History of Today 29 August: Important Events, Births and Deaths

Welcome to History of Today 29 August. On this page, you can read important historical events, famous births, notable deaths and general knowledge facts related to 29 August. This information is useful for UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railway, State PSC and other competitive exams.

Last updated on 29 August 2026, 01:01 AM

Important Events on 29 August in History

29 Aug 2022: Russo-Ukrainian war: Ukraine begins its southern counteroffensive in the Kherson Oblast, eventually culminating in the liberation of the city of Kherson. Read more
29 Aug 2020: 2020 Women's FA Community Shield. Read more
29 Aug 2012: At least 26 Chinese miners are killed and 21 missing after a blast in the Xiaojiawan coal mine, located at Panzhihua, Sichuan Province. Read more
29 Aug 2012: The XIV Paralympic Games open in London, England, United Kingdom. Read more
29 Aug 2005: Hurricane Katrina devastates much of the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, killing up to 1,392 people and causing $125 billion in damage. Read more
29 Aug 2003: Sayed Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, is assassinated in a terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they leave a mosque in Najaf. Read more
29 Aug 2001: Four people are killed when Binter Mediterráneo Flight 8261 crashes into the N-340 highway near Málaga Airport. Read more
29 Aug 1998: Eighty people are killed when Cubana de Aviación Flight 389 crashes during a rejected takeoff from the Old Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Ecuador. Read more
29 Aug 1997: Netflix is launched as an internet DVD rental service. Read more
29 Aug 1997: At least 98 villagers are killed by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria GIA in the Rais massacre, Algeria. Read more
29 Aug 1996: Vnukovo Airlines Flight 2801, a Tupolev Tu-154, crashes into a mountain on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen, killing all 141 aboard. Read more
29 Aug 1991: Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union suspends all activities of the Soviet Communist Party. Read more
29 Aug 1991: Libero Grassi, an Italian businessman from Palermo, is killed by the Sicilian Mafia after taking a solitary stand against their extortion demands. Read more
29 Aug 1987: Odaeyang mass suicide: Thirty-three individuals linked to a religious cult are found dead in the attic of a cafeteria in Yongin, South Korea. Investigators attribute their deaths to a murder–suicide pact. Read more
29 Aug 1982: Meitnerium, a synthetic chemical element with the atomic number 109, is first synthesized at the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. Read more
29 Aug 1975: El Tacnazo: Francisco Morales Bermúdez, Peruvian Prime Minister carries out a coup d'état in the city of Tacna, forcing the sitting President of Peru, Juan Velasco Alvarado, to resign and assuming his place as the new President. Read more
29 Aug 1970: Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War, East Los Angeles, California. Police riot kills three people, including journalist Rubén Salazar. Read more
29 Aug 1966: The Beatles perform their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Read more
29 Aug 1966: Leading Egyptian thinker Sayyid Qutb is executed for plotting the assassination of President Gamal Abdel Nasser. Read more
29 Aug 1965: The Gemini V spacecraft returns to Earth, landing in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more
29 Aug 1960: Air France Flight 343 crashes on approach to Yoff Airport in Senegal, killing all 63 aboard. Read more
29 Aug 1958: United States Air Force Academy opens in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Read more
29 Aug 1952: American experimental composer John Cage's 4’33” premieres at Maverick Concert Hall, played by American pianist David Tudor. Read more
29 Aug 1950: Korean War: British Commonwealth Forces Korea arrives to bolster the US presence. Read more
29 Aug 1949: Soviet atomic bomb project: The Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb, known as First Lightning or Joe 1, at Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. Read more
29 Aug 1948: Northwest Airlines Flight 421 crashes in Fountain City, Wisconsin, killing all 37 aboard. Read more
29 Aug 1944: World War II: Slovak National Uprising takes place as 60,000 Slovak troops turn against the Nazis. Read more
29 Aug 1943: World War II: German-occupied Denmark scuttles most of its navy; Germany dissolves the Danish government. Read more
29 Aug 1941: World War II: Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is occupied by Nazi Germany following an occupation by the Soviet Union. Read more
29 Aug 1930: The last 36 remaining inhabitants of St Kilda are voluntarily evacuated to other parts of Scotland. Read more
29 Aug 1918: World War I: Bapaume taken by the New Zealand Division in the Hundred Days Offensive. Read more
29 Aug 1916: The United States passes the Philippine Autonomy Act. Read more
29 Aug 1915: US Navy salvage divers raise F-4, the first U.S. submarine sunk in an accident. Read more
29 Aug 1914: World War I: Start of the Battle of St. Quentin in which the French Fifth Army counter-attacked the invading Germans at Saint-Quentin, Aisne. Read more
29 Aug 1912: A typhoon strikes China, killing at least 50,000 people. Read more
29 Aug 1911: Ishi, considered the last Native American to make contact with European Americans, emerges from the wilderness of northeastern California. Read more
29 Aug 1911: The Canadian Naval Service becomes the Royal Canadian Navy. Read more
29 Aug 1910: The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, becomes effective, officially starting the period of Japanese rule in Korea. Read more
29 Aug 1907: The Quebec Bridge collapses during construction, killing 75 workers. Read more
29 Aug 1903: The Slava, the last of the five Borodino-class battleships, is launched. Read more
29 Aug 1898: The Goodyear tire company is founded in Akron, Ohio. Read more
29 Aug 1885: Gottlieb Daimler patents the world's first motorcycle with an internal combustion engine, the Reitwagen. Read more
29 Aug 1871: Emperor Meiji orders the abolition of the han system and the establishment of prefectures as local centers of administration. (Traditional Japanese date: July 14, 1871). Read more
29 Aug 1869: The Mount Washington Cog Railway opens, making it the world's first mountain-climbing rack railway. Read more
29 Aug 1861: American Civil War: The Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries gives Federal forces control of Pamlico Sound. Read more
29 Aug 1842: Treaty of Nanking signing ends the First Opium War. Read more
29 Aug 1831: Michael Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction. Read more
29 Aug 1825: Portuguese and Brazilian diplomats sign the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro, which has Portugal recognise Brazilian independence, formally ending the Brazilian War of Independence. The treaty will be ratified by the King of Portugal three months later. Read more
29 Aug 1807: British troops under Sir Arthur Wellesley defeat a Danish militia outside Copenhagen in the Battle of Køge. Read more

Famous Births on 29 August

29 Aug 2008: Rio Ngumoha, English footballer Rio Chima Ngumoha is an English professional footballer who plays as a left winger or left midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the England national team. Read more
29 Aug 1996: Daryll Neita, British sprinter Daryll Saskia Neita is a British sprinter. She won a silver medal in the 200 metres at the 2024 European Championships along with bronze in the 100 metres at the 2022 European Championships, 2022 Commonwealth Games and in the 60 metres at the 2023 European Indoor Championships. She has also won several medals as part of Great Britain 4 × 100 m relay teams, including an Olympic silver medal in 2024 and bronze medals in 2016 and 2021, World Championships silver medals in 2017 and 2019 and European gold in 2018. Read more
29 Aug 1994: Ysaline Bonaventure, Belgian tennis player Ysaline Bonaventure is a Belgian former professional tennis player.
On 6 March 2023, she reached her best singles ranking of world No. 81. On 1 February 2016, she peaked at No. 57 in the doubles rankings. Bonaventure won two doubles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as 12 singles and 14 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit. Read more
29 Aug 1993: Lucas Cruikshank, American YouTuber and actor Lucas Alan Cruikshank is an American YouTuber and actor who created and portrayed the character Fred Figglehorn and the associated Fred series for his channel on the video-hosting website YouTube in late 2006. These videos are centered on Fred Figglehorn, a fictional six-year-old who has a dysfunctional home life and "anger management issues". Read more
29 Aug 1993: Liam Payne, English singer-songwriter from One Direction (died 2024) Liam James Payne was an English singer and songwriter. He was a member of the pop band One Direction, one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, alongside Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson. Payne twice auditioned as a solo artist on the British television series The X Factor in 2008 and 2010; in the latter, he was invited to join One Direction alongside fellow contestants, placing third and later achieving global success. Read more
29 Aug 1992: Noah Syndergaard, American baseball player Noah Seth Syndergaard, nicknamed "Thor", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Guardians. Read more
29 Aug 1991: Néstor Araujo, Mexican footballer Néstor Alejandro Araujo Razo is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as a centre-back. He is an Olympic gold medalist. Read more
29 Aug 1991: Deshaun Thomas, American basketball player Deshaun Leroy Thomas is an American former professional basketball player who played eleven professional seasons. Standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), he played the small forward and power forward positions. Thomas played college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes and was selected 58th overall in the 2013 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs. Read more
29 Aug 1990: Jakub Kosecki, Polish footballer Jakub Kosecki is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a winger for Klasa A club Kosa Konstancin. Read more
29 Aug 1990: Chris Taylor, American baseball player Christopher Armand Taylor Jr., nicknamed "CT3", is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Angels. Read more
29 Aug 1990: Patrick van Aanholt, Dutch footballer Patrick John Miguel van Aanholt is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left-back. Read more
29 Aug 1989: Charlotte Ritchie, English actress Charlotte Ritchie is an English actress. She is best known on television as Nurse Barbara Gilbert in Call the Midwife (2015–2018) and Alison Cooper in Ghosts (2019–2023). Read more
29 Aug 1987: Tony Kane, Northern Irish footballer Anthony Michael Kane is a Northern Irish former footballer Kane was best known for his time at Ballymena United where he made over 250 appearances for the Sky Blues. As an international, Kane has represented both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland at under-21 level. Read more
29 Aug 1986: Hajime Isayama, Japanese illustrator Hajime Isayama is a Japanese manga artist. His first series, Attack on Titan (2009–2021), became one of the best-selling manga series of all time with 140 million copies in circulation as of November 2023. He was awarded the Kodansha Manga Award in 2011, a Harvey Award in 2014, and was honored with the Fauve Spécial award at the 50th Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2023. Read more
29 Aug 1986: Lea Michele, American actress and singer Lea Michele Sarfati is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She began her career as a child actress on Broadway, appearing in productions of Les Misérables (1995–1996), Ragtime (1997–1999), Fiddler on the Roof (2004–2005), and Spring Awakening (2006–2008). She found prominence playing Rachel Berry on the Fox series Glee (2009–2015), receiving nominations for an Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. She also contributed to music recorded for the series, which spawned multiple hits on the Billboard charts and earned her a Grammy Award nomination. Read more
29 Aug 1983: Jennifer Landon, American actress Jennifer Landon is an American actress known for her role as Teeter on the Paramount Network series Yellowstone (2020–2024) and Dr. Toni Wright on Grey's Anatomy. She is also known for her role as Gwen Norbeck Munson in the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. For her part on the show, Landon won three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series. Read more
29 Aug 1983: Antti Niemi, Finnish ice hockey player Antti Niemi is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender. During the 2009–10 season as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, he became the first Finnish goaltender to win the Stanley Cup, and has also played for the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Montreal Canadiens. Read more
29 Aug 1983: Anthony Recker, American baseball player Anthony Vito Recker is an American broadcaster and former professional baseball catcher and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves. Read more
29 Aug 1982: Ruhila Adatia-Sood, Kenyan journalist and radio host (died 2013) Ruhila Adatia-Sood was a Kenyan television and radio presenter and journalist of Indian heritage. Read more
29 Aug 1982: Carlos Delfino, Argentine–Italian basketball player Carlos Francisco Delfino is an Argentine former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, and Houston Rockets. Standing at 1.98 m, he plays at the small forward and shooting guard positions. He is also noted for his defense and three point shooting skills. Read more
