1953 - The first U.S. experimental 3D television broadcast shows an episode of Space Patrol on Los Angeles ABC affiliate KECA-TV.
- 1967 - After refusing induction into the United States Army the previous day, Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title.
- 1970 - Vietnam War: United States and South Vietnamese forces invade Cambodia to interdict the Ho Chi Minh Trail in an attempt to cut off supplies to the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army.
- 1974 - Watergate scandal: United States President Richard Nixon announces the release of edited transcripts of White House tape recordings relating to the scandal.
- 1975 - Vietnam War: Operation Frequent Wind: The U.S. begins to evacuate U.S. citizens from Saigon before an expected North Vietnamese takeover. U.S. involvement in the war comes to an end. This happens after the Bombing of Tan Son Nhut Air Base.
- 1975 - Vietnam War: The North Vietnamese Army completes its capture of all parts of South Vietnam-held Trường Sa Islands.
- 1985 - Space Shuttle Challenger is launched on STS-51-B.
- 1986 - A fire at the Central library of the Los Angeles Public Library damages or destroys 400,000 books and other items.
- 1986 - The United States Navy aircraft carrier becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the.
- 1986 - An assembly of Sikhs, known as a Sarbat Khalsa, officially declared independence for a state of Khalistan.
- 1991 - A cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around, killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as ten million homeless.
- 1991 - The 7.0 Racha earthquake affects Georgia with a maximum MSK intensity of IX, killing 270 people.
- 1992 - Riots in Los Angeles begin, following the acquittal of police officers charged with excessive force in the beating of Rodney King. Over the next three days 63 people are killed and hundreds of buildings are destroyed.
- 1997 - The Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993 enters into force, outlawing the production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons by its signatories.
- 2004 - The final Oldsmobile is built in Lansing, Michigan, ending 107 years of vehicle production.
- 2011 - The Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton takes place at Westminster Abbey in London.
- 2013 - A powerful explosion occurs in an office building in Prague, believed to have been caused by natural gas, and injures 43 people.
- 2013 - National Airlines Flight 102, a Boeing 747-400 freighter aircraft, crashes during takeoff from Bagram Airfield in Parwan Province, Afghanistan, killing all seven people on board.
- 2015 - A baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox sets the all-time low attendance mark for Major League Baseball. Zero fans were in attendance for the game, as the stadium was officially closed to the public due to the 2015 Baltimore protests.
Births
Pre-1600
- 1469 - William II, Landgrave of Hesse
- 1587 - Sophie of Saxony, Duchess of Pomerania
1601–1900
- 1636 - Esaias Reusner, German lute player and composer
- 1665 - James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, Irish general and politician, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
- 1667 - John Arbuthnot, Scottish-English physician and polymath
- 1727 - Jean-Georges Noverre, French actor and dancer
- 1745 - Oliver Ellsworth, American lawyer and politician, 3rd Chief Justice of the United States
- 1758 - Georg Carl von Döbeln, Swedish general
- 1762 - Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, French general and politician, French Minister of Foreign Affairs
- 1780 - Charles Nodier, French librarian and author
- 1783 - David Cox, English landscape painter
- 1784 - Samuel Turell Armstrong, American publisher and politician, 14th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
- 1810 - Thomas Adolphus Trollope, English journalist and author
- 1818 - Alexander II of Russia
- 1837 - Georges Ernest Boulanger, French general and politician, French Minister of War
- 1842 - Carl Millöcker, Austrian composer and conductor
- 1847 - Joachim Andersen, Danish flautist, composer and conductor
- 1848 - Raja Ravi Varma, Indian painter and academic
- 1854 - Henri Poincaré, French mathematician, physicist and engineer
- 1863 - Constantine P. Cavafy, Egyptian-Greek journalist and poet
- 1863 - William Randolph Hearst, American publisher and politician, founded the Hearst Corporation
- 1863 - Maria Teresia Ledóchowska, Austrian nun and missionary
- 1872 - Harry Payne Whitney, American businessman and lawyer
- 1872 - Forest Ray Moulton, American astronomer and academic
