107 things happened on 29 December, from 1170 to 2024. UK stories come first, then the rest of the world.
1809 · 217 years ago
William Ewart Gladstone was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom four times, more than any other British prime minister. He began in politics as a Conservative but became the leader of the Liberal Party. He was a Member of Parliament for over 60 years, so his…
UK history first: stories from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
UK story
HMS Warrior was launched for the Royal Navy during the coldest winter for 50 years. She and her sister ship, HMS Black Prince, were the first warships with iron hulls covered in armour plates. They were built in response to France's Gloire, the first ocean-going ironclad warship. After a long career and a careful restoration, Warrior has been a museum ship in Portsmouth since 1987.
UK story
During the First World War, France passed a law to obtain land for the graves of Allied soldiers who had died. The land for British war graves was given as 'the free gift of the French people'. The law allowed temporary British cemeteries to become a permanent resting place. It became a model for how fallen soldiers were cared for elsewhere in the war.
UK story
The United Kingdom made its final payment on the Anglo-American loan. The United States had lent the money in 1946 to help keep the British economy going after the Second World War. Britain also made a last payment to Canada, which had lent money too. This date was chosen because it was the last working day of the year.
UK story
According to John Smith, Pocahontas, daughter of Powhatan leader Wahunsenacawh, successfully pleads for his life after tribal leaders attempt to execute him.
UK story
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.
Mongolia broke away from the Qing dynasty, the last imperial dynasty to rule China. The 8th Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, an important leader in Tibetan Buddhism, became Mongolia's ruler, known as the Bogd Khan. He ruled until 1924. Mongolia now celebrates its Independence Day every year on 29 December.
The director Cecil B. DeMille began filming the first feature film made in Hollywood, in Los Angeles, California. A feature film is a full-length film, rather than a short one. DeMille went on to make 70 feature films and is seen as one of the founding fathers of American cinema. The name Hollywood now stands for the whole American film industry.
A new constitution came into force in Ireland, replacing the Irish Free State with a state called Ireland. A constitution is a set of basic laws that explains how a country is run. The Irish Free State had been set up in 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The new constitution guarantees certain rights and created an elected president and a parliament with two houses.
The American physicist Richard Feynman gave a talk called 'There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom' at Caltech in California. He suggested that scientists might one day move single atoms around to make new substances. The talk is seen as an early glimpse of nanotechnology, the science of making incredibly tiny things. Feynman later shared the 1965 Nobel Prize in Physics.
Václav Havel, a Czech playwright and dissident, was elected President of Czechoslovakia. A dissident is someone who openly speaks out against their government. He was the country's first president after the end of communist rule. When Czechoslovakia split into two countries, Havel became the first President of the Czech Republic, serving until 2003.
The government of Guatemala and the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity signed a peace agreement. It ended a civil war that had lasted 36 years, since 1960. A key cause of the conflict was who owned and controlled the land. After the peace process, the former rebel group laid down its weapons and became a legal political party in 1998.
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.
War of 1812: In a three-hour single-ship action, HMS Java (drawing shown) was captured by USS Constitution off the coast of Brazil.
The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
The Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States, becoming the 28th state to be admitted to the Union.
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.
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.
The Northern Expedition, a military campaign by the National Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang, ended with the complete control of the Republic of China.
Sir Muhammad Iqbal's presidential address in Allahabad introduces the two-nation theory and outlines a vision for the creation of Pakistan.
Japan renounces the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.
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.
Every answer is somewhere on this page. Have a go, then check!
In which year did this happen: “HMS Warrior, the first iron-hulled armoured warship, is launched”?
A: 1860. 1860 — that’s 166 years ago. Find it on the page
In which year did this happen: “France gives land for British war graves as a 'free gift'”?
A: 1915. 1915 — that’s 111 years ago. Find it on the page
Which of these happened first?
A: HMS Warrior, the first iron-hulled armoured warship, is launched. 1860: HMS Warrior, the first iron-hulled armoured warship, is launched · 1915: France gives land for British war graves as a 'free gift' · 2006: Britain makes the last payment on its post-war loan from the USA Find it on the page
“William Ewart Gladstone” happened in 1809. How many years ago was that?
A: 217 years. 2026 − 1809 = 217. Find it on the page
Famous people whose birthday is 29 December.
UK story
William Ewart Gladstone was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom four times, more than any other British prime minister. He began in politics as a Conservative but became the leader of the Liberal Party. He was a Member of Parliament for over 60 years, so his career covered almost the whole Victorian era. He was also Chancellor of the Exchequer, in charge of the nation's money, four times.
Well-known people who died on 29 December.
Festivals, holidays and saints’ days celebrated on 29 December somewhere in the world.
Content note: these entries mention things like war, violence, deaths, disasters or crime. They are part of history, but they can be upsetting. Grown-ups and teachers: you may want to read them first. They come straight from Wikipedia and have not been rewritten for children.
Stories with a heading have been written for young readers by A Day in the Past, using the linked articles as sources. Other entries show text from Wikipedia’s “December 29” page and its “On this day” feed, written by Wikipedia contributors and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. Each “Read more” link goes to the article an entry is based on. Photos are credited under each picture. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us.