29 Aug 1982: Yakhouba Diawara, French basketball player Yakhouba Diawara is a French former professional basketball player. He played college basketball in the United States for the Pepperdine Waves. Read more
29 Aug 1982: Vincent Enyeama, Nigerian footballer Vincent Enyeama is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is regarded as one of the greatest African goalkeepers of all time. Read more
29 Aug 1981: Martin Erat, Czech ice hockey player Martin Erat is a Czech former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals and the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes. Read more
29 Aug 1981: Geneviève Jeanson, Canadian cyclist Geneviève Jeanson is a former professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She won the world junior road and time trial championships in 1999 and the Tour de Snowy in 2000. Later that year she won La Flèche Wallonne World Cup race. She joined the Canadian Olympic team that year. She acknowledged in a documentary on Radio-Canada on September 20, 2007, that she had been administered EPO more or less continuously since she was 16 years old. Read more
29 Aug 1980: Chris Simms, American football player Christopher David Simms is an American sports analyst and former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft after playing college football for the Texas Longhorns. Read more
29 Aug 1980: David West, American basketball player David Moorer West is an American former professional basketball player who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors. He played college basketball for the Xavier Musketeers, earning national college player of the year honors from the Associated Press (AP) and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) as a senior in 2003. West was a two-time NBA All-Star and a two-time NBA champion. Read more
29 Aug 1979: Stijn Devolder, Belgian cyclist Stijn Devolder is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who competed professionally for Vlaanderen–T Interim (2002–2003), Discovery Channel (2004–2007), Quick-Step (2008–2010), Vacansoleil–DCM (2011–2012), Trek–Segafredo (2013–2016), Vérandas Willems–Crelan (2017–2018) and Corendon–Circus (2019). Read more
29 Aug 1979: Kristjan Rahnu, Estonian decathlete Kristjan Rahnu is a retired Estonian decathlete. His personal best dates back to 2005 when he did 8526 points in France, Arles on June 4–5. After many injuries and other issues, Rahnu is trying to make a successful return to the sport in 2009 for the first time since the European World Championships in 2006. Read more
29 Aug 1979: Ryan Shealy, American baseball player Ryan Nelson Shealy is an American former professional baseball player who played six seasons in Major League Baseball as a first baseman. Shealy played college baseball for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox. Read more
29 Aug 1978: Volkan Arslan, German-Turkish footballer Volkan Arslan is a Turkish football coach and former player. Arslan played for Turkey at the U-16, U-17 and U-18 levels before he made his debut for the senior team in 2003. Read more
29 Aug 1978: Celestine Babayaro, Nigerian footballer Celestine Hycieth Babayaro is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a left-back or a midfielder. Read more
29 Aug 1977: Cayetano, Greek DJ and producer Giorgos Bratanis, better known by his artistic name Cayetano is a Greek musician. He performs with his band — Cayetano Live Band — and as a DJ worldwide. Read more
29 Aug 1977: Devean George, American basketball player Devean Jamar George is an American former professional basketball player who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), mostly as a backup small forward. He won three NBA championships during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. Since completing his basketball career George has become a real estate developer in his home state of Minnesota. Read more
29 Aug 1977: John Hensley, American actor John Carter Hensley is an American actor, best known for his role as Matt McNamara on Nip/Tuck. Read more
29 Aug 1977: John Patrick O'Brien, American soccer player Jonathan Patrick O'Brien is an American former soccer player. After retiring, he pursued a career in psychology. Read more
29 Aug 1977: Roy Oswalt, American baseball player Roy Edward Oswalt is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Oswalt played for the majority of his Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Houston Astros. He also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, and Colorado Rockies. Read more
29 Aug 1977: Charlie Pickering, Australian comedian and radio host Charlie Pickering is an Australian television and radio presenter, author, and producer. Read more
29 Aug 1977: Aaron Rowand, American baseball player and sportscaster Aaron Ryan Rowand is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants, winning two World Series championships. During his playing days, Rowand stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 210 pounds (95 kg). He batted and threw right-handed. Read more
29 Aug 1976: Stephen Carr, Irish footballer Stephen Carr is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a right-back, sometimes deputising at left-back or centre back. He started his career with Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur in 1993 and remained with the club until 2004. He had a spell with Newcastle United until 2008. From 2009 until 2013 he stayed with Birmingham City, also captaining the side. He is a former international player with the Republic of Ireland, having made 44 appearances. Read more
29 Aug 1976: Phil Harvey, English manager Philip Christopher Harvey is an English music manager and creative director. He contributes exclusively to the rock band Coldplay, who consider him their fifth member. After studying at Sherborne School and befriending Chris Martin, he continued his education at Trinity College, Oxford, pursuing a degree in Greek and Latin. Harvey organised student parties at the time, leading him to finance the group, manage their career and eventually drop out of his course. Read more
29 Aug 1976: Kevin Kaesviharn, American football player Kevin Robert Kaesviharn is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Iowa Barnstormers as a street free agent in 1998. He played college football for the Augustana Vikings. Read more
29 Aug 1976: Georgios Kalaitzis, Greek basketball player Georgios Kalaitzis is a Greek basketball coach and former professional player, who last served as the youth academy head coach for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. During his playing career, at a height of 1.96 m tall, Kalaitzis played at the point guard, shooting guard and small forward positions. Read more
29 Aug 1976: Pablo Mastroeni, Argentine-American soccer player and manager Pablo Mastroeni is a professional soccer coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake. Born in Argentina, he played for the United States national team. Read more
29 Aug 1976: Jon Dahl Tomasson, Danish footballer and manager Jon Dahl Tomasson is a Danish football manager and former player. He was most recently manager of the Sweden national team. Read more
29 Aug 1975: Dante Basco, American actor Dante Roman Titus Basco is an American actor. He is known for his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys, in Steven Spielberg's Hook, Dolph in the cult film But I'm a Cheerleader, the lead character Ben Mercado in the independent film The Debut, and for voicing the title character of American Dragon: Jake Long and Prince Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Read more
29 Aug 1975: Kyle Cook, American singer-songwriter and guitarist David Kyle Cook is an American musician best known as a member of the band Matchbox Twenty, serving as the lead guitarist, banjo player, backing and occasional lead vocalist. Read more
29 Aug 1974: Kumi Tanioka, Japanese keyboard player and composer Kumi Tanioka is a Japanese composer and pianist. Born in Hiroshima, Japan, she graduated from Kobe University with a degree in musical performance, and began working as a video game composer in 1998. She joined video game developer and publisher Square that same year, and worked on over 15 games for them before leaving to work as an independent composer in 2010. Read more
29 Aug 1973: Vincent Cavanagh, English singer and guitarist Vincent Cavanagh is a British composer, vocalist, and producer, currently releasing music under the moniker The Radicant. His work spans electronic music, contemporary art, dance and immersive technology, with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and experimental sound design. Read more
29 Aug 1973: Olivier Jacque, French motorcycle racer Olivier Jacque is a French former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Read more
29 Aug 1972: Amanda Marshall, Canadian singer-songwriter Amanda Meta Marshall is a Canadian Juno award winning pop-rock singer and songwriter. She has released four studio albums; the first was certified diamond in Canada, with the second and third certified 3× platinum and platinum respectively. She is best known for her 1996 single, "Birmingham", which reached number 3 in Canada and was her only song to reach the US charts. Read more
29 Aug 1972: Bae Yong-joon, South Korean actor Bae Yong-joon is a South Korean businessman and former actor. He has starred in numerous television dramas, including, notably, Winter Sonata (2002), which became a major part of the Korean Wave. Bae retired from acting after 2007, but remains active as the chairman of management agency KeyEast. Read more
29 Aug 1971: Henry Blanco, Venezuelan baseball player and coach Henry Ramón Blanco is a Venezuelan former professional baseball catcher who currently serves as the manager for the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1997 to 2013, appearing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, and Seattle Mariners. He later served as quality assurance coach for the Cubs. Although a light-hitting player, he was regarded as one of the best defensive catchers of his era. Read more
29 Aug 1971: Alex Griffin, English bass player Ned's Atomic Dustbin is an English rock band formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands, in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of radio comedy programme The Goon Show. The band is unusual for using two bass-players in their line-up. Read more
29 Aug 1971: Carla Gugino, American actress Carla Gugino is an American actress. After early roles in the films Troop Beverly Hills (1989), This Boy's Life (1993), Son in Law (1993), and Snake Eyes (1998), Gugino received wider recognition for her starring roles in the Spy Kids trilogy (2001–2003), Sin City (2005), Night at the Museum (2006), American Gangster (2007), Righteous Kill (2008), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Sally Jupiter in Watchmen (2009), Sucker Punch (2011), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011), San Andreas (2015), Gerald's Game (2017), Gunpowder Milkshake (2021), and Lisa Frankenstein (2024). Read more
29 Aug 1969: Joe Swail, Northern Irish snooker player Joe Swail is a Northern Irish former professional snooker player from Belfast. He retired in May 2019 after being relegated from the tour. He has reached ten major ranking semi-finals, including the 2000 and 2001 World Championships but only one final. Swail is renowned for playing well at the Crucible Theatre, having reached the last 16 on four further occasions. He is also a former English amateur champion and Northern Ireland amateur runner-up, and has captained Northern Ireland internationally. He was Irish champion in 1992 and 2005. Read more
29 Aug 1969: Jennifer Crittenden, American screenwriter and producer Jennifer Crittenden is an American screenwriter and producer. She started her writing career on the animated television series The Simpsons, and has since written for several other television sitcoms including Everybody Loves Raymond, Seinfeld and Veep. Her work has earned her several Emmy Award nominations. Read more
29 Aug 1969: Lucero, Mexican singer, songwriter, actress, and television host Lucero Hogaza León is a Mexican singer, actress, and television personality. Dubbed "the Americas' Girlfriend", she is known for her influence in Latin music and Latin American television, with a career spanning over four decades. She started her career at age ten as a child actress on Televisa shows such as Alegrías de Mediodía, Chiquilladas, and later starred in Chispita. In 1982, she debuted as a singer with Él and soon became one of the most popular teen pop stars of the 1980s. Her albums from that time include Un Pedacito de Mí (1986), Ocho Quince (1988), and Cuéntame (1989). Read more
29 Aug 1968: Meshell Ndegeocello, German-American singer-songwriter Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her mid-career work. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, being nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, and winning three. She also has been credited for helping to "spark the neo-soul movement". Read more
29 Aug 1967: Neil Gorsuch, American lawyer and jurist, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Neil McGill Gorsuch is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President Donald Trump on January 31, 2017, and has served since April 10, 2017. Read more
29 Aug 1967: Anton Newcombe, American singer-songwriter and guitarist Anton Alfred Newcombe is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and founder of the music group The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Read more
29 Aug 1966: Jörn Großkopf, German footballer and manager Jörn Großkopf (born 29 August 1966 is a German former football player and manager. He is currently in charge of Eintracht Norderstedt. Read more
29 Aug 1965: Will Perdue, American basketball player and sportscaster William Edward Perdue III is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a member of four NBA championship teams, three with the Chicago Bulls (1991–1993) and one with the San Antonio Spurs (1999). Perdue was a Studio analyst for NBC Sports Chicago during its pre- and post-game Chicago Bulls broadcasts until the channel's closure in 2024. Read more