- 1875 - Rafael Sabatini, Italian-English novelist and short story writer
- 1879 - Thomas Beecham, English conductor
- 1880 - Adolf Chybiński, Polish historian, musicologist and academic
- 1882 - Auguste Herbin, French painter
- 1882 - Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, Dutch printer, typographer, and Nazi resister
- 1885 - Egon Erwin Kisch, Czech journalist and author
- 1887 - Robert Cushman Murphy, American ornithologist
- 1888 - Michael Heidelberger, American immunologist
- 1891 - Edward Wilfred Taylor, British businessman
- 1893 - Harold Urey, American chemist and astronomer, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1894 - Marietta Blau, Austrian physicist and academic
- 1895 - Vladimir Propp, Russian scholar and critic
- 1895 - Malcolm Sargent, English organist, composer and conductor
- 1898 - E. J. Bowen, British physical chemist
- 1899 - Duke Ellington, American pianist, composer and bandleader
- 1899 - Mary Petty, American illustrator
- 1900 - Amelia Best, Australian politician
1901–present
- 1901 - Hirohito, Japanese emperor
- 1907 - Fred Zinnemann, Austrian-American director and producer
- 1908 - Jack Williamson, American author and academic
- 1909 - Tom Ewell, American actor
- 1912 - Richard Carlson, American actor, director, and screenwriter
- 1915 - Henry H. Barschall, German-American physicist and academic
- 1917 - Maya Deren, Ukrainian-American director, poet, and photographer
- 1917 - Celeste Holm, American actress and singer
- 1918 - George Allen, American football player and coach
- 1919 - Gérard Oury, French actor, director and screenwriter
- 1920 - Edward Blishen, English author and radio host
- 1920 - Harold Shapero, American composer
- 1922 - Parren Mitchell, American politician
- 1922 - Toots Thielemans, Belgian guitarist and harmonica player
- 1923 - Irvin Kershner, American actor, director and producer
- 1924 - Zizi Jeanmaire, French ballerina and actress
- 1925 - John Compton, Saint Lucian lawyer and politician, 1st Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
- 1925 - Iwao Takamoto, American animator, director, and producer
- 1926 - Elmer Kelton, American journalist and author
- 1927 - Dorothy Manley, English sprinter
- 1927 - Bill Slater, English footballer
- 1928 - Carl Gardner, American singer
- 1928 - Heinz Wolff, German-English physiologist, engineer, and academic
- 1929 - Walter Kempowski, German author and academic
- 1929 - Peter Sculthorpe, Australian composer and conductor
- 1929 - April Stevens, American singer
- 1929 - Maurice Strong, Canadian businessman and diplomat
- 1929 - Jeremy Thorpe, English lawyer and politician
- 1930 - Jean Rochefort, French actor and director
- 1931 - Frank Auerbach, German-British painter
- 1931 - Lonnie Donegan, Scottish-English singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1931 - Chris Pearson, Canadian politician, 1st Premier of Yukon
- 1932 - David Tindle, English painter and educator
- 1932 - Dmitry Zaikin, Soviet pilot and cosmonaut instructor
- 1933 - Ed Charles, American baseball player and coach
- 1933 - Rod McKuen, American singer-songwriter and poet
- 1933 - Willie Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer and actor
- 1934 - Luis Aparicio, Venezuelan-American baseball player
- 1934 - Pedro Pires, Cape Verdean politician, 3rd President of Cape Verde
- 1935 - Otis Rush, American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist
- 1936 - Zubin Mehta, Indian conductor
- 1936 - Adolfo Nicolás, Spanish priest, 13th Superior General of the Society of Jesus
- 1936 - Alejandra Pizarnik, Argentine poet
- 1936 - Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, English banker and philanthropist
- 1937 - Jill Paton Walsh, English author
- 1938 - Steven Bach, American writer, businessman and educator
- 1938 - Bernie Madoff, American businessman, financier and convicted felon
- 1939 - Klaus Rinke, German artist
- 1940 - George Adams, American musician
- 1940 - Peter Diamond, American economist
- 1941 - Hanne Darboven, German painter
- 1942 - Dick Chrysler, American politician
- 1942 - Rennie Fritchie, Baroness Fritchie, English civil servant and academic
- 1943 - Duane Allen, American country singer
- 1943 - Brenda Dean, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, English union leader and politician
- 1943 - Ruth Deech, Baroness Deech, English lawyer and academic
- 1944 - Francis Lee, English footballer and businessman
- 1945 - Hugh Hopper, English bass guitarist
- 1945 - Catherine Lara, French singer-songwriter and violinist
- 1945 - Tammi Terrell, American soul singer-songwriter
