What Happened On This Day – July 29
2008 United States Congress apologizes for slavery
The U.S. House of Representatives publicly apologized for the institution of slavery and Jim Crow laws that discriminated against African Americans.
1981 Wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer
The most talked about wedding of the year was watched on television by millions of people worldwide. The couple were married in St Paul's Cathedral, London, United Kingdom, and divorced 15 years later in 1996.
1957 The International Atomic Energy Agency is established
The independent agency aims to ban the use of nuclear energy for military purposes. American W. Sterling Cole served as the agency's first director general.
1948 The XIV Olympics opened in London, United Kingdom after a 12 year hiatus due to the Second World War
The last Summer Olympics before this were held in Berlin in 1936.
1836 The Arc de Triomphe is inaugurated in Paris, France
The famous monument honors those to dies while fighting for France during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. It was designed by Jean Chalgrin.
Births On This Day – July 29
1981 Fernando Alonso
Spanish race car driver
1938 Peter Jennings
Canadian/American journalist
1905 Dag Hammarskjöld
Swedish diplomat, economist, author, 2nd Secretary-General of the United Nations, Nobel Prize Laureate
1883 Benito Mussolini
Italian politician, Dictator of Italy
1805 Alexis de Tocqueville
French historian, scientist
Deaths On This Day – July 29
1983 Luis Buñuel
Spanish director, producer
1974 Erich Kästner
German author, poet
1970 John Barbirolli
English cellist, conductor
1890 Vincent van Gogh
Dutch painter
1833 William Wilberforce
English politician, philanthropist