29 Aug 1965: Geir-Inge Sivertsen, Norwegian politician and engineer, Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Seafood Geir-Inge Sivertsen is a Norwegian engineer and politician for the Conservative Party. He is currently the mayor of Senja since 2023. He served as minister of fisheries from January to March 2020, and previously served as mayor of Lenvik from 2011 to 2019. Read more
29 Aug 1964: Perri "Pebbles" Reid, American dance-pop and urban contemporary singer-songwriter Perri Arlette Reid, known professionally as Pebbles, is an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, pastor, record producer, and music executive. She is known for her hits during the late 1980s and early 1990s such as "Girlfriend" (1987), "Mercedes Boy" (1988), "Giving You the Benefit" (1990), "Love Makes Things Happen" (1990) and "Backyard" (1991). In addition to a recording career, Reid helped develop the contemporary R&B group TLC. She is now an Atlanta-based minister, known as Sister Perri. Read more
29 Aug 1964: Zisis Tsekos, Greek footballer Zisis Tsekos is a former Greek footballer. Read more
29 Aug 1963: Elizabeth Fraser, Scottish singer-songwriter Elizabeth Davidson Fraser is a Scottish singer. She achieved worldwide success as the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. The band's studio albums Victorialand (1986) and Heaven or Las Vegas (1990) reached the top ten of the UK Album Charts, while other albums, including Blue Bell Knoll (1988), Four-Calendar Café (1993), and Milk & Kisses (1996), charted on the Billboard 200 album charts in the United States and the top 20 in the UK. She also performed as part of the 4AD group This Mortal Coil, including the successful 1983 single "Song to the Siren", and as a guest with Massive Attack on several tracks from their 1998 album Mezzanine, most notably the commercially successful single "Teardrop", and album tracks "Black Milk" and "Group Four". She later collaborated with the band again on the track "Silent Spring", released on their 2006 compilation Collected. Read more
29 Aug 1962: Carl Banks, American football player and sportscaster Carl E. Banks is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. Read more
29 Aug 1962: Hiroki Kikuta, Japanese game designer and composer Hiroki Kikuta is a Japanese composer and game designer. His major works are Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, Soukaigi, and Koudelka, for which he also acted as producer and concept designer. He has composed music for seven other games, and worked as a concept designer in addition to composer for the unreleased MMORPG Chou Bukyo Taisen. He became interested in music at an early age, but earned a degree in Religious Studies, Philosophy, and Cultural Anthropology from Kansai University. He spent the next few years working first as a manga illustrator, then as a composer for anime series, before coming to work for Square in 1991. Read more
29 Aug 1962: Ian James Corlett, Canadian voice actor, writer, producer, and author Ian James Corlett is a Canadian voice actor and author. He is the creator of the animated series Being Ian and Yvon of the Yukon with Studio B Productions, with notable voice roles including Mega Man in Ruby-Spears' Mega Man series, Cheetor in Beast Wars: Transformers, Baby Taz in Baby Looney Tunes and the first English voice of adult Goku in the Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Z from 1996 to 1997. Read more
29 Aug 1962: Simon Thurley, English historian and academic Simon John Thurley is an English academic and architectural historian. He served as Chief Executive of English Heritage from April 2002 to May 2015. In April 2021, he became Chair of the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Read more
29 Aug 1962: Richard Angelo, American serial killer and poisoner Richard Angelo is an American serial killer and former nurse who operated within Long Island and West Islip, New York. In 1989, he was convicted of murdering several of his patients and sentenced to 50-years-to-life in prison. Read more
29 Aug 1961: Carsten Fischer, German field hockey player Carsten "Calle" Fischer is a former field hockey player from West Germany, who competed at four Summer Olympics for his native country. He won the golden medal with his team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, after securing silver at the two previous Olympics in Los Angeles (1984) and Seoul (1988).
At his fourth Olympic games, in Atlanta (1996), he came fourth. Read more
29 Aug 1961: Rodney McCray, American basketball player Rodney Earl McCray is an American former professional basketball player. A 6'8" small forward, he spent 10 seasons (1983–93) in the National Basketball Association (NBA), tallying 9,014 career points and 5,087 career rebounds. Read more
29 Aug 1960: Todd English, American chef and author William Todd English is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality, based in Boston, Massachusetts. He hosted the TV cooking show, Food Trip with Todd English, on PBS. In 2005 he was a judge on the PBS show Cooking Under Fire. Read more
29 Aug 1960: Tony MacAlpine, American guitarist, songwriter, and producer Tony MacAlpine is an American musician and composer. In a career spanning four decades, he has released twelve studio albums. MacAlpine is best known as an instrumental rock and heavy metal solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in guest appearances and collaborations. Read more
29 Aug 1959: Rebecca De Mornay, American actress Rebecca De Mornay is an American actress who has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she starred in Risky Business. De Mornay is also known for her roles in The Slugger's Wife (1985), Runaway Train (1985), The Trip to Bountiful (1985), Backdraft (1991), and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992). Read more
29 Aug 1959: Ramón Díaz, Argentine footballer and manager Ramón Ángel Díaz is an Argentine football manager and former player. He is the most successful Argentine coach in history with 17 titles, the second most successful manager in River Plate's history after Marcelo Gallardo and the most successful in Argentine Primera División along with Ángel Labruna. Read more
29 Aug 1959: Ray Elgaard, Canadian football player Raymond Elgaard is a former Canadian Football League (CFL) slotback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1983 through 1996, including winning the 77th Grey Cup in 1989. A big man, he was noted for his reliability as a receiver and his toughness on the field. He retired as the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards in the Canadian Football League. Read more
29 Aug 1959: Chris Hadfield, Canadian colonel, pilot, and astronaut Chris Austin Hadfield is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force colonel, test pilot, and CSA astronaut. As the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and also served as commander of the International Space Station (ISS). Prior to his career as an astronaut, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years as an Air Command fighter pilot. Read more
29 Aug 1959: Eddi Reader, Scottish singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer Sadenia "Eddi" Reader MBE is a Scottish singer-songwriter, known for her work as the lead vocalist of the folk and soft rock band Fairground Attraction and for an enduring solo career. She is the recipient of three Brit Awards. In 2003, she showcased the works of Scotland's national poet, Robert Burns. Read more
29 Aug 1959: Timothy Shriver, American businessman and activist Timothy Perry Shriver is an American disability rights activist, film producer, and former educator who has been Chairman of Special Olympics since 1996 and is the founder of UNITE. He is a member of the prominent Shriver and Kennedy families, as the third child of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and Sargent Shriver, who helped found the Peace Corps. Read more
29 Aug 1959: Stephen Wolfram, English-American physicist and mathematician Stephen Wolfram is a British-American computer scientist, physicist, and businessman. He works in computer algebra and theoretical physics. In 2012, he was named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. Read more
29 Aug 1959: Nagarjuna, Indian film actor, Producer and Businessman Akkineni Nagarjuna is an Indian actor best known for his works primarily in Telugu cinema, as well as in a few Hindi and Tamil films. He has appeared in over 90 films and is a recipient of two National Film Awards for Ninne Pelladata (1996) and Annamayya (1997). Nagarjuna has also won ten Nandi Awards and three Filmfare Awards South. In 2013, he represented the Cinema of South India at the Delhi Film Festival's 100 Years of Indian Cinema's celebration. In 1995, he ventured into film production, with a production unit operating in Seychelles, and was a co-director of an Emmy Award-winning film animation company called Heart Animation. Nagarjuna is the co-owner of Annapurna Studios and is also the president of the non-profit film school Annapurna College of Film and Media based in Hyderabad. Read more
29 Aug 1958: Lenny Henry, English comedian, actor, and screenwriter Sir Lenworth George Henry is a British comedian, actor, presenter and writer. He gained success as a stand-up comedian and impressionist in the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming a regular cast member of the children's entertainment show Tiswas and the sketch comedy show Three of a Kind. In 1984, he began The Lenny Henry Show, which ran until 2005 and varied between sketch show and sitcom during its run. He was the most prominent black British comedian of the late 1970s and 1980s, and much of his material served to celebrate and parody his African-Caribbean roots. Read more
29 Aug 1958: Michael Jackson, American singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, and actor (died 2009) Michael Joseph Jackson was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. His musical achievements broke American racial barriers and made him a dominant figure worldwide. Through his songs, music videos, concerts, and fashion, he transformed visual performance in popular music, popularizing street dance moves such as the moonwalk, the robot, and the anti-gravity lean. Jackson is often deemed the greatest entertainer of all time. Read more
29 Aug 1957: Jerry D. Bailey, American jockey and sportscaster Jerry D. Bailey is a retired American Hall of Fame jockey and current NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest jockeys of all time. Read more
29 Aug 1957: Grzegorz Ciechowski, Polish singer-songwriter, film music composer (died 2001) Grzegorz Zbigniew Ciechowski was a Polish rock musician and film music composer. Read more
29 Aug 1956: Mark Morris, American dancer and choreographer Mark William Morris is an American dancer, choreographer and director. Read more
29 Aug 1956: Eddie Murray, American football player Edward Peter Murray is a Canadian former professional football player who was a kicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Tulane University. Read more
29 Aug 1956: Charalambos Xanthopoulos, Greek footballer Charalampos "Babis" Xanthopoulos is a former Greek footballer. Read more
29 Aug 1956: Steve Yarbrough, American novelist and short story writer Steve Yarbrough is an American author and academic, who teaches at Emerson College. Read more
29 Aug 1955: Diamanda Galás, American singer-songwriter and pianist Diamanda Galás is an American musician, singer-songwriter, visual artist, and activist. Galás has attracted the attention of the press particularly for her voice — a soprano sfogato — and written accounts that describe her work as original and thought-provoking refer to her as "capable of the most unnerving vocal terror", an "aesthetic revolutionary", "a mourner for the world's victims" and "an envoy of risk, honesty and commitment". Read more
29 Aug 1955: Jack Lew, American lawyer and politician, 25th White House Chief of Staff Jacob Joseph Lew is an American attorney and diplomat who served as the 28th United States ambassador to Israel from 2023 to 2025. He was the 76th United States secretary of the treasury from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he also served as the 25th White House chief of staff from 2012 to 2013 and as director of the Office of Management and Budget in both the Clinton administration and Obama administration. Read more
29 Aug 1954: Michael P. Kube-McDowell, American journalist, author, and academic Michael Paul Kube-McDowell, also known as Michael McDowell or Michael P. McDowell, is an American author of science fiction and non-fiction. Read more
29 Aug 1953: David Boaz, American businessman and author David Douglas Boaz was a libertarian author, philosopher and editor. He was a distinguished senior fellow and the executive vice president of the Cato Institute, an American libertarian think tank. Boaz was a prominent advocate for individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and non-interventionist foreign policy. Read more
29 Aug 1953: Richard Harding, English rugby union player Richard Mark Harding is a former rugby union international who played for England, and on his last test captained them. He also played club rugby for his home city of Bristol and was part of Bristol RFC's cup winning side of 1983. After his sporting career he has concentrated on his profession as an estate agent and chartered surveyor. Read more
29 Aug 1953: James Quesada, Nicaraguan-American anthropologist and academic James Quesada is a Nicaraguan American Anthropologist and professor at San Francisco State University's Department of Anthropology.. His work focuses on cultural and medical anthropology, the ethnography of structural and political violence, social Suffering, critical medical anthropology, urban anthropology, culture change, transnational migration and refugee migration, North America, Central America, and the inner city. Read more
