July 29
1890
Artist Vincent van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers, France.
1958
President Eisenhower signed the congressional act that created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was authorized by Congress.
1968
In Humanae Vitae (of Human Life), Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s prohibition on artificial methods of birth control.
1981
Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, married Lady Diana Spencer.
2003
Red Sox switch hitter Bill Mueller became the first baseball player to hit grand slam home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game.
Birthdays
Dag Hammarskjold
1905–61, Swedish statesman, secretary-general of the United Nations (1953–61).
Alexis de Tocqueville
writer (1805)
Booth Tarkington
author (1869)
Benito Mussolini
dictator (1883)
Nancy Landon Kassebaum
senator (1932)
Elizabeth Hanford Dole
public official (1936)
Peter Jennings
news anchor (1938)
Ken Burns
documentary filmmaker (1953)