What Happened on July 29?

July 29 is National Lasagna Day — layers of pasta and cheese — on the same date NASA was created in 1958, Prince Charles and Lady Diana married in 1981, the IAEA opened in 1957, and the Spanish Armada was sighted in 1588.

• 1588 — English lookouts sight the Spanish Armada off Cornwall

  On July 29, 1588, beacon fires warned England that the Spanish Armada — a massive invasion fleet — was approaching. Read the full story →

• 1890 — Painter Vincent van Gogh dies in Auvers-sur-Oise, France

  On July 29, 1890, Vincent van Gogh died at 37 — leaving swirling masterpieces that later became among the world's most famous paintings. Read the full story →

• 1900 — King Umberto I of Italy is assassinated at Monza

  On July 29, 1900, an anarchist shot King Umberto I of Italy — a violent act in an era of political assassinations across Europe. Read the full story →

• 1957 — The International Atomic Energy Agency begins operations

  On July 29, 1957, the IAEA opened in Vienna — a United Nations agency promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy and preventing weapons spread. Read the full story →

• 1958 — President Eisenhower signs the act creating NASA

  On July 29, 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was born — merging America's space and aeronautics research after Sputnik. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Booth Tarkington (1869–1946) · Geddy Lee (1953) · Martina McBride (1966) · Alexis Sánchez (1988)

Days & observances

National Lasagna Day · International Tiger Day · National Chicken Wing Day · National Lipstick Day