29 Aug 1952: Karen Hesse, American author and poet Karen S. Hesse is an American author of children's literature and literature for young adults, often with historical settings. She received the Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust (1997). Read more
29 Aug 1952: Dave Malone, American singer-songwriter and guitarist The Radiators, also known as The New Orleans Radiators, are an American rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The band's musical style, which draws from blues, rock, rhythm and blues, funk and soul music, has attracted a dedicated fanbase who the band calls "fish heads". Described by OffBeat magazine as "New Orleans' longest-running and most successful rock band", The Radiators had only limited commercial success, with only a handful of chart appearances, but, as a party band from a party town, their enthusiastic live performances, danceable beats and relentless touring earned the band a dedicated following and the admiration of many of their peers. Read more
29 Aug 1952: Don Schlitz, American Hall of Fame country music songwriter (died 2026) Donald Allen Schlitz Jr. was an American songwriter who wrote more than twenty number-one hits on the country music charts. He was best known for his song "The Gambler", and as the co-writer of "Forever and Ever, Amen", and "When You Say Nothing at All". For his songwriting efforts, Schlitz earned two Grammy Awards, and four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards. Read more
29 Aug 1952: Deborah Van Valkenburgh, American actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh is an American actress best known for her screen debut as Mercy in the 1979 cult film The Warriors, and her role as Jackie Rush for five seasons (1980–1985) on the television situation comedy Too Close for Comfort. In 2012, she won the Best Supporting Actress in a Fantasy Film award at the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival for the film Road to Hell. Read more
29 Aug 1951: Geoff Whitehorn, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Geoffrey Charles Whitehorn is a guitarist and singer-songwriter, who has played as a member of If, Crawler and Procol Harum. Read more
29 Aug 1950: Doug DeCinces, American baseball player Douglas Vernon DeCinces is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman from 1973 to 1987 for the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and St. Louis Cardinals. He also played for one season in the Nippon Professional Baseball league for the Yakult Swallows in 1988. Read more
29 Aug 1950: Frank Henenlotter, American director and screenwriter Frank Henenlotter is an American film director, screenwriter and film historian. He is known primarily for directing horror comedies, especially Basket Case (1981), Brain Damage (1988), and Frankenhooker (1990). Read more
29 Aug 1950: Dave Reichert, American soldier and politician David George Reichert is an American retired police officer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Washington's 8th congressional district from 2005 to 2019. A moderate member of the Republican Party, he served as the sheriff of King County, Washington from 1997 to 2005. Read more
29 Aug 1950: Aki Yashiro, Japanese singer (died 2023) Aki Yashiro , real name Akiyo Masuda , née Hashimoto , was a Japanese enka singer and painter. Her stage name "Yashiro" was adopted from her hometown Yatsushiro. Read more
29 Aug 1949: Stan Hansen, American wrestler and actor John Stanley Hansen II, best known as Stan "the Lariat" Hansen, is an American retired professional wrestler. Read more
29 Aug 1949: Darnell Hillman, American basketball player Darnell Hillman is an American former professional basketball player who spent nine seasons in the American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association with the Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets, Kansas City Kings and Golden State Warriors. Read more
29 Aug 1948: Robert S. Langer, American chemical engineer, entrepreneur, and academic Robert Samuel Langer Jr. FREng is an American biotechnologist, businessman, chemical engineer, chemist, and inventor. He is one of the 12 Institute Professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Read more
29 Aug 1947: Temple Grandin, American ethologist, academic, and author Mary Temple Grandin is an American academic, inventor, and ethologist. She is a prominent proponent of the humane treatment of livestock for slaughter and the author of more than 60 scientific papers on animal behavior. Grandin is a consultant to the livestock industry, where she offers advice on animal behavior. Read more
29 Aug 1947: James Hunt, English race car driver and sportscaster (died 1993) James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver and broadcaster who competed in Formula One from 1973 to 1979. Nicknamed "the Shunt", Hunt won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1976 with McLaren and won 10 Grands Prix across seven seasons. Read more
29 Aug 1946: Bob Beamon, American long jumper Robert Beamon is an American former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968. By jumping 8.90 m, he broke the existing record by a margin of 55 cm and his world record stood for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. The jump is still the Olympic record and the second-longest in history unassisted by wind. Read more
29 Aug 1946: Francine D. Blau, American economist and academic Francine Dee Blau is an American economist and professor of economics as well as Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University. In 2010, Blau was the first woman to receive the IZA Prize in Labor Economics for her "seminal contributions to the economic analysis of labor market inequality." She was awarded the 2017 Jacob Mincer Award by the Society of Labor Economists in recognition of lifetime of contributions to the field of labor economics. Read more
29 Aug 1946: Demetris Christofias, Cypriot businessman and politician, 6th President of Cyprus (died 2019) Demetris Christofias was a Cypriot politician, who served as President of Cyprus from 2008 to 2013. He was previously President of the House of Representatives from 2001 to 2008 and General Secretary of the Progressive Party of Working People from 1988 to 2009. Read more
29 Aug 1946: Warren Jabali, American basketball player (died 2012) Warren Jabali was an American basketball player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) from 1968 to 1975. Read more
29 Aug 1946: Giorgio Orsoni, Italian lawyer and politician, 17th Mayor of Venice Giorgio Orsoni is an Italian lawyer, politician and a former mayor of Venice. Read more
29 Aug 1945: Chris Copping, English singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Copping is a musician and singer-songwriter who was a member of Procol Harum in the 1970s, and has also composed for TV and film. He predominantly plays organ, piano and bass guitar. Read more
29 Aug 1945: Wyomia Tyus, American sprinter Wyomia Tyus is a retired American track and field sprinter, and the first person to retain the Olympic title in the 100 m. Read more
29 Aug 1943: Mohamed Amin, Kenyan photographer and journalist (died 1996) Mohamed Amin was a Kenyan photojournalist. Read more
29 Aug 1943: Dick Halligan, American pianist and composer (died 2022) Richard Bernard Halligan was an American musician and composer, best known as a founding member of the jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Read more
29 Aug 1943: Arthur B. McDonald, Canadian astrophysicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate Arthur Bruce McDonald P.Eng is a Canadian astrophysicist. McDonald is the director of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Collaboration and held the Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario from 2006 to 2013. He was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Japanese physicist Takaaki Kajita. Read more
29 Aug 1942: James Glennon, American cinematographer (died 2006) James "Jim" Glennon was an American cinematographer. Read more
29 Aug 1942: Gottfried John, German actor (died 2014) Gottfried John was a German stage, screen, and voice actor. A longtime collaborator of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, John appeared in nine of his films between 1975 and 1981, the year before Fassbinder's death, including Eight Hours Don't Make a Day, Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven, Despair, The Marriage of Maria Braun, and Berlin Alexanderplatz. His distinctive, gaunt appearance saw him frequently cast as villains, and he is best known to audiences for his role as the corrupt General Arkady Ourumov in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye and his comedic turn as Julius Caesar in Asterix and Obelix vs. Caesar (1999), for the latter of which he won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor. Read more
29 Aug 1942: Sterling Morrison, American singer and guitarist (died 1995) Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. was an American musician, best known as one of the founding members of the rock band the Velvet Underground. He usually played electric guitar, occasionally played bass guitar, and provided backing vocals. Read more
29 Aug 1941: Robin Leach, English journalist and television host (died 2018) Robin Douglas Leach was a British-American entertainment reporter and writer from London. After beginning his career as a print journalist, first in Britain and then in the United States, he became best known for hosting the television series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous from 1984 to 1995. The show focused on profiling well-known celebrities and their lavish homes, cars and other materialistic details. Read more
29 Aug 1940: James Brady, American politician and activist, 15th White House Press Secretary (died 2014) James Scott Brady was an American journalist, politician, activist and American public official who served as assistant to the U.S. president and the 17th White House press secretary, serving under President Ronald Reagan. On March 30, 1981, John Hinckley Jr. shot and wounded Brady during Hinckley’s attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan, which occurred two months and 10 days after Reagan's inauguration. Read more
29 Aug 1940: Gary Gabelich, American race car driver (died 1984) Gary Michael Gabelich was an American motorsport driver who set the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Land Speed Record (LSR) on October 23, 1970, driving the rocket car Blue Flame at Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah. Read more
29 Aug 1939: Jolán Kleiber-Kontsek, Hungarian discus thrower and shot putter (died 2022) Jolán Kleiber-Kontsek was a Hungarian athlete who mainly competed in the discus throw event during her career. Read more
29 Aug 1939: Joel Schumacher, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2020) Joel T. Schumacher was an American filmmaker. During a four-decade career, he directed more than 20 feature length films that spanned various genres. His films were commercially successful, grossing over a combined $1 billion. Read more
29 Aug 1938: Elliott Gould, American actor and producer Elliott Gould is an American actor. Read more
29 Aug 1938: Angela Huth, English journalist and author Angela Huth is an English novelist and journalist. Read more
29 Aug 1938: Christian Müller, German footballer and manager Christian Müller is a German former professional footballer. A forward, he made 131 appearances and scored 71 goals in the Bundesliga for 1. FC Köln and Karlsruher SC during his playing career. Read more
29 Aug 1938: Robert Rubin, American lawyer and politician, 70th United States Secretary of the Treasury Robert Edward Rubin is an American retired banking executive, lawyer, and former government official. He served as the 70th United States secretary of the treasury during the Clinton administration. Before his government service, he spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs, eventually serving as a member of the board and co-chairman from 1990 to 1992. Read more
29 Aug 1937: James Florio, American commander, lawyer, and politician, 49th Governor of New Jersey (died 2022) James Joseph Florio was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 49th governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994. He was previously the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 1975 to 1990 and served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1970 to 1975. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Read more
29 Aug 1936: John McCain, American captain and politician (died 2018) John Sidney McCain III was an American politician and naval officer who represented Arizona in the United States Congress for over 35 years, first as a U.S. representative from 1983 to 1987, then as a U.S. senator from 1987 until his death in 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee in the 2008 presidential election. Read more
29 Aug 1935: Hugo Brandt Corstius, Dutch linguist and author (died 2014) Hugo Brandt Corstius was a Dutch author, known for his achievements in both literature and science. Read more
29 Aug 1935: William Friedkin, American director, producer, and screenwriter (died 2023) William David Friedkin was an American director, producer, and screenwriter who was closely identified with the New Hollywood movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in the early 1960s, he is best known for his crime thriller film The French Connection (1971), which won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and the horror film The Exorcist (1973), which earned him another Academy Award nomination for Best Director. Read more
29 Aug 1935: László Garai, Hungarian psychologist and scholar (died 2019) László Garai was a Hungarian scholar of psychology, specialising in the fields of theoretical psychology, social psychology and economic psychology. Read more
