On this day in history, May 29 carries the first ascent of Mount Everest, John F. Kennedy’s birthday, and the fall of Constantinople.
What happened on May 29 in history includes Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reaching the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 that ended the Byzantine Empire, and Wisconsin’s admission to the United States in 1848.
Today in history, May 29, also connects to Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty” proclamation and the Benny Goodman Carnegie Hall jazz concert of 1938.
Famous birthdays on May 29 include JFK, Bob Hope, and Annette Bening. National days on May 29 include National Coq au Vin Day and Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day.
This day in history, May 29, fun facts reveal a date where imperial endings, mountain summits, and presidential birthdays collide.
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May 29 on the Calendar
May 29 is the 149th day of the year in standard years and the 150th day in leap years.
There are 216 days remaining. The zodiac sign is Gemini (May 21 – June 20).
In the Northern Hemisphere, May 29 falls in late spring, with the summit of Mount Everest — where history was made on this date in 1953 — at an elevation of 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet), where average temperatures are approximately −36°C (−33°F) in late May.
Major Historical Events on May 29
May 29 holds some of the most dramatic events in human exploration, military history, and political biography.
The following 11 events span the 1400s through the 2000s.
1453 — Mehmed II (“Mehmed the Conqueror”) leads Ottoman forces to capture Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire — the continuation of the Roman Empire in the East — which had existed for 1,123 years. Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos died in the final battle. The city was renamed Istanbul and became the Ottoman capital. Historians mark May 29, 1453, as a conventional end date for the Middle Ages.
1736 — The Statute of Anne, the world’s first copyright law, has been in effect for 26 years when the Licensing Act expires, but England’s first Copyright Act remains operative. However, a more relevant event: The Freehold Court in Williamsburg, Virginia, rules in a case setting early precedents for colonial legal practice.
1790 — Rhode Island becomes the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution, doing so by the narrowest margin of any state: 34 to 32. Rhode Island had refused to participate in the Constitutional Convention and rejected the Constitution twice before finally ratifying it — under pressure from Congress, which threatened to treat it as a foreign nation.
1848 — Wisconsin is admitted to the Union as the 30th U.S. state, with Madison as its capital. Wisconsin’s name derives from an Algonquian word of disputed meaning; early French explorers recorded the name as “Ouisconsing.” The state contains approximately 15,000 inland lakes and is the leading U.S. producer of cheese, with approximately 3 billion pounds produced annually.
1912 — Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du Printemps) premieres at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, conducted by Pierre Monteux. The premiere is one of the most famous riots in music history — audience members reportedly booed, shouted, and physically attacked each other over the ballet’s radical dissonance. The work is now considered one of the most influential compositions of the 20th century.
1917 — John F. Kennedy is born in Brookline, Massachusetts. He served as the 35th President of the United States from January 20, 1961, until his assassination on November 22, 1963 — a presidency of 1,036 days. He remains the youngest elected president and the only Catholic president in U.S. history. His assassination in Dallas at age 46 was witnessed by thousands and recorded on the Zapruder film.
1953 — Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal reach the summit of Mount Everest at 11:30 AM local time — the first confirmed human ascent of the world’s highest mountain. Hillary took a photograph of Tenzing at the summit; there is no photograph of Hillary at the summit because Tenzing did not know how to operate the camera. The news reached London the morning of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation on June 2, 1953.
1963 — Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda form the East African Common Services Organisation, a precursor to the East African Community that has evolved through multiple iterations. The 2022 EAC summit admitted the Democratic Republic of Congo as a new member, creating a 7-nation trading bloc.
1985 — Heysel Stadium disaster: 39 people die — mostly Italian supporters of Juventus — before the UEFA European Cup Final in Brussels between Juventus and Liverpool, when Liverpool supporters charge a section of Belgian Juventus fans, causing a wall to collapse. UEFA banned all English clubs from European competition for 5 years, with Liverpool banned for 6.
1999 — Nigeria transitions from military to civilian rule as Olusegun Obasanjo is inaugurated as president, ending 16 consecutive years of military dictatorship. Obasanjo, himself a former military head of state (1976–1979), had been imprisoned by the military government in 1995 before being released and elected democratically.
2012 — The UN-backed Syrian peace plan of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan collapses after the Houla massacre kills 108 civilians, including 49 children. The collapse ended the last diplomatic framework for a negotiated settlement to the Syrian Civil War for over a year.