- 1946 - Rodney Frelinghuysen, American politician and lobbyist
- 1947 - Tommy James, American singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer
- 1947 - Johnny Miller, American golfer and sportscaster
- 1947 - Jim Ryun, American runner and politician
- 1948 - Edith Brown Clement, American judge
- 1950 - Paul Holmes, New Zealand journalist
- 1950 - Phillip Noyce, Australian director and producer
- 1950 - Debbie Stabenow, American social worker and politician
- 1951 - Dale Earnhardt, American race car driver
- 1951 - Jon Stanhope, Australian politician
- 1952 - Geraldine Doogue, Australian journalist and television host
- 1952 - Nora Dunn, American actress and comedian
- 1952 - Bob McClure, American baseball player and coach
- 1952 - Dave Valentin, American flautist
- 1953 - Bill Drummond, British musician
- 1954 - Mo Brooks, American attorney and politician
- 1954 - Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian, actor and producer
- 1955 - Leslie Jordan, American actor, comedian, writer and singer
- 1955 - Kate Mulgrew, American actress
- 1957 - Daniel Day-Lewis, British actor
- 1957 - Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, Samoan politician, 7th Prime Minister of Samoa
- 1957 - Joseph Morelle, American politician
- 1958 - Kevin Moore, English footballer
- 1958 - Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress
- 1958 - Eve Plumb, American actress
- 1960 - Robert J. Sawyer, Canadian author and academic
- 1962 - Polly Samson, English novelist, lyricist and journalist
- 1963 - Mike Babcock, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
- 1964 - Federico Castelluccio, Italian-American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
- 1964 - Lúðvík Bergvinsson, Icelandic politician
- 1965 - Michel Bussi, French geographer, author, and academic
- 1965 - Amy Krouse Rosenthal, American author
- 1966 - Christian Tetzlaff, German violinist
- 1968 - Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Croatian politician and diplomat, 4th President of Croatia
- 1969 - Paul Adelstein, American actor and writer
- 1970 - Andre Agassi, American tennis player
- 1970 - Uma Thurman, American actress
- 1975 - Garrison Starr, American singer-songwriter and producer
- 1975 - April Telek, Canadian actress
- 1976 - Micol Ostow, American author, editor and educator
- 1976 - God Shammgod, American basketball player and coach
- 1977 - Zuzana Hejdová, Czech tennis player
- 1977 - Claus Jensen, Danish international footballer and manager
- 1977 - David Sullivan, American film and television actor
- 1978 - Bob Bryan, American tennis player
- 1978 - Mike Bryan, American tennis player
- 1978 - Javier Colon, American singer-songwriter and musician
- 1978 - Tyler Labine, Canadian actor and comedian
- 1979 - Lee Dong-gook, South Korean footballer
- 1979 - Jo O'Meara, English pop singer
- 1980 - Mathieu Biron, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1980 - Bre Blair, Canadian actress
- 1981 - George McCartney, Northern Irish footballer
- 1983 - Megan Boone, American actress
- 1983 - Jay Cutler, American football player
- 1983 - Sam Jones III, American actor
- 1984 - Kirby Cote, Canadian swimmer
- 1984 - Lina Krasnoroutskaya, Russian tennis player
- 1986 - Byun Yo-han, South Korean actor
- 1986 - Lee Chae-young, South Korean actress
- 1987 - Rob Atkinson, English footballer
- 1987 - Sara Errani, Italian tennis player
- 1987 - Andre Russell, Jamaican cricketer
- 1988 - Alfred Hui, Hong Kong singer
- 1988 - Taoufik Makhloufi, Algerian athlete
- 1988 - Jonathan Toews, Canadian ice hockey player
- 1988 - Younha, South Korean singer-songwriter and record producer
- 1989 - Candace Owens, American political commentator and activist
- 1989 - Domagoj Vida, Croatian footballer
- 1990 - James Faulkner, Australian cricketer
- 1990 - Chris Johnson, American basketball player
- 1991 - Adam Smith, English footballer
- 1991 - Jung Hye-sung, South Korean actress
- 1991 - Misaki Doi, Japanese tennis player
- 1992 - Alina Rosenberg, German paralympic equestrian
- 1994 - Christina Shakovets, German tennis player
- 1996 - Katherine Langford, Australian actress
- 1997 - Lucas Tousart, French footballer
- 1998 - Kimberly Birrell, Australian tennis player
- 1998 - Mallory Pugh, American soccer player
- 1999 - Mateo Retegui, Argentine-Italian footballer
- 2001 - Danilo, Brazilian footballer
- 2002 - Sinja Kraus, Austrian tennis player
- 2005 - Aarón Anselmino, Argentine footballer
- 2006 - Xochitl Gomez, American actress
- 2007 - Mirra Andreeva, Russian tennis player
- 2007 - Infanta Sofía of Spain, Spanish princess