29 Aug 1934: Dimitris Papamichael, Greek actor and director (died 2004) Dimitris Papamichael was a popular Greek actor and director. In 1965, he married Aliki Vougiouklaki, the so-called "national star" of Greece, whom he met at the National Theatre of Greece Drama School. The star couple remained married for a decade, co-starring in several films that marked the "golden era" of Greek cinema. His second marriage was to Nana Eilikrini and lasted until 1990. In the 1990s he had a relationship with the actress Mina Heimona. His last partner, up to his death, was the actress Nadia Mourouzi. Read more
29 Aug 1933: Sorel Etrog, Romanian-Canadian sculptor, painter, and illustrator (died 2014) Sorel Etrog, was a Romanian-born Israeli-Canadian artist, writer, and primarily, a sculptor. He specialized in modern art works and contemporary sculpture. Etrog's works explore his first-hand experience of the Second World War, the renewal of sculptural traditions in modern art, such as the use of bronze as a medium, and the opposition between the mechanical and the organic. One of Canada's leading artists in the 1960s, Etrog contributed to the country's growing interest in sculpture. Read more
29 Aug 1933: Arnold Koller, Swiss politician Arnold Koller is a Swiss professor and politician. He served as a member of the Federal Council from 1987 to 1999 for the Christian Democratic People's Party (CVP). Koller previously served as a member of the National Council from 1971 to 1986. He did also serve two terms of the as President of the Swiss Confederation in 1990 and 1997. He is primarily known for Lex Koller, a Swiss Federal Act on Acquisitions of Real Estate by Persons Abroad, which he initiated. Read more
29 Aug 1931: Stelios Kazantzidis, Greek singer and guitarist (died 2001) Stelios Kazantzidis was one of the most prominent Greek singers. His roots were from Pontus and Asia Minor. A top artist of Greek music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's foremost composers. Read more
29 Aug 1931: Lise Payette, Canadian journalist and politician (died 2018) Lise Payette was a Canadian politician, journalist, writer, and businesswoman. She was a Parti Québécois (PQ) minister under the leadership of Premier René Lévesque and National Assembly of Quebec member for the riding of Dorion. Originally a journalist, Payette became a television host in the 1960s. She left politics in 1981 and returned to a successful career in television production and writing. Read more
29 Aug 1930: Jacques Bouchard, Canadian businessman (died 2006) Jacques Bouchard, was a Canadian advertising executive and author. He was one of the founders of Quebec's first French creative advertising agency, BCP, and a pioneer in French-language advertising. Read more
29 Aug 1930: Carlos Loyzaga, Filipino basketball player and coach (died 2016) Carlos "Caloy" Loyzaga y Matute was a Filipino basketball player, coach and politician. He was the most dominant basketball player of his era in the Philippines and is considered as the greatest Filipino basketball player of all time. As a member of the Philippine national team, Loyzaga was a two-time Olympian and led the Philippines to bronze at the 1954 FIBA World Championship, where he was named to the All-Tournament second team. Read more
29 Aug 1929: Thom Gunn, English-American poet and academic (died 2004) Thomson William "Thom" Gunn was an English poet who was praised for his early verses in England, where he was associated with The Movement, and his later poetry in America, where he adopted a looser, free-verse style. He wrote about his experience moving to San Francisco from England. He received numerous literary honours. His poems are reputed to possess a restrained elegance of philosophy. Read more
29 Aug 1928: Herbert Meier, Swiss author and translator (died 2018) Herbert Meier was a Swiss writer and translator. Read more
29 Aug 1927: Jimmy C. Newman, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2014) Jimmy Yves Newman, better known as Jimmy C. Newman, was an American country music and Cajun singer-songwriter and long-time star of the Grand Ole Opry. Read more
29 Aug 1926: Hélène Ahrweiler, Greek historian and academic (died 2026) Hélène Glykatzi-Ahrweiler was a Greek-French academic Byzantinologist. She was also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Greece. Read more
29 Aug 1926: René Depestre, Haitian writer René Depestre is a Haitian-French poet and former communist activist. He is considered to be one of the most prominent figures in Haitian literature. He lived in Cuba as an exile from the Duvalier regime for many years and was a founder of the Casa de las Américas publishing house. He is best known for his poetry. Read more
29 Aug 1926: Donn Fendler, American author and speaker (died 2016) Donn Charles Fendler was an American author and public speaker. Born in Rye, New York, Fendler, at the age of 12, became separated from his family and was lost on Maine's Mount Katahdin in July 1939. His disappearance launched a search party, which became headline news throughout the United States. Donn survived for nine days without food or proper clothing, before following a stream and telephone line out of the woods near Stacyville, Maine. Fendler was dehydrated, covered with insect bites, and 16 pounds lighter than at the beginning of his odyssey, but otherwise unharmed. He credited his experience as a Boy Scout in helping him survive the ordeal. Read more
29 Aug 1926: Betty Lynn, American actress (died 2021) Elizabeth Ann Theresa Lynn was an American actress. She played Thelma Lou, Deputy Barney Fife's girlfriend, on The Andy Griffith Show. During the 1940s and 1950s, she appeared in many films, including Sitting Pretty (1948), June Bride (1948), the original Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), and Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956). She also played a major role in an episode of the television series Little House on the Prairie. Read more
29 Aug 1924: Dinah Washington, American singer and pianist (died 1963) Dinah Washington was an American singer and pianist, one of the most popular Black female recording artists of the 1950s. Primarily a jazz vocalist, she performed and recorded in a wide variety of styles including blues, R&B, and traditional pop music, and gave herself the title of "Queen of the Blues". She was also known as "Queen of the Jukeboxes". She was a 1986 inductee of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Read more
29 Aug 1923: Richard Attenborough, English actor, director, and producer (died 2014) Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough was an English actor, film director, and producer. He won a total of two Academy Awards, six BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards for his directing and acting career spanning seven decades. He was knighted in 1976 for services to film and in 1983 he received the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement. Read more
29 Aug 1922: Arthur Anderson, American actor (died 2016) Arthur John Miles Anderson was an American actor of radio, film, television, and stage. Read more
29 Aug 1922: Richard Blackwell, American actor, fashion designer, and critic (died 2008) Richard Blackwell, also known as Mr. Blackwell, was an American fashion critic, journalist, television and radio personality, artist, child actor and fashion designer. He was the creator of the "Ten Worst Dressed Women List", an annual awards presentation he unveiled in January of each year. Blackwell published the "Fabulous Fashion Independents" list and an annual Academy Awards fashion review, both of which receive somewhat less media attention. His partner of 60 years, Beverly Hills hairdresser Robert L. Spencer, was also his manager. He wrote two books, Mr. Blackwell: 30 Years of Fashion Fiascos and an autobiography, From Rags to Bitches. Read more
29 Aug 1922: John Edward Williams, American author and educator (died 1994) John Edward Williams was an American author, editor and professor. He was best known for his novels Butcher's Crossing (1960), Stoner (1965), and Augustus (1972), which won a U.S. National Book Award. Read more
29 Aug 1921: Iris Apfel, American businesswoman, interior designer, and philanthropist (died 2024) Iris Apfel was an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion designer, known for her flamboyant style, outspoken personality and oversized eyeglasses. In business with her husband, Carl, from 1950 to 1992, Apfel had a career in textiles, including a contract with the White House that spanned nine presidencies. In retirement, she drew acclaim for a 2005 show at the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring her collection of costume jewelry and styled with clothes on mannequins as she would wear them. She became a fashion icon, was the focus of the 2014 Albert Maysles documentary Iris, then signed to IMG in 2019 as a model at age 97. Read more
29 Aug 1920: Otis Boykin, American inventor and engineer (died 1982) Otis Frank Boykin was an American inventor and engineer. His inventions include electrical resistors used in computing, missile guidance, and pacemakers. Read more
29 Aug 1920: Charlie Parker, American saxophonist and composer (died 1955) Charles Parker Jr., nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique, and advanced harmonies. He was a virtuoso and introduced revolutionary rhythmic and harmonic ideas into jazz, including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions. Parker primarily played the alto saxophone. Read more
29 Aug 1920: Herb Simpson, American baseball player (died 2015) Herbert Harold Simpson was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues. He played for the Seattle Steelheads in the West Coast Negro Baseball League. He also played for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Chicago American Giants. In the Minor Leagues, he played for the Spokane Indians and the Albuquerque Dukes. Read more
29 Aug 1917: Isabel Sanford, American actress (died 2004) Eloise Gwendolyn "Isabel" Sanford was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS sitcoms All in the Family (1971–1975) and The Jeffersons (1975–1985). In 1981, she became the second African-American actress to win a Primetime Emmy Award after Gail Fisher and the first African-American actress to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Read more
29 Aug 1916: Luther Davis, American playwright and screenwriter (died 2008) Luther Berryhill Davis was an American playwright and screenwriter. Over a span of 45 years, Davis worked extensively in theater, television and film, but is probably best remembered for his Tony Award winning book for the 1953 musical Kismet and the screenplay for the 1955 film adaptation. Read more
29 Aug 1915: Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress (died 1982) Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential actresses in the history of cinema. She won numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award; these accolades made her the youngest performer to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting and one of only four actresses to have received at least three acting Academy Awards. Read more
29 Aug 1915: Nathan Pritikin, American nutritionist and author (died 1985) Nathan Pritikin was an American inventor, engineer, nutritionist and longevity researcher. He promoted the Pritikin diet, a high-carbohydrate low-fat plant-based diet combined with regular aerobic exercise to prevent cardiovascular disease. The Pritikin diet emphasizes the consumption of legumes, whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, and non-fat dairy products with small amounts of lean meat, fowl, and fish. Read more
29 Aug 1913: Len Butterfield, New Zealand cricketer (died 1999) Leonard Arthur Butterfield was a New Zealand cricketer who played in one Test in 1946. He later served as New Zealand's chief harness racing stipendiary steward. Read more
29 Aug 1913: Jackie Mitchell, American baseball pitcher (died 1987) Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell Gilbert was one of the first female American pitchers in professional baseball history. She was 17 years old when she pitched for the Chattanooga Lookouts Class AA minor league baseball team in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, and struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in succession. Read more
29 Aug 1912: Sohn Kee-chung, South Korean runner (died 2002) Sohn Kee-chung was a Korean Olympic athlete and long-distance runner. He became the first Korean to win a medal at the Olympic Games, winning gold in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He was born in the Korean Peninsula, but he was forced to compete as a member of the Japanese delegation because Korea was under Japanese rule at the time. Sohn set an Olympic record of 2 hours 29 minutes 19.2 seconds. Read more
29 Aug 1912: Barry Sullivan, American actor (died 1994) Patrick Barry Sullivan was an American actor of film, television, theatre, and radio. In a career that spanned over 40 years, Sullivan appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s, primarily as a leading actor after establishing himself in the industry, and later as a character actor. Read more
29 Aug 1912: Wolfgang Suschitzky, Austrian-English cinematographer and photographer (died 2016) Wolfgang Suschitzky, BSC, was an Austrian-born British documentary photographer, as well as a cinematographer perhaps best known for his collaboration with Paul Rotha in the 1940s and his work on Mike Hodges' 1971 film Get Carter. Read more
29 Aug 1911: John Charnley, British orthopedic surgeon (died 1982) Sir John Charnley, was an English orthopaedic surgeon. He pioneered the hip replacement operation, which is now one of the most common operations both in the UK and elsewhere in the world, and created the "Wrightington centre for hip surgery".
