Discover · History

On this day — May 29

A hand-curated thread of what happened on this date, across centuries.

2022

Milestone

Tara Air Flight 197 crashes in Nepal's Mustang District

killing 22.

2021

Milestone

A Cessna Citation I/SP crashes into Percy Priest Lake in Tennessee

killing all six people on board, including actor Joe Lara and his wife Gwen Shamblin Lara.

2020

Milestone

An oil spill in Norilsk releases 17,500 tons of diesel oil into nearby rivers.

2015

Milestone

One World Observatory at One World Trade Center opens.

2012

Disaster

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hits northern Italy near Bologna

killing at least 24 people.

2008

Disaster

A doublet earthquake

of combined magnitude 6.1, strikes Iceland near the town of Selfoss, injuring 30 people.

2005

Milestone

France rejects the Constitution of the European Union in a national referendum.

2004

Politics

The National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington

D.C.

2001

Milestone

The U.S. Supreme Court rules that the disabled golfer Casey Martin can use a cart to ride in tournaments.

1999

Politics

Olusegun Obasanjo takes office as President of Nigeria

the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule.

1999

Science

Space Shuttle Discovery completes the first docking with the International Space Station.

1993

Politics

The Miss Sarajevo beauty pageant is held in war-torn Sarajevo drawing global attention to the plight of its citizens.

1990

Politics

The Congress of People's Deputies of Russia elects Boris Yeltsin as President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.

1989

Milestone

Signing of an agreement between Egypt and the United States that allows for the manufacture of F-16 Falcon parts in Egypt.

1988

Politics

U.S. President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union when he arrives in Moscow for a superpower summit with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.