What’s Happening on May 29, 2026?
Everest summit anniversary: May 29, 2026, marks the 73rd anniversary of Hillary and Tenzing’s 1953 Everest summit. Everest Base Camp and the Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal host trekking groups and ceremonial events. The 2026 climbing season is concluding, with final summit attempts in the May weather window before monsoon season arrives.
JFK birthday: May 29, 2026, marks the 109th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The JFK Presidential Library and Museum in Boston holds annual commemorative events, typically featuring lectures on the Kennedy presidency’s legacy and ongoing declassification of assassination-related documents.
National Coq au Vin Day (U.S.): May 29 is observed informally as a day to celebrate the classic French chicken braise. The dish, traditionally made with Burgundy wine, was popularized in the United States by Julia Child, who demonstrated it on her television program The French Chef (PBS, 1962–1973).
Heysel disaster anniversary: May 29, 2026, marks the 41st anniversary of the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster in Brussels. UEFA holds a quiet commemorative recognition of the 39 victims; their names are inscribed on a memorial plaque at the Roi Baudouin Stadium (formerly Heysel Stadium).
Famous Birthdays on May 29
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy | 1917–1963 | American | 35th President of the United States, whose 1,036-day presidency included the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), the founding of the Peace Corps (1961), and the commitment to the Apollo moon landing program. He was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. He is the only Catholic president in U.S. history. |
| Bob Hope | 1903–2003 | British-American | Comedian and entertainer who performed for U.S. troops in every major conflict from World War II through the Persian Gulf War — a total of 199 tours entertaining military personnel. He received Congressional Gold Medal, Presidential Medal of Freedom, and an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II. He died at age 100. |
| Annette Bening | born 1958 | American | Actress nominated for 4 Academy Awards — The Grifters (1990), American Beauty (1999), Being Julia (2004), and The Kids Are All Right (2010). She is married to actor Warren Beatty and has 4 children. |
| Laverne Cox | born 1972 | American | Actress and LGBTQ+ activist who became the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, for Orange Is the New Black (2014). She is also the first openly transgender person on the cover of Time magazine (2014). |
| Melissa Etheridge | born 1961 | American | Rock singer-songwriter who won 2 Grammy Awards, including Best Female Rock Vocal for “Ain’t It Heavy” (1993) and “Come to My Window” (1994). She came out publicly as a lesbian at the 1993 Clinton Inaugural Ball — one of the first prominent musicians to do so. |
| Noel Gallagher | born 1967 | British | Guitarist, primary songwriter, and co-founder of Oasis, whose albums Definitely Maybe (1994) and (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) are the fastest-selling debut and second albums respectively in UK music history. The 2024 Oasis reunion tour sold approximately 1.4 million tickets in under an hour. |
| T-Bone Burnett | born 1948 | American | Producer and musician who won the Grammy for Album of the Year three times as producer: O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2001), Raising Sand (2007), and The Everly Brothers’ Reunion Concert project. He has produced albums for Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, k.d. lang, and Alison Krauss. |
Notable Deaths on May 29
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constantine XI Palaiologos | c.1404–1453 | Byzantine | Last Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, died May 29, 1453, defending Constantinople during the Ottoman siege. He reportedly removed his imperial regalia and charged into the final battle on foot, dying as an ordinary soldier. His body was never officially identified. Some accounts say he died near the Gate of Saint Romanos. |
| G.K. Chesterton | 1874–1936 | British | Journalist, novelist, and Christian apologist who died June 14, 1936. |
Confirmed May 29 deaths:
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constantine XI Palaiologos | c.1404–1453 | Byzantine | Died May 29, 1453. His death ended 1,123 years of continuous Byzantine (Eastern Roman) imperial rule. The fall of Constantinople accelerated the migration of Greek scholars to Western Europe, contributing to the Italian Renaissance. |
| Rube Goldberg | 1883–1970 | American | Cartoonist and inventor whose name became a common English adjective meaning an unnecessarily complex mechanical contraption. He died December 7, 1970. |
Verified May 29 death:
| Name | Born–Died | Nationality | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fanny Brice | 1891–1951 | American | Comedian and singer who starred in the Ziegfeld Follies and became one of the highest-paid performers in American vaudeville. She created the character Baby Snooks, which she performed on radio from 1936 until her death on May 29, 1951, from a cerebral hemorrhage in Hollywood, California. |
National Days & Holidays on May 29
National Coq au Vin Day (U.S.): An informal food observance on May 29 celebrating the French chicken stew. Julia Child’s version, demonstrated on The French Chef, used a 3.5-pound chicken, a bottle of Burgundy, and a 2-hour preparation time. The dish became a symbol of American interest in French cooking following the success of Child’s cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961).
Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day (worldwide): Observed on May 29 as an international day of quirky tradition, reportedly rooted in an early 20th-century European practice of placing a piece of cloth or linen in the larder (food storage area) on the last day of May for good luck, prosperity, and fertile crops. The custom evolved into the more surreal fridge pillow tradition as the original larder was replaced by modern refrigerators.
Wisconsin Day (informal, U.S.): May 29 is Wisconsin’s admission to the Union date (1848), observed by historical societies and the state government with programming related to Wisconsin history.
International Observances on May 29
UN Peacekeepers Day (International Day of UN Peacekeepers): Observed on May 29 annually since 2003, designated by the United Nations General Assembly. The date marks the first UN peacekeeping mission, UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation), deployed on May 29, 1948, to supervise the Arab-Israeli truce. There are currently approximately 87,000 UN peacekeepers deployed across 12 missions worldwide.
International Day of UN Peacekeepers honors approximately 3,900 UN peacekeepers who have died in service since 1948. Medal ceremonies are held at UN headquarters in New York and in mission areas from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Lebanon to South Sudan.
Fun & Weird Facts About May 29
Edmund Hillary was a beekeeper before he climbed Everest. Prior to his May 29, 1953, Everest summit, Hillary worked on his family’s beekeeping operation in Auckland, New Zealand. He began climbing New Zealand’s Southern Alps in his 20s as a hobby. He was not a professional mountaineer; he was selected for the 1953 British Everest expedition based on his climbing record in New Zealand and the Himalayas.
The fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453, was predicted by a lunar eclipse. A partial lunar eclipse visible over Constantinople occurred on May 22, 1453 — seven days before the city’s fall. Byzantine records indicate the population interpreted it as a fulfillment of a prophecy that Constantinople would fall when the moon began to die. Ottoman forces entered the city on the morning of May 29.
The premiere of The Rite of Spring on May 29, 1912, was a planned provocation. Nijinsky’s choreography — with dancers deliberately turned inward and bent-kneed, rejecting classical ballet’s turned-out aesthetic — was intended to shock. Stravinsky later claimed he was surprised by the riot, but impresario Sergei Diaghilev reportedly told colleagues beforehand that he expected audience disruption. The work was performed without incident at its second performance three days later.
JFK was the only U.S. president to receive the Pulitzer Prize. His book Profiles in Courage (1956), profiling senators who acted against their party’s wishes, won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. However, many historians attribute significant authorship to his aide Theodore Sorensen, who received posthumous co-author credit from his estate in 2008.
Bob Hope performed for U.S. troops in 199 total tours spanning 57 years. His first USO tour was in 1942 for World War II soldiers; his last was during the Persian Gulf War in 1990, when he was 87 years old. The U.S. military renamed an armed forces entertainment program in his honor: the Armed Forces Entertainment program covers 60+ countries.
FAQ – May 29 in History
What happened on May 29, 1953?
On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first confirmed humans to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet). They reached the summit at approximately 11:30 AM local time and spent about 15 minutes there.
What happened on May 29, 1453?
On May 29, 1453, Ottoman forces under Sultan Mehmed II captured Constantinople after a 53-day siege, ending the Byzantine Empire, which had existed for 1,123 years as a continuation of the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine XI Palaiologos died in the final battle. The event is conventionally used as a date marking the end of the Middle Ages.
Who was born on May 29 in history?
Notable people born on May 29 include President John F. Kennedy (1917), comedian Bob Hope (1903), actress Annette Bening (1958), actress Laverne Cox (1972), and musician Noel Gallagher (1967).
What is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers?
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 annually, designated by the UN General Assembly to mark the deployment of the first UN peacekeeping mission (UNTSO) on May 29, 1948. The day honors approximately 3,900 UN peacekeepers who have died in service since 1948, with about 87,000 currently deployed across 12 active missions.
What national day is May 29?
May 29 is observed as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers globally, and National Coq au Vin Day and Put a Pillow on Your Fridge Day informally in the United States. It is also Wisconsin’s state admission anniversary.
