On This Day · The 29th day of the year

January 29

A look at January 29 through the almanac — historic events, famous birthdays including Anton Chekhov and Abdus Salam, and the day's notable deaths and observances.

ZodiacAquarius BirthstoneGarnet Birth flowerCarnation
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Events

10 notable moments
  1. 2017

    Quebec City mosque shooting

    A gunman opens fire at the Islamic Cultural Centre of Quebec City, killing six people and wounding 19 others in a spree shooting.

    2017 mass shooting in
  2. 2013

    SCAT Airlines Flight 760

    SCAT Airlines Flight 760 crashes near the Kazakh city of Almaty, killing 21 people.

    2013 plane crash near
  3. 2001

    Indonesia

    Thousands of student protesters in Indonesia storm parliament and demand that President Abdurrahman Wahid resign due to alleged involvement in corruption scandals.

    Country in Southeast Asia
  4. 1943

    World War II

    World War II: The first day of the Battle of Rennell Island, USS Chicago (CA-29) is torpedoed and heavily damaged by Japanese bombers.

    1939–1945 global conflict
  5. 1911

    Mexican Revolution

    Mexican Revolution: Mexicali is captured by the Mexican Liberal Party, igniting the Magonista rebellion of 1911.

    Nationwide armed struggle in
  6. 1907

    Charles Curtis

    Charles Curtis of Kansas becomes the first Native American U.S. Senator.

    Vice President of the
  7. 1891

    Liliʻuokalani

    Liliʻuokalani is proclaimed the last monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

    Queen of Hawaii from
  8. 1856

    Queen Victoria

    Queen Victoria issues a Warrant under the Royal sign-manual that establishes the Victoria Cross to recognise acts of valour by British military personnel during the Crimean War.

    Queen of the United
  9. 1814

    War of the Sixth Coalition

    War of the Sixth Coalition: France engages Russia and Prussia in the Battle of Brienne.

    1813–1814 conflict during the
  10. 904

    Pope Sergius III

    Sergius III is elected pope, after coming out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed antipope Christopher.

    Head of the Catholic
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Famous birthday twins

Born on January 29

Anton Chekhov

b. 1860

Russian playwright and short story writer

Abdus Salam

b. 1926

Pakistani-British physicist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate

William McKinley

b. 1843

American soldier, lawyer, and politician, 25th President of the United States

Sam Trammell

b. 1969

American actor

Romain Rolland

b. 1866

French historian, author, and playwright, Nobel Prize laureate

Ernst Lubitsch

b. 1892

German American film director, producer, writer, and actor

Elio Petri

b. 1929

Italian director and screenwriter

Oprah Winfrey

b. 1954

American talk show host, actress, and producer, founded Harpo Productions

Deaths

  • 2012Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Italian lawyer and politician, 9th President of Italy
  • 1988James Rhyne Killian, American educator, scientist and White House advisor
  • 1960Mack Harrell, American operatic and concert baritone vocalist
  • 1934Fritz Haber, Polish-German chemist and engineer, Nobel Prize laureate
  • 1597Elias Ammerbach, German organist and composer
  • 757AD 757, Chinese general

Holidays & observances

  • Christian feast day: Aphrahat
  • Christian feast day: Gildas
  • Christian feast day: Sabinian of Troyes
  • Christian feast day: Sulpitius I of Bourges
  • Christian feast day: Blessed Villana de' Botti
  • Christian feast day: January 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
  • Earliest day on which Fat Thursday can fall, while March 4 is the latest; celebrated on Thursday before Ash Wednesday. (Christianity)
  • Kansas Day (Kansas, United States)

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