He also demonstrated the fundamental importance of bony compression in operations to arthrodese (fuse) joints, in particular the knee, ankle and shoulder. Read more
29 Aug 1910: Vivien Thomas, American surgeon and academic (died 1985) Vivien Theodore Thomas was an American laboratory supervisor who, in the 1940s, played a major role in developing a procedure now called the Blalock–Thomas–Taussig shunt used to treat blue baby syndrome along with surgeon Alfred Blalock and cardiologist Helen B. Taussig. He was the assistant to Blalock in Blalock's experimental animal laboratory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and later at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Thomas was unique in that he did not have any professional education or experience in a research laboratory; however, he served as supervisor of the surgical laboratories at Johns Hopkins for 35 years. In 1976, Johns Hopkins awarded him an honorary doctorate and named him an Instructor of Surgery for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Without any education past high school, Thomas rose above poverty to become a cardiac surgery pioneer and a teacher of operative techniques to many of the country's most prominent surgeons. Read more
29 Aug 1905: Dhyan Chand, Indian field hockey player (died 1979) Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player. He is widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player in history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, during an era where India dominated field hockey. Dhyan Chand's influence extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964. Read more
29 Aug 1905: Arndt Pekurinen, Finnish activist (died 1941) Arndt Juho Pekurinen was a Finnish pacifist and conscientious objector. Read more
29 Aug 1904: Werner Forssmann, German physician and academic, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1979) Werner Theodor Otto Forßmann was a German researcher and physician from Germany who shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Medicine for developing a procedure that allowed cardiac catheterization. In 1929, he put himself under local anesthesia and inserted a catheter into a vein of his arm. Not knowing if the catheter might pierce a vein, he put his life at risk. Forssmann was nevertheless successful; he safely passed the catheter into his heart. Read more
29 Aug 1901: Aurèle Joliat, Canadian ice hockey player and referee (died 1986) Aurèle Émile Joliat, nicknamed the "Mighty Atom" and "Little Giant", was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens. Read more
29 Aug 1898: Preston Sturges, American director and producer (died 1959) Preston Sturges was an American playwright, inventor, screenwriter, and film director. Read more
29 Aug 1891: Marquis James, American journalist and author (died 1955) Marquis James was an American author and journalist, twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his works The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston and The Life of Andrew Jackson. Read more
29 Aug 1890: Peder Furubotn, Norwegian Communist and anti-Nazi Resistance leader (died 1975) Peder Furubotn was a Norwegian cabinetmaker, politician for the Communist Party and resistance member during World War II. Read more
29 Aug 1888: Salme Dutt, Estonian-English politician (died 1964) Salme Anette Pekkala-Dutt, known by the pen name Sancho, was an Estonian-British communist politician, essayist, writer and translator. Read more
29 Aug 1887: Jivraj Narayan Mehta, Indian physicians and politician, 1st Chief Minister of Gujarat (died 1978) Jivraj Narayan Mehta was an Indian politician and the first Chief Minister of Gujarat. He also served as the first "Dewan" of the erstwhile Baroda state, and Indian high commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1966. Read more
29 Aug 1879: Han Yong-un, Korean independence activist, reformer, and poet (died 1944) Han Yong-un was a twentieth century Korean Buddhist reformer, poet, and independence activist against colonial rule. This name was his religious name, given by his meditation instructor in 1905, and Manhae (만해) was his art name; his birth name was Han Yu-cheon. Read more
29 Aug 1876: Charles F. Kettering, American engineer and businessman, founded Delco Electronics (died 1958) Charles Franklin Kettering sometimes known as Charles Fredrick Kettering was an American inventor, engineer, businessman, and the holder of 186 patents. He was a founder of Delco, and was head of research at General Motors from 1920 to 1947. Among his most widely used automotive developments were the electrical starting motor and leaded gasoline. Read more
29 Aug 1876: Kim Koo, South Korean politician, 6th President of The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (died 1949) Kim Ku, also known by his art name Paekpŏm, was a Korean independence activist and statesman. He was a leader of the Korean independence movement against the Empire of Japan, head of the Korean Provisional Government from 1926 to 1927 and from 1940 to 1945, and a Korean reunification activist after 1945. Kim is revered in South Korea, where he is considered one of the greatest figures in Korean history; his legacy is also somewhat less enthusiastically celebrated in North Korea, due to his anti-communist views. Read more
29 Aug 1875: Leonardo De Lorenzo, Italian flute player and educator (died 1962) Leonardo De Lorenzo was an Italian virtuoso flautist and music educator. He served as the principal flautist at the New York Philharmonic under Gustav Mahler. Included among his pupils at the Eastman School of Music was the flautist Julius Baker. Read more
29 Aug 1871: Albert François Lebrun, French engineer and politician, 15th President of France (died 1950) Albert François Lebrun was a French politician who served as President of France from 1932 to 1940. He was the last president of the Third Republic before its dissolution into the rump state of Vichy France in the early days of the Second World War. He was a member of the centre-right Democratic Republican Alliance (ARD). Read more
29 Aug 1862: Andrew Fisher, Scottish-Australian politician and diplomat, 5th Prime Minister of Australia (died 1928) Andrew Fisher was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as the fifth prime minister of Australia from 1908 to 1909, 1910 to 1913 and 1914 to 1915. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and was particularly notable for leading the party to its first federal election victory and first majority government at the 1910 federal election. Read more
29 Aug 1862: Maurice Maeterlinck, Belgian poet and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1949) Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also known as Count/Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations". The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. He was a leading member of the group La Jeune Belgique, and his plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement. In later life, Maeterlinck faced credible accusations of plagiarism. Read more
29 Aug 1861: Byron G. Harlan, American singer (died 1936) Byron George Harlan was an American singer from Kansas, a comic minstrel singer and balladeer who often recorded with Arthur Collins. The two together were often billed as "Collins & Harlan". Read more
29 Aug 1857: Sandford Schultz, English cricketer (died 1937) Sandford Spence Schultz, known in later life as Sandford Spence Storey, was an English cricketer, who played for Uppingham Rovers, Cambridge University, and Lancashire and played in the third-ever Test match. He was also prominent in the golfing world. Read more
29 Aug 1854: William C. White, American Seventh-day Adventist Church minister (died 1937) William Clarence "Willie" White, was a son of Ellen G. White and James Springer White, two of the founders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He became a well-known Seventh-day Adventist minister and church leader. W.C.'s son Arthur L. White worked closely with him and succeeded his father as Secretary of the White Estate. Read more
29 Aug 1844: Edward Carpenter, English anthologist and poet (died 1929) Edward Carpenter was an English utopian socialist, poet, philosopher, anthologist, an early activist for gay rights and prison reform whilst advocating vegetarianism and taking a stance against vivisection. As a philosopher, he was particularly known for his publication of Civilisation: Its Cause and Cure. Here, he described civilisation as a form of disease through which human societies pass. Read more
29 Aug 1843: David B. Hill, American lawyer and politician, 29th Governor of New York (died 1910) David Bennett Hill was an American politician from New York. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 29th governor of New York from 1885 to 1891 and represented New York in the United States Senate from 1892 to 1897. In 1892, Hill made an unsuccessful bid for president on a platform of bimetallism, but lost the nomination to Grover Cleveland, his longtime political rival and former running mate. Read more
29 Aug 1842: Alfred Shaw, English cricketer, rugby player, and umpire (died 1907) Alfred Shaw was a Victorian cricketer and rugby footballer, who bowled the first ball in Test cricket and was the first to take five wickets in a Test innings (5/35). He made two trips to North America and four to Australia, captaining the English cricket team in four Test matches on the all-professional tour of Australia in 1881/82, where his team lost and drew two each. He was also, along with James Lillywhite and Arthur Shrewsbury, co-promoter of the tour. He also organised the first British Isles rugby tour to Australasia in 1888. Read more
29 Aug 1813: Henry Bergh, American activist, founded the ASPCA (died 1888) Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in April, 1866, three days after the first effective legislation against animal cruelty in the United States was passed into law by the New York State Legislature. Bergh also prompted the formation, in 1874, of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC). Read more
29 Aug 1810: Juan Bautista Alberdi, Argentine theorist and diplomat (died 1884) Juan Bautista Alberdi was an Argentine political theorist and diplomat. Although he lived most of his life in exile in Montevideo, Uruguay and in Chile, he influenced the content of the Constitution of Argentina of 1853. Read more
29 Aug 1809: Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., American physician and author (died 1894) Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. was an American physician, poet, and polymath based in Boston. Grouped among the fireside poets, he was acclaimed by his peers as one of the best writers of the day. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858). He was also an important medical reformer. In addition to being an author and a poet, Holmes was also a physician, professor, lecturer, and inventor. Read more
29 Aug 1805: Frederick Denison Maurice, English priest, theologian, and author (died 1872) John Frederick Denison Maurice, commonly known as F. D. Maurice, was an English Anglican priest and theologian. He was a prolific author and one of the founders of Christian socialism. Since the Second World War, interest in Maurice has expanded. Read more

Notable Deaths on 29 August

29 Aug 2024: Johnny Gaudreau, American ice hockey player (born 1993) John Michael Gaudreau was an American professional ice hockey player. A left winger, he played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played college ice hockey for the Boston College Eagles in NCAA Division I for three seasons beginning in 2011 and was selected in the fourth round, 104th overall, by the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL entry draft. Nicknamed "Johnny Hockey", he was named the 2014 recipient of the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in the NCAA and, during his first full NHL season in 2014–15, was selected to play in the 2015 NHL All-Star Game, as well as being named to the annual NHL All-Rookie team. Gaudreau was a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist for the NHL's best rookie and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the league's most gentlemanly player for the 2016–17 season. In 2022, Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he spent his last two seasons. Gaudreau was noted as helping to grow opportunities for smaller hockey players; despite measuring in at 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m), he was a seven-time NHL All-Star and finished fourth in Hart Memorial Trophy voting twice. Read more
29 Aug 2023: Mike Enriquez, Filipino broadcaster (born 1951) Miguel "Mike" Castro Enriquez was a Filipino broadcast journalist and television presenter. He started his career as a radio broadcaster in 1969, and after signing with GMA Network in 1995, he became an anchor for Saksi, GMA Network News and 24 Oras. He was also the Consultant for radio operations of GMA Network, and president of the network's regional and radio subsidiary, RGMA Network Inc., and the Station Manager of Super Radyo DZBB 594 AM. Read more
29 Aug 2021: Ed Asner, American actor (born 1929) Eddie Asner was an American actor. He is most notable for portraying Lou Grant on the sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977) and drama Lou Grant (1977–1982), making him one of the few television actors to portray the same character in both a comedy and a drama. Read more
