What Happened on May 29?

May 29 is the International Day of UN Peacekeepers — and the day Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first stood on Mount Everest's summit in 1953.

1453 — Constantinople falls, ending the Byzantine Empire

After a long siege, the Ottoman army captured Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire for more than a thousand years. Read the full story →
1790 — Rhode Island becomes the last of the thirteen states to approve the Constitution

Rhode Island finally ratified the U.S. Constitution by a narrow vote, joining the union more than a year after George Washington became president. Read the full story →
1913 — The Rite of Spring premieres in Paris

Igor Stravinsky's wild new ballet premiered in Paris, and parts of the audience argued and shouted so much that dancers could barely hear the orchestra. Read the full story →
1919 — A total solar eclipse helps prove Einstein's theory of relativity

During a total solar eclipse, astronomer Arthur Eddington's expedition photographed stars near the darkened Sun, finding that the Sun's gravity really does bend starlight. Read the full story →
1953 — Hillary and Norgay become the first to reach the top of Mount Everest

New Zealand beekeeper Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay climbed together onto Everest's summit, becoming the first people confirmed to stand on top of the world. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) · Patrick Henry (1736–1799) · Bob Hope (1903–2003) · Tenzing Norgay (1914–1986)

International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers · National Biscuit Day · Learn About Composting Day