July 29
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1836: The Arc de Triomphe quietly opens
On this day in 1836, the inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe, one of the largest triumphal arches in the world, unfolded almost in secret. French King Louis-Philippe, fearing assassination, cancelled the ceremony planned for one of Paris’s most ambitious monuments. Only 11 people attended. For a structure built to proclaim glory, its beginning was strikingly quiet.
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Prints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-pcrd-1b05768); Photo Illustration Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Featured Event
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration established
Criticized for allowing the Soviet Union to launch the first man-made satellite to orbit Earth (Sputnik 1, on October 4, 1957), U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation this day in 1958 that created NASA. [Take our quiz about space exploration.]
Featured Biography
Featured Biography
H. Roger-Viollet
From today onwards we are all Italians and nothing but Italians. Now that steel has met steel, one single cry comes from our hearts—Viva l’Italia!
Born this day in 1883, Benito Mussolini was the first of 20th-century Europe’s fascist dictators, assuming absolute power of Italy in 1922, and his harsh rule and involvement in World War II led to his death in 1945.
Famous Birthdays
More on July 29
NASA/JPL—Caltech
2005
Planetary scientists formally announced the discovery of what was believed to be the 10th planet; it was later designated a dwarf planet and given the name Eris. [Read more about Eris and four other dwarf planets.]
© Shutterstock.com
1981
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. [How much do you know about Princess Diana?]
Sarajevo-x
1957
© 2003 New Line Cinema Productions, Inc.
1954
The first part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings—which became a sociocultural phenomenon and was adapted into a series of blockbuster films in the early 2000s—was published. [Test your knowledge of fantasy lands.]
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1913
Albania was formally recognized by the major European powers as an independent principality following the issuance of the Vlorë proclamation. [Take our quiz about European history.]
JO/UN Photo
1905
Swedish economist and statesman Dag Hammarskjöld, who served as the second secretary-general (1953–61) of the United Nations and received the 1961 Nobel Peace Prize, was born. [Take our Nobel Prize quiz.]
The Art Institute of Chicago, Joseph Winterbotham Collection, reference no. 1954.326 (CC0)
1890
Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, one of the greatest of the Post-Impressionists, died in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, two days after shooting himself. [Test your knowledge of artists.]
© Bryant Aardema/Shutterstock.com
1872
Nathaniel P. Langford and James Stevenson made the first ascent of Grand Teton, the highest peak of the Teton Range in Wyoming. [Sort fact from fiction in our quiz about mountains.]
Brady-Handy Photograph Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: LC-DIG-cwpbh-01612)
1858
Townsend Harris persuaded the Japanese to sign the Harris Treaty, an agreement securing commercial and diplomatic privileges for the United States in Japan.
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
1835
King Kamehameha III leased the first sugar plantation land in Hawaii. [Discover the controversial history of how Hawaii was acquired by the United States.]
H. Roger-Viollet
1805
French political scientist, historian, and politician Alexis de Tocqueville, who was best known for his Democracy in America, 4 vol. (1835–40), was born. [Test your knowledge of famous books.]
© The British Library/Robana/REX/Shutterstock.com
1588
The Spanish Armada, the great fleet sent by King Philip II of Spain to invade England, was first sighted by the English off Lizard Point, Cornwall. [Take our history of warfare quiz.]