History for December 29

History for December 29 - On-This-Day.com:
Charles Goodyear 1800, Andrew Johnson 1808, William Gladstone 1809


Mary Tyler Moore 1936 - Actress, Jon Voight 1938 - Actor, Ted Danson 1947 - Actor ("Cheers")


1170 - St. Thomas à Becket, the 40th archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered in his own cathedral by four knights acting on Henry II's orders.


1845 - U.S. President James Polk and signed legislation making Texas the 28th state of the United States.


1848 - U.S. President James Polk turned on the first gas light at the White House.


1851 - The first American Young Men's Christian Association was organized, in Boston, MA.


1911 - Sun Yat-sen became the first president of a republican China.


1934 - Japan renounced the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 and the London Naval Treaty of 1930.

1940 - During World War II, Germany began dropping incendiary bombs on London.


1972 - Following 36 years of publication, the last weekly issue of "LIFE" magazine hit the newsstands. The magazine later became a monthly publication.