29 Aug 2021: Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jamaican reggae producer (born 1936) Lee "Scratch" Perry was a Jamaican record producer, singer and songwriter noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development of dub music with his early adoption of remixing and studio effects to create new instrumental or vocal versions of existing reggae tracks. He worked with and produced for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, the Congos, Max Romeo, the Heptones, Adrian Sherwood, the Beastie Boys, Ari Up, the Clash, the Orb, and many others. Read more
29 Aug 2021: Jacques Rogge, Belgian orthopedic surgeon, Olympic sailor and the 8th President of the International Olympic Committee (born 1942) Jacques Jean Marie, Count Rogge was a Belgian sports administrator, former athlete, and physician, who served as the eighth president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2013. In 2013, Rogge became the IOC's honorary president, a lifetime position, which he held until his death from Parkinson's disease in August 2021. Read more
29 Aug 2018: James Mirrlees, Scottish economist, Nobel Prize laureate (born 1936) Sir James Alexander Mirrlees was a British economist and winner of the 1996 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. He was knighted in the 1997 Birthday Honours. Read more
29 Aug 2018: Paul Taylor, American choreographer (born 1930) Paul Belville Taylor Jr. was an American dancer and choreographer. He was one of the last living members of the third generation of America's modern dance artists. He founded the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1954 in New York City. Read more
29 Aug 2016: Gene Wilder, American stage and screen comic actor, screenwriter, film director, and author (born 1933) Gene Wilder was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, including his collaborations with Mel Brooks on the films The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, and with Richard Pryor in the films Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Another You (1991), as well as his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). Read more
29 Aug 2014: Octavio Brunetti, Argentine pianist and composer (born 1975) Octavio Brunetti was an Argentine pianist, arranger and composer. He was best known for his participation in the album Te amo tango by Raul Jaurena, which won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Tango Album in 2007, and was one of the most sought after tango pianists. Read more
29 Aug 2014: Björn Waldegård, Swedish race car driver (born 1943) Björn Lars-Olov Waldegård was a Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979. His Swedish nickname was "Walle". Read more
29 Aug 2013: Joan L. Krajewski, American lawyer and politician (born 1934) Joan L. Krajewski was a Democratic politician and former member of the Philadelphia City Council who represented the Sixth District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for almost thirty years. Read more
29 Aug 2013: Medardo Joseph Mazombwe, Zambian cardinal (born 1931) Medardo Joseph Mazombwe was a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was Zambia's first indigenous cardinal. Read more
29 Aug 2013: Bruce C. Murray, American geologist and academic, co-founded The Planetary Society (born 1931) Bruce Churchill Murray was an American planetary scientist. He was a director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and co-founder of The Planetary Society. Read more
29 Aug 2012: Ruth Goldbloom, Canadian academic and philanthropist, co-founded Pier 21 (born 1923) Ruth Miriam Goldbloom was a Canadian philanthropist who co-founded the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was born and raised in New Waterford, Nova Scotia, to immigrant parents. Their immigrant experience influenced her throughout her life and was a major factor in her helping to found Pier 21. She became the first Jew to Chair Mount Saint Vincent University's board, which was a Catholic women's university at the time. She was the chancellor of the Technical University of Nova Scotia in the 1990s and fundraising chair for the Halifax area United Way. She was inducted into the Order of Canada for her work with charities in the 1980s and 1990s. Read more
29 Aug 2012: Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, English historian and author (born 1953) Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke was a British historian and professor of Western esotericism at the University of Exeter, best known for his authorship of several scholarly books on the history of occultism in Nazism and Western esotericism, including The Occult Roots of Nazism, Hitler's Priestess, and Black Sun. Read more
29 Aug 2012: Shoshichi Kobayashi, Japanese-American mathematician and academic (born 1932) Shoshichi Kobayashi was a Japanese mathematician. He was the eldest brother of electrical engineer and computer scientist Hisashi Kobayashi. His research interests were in Riemannian and complex manifolds, transformation groups of geometric structures, and Lie algebras. Read more
29 Aug 2012: Anne McKnight, American soprano (born 1924) Anne McKnight was an operatic soprano. In Italy she used the stage name Anna de Cavalieri. Read more
29 Aug 2012: Les Moss, American baseball player, coach, and manager (born 1925) John Lester Moss was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the St. Louis Browns for the most significant portion of his career, and was a backup catcher almost all his career. Read more
29 Aug 2012: Sergei Ovchinnikov, Russian volleyball player and coach (born 1969) Sergei Anatolyevich Ovchinnikov was the head coach of the Russia's National Women Volleyball Team. He committed suicide three weeks after the team lost to Brazil at the 2012 Summer Olympics quarterfinals. Read more
29 Aug 2011: Honeyboy Edwards, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1915) David "Honeyboy" Edwards was an American delta blues guitarist and singer from Mississippi. Read more
29 Aug 2011: Junpei Takiguchi, Japanese voice actor (born 1931) Kōhei Takiguchi , better known by his stage name Junpei Takiguchi , was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator from Chiba Prefecture. Read more
29 Aug 2008: Geoffrey Perkins, English actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1953) Geoffrey Howard Perkins was a British comedy producer, writer and performer. He was BBC head of comedy between 1995 and 2001, and produced the first two radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He is one of the people credited with creating the panel game Mornington Crescent for I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. In December 2008 he posthumously received an Outstanding Contribution to Comedy Award. Read more
29 Aug 2008: Michael Schoenberg, American geophysicist and theorist (born 1939) Michael Schoenberg (1939–2008) was an American theoretical geophysicist noted for his fundamental contributions to the understanding of anisotropy in the real earth and its application to the determination of texture, fracture porosity, and flow properties of reservoir rocks. Read more
29 Aug 2007: James Muir Cameron Fletcher, New Zealand businessman (born 1914) Sir James Muir Cameron Fletcher, often known as Jim or JC Junior, was a New Zealand industrialist known for heading Fletcher Construction, one of the country's largest firms. His father, also Sir James Fletcher, founded the company in 1908. Read more
29 Aug 2007: Richard Jewell, American police officer (born 1962) Richard Allensworth Jewell was an American security guard and law enforcement officer who alerted police during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He discovered a backpack containing three pipe bombs on the park grounds and helped evacuate the area before the bomb exploded, saving many people from injury or death. For months afterward he was suspected of planting the bomb, resulting in adverse publicity that "came to symbolize the excesses of law enforcement and the news media". Read more
29 Aug 2007: Pierre Messmer, French civil servant and politician, 154th Prime Minister of France (born 1916) Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under Louis XV – and then as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1972 to 1974. A member of the French Foreign Legion, he was considered one of the historical Gaullists, and died aged 91 in the military hospital of the Val-de-Grâce in August 2007. He was elected a member of the Académie française in 1999; his seat was taken over by Simone Veil. Read more
29 Aug 2007: Alfred Peet, Dutch-American businessman, founded Peet's Coffee & Tea (born 1920) Alfred H. Peet was a Dutch-American entrepreneur and the founder of Peet's Coffee & Tea in Berkeley, California, in 1966. Peet is widely credited with starting the specialty coffee revolution in the US. Among coffee historians, Peet has been called "the Dutchman who taught America how to drink coffee." Peet taught his style of roasting beans to Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl and Gordon Bowker, who, with his blessing, took the technique to Seattle and founded Starbucks in 1971. Peet later distanced himself, however, from the Starbucks trio as they experimented with ultra-dark roasts. "Baldwin never learned anything from me," Peet was later quoted as saying. Read more
29 Aug 2004: Hans Vonk, Dutch conductor (born 1942) Hans Vonk was a Dutch conductor. Read more
29 Aug 2003: Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, Iraqi politician (born 1939) Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir Muhsin al-Hakim at-Tabataba'i, also known as Shaheed al-Mehraab, was a senior Iraqi Shia Islamic scholar and the leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Al-Hakim spent more than 20 years in exile in Iran and returned to Iraq on 12 May 2003 following the US-led invasion. Al-Hakim was a contemporary of Ayatollah Khomeini, and The Guardian compared the two in terms of their times in exile and their support in their respective homelands. After his return to Iraq, al-Hakim's life was in danger because of his work to encourage Shiite resistance to Saddam Hussein and from a rivalry with Muqtada al-Sadr, the son of the late Ayatollah Mohammed Sadeq al-Sadr, who had himself been assassinated in Najaf in 1999. Al-Hakim was assassinated in a massive car-bomb explosion in his hometown Najaf in 2003 when he emerged from the shrine of Imam Ali. He was 64. At least 75 others were also killed in the bombing. Read more
29 Aug 2003: Patrick Procktor, English painter and academic (born 1936) Patrick Procktor was a British painter and printmaker. Read more
29 Aug 2002: Lance Macklin, English race car driver (born 1919) Lance Noel Macklin was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1952. He was involved in the 1955 Le Mans disaster, starting the initial chain reaction after a dangerous manoeuvre by Mike Hawthorn. Read more
29 Aug 2001: Graeme Strachan, Australian singer-songwriter & television personality (born 1952) Graeme Ronald Strachan, professionally billed and known as "Shirley" Strachan or Shirl, was an Australian singer, songwriter, radio and television presenter, and carpenter. He was the lead singer of the rock group Skyhooks. While still a member of Skyhooks, he had solo singles, which charted on the Kent Music Report, with a cover recording of Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts" and a remake of The Miracles "Tracks of My Tears". After leaving Skyhooks in July 1978, he concentrated on his solo career. He was the host of children's TV program Shirl's Neighbourhood (1979–83). From 1993, he appeared on home renovation TV program Our House as a carpenter and co-host. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993, Skyhooks were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Strachan died in August 2001 in a self-piloted helicopter accident. Read more
29 Aug 2001: Francisco Rabal, Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1926) Francisco Rabal Valera, popularly known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor. His career spanned more than 200 film and television roles, between 1942 and 2001. He received numerous accolades both in Spain and abroad, including the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actor Award and the Goya Award for Best Actor. Read more
29 Aug 2000: Shelagh Fraser, English actress (born 1922) Sheila Mary Fraser was an English actress. She is best known for her roles in the television serial A Family at War (1970–1971) and as Luke Skywalker's Aunt Beru in Star Wars (1977). Read more
29 Aug 2000: Willie Maddren, English footballer and manager (born 1951) William Dixon Maddren was an English professional football player and manager. A one-club man, he made all his professional club appearances for Middlesbrough between 1968 and 1979, and went on to manage the club from 1984 to 1986. Read more
29 Aug 2000: Conrad Marca-Relli, American-Italian painter and academic (born 1913) Conrad Marca-Relli was an American artist who belonged to the early generation of New York School Abstract Expressionist artists whose artistic innovation by the 1950s had been recognized across the Atlantic, including Paris. New York School Abstract Expressionism, represented by Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, John Ferren, Marca-Relli and others became a leading art movement of the postwar era. Read more
29 Aug 1995: Frank Perry, American director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1930) Frank Joseph Perry Jr. was an American stage director and filmmaker. His 1962 independent film David and Lisa earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. The couple collaborated on five more films, including The Swimmer, Diary of a Mad Housewife, and the Emmy Award–nominated A Christmas Memory, based on a short story by Truman Capote. Perry went on to form Corsair Pictures, privately financed by United Artists Theatres, which produced Miss Firecracker and A Shock to the System, then folded. His later films include Mommie Dearest and the documentary On the Bridge, about his dealing with prostate cancer. Read more
