On This Day July 29

1993
Vietnam Women's Memorial: Ground is broken for the first memorial in Washington D.C. to honor women's military service. It honors the 11,500 women who served in Vietnam and the 265,000 uniformed women who served during the war.

1989
First 8-feet high jump: Cuban high jumper Javier Sotomayor clears 8 ft. 0 inches.

1966
The Beatles: The U.S. teen magazine Datebook reprints an earlier quote by John Lennon stating that "We're more popular than Jesus now." This prompted Beatles Bonfires and the banning of their music by radio stations.

1966
Bob Dylan: The folk singer breaks his neck when he crashes his motorcycle near his home in Woodstock, New York.

1927
First electric artificial respirator is installed, at Bellevue Hospital in New York. It was developed by physicians at Harvard University and called the "iron lung."

1921
Adolf Hitler: The future German leader becomes president of the National Socialist German Workers (NAZI) party.

1829
Chippewa, Ottawa, and Powatomi Indians cede their land in the Michigan territory to the U.S.

1956
Michael Spinks, American boxer, IBF heavyweight boxing champion (1985). He is the only light-heavyweight champion to have won a world heavyweight title.

1938 d. 2005
Peter Charles Jennings, Canadian-born TV news reporter. He scored 100 out of 100 on the U.S. citizenship exam. He was a high school drop out.

1933
Robert Fuller, American actor. TV: Laramie (Jess Harper), Wagon Train (Cooper Smith), and Emergency! (Dr. Bracket).

1924
Lloyd Bochner, Canadian-born actor. TV: Dynasty (Cecil Colby) and Santa Barbara (C.C. Capwell).

1914
Professor Irwin Corey, American comic, "The World's Foremost Authority." In 1959, he ran for president on the Playboy ticket. Quote: If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going. (source: Fifth 637 Best Things Anybody Ever Said)

1905 d. 1961
Dag Hammarskjöld, Swedish statesman, Secretary-General of the United Nations (1953-61). He was killed in a suspicious plane crash while en route to negotiate a cease-fire between U.N. and Congolese forces. He was posthumously awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1883 d. 1945
Benito Mussolini, Italian Fascist dictator. He was killed by partisans who hung his body for exhibit in Milan's main square.

1869 d. 1946
Booth Tarkington, American Pulitzer-winning novelist. Writings: The Magnificent Ambersons (1918, Pulitzer), and Alice Adams (1921, Pulitzer).

1983 b. 1896
Raymond Massey, Canadian actor. Film: Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940, title role). TV: Dr. Kildare (Dr. Gillespie).

1983 b. 1909
David Niven, British Oscar-winning actor. Film: Around the World in 80 Days (1956) and The Pink Panther (1964).

1979 b. 1916
Bill Todman, American TV producer. TV: To Tell the Truth, What's My Line?, The Price Is Right, and Family Feud.

1974 b. 1941
"Mama" Cass Elliot (Ellen Naomi Cohen), American folk singer, with The Mamas and the Papas. Music: California Dreamin' and Monday, Monday. The urban legend that she died from choking on a ham sandwich are false. She actually died of heart failure.

1960 b. 1899
Richard Leo Simon, American publisher, co-founder of the publishing house of Simon and Schuster (1924). Their first book was the world's first crossword puzzle book.

1953 b. 1877
Richard Pearse, New Zealand farmer, aviation pioneer. He reportedly built and flew a monoplane craft in March of 1903 - eight months before the Wright brothers.

1890 b. 1853
Vincent van Gogh, Dutch ear-cutting (actually it was only the lobe) postimpressionist painter. Although his paintings now sell for millions, he sold only one during his lifetime.

1099 b. circa 1042
Urban II, French-born religious leader, 159th Pope (1088-99).

July 29

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