# What happened on December 29 in history?

**Date:** December 29  
**Events recorded:** 34  
**Years spanned:** 1170 – 2024  
**Full page:** https://thisday.info/events/december/29/

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## Featured Event

**2024** — Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes into a wall in Muan, South Korea, killing 179 of the 181 occupants. It is the worst aircraft accident on South Korean soil in history.

[Read more on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeju_Air_Flight_2216)

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## Events on this date

- **1170** — Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II; he subsequently becomes a saint and martyr in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Becket))
- **1503** — The Battle of Garigliano was fought between a Spanish army under Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba and a French army commanded by Ludovico II, Marquess of Saluzzo. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Garigliano_(1503)))
- **1607** — According to John Smith, Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan leader Wahunsenacawh, successfully pleads for his life after tribal leaders attempt to execute him. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith_(explorer)))
- **1778** — American Revolutionary War: British forces under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell defeat American forces under Major General Robert Howe and capture the port city of Savannah, Georgia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War))
- **1812** — USS Constitution, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captures HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three-hour battle. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constitution))
- **1835** — The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_New_Echota))
- **1845** — The United States annexes the Republic of Texas and admits it as the 28th state. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_annexation))
- **1860** — The launch of HMS Warrior, with her combination of screw propeller, iron hull and iron armour, renders all previous warships obsolete. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warrior_(1860)))
- **1862** — American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou ends in a Union defeat as forces under General William T. Sherman are repulsed with heavy losses by Confederate troops under General John C. Pemberton. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War))
- **1874** — The military coup of Gen. Martinez Campos in Sagunto ends the failed First Spanish Republic and the monarchy is restored as Prince Alfonso is proclaimed King of Spain. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenio_Mart%C3%ADnez_Campos))
- **1876** — The Ashtabula River railroad disaster occurs, leaving 64 injured and 92 dead at Ashtabula, Ohio. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtabula_River_railroad_disaster))
- **1890** — Wounded Knee Massacre: On Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 300 Lakota are killed by the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_Massacre))
- **1911** — Mongolia gains independence from the Qing dynasty, enthroning 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu as Khagan of Mongolia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolia))
- **1913** — Cecil B. DeMille starts filming Hollywood's first feature film, The Squaw Man. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_B._DeMille))
- **1930** — Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address in Allahabad introduces the two-nation theory and outlines a vision for the creation of Pakistan. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Iqbal))
- **1934** — Japan renounces the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Naval_Treaty))
- **1937** — The Irish Free State is replaced by a new state called Ireland with the adoption of a new constitution. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Free_State))
- **1940** — World War II:  in the Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombs London, England, killing almost 200 civilians. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II))
- **1972** — Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar) crashes in the Florida Everglades on approach to Miami International Airport, Florida, killing 101 of the 176 people on board. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_401))
- **1975** — A bomb explodes at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, killing 11 people and injuring more than 75. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_LaGuardia_Airport_bombing))
- **1989** — Czech writer, philosopher and dissident Václav Havel is elected the first post-communist President of Czechoslovakia. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel))
- **1989** — The Nikkei 225 for the Tokyo Stock Exchange hits its all-time intra-day high of 38,957.44 and closing high at 38,915.87, serving as the apex of the Japanese asset price bubble. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkei_225))
- **1992** — Fernando Collor de Mello, president of Brazil, tries to resign amidst corruption charges, but is then impeached. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Collor_de_Mello))
- **1994** — Turkish Airlines Flight 278 (a Boeing 737-400) crashes on approach to Van Ferit Melen Airport in Van, Turkey, killing 57 of the 76 people on board. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Airlines_Flight_278))
- **1996** — Guatemala and leaders of Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity sign a peace accord ending a 36-year civil war. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala))
- **1998** — Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologize for the Cambodian genocide that claimed over one million lives. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_Rouge))
- **2003** — The last known speaker of Akkala Sami dies, rendering the language extinct. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkala_S%C3%A1mi))
- **2006** — The UK settles its Anglo-American loan, post-WWII loan debt. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-American_loan))
- **2012** — A Tupolev Tu-204 airliner crashes in a ditch between the airport fence and the M3 highway after overshooting a runway at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, killing five people and leaving three others critically injured. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-204))
- **2013** — A suicide bomb attack at the Volgograd-1 railway station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd kills at least 18 people and wounds 40 others. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2013_Volgograd_bombings))
- **2013** — Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher suffers a massive head injury while skiing in the French Alps. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One))
- **2020** — A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hits near the town of Petrinja in Sisak-Moslavina County, Croatia, killing seven people. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Petrinja_earthquake))
- **2023** — South Africa files a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over Israeli conducts in the Gaza Strip. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa))
- **2024** — Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashes into a wall in Muan, South Korea, killing 179 of the 181 occupants. It is the worst aircraft accident on South Korean soil in history. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeju_Air_Flight_2216))

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## Notable births on December 29

- **2006** — **Ethan Mbappé** — French footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Mbapp%C3%A9))
- **2005** — **Davide Bartesaghi** — Italian footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davide_Bartesaghi))
- **2000** — **Orkun Kökçü** — Dutch-Turkish footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orkun_K%C3%B6k%C3%A7%C3%BC))
- **2000** — **Julio Rodríguez** — Dominican baseball player ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Rodr%C3%ADguez))
- **2000** — **Eliot Vassamillet** — Belgian singer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Vassamillet))
- **1999** — **Andreas Skov Olsen** — Danish footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Skov_Olsen))
- **1999** — **Francisco Trincão** — Portuguese footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Trinc%C3%A3o))
- **1998** — **Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick** — American actor ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seamus_Davey-Fitzpatrick))
- **1998** — **Victor Osimhen** — Nigerian footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Osimhen))
- **1998** — **Brandon Thomas-Asante** — Ghanaian footballer ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_Thomas-Asante))

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## Notable deaths on December 29

- **2024** — **Aaron Brown** — American journalist and academic (born 1948) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Brown_(journalist)))
- **2024** — **Jimmy Carter** — American politician, 39th President of the United States (born 1924) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter))
- **2024** — **Linda Lavin** — American actress and singer (born 1937) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Lavin))
- **2024** — **Tomiko Itooka** — Japanese supercentenarian (born 1908) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomiko_Itooka))
- **2023** — **Gil de Ferran** — French-born Brazilian racing driver, CART champion (2000, 2001), 2003 Indianapolis 500 winner (born 1967) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_de_Ferran))
- **2022** — **Pelé** — Brazilian footballer (born 1940) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pel%C3%A9))
- **2022** — **Edgar Savisaar** — Estonian politician, Estonian Minister of the Interior (born 1950) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Savisaar))
- **2022** — **Vivienne Westwood** — English fashion designer (born 1941) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivienne_Westwood))
- **2021** — **Peter Klatzow** — South African composer (born 1945) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Klatzow))
- **2020** — **Pierre Cardin** — Italian-French fashion designer (born 1922) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Cardin))

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## About this page

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