29 Aug 1992: Félix Guattari, French philosopher and theorist (born 1930) Pierre-Félix Guattari was a French psychoanalyst, political philosopher, semiotician, social activist, and screenwriter. He co-founded schizoanalysis with Gilles Deleuze, and created ecosophy independently of Arne Næss. He has become best known for his literary and philosophical collaborations with Deleuze, most notably Anti-Oedipus (1972) and A Thousand Plateaus (1980), the two volumes of their theoretical work Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Read more
29 Aug 1991: Libero Grassi, Italian businessman (born 1924) Libero Grassi was an Italian clothing manufacturer from Palermo, Sicily, who was killed by the Mafia after taking a solitary stand against their extortion demands. The businessman wrote an open letter to the local newspaper informing the extortionists that he was no longer willing to pay pizzo, a Sicilian term for protection money. Other business-owners and shopkeepers in Palermo refused to join his public campaign. Grassi was gunned down in the street near his home eight months after writing the letter. Read more
29 Aug 1990: Manly Palmer Hall, Canadian-American mystic and author (born 1901) Manly Palmer Hall was a Canadian writer, lecturer, astrologer, and mystic. Over his 70-year career he gave thousands of lectures and published over 150 volumes, of which the best known is The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928). In 1934, he founded the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles. Read more
29 Aug 1989: Peter Scott, English explorer and painter (born 1909) Sir Peter Markham Scott was a British ornithologist, conservationist, painter, naval officer, broadcaster and sportsman. The only child of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, he took an interest in observing and shooting wildfowl at a young age and later took to their breeding. Read more
29 Aug 1987: Archie Campbell, American actor and screenwriter (born 1914) Archie Campbell was an American comedian, writer, and star of Hee Haw, a country-flavored network television variety show. He was also a recording artist with several hits for RCA Victor in the 1960s. Read more
29 Aug 1987: Lee Marvin, American actor (born 1924) Lamont Warren Marvin Jr., known as Lee Marvin, was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. He received various accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two BAFTA Awards. He was also a decorated United States Marine during the Second World War. He was also a descendant of the Lee family of Virginia. Read more
29 Aug 1985: Evelyn Ankers, British-American actress (born 1918) Evelyn Felisa Ankers was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably The Wolf Man (1941) opposite Lon Chaney Jr., a frequent screen partner. Read more
29 Aug 1982: Ingrid Bergman, Swedish actress (born 1915) Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential actresses in the history of cinema. She won numerous accolades, including three Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award; these accolades made her the youngest performer to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting and one of only four actresses to have received at least three acting Academy Awards. Read more
29 Aug 1982: Lehman Engel, American composer and conductor (born 1910) A. Lehman Engel was an American composer for television, film, and operas and a conductor of Broadway musicals and operas.He was nominated five times and won twice a Tony Award for Best Conductor and Musical Director, a category which no longer exists. Read more
29 Aug 1981: Lowell Thomas, American journalist and author (born 1892) Lowell Jackson Thomas was an American writer, broadcaster, and documentary filmmaker, known as a world traveler. He authored more than fifty non-fiction books, mostly travel narratives and popular biographies of explorers and military men. Between 1930 and the mid-1970s, Thomas appeared regularly on radio and occasionally on television as a travel and news commentator. Until the 1950s, he was a narrator of Movietone newsreels shown in cinemas. Read more
29 Aug 1979: Gertrude Chandler Warner, American author and educator (born 1890) Gertrude Chandler Warner was an American author, mainly of children's stories. She was most famous for writing the original book of The Boxcar Children and for the next 18 books in the series. Read more
29 Aug 1977: Jean Hagen, American actress (born 1923) Jean Hagen was an American actress. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain (1952), and for three Primetime Emmy Awards for playing Margaret Williams on the first three seasons (1953–56) of the television sitcom The Danny Thomas Show. She was also known for her role as Doll Conovan in the classic film noir The Asphalt Jungle (1950). Read more
29 Aug 1977: Brian McGuire, Australian race car driver (born 1945) Brian Anthony Joseph McGuire was a racing driver and constructor from Australia. Read more
29 Aug 1975: Éamon de Valera, Irish soldier and politician, 3rd President of Ireland (born 1882) Éamon de Valera was an Irish statesman. He served as the president of Ireland from 1959 to 1973, and three terms as head of government. He had a leading role in introducing the Constitution of Ireland in 1937, and was a dominant figure in Irish political circles from the early 1930s to the late 1960s, when he served terms as both the head of government and head of state. Read more
29 Aug 1972: Lale Andersen, German singer-songwriter (born 1905) Lale Andersen was a German chanson singer-songwriter born in Lehe. She is best known for her interpretation of the song "Lili Marleen" in 1939, which by 1942 transcended the conflict to become World War II's biggest international hit. Popular with both the Axis and the Allies, Andersen's original recording spawned versions, by the end of the War, in most of the major languages of Europe, and by some of the most popular artists in their respective countries. Read more
29 Aug 1971: Nathan Freudenthal Leopold Jr., American murderer (born 1904) Nathan Freudenthal Leopold Jr. and Richard Albert Loeb, together known as Leopold and Loeb, were two American murderers who kidnapped and killed 14-year-old Bobby Franks in Chicago, Illinois, United States, on May 21, 1924. Read more
29 Aug 1968: Ulysses S. Grant III, American general (born 1881) Ulysses Simpson Grant III was a United States Army officer and planner. He was the son of Frederick Dent Grant, and the grandson of General of the Armies and American President Ulysses S. Grant. Read more
29 Aug 1966: Sayyid Qutb, Egyptian theorist, author, and poet (born 1906) Sayyid Ibrahim Husayn Shadhili Qutb was an Egyptian political theorist and revolutionary who was a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood. Read more
29 Aug 1958: Marjorie Flack, American author and illustrator (born 1897) Marjorie Flack was an American artist and writer of children's picture books. She was born in Greenport, Long Island, New York in 1897. She was best known for The Story about Ping (1933), illustrated by Kurt Wiese, popularized by Captain Kangaroo, and for her stories of an insatiably curious Scottish Terrier named Angus, who was actually her dog. Her first marriage was to artist Karl Larsson; she later married poet William Rose Benét. Read more
29 Aug 1952: Anton Piëch, Austrian lawyer (born 1894) Anton Piëch was an Austrian-German lawyer and the son-in-law of Ferdinand Porsche. He headed Volkswagenwerk GmbH between 1941 and 1945, which produced the Volkswagen vehicles (KdF-Wagen) at the factory in Wolfsburg, Germany. Read more
29 Aug 1951: Sydney Chapman, English economist and civil servant (born 1871) Sir Sydney John Chapman KCB CBE was an English economist and civil servant. He was Chief Economic Adviser to HM Government from 1927 to 1932. Read more
29 Aug 1946: Adolphus Busch III, American businessman (born 1891) Adolphus Busch III was an American brewing magnate based in St. Louis, Missouri, who was the president and CEO of Anheuser-Busch from 1934 to 1946 during World War II. Read more
29 Aug 1946: John Steuart Curry, American painter and academic (born 1897) John Steuart Curry was an American painter whose career spanned the years from 1924 until his death. He was noted for his paintings depicting rural life in his home state, Kansas. Along with Thomas Hart Benton and Grant Wood, he was hailed as one of the three great painters of American Regionalism of the first half of the twentieth century. Curry's artistic production was varied, including paintings, book illustrations, prints, and posters. Read more
29 Aug 1944: Attik, Greek pianist and composer (born 1885) Attik was a significant Greek composer of the early 20th century. Read more
29 Aug 1932: Raymond Knister, Canadian poet and author (born 1899) John Raymond Knister was a Canadian poet, novelist, story writer, columnist, and reviewer, "known primarily for his realistic narratives set in rural Canada … Knister was a highly respected member of the Canadian literary community during the 1920s and early 1930s, and recent criticism has acknowledged him as a pioneer in establishing a distinctively modern voice in Canadian literature." Read more
29 Aug 1931: David T. Abercrombie, American businessman, co-founded Abercrombie & Fitch (born 1867) David Thomas Abercrombie was the founder of the American brand Abercrombie & Fitch. A topographer and expert in the outdoors, Abercrombie opened the company as New York's outfitter for the elite and later partnered up with co-founder Ezra Fitch – both men managed the Company through years of success. Read more
29 Aug 1930: William Archibald Spooner, English priest and author (born 1844) William Archibald Spooner was a British clergyman and long-serving Oxford don. He was most notable for his absent-mindedness, and for supposedly mixing up the syllables in a spoken phrase, with unintentionally comic effect. Such phrases became known as spoonerisms, and are often used humorously. Many spoonerisms have been invented and attributed to Spooner. Read more
29 Aug 1917: George Huntington Hartford, American businessman (born 1833) George Huntington Hartford headed the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company (A&P) from 1878 to 1917. During this period, A&P created the concept of the chain grocery store and expanded into the country's largest retailer. He joined the firm as a clerk in 1861 and quickly assumed managerial responsibilities. When A&P's founder, George Gilman, retired in 1878, Hartford entered into a partnership agreement and ran the company until the founder's death in 1901. In the settlement of Gilman's estate, Hartford acquired control of the company and ultimately purchased the interests of Gilman's heirs. Read more
29 Aug 1911: Mir Mahboob Ali Khan, 6th Nizam of Hyderabad (born 1866) Asaf Jah VI, also known as Sir Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Siddiqi, was the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad. He ruled Hyderabad State, one of the princely states of India, between 1869 and 1911. Read more
29 Aug 1904: Murad V, Ottoman sultan (born 1840) Murad V was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 30 May to 31 August 1876. The son of Abdulmejid I, he supported the conversion of the government to a constitutional monarchy. His uncle Abdulaziz had succeeded Abdulmejid to the throne and had attempted to name his own son as heir to the throne, which spurred Murad to participate in Abdulaziz's overthrow. But his own frail physical and mental health made his reign unstable, and Murad V was deposed in favor of his half-brother Abdul Hamid II after only 93 days. Read more
29 Aug 1892: William Forbes Skene, Scottish historian and author (born 1809) William Forbes Skene WS FRSE FSA(Scot) DCL LLD, was a Scottish lawyer, historian and antiquary. Read more
29 Aug 1891: Pierre Lallement, French businessman, invented the bicycle (born 1843) Pierre Lallement is considered by some to be the inventor of the pedal bicycle. Read more
29 Aug 1889: Stefan Dunjov, Bulgarian colonel (born 1815) Stefan Dunjov was a Banat Bulgarian military figure and revolutionary known for participating in both the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and the Italian unification (Risorgimento), as well as for being the first ethnic Bulgarian Colonel. Read more
29 Aug 1877: Brigham Young, American religious leader, 2nd President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (born 1801) Brigham Young was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877. He also served as the first governor of the Utah Territory from 1851 until his resignation in 1858. Read more
29 Aug 1866: Tokugawa Iemochi, Japanese shōgun (born 1846) Tokugawa Iemochi was a Japanese samurai, daimyo and the 14th shōgun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of the "re-opening" of Japan to western nations. Iemochi's reign also saw a weakening of the shogunate. Read more
29 Aug 1856: Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck, English author and activist (born 1778) Mary Anne Schimmelpenninck was a British writer in the anti-slavery movement. Read more
29 Aug 1844: Edmund Ignatius Rice, Irish missionary and educator, founded the Christian Brothers and Presentation Brothers (born 1762) Edmund Ignatius Rice, F.P.M., C.F.C. was a Catholic missionary and educationalist who founded two institutes of religious brothers: the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers. Read more

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