Today In History [29th September, 2015]

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.
Today in History
September 29

1197		Emperor Henry VI dies in Messina, Sicily.
1399		Richard II of England is deposed. His cousin, Henry of Lancaster, declares himself king under the name Henry IV.
1493		Christopher Columbus leaves Cadiz, Spain, on his second voyage to the new world.
1513		Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean.
1789		Congress votes to create a U.S. army.
1833		A civil war breaks out in Spain between Carlisists, who believe Don Carlos deserves the throne, and supporters of Queen Isabella.
1850		Mormon leader Brigham Young is named the first governor of the Utah Territory.
1864		Union troops capture the Confederate Fort Harrison, outside Petersburg, Virginia.
1879		Dissatisfied Ute Indians kill Agent Nathan Meeker and nine others in the "Meeker Massacre."
1932		A five-day work week is established for General Motors workers.
1939		Germany and the Soviet Union reach an agreement on the division of Poland.
1941		30,000 Jews are gunned down in Kiev when Henrich Himmler sends four strike squads to exterminate Soviet Jewish civilians and other "undesirables."
1943		Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf is published in the United States.
1950		Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev repeatedly disrupts a UN General Assembly meeting with his violent outbursts over intervention in the Belgian Congo, US U2 spy planes, and arms control.
1960		General Douglas MacArthur officially returns Seoul, South Korea, to President Syngman Rhee.
1962		Canada launches its first satellite, Alouette 1.
1962		The popular Argentinian comic strip Mafalda beings publication, in the weekly Primera Plana; focusing on a six-year-old girl (Mafalda) and her friends, it has been called the Argentinian Peanuts.
1966		Chevrolet introduces the Camaro, which will become an iconic car.
1971		Oman joins the Arab League.
1979		John Paul II becomes the first pope ever to visit Ireland.
1990		The YF-22, later named F-22 Raptor, flies for the first time.
1992		Brazilian President Fernando Collor de Mello impeached for corruptions; he was the youngest president in the nation’s history, taking office at age 40 in 1990.
2008		Dow Jones Industrial Average plummets 777.68 points in the wake of Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual bankruptcies, the largest single-day point loss in Wall Street history.
2009		An 8.1 earthquake causes a tidal wave that claims 189 lives in Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga.
Born on September 29
1547		Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish novelist best known for his book The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha.
1758		Horatio Nelson, British naval commander who defeated the French and her allies on numerous occasions during the age of Napoleon.
1901		Enrico Fermi, Italian-born U.S. physicist who led the group which created the first man-made nuclear chain reaction.
1907		Gene Autry, actor, singer, star of radio, film and TV; known for his film roles as a "singing cowboy" (Oh, Susanna!, Back in the Saddle), he was influential in country music with songs that included "Back in the Saddle," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and "Frosty the Snowman."
1935		Jerry Lee Lewis, singer, songwriter, musician; influential figure in early rock ‘n’ roll ("Great Balls of Fire").
1942		Madeline Kahn, actress, comedian, singer, best known for comedic film roles, especially Mel Brooks’ films Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.
1943		Lech Walesa, Lech Walesa, president of Poland (1990-95); co-founder of Solidarity, the first independent trade union in the Soviet bloc; won Nobel Peace Prize, 1983.
1947		Gary Wetzel, US Army soldier awarded Medal of Honor for actions near Ap Dong An during Vietnam War.
1948		Bryant Gumbel, broadcast journalist; co-host of NBC’s Today (1982-97), for which he won several Emmy Awards.
1951		Michelle Bachelet, first woman president of Chile (2006-10).
1955		Ann Bancroft, explorer, author; first woman to reach North Pole on foot nd by sled and first woman to cross both polar ice caps.
1968		Samir Soni, Indian actor, model; in 2012 won Indian Telly Award, Boroplus Gold Award and ITA Award for Best Actor, as well Favorite Drama Actor in India’s People’